While conversing with Tesla, Welt continued studying the peculiar gemstone in his hand.
To unravel its mystery, he attempted infusing it with Honkai Energy. This seemed to trigger some mechanism, causing his surroundings to blur instantly, inducing a disorienting sensation akin to spatial displacement.
When Welt's vision cleared, he found himself standing atop a tall tower.
"Tesla... must've been disconnected too, since the communication device didn't follow me here." Shaking his head, Welt raised his guard.
The sky was overcast, and beneath his feet lay gray flagstones. All around him were peculiar structures made of countless tightly interlocking gears, appearing intricate and enigmatic.
"Where... am I? Is this gemstone a spatial teleportation device? Or perhaps, is it interference within the consciousness domain?"
Frowning, Welt looked at the fragment of red gemstone pinched between his fingers, only to see it crumble instantly, turning into fine sand that slipped through his grasp.
"Joachim... save me... please, I don't want to die..."
A familiar voice, one he often heard in his dreams, echoed in Welt's ears.
He turned abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply.
Before him stood a familiar face with deep blue hair, impaled in the abdomen, leaning against shattered stone walls amidst a vivid pool of crimson blood.
In the next instant, the scene transformed, revealing Tesla and Einstein, their faces filled with disdain.
"Why? Why did Joyce have to die instead of you, you worthless piece of trash?"
"It's Joyce who truly matters. Yang, sacrifice your life to bring him back—you're far too insignificant compared to him."
"You're right! Just die already, you useless waste!"
Two familiar women appeared, their attitudes aligned as they vehemently accused Welt with malice.
Welt remained composed.
'An illusion? Even affecting me... A new Herrscher?'
Analyzing internally, Welt stayed unfazed.
If Joyce were alive, he would have simply patted Welt on the shoulder, smiling and praising his actions.
As for Tesla and Einstein—Welt knew they would never utter such words.
In the next moment, the scene shifted to burning lands, dead children, and a horrific earthly purgatory.
Welt continued watching, unflinching and unwavering.
The images kept changing, each time presenting scenes and figures aimed at exploiting his vulnerabilities, causing Welt to ponder deeply.
'These all target my weaknesses. Is it hoping to expose a flaw in my mind? Could this be a tactic exploiting psychological vulnerability? Or perhaps, due to insufficient power, trying to throw me off balance?'
Images of bullying, war, massacres, and moral decay flashed relentlessly. Despite Welt's ironclad resolve, he couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.
"Life is filled with suffering; hence, we need greater wisdom and determination to bring about change. The path is right, yet I still haven't done enough."
Welt let out a solemn sigh.
Then, his calm and deep brown eyes took on a dangerous crimson hue.
Without invoking the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason, simply by releasing a fraction of the Honkai Energy within him as a fully empowered Herrscher, Welt unleashed devastating power capable of annihilating everything in its path.
With a crisp sound akin to shattering glass, the entire scene disintegrated completely.
As Welt took a step forward, the surroundings abruptly shifted, revealing a vast and majestic circular plaza.
At the center of the square stood a raised platform, upon which resided the slender figure of a petite girl.
Her golden hair cascaded down, paired with a black eye patch, delicate curves accentuating her small frame, clad in tight-fitting black attire. Despite her youthful appearance, it added an alluring charm to her presence.
Welt furrowed his brow, sensing no signs of life from the girl. Upon closer inspection, he realized—this was not human but rather an exquisitely crafted doll!
Looking around, he noticed that the rows of spectator seats encircling the plaza held figures identical to the doll standing on the platform.
"Look, there's Welt, the Anti-Entropy Alliance Leader! You could say he's our very own Eldest Brother!"
"Honestly, I knew that idiot Edward couldn't be trusted when recruiting new members... And just look, he brought in the ultimate Boss!"
"Where's that fool Edward? Is it you?"
"Duh, Edward is over there!"
"You're also dumb. Edward died days ago—crushed to dust by the Titan forces. His core has already been replaced by the newbie!"
"Oh, really? Such heart-wrenching news... sob, sob... Just kidding! Good riddance; I couldn't stand that boastful idiot anyway!"
