This is insurance to ensure that both our worlds can survive unknown threats.
And this clause benefits us both, does it not?” General Victor and the officers and scientists behind him stood stunned.
The first three conditions went far beyond simply harvesting resources.
This was practically the formation of a cross-dimensional military alliance.
But the circumstances left them no leverage.
Old Jean could not help stepping forward, his voice trembling with excitement.
“You…
you can completely purge the ‘Void Filth’—that is what we call that black sludge energy?
And you can provide cross-dimensional military aid?
Even…
mutual support in times of crisis?” “Purging the Void Filth is not difficult.
The key lies in understanding and converting it.” Dottore’s tone remained flat, as if stating a simple fact.
“As for military aid and strategic mutual assistance, for a civilization that has already grasped fundamental elemental power and spatial technology, helping you enhance your combat capability and lending a hand in times of crisis is part of an equal exchange.
What I value is the potential for long-term cooperation and the added guarantee of survival for both our worlds when facing unknown threats.” His words carried a deeper meaning.
He was not only after this world’s resources but also laying the groundwork for a potential ally against the catastrophe that Teyvat might one day face.
General Victor exchanged a rapid glance with his adjutant and Old Jean.
The conditions the stranger proposed were harsh, but the core intent did not seem to be destruction.
It was resources, knowledge, and strategic security.
Moreover, this person possessed power they could not hope to resist, yet he had chosen negotiation over outright seizure—at least on the surface.
That in itself sent a signal.
Especially the fourth clause; though it appeared equal, given the strength the stranger had displayed, it was far more likely that they would need his assistance than the other way around.
“We need time to discuss this…” Victor attempted to stall.
“You have no time.” Dottore cut him off, pointing toward the outer perimeter of the stronghold.
The effects of the dual-layered force field of [Gravity Modulation] were gradually fading, and though the remaining monsters were in some disarray after the leader’s death, they were still instinctively pressing toward the bastion.
“My patience is limited.
Their appetite, however, is infinite.” The pressure instantly swung back to the stronghold.
Just then, a sharp alarm blared from within the stronghold.
“Report!
The eastern defense line’s shield energy is about to be depleted!
Turret Three has overheated and is destroyed!
The monster horde is breaking through!” General Victor’s face went pale.
Dottore allowed the faintest hint of a curve to touch his lips and spoke at precisely the right moment.
“It seems I need to offer a demonstration of my ‘sincerity’ first.” He took a single step forward, not even glancing toward the eastern defense line.
In an instant, an invisible force field erupted from him once more, this time covering an even wider area.
[Gravity Modulation]—Hundredfold Velocity Force Field!
Outside the eastern defense line, the monsters that had been madly battering the shield and attempting to scale the walls suddenly moved as though trapped in a mire, their speed slowed by several times.
The defenders were granted a precious window to catch their breath.
Then Dottore clenched his left hand loosely in the air.
Multiple miniature points of [Heart of the Black Hole], radiating a terrifying suction force, materialized in the areas where the monsters were most densely packed.
There was no sound, no explosion.
Patches of monsters simply vanished as if erased by an eraser, leaving behind neat, spherical zones of vacuum.
It was as effortless as brushing away dust.
The people inside the stronghold felt their scalps prickle.
It was awe at this godlike power, but also fear.
What if that power were turned on them?
General Victor hesitated no longer.
He drew a deep breath, straightened his back, and addressed Dottore with solemn gravity.
“Honored traveler from another world, we have witnessed your power.
On behalf of Doomsday Bastion, I accept your transaction!
Please, help us!” Old Jean added fervently, “All our research data will be open to you!
We only ask that you help us resolve the erosion problem of the Void Filth!
We also agree to the strategic mutual assistance clause!” “A wise choice.” Dottore withdrew his hand, and the force fields and black holes around him dissipated.
His pale face revealed neither satisfaction nor displeasure.
“Then the contract is sealed.
Take me to your database and your energy core sector.
As for the remnants outside…
consider them a complimentary cleaning service.” He snapped his fingers casually.
The power of [Heart of Fear] surged toward the remaining monster horde like a tide.
The creatures that had been ferocious moments before suddenly felt a primal terror grip their very instincts.
They let out piercing shrieks and began scattering in every direction, trampling and attacking one another in blind panic.
In an instant, they were utterly routed.
As an added precaution, Dottore placed a gravitational magnetic field around the outermost perimeter of the stronghold and layered another [Gravity Modulation] over it.
The crisis of the stronghold was resolved in just a few minutes by this enigmatic, silver-haired man, in a manner that seemed almost child’s play.
Watching this, General Victor felt a surge of indescribable emotion.
The apocalypse they had struggled against for decades, in the hands of this visitor from another world, seemed solvable after all.
But had they drawn a savior to them or a new master?
That strategic mutual assistance clause, seemingly equal, had quietly bound the fates of their two worlds together.
He did not dare dwell on the thought.
He could only respectfully step aside and gesture.
“Please, follow me.” Dottore nodded and strode toward the stronghold gate.
Behind him were the routed monsters and the ravaged battlefield.
Ahead of him lay an alien world that had opened its doors to him, brimming with the resources and knowledge he needed, and a potential “ally” that might prove useful in the future.
The first step of his resource-harvesting plan was a success.
As for the mess back in Teyvat…
he would deal with that slowly when he returned with enough “spoils of war” and possibly clues leading to the “Eternal Moment.” He imagined Pierro’s expression would be quite something to behold.
And as for Sandrone, that mechanical shut-in, he could only hope she would not overreach with her tentacles during his absence.
Stepping inside Doomsday Bastion, Dottore sensed an atmosphere that was both oppressive and indomitable.
The corridors were brightly lit yet somehow dim, clearly a sign of insufficient energy supply.
The walls bore traces of patching and contamination not yet fully cleaned.
The air, aside from the smell of gunpowder, was thick with disinfectant, machine oil, and the stale closeness of a population living in prolonged confinement.
Survivors peered through observation windows and door cracks, stealing glances at the white-haired stranger with eyes that mixed fear, curiosity, and a faint glimmer of hope.
General Victor personally led the way, with Old Jean following closely behind, his expression that of a child about to enter a treasure vault.
“This way.
The central database and main energy control room are both in the core protected zone of the stronghold,” Victor explained as they walked, his tone carefully respectful.
Dottore inclined his head slightly, but his eyes swept sharply over every detail along the way: the structure of the fortifications, the layout of the energy conduits, the weapon models the soldiers carried.
Every piece of information helped him grasp this world’s technological level more quickly.
After walking a while, Dottore suddenly spoke, his voice calm but carrying clearly to both Victor and Old Jean.
“Since our cooperative relationship is now established, you may address me by my title—Dottore, the Doctor.” General Victor and Old Jean both paused, and then their expressions grew even more solemn.
“Thank you for telling us, Mister Dottore.” Victor’s form of address shifted subtly.
The respect in his tone remained, but the distance one kept before an unknown entity lessened, replaced by a more direct regard for a collaborator.
“I am Victor, Supreme Commander of the Doomsday Bastion defense line of K-127.
This is our Chief Scientist, Jean.” Old Jean quickly offered a bow as well.
“Mister Dottore, it is an honor to cooperate with you.
You may call me Old Jean, as everyone does.” “Spare the pleasantries,” Dottore said with a wave of his hand.
“Victor, to what extent has your research on the Void Filth progressed?”