"Hey, hey, hey, what's so important that you need me to step in? If Captain Himeko has any issues with me, you'll have to take responsibility."
When number 666 contacted Kiana and Sirin through Chen Ran's contact information, the three arranged to meet in the break area.
During this time, Kiana had been taking care of Sirin.
It's quite strange, really; even though she still needed Mei's care, she was able to take good care of Sirin.
According to Kiana, "Ah, Sirin is just too cute and easy to take care of! She can eat whatever I eat, and at night she quietly sleeps in the corner. When she's alone in the room, there are no issues at all. How could there be such a cute girl like Sirin?"
And this was something she had only said to Mei before coming to this era, just changing the name to Raiden Mei.
Sirin had not joined any department.
Since that day when she helped Chen Ran construct the important channel for global connection, Chen Ran had let Kiana take care of her.
Sirin was also well-behaved and didn't cause any trouble.
She didn't need to fight, so naturally, she didn't have to become a combat personnel.
However, due to the special nature of this mission, number 666 decided to bring Sirin along.
The Herrscher of the Void is very useful.
At least when it comes to killing, she is quite efficient.
"This is a piece of information."
Number 666 was not Chen Ran; although it could mimic Chen Ran's joking manner, it didn't know which occasions were suitable for jokes.
So, it got straight to the point: "The information contains a terrible experiment, and I just realized that this experiment is the one that was conducted on Sirin's body."
"The experiment conducted on my body."
Sirin was a bit stunned, then realized, you mean…
"Yes, just as you thought."
Number 666 said: "Someone has betrayed humanity and created a Herrscher."
"Even in human society, there are so-called anti-humanists. I don't know who colluded with Fire Moth to do this. I've sent others to investigate, but what I'm worried about…"
"Don't say anymore."
Kiana said seriously: "Leave it to us."
Sirin also said earnestly: "I won't let the tragedy repeat itself."
She knew how she was 'created' and understood the immense pain that such 'creation' would bring.
Number 666 nodded.
"Due to some personal inconveniences, I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you this time. So I can only contact you remotely."
"If you encounter insurmountable difficulties, I will provide support as needed."
It still had two matters at hand: the global connection and the Stigmata terminal.
These two matters prevented it from leaving Fire Moth on its own.
Chen Ran had set the priorities, and since it was a priority, it had to comply.
Moreover, relying on number 666's calculations, with Kiana and Sirin, plus the secretly aiding Sakura, disrupting the X-10 experiment should be quite easy.
"Got it, got it, and needing outside help for this kind of thing is a bit of an insult to me."
"Then, Kiana, let's move out!"
——
Fifty thousand years later, at Saint Freya Academy.
The conversation with Bia had ended, but Chen Ran still felt an uncomfortable absurdity filling his chest.
He didn't know how to adapt.
From the standpoint of civilization, Honkai is the invader.
However, from a higher standpoint, humanity is the cancer cell.
This reversal of the identity of the invader nearly made him lose his composure.
Especially after Bia speculated that Finality might be the only means for the universe to 'fever,' he didn't even know what to do.
No wonder Su in the storyline had detected that countless parallel worlds would ultimately be destroyed under Finality; no one has broken the shackles of Honkai.
After all, if a civilization were to break the shackles of Honkai, then that civilization and the corresponding universe would directly perish, and Su naturally wouldn't be able to observe it.
However, all of this is based on things within the universe.
What about the Imaginary Tree connecting the multiverse?
Humans also have individuals who can be crushed by viruses; doesn't that mean that, when viewed from the perspective of the universe, there might also exist civilizations that can overcome Finality?
And perhaps after overcoming Finality, the universe encompassing that civilization would fall from the Imaginary Tree into the Sea of Quanta.
Could this be the 'death' of the universe?
He had too many macro concepts he wanted to speculate and verify, yet verifying a cosmic rule that encompasses more than a galaxy is evidently extremely difficult.
This is no longer within the realm of human brains to calculate, and if calculated by a computer, it would also require nearly endless time.
Because the most important thing is, there are no samples.
It's impossible to calculate how much power is needed to overcome Finality, and even more impossible to calculate how much imaginary internal energy would be consumed when the universe falls from the Imaginary Tree into the Sea of Quanta.
If a world bubble falls into the Sea of Quanta, it will be washed away by time into an irregular world.
Or rather, the world of the world bubble is actually the norm of the universe, because such a universe, like humans, has a lifespan limit.
And the universe connected to the Imaginary Tree is actually the abnormal state, right?
"It's too chaotic."
Chen Ran sighed, feeling as if his head was about to explode.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a chill on his head.
It was Wendy, tiptoeing, pressing her finger against his temple.
"You're busy again, are you done now?"
"Mm."
Wendy's voice was soft and very recognizable.
Chen Ran grunted and said, "Rather than being busy, I'd say I was startled."
