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This guy is quite vengeful. Every ten or twenty years, he will attack Mondstadt to avenge the "sword grudge" that Vanessa left him. If it weren't for the protection of "Dvalin the East Wind", Mondstadt might have been destroyed a dozen or twenty times over.

Even Dvalin, the former Lord of the Sky, could not completely subdue this demonic dragon. Usa's flying speed was even greater than Dvalin's, so if he couldn't defeat it, he could always escape.

After the "Dark Calamity," Dvalin fell into a deep sleep along with Barbatos, and Mondstadt lost all means to restrain the dragon Usa.

The Knights of Favonius later launched several campaigns to defeat the dragon, but they either suffered heavy losses or returned empty-handed. The current Grand Master and Vice Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, "Knight of the North Wind" Falgar and "Dandelion Knight" Jyn Gunnhildr, also organized a dragon-slaying campaign. The final conclusion they reached was: "The dragon Usa is not only powerful, but also very intelligent."

It knows how to take advantage of the air and will never be like those foolish dragons in the story who have wings but don't need to fight the Knights in melee; it knows how to fly out of the range of human ranged weapons and use the range advantage of its elemental breath to fight; in addition, it even knows "guerrilla tactics". When the Knights' expeditionary force comes, it flies away to Mondstadt to cause damage. After destroying your house, it turns around and leaves without lingering, not giving you a chance to gather your forces.

Ambushing it in its lair is useless; it has no attachment to home. With so many mountains in Mondstadt, Ulsa can live anywhere. If things get tense, it can simply sail to an island and hide there for a few years before returning, while the poor "scout knights" have to search the world for its tracks, preparing for its next attack…

It can be said that as long as the wind god Barbatos doesn't intervene, the humans on Earth really have no way to deal with it.

However, this dragon Usa was somehow killed by the "Doctor"—he only discovered Usa's whereabouts by chance during his mission to Mondstadt, and then "casually collected some experimental materials," thus solving the problem of the dragon that had plagued Mondstadt for thousands of years.

As a result, the Knights of Fatui were forced to owe the Fatui a huge favor, and had to sign the "Protection Agreement," allowing the Fatui to extend their reach into Mondstadt...

Therefore, it can be inferred that "Doctor" is at least stronger than "East Wind Dragon" Dvalin, and is likely to have the ability to fight the dragon Usa in the air, and also has the means to kill Usa in one blow regardless of the size difference.

If the fact that no one witnessed "Doctor" taking action during the Demon Dragon Usa incident makes it somewhat unreliable, then Gan Yu's evaluation, which actually involved fighting "Doctor," is highly valuable.

During the Qingxupu incident, Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun and Shenhe joined forces to fight against "Doctor". In the end, Ganyu used a long-range sniper shot to kill "Doctor" - and what they defeated was only a "clone" or "slice" of "Doctor".

Although researchers are often perceived as weak, Liu Yun Zhenjun is an exception.

In terms of combat strength, Master Liuyun is among the strongest of the Liyue Immortals. During the war, she has a record of fighting against demon gods alone, and she can defeat even slightly weaker demon gods.

Moreover, True Lord Liuyun is not only skilled in various magic and martial arts, but also has the ingenious method of manipulating multiple mechanical puppets, making him a veritable "one-man army".

And then there's Gan Yu and Shen He. Han Fulai knows all too well how terrifying these two fellow disciples are, after all, the Liuyun Sect's standard for accepting disciples is "having single-handedly killed a demon god when they were young"...

However, the "Doctor," who was also a researcher, seemed to be even more terrifying. According to Gan Yu, the "Doctor" fought closely with Liu Yun Zhenjun and Shen He without being at a disadvantage. He even intentionally observed Liu Yun Zhenjun's mechanical skills during the battle, showing great ease.

She was able to kill that "slice" because she had the advantage of a long-range sneak attack beyond visual range. Even among the Liyue Asmodians, only Gan Yu could achieve this sniping distance, and the "Doctor" had no way to defend against it.

If they were to face the enemy head-on, even if the three members of the sect joined forces, they would probably only be evenly matched.

The Liu Yun sect, even working together, can only deal with one "slice." What if there are two? Three? Or even more?

Based on this, the "Doctor's" strength may not only be "Demon God level", but close to "Seventh Ruler level of the Mortal World".

Although Han Fulai had a record of defeating Lei Ying in a direct confrontation, that was with the help of the "power of will" of the Inazuma people, not his normal fighting strength—in his normal fighting strength, he would of course be utterly defeated by A-Ying...

So after confirming the "Doctor's" identity, Han Fulai immediately chose to replicate Gan Yu's battle tactics, and even used Yingmei as bait to get a chance to launch a sneak attack outside the "Doctor's" field of vision.

