Chapter 422: Communication Complete

Pinokanni's data collection opportunity…

and the ubiquitous potential threat—Polka Kakam.

"Going to the Third World to collect data for Pinokanni sounds like a good idea for quickly boosting Repair Degree…"

She murmured to herself, "The timeline there is later, events are independent, and a Holy Grail War—a convergent event—is underway, so the data sources will surely be abundant."

But the risk is equally evident.

That Kakam fellow also exists in the Third World; no one can guarantee you won't be discovered while gathering data, especially as your power rises and the chance of your aura being detected also increases.

"Honestly… why does that Kakam haunt every place?" Heimu couldn't help rubbing his forehead, feeling irritated.

At that moment, the system prompt sound rang.

【System】: Ding.

Communication with Type Moon's Suppression Force has been completed.

According to the supplemental agreement clauses and the current worldline status, it is confirmed: within the controllable range of the Suppression Force, a Holy Grail and its associated environment will be automatically generated at an appropriate moment to ensure the executability of the Fifth War clause in the contract. No need to worry about the Grail's origin.

Heimu first exhaled in relief, then realized, "Wait, I'm not after the Holy Grail; I'm looking for Huo Huo!"

【System】: Supplement: Based on temporal‑spatial marker rewind and compensatory retrieval provided by the Suppression Force, the target entity Huo Huo's landing point has been re‑locked.

It will appear simultaneously on the corresponding worldline when the aforementioned appropriate moment and Holy Grail War environment are generated.

Error rate below 0.03%.

Heimu sat upright, "So, as long as we wait for the Suppression Force to ready the Fifth War stage, Huo Huo will automatically appear there?"

【System】: Yes.

"Then do we still need Chang Ye Yue and A Xing to wait in Pinokanni now? Can we send them directly back to the correct Fifth War time point?"

【System】: Reverse‑position teleportation is executable, but requires the target worldline's Holy Grail War environment to be stably generated.

Initiate A Xing and Chang Ye Yue's return program immediately?

Heimu stroked his smooth chin, contemplating.

Recall them immediately?

No, not necessary.

The Suppression Force side is clearly still preparing; it's unknown how long—could be soon, or could take a while.

Having Chang Ye Yue and A Xing idle in Pinokanni would indeed be a waste.

Moreover… she's a bit greedy for Pinokanni's data.

There aren't as many eyes watching her as in the "Main World"; although Kakam must be wary of, as long as the operation is covert enough, the risk might be manageable.

"Don't rush the recall for now."

Heimu made a decision, "System, issue a new command to Chang Ye Yue and A Xing."

She brought up the control interface, quickly editing the task details.

【Command (Chang Ye Yue/A Xing)】: Original search for Huo Huo task suspended, awaiting further notice.

Now assign a temporary new task: in the current Pinokanni world, conduct data sampling on the key entities listed below.

After the task is completed, the return to the correct time point 'Fifth Holy Grail War' program may be activated.

【Target List】: Huang Quan, Huahuo, Robin, Xing Qi Ri, etc.

Transmission complete.

"Thus,"

Heimu leaned back on the sofa, "We can use the waiting time to collect Pinokanni's data to boost Repair Degree, and give them something to do, preventing them from wandering aimlessly in the unfamiliar dream‑city and causing bigger trouble. A win‑win."

She nodded approvingly; from now on, it depends on how much useful material Chang Ye Yue and A Xing can gather in Pinokanni.

Xianzhou Luofu·Shen Ce Fu

Jing Yuan sat behind a spacious desk, with several light screens hovering before him.

One hand propped his chin, the other gently caressed a chess piece; his gaze was calm, as if contemplating a complex game.

On one of the screens was a detailed report on Gui Naifen's disappearance and reappearance incident, including her testimony, account anomaly data, and preliminary investigative conclusions.

"Yan Qing," Jing Yuan began.

The youth standing nearby stepped forward instantly, "General."

"What do you think of this case?"

Jing Yuan pointed to Gui Naifen's "Otherworldly Competition" claim displayed on the screen.

Yan Qing scratched the back of his head, his face showing a hint of youthful frankness, "General, I think… this sounds like a storyteller's tale—crossing into another world, entering a tournament, receiving divine power… it's overly fantastical. Perhaps Gui Naifen fabricated it to conceal her true whereabouts, or her mind was stimulated into nonsense?"

He truly found it hard to believe.

Jing Yuan smiled without taking a stance, "Whether it's a storybook or nonsense, some details oddly align with other intel. For example… the brief disappearance of the San Yue Qi lady from the Star Rail, and also…"

He didn't continue, his gaze shifting to another higher‑security briefing that mentioned anomalous observation records involving higher‑dimensional entities.

At that moment, an inconspicuous jade talisman on the desk suddenly glowed with a speck of red light, emitting a faint hum.

Jing Yuan's eyes flickered; he lifted his hand and tapped the jade talisman.

"Buzz—"

A clear projection beam shot out, unfolding a larger screen before him.

On the screen, an exquisite brown‑haired doll sat casually on a clearly high‑tech chair, one hand propping its chin, the other idly twirling a tiny magic staff model—indeed Black Tower.

"Esteemed Black Tower Lady,"

Jing Yuan set down the chess piece, sat upright, his face bearing an inscrutable gentle smile, "On behalf of Xianzhou Luofu, I extend greetings and respect. May I ask what guidance you have in reaching out suddenly?"

The projected Black Tower seemed uninterested in pleasantries, waved a hand, and said bluntly, "Skip it. Straight to the point—what do you want? Is it that… street performer inquiry record you sent?"

Jing Yuan felt a stir in his heart.

He had indeed compiled the Black Tower‑related portion of the Gui Naifen case into an encrypted briefing, sent to Black Tower via a special channel to gauge the reaction.

I didn't expect Black Tower to actually respond, and it seems she has already seen it.

"Exactly," Jing Yuan nodded, his smile unchanged, "Black Tower Lady is widely learned and sharp, so she must have grasped the gist. There's just one thing unclear, and I wish to verify it with you, lady."

"Ask," Black Tower replied succinctly.

"According to Gui Naifen, she, you Black Tower Lady, and Miss San Yue Qi of the Starry Sky Train were together in an otherworld called Dongmu City, taking part in a competition to seize the Holy Grail. Is this… true?"

Jing Yuan asked directly, his gaze fixed on Black Tower's expression in the projection.

Black Tower slightly furrowed her brows.

She pursed her lips: "That orange‑haired, noisy fellow? That's her. What she said is basically correct. I, and that Fen Mao on the train, were inexplicably dragged to a cursed place called Winterwood, fought over a low‑tech broken cup, and then inexplicably returned. The process was boring, the ending even more boring. That's about it."

She admitted it!

And her tone was natural, with obvious impatience, sounding nothing like a pre‑written statement, but rather a rant about a troublesome experience.

Jing Yuan's doubts deepened.

Gui Naifen's "nonsense" turned out to be true?

At least Black Tower admitted part of the facts.

Then, that so‑called "Dongmu City", "Holy Grail War"…

What exactly are they?