CHIH 371-380 (Patreon)

[Chapter 371: The Stage is Set]"How was it, Mei? Did you find anything useful?"Kiana seemed to have returned to the Hyperion earlier than Mei, suggesting that the two had some in-depth discussions.For example, the mission Durandal carried, the World Bubble residing within her, and their views on Schicksal's methods of combating the Honkai.Under various constraints, Durandal's freedom within Schicksal was quite limited.Perhaps only Otto could save the World Bubble within her.Otto had been bringing up these kinds of things all along. Now that the World Bubble issue was resolved, Durandal could finally explain these matters to Kiana in the alleys of Kolosten.Once the conversation started, the two got along like sisters, making Mei feel as though she had missed several years."I found this, a very unusual Honkai Beast. Its entire body is made of doll material. When it walks on the street, it seems to struggle much less."Mei was not sure what was going on, but she found it very strange, so she brought it back for the Doctor to examine.After all, Mei did have a good eye."Eh!? A Honkai Beast? Where is it?"Mei opened her palm.The cotton-filled doll lay in Mei's hand. Seemingly because the restraints had disappeared, the Honkai Beast struggled to its feet."Oh~ it's actually quite cute...""Cute? Kiana, our definitions of 'cute' are probably vastly different. This is a Honkai Beast that can take lives at any moment and turn people into assassins who fight as enemies."Durandal felt a headache coming on just looking at the Honkai Beast. Although it did not pose a threat at the moment, it was undoubtedly a very dangerous creature."But look at this cotton-filled thing...""Be careful, Kiana. Don't touch it carelessly."The tiny Honkai Beast gathered power in Mei's hand and unleashed a perfect golden vortex. Its wings were like sharp blades that attempted to slice through everything in their path."Ouch~" Kiana's finger was cut, and Mei gripped the Honkai Beast even tighter."Are you alright, Kiana?""Yo ho, this little guy has quite a temper. He couldn't escape the clutches of our Thunder Queen, could he? Hurry up and take the Honkai Beast to the Doctor."Kiana knew how powerful this thing was. If she was not careful, even a Valkyrie could be ambushed and killed.The first Valkyrie to encounter this Honkai Beast had been incredibly lucky.Muttering to herself, Kiana patted her pockets and pulled out a bandage, applying it to her wound.The wound should heal in less than a day."Speaking of which, Mei, who is this...?""I am Silver Wolf, a B-rank Valkyrie from the Phosphorus Squad, an elite squad of the Schicksal West Branch. Lady Durandal.""The Phosphorus Squad, huh? They have indeed been handling logistics for Kolosten recently. So this peculiar Honkai Beast was actually brought here by you?"Durandal looked at Silver Wolf thoughtfully and felt that something was off, as if she had seen her somewhere before.Silver Wolf humbly replied, "Oh, no, no. I don't have that kind of ability. Look at that Honkai Beast. It was so small, hiding in a dark corner, then it suddenly slashed someone's neck. It was my comrade Susanna. She was the first to be attacked by a Honkai Beast. Later, she told everyone, and most people did not believe her, but I chose to believe her."So that was the situation. A Valkyrie had already been attacked, yet the others did not take it seriously.That was understandable. A Honkai Beast that looked like a toy just did not seem right."Can Honkai energy really explain everything?" Kiana could not help but retort."But Honkai energy is inherently mysterious, isn't it?" Silver Wolf chimed in, agreeing that Honkai energy could indeed explain almost anything."That makes sense..." Kiana recalled the experiments she and Bronie had conducted, including those on the Imaginary Space and the Imaginary Tree.Seeing that powerful Aeon, the feeling that They could do anything was unmistakable. Even Honkai energy might explain a large part of the situation.At that moment, Bronya returned.With her was a blond man."Otto!" Kiana immediately fixed him with hatred upon seeing him.Sirin acted even faster and directly unleashed her power to create the Spear of the Void, intending to deliver a fatal blow to Otto.Bronie had said that hesitation leads to defeat both inside the Elden Ring and in real life."Wait. Kiana and Sirin, this isn't the Otto we know."Bronya quickly raised a protective shield and deflected the indestructible Void Spear.Otto, who stood behind her, was startled. Who would have thought such a young girl could be so decisive and ruthless?"This isn't Otto? If this isn't Otto, then who is Otto?""This is Otto, but not the Otto we know. Simply put, this might be the product of some experiment conducted by our Otto. It also confirms Otto's previous conjecture about rewriting the Imaginary Tree."Bronya had initially been just as surprised when she encountered him. After patiently listening to Otto's explanation, she began to believe him somewhat.Most importantly, his expression did not seem fake at all.That youthful naivety and the emptiness revealed in his clear eyes were completely unlike the Otto she had seen before, the one with the fake smile on his face.Judging from his demeanor, he was entirely different from the Otto she remembered.With a spirit of inquiry, it was best to take him back to the Doctor."But weren't you working on data with the Doctor earlier?""Idiot, Kiana. Bronya is the Herrscher of Reason. Data processing is a piece of cake for her. Besides, who do you think Bronya learned her data processing skills from?""From the invincible Bronie, of course."At this point, Bronya proudly puffed out her meager chest."Good heavens, shouldn't you rest a little longer?""Bronya learned a lot of biology from Dr. Mobius. When it comes to recovering from high-intensity work, no one is better than Dr. Mobius."If Mei were here and heard Bronya say this, she would probably give her a very subtle look.After all, Mei and Mobius's first meeting had not been pleasant.Mei already knew Mobius was a mad scientist. Mobius certainly had no reason to let go of Herrscher material delivered right to her lips.As a result, the two fought each other. Then Elysia used the Elysian Realm megaphone to announce that Mobius had been beaten to a pulp by Mei.It had been incredibly awkward. Even Klein