40: Chapter 37 Spicy Strips Crawling in the Dark Underground

The three of them continued along the ruined streets toward ME Corporation.

The further they walked, the stranger the surrounding air felt.

I don't know when it started, but thin gray mist began to seep out from the gaps of the collapsed buildings on both sides of the street, slowly spreading along the ground.

Kaiwen subconsciously slowed her pace.

This fog wasn't normal.

Given the current temperature of Changkong City, there were no conditions for fog to form at all; and even if it could fog, it wouldn't be this gray color.

"Wait a moment." Kaiwen called out to the others in a low voice.

Seeming to sense the fog, Bronya summoned Project Bunny, but its control panel just kept flashing red.

"Bunny's sensory system has been jammed," Bronya said, "This fog can conduct electromagnetic interference."

Hearing this, Kaiwen's heart sank sharply by a notch.

This fog was artificially generated, and in the Honkai main story, it seemed there was only one person who liked using fog...

Sure enough, a sound of footsteps came from deep within the fog.

A black figure slowly walked out from the thick fog.

He wore a black robe, and his face was completely covered by a cold metal mask.

There was no expression on the mask, only an electronic eye glowing red in the fog.

Seeing his appearance, Raiden Mei's body instantly tensed up, and she sidestepped to block in front of Kaiwen.

Bronya also manipulated Project Bunny's remaining arms to cross in front of her chest, taking a stance ready to strike at any time.

However, that figure walked straight up to everyone as if he hadn't seen their vigilance.

Then he stopped, nodded slightly, and spoke in a cold, electronically synthesized voice:

"Long time no see, Miss Kaiwen."

"The Serpent greets you."

World Serpent.

Kaiwen recognized this attire, recognized this mask, and even more recognized what the three words "World Serpent" represented behind them.

That was an organization hidden in the dark side of human civilization for as long as 50,000 years, and its leader was also the strongest MANTIS of the Previous Era, Kevin Kaslana.

As for the guy wearing the metal mask in front of them, he was Gray Serpent, one of the executors of World Serpent.

How could he appear here?

As for Mei and Bronya, they were completely dumbfounded.

"World Serpent?" Mei's voice carried obvious confusion, "Just what kind of person are you? Why do you know Kaiwen?"

Gray Serpent still didn't look at her; his gaze remained fixed on Kaiwen.

"If the three of you's target is the ME Corporation building ahead..." Gray Serpent's electronic voice was calm and cold, "I advise everyone to give up this thought."

"Cocolia has already laid an inescapable net in front of the ME Corporation gates. Going over in the three of yours' current state—"

He tilted his head slightly.

"Is nothing more than walking to your deaths."

Hearing the words "Cocolia", Mei's gaze instantly turned cold.

She remembered this name; Bronya had mentioned it before, and she was the person controlling Bronya from behind the scenes.

"How do you know we're going to ME Corporation?" Mei lowered her voice, "What is your relationship with Cocolia?"

Gray Serpent still did not answer this question, only leisurely taking out something from his robe.

That was a transparent syringe the length of a finger, sealed with a small tube of liquid inside the bottle body, emitting an extremely faint light-golden fluorescence in the dim fog.

Kaiwen looked at that bottle. Although she didn't recognize what was inside, her intuition told her that this was definitely a good thing.

"Those so-called experimental serums in ME Corporation are merely crude artificial syntheses," Gray Serpent cradled the syringe in his palm, "They are far from enough to alleviate the erosion on that friend of yours."

He handed the bottle toward Kaiwen.

"The one in my hand is a purification serum refined from the holy blood of the Schariac family as its source, and it can be used on people without the Schariac bloodline."

Schariac... holy blood?!

Kaiwen knew this name. Schariac was the branch representing the holy maiden among the three major families of Schicksal, and its bloodline inherently possessed the ability to purify Honkai Energy and neutralize Honkai Energy.

If this thing was real, its effect was indeed far beyond what those industrial products of ME Corporation could compare to.

"This serum can be gifted to you, Miss Kaiwen," Gray Serpent's electronic voice was unhurried, "It's just that there is a small condition requiring you to promise that on some day in the future, you can provide a little minor assistance to the 'Serpent'."

Hearing his words, Raiden Mei immediately spoke up: "Kaiwen, you can't trust him—"

"I know." Kaiwen interrupted her.

She stared at the syringe, her brain spinning rapidly.

How could World Serpent do a losing business deal?

Trading Schariac holy blood for a "future minor assistance"? The cost and reward were completely disproportionate.

Unless they thought there was something about her that was worth placing such a heavy bet.

Kaiwen raised her head, looking straight into that cold electronic eye on Gray Serpent's mask.

"Nothing comes without a reward; what is there on my body worth you guys using Schariac holy blood to invest in?"

Gray Serpent tilted his head, seeming not surprised at all.

"The Serpent has its own way of judging value. As for the reason, Miss Kaiwen, it's better if you don't know for now."

"What if I insist on knowing?"

"Then this one will tell you everything he knows."

Looking at Gray Serpent's attitude, Kaiwen fell into silence.

Could I really have some relation with that Lord of World Serpent? Why is Gray Serpent treating me with such respect?

"Then what is your opinion?"

Seeing that Kaiwen didn't speak, Gray Serpent asked again.

"Alright, fine, as long as that assistance isn't too excessive."

"Please rest assured about this," Gray Serpent nodded slightly, "The Serpent will not make things difficult for you."

Feeling the respect in Gray Serpent's tone, Kaiwen continued to speak.

"However, I have one more additional condition," Kaiwen looked at Gray Serpent, "I want to make a trip into the Elysian Realm."

Gray Serpent's movement stopped.

The electronic eye beneath the mask flashed violently, and his entire aura seemed to experience extremely subtle fluctuations at that instant.

Then he lowered his head slightly, his tone carrying an indescribable implication.

"...Elysian Realm? I didn't expect Miss Kaiwen... to still remember this name."

"However, since it is your wish, the gates of the Elysian Realm are open to you at any time."

Kaiwen was taken aback by these words.

"Wait, what do you mean by I still remember?"

However, Gray Serpent had no intention of answering at all.

He just nodded slightly once more, and then his figure disappeared silently.

Soon, the fog also dissipated accordingly, and the street regained visibility.

Only the syringe emitting a faint golden shimmer in Kaiwen's hand remained, proving that everything just now wasn't an illusion.