Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

"You need to stay calm. Even if it concerns Kiana, acting impulsively won't solve anything. Composure is key. Understand, Zeke?"

In the confidential conference room, Welt still felt uneasy and earnestly advised Zeke once more.

Zeke nodded confidently. "Don't worry, I know my limits. When have you ever seen me lose control?"

Indeed, even if Siegfried stubbornly insisted on obstructing Kiana, Zeke would discreetly take care of... ahem, resolve the issue without Kiana noticing. In short, he'd never put her in a difficult position.

See? He had everything meticulously planned; there was no way Kiana would be upset! How could anyone accuse him of losing control?

Despite Zeke's confidence, Welt sensed something amiss but couldn't pinpoint what exactly. With no clear indication of trouble, he decided to set aside his concerns for now.

"Well then, let me share my experiences from this recent ordeal."

Welt sighed and recounted his experiences in detail—from noticing Old Peros's unusual behavior to replacing the red gemstone fragment, entering the Herrscher of a Thousand People's Theater of Domination, and everything he witnessed within.

As he finished speaking, the other two Senior Officers and Zeke fell deep in thought.

A moment later, Zeke tapped on the table and began analyzing the situation:

"There are similarities with the Herrscher of a Thousand People from the previous civilization—multiple independent avatars, each individually not particularly powerful, but adept at employing clandestine tactics. From your account, it seems they've already made sacrifices in reality. Yet despite this, their abilities and existence remain hidden, indicating that their ambitions are significant."

Einstein nodded in agreement, saying:

"The plan to sway the House of Peros aligns with Anti-Entropy's earlier purging operations. Based on these events, it appears they have indeed cultivated substantial influence covertly. Thinking bigger, perhaps their strategy involves gathering capitalists and ambitious individuals opposed to us, using humanity's own strength to dismantle its civilization."

This conjecture aligned with Zeke and Welt's thoughts, reflecting their true concerns.

Against a powerful individual Herrscher, humanity's current top-tier combatants could handle them effortlessly.

However, if the Herrscher of a Thousand People were playing the game of sowing discord within human civilization—hiding in the shadows while their opponents remained exposed—the situation would become dire. With the accumulated resources from however long this Herrscher had been concealed, a sudden eruption without any prior warning would undoubtedly leave humanity at a significant disadvantage.

Zeke clenched his fist, supporting his cheek with one hand as he glanced sidelong at Welt. "Welt stumbled upon something fortuitously. At least now we're aware of their existence, which allows us to make some preparations."

After pondering briefly, organizing his thoughts, Zeke continued:

"Firstly, our opponent possesses space manipulation and illusion-based abilities that even other Herrschers cannot escape. Welt, with your mature mindset and capabilities, can handle these calmly, but others might not fare so well. Therefore, all our Herrschers and Herrscher candidates should be recalled to the Headquarters' Inner City to prevent potential exploitation of vulnerabilities."

The other three nodded unanimously. Whether considering strategic strength or driven by personal sentiments to ensure those girls' safety, it was essential to protect them.

"Secondly, prioritize investigating the red gemstone medium and any associated individuals or incidents to trace their activities. At the same time, monitor all recent significant events opposing Anti-Entropy or Schicksal; it's highly likely they were orchestrated by these new Herrschers.

Thirdly, synchronize relevant information with Schicksal. If I were the Herrscher of a Thousand People, while courting ordinary factions, I would undoubtedly meddle between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Unexpected sabotage of their partnership could have severe consequences."

These two suggestions also followed sound reasoning. Firstly, strive to understand both ourselves and our adversaries, and secondly, protect the relationship between the colossal entities Anti-Entropy and Schicksal—both instrumental in shaping the world order. It's no exaggeration to say that given how deeply their influence permeates every corner of the globe, if this alliance ruptured again, Honkai might not even get a chance to bring about destruction itself.

"The broad strategy is thus: maintain unity among civilization's key forces and prioritize gathering intelligence on our enemies. The rest can be refined through further research by our teams below. For now, adopt cautious actions, ready to adapt to unforeseen changes."

Welt slowly nodded, endorsing Zeke's decisions.

The Herrscher of a Thousand People herself wasn't inherently terrifying; what needed guarding against were the conspiracies she had been brewing within human society for who knows how long.

As civilization grew stronger, internal conflicts became increasingly unimaginably catastrophic. With the current state of human civilization, it could ill afford significant upheaval from within.

The key to preventing this lay with the top leadership of organizations like theirs maintaining their composure. As long as they remained steadfast and methodical, no matter how elaborate the Herrscher's plans, they would eventually be exposed.

Einstein, struck by a thought, looked up at Zeke and said, "There is one more thing: we should engage Taixuan Mountain regarding this incident. The Herrscher of a Thousand People likely wouldn't be foolish enough to directly provoke the Red Kite Immortal, but... her vulnerability remains too conspicuous. If something were to happen to the Book of Fuxi, it would pose severe complications. Moreover, Miss Fu Hua's mastery over consciousness domains should give her a natural advantage against the Herrscher."

Zeke's eyes flickered, acknowledging Einstein's insight with approval.

"Dr. Ein is right; we indeed need to keep an eye on Fu Hua's situation. Let's decide this then—I'll go chat with Hera, while Welt contacts Fu Hua. For the remaining details, Dr. Ein, please take charge."

"As for disseminating information and relaying strategies, I have no objections."

"Alright then... Does Dr. Tesla have anything to add?" Zeke concluded, directing his gaze along with the others towards Tesla, who was twirling her deep crimson hair absentmindedly.

Tesla froze momentarily before stammering, "I... uh... right! My Destruction Robot Tsela-10086 is complete—it's truly the pinnacle of robotic engineering. If that Herrscher of a Thousand People dares to show up, I'll dismantle her into a Herrscher of Ten Thousand Pieces! Yes, trust me on this! You can always rely on the power of Tesla robots!"

With ruby-like eyes darting around nervously, Tesla forced herself to appear calm, projecting an expression filled with unwavering confidence.

"Sigh..." × 3

The other three sighed simultaneously.

Instantly enraged, Tesla burst out, "(╯°□°）╯ Hey! What kind of reaction is that?!"

Zeke looked at her impassively and said, "Dr. Tesla, since there are several ongoing research projects, it would be best if you stay focused in your laboratory, contributing to humanity's technological advancements."

"I agree; Dr. Tesla's talent shines brightest within the confines of a laboratory—no one surpasses you in this field, Doctor." Einstein smoothly offered his flattery.

These words made the initially furious Tesla hesitate and suppress her anger. She then puffed out her chest and declared, "Well, it seems you do have some appreciation for genius! Bring on as many research projects as you like—it's time to witness my unparalleled creative prowess!"

Tesla appeared somewhat satisfied at last.

Thus, the meeting concluded smoothly.