LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 153: Under Duress
Otto, with 500 years of experience, wasn't easily swayed. He quickly regained his composure.
"I *am* the Overseer of Schicksal. There's no doubt about that. I can answer your questions, but first, tell me where you got the Gem of Haste."
The Imaginary space was a realm Otto couldn't access. During the Project [Cosmic Juggernaut] (I Forgot the real name) experiment, he'd briefly observed the Imaginary Tree, seeing within it the hope of Kallen's revival.
During the battle against the Herrscher of Void, the Gem of Haste had fallen into the Imaginary space, a realm thought impenetrable. But the Herrscher had appeared, unnoticed, suggesting he might have entered and returned from the Imaginary space.
Unraveling this mystery could bring him closer to reviving Kallen.
"Really? I thought the ruler of half the world would be more composed, not some grinning fool hiding a broken heart."
Bang!
Otto's fist slammed into his centuries-old desk, leaving a deep imprint.
He looked at Ren, no longer playful, but with a dangerous look in his eyes, though he still seemed refined and elegant.
"If you're trying to anger me to create an escape opportunity, you've miscalculated. You're a thousand meters underground. With Durandal here, you have no chance."
"I disagree." The lab's temperature spiked. Flammable materials began to smoke. Then, white vapor sprayed from the corners of the room: liquid nitrogen.
The temperature plummeted. The liquid nitrogen wouldn't stop the Herrscher of Fire, but as Ren prepared to increase his power output, a sharp pain pierced his chest, dispersing the gathered Honkai energy.
[HSN serum] and [Schariac blood].
Both incredibly rare materials, used to suppress him.
They'd spared no expense.
Ren's face changed. This wasn't supposed to happen. He pretended to try and summon his fiery sword, but Durandal held him down on the bed.
Of course, it was all an act. If Herrschers were so easily subdued, the current Honkai Era would have ended long ago.
"Ren, seventeen years old, a high school student before the Great Eruption. According to our records, your parents died in that incident. You were the sole survivor."
"No one knows you awakened as the Herrscher of Fire. For months, you've hidden in ARC City, concealing your powers. I'm curious. At your age, full of youthful impulsiveness, especially with the Herrscher of Fire's typically volatile nature, how did you control your destructive urges?"
The moment they'd identified him, Schicksal had investigated his entire life, digging up every detail.
Otto had even established a personality analysis team to study Herrscher psychology, using Ren's life history to profile him.
"Clearly, you're intelligent. You learned to suppress your desires. But you're still young. You revealed your intentions too soon." Having subdued Ren, Otto regained his composure, confident he'd identified Ren's weakness.
「Yeah, right.」 Ren almost laughed. Otto was furious. He'd skipped the "furious outburst" stage and jumped straight to "coldly analytical."
Otto, consumed by his emotions, had become predictable.
Emotions were a weakness.
"You know everything about me. Why not just kill me? I doubt Schicksal spares Herrschers." Trapped under Durandal, Ren pretended to be out of breath. It kept getting colder. The air was getting thick with nitrogen, and there wasn't much oxygen left.
"Tell me how you obtained the Gem and how you concealed it. We've examined your body thoroughly, but found no trace." The Gem was long gone. Of course, Otto couldn't find it.
"Why should I tell you? I'm going to die anyway. Do you think I haven't seen how this plays out?"
Otto gestured for Durandal to release him. "I never said Schicksal must kill Herrschers. Even a Herrscher can be an asset, as long as they fight for humanity."
"Heh, a three-year-old wouldn't believe that. After what you did to Kiana, those cruel experiments… you expect me to believe you'd spare a Herrscher?" Released, Ren didn't try to escape. He glared at Otto, his anger unconcealed.
Otto's smile widened, seeing the raw emotion in the boy's eyes.
The Herrscher had revealed his greatest weakness.
"Kiana Kaslana, the Herrscher of the Void. You've mentioned her twice since waking up. You questioned Durandal, not for yourself, but for Kiana."
"You clearly hate Schicksal, yet you suppressed your anger. I suspect you encountered someone who helped you maintain your composure." Otto projected an image: the photo Ren had deliberately leaked, of him and Kiana.
"And in ARC City, you allowed yourself to be captured, holding back Schicksal's forces, to allow the Herrscher of the Void to escape."
"A Herrscher, developing feelings for another Herrscher, controlling his instincts and hatred for her sake. Truly remarkable. I never thought a Herrscher capable of such sentiment."
"Unfortunately, Schicksal has located her. We'll capture her soon…"
Bang!
Ren slammed his fist into a nearby instrument, sparks flying. His eyes flashed crimson. "If you harm her, you'll pay!"
"I can be persuaded to leave her alone. Cooperate with our experiments, and my interest in her will diminish."
The Project [Cosmic Juggernaut] experiment. The power to pierce the Imaginary space.
"At least let me confirm she's safe…"
"Of course." Otto projected several surveillance photos, one even showing Benares.
Seeing K424, Ren fell silent. Defeated, he agreed to Otto's terms.