The command room in Sweet Home was a silent paradox. Its pristine white walls and minimalist furnishings exuded an aura of tranquility, yet in the center of the room, a silent war was being waged. A holographic map of the Douluo Continent rotated slowly, its surface riddled with pulsing red data points within the Haven Dou Empire's territory, swarming like a pack of wolves around Schicksal's assets.
Bronya Rand stood before the hologram, her posture as rigid and efficient as a precision machine. With a swift tap on her crystal tablet, a section of the map magnified, displaying a complex flow of information.
"Threat analysis complete," her voice was calm and toneless, cutting through the sterile silence of the room. "Yggdrasil's nodes have flagged a 34% increase in Star Luo Empire agent activity. Their movement vectors, encrypted communication spikes, and financial transaction anomalies indicate a coordinated operation with 92% probability."
She swiped her finger with surgical precision, and the hologram highlighted a single hotspot. "Assessment: the reconnaissance phase has concluded. They are in active preparation for a strike."
As Bronya laid out her data, Lian Yang wasn't just listening. Within his mind, Brahma's Brain worked silently, connecting seemingly unrelated data points. The purchase of rare herbs for paralysis poison in one city. The sighting of a Star Luo infiltration agent near a major trade route. A large order for specialized crossbow bolts. To him, these were no longer separate incidents, but the framework of an operation—a net being cast in the darkness.
Jingliu, who had been sitting silently in the corner of the room, her eyes closed behind her blindfold, hadn't moved a muscle. Her presence was so quiet it could almost be forgotten, if not for the faint chill that seemed to emanate from her.
"Their noise offends my ears."
Her icy voice broke the silence, bringing a touch of sharp intuition to Bronya's sea of data.
Bronya paused, her usually placid brow furrowing slightly—the only sign that this unquantifiable intuition had disrupted her workflow. "Elaborate, Jingliu."
Jingliu's voice returned, sharp and confident, as if teaching a child. "A true spy moves like a shadow, without sound, without a trace. These are like a pack of baying hounds. They don't care if we hear them coming, because they're confident their prey will be dead before the echo of their barks fades."
Lian Yang nodded slowly, merging the two analyses in his mind. Bronya's data was the what. Jingliu's sharp intuition was the why.
He stared at the pulsing red dots on the map. "Jingliu is right. This isn't intelligence gathering. This is preparation for an abduction or assassination."
The conclusion made the air in the room feel heavy.
Bronya was immediately back in her element, her fingers already dancing across her tablet. "Understood. Activating 'Silent Shield' security protocols. High-level assets will receive additional protection. Counter-intelligence teams will initiate disinformation operations to disrupt their network."
"That's just a bandage on a festering wound," Jingliu cut in, her eyes now open, emitting a dangerous glint. "Defending only gives them time to sharpen their knives. Give me the coordinates of their main cell. I will pull this problem out by the roots... before dawn."
The offer was a perfect reflection of her philosophy: a swift, direct, and uncompromising solution.
Lian Yang raised a hand, a calm gesture that instantly halted the debate. "No, Jingliu. Your approach, while efficient, is premature. Destroying one cell will only alert their superiors. We'll draw the wrong kind of attention, at the wrong time."
His gaze shifted to Bronya. "Your plan is a good foundation, but we won't be defending. We will strike back. Refine your protocols. Prepare an information trap. Give them bait that's too valuable to ignore. Let them think they've found our weakness."
The command was delivered with a quiet authority that shifted the dynamic in the room. This was no longer a discussion among three colleagues, but a directive from a leader to his lieutenants. His broader strategic vision instantly quelled the debate. Jingliu closed her eyes again, acknowledging the logic behind it. Bronya nodded, her fingers already a blur on her tablet, translating the conceptual command into a series of actionable operations. The master strategy was set. Schicksal would manipulate the enemy, not just fight them.
---
After the meeting concluded, Lian Yang returned to his study. The threat from Star Luo was a solvable problem, a complex but winnable game of chess. However, the crisis had highlighted another, more fundamental issue, an uncomfortable truth he had been setting aside.
All his strategies, all his technology, all his grand plans, relied on a single point of failure: himself. His brain might be a supercomputer and his spiritual power had reached the Spirit Sea, but his body was still that of an eight-year-old boy. He was a glass cannon—capable of shattering the world from a distance, yet fragile enough to be broken if an enemy ever got close. Relying on Jingliu for physical protection was an unacceptable variable in the long run.
With that thought, he opened the translucent blue interface only he could see. Waifu Catalog. He wasn't looking for a flashy new weapon or ability. He was looking for an alternative to the spirit rings he couldn't yet create.
His finger traced through the 'Additional Potential' category, bypassing standard talent enhancements until he landed on a rare and exorbitantly expensive sub-category: Immortal Physiques. These were the twelve legendary physiques from the world of Emperor's Domination, bodily blueprints considered the pinnacle of physical potential. Each offered a different path to absolute power, from impenetrable defense to unimaginable speed.
His eyes locked onto one name that seemed to call to him, a perfect fit. Sacred Spring Physique. This physique didn't offer direct offensive or defensive power. Instead, it offered something that suited him perfectly: limitless growth potential. It would transform his body into a vessel designed to absorb pure life energy—like that emitted by Yggdrasil—and convert it into personal power.
"Purchase," he whispered.
A wave of warm energy instantly washed over his body, far more intense than any regular talent upgrade. This was a complete overhaul at a cellular level. He felt a new, deep connection form—a direct pathway between the core of his being and the mighty Yggdrasil.
Without hesitation, he tested it. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and gently drew upon the tree's energy.
A sharp, brutal pain erupted through his body. Every cell, every muscle fiber, every bone felt like it was being ripped apart and forcibly expanded. His immature body was completely unprepared to contain the raw power of the world tree. It was the sensation of a raging river being forced into a small garden hose.
He coughed, his breath catching as he forcibly severed the flow after a few agonizing seconds. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. But beneath the pain, there was new strength. He clenched his fist, feeling the density of his muscles had tangibly increased. His body felt more solid, more alive.
Painful, he thought, a faint smirk gracing his lips, as if welcoming the agony as a sign of progress. But it works. The foundation was laid.
Not just his physical foundation. He also felt something else—a gentle surge within his mind. His Spiritual Power, already at the Spirit Sea level, felt slightly deeper, clearer.
Spiritual Power was a concept distinct from Soul Power. It was the manifestation of consciousness, perception, and pure mental force. The hierarchy was clear: starting from Spirit Origin, which was only slightly above a normal human, then Spirit Connection, which allowed one to sense the spiritual world. Lian Yang's current level, Spirit Sea, was where his consciousness had formed a vast mental ocean, granting him the ability to withstand the computational load of Brahma's Brain and manipulate the minds of others if needed. Above it lay the Spirit Abyss, a qualitative leap where the sea condensed into a deep chasm of power, capable of unleashing devastating illusory attacks.
This small improvement, a byproduct of excruciating pain, was a satisfying reminder. Every step forward, no matter how small, was a step toward absolute power.
With the bottleneck of his power-up partially resolved, he turned to the real problem, tackling the issue of obtaining his spirit rings and a way to monopolize the advancement of power in this world.
The interface in his study shifted, displaying a single communication channel. Herta's profoundly bored face appeared on the screen, complete with a dramatic sigh.
"I was just about to start counting the dust particles in my room. Thank you for calling before I reached a depressing conclusion," her tone was as flat as a salt plain. "So, is this something interesting, or just a weekly status report you could have sent in a message?"
Lian Yang got straight to the point, his tone even. "I wouldn't waste your time on trivialities. This is about the Artificial Spirit Ring Project."
There was a moment of silence. The boredom on Herta's face evaporated like morning dew under a desert sun. Her usually listless eyes now held the sharp glint of an intellectual predator that had found its prey.
"Oh?" She leaned forward slightly, a thin, dangerous smile beginning to form. "You've finally decided to discuss my favorite toy. Go on. Thrill me with data."
Lian Yang opened a file on his interface. "I've reviewed your third model. Lizelle Einstein and Frederika Tesla have already given it a codename."
Herta rolled her eyes so theatrically her whole head went with it. "Ah, of course. Those two old witches. Don't tell me they named it something heroic and boring like 'Project Hope'."
Lian Yang stated the name flatly. "Project Stigma."
Stigma. He recalled the concept from the lore of Honkai Impact 3rd: an artificial genetic marker implanted in elite soldiers to grant them superpowers. Einstein and Tesla hadn't just given it a name; they had understood its ultimate purpose. This project wasn't just about making Spirit Rings. It was the first step to creating an artificial bloodline, to designing Spirit Masters to his specifications.
Herta scoffed, a sneer evident in her voice. "Stigma, is it? Sounds... suitably dramatic and grandiose for them. At least it isn't boring. But a name won't solve the fundamental problem."
Lian Yang went straight to the heart of the matter. "The project needs a catalyst."
Herta's expression soured into the grievance of an unappreciated genius. "Of course it does! And I need a pure one. A source of life without spiritual 'junk' contaminating it. The regular Spirit Bones you gave me are like muddy sugar water. I'm an artist, not a waste disposal unit! I'm not interested in making one Spirit Ring. I'm interested in building a factory."
She leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "Give me a pure, regenerative 'seed.' How about one of the Great Spirit Beasts, the Emerald Swan? She must possess the Ultimate Life attribute! We don't need to kill her, of course not. That would be inefficient. We could simply 'borrow' her essence. Sustainable. Intelligent. Genius, no?"
Lian Yang caught her drift, playing on her words. "A 'renewable' donation."
"Exactly! That life seed is the universal 'filament.' The Spirit Master's soul is the 'blueprint.' The machine will take the filament, read the blueprint, then draw in the corresponding elemental energy from the outside. We only need one pure source to print them all!"
Lian Yang leaned forward slightly, his tone deliberately casual. "If the soul is the blueprint, could we add a few notes in the margins? A little modification here and there?"
A total silence. The smile on Herta's face froze, then slowly morphed into a wide grin filled with the glee of a child who had just been given the keys to the universe's largest candy store.
Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, trembling with suppressed excitement. "Now... that is a question that isn't boring. You don't just want to print. You want to be a designer."
Lian Yang pressed further, knowing he had her hooked. "What would it take?"
"What would it take?" Herta laughed, a sound that was slightly unhinged. "Absurd computational power! A server the size of a city! But... why think so small? If we're going to deploy that much power, we should build something truly interesting. Something I can show off. A Simulated Universe!"
The idea was breathtakingly ambitious. Lian Yang knew the concept from the world of Honkai: Star Rail. Not just a laboratory, but the creation of reality itself—a sandbox where worlds could be simulated over and over until the perfect path to victory was found. The ultimate tool for a strategist.
Herta chuckled at his reaction. "You look shocked. Don't worry, I've built one before. Give me full access to Yggdrasil's core, and in return, I'll give you a universe in a box. Consider it a bonus."
Lian Yang cut through Herta's euphoria, his voice firm, bringing the conversation back on track. "We start with replication. But our long-term goals are customization and the Simulated Universe. All your requests are approved. As of today, these two projects are Schicksal's top priorities."
The call ended. Lian Yang contemplated the impact of the new project.
The moment was broken by Bronya's voice over the intercom. "Lian Yang, preliminary analysis is complete."
"Display it."
The hologram in front of him shifted back to the strategic map. Bronya pointed to a single dot that shone brightest among the others.
"Based on all vectors, the highest probability points here. St. Freya Academy is the most logical and most valuable target for them."
Lian Yang stared at the dot, his eyes narrowing. The threat now had a focus. He didn't panic or rush. He simply gave his orders with a cold calm.
"Bronya, initiate protocol 'Fortress' around the academy. Tighten security discreetly. I want our net in place before they even realize there is a net."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "And prepare diplomatic team. Jingliu, Lingsha, and I will depart for the Star Dou Forest. A war is coming, but we will face it on our own terms."
The call ended, leaving Lian Yang alone with the glowing map. Two colossal projects had been launched. A shadow war was about to begin. And his first step was not onto a battlefield, but into the heart of an ancient forest.