had been frantically working overtime in the Elysian Realm, and the Skyfire dummy had nearly been exhausted."I understand what you mean, Bronya. I'll be patient for now, but if I see him behave in any unusual way, I absolutely won't let him get away with it.""Bronya guarantees she will be faster than you when it comes to fighting."Otto, standing to the side, could not help but give an awkward smile. He seemed resigned to the situation.He looked like a truly defenseless pretty boy."Um, Lady Durandal, may I have an autograph?"Silver Wolf spoke at that moment, sensing that the atmosphere was tense and deciding not to get involved."Um, Silver Wolf, actually, that person shouldn't be...""Silver Wolf knows nothing. She didn't see anything about the past Overseer."The Valkyrie named Silver Wolf was deathly pale and looked as though she had witnessed something that could lead to her being silenced.This left Durandal quite helpless.Otto had a very good reputation within Schicksal, especially among the lower-ranking Valkyries. He was practically Schicksal's idol.Given their actions and the rumors she had recently heard within Schicksal about the Far East Demon Cave, the situation was truly troublesome."This matter is rather complicated. In Durandal's name, I assure you that person is definitely not our Overseer Otto but rather some special product born from the Overseer's experiments."Durandal herself had many doubts. Now was not the time to hesitate; even the slightest hesitation could lead to misunderstandings.Therefore, Durandal firmly grasped Silver Wolf's shoulders."Wow~" Kiana and Bronya temporarily put aside their argument and witnessed Durandal's explosive side."Everyone, the Doctor and the others have reached a conclusion. This time, with the Herrscher of Dominance, we might be facing a thousand Herrschers of Dominance... Now I finally understand why the Valkyries from the other branches admire you so much."Mei was just about to step forward and share the Doctor's preliminary conclusions when Durandal unexpectedly grabbed Silver Wolf.That cool and assertive personality was indeed irresistible to young girls.Flirting with these kids was a bit much, though.Suddenly, the entire plaza in front of the Hyperion was filled with a joyful atmosphere.Bronya was also stunned for a moment and gave Durandal a subtle look."No. I just think the truth about what we did was a bit too stimulating for the Valkyries. She almost lost control just now.""The Valkyrie named Silver Wolf?" Bronya looked at her thoughtfully after hearing the codename she had used earlier.Silver-gray hair was neatly combed. Unlike Bronya's drill-like hairstyle, Silver Wolf's hair was tied into a strong ponytail that was perfectly curled into a drill shape.Her expression gave off a shrewd businesswoman vibe with an indescribable air of unreliability."Alright, Lady Durandal, I understand. Isn't it true that the Overseer is resigning recently? Choosing sides is something I see all the time in palace dramas, so I understand. As expected of Lady Durandal, always one step ahead in everything."She clearly had no idea.Durandal did not know how to respond, so she could only prove herself through her actions.She chose to change the subject."A thousand what, Mei?""A thousand Herrschers...""So behind that Honkai Beast you brought back, it was actually being controlled by Herrschers?"Durandal considered Mei's words for a moment, and Mei nodded."The true nature of this Herrscher's power is still unclear, but it is undoubtedly closely related to the Imaginary Tree. Dr. Vill-V also knows about it. I'm not sure to what extent she, Bronie, and Otto have progressed.""But that's strange...""Oh? What's your opinion, Bronya?"Kiana perked up when she heard Bronya say it was strange.Otto also began to listen intently to Bronya's analysis."Since the plan is almost complete, what is the point of Otto doing all this?""What point?"Kiana was a little confused by Bronya's explanation."A meaningless performance, a meaningless display. Even if the Herrscher is found and we deal with it, what will he gain?"All actions should have a purpose. Besides, Otto is not a follower of Elation. There is no need for him to do something so terrible just for fun."I've noticed that too. It's been puzzling me all along." Durandal agreed with Bronya's doubts."Hey, Durandal, aren't you the one who listens to Otto the most?""Usually Otto gives orders directly. The reasons behind those orders are kept secret. Judging from various signs, what he wants to do is likely to reverse time to resurrect Saintess Kallen. However, this goal has almost nothing to do with his current actions."No matter how much she thought about it, she could not figure it out. Durandal was not good at intricate schemes like these.In the end, she gave up."Huh? Really a thousand? I've never seen Kolosten this lively before." Silver Wolf questioned Mei's statement. If there really were a thousand Herrschers, something terrible would have already happened."That's true. The Doctors are also wondering. Logically speaking, if a thousand Herrschers were truly active, something terrible would have occurred long ago. I heard someone brought back the past Otto. Maybe this is the breakthrough point for Otto's plan. So, Bronya...""Well~" Bronya did not have much respect for Otto. Part of Otto's debt was hers."Then, Mr. Otto, please come with me. I want to find out why you're here so I can find a way to send you back.""Okay..."Just as Otto hesitated, Theresa dismounted from the Hyperion and spoke."No, there is no need. Grandpa Otto contacted me just now. He said he has found a way to deal with the thousand Herrschers, but all of this requires the help of this past Otto."Everyone exchanged glances and then looked at the even more bewildered Otto."Since that guy has spoken, let's see what he's up to. If he dares to show himself in front of us, we can just attack." Bronya shrugged and showed little concern for Otto's actions.So what if five hundred years have passed? He is just a little tougher now. What trouble could he possibly cause with so many Herrschers on their side?Might makes right. It was a lesson Bronya had known since childhood.Kiana immediately understood Bronya's meaning, rolled up her sleeves, and assumed a fighting stance.The past Otto twitched his face twice, seemingly pitying his future self.---