This was a strategy he had rehearsed in his mind long ago—to defeat the "Doctor" with a single, decisive blow.

The shot that "Doctor" blocked just now seemed simple, but it was actually his full effort at that moment.

That sneak attack not only involved Ying drawing the Doctor's attention, but also took advantage of the Doctor's own carelessness. He used the concealment of "Hidden Form and Hidden Radiance" and the "teleportation" of "Inherent Time Control," and poured all his divine power into the Salt Aegis Spear, using the advantage of the Salt Aegis Spear to stab the Doctor's "Death Line" from behind...

This is arguably the strongest attack he can unleash right now, far surpassing the arrow Gan Yu used to kill "Slice".

According to Han Fulai's own estimation, there weren't many people who could withstand that shot. Zhong Li was one, and A Ying might be able to as well. As for others... at least within his knowledge, there were no such people. Even he himself couldn't withstand it, because that shot could completely shatter his jade shield.

However, the shot was blocked by "The Doctor," and it was blocked by the autonomous mechanism; "The Doctor" himself did not exert any effort at all.

What if the "Doctor" attacks him with those two mechanical cones? Will his jade shield be able to withstand it?

"The Doctor" hasn't officially made his move yet. Does he have other, more powerful weapons and techniques?

More importantly, the "doctor" in front of him may very well be just a "slice" of information.

What if there is another, or even more, such "slices" nearby?

Will a bunch of "slices" suddenly appear and tell him, "You're surrounded"?

The fact that the "Doctor" was able to prepare this "triumphant ceremony" in advance and recognize his identity at a glance suggests that a trap had been set up here—or perhaps it was a trap specifically designed to target him.

For the first time in his life, even the Jade Shield couldn't give him a sense of security.

Of course, he's not without a fighting chance; he still has some trump cards up his sleeve, such as "Celestial Movement," his salt-based moves, and his creations... Moreover, he's not alone; he has Narcida and Luminosity by his side. Narcida may not be the strongest, but together with Luminosity, they still have a chance to defeat this "Doctor."

The problem is that their battle will inevitably affect the ordinary people around them whose subconscious minds are being manipulated, so he cannot fight with his full strength here.

What he's considering now is retreating.

Zandik raised his hand and touched the bird beak mask on his face.

Unlike ordinary Fool soldiers, as an executive officer, he was not actually required to comply with the rule of wearing the "mourning mask".

Most of the Fools' Executors dislike wearing masks—the "Prince" usually wears his mask as a hat, the "Skirmisher" only wears a hat, the "Maiden" wears a veil, and the "Puppet" has her puppet wear the mask for her...

As for the individuals wearing masks—the "clown," the "captain," and the "lady"—they were all there to conceal the abnormalities in their bodies.

Zandik had no scars on his face; his face was as intact as his body, and there was no need for concealing it.

He would wear the mask for only one reason—to scoff at these foolish mortals.

Therefore, each "slice" wears a different mask. Some look like circus clowns, some like monocles, some like infrared cameras... Each mask is designed to highlight the "slice's" personality and to mock this false world.

He chose this bird beak mask because he does indeed have a connection with the "King of Ibis" among the "Seven Pillars of the Red King".

During his student days, while exploring historical sites, he once stumbled upon an underground ruin and encountered the "King of Ibis" sealed within the "Aru".

The "King of Ibis" said he wanted to impart all the wisdom of the "Red King," but he only replied with three words: "No need."

How dare a mere follower of a demon god claim to possess "wisdom"?

What he seeks is true "wisdom" beyond the world.

This time when he came to Sumeru, he specially wore this mask symbolizing the "King of the Ibis" to mock those fools in the Order of the Church who claimed to follow the "God of Wisdom," but now he was somewhat glad that he was wearing the mask.

The mask concealed his expression and the cold sweat on his forehead.

He seemed to have just brushed with death—if those two elemental constructs unearthed from the "Red King's" tomb hadn't been so tough, he might already be dead.

No matter how many "slices" die, they can be recreated, but if the "original body" dies, the "slices" will also disappear.

...Yes, he is the "original" Zandik, not the "slice" Dotore.

He has every right to be arrogant in the face of most people in the world, but in the face of some people, arrogance may lead to death.

Zandik abandoned his dismissive attitude and slowly said, "Deputy Minister Han, how about we make a deal?"

Chapter 107 "Transaction" and "Hostage" [4k]

"We will never make a deal with a devil like you!"

Ying rejected the "Doctor's" suggestion without even thinking about it.

The "Doctor's" evil experiments killed so many people, including Ying's friends; Ying will never let him get away with it. What "deal"? It's either a trap or a delaying tactic.

