Chapter 386

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Chapter 386: The Arrival of the Maintainer

“Why is it like this?”

Mu Ling furrowed her brows and adjusted the strap on her shoulder.

Even though she had always been loyal, at this moment, a tiny bit of discontent toward the Savior began to stir within her.

She had never worn clothes with such little fabric before.

“I won’t show this kind of demeanor in front of men… It’s a bit too embarrassing.” Mu Ling sighed, feeling troubled.

If the Savior truly insisted she wear this outfit and fight, she wouldn’t be able to refuse. But the thought of wearing it in front of a group of unfamiliar men, battling and speaking with all seriousness, made Mu Ling feel she would be too embarrassed to show her face to anyone.

“Maryse, I kinda envy you…” Mu Ling glanced at Maryse, who stood silently by her side, her face full of envy.

If she wore the sturdy outfit Maryse had on, she wouldn’t fear appearing in front of others at all.

Maryse’s outfit, even more modest than a regular swimsuit, left her arms and legs exposed while covering the rest of her body. It was almost the complete opposite of Mu Ling’s attire.

“Do you envy me?” Maryse stood there, dumbfounded, unable to decide whether to cry or laugh. “Do you envy me?” she thought, finding the situation absurd.

“Curse it!” she exclaimed, exasperated. “You filthy cow, how you infuriate me! Do you even have a clue?”

Meanwhile, Bai Yan, observing through his phone, was “live streaming” the potential outcomes of the Water World scenario for both of them.

He noticed right away that the two had very different outfits, and the difference was glaring.

Maryse, strolling through the streets, was confident in her attire. Although it didn’t draw much attention, anyone plain-looking in the same outfit would likely be overlooked.

But Mu Ling’s “Water World” potential… It might work for monster battles, but in front of people? She might get so embarrassed that she’d want to escape the reality dimension overnight.

“In the Water World, Mu Ling, a young girl, lived in Tatsumi City—a deserted place. She spent her days atop partially submerged rooftops, gazing at the vast blue sea. There was no one else, not even the hostile ocean creatures had come near.”

“Once, a civilization existed here, but it was destroyed. She no longer needed to fight and had lost her purpose in life. So, she lived alone in loneliness… Until one day, she ventured toward the depths of the ocean.”

As he read about the possibilities, Bai Yan felt a deep sense of sadness.

He fell silent for a moment, imagining what it would be like to live in such a state. Maybe it wouldn’t matter if he wore something a bit more revealing.

“But you don’t want to reveal yourself in front of strangers, do you? Don’t worry, Mu Ling, I won’t let you bear this possibility lightly.”

Then, Bai Yan thought about the effects of “Water World – Crime-Hunter Nightsaber” and “Water World – Psychic Dancer.”

The “Water World – Crime-Hunter Nightsaber” granted its wielder the ability to unleash the power of water—waves, surges, and even tsunamis that could destroy cities.

Now, Mu Ling was powerful enough to create significant waves. If she fully embraced Apocalypse, she could easily conjure tsunamis hundreds of meters tall.

With preparation, she could single-handedly destroy an entire city, on par with the Imperial Guards’ “Death”—beings capable of large-scale attacks.

However, the ability had clear drawbacks: limited power, slow attacks, and inefficiency in one-on-one battles with opponents of the same level.

Bai Yan sighed deeply, murmuring, “Just five more possibilities… Mu Ling, oh Mu Ling, it’s truly difficult to help you embrace Apocalypse…”

The future is promising! The future is promising… This was the only comfort he could find.

On the other hand, “Water World – Psychic Dancer” was focused on healing and support. It could transform water into “Water of Memory,” which contained various powers—some could restore vitality, others mental strength, and some could inspire.

In the Water World timeline, Maryse had a completely different encounter than Mu Ling.

Instead of living alone, Maryse had lived with many survivors in the other half of Tatsumi City for many years. Bai Yan now realized that Tatsumi City was split in half by the sea.

But the two halves of the city weren’t far apart.

“In other words… Mu Ling…”

In Water World, Mu Ling had no idea that just a few days’ swim away from her, the survivors of Tatsumi City existed.

Bai Yan sighed, pondering the nature of the fairy tale worlds, Water World, and other realms. Were they events that had already happened, events that would happen, or merely possibilities?

He wasn’t sure. Even if they knew, it seemed nothing could be changed.

The only thing he could do was stay in this timeline, by his companions’ side, fighting together.

Bai Yan carefully put his phone away and took a deep breath.

“The next event is the Crown Ceremony of Ms. Amy.”

The time had come.

On this day, a certain ceremony was set to take place. If Amy made the right choice, she would successfully be promoted to become a Crown.

“Come on, Amy! Work hard and succeed!”

—

Night Union.

The Ring City.

In the heart of the secret base, Amy’s room.

“Oh, wise prophet!” Zero, the miraculous android, walked in eagerly, eyes fixed on her identical creator, Ms. Amy, sitting in a wheelchair.

Amy slowly turned around, asking, “Zero, what’s wrong? Has Number Thirteen escaped again?”

After Amy had forced Number Thirteen back the last time, he showed signs of trying to leave again within a day. But Amy, watching him closely, had caught his attempt.

Zero shook his head. “No, it’s something else. Recently, it seems someone has noticed traces of our existence…”

Amy paused, considering his words. “The fact that this base, hidden in the cracks of the Layered District, would eventually be discovered was inevitable. The timing shouldn’t be now, though.”

Her plan was to let Babel Tower grow stronger before the discovery, trusting that, one day, it would produce near-god-level beings capable of protecting them.

“Are the ones investigating us agents of the group?” she asked.

The Maintainers.

They were commercial agents working for the Rock Morgan group, supposedly maintaining order, but in truth, they were bloodthirsty and ruthless, willing to do anything, without moral limits.

Amy knew the risks. If they found the base, it would cause a massive uproar.

“What should we do, Master Prophet?” Zero asked.

Amy asked, “How far have they investigated?”

“Well, recently, we had some development activities in the base that affected underground water channels. This led to an urban legend spreading in Ring City. The Maintainers, perhaps too vigilant or aided by someone, started searching the underground water channels.”

Amy understood well. The mezzanine base connected to the underground water system. If the Maintainers discovered the issue, they would eventually find their way to the base.

Taking a deep breath, she said with resolve, “We need to get rid of these spies, to delay the discovery.”

Gazing at the girl before her, who looked exactly like herself, she made up her mind: the Omnics would experience what it’s like to harm humans.

Amy had created the Omnics to help Babel Tower save the world. If they could only handle logistics, it would be a misallocation of resources.

“Zero, the task is now in your hands,” she said firmly.