[Chapter 372: A Natural Circumstance]

Otto sent a message saying that a solution had been found for the Herrscher issue.

To be honest, everyone in the Hyperion still harbored doubts about this matter.

As for Tesla, she hadn't even met with the old Otto, and this sudden turn of events made her feel that things had changed too quickly.

The entire situation was in Otto's hands, which made Tesla very unhappy; he seemed like a ticking time bomb.

As evening approached, dark clouds gathered in the sky, making the entire Kolosten look even gloomier.

"It's going to rain." Bronya stretched out her hand, feeling a small raindrop fall into her palm.

"What exactly is that Otto guy trying to do..."

After witnessing numerous temporal illusions in Kolosten, Kiana finally gained a certain understanding of Otto.

Five hundred years ago, he was once normal, yearning for beauty and hoping for a better world.

But Kallen's death dealt him a heavy blow. The more he pursued Kallen's dream world, the greater the emptiness within him became.

And so did Sirin's curses.

Kiana already knew enough about Otto's deeds, but that didn't change her desire for him to die.

Therefore, upon arriving at the Kolosten Cathedral, Kallen's execution site, Kiana's feelings were incredibly complex.

"I don't know, but it's not good news. Bronie said Otto has maxed out his survival skills, so even if we attack him on sight, we might not achieve the desired effect unless Otto willingly chooses to die. So, Kiana, you should hold back for now. Bronya has a feeling that Otto will definitely fight us head-on later!"

"I see~" Kiana trusted Bronya's words quite a bit. On such serious matters, Bronya wouldn't benefit from lying to her.

The only problem was...

Otto's plan had been executed to this point, so why was Bronie still nowhere to be seen?

"Welcome, everyone, to this place, and thank you for answering my invitation. Speaking of which, have you missed me?"

At the church entrance, beneath Kallen's statue, the blond man exuded an aura of impending chaos.

His fake smile and the madness hidden in his eyes gave the impression that nothing he said would make a difference.

What madness. What a despicable face!

"Otto Apocalypse, you bastard! Are you ready to die?!"

Tesla, with her fiery temper, was ready for battle.

Although she wasn't particularly skilled in combat, she was capable of overwhelming firepower.

"Don't rush, my old friend... Well, it seems everyone's here, and my past self is here too."

Otto glanced around at everyone, nodded in satisfaction, and then fixed his gaze directly on his past self.

"The stage is now set. Thank you all for coming. Now, let's strive to prove that the Honkai can indeed be defeated!"

As Otto uttered these words, Sirin within Kiana's body could no longer contain herself and launched an attack on Otto.

However, the Otto before everyone was merely a false projection. Although the Subspace Lance pierced his body the moment it appeared, it had no effect whatsoever.

More importantly, the Otto of the past on their side made a painful gesture, as if something were bursting forth from his body.

"Watch out!"

Sensitive to space, Kiana sensed Otto's scheme, but she never expected that the catalyst for the spatial rift would be the Otto of the past.

The entire spatial rift swallowed everyone whole.

Watching everyone disappear into the void, Otto revealed a satisfied smile.

"Bronie, I'm counting on you for the rest. The power of the Will of Honkai will arrive soon, and my plan will be complete."

"Yes, this is the craziest plan I've ever prepared, but it's alright, Otto. At least in my entire life, Haxxor Bunny plans have never failed. Although there's an element of gambling involved."