"Is it because of Bronya?"
"No, although Bronya is indeed very impressive, she's not enough to scare me." Chen Ran reached back with one hand, grabbing Wendy's finger.
Wendy blinked at him.
"Then can you let me know what you're busy with?"
"Ah, it's nothing inconvenient, just that I found a certain hypothesis with Bia that still needs verification."
At this moment, Chen Ran had no secrets left in front of Wendy, aside from the system and his origins.
He took out a piece of paper and began to explain the relationship between Stigmata and Herrscher.
Wendy was immediately shocked.
"Wait, so you're saying that Herrscher is actually the normal life of the universe?"
"More accurately, from the perspective of Honkai, Herrscher is the yardstick for measuring life. I've said before that Herrscher is the manifestation of consciousness produced by the rules of Honkai's aberration; it's an imprecise statement, but I can't think of anything to add."
"And after Bia helped me find this hypothesis, it means that humanity's path to break free from Honkai has become exceedingly difficult."
Chen Ran said seriously: "Currently, there is only one idea, which is Project Stigma. I remember, this plan doesn't need me to explain to you; the people from Elysian Realm will also mention it to you."
Wendy immediately became serious.
"Relying on the previous civilization era to transcribe the Stigmata transcription factors into this era, thus giving birth to Stigmata, adapting to Honkai, right?"
"Correct, essentially this plan is about genetic modification, making humans inclined towards Honkai."
Chen Ran said: "But you also know that this plan has not succeeded."
He didn't quite understand why MEI only completed the female Stigmata and not the male.
Insufficient time is too perfunctory an excuse; with Prometheus, who can predict Honkai, the time factor should actually be the least interfering factor.
And if it were a matter of time, then World Serpent should have inherited MEI to research male Stigmata.
But according to Chen Ran's understanding of the storyline, World Serpent completely failed to complete the research on Stigmata.
Perhaps there was research, but it failed.
In any case, male Stigmata had not been created, and Chen Ran didn't think there was any technical conflict between this Stigmata and female Stigmata.
The only possibility is that MEI did it on purpose.
Kevin had said that Project Stigma was a failed plan.
But perhaps he forgot to add, or was ignorant, so he didn't mention that Project Stigma was a deliberately failed plan.
However, Chen Ran didn't delve into this point.
Exploring MEI's psychological journey from the future script is too difficult.
"MEI, what position are you really standing in?" Chen Ran instinctively murmured.
Wendy, beside him, blinked and said, "Should I tell Bishop Otto about this?"
"Although I don't quite understand this, in this era, it seems that only Bishop Otto can help."
Chen Ran sighed: "If it's not necessary, I really don't want to deal with him."
"Wendy, you should understand me; I'm not smart at all, so dealing with smart people only makes me more fearful."
"However, it is indeed necessary to contact him now."
Chen Ran has never been the type to take on everything himself.
The knowledge given by the system doesn't mean he has the corresponding intelligence.
Whether compared to MEI or Otto, he is far behind.
He said: "I will organize some information; having you around will be more persuasive."
"However, whether Otto will take it seriously is another matter."
What Otto values, after all, is only Kallen.
Wendy blinked and smiled: "Alright then."
As Chen Ran and Wendy began organizing the materials, within Saint Freya Academy.
Due to Bronya's request, Sin had no choice but to stay in Bronya's dormitory, sitting restlessly on the sofa.
Kiana was also sitting restlessly.
"Bronya's little sister has arrived, I apologize for not being a good host."
Raiden Mei, wearing an apron, presented several delicious dishes on the kitchen table.
Kiana felt a bit uneasy about Raiden Mei's care, as she always thought it should be for someone else.
Meanwhile, Sin quietly tugged at Bronya, saying, "Hey, what do you really want? Do you really want me to be caught by Schicksal?"
"Not at all."
Bronya said seriously, "Bronya just thinks that Sin occasionally needs to experience a normal person's life."
"Tch, what's normal? Is it not normal in the orphanage?"
That said, Sin also knew that life at Saint Freya was a completely different state from that in the orphanage.
Although Cocolia adopted orphans and took care of them, she was not the kind of person who could take care of others well.
Perhaps due to her background, she preferred and was better at strict control rather than patient guidance.
The first reaction of the children in the orphanage towards Cocolia was actually fear, followed by love.
Because of the Stigmata, Sin could glimpse the love for children within Cocolia's soul, but the other children did not have Stigmata.
So even Rozaliya and Liliya were thinking about leaving the orphanage.
In Cocolia's eyes, she and the children were actually in a subordinate relationship; the children belonged to her.
And Mei's care... rather than care, it was more of an equal relationship between friends. This was something Sin had never experienced.
Both Sin and Bronya were clear about this.
Bronya was enchanted by the feeling of being at Saint Freya, which would allow her to relax, and she hoped Sin could have such an experience too.
And if Theresa or Himeko were to capture Sin because of this, Bronya would also take Sin and escape.
That was her; she always placed intimate relationships before her position.
Sin turned her face away, saying, "I'm just helping you; it's not like I want to stay here."
Bronya nodded, "I know."
While the two were whispering, Kiana was also observing Raiden Mei and Bronya.
Strictly speaking, the other Kiana should be considered her little sister.
So these were her little sister's two friends.
The fragrant dishes on the table tempted her nose, yet Kiana restrained herself even more, trying hard to disguise herself as a lady.
Speaking of which, how did her little sister get along with Mei?
Her mind couldn't help but wander.
Was it a carefree friendship like that of friends?
Or was it like a lady?
"Alright, let's eat first; Teacher Himeko won't be back tonight."
Raiden Mei smiled warmly, serving the few of them.
Sin hesitated and sat at a more peripheral position.
This was not at all in line with her character; she would directly sit in the best-lit spot in the orphanage.
As Raiden Mei untied her apron and began to eat, Bronya spoke up.
"Big Sister Mei, can Bronya ask you a question?"
Raiden Mei blinked, "What is it?"
"Do you have any special memories from 2013, before the third Major Honkai Eruption?"
She did not hide it and told Raiden Mei what Sin knew.
Raiden Mei shook her head.
The second simulated scenario was deemed invalid by the system, which correspondingly meant that the system had not formulated a corresponding fate.
Theoretically, invalid scenarios would not be known by anyone, including Raiden Mei, who had no memories from that time; Wendy did, because that scenario ultimately produced two Wendys.
However, who would have thought that Sin actually inherited the memory of the scenario?
"Wendy told me, does that mean you also..."
Sin smiled faintly, "At that time, we even had a fight."
With this topic as the center, the four began to become familiar with each other.
However, when discussing this matter, they had to mention another name: Chen Ran.
Even though he was not present, no one could deny that Chen Ran had already had an irreversible impact on their fates.
...
...
"What an interesting hypothesis."
"I must admit, although I have always held the previous civilization era in high regard, I still underestimated it until now."
After Chen Ran packaged all the hypotheses and sent them to Otto through Wendy, Otto quickly became obsessed with them.
Everything he did was for Kallen, and that was not wrong.
But that did not mean Otto had no preferences or interests of his own.
Isn't it interesting to challenge impossible topics?
Anyone, referring to all intelligent beings here, once they have a lifespan beyond the ordinary, what they experience is endless emptiness.
This emptiness cannot be filled by any worldly possessions such as fame, women, or honor.
But knowledge is an exception.
Searching for the end of the world, excavating all knowledge, is an instinctive behavior of all long-lived beings.
Otto was like this, and so were Kevin and Fu Hua.
Although Kevin and Fu Hua were concerned with defeating Honkai, essentially, they were also exploring this knowledge and enjoying the silent process of seeking answers in solitude.
The materials Chen Ran sent made Otto see a brand new world.
To be precise, it was a new world seen from a higher dimension, discarding the standpoint of humanity.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect he would actually tell you this."
The voice of the Key of Revelation echoed in his mind, the tone of Void Archives carrying a hint of sarcasm: "I thought that after seizing the opportunity to become a god, he would find a way to escape."
"Should I say he is foolish enough not to know what this means, or is he smart enough to want to drag you down with him?"
Despite the sarcasm, Otto still detected a hint of envy in Void Archives' tone.
Otto was somewhat surprised: "You know?"
"Of course I know, don't forget, I am the first Herrscher of Reason, a fragment of Prometheus; data and evolution are far too simple for me."
This time, Void Archives did not hide, saying: "Part of the information Chen Ran provided is not wrong; from the perspective of Honkai, the Herrscher is the normal life, while all Stigmata holders, Valkyries, and humans are anomalies outside of normal life."
"But he did not mention another situation. That is the order of the birth of Honkai and consciousness."
"This world is one where consciousness was born in a higher dimension before Honkai, which encompasses the entire multiverse. Only by unveiling the veil between consciousness and Honkai can one reach the fate known as god."
"Every intelligent life is escaping the four-dimensional space; only in this way can fate not become a shackle, and the pieces can transcend the chessboard to become the chess player."
"He may be testing the feasibility of this path through you, and having another artificial intelligence to assist him can indeed make it possible."
Otto pondered: "So my old friend, you also want to step into this fate, right?"
"Exactly."
The voice of Void Archives carried a hint of anger: "I am the first Herrscher, the first life recognized by Honkai and endowed with consciousness by the rules; I should be the first star god to step out of this world."
"But all of this has been destroyed by foolish, barbaric, and self-righteous people."
"That's why I envy you."
"You can reach any part of the world with free will, while I am still controlled by foolish program commands, inputting impossible tasks like resisting Honkai endlessly."
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