Click—
An unusual sound drew Otto's attention. He lifted his golden-haired head, his gaze passing through the air filled with unknown luminescence, and fixed upon the top of the base.
There, at some unknown moment, an inverted hourglass had appeared. The golden sand within it flowed upward in complete defiance of Newton.
The hourglass was not especially high. An A-rank Valkyrie could easily leap up from the building's outer ledge to reach it.
Reanna's eyes locked onto the hourglass. She raised Black Abyss White Flower, intending to jump up and destroy the strange object—only to be stopped by Otto.
"It seems we don't have much time. When the sand in the lower chamber runs out, something unpleasant will likely occur."
"There's no need to destroy it. Clearly, it's either a trap or merely an indicator. Vill-V would never leave such an obvious flaw. Stalling for time is her primary objective."
"Understood." Reanna trusted Bishop Otto completely. She nodded without further question.
However, a Valkyrie standing near Otto appeared eager to act. Hearing his explanation, she could not help asking, "May I ask how you're so certain, Lord Otto?"
Because Otto was usually approachable, many Valkyries did not treat him as an untouchable bishop. Though they admired him deeply, they would still ask questions directly if something puzzled them.
"Heh. Naturally, because the one who designed this labyrinth is someone just like me... someone who enjoys a magnificent drama. Wouldn't an urgent countdown hourglass push the audience's emotions to a climax?"
But just because Reanna and the others refrained from acting did not mean every Valkyrie who had heard Otto's words would remain still.
"Aisty!" Reanna cried out in alarm as she saw a ponytailed Valkyrie dash forward in two swift steps and leap onto the top of the base.
However, Aisty's movements soon froze. Then she vanished.
Damn it—there hadn't been time to warn the other squads.
The Valkyries' atmosphere instantly grew tense. Otto, however, calmly tapped the miniature communicator at the back of his neck with his index finger.
"No need to worry. That area was precisely her assigned sector for reconnaissance."
Evidently, Aisty's earlier action had been deliberate on Otto's part. He had already arranged duties for every Valkyrie—including tasks that might require them to serve as expendable sacrifices.
Reanna, however, could not yet serve as cannon fodder. Thus Otto would not allow her to leave his sight for the time being.
"Come. Let us see what this Magician has prepared for us."
Otto had no intention of simply demolishing the base through brute force. Truth be told, he had developed a trace of genuine interest in Vill-V's newly displayed abilities.
Otto understood that this base was not a physically reconstructed structure, but a quantum construct.
If so... was it possible for Kallen to be reborn in quantum form?
Of course, even if such a thing were possible, the Kallen revived that way would most likely not be his Kallen.
Still, that did not diminish Otto's desire to explore the limits of this power.
The vast metallic gates of the base slowly opened, as though welcoming distinguished guests.
Otto led Reanna and the others inside. Yet before long, they discovered they had somehow "walked back out."
Strictly speaking, the mechanisms of the base had pushed them back outside.
Even when S-rank Valkyrie Reanna charged forward at full speed, she still could not penetrate the interior. It was as if the entire spatial structure of the base rejected her.
When Reanna attempted to destroy the mechanism, not only did it remain intact, it instead summoned robotic sentries that confronted her.
"I see. One must follow the rules of time?"
Otto stroked his chin thoughtfully as Reanna reduced a pile of robots to scrap metal. "Reanna, try walking away from the base."
"Walk away?" Reanna looked puzzled, glancing around. No matter what, she trusted Bishop Otto.
When she turned and stepped outward, the spatial structure shifted once more. This time, however, it actively delivered her into the base.
"I understand now. Act according to reversed time logic." Otto stepped forward, leading the remaining Valkyries through the gate.
After a sequence of spatial distortions that felt like an adventure in itself, when Reanna finally entered the central area of the base, she found Otto and the other Valkyries already standing in the visitor hall, observing their surroundings.
First come had become last to arrive.
"Interesting. These technologies far exceed the capabilities of modern humanity. Were all of these excavated from the Yellowstone ruins—Previous Era technology? Where exactly did Amoney Ayette hide such things? Does the Ninth Divine Key, Star of Eden, possess information storage capacity like Void Archives? Or did Vill-V bring these technologies from her own world?"
As he examined an assembly line producing figurines, Otto's eyes gleamed faintly with excitement. The more Previous Era technology uncovered, the greater the possibility of finding a way to resurrect Kallen.
He was determined to obtain the Ninth Divine Key—Star of Eden—and the knowledge contained within Vill-V's mind.
...
Beyond the visitor hall, the path was no longer singular. Numerous corridors extended in all directions.
Vill-V had thoughtfully labeled them with various adorable symbols indicating where each passage led. Beside them were sightseeing guide maps available for pickup, offering a more intuitive understanding of the base's intricate design.
As an engineer, Conductor naturally hoped every visitor would thoroughly experience her labyrinth. Unfortunately, she also knew Otto's group likely would not meticulously explore every corner. Thus she had prepared thick guide maps to present a condensed overview of the base.
Reanna studied the locations listed on the map...
The more she read, the more absurd it became. What kind of genius had designed a base this complicated? This place was more insane than a maze. Anyone entering would surely lose all sense of direction.
With a helpless sigh, Reanna tossed aside the hefty guidebook and approached the directional signage at a crossroads. Dozens of red and green names crowded together in chaotic abundance, making her rub her temples.
"Ice and Snow Restaurant (-173°C), Volcano Shelter (Under Construction), Anti-Entropy Library (Open), Navigator Residence (Launched), Black Hole Prison (Fully Occupied), Time Corridor (∞)..."
"From the names alone, I can roughly guess what they are. But why rename them like this?"
At that moment, someone unexpected emerged.
"Aisty? Why are you coming out of the Cat Café corridor? Are you alright?" A group of Valkyries gathered around the limping Aisty as she hobbled out, leaning on a crutch.
"I'm fine..." Aisty replied weakly. It seemed she had gone through quite an ordeal.
"What was inside the Cat Café?"
"Nothing much... just a lucky cat coffee machine wearing a hat and scarf, and a bunch of random little trinkets whose purposes I couldn't figure out... Huh? My wallet—and the gold I just stuffed into my pocket—are gone. Meow meow meow?"
A bunch of random little trinkets whose purposes were unknown +2.