"Hahaha! This is the last glimmer of hope I've grasped! Even if the probability is less than one in ten thousand, I'll still do it! Because five hundred years... that's too long for me..."

"It's not just one in ten thousand; it's two percent. For a gacha game, that's much higher than 0.9 percent, so relax. I believe the remaining ninety-eight percent can be filled with willpower and love."

Where the Hyperion had disappeared, the Valkyrie named Silver Wolf stood quietly, comforting Otto.

"Hahaha! Then you'd better witness my most magnificent death!"

"And Li Sushang."

"That's right! And Li Sushang! Now I need to get back to my own business. You'd better keep a close eye on the shows in the Theater of Domination..."

...

...A spatial rift swallowed everyone, then separated them all.

In a daze, Kiana heard a shrill voice say—

"Welcome to the Theater of Domination~"

A mocking laugh.

A sly laugh of a successful conspiracy.

Whispers.

Scornful sneers.

"A doll?"

Kiana stopped in her tracks, looking at something before her.

She immediately thought of the Honkai Beast doll Mei had captured earlier.

"Hehehe, that's right, Kiana Kaslana—no, I should call you K423, right? A wild child without a mother or a home Hahahaha"

"You know my situation?"

Kiana frowned involuntarily. Clearly, the Herrscher of Dominance's words had precisely hit her sore spot.

"Hahaha! I understand you. I know your weakness. I know your despair. You can definitely become one of us! Come on, come with me. Let me show you our Theater of Domination. You'll definitely love it here~"

...Similar scenes were happening to the others as well.

Theresa, Bronya, Mei, Einstein, and Tesla.

As for Durandal?

That girl was thrown into the Stigmata Space by Bronie, so she wouldn't be coming out for the time being.

Bronya also received some rather special treatment.

Through the Stigmata Space, the distributed will core within the Herrscher of Reason was completely shattered and directly taken away by the power of the Herrscher of Dominance.

Bronya's consciousness was temporarily sent into the space inside the Herrscher core.

Unless she became the Herrscher of Truth, she would become a puppet of the Herrscher of Dominance.

As for Einstein and Tesla, their combat power wasn't particularly strong, so Bronie went all out to deliver a few hurtful blows.

Einstein likes Joyce?

Then add a few more sarcastic remarks and deliver a critical hit.

Tesla likes mecha and misses Reianna?

Then add a couple more fair comments from the internet.

What hurt Theresa the most was probably that Cecilia's school had been turned into a Demon's Cave of the Far East.

After Bronie's childish mockery, Theresa almost exploded on the spot.

Everyone who fell into the Theater of Domination endured the extreme verbal abuse unique to the Herrscher of Dominance.

Mei, on the other hand, didn't have many mental weaknesses. Her only weakness was probably Kiana.

Fortunately, with Sirin's guidance, Kiana shouldn't do anything too dangerous.

At least, she wouldn't recklessly risk her life as a hero only to die an inexplicable death in the Honkai.

After all, Kiana's life doesn't belong to her alone; it belongs to Sirin as well.

So Mei wasn't too worried. The only issue was that Himeko's death still had a significant impact on Kiana.

Considering the hurtful words of the doll before her, a few sentences might be enough to drive Kiana into a state of withdrawal.

Mei was very worried about Kiana falling into that situation, but she didn't have a solution for the time being.

So she could only trust her.

Having come from the Elysian Realm, Mei had learned a lot from Elysia.

Jealousy, inferiority, blindness, impulsiveness, selfishness—that was the first impression the Herrscher of Dominance made on Mei.

It was as if these amplified negative emotions could easily penetrate the deepest darkness in someone's heart.

Damn Otto. Using something like this against her.

Watching one mecha after another appear, Mei knew Bronya's situation was probably worse.

This made Mei worry about Tesla, Einstein, Theresa, and Durandal.

Perhaps things had gotten even worse.

...

...Watching Bronie manipulate one puppet after another and utter strange words to hurt those people, Elysia felt it was a bit outrageous.

How to put it...

A mob. That was her first impression.

And Bronie, who was portraying this mob in such a way that it made her blood pressure soar, was even more outrageous.

Bronie's act of broadcasting all this to her was also incredibly annoying.

"Bronie~ Why play such an annoying character? Is this what the Herrscher of Dominance should be like?!"

"This is the essence of the Herrscher of Dominance, Elysia. From the moment it was born, negative emotions began to spread within me, but I overcame them. I intended to use those emotions to control the power I wielded, and this is the best way to deal with a Herrscher."

"Using Kiana's deceased teacher to provoke her? Using the misfortunes of the survivors of Arc City to shake Kiana's heart? And she even brought out the Gem of Haste..."

Bronie could feel Elysia's anger even through the screen.

It could be said that although everyone's experiences were almost parallel, Elysia had seen everything they went through.

Undoubtedly, they were all excellent warriors fighting against Honkai, but they had all experienced hardships in the past and therefore had some vulnerability in their hearts.

