"I'm different from the Honkai Will. While a formless, intangible god can perfectly wield its Authority, it also can't directly intervene in the Current World too often."
"Most of the time, it can only influence the world indirectly through its Apostles... whereas I am a God with a tangible body in the Current World..."
"Although my physical form and certain limitations of my personality prevent me from unleashing 100% of my power like the Honkai Will, the advantage lies in my ability to directly intervene in the Current World. For example, right now... I've poached one of the Honkai Will's designated pawns."
The golden-haired God smiled faintly at her Apostle.
"So, what do you want me to do at St. Freya...?"
Wendy shivered uncomfortably under the golden-haired girl's smile.
"As I mentioned earlier... having a physical presence in the Current World means I naturally have interesting friends and figures worth observing. No... to be precise, I lean more toward the concept of 'human' than 'God'."
"Also, I'm not asking you to go to St. Freya... rather, your juniors from St. Freya will come to find you. Of course, if you choose to return with them at that time, I wouldn't object."
"Juniors coming to find me...?"
"What would they want with me, the crippled Valkyrie recorded in Schicksal's records... Are they here to offer flowers and condolences?"
Wendy's expression turned resentful as she mentioned Schicksal.
"Have you forgotten what's on your leg... my Agent?"
Leaning back on the Throne, her right arm propped against her cheek, the girl observed Wendy's indignant expression with amusement.
"They're coming for the Gem of Desire?!"
"Precisely... or rather, to retrieve the Gem of Desire."
Snow nodded, confirming Wendy's suspicion.
"Why are they suddenly trying to collect the Gem of Desire? This thing has been stuck on me ever since the failed experiment at Schicksal Headquarters last time."
"Has Schicksal found another way to exploit the gem?"
The green-haired girl's tone and gaze shifted from curiosity to anger.
"Wait... has Schicksal found another victim for their experiments?"
"That experiment was halted by Schicksal Headquarters after your case. After acquiring a certain Divine Key, they lost interest in the Gem of Desire. The Valkyries of the Far East Branch are merely pursuing leads based on information from a suspected Anti-Entropy battleship captured months ago. The ship's logs mentioned the Gem of Desire embedded in your leg."
The blonde girl gave the green-haired Valkyrie a pitying look, scrutinizing her.
"So, I just happened to catch the last train for this experiment...?"
"Or rather, the last train for the Gem of Desire—the one the Schicksal Overseer cared least about. He was always more focused on the Gem of Serenity implantation experiments; the Gem of Desire was merely an afterthought..."
The blonde girl shrugged.
"So, I should just hand the gem over to them? Now that I'm your Agent, the gem shouldn't matter much anymore, right?"
Wendy scratched her head, looking uncertainly at Snow, awaiting her confirmation.
"You don't need to give the Gem to them. Even if you did, it wouldn't matter. We can find a way to deliver it to Anti-Entropy's radical faction, or even if we can't, it's no big deal... As for extracting it? That's no problem at all. Once you truly decide to accept the mantle of Apostle of God from me, your identity and Authority will become anchored to the world."
"After the Gem of Desire, which serves as a positioning coordinate, completes its purpose of anchoring your identity, it will become largely useless to you. At most, it will function as an energy core and a container for your consciousness... You can always condense another one yourself."
"That sounds alright. Speaking of which, are there any side effects to becoming your Agent?" Wendy asked, suddenly remembering something and turning to the girl before her.
"Side effects? Does having an invisible friend count?"
"An Apostle of the Honkai will develop a personality dedicated to destroying civilizations. As my Agent... you'll probably develop a sub-personality who loves to have fun."
Prompted by Wendy's inquisitive reminder, Snow's lips twitched, as if a sudden thought had struck her...
"Having fun... just don't have too much fun and end up laughing yourself to death one day..."
Wendy shivered at Snow's words.
"She won't fight you for control of your body anyway. Just let her come out and have some fun when you're fighting—as long as she doesn't get bored and sick." Snow rolled her eyes dismissively.
"There's one more thing... Is the Honkai Eruption in New Zealand truly unavoidable?" Wendy asked, her gaze cautiously fixed on the golden-haired girl before her.
"Of course it is—getting the original Fourth Herrscher to become neutral, let alone friendly, was already pushing the limits. That formless, intangible Co-Seated One won't just bend to my will. I'm not its superior, after all."
"As a counterbalance, the eruption will erupt at some random moment and be even more severe."
"Still, even with this, humanity and I are getting a tremendous advantage. A Honkai Eruption that won't give rise to a new Herrscher versus a walking embodiment of destruction—it's obvious which scenario is the better deal."
"Sigh... fine," Wendy said, lowering her head in disappointment. But then, remembering something, she abruptly looked up and asked, "Wait... wait a minute! Did you just tell me to hand the Gem of Desire over to Anti-Entropy...?"
"Is there a problem? If possible, it would be best to entrust it to Anti-Entropy's Executor, Cocolia. It might seem wasteful, but through her, the Gem will ultimately fall into the hands of someone who can truly put it to good use."
"She wouldn't use the Gem to harm others, would she...? And I can't just shove it into her hands directly..." Worry began to gather in Wendy's emerald green eyes, clouded with confusion.
"...Why not? Just let a Mischief Maker log in and play for you. You can sit back and watch her enjoy herself."
Snow shrugged, dismissing it as a minor issue.
"I'm afraid she'll kill me with her antics... And what if she harms innocent people?" Wendy rolled her eyes, her voice laced with concern.
"What's there to be afraid of? If you get killed, you'll just respawn here and reload your progress. Just go back out there and keep the music playing, keep dancing, keep enjoying yourself! As for innocent people, just tell her the rules. Our faction values mutual respect. Explain clearly who she can fight, who she can't fight; what she can do, and what she can't do. That's all there is to it."
"Emmm... Why do I feel like I'm babysitting... and the kid I'm babysitting is myself...?"
Wendy scratched her head, looking puzzled.
"Logically speaking, you are indeed babysitting... I've already explained everything. If you have no further questions, I'll escort you out."
"Don't rush to open that gift. Think it over carefully before deciding whether to open it or not... Remember, once you accept the gift, you'll no longer be human. You'll become an immortal being, eternally ageless and indestructible."
"Transcending humanity... Hmm, I'll give it serious thought," the green-haired Valkyrie nodded earnestly to Snow, who waved goodbye. She then vanished into the depths of the Palace.
"Heh... I hope something bad happens to Cocolia"
A gloating voice echoed from the Divine Seat in the empty Palace.