Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Fortunately, she recovered quickly.

"Chen SR, something's up?"

She heard her subordinates' tense voices coming through the walkie-talkie, and she could only suppress her own unease and try to calm them down first.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, asking, "Why do you say that... do you think she's a completely... evil person?"

"A villain? I wouldn't call her a villain. Although it wasn't for long, you could tell she used to be a brilliant person," Xia Yu replied, shaking her head.

"Then...why do you say she's beyond redemption?"

Chen's hands, with their bulging veins, showed that he was not in a calm mood.

“Because, she is no longer the same person she is now,” Xia Yu’s voice remained calm. “It’s not just a change in appearance, but literally, she is no longer the same person she was.”

"This..." Chen gritted his teeth, "What exactly does this mean?"

"It means exactly what it says: an ancient and evil entity invaded her body, broke her will, and rewrote her personality."

"Now she has become the kind of person she once despised the most. After all this, do you think she can still be herself?"

The vehicle went out of control once again.

This time, Xia Yu managed to steer the vehicle in time.

"Chen SR? Are you really alright?"

The worried voice coming through the walkie-talkie suggests that she is quite well-liked by her subordinates.

"It's alright, let's keep going!"

After answering, Chen turned off the walkie-talkie and looked at Xia Yu.

"This is...this is..."

"Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?" Xia Yu shrugged. "I have no reason to make up a story to fool you. You'll know when you see Talulah in person."

"For now, it's best to just drive safely."

51bet

Chen had made many preparations for dealing with Talulah.

Whether it's a tense standoff, a power struggle, or even a life-or-death battle, it's all part of the equation.

She was fully prepared.

This is the only thing I wasn't prepared for.

Talulah is beyond redemption. Everything she has been destroyed by an ancient and evil being. Her mind has been altered, and her thoughts have begun to stray...

She is no longer herself.

Chen Wei had never imagined such a situation.

Sitting on a chair outside the Guard Bureau interrogation room, her mind was in turmoil.

Xia Yu was right next to her, surrounded and watched intently by several police officers.

Chen was acting strangely in the car, and even more so after he got out. Anyone with eyes could see that.

The only thing that could affect her during this time was Xia Yu in her car.

“Chen SR, say something!” He nudged Chen, half-laughing and half-crying. “If you don’t speak up, your subordinates will probably tear me apart.”

"Hmm," Chen raised his head, looked at the concerned eyes of his police officers, and said calmly, "What are you all doing here? Disperse, I'm fine."

Is everything really alright? Not necessarily.

But since their superiors had spoken, the officers had no choice but to disperse.

……

"Is it really hopeless?"

After the crowd dispersed, she muttered to herself.

“At least in my eyes, there’s no hope,” Xia Yu sighed.

"Then... who is that so-called ancient evil being?"

“Well, you can ask Mr. Wei,” Xia Yu replied. “He knows more about the name Koschke than I do.”

"After all, they're old rivals."

“Really?” Chen looked up and gave Xia Yu a deep look. “I’ll ask her.”

Did she believe what Xia Yu said?

I don't have to believe it all; I'll take it half and half.

But as Xia Yu said, he had no need to make up a story to deceive people.

Invading consciousness, crushing willpower, rewriting thought...

What have you endured all these years...?

The two remained silent outside the interrogation room.

After a long while, a police officer opened the door and came out.

"Boss," he whispered to Chen, "we've got the stuff."

"It was her after all," Chen patted his face, trying to cheer himself up; now was not the time to think about such things.

“Now that we’ve got what the Guard Bureau wanted,” she said, looking at Xia Yu, “we’ll hand the person over to Rhodes Island.”

“That’s exactly why I came here with you,” Xia Yu nodded, looking at Misha who timidly walked out of the interrogation room.

"well enough?"

“Hmm,” Misha glanced at him, then lowered her head again.

"Amiya has a mission to complete. I'll take you back to Rhodes Island first."

-

"What's wrong, Huijie? Have you run into some trouble?"

Princess Wenyue's concerned voice came through the communicator.

"No, it's just..." Chen had never been able to handle this elder, because she treated her like a daughter, so her demands in various aspects... didn't quite fit Chen's habits.

But she also knew that Princess Wenyue was genuinely kind to her.

"I got some news about Talulah from Rhodes Island."

Upon hearing this, Princess Wenyue fell silent.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, "Xiao Ta... it was Lao Wei and I who wronged her. Now that she wants revenge, it's only right..."

Clearly, she also knew who was behind this turmoil.

“It’s not about that,” Chen shook his head. “Koschche… are you familiar with this person?”

The reason why she asked Princess Wenyue instead of Wei Yanwu was because the former would always keep things to himself and would never tell her the whole story.

Whether it's her habits as a police officer or her personality developed from childhood, she dislikes this style of doing things, which is why she can't get along with Wei Yanwu.

They always feel like they're still children, and there are some things they shouldn't know.

He had clearly done his job of oversight...

You won't get anything out of Wei Yanwu, but perhaps Princess Wenyue can give you some information.

Is what Xia Yu said really true?

“Koschei…” Princess Wenyue sighed, “Why did you suddenly want to ask this…”

"I want to know how she's been all these years, and why... she's become like this?"

“Lying,” Princess Wenyue said softly, “Huijie, I raised you, don’t I know you? You must have received some information.”

"I..." Chen gave a wry smile, "I guess so."

"Lying to me...is it because you think you can't tell me the news? Afraid I'll worry?" Princess Wenyue sighed again, "Just like Old Wei!"

"Really?" Chen asked blankly, holding the communicator.

Am I really the same as him?

"Xiao Chen, I don't care what information you've received," Princess Wenyue said earnestly, "Kosiché is an extremely dangerous person. You absolutely must not contact him unless absolutely necessary, understand?"

Fearing she still didn't understand, Princess Wenyue continued, "A few years ago, news spread that Kosichä had been nailed to death with a sword in the Duke's mansion. Even the Emperor of Ursus ordered mourning, but so far, despite no one inheriting the title, the entire duchy is not in any chaos!"

"No one even dares to encroach on the interests belonging to the Kosiché family. Do you know why?"

Before Chen could answer, Princess Wenyue continued, "Because all the heads of the Koschche family have had a common nickname—the immortal black serpent!"

"There have been cases like this in history, where the predecessor died in public, but the successor did not appear until years later, and no force belonging to the Kosiché family would refuse to recognize this heir!"

"Because all the Dukes of Kosiché were almost identical, despite their different appearances and even different races, their temperament... was as if they had always been the same person."

"There are even rumors that all the Dukes of Koschei were the same person who simply took over other people's bodies using some unknown Originium Arts."

"These baseless rumors shouldn't be believed, but they do reflect the terror of the Kosiché family."