"Babble, chatter..."
A cacophony of voices filled the spectator seats.
Welt listened intently to these peculiar conversations, trying to glean useful information from them.
Suddenly, the golden-haired doll on the raised platform lifted its wooden gavel and struck it loudly:
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Silence! Can't you see we have esteemed guests? It's time for hospitality now!"
For a brief moment, quiet settled before even more uproar ensued.
"Just who do you think you are, acting so arrogant? I'm initiating a vote to kick your idiotic self off the host seat!"
"That's right, I've never liked this guy either! Down with him!"
"Calm down. While his attitude is irritating, he's not wrong. Anyone skilled at hosting, step up and show us what you've got! Remember, this is Welt we're talking about!"
"If you can do better, go ahead. Otherwise, quit whining!"
"Ouch, who hit me? My head's falling off!"
"Hmm? Is it going to turn into a fight?"
"Fight, fight, anything goes—quick, let's brawl! I'm all for some action!"
"Where? Where's the fight? I want to watch too!"
"I don't know what's happening, but count me in!"
"Babbling..."
Welt surveyed the increasingly noisy and chaotic surroundings, then lifted his gaze, calmly looking at the host on the dais.
The host showed no change in expression or demeanor, but within her silence, Welt sensed a hint of awkwardness.
"Cough! Well, regardless, welcome, Mr. Welt." The host abandoned trying to communicate with the idiots around and directly addressed Welt.
Welt, eager to gather as much information as possible, readily engaged in conversation. "Where am I? Who are you people?"
"This is the Theater of Domination, and we are the Herrscher of a Thousand People. Of course, you can also call us—the 'Unorganized Masses'!"
Welt raised an eyebrow.
Herrscher, their status indeed matched their ability to pull him into this peculiar space and cast illusions. It wasn't surprising.
He glanced at the disorderly dolls, each engrossed in their own activities without any semblance of order, then shook his head, saying:
"Unorganized masses, huh? Quite fitting indeed. So, what do you plan to do with Old Pelos? Was pulling me into this space also part of your scheme?"
"Well... who knows? Perhaps we have even more plans, oh~~"
"It seems my unexpected intrusion wasn't part of your plans; it likely disrupted your pace. At the very least, I've discovered your presence, which you had hidden exceptionally well, probably not anticipating such swift exposure."
"...Welt Yang, seizing the core of someone you revered and preventing his recovery—does that make you particularly proud? Time after time, sacrificing yourself to save the world only to helplessly witness tragedies unfold again and again? Must be quite exhilarating, isn't it?"
"You're getting desperate now. This is Virtual Space, correct? Herrschers can interfere with the Virtual World, though the extent varies. From what I've observed, this space seems rather ordinary, and I could leave at any moment. As for you... from a Herrscher's perspective, you are surprisingly weak."
The host fell silent.
Initially, she had countless words ready to assail Welt, but facing the unyielding, flawless Herrscher of Reason, speaking more would only expose their lack of confidence further.
On Welt's side, he sensed the space exerting a force to expel him. Raising his hand before his eyes, as expected, he observed his body gradually fading away.
The Herrscher of a Thousand People was rejecting him, attempting to kick him out of this Virtual Space.
Welt lifted his hand, and a deep blue sphere materialized in his palm.
"Simulated Black Hole," he murmured softly.
A singularity formed in mid-air, exerting its control over everything within the Theater of Domination. Objects, including individual dolls, were drawn towards it by powerful gravity, becoming distorted and shattered.
"Ah!! The theater! Our theater!"
"No! No! I don't want to disappear yet!"
"Damn it! Edward should have been torn apart by our hands alone!"
"Hurry, pull me back! I'm about to be sucked in!"
As the world crumbled and destroyed itself, Welt cast one last deep gaze at the ruined theater scene before ultimately vanishing from this space.
"W-e-l-t—"
Just before leaving this realm, Welt heard the furious shouts from some dolls—a clear young girl's voice, filled with anguish and resentment, making it unsettling to listen to.