Dubbed as the greatest genius of Earth, Vill-V's importance to Earth is self-evident. If she did not split herself into several personalities, the Previous Era wouldn't have lost as badly as their original fate. There's also the possibility she could resolve the threat of Honkai in their era.
Still…
I understand why she did that.
In the game, she explained it as insecurity towards what her most optimal self could do. Vill-V feared she would no longer be "herself", becoming someone who could throw anything away in pursuit of what she seeks.
Her intuition was spot on.
Mobius, the only other character likened to Vill-V, ended up becoming a monster who threw away everything in pursuit of infinity. Vill-V lived and died on her terms, without breaching her bottom line.
Looking at her inquisitive eyes, I felt there was something wrong with this Vill-V.
"So, they need to have a complete body, soul, and mind to qualify for your 'selection'?"
Vill-V's words made me shudder.
Why was she so focused on me?
"That's the requirement."
"Then, let's do it."
She did not give me a chance to process things. Vill-V took off her hat and fiddled its insides, bringing out a shiny white jade slip.
After catching it, I read its contents.
…
…
…
What the hell?
*****
Elysia is familiar with everyone inside this room.
There was her good friend, Mobius. She acts snarkily and chides with venomous remarks, but deep within her, Elysia sees the heart of a young girl.
Vill-V…
It's quite different for her.
Elysia never got to truly understand what went inside Vill-V's mind. She knew her as an eccentric who always caught onto her vibes.
Seeing Vill-V cause Shi Tian's rapid changing of expressions, Elysia is filled with nothing but curiosity.
"What did you give him?" She asked.
"Hm, one of my most important findings."
Mobius' shoulders jolted as her snake-like eyes followed Vill-V… who sat down to her left.
"Was it related to that study of yours?"
"Quite."
Mobius could recall Vill-V asking for her collaboration in a biological research involving the physical body, soul, and the conscious mind. Due to Mobius' priorities at the time, she only participated in some parts of its development. Everything relied on Vill-V's capability as a genius.
It took a while before Shi Tian broke his silence.
"Since when did you study this?"
"Two hundred years ago, more or less. I heard about your exploits. The Aeons are an interesting subject to study with, especially the one connected to the Cocoon."
He could only express his shock with a deep sigh. The next words he spoke explained everything:
"You mean, Finality?"
"Yes, that one."
The contents of the jade slip detailed a complete 'resurrection' plan. Vill-V's well-nuanced usage of immortal cultivation knowledge surprised him at first. She also knew the specifics of his Dao of All Creation very well.
Her first assumptions relied on his Dao of All Creation working with the Remembrance Path—exactly as he had planned. If that did not work, she offered three alternatives tied to the Imaginary Tree, Sea of Quanta, and another Aeon.
The most important thing was the "other Aeon".
Vill-V once reached out to Kiana to seek help for her study. The latter helped her in this endeavor. Kiana also told her about Finality—about the universe's end.
Unbeknownst to her, Vill-V made an explosive finding. She kept it under wraps, intending to use it to set off her grand performance in front of Shi Tian's eyes!
'This girl…'
Shi Tian thought of Vill-V's monstrosity.
The "other Aeon" she mentioned in the jade slip is none other than Finality!
By using the Cocoon of Finality, which is suspected to be intricately linked to the Aeon of Finality, they could form a split-second connection with THEM. Their main goal is to "find" the point in time where the deceased existed. They can then manipulate the temporal dimension, enabling real time reversal and bringing the dead back to life.
It is the craziest method Vill-V came up with, but a plausible one. Shi Tian hasn't forgotten about Kiana's statement about Finality. THEY connected with the Cocon of Finality, allowing her to sense THEIR accelerated descent.
Finally…
'Mixing all four together.'
…the most optimal plan involved the usage of ALL four plans.
Shi Tian would carry out the resurrection with the Dao of All Creation and Remembrance. The latter would then scour the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta in search of memories. Then, Kiana would establish a brief connection with Finality, allowing them to connect to THEIR database and take out whatever's left that was needed.
The fact Vill-V could come up with it despite her "limited" information was something that startled Shi Tian. He wasn't there to discuss the specifics of the Dao of All Creation and Remembrance with her. Kiana couldn't properly explain Finality's far-reaching powers either. Yet, her proposal has less than ten dangers that he saw.
Nevertheless…
"I am afraid we can't pull it off, Miss Vill-V."
Shi Tian's reply went completely beyond Vill-V's expectations. Her smiling face froze momentarily as she looked at him with even more scrutiny.
"This plan endangers Kiana too much. We do not have any concrete information regarding Finality… regarding Terminus' power and abilities. THEIR capability to cause the end of the universe is something the current us cannot handle."
Shock was shock. When Shi Tian saw the plan entailed Kiana carrying such a big risk, he crossed it out without any second thoughts.
"The next best course of action is to wait for my cultivation to reach the pinnacle of the Void Refinement Realm. I believe Miss Vill-V has the patience to wait, no?"
He was no longer as casual as before. He met Vill-V's curious look with a calm one.
The atmosphere inside the lounge reached a freezing point. Elysia looked at them with concern. She wasn't dumb to not know how dangerous Vill-V's proposed plan was. Kiana is Shi Tian's lifelong partner. Elysia knew him well enough that he would never put her at a huge risk.
Vill-V and Mobius held differing, but somewhat similar reactions. The latter stared at the man who refused to breach his bottom line—someone the exact opposite as her.
As for the former…
'Through one's heart, proving the Immortal Dao…'
…her fixation grew a tad bit more severe.