Although Han Fulai had reminded her that "Doctor" was very strong and not an opponent that could be easily defeated, it was not her style to back down just because the enemy was strong—she dared to challenge General Thunder, so how could "Doctor" be stronger than General Thunder?

In Yingyan's eyes, a true strongman would not hide behind a "human wall" and talk about "deals." That would be a sign of cowardice. "Doctor" was definitely scared!

Now she's not facing the "Doctor" alone; she has two teammates with demon-level strength by her side!

When dealing with a villain like "Doctor," there's no need to talk about chivalry. Everyone should stand together and gang up on him for justice. Three against one, how could he possibly fight back?

It should be said that Ying's intuition was actually very close to the truth.

Although the reason the "Doctor" proposed the "deal" was different from what she had imagined, it did show that the "Doctor" was wary of them—after all, no one would talk about a "deal" with an ant that they could crush at will; the premise of a "deal" is that the other party cannot openly rob them.

The "Doctor" showed no reaction to Ying's rejection, not even bothering to spare a glance for her.

His eyes were only on Vice Minister Han of Liyue.

There was only one person who could make him feel threatened by death, so the only person he proposed a "deal" with was Han Fulai.

"Ying, don't be impulsive."

Han Fulai shook his head at Ying, gesturing with his eyes to the "wall of people" around them.

“He has ‘hostages’ in his hands, and our battle cannot involve innocent people. Moreover, since he can control these people’s subconscious and make them believe that we are the heroes who saved Sumeru, he can naturally make them do more things… such as, commit suicide?”

The "Doctor" laughed again upon hearing this.

This time, his smile no longer carried a mocking tone; instead, it became very gentle, even somewhat amiable: "I enjoy talking to intelligent people. I can assure you that this will be a 'deal' that satisfies both of us."

Both sides had reservations, which was the premise for the "deal" to be established.

Information about the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception is not available in the Fatui's intelligence. The Doctor can only deduce that this "successor of the Emperor" from Liyue may have obtained some secrets from the most ancient "Ancestor of the Immortals".

In the doctor's view, "immortals" are also a path of "evolution," and one that he does not understand.

At the same time, the Rock King is the only one of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World" to give away the "Heart of God" only after making a "contract" with the Ice Queen.

Compared to her attitude towards other gods—such as the wind god who was slapped and had his heart ripped out by the mere eighth-seat executive officer—Her Majesty the Queen clearly gave the rock god special treatment.

Since His Majesty the Queen is giving special respect to that Rock God, then as Her Majesty the Queen's executor, he should also give Han Fulai, the Rock God's successor, the same respect.

Therefore, he proposed a "contract," or rather, a "transaction," to Han Fulai.

Han Fulai put on a business-like smile: "Well, let me hear your terms. How do you want to trade?"

Contrary to Han Fulai's earlier assumptions, "Doctor" did not actually intend to target Han Fulai, nor did he set any traps for him. In other words, before Han Fulai thrust out that shot, "Doctor" had no idea that he was also in Sumeru.

His trip to Sumeru was a very secret operation, and his whereabouts were fully covered by Liyue. Well, Liyue now has a "Deputy Minister Han" who is making public appearances, even giving interviews to the media on behalf of Moonsea Pavilion, talking about his trip to Inazuma and the economic and trade cooperation between Liyue and Inazuma... Yelan is working very hard.

Han Fulai could not confirm the identity of the Fool's Enforcer before meeting "Doctor," and "Doctor" also could not confirm the identity of "Han Jiangxue" before being attacked by Salt Sorrow Spear.

It's not surprising that the Traveler Luminous has a friend he met in Liyue. Han Fulai's public false identity was perfect, and he was very vigilant about the "Void Terminal" from the beginning, without revealing any information to it. Naturally, the "Doctor" couldn't find out his whereabouts.

The only time he revealed his identity was during the first "cycle of the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival".

However, the "Cycle of the Flower Goddess's Birthday" was being monitored by the Church of Christ, and the "Doctor" wouldn't do things that he considered a waste of time. From the beginning, he felt that the idiots in the Church of Christ were bound to fail, and he had no interest in experiments that were destined to fail. He started arranging the modification plan for the "Void Terminal" long ago.

Compared to the "gentle" method of the Order of the Church, which slowly harvests "wish power" in dreams, the "Doctor" prefers a more efficient approach.

Using the "Void Terminal" to control the subconscious of all Sumeru people, then directly connecting all people's subconscious into a consciousness network through the "Void Terminal," and then "harvesting" the "knowledge and ability" generated by the consciousness of all Sumeru people—this is the way of doing things that is in line with the "Doctor's" style.

As for waste... the students of the "biological school" do not pity the "consumables" when dissecting mice on the lab table, and neither do the "doctors".

The "triumphant ceremony" wasn't a trap; it was just the "Doctor's" perverse sense of humor, a little joke to mock the self-proclaimed righteous "hero"—just as people might not care about the thoughts of ants, but they wouldn't mind pouring boiling water into an anthill and taking pleasure in the ants' suffering.

Luminous saved Mondstadt from the "Dragon Plague" and destroyed the "Evil Eye Factory" in Inazuma, which means she got in the way of the "Doctor" twice. Such an obstacle is indeed worth his personal intervention to eliminate, nothing more.

The reason why the "Doctor" would come to Sumeru in person instead of sending a "slice" is naturally because the "main body" is powerful enough to suppress all possible obstacles in Sumeru, including the traveler who always causes trouble, and the grass god of Sumeru.

He has the right to be so arrogant.

How could a genius from the "Mysticism School" of the Church, who has excavated the ruins of the "Red King" and the technology of Kanria, explored the secrets of human evolution, and even wanted to create gods, be satisfied with the body of a mere mortal?

Flesh and blood are fragile and weak; the first step in "evolution" is to abandon the frail human body.

Over the centuries since becoming an executive, "Doctor" has made numerous modifications to his body, and "slicing" is merely a byproduct of these modifications, a negligible part of them.

These modifications gave him a body that was nearly ageless/immortal, and physical strength almost equivalent to that of a demon god.

Judging solely by physical constitution, the "Doctor's" physical strength surpasses that of the "Scouts," and is even comparable to that of the puppet general created from the body of a demon god.

Over the years, he ordered his subordinates to collect the remnants of the demon gods throughout the entire continent of Teyvat, and much of it has become his own power—each "slice" carries a portion of the power of the demon god's remnants, while his "main body" can freely utilize the abilities of all the "slices."

It is no exaggeration to say that "Doctor" has reached the pinnacle of "human optimization" and can claim to be "comparable to gods in human form".

The only difference between him and the Demon God is the divine status, and it's not that he can't obtain the divine status, but he simply disdains the mere position of the Demon God.

His eyes were always looking towards higher and farther places.

In theory, there is no power in this world that can kill him; the only thing that can kill him is a "law" that transcends this world—and Han Fulai seems to have just mastered such a "law".

“As you can see, I have ‘hostages’ in my hands. Vice Minister Han is known for his benevolence and righteousness, and he surely wouldn’t want to see innocent people lose their precious lives. Therefore, my proposal is very simple…”

The "Doctor" spread his hands, smiling broadly: "Once you leave Sumeru, I assure you in the name of Her Majesty the Empress that the 'hostage' will be safe and sound, and you will become known as the 'hero' who thwarted the conspiracy of the Church Council and saved Sumeru."

Han Fulai chuckled and said, "So my reputation within the Fools' Clan is actually this good? That's rather unexpected. If your deal ends here, then I'm sorry."

The "doctor" feigned surprise: "Oh? What are your conditions?"

Han Fulai shook his head: "Let's not beat around the bush, your 'hostages' are not just these, are they? If I'm not mistaken, the entire population of Sumeru City is now under the control of your 'void terminal'."

The Church has always held a discriminatory attitude towards the people of the Grand Bazaar, and Kumari is a truant child who skips school to watch dances. How could she possibly come to the Church early in the morning for no reason? This can only prove that the "Doctor's" control is not limited to the Church and the Baoshang Street area. It is very likely that the entire Sumeru City area, including the Grand Bazaar, is under the subconscious manipulation of the "Doctor".

The "Doctor" deliberately avoided mentioning this matter so that he would have enough "hostages" available in case of unforeseen circumstances.

"Now hand over your 'Void Terminal' and release all the 'hostages,' and I, in my name as the 'Successor of the Emperor,' will guarantee your safe departure from Sumeru with your subordinates. How about it?" Han Fulai said.

The "Doctor" sighed with a troubled expression: "Alas, have you ever seen a 'kidnapper' who releases a 'hostage' and then escapes unscathed?"

Han Fulai chuckled again: "I've never seen a 'kidnapper' manage to escape alive while holding a 'hostage'."

Beneath the "Doctor" mask, his eyebrows were raised high, and his two bright red eyes held a cautious scrutiny: "This is not the attitude of negotiation."

This time, Han Fulai shrugged: "You haven't shown enough sincerity. You can 'kill the hostage' at any time. What's there to talk about? According to convention, you should at least release some of the 'hostages' to show that what you're saying is credible, right?"

The two exchanged a glance and then laughed simultaneously, each with their own hidden meaning.