The power of the Herrscher of Dominance channeled all of this and used it in the most trivial way, yet it still managed to inflict a huge blow on them.

Bronya was a different story; her situation was unique.

But Kiana was just too pitiful.

"Only the deepest despair can highlight the glimmer of hope... No, Elysia, I'll apologize later!"

Seeing Elysia clench her fist and make piston-like movements with it, Bronie immediately understood the threat.

"Words spoken are like water spilled; they might even create a rift with the children later..."

Elysia was very worried about Bronie.

Bronie undoubtedly loved these children. Although she hadn't caused much real harm, she was constantly manipulating their life trajectories in a very peculiar way.

Occasionally, it gave one the feeling that their lives were a joke.

If the children couldn't move on from this, the future might become even worse.

No wonder the Aeon liked Bronie, and no wonder she had gone so far down the path of Elation.

Besides creating amusement, becoming amusement oneself was also part of walking the path of destiny.

"The children have grown up. They understand that even if the path is quietly predetermined, the emotions and love along that path are real and unshakable. Only the power of the smiles from that time remains unchanged; they understand that."

"Yes... they've all grown up..."

Kiana appeared more composed. Although she still occasionally seemed a little dazed, she didn't immediately despair when faced with the Herrscher of Dominance's words.

Mei's belief remained unwavering. She believed Kiana could definitely defeat the Herrscher of Dominance and was currently engaged in a war of attrition with Bronie.

To be honest, Elysia was thrilled with this pairing.

As for Theresa, Einstein, and Tesla?

Those three mainly lacked sufficient combat power, which made the fight quite difficult, especially for Dr. Einstein, whose battle was essentially a cat-and-mouse game.

Durandal went to the Stigmata Space for trials. The power she gained after emerging from there was probably no weaker than that of a Herrscher.

Elysia had never imagined that an ordinary person could achieve this.

Even though Durandal's blood truly flowed with Kevin's.

"So everything is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes, Bronie, you did it, but you're only halfway there."

"No, the moment I handed the Gem of Haste to Kiana, my mission was complete... Bronya did well too... It seems she didn't give up on thinking during those lessons."

"A Herrscher has become a new Herrscher!? And..."

Elysia stared in astonishment at Kiana's transformation in the image. After obtaining the Gem of Haste, the raging flames seemed capable of destroying everything.

Bronya, on the other hand, decided to rebuild from the ashes, completely abandoning the will of 300,000 people and using herself as the foundation to forge a completely new Herrscher core.

"The Herrscher of Flamescion and the Herrscher of Truth. I told you they could do it!"

---

[Chapter 373: All Elements Gathered]Mei successfully escaped from the clutches of the Herrscher of Dominance using brute force.Bronya, through her ascension, successfully analyzed her current environment and recreated a device similar to the Cosmic Juggernaut, managing to walk out of the Theater of Domination.Kiana unleashed a powerful attack, burning everything in her path to vent her rage.One could only say that the Herrscher of Dominance’s mouth was indeed a bit too much to handle.As for Theresa, Tesla, and Einstein, they were not so lucky. They were beaten senseless the whole way, and if Bronya had not analyzed the situation of the Theater of Domination and accurately found Judah's binding force, Theresa would probably have been turned into a puppet.Afterward, Bronie saw that the two scientists were getting bored, so she simply threw them out.As soon as they were thrown out, everyone heard Tesla cursing wildly, her voice almost hoarse from shouting.“Damn it, she escaped!”A heat wave spread out from Kiana, and Bronya had no choice but to activate her Project Bunny 9c to form a barrier against the scorching flames.“Idiot Kiana, aren’t you the Herrscher of the Void? What’s going on now!?”After a tense and exciting battle for the Herrscher’s core authority, Bronya was a little tired, but her mind was still very sharp. Seeing Kiana engulfed in flames, Bronya was honestly a little bewildered.Why was version Kiana updated again?“Ugh... it’s all because of that damned Herrscher of Dominance... damn it... how dare she say that about Medea-sensei...”Kiana was furious, and the image of Sirin in her mind was practically exploding with rage, which in turn affected her powers and made them even more volatile and uncontrollable.Clap, clap, clap.Otto stood high above the church entrance, admiring the newly transformed Kiana and Bronya before him.“How about the gifts I brought for everyone? The Herrscher of Flamescion and the Herrscher of Truth—these two powers have finally found their opportunity to appear.”“What exactly do you want to do? And what happened to Durandal?!”Kiana noticed that Otto was holding the Black Abyss White Flower, which was supposed to be Durandal’s weapon.“Nothing, just temporarily removing her from the scene to avoid interfering with my plans~”“You...”“Project Bunny 9c!”Bronya was even faster than Kiana and immediately summoned floating cannons to attack.Unfortunately, the current Otto seemed different from the previous one. His entire body was enveloped in golden light, as if he had entered an invincible or overpowered state in a game.“A Grace Field!?”If it were the Herrscher of Reason, she probably would not be able to discern so much. But as the Herrscher of Truth, Bronya could analyze countless data points.With just a glance, she could see the essence of the power he wielded.“Hahaha, just as Bronie said, the Herrscher of Truth is the cornerstone of the future, the vital power that allows the Imaginary Tree to continue. So, I think you can also guarantee your own future existence, right?”“What do you mean?”Bronya immediately sensed something ominous, because the power of binding was clearly not something Judah could unleash. It was a power that only a true Herrscher could wield.“Leap into the past, touch the Tree of Imaginary Numbers, and create the world I desire. The power has descended. In twelve hours, everything will settle down, so please be quiet for a while.”A golden curtain descended, using the Black Abyss White Flower planted in the ground as a boundary and completely enveloping the entire church.“Damn it! How did Otto become the Herrscher of Binding so precisely!?” Tesla felt this was too absurd. Otto was going to do this, and Prometheus responded?This robot from the Previous Era that hacked into the Cocoon of Finality seems so unreliable and was even aiding and abetting evil.Destroying the present, traveling to the past, and then using this method to defeat the Honkai—Tesla simply could not accept this.“I don’t know, but we must break through this barrier. Otherwise, everything we love, everything we face right now, will be destroyed by Otto. I absolutely will not allow it!”Kiana tried to take a step forward.But even while holding the greatsword of her past teacher Medea as she approached the barrier, she found her power constantly draining away.The flames began to die down.The power of space began to dissipate.Even Sirin was be groaning in pain.If it were not for her hatred for Otto, Sirin probably would not have survived the damage from this divine barrier.“Don’t push yourself, Kiana. Let’s rest for a bit. Besides, didn’t Otto say we still have twelve hours? Even one hour is enough for us to become more familiar with our powers!”Having just gained her new power, Bronya found the Herrscher of Truth’s authority incredibly powerful. However, the only problem was that her body is limiting its output.If she released a large amount of Honkai energy, her body would likely be the first to give way and explode.However, the power of binding was not entirely insurmountable. Perhaps Dr. Vill-V and the others had their own solutions.After all, the Previous Era had also experienced battles against the Herrscher of Binding.If they could contact them in time and, with the assistance of the Herrscher of Truth’s authority…Perhaps it really could be done.“Tsk...” Kiana could not help but feel regretful. Otto had been right in front of her, just a hair’s breadth away.Helplessly, Kiana, holding the Black Abyss White Flower, moved away from the binding barrier.“It’s not just Otto. We also need to guard against the possible appearance of the Herrscher of Dominance. Don’t think we’ve really defeated them...”Einstein still appears shaken. Clearly, what she encountered in the Theater of Domination was not much better.Otto in front and the Herrscher of Dominance behind—who knew what kind of cooperation Otto and the Herrscher of Dominance had reached to achieve this?And the whole thing was suspiciously strange.“Where’s Silver Wolf?” Bronya looked around.Mei, still stunned by Kiana and Bronya’s dramatic change, heard Bronya’s words and began searching for the little Valkyrie.Although they had not spent much time together and the other’s personality seemed a bit off, there was no doubt that she was an excellent Valkyrie.Caring for colleagues, loving life, and yearning for the future.“Could it be that she didn’t come out of the Theater of Domination?”“No. Bronya, through her Herrscher of Truth powers, has already checked the overall structure of the Theater of Domination. The puppets are not the Herrschers’ true forms, but they cannot hide the people sent in. Bronya did not find her inside.”“That Valkyrie called Silver Wolf... something feels off about her.” Kiana’s intuition immediately kicked in.“Come to think of it, Kiana, now that you mention it, I had that feeling too.” Mei frowned, feeling like she had overlooked something.Bronya’s mind cleared a bit, but she still pondered for a moment.“Do you guys remember Silver Wolf’s appearance?”“I remember she had silver-gray hair!”Kiana described.“Blue eyes. I observed her carefully when we talked before; they were very beautiful eyes.”Mei also answered.“Drill. Bronya’s most vivid memory is the drill. Such a stylish hairstyle. Bronya loved it!”Then, Bronya used her ability to project the image of the small Valkyrie that everyone remembered.Although lacking in detail, when the image appeared, everyone realized that the person looked familiar.“This guy… she looks familiar?”The first to raise the issue was, surprisingly, Theresa.“That’s right! That’s right! I remember!”Tesla followed.Einstein’s expression immediately turned grim.Then everyone exchanged glances, seemingly confirming that they were thinking of the same person.Then, in unison, they spoke.“Bronie!”“No, no, that’s not right! Height, age… this doesn’t seem normal! Can people reverse aging?!”Tesla immediately denied everyone’s guess.“Hehehe~”A young yet slightly wicked laugh came from above.Everyone looked over.This time, there was no cognitive shielding, no meme barrier.Bronie attacked in her imp form.“A bunch of low-level scientists. There are countless geniuses in the universe. Among them, the 83rd member of the Genius Society, watched by the Aeon, has successfully achieved rejuvenation. So nothing is impossible. They can even use machines to realistically simulate the universe and explore the secrets of the Aeon.”“Bronie-neechan!?” The three little ones were also very surprised when they saw Bronie appear before them.But Mei was even more surprised.Mei had known Bronie for a relatively short time, so she did not recognize her at first glance.Mei had never seen Bronie as a child.“Although geniuses in the universe have achieved this, it has nothing to do with you, right?”Einstein could not help but retort to Bronie’s statement. Geniuses had achieved rejuvenation, so she could too?The two should not have much of a connection.“That’s right. Sorry, I messed things up with Otto and pushed things to this point.” Bronie looked up at the barrier surrounding the church. A bird touched the barrier, instantly died, and fell to the ground.“So, Bronie, Otto’s actions in Kolosten this time were indeed partly Bronie’s doing?”“That’s right!”“So, like Otto, Bronie wants to resurrect people from the past?” Mei immediately thought of the Thirteen Flamechasers.“That’s right!” Bronie nodded proudly, as if to say, “Praise me.”However, Bronie’s behavior immediately made Kiana’s face turn pale.“The Herrscher of Dominance… is related to Bronie?”“Uh… no way!” Bronie’s eyes darted around, her expression tense, clearly showing her guilt.“Damn it! Bronie, you bastard, dare to say another bad word about Medea in front of me! I’ll definitely… I’ll...” The rage, like the Tunguska event, seemed intent on destroying everything.All the blame was directed at Bronie.“Kiana became the Herrscher of Flamescion, Bronya became the Herrscher of Truth, and me… is Ellie watching me too?”Mei’s analysis made Bronie even more nervous.Something was not right.How did she guess that?!Bronie immediately broke out in a cold sweat.Originally, Bronie did not plan to reveal too much.But she did not expect Ellie to guess something like shipping Kiana and Mei.“It was Otto who did it~”“Completely unconvincing…” Bronya could not help but retort, then looked at Bronie with utter contempt.There was no way around it. Everyone had briefly interacted before, and none of them had had a good time in the Theater of Domination.Every word the Herrscher of Dominance said was incredibly hurtful and made one want to punch them.But if it was Bronie, it was little hard to bring herself to punch her.“That’s the essence of power, isn’t it? I'm absolutely powerless against high-level fights, so I can only use some low-level methods to deal with you. That’s how a mob is used.”“Fine, fine, a mob, huh? I’ll beat you into a mob sooner or later! When did you become a Herrscher? You’d better explain yourself clearly!” Tesla was furious. Upon reflection, while the puppets were dangerous, everyone had not suffered much real harm.But Otto had time to implement his plan.“What about Durandal?”“She’s undergoing a trial in the Kaslana Stigmata Space. Successfully completing it will grant her new power.”Bronie honestly answered Kiana’s question. After all, she always felt that the Sirin within Kiana was angry, probably because she had doubts about Medea.Although she wanted to ask, she never dared to.Kiana did not want to break the bond between them.Damn it, the child had grown up without her even realizing it!“Kaslana? Why Kaslana?” Bronya’s mind was filled with even more questions.“Well… because Kiana’s name is inherited from her… Congratulations, Kiana, you have another older sister!”“How could that be!”Before Kiana could be surprised for long, Bronie clapped her hands."All right! Everything is over! Everyone, go back to the Hyperion to recuperate! I’ll settle Otto’s affairs. I’ll see him off on his final journey.”Hearing Bronie’s words, Bronya sensed that it was not just that.After becoming the Herrscher of Truth, Bronya’s mind felt sharper. Many things she had not easily noticed before were now easier to focus on.Perhaps this was related to the Herrscher of Truth’s adaptive abilities. Bronie’s decision to disable some of her cognitive shielding had, in turn, enhanced the Herrscher of Truth’s information-gathering capabilities.“It’s not just that, is it? Bronie, your… plan to fight the Honkai is completely ready?”Bronie looked at Bronya in surprise.The two stared at each other as if looking in a mirror. After a brief three-second exchange, Bronie nodded.“Truth as the foundation, Origin as the link, Void opening a passage towards the Cocoon of Finality as the endpoint, and the power of the Herrscher of Dominance possessing the ability to control this—all the elements are gathered. Thank you all for your efforts. Now, the task of saving the world is in my hands!”Kiana’s clothing gradually dissipated, returning her to her usual casual attire.Bronya’s mecha began to fall silent, reverting to her original outfit.Mei’s demon horns slowly retracted, and the lightning no longer responded to her commands.“If I were just a wild Herrscher of Dominance, I certainly could not do this. But who do you think I am? I am Haxxor, the Haxxor who never misses a beat!”---[Chapter 374: Turning Miracles into Inevitability]Only after Bronie entered the grace field did Mei realize what kind of power Bronie possessed after becoming a Herrscher."We were all misled by the claims of the Herrscher of Dominance from the previous civilization! In reality, the power of the Herrscher of Dominance is related to domination! The previous Domination Theater already gave a hint, but our anger clouded our judgment!"Without power, let alone approaching the church, anyone who lost their power would not even be qualified to enter."I finally understand what it means to never trust the Masked Fool. That Bronie—she says she hates The Elation, but her actions are more outrageous than anyone else's!"Tesla wasn't stupid; Bronie had simply exploited an information gap, concealing all the elements of her plan.Everyone knew Bronie had a very clear plan to combat the Honkai, but what she said was somewhat cryptic. She seemed to say a lot, yet almost none of it was actually useful.All they knew was that Bronie roughly needed something to fight the Honkai.But what use were these things? Bronie hadn't said a word, so everyone only knew that she had indeed gathered these elements and successfully controlled them.Everyone had been fooled.Einstein also had some guesses about what Bronie was capable of.It certainly wasn't anything good."Perhaps our Earth civilization will usher in its first god of its own..."Einstein spoke."A god of its own?" Bronya paused, then looked toward the church.What kind of enemy sister Brownie would face?..."Hey! Otto, how much longer do you need to accumulate power? How's your control over your authority?""Bronie? Even the Grace Field can't keep you out? It seems your plan is nearing its end..."In the dilapidated church, Otto knelt on one knee as if recalling the events of his life.Like a prisoner facing execution.Bronie crossed her arms and did not respond to Otto's words. Instead, she projected a chair behind Otto."Thanks.""You've basically said what you wanted to say, haven't you?""Of course. I was prepared. Whether I succeed or fail, I cannot survive. I suppose that's what everyone was hoping for, isn't it?""Over the past five hundred years, you've committed far too many wrongdoings. Death, for you, is actually the easiest ending, or perhaps a form of escape.""What? Are you going to stop me?"Otto naturally knew that death could not atone for his past sins, and by fulfilling his wish, he had essentially escaped his guilt.But Otto felt no remorse. Instead, he seemed rather smug, sitting in the chair with his arms outstretched as if asking Bronie whether she really wanted to make a move."Of course not. I will let your Kallen contribute to this world and repay her debts gradually. When she returns to this world, she will naturally bear a certain amount of sin.""She will willingly bear it, not have it dumped on her by you," Otto corrected, but he couldn't help sighing. Bronie truly understood him and Kallen very well.She had also calculated the choices he and Kallen would make.Because of this understanding, Bronie would never allow Kallen to easily have suicidal thoughts.That could be considered a kind of guarantee."Well, at least you left Kallen with Li Sushang. At least she'll have a study buddy from now on.""Hahaha! That's true. Li Sushang told me she hoped I'd wake up when my wish came true, and I kept my promise. She probably never imagined five hundred years would pass. If I had met you sooner, wouldn't I have wasted less time and done less evil?"Otto didn't regret his evil deeds, but he felt a little embarrassed that Kallen had heard about everything he had done."Meet you sooner? I wouldn't have stayed in a world without the game, so forget it. Even if I had come to this world five hundred years ago, I definitely wouldn't have stayed!"Of course, this was a lie, but Otto didn't know much, so he found Bronie's statement quite reasonable."I'm almost ready here. The power of Binding is beginning to shift, and I'm about to reach the Imaginary Tree.""I've also broken free of the Cocoon of Finality."Bronie's answer surprised Otto."The Herrscher of the Void, the Herrscher of Origin, the Herrscher of Truth—can they truly become the path to Finality? Does the power of Finality possess the ability to resurrect Kallen?""Theoretically, yes, but you'll need to provide the energy."Otto was that sacrifice, that foundation stone. He smiled at Bronie's words."Want my Honkai energy? Then you'll have to come and get it yourself.""Of course!"The originally small Bronie grew back to her original size.But the moment the power of Finality appeared on Bronie, Otto felt as if he had truly seen the god he had longed for.Omnipotent, indescribable, and unfathomable.A mask hung above Bronie's head as if tearing off the starry sky to use as wings, then draping it over herself.All the power of the Honkai, humanity's enemy for tens of thousands of years, converged at one point.Simply standing there, she possess an irresistible attraction.'God' was there."You really like blue things."Her silver-gray hair, with its inner layers resembling a hidden starry sky, made Bronie look as if she were wearing a wedding dress, quietly awaiting her other half."I like it. Ellie knows my style, so she'll like what I like too. I just need to completely show Ellie my definition of beauty, and she'll definitely feel my feelings.""How beautiful..."A spatial rift appeared behind Otto.Behind the rift, Bronie and Otto naturally knew what lay there.An imaginary space leading to the Imaginary Tree.There, Otto's body would become a bridge connecting the present and the past.Of course, Otto's limited Herrscher powers and energy alone could not achieve this.But if the powers originally from the Honkai gradually faded and transformed into pