“Don’t celebrate too soon,” Dottore said, throwing cold water on the sentiment.
“The devices are merely supplementary.
The core problem lies at the source.
Until that is resolved, these monsters will continue to spawn endlessly.” He looked toward the distance, at the central contamination zone shrouded in thick black mist so dense it seemed to swallow even light itself.
That was where the Void Filth was most active, the epicenter of the initial outbreak.
“Make preparations,” Dottore ordered, his tone brooking no argument.
“Give me all your data on the terrain, energy readings, and any anomalous phenomena from the central contamination zone.
I believe it is time to pay a proactive ‘visit’ to this so-called source.” “You intend to go to the central zone personally?!” General Victor drew a sharp breath.
“The contamination density there is…!
That place is far too dangerous!
The energy readings have been off the charts for years.
Every reconnaissance team we’ve sent has never returned.
Even our remote observation signals get twisted and devoured!” “It is precisely because of the danger that I must go,” Dottore replied, his tone utterly devoid of any ripple.
“Staying inside the stronghold will never yield the key to solving the problem.
Some answers can only be obtained through close observation.
Or would you rather remain trapped here forever, waiting for the day something emerges that even I would find troublesome to deal with?” Though Old Jean shared the concern, his researcher’s thirst for knowledge overrode everything else.
“Mister Dottore, please allow us to assist you!
We can provide all possible data support, and…
if you permit it, I would like to dispatch a minimal remote observation unit to accompany you and record data during your exploration.
This would be absolutely vital for our understanding of the Void Filth!” Dottore considered for a moment, then nodded.
“Acceptable.
But the observation unit must follow my orders without question.” “Understood!
Thank you immensely!” Old Jean was so excited he nearly jumped.
Seeing that Dottore’s mind was made up, General Victor ceased his dissuasion and stood at attention.
“I will immediately compile all relevant data and have the stronghold’s fastest aircraft on standby!” “Aircraft?” Dottore shook his head.
“Too slow.
Too conspicuous.
I have my own means of getting there.” He brushed nonexistent dust from his robes.
“Now, take me to see the conditions in the other major contamination zones.
I need more comprehensive data to refine my deductions about the source.
Move quickly.
My time is limited.” Victor and Old Jean dared not delay and immediately led the way.
And at this very moment, Dottore, deep within K-127, remained completely oblivious to the undercurrents swirling through Zapolyarny Palace.
His fingertips unconsciously traced the cold casing of the spacetime pocket watch.
The cracks along its surface seemed deeper than before.
It appeared this cross-dimensional journey had inflicted irreversible damage on the device.
There was no time to waste.
He had to resolve the trouble here as quickly as possible and return to continue his plan.
Fortunately, he had anchored Teyvat’s coordinates beforehand; otherwise, he might not have been able to return at all.
Even with [Heart of the Black Hole], without synchronized spacetime coordinates, traversal was impossible.
At that same moment, back in Teyvat, within Zapolyarny Palace, the council chamber lay under a shroud of tension.
The frigid air seemed frozen solid.
Only a handful of figures sat before the massive conference table, and the atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water.
The Tsaritsa, Barnabas, sat high upon her throne, her peerlessly beautiful face covered in a layer of frost.
To her side, Pierro stood with his head lowered, his single eye filled with gloom.
The First Seat, Capitano, the Captain, sat silent as a mountain.
The Third Seat, Columbina, the Damselette, kept her eyes closed as ever, her expression unreadable beneath her veil.
And the Fourth Seat, Crucabena, the Knave, sat with her legs elegantly crossed, her fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest, a barely perceptible hint of amusement flickering in her eyes.
“So,” the Tsaritsa’s cool voice shattered the silence, each word chiming like colliding ice crystals, “not only has Dottore vanished from under strict surveillance, but his main laboratory nearly detonated from an unknown energy leak just half an hour ago?
Pierro, this is the ‘absolute certainty’ you promised?” Pierro knelt on one knee and bowed his head even lower.
“I have failed in my duty.
Please mete out your punishment, Your Majesty.
The laboratory’s emergency systems activated automatically and have temporarily contained the energy leak, but the core area remains inaccessible and the situation unclear.
Dottore…
he employed a method of departure that we did not anticipate.” Crucabena let out a soft laugh, her voice silken yet barbed.
“It seems our Second Seat harbors far more secrets than we imagined.
To slip so easily from even the Director’s surveillance…
truly astonishing.” Capitano spoke in a low, sonorous voice.
“The priority is to find the Doctor and contain the risk to the laboratory.
An energy leak is no trivial matter.” “It is already too late.” The Tsaritsa gestured for Pierro to rise, her voice carrying a trace of weariness barely perceptible to the ear.
“The laboratory’s automatic defense mechanisms are now fully active.
Short of Dottore himself, any attempt to force entry from the outside will only trigger an even more violent energy collision.
Pierro, what is the status of the search?” Pierro rose and stood beside his seat, his expression still grim.
“The search has yielded no results whatsoever.
Columbina sensed residual spatial fluctuations of an anomalous nature, but they pointed toward…
a void.
We have activated parts of our covert intelligence network in other nations, yet there remains not a single eyewitness report.
Dottore has simply vanished, as if he evaporated from the face of the earth.” “A void?” Crucabena raised an eyebrow.
“That doesn’t sound like a simple escape from a failed experiment.” Columbina, who had remained quiet all this while, suddenly spoke, her ethereal voice carrying a note of bewilderment.
“The moon spirits say…
the star inside the ‘well’ has gone to a place very, very far away.
There is no moonlight there, but there is calamity…” Silence fell over the chamber.
Columbina’s murmurs always carried hidden meanings.
Just then, the heavy doors of the council chamber swung open, and a figure strode in accompanied by a crisp, lively voice.
“Oh?
It seems I’ve missed the most exciting part?” All eyes turned sharply toward the entrance.
The newcomer was none other than the Seventh Seat, Sandrone, the Marionette.
She was as meticulously dressed as ever, a careless smile playing on her lips, as though she were attending an ordinary tea party rather than an emergency meeting.
This time, she rode seated in the palm of her giant mechanical puppet.
Sandrone strolled in slowly, fiddling with a small mechanical part in her hand, her enormous mechanical puppet following behind her.
Her gaze swept over everyone present before finally landing on Pierro.
“Sandrone,” Pierro’s voice carried restrained fury.
“You are late.” “Sorry, sorry,” Sandrone said, spreading her hands with absolutely no sincerity as she walked to her own seat and settled in.
The giant mechanical puppet stood silently behind her like a loyal bodyguard.
“I was fine-tuning a new ‘little toy’ and arrived a bit later than intended.
I didn’t expect to miss the start of the meeting.” Crucabena glanced at her, her words laden with implications.
“Sandrone, it seems the Second Seat you ‘pay so much attention to’ has overplayed his hand.” Sandrone’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she turned toward her.
“Oh?
What kind of trouble has Dottore stirred up this time?
Don’t tell me his laboratory finally exploded?
I’ve always said his brand of dangerous research would cause problems sooner or later.” She tilted her head, looking toward the Tsaritsa, her tone carrying undisguised interest.
“So…
Your Majesty, does this mean Dottore’s laboratory is now an unguarded ‘treasure vault’?
Those dangerous experimental samples and unstable energy cores must require a professional to handle them, after all.
I believe my technology is entirely capable of…” “Sandrone,” the Tsaritsa cut her off, her voice cold enough to bite bone.
“The laboratory has been designated a maximum forbidden zone, jointly sealed off under Pierro and Capitano’s authority.
Without my express command, no one is to approach it—especially you.” Sandrone’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she shrugged, her fingers tightening slightly around the mechanical part she toyed with.
“What a pity.
I was merely offering my ‘concern’ for a colleague and my ‘worry’ over the potential risks.”