In the time that followed, Aaron and Otto conducted a cordial and friendly talk. After Aaron proactively promised to cooperate with Otto to revive Kallen, Otto handed the position of Overseer to Aaron.
And after the two met, Aaron successfully exterminated Otto, then made Schicksal and Anti-Entropy join forces, began to gather combat power, and finally successfully steamrolled Finality, and by the way, pushed...
—If only things really went that smoothly.
At this moment, hearing that tone of Otto's, Aaron realized that a person's first impression of others is really important.
Setting aside prejudice, Otto's tone at this moment made one feel he was courteous, like a very polite young man.
People who didn't know Otto's true face would probably be confused by Otto's tone and these words, and finally help him count the money after being sold by him.
But regrettably, Aaron knew exactly how treacherous this old bastard was.
Some people stood on the side of humanity; some people had brain problems and stood on the side of the Honkai.
But Otto was different from these two types of people; he stood on his own side.
For his personal thoughts and wishes, he would ignore the wishes of others to act.
Even if that person was Kallen Kaslana, Otto would still choose to go his own way at the most critical moment.
Then Kallen was thoroughly killed by Otto because of Otto's act of releasing Honkai Beasts back then.
Otto definitely knew Kallen didn't want him to save her by means of 'harming the populace,' but Otto still chose to use this method in the end.
When this man goes crazy, no one can stop him.
And regrettably, besides being a madman, he is also a high-IQ genius.
Although he occasionally shows symptoms of 'brain cramps due to sickness in the head' in the plot, most of the time this person is still very smart.
It's very hard to deal with a person who is smart and has no bottom line.
If he also controls the power of the world's largest military organization, it's even more troublesome.
Aaron firmly believed that ninety-nine percent of Valkyries like Rita and Durandal would remain indifferent when Otto proposed an order to [Massacre Humans].
Hmm, at least to make them not rebel against Otto because of this order, a good excuse would be needed.
But Schicksal's weapons and missiles aren't Valkyries. These weapons without personal will naturally can't have a bottom line.
If Otto is really pushed to the edge, it wouldn't be good if he bathes the Earth with nuclear warheads.
Aaron and his companions definitely wouldn't die.
But those innocent civilians would inevitably suffer massive casualties because of this.
People are killed by Otto, but the problem is Aaron can't remain completely indifferent after causing massive human casualties because of his own actions.
Not everyone who uses Magnetic Field Rotation becomes a Magnetic Field Madman who 'regards human life as grass.'
Before having one hundred percent certainty of killing Otto, Aaron didn't intend to completely fall out with Otto.
Now he had taken the other party's Gem of Serenity, and the Key of the Void didn't seem to be in Schicksal's hands for now.
If Otto really felt no hope at all, no one knew what a desperate Otto could do.
Of course, Aaron felt it was best if he didn't have to know such things.
"It seems Mr. Aaron has agreed with my statement? Then, I will continue."
At this moment, Otto was very satisfied with the other party's attitude after Aaron fell silent.
He didn't know what Aaron was thinking right now, but clearly, the term 'increase casualties in vain' thrown out by Otto indeed had the effect he wanted.
If the other party had a poor impression of Otto, then 'increase casualties in vain' was both a hint and a threat.
Among those who had a bad impression of Otto, Otto had seen many and killed a portion, so Otto also had a rough understanding of this group's thoughts.
Simply put, this group of people all felt Otto was ruthless and had no bottom line—hmm, these thoughts weren't wrong at all.
Otto was this kind of person, and those people who knew very well that Otto was this kind of person...
—Naturally, Otto treated them with this attitude.
Now facing Aaron, Otto actually had this attitude too.
The difference lay in—he wasn't confident in taking down the other party right now.
Perhaps Otto might have been cursed by someone when he bombed Siegfried with Honkai Fission Bombs fourteen years ago.
But even at that time, after losing most of his brain, Otto hadn't completely abandoned that last bit of brain.
The reason he launched the Honkai Fission Bombs actually had two parts.
One was that he felt Siegfried was not within his control and posed a threat to his plan.
And the other reason was related to the previous one.
Siegfried gave Otto this feeling because the strength he displayed in the battle with Sirin was too strong.
Of course, there was a limit to strength. Siegfried after defeating Sirin was already at low health. Otto judged that to clean up this hindering guy, that was the best timing, so he launched the fission bombs.
Now facing Aaron, Otto wasn't stupid enough to send warmth with fission bombs at the start.
This hairy brat who popped out from who knows where, even after fighting fiercely with that armed puppet who looked tough to deal with, didn't show the slightest sign of fatigue.
And judging from the Honkai energy residual intensity detected by the monitors earlier, this person's Honkai energy intensity was actually no less than Siegfried's back then.
To kill Aaron, he must find the moment when he is weakest.
Before that, Otto felt it was better to endure the dissatisfaction in his heart slightly.
Moreover, the Key of the Void and the Gem of Serenity, two treasures crucial to his Plan A and Plan B, were still in the other party's hands!
At least he had to get these treasures in hand before he could kill the other party with peace of mind.
"I don't know where Mr. Aaron heard rumors about me. And since Mr. Aaron distrusts me because of these rumors, I know very well that defending myself is very feeble."
"Everyone acts to screw over the Honkai. If it's not completely impossible to talk, then even if there are differences at a time like this, it's better not to have internal friction."
That sounds so nice.
If I didn't know you tried to bomb your strongest subordinate with a big bomb and forced the former Herrscher of Reason to burn his life to save civilians with a bomb, I might have really been hoodwinked by you.
"So?"
"I see Mr. Aaron and your companions seem to still lack manpower. How about this?"
"I personally sincerely invite you all to join our Schicksal—please hear me out."
Hearing this sentence from Otto, Rita and Phantom immediately had the same thought.
Ah, Overseer Otto is going to hoodwink people again.
And in their view, the probability of Aaron being hoodwinked by Otto... was actually quite high.
Otto Apocalypse indeed had no bottom line, but his lack of bottom line applied not only to others but also to the resources in his hands.
As long as Otto determined 'this matter is beneficial to me,' Otto wouldn't mind generously giving the resources in his hands to others.
Now the matter of Otto inviting the other party to join Schicksal was clearly the prelude to 'Otto preparing to throw money.'
"With Your Excellency's strength far surpassing S-rank Valkyries and Knights, it is enough to serve as the Branch Head of a branch."
"If Your Excellency is willing to join Schicksal, then I personally promise here to let Your Excellency serve as the Branch Head of a branch."
"And I also know Your Excellency doesn't trust me, so after serving as Branch Head, Your Excellency doesn't need to pay attention to my orders as Overseer regarding Your Excellency's control of the branch."
Hearing this condition thrown out by Otto, Rita and Phantom looked at each other and simultaneously saw a trace of shock in each other's eyes.
Schicksal branches were only established in regions of significant importance.
Currently, Schicksal only had six remaining branches: Far East Branch, Oceania Branch, Far East Branch (Russian/Siberian), African Branch, Atlantic Branch, and West Asian Branch.
Among them, the Far East Branch (Japan) was the territory of Otto's granddaughter, the patriarch of the Apocalypse clan, Theresa. Otto couldn't wrong his beloved granddaughter for an outsider, so Overseer Otto couldn't possibly let this man go to the Far East.
But other branches weren't things that could be given away casually either!
It could be seen that Overseer Otto really valued the Gem of Serenity and the Key of the Void, which was why he made such a choice.
In addition, it could also be seen—he probably really couldn't deal with the other party, so he resorted to this inferior plan.
Overseer Otto had never been a good person. Originally, the Gem of Serenity was Schicksal's property. If he had the ability to grab it back by force, he would have done so long ago.
Phew, is Mr. Aaron's strength indeed tricky even for Overseer Otto?
"...Playing this big?"
At this moment, not only Phantom and Rita, but even Aaron was a bit shocked.
"What, you want to use the control rights of a branch to exchange for the Gem of Serenity and the Key of the Void taken by my companion from my hands?"
"Hah, I would hope so. But if I proposed this condition, then Your Excellency would definitely reject my invitation, right?"
Making no secret of his craving for the Core and Divine Key, Otto spoke very frankly.
"I naturally want to get these two items from Your Excellency's hands, but if Your Excellency is unwilling, I can't very well rob you openly, right?"
There's a conspiracy, absolutely a conspiracy.
When this bastard is this candid, he is definitely telling the truth.
But when he tells the truth, he inevitably hides some intelligence. While making people feel he is sincere, he directly thinks of a way to screw them to death.
"But I thought about it a little. The Key of the Void and the Gem of Serenity being in Mr. Aaron's hands is at least much better than being outside."
"I, Otto, don't act like a human, at most conducting artificial Herrscher experiments. But when Anti-Entropy doesn't act like humans, they directly sacrifice the lives of a city's people to the heavens."
Oh, starting to secretly stomp on the opponent.
"Although Mr. Aaron is hostile to me, I can see you also have no good feelings toward Anti-Entropy's move of blowing up a city with Honkai energy at the drop of a hat."
"Compared to fighting you and pushing you to the enemy's side, I think winning you over with this method shouldn't be the worst decision."
"It doesn't matter if Mr. Aaron doesn't plan to hand over the Gem and the Key of the Void to me. These two items not being in my hands is at least much better than being in the enemy's hands."
Sounds really nice.
I was really almost hoodwinked.
"So having said so much, Mr. Apocalypse should have already decided which branch to let me go to, right?"
"The Oceania Branch in Queenstown, New Zealand."
Sure enough.
This old bastard has no good intentions.
The Oceania Branch is where the A-rank Valkyrie Wendy is.
This Valkyrie, because of Theresa's recommendation, became the victim of the Gem of Desire fusion experiment.
Because her talent was strong, she didn't die on the spot like Lin who is currently squatting in the Demon Castle.
But now, crippled in both legs, she only needs someone to push her into the abyss, and she will directly become a Herrscher.
Oh, it doesn't matter if she doesn't become a Herrscher.
Otto letting me go there, besides the reason that he can't handle me well right now, has another reason.
He wants to lure Kiana over.
In the original work, Otto's plan was to raise the gu (poison/insects) with Kiana at St. Freya. Now he just changed the location to continue playing this boring trick.
If I didn't know the inside story, I would only think Otto had bad intentions.
But knowing the inside story... Heh, this bait is really big enough.
However, I'll just cooperate with you slightly and take the bait.
After all, I indeed dislike these days of hiding.
"Fine, I accept your invitation."
After calmly crushing the lollipop in his mouth, Aaron spat out the plastic stick in his mouth and simultaneously used Magnetic Field Rotation power to make this trash dissipate on the spot.
"When do we process the entry procedures?"
"No rush for this. After all, I still need to inform the Oceania Branch of the specific situation now, and then appease that Branch Head's emotions."
"If possible, could Mr. Aaron please come to the Oceania Branch's location in a week?"
"Fine. So now—I want to go, Overseer Otto shouldn't stop me, right?"
"Naturally. Hope we can cooperate happily."
After cutting off the communication with Aaron, Otto looked at the gray-haired woman who had just arrived at his office.
"Kept you waiting, old friend."
"I recall I already handed the report from last time to you, so is there a new mission now?"
"Naturally. You've stayed at St. Freya Academy long enough. Now, 'Student' Fu Hua, with your A-rank strength, it's about time to graduate."
Heh, this is wanting me to go to a new location to be a new spy.
"You want me to go to the Oceania Branch?"
"Smart."
After sighing slightly, Fu Hua said helplessly.
"I fought that man once. If nothing else, the feeling he gives me is much harder to deal with than Theresa."
"Knowing full well you have bad intentions, I don't think I can get much intelligence you want from him."
"It's fine, just do your best, do your best. As long as you take action, it's fine."
After all, from the start, I asked you to go there not for you to steal intelligence from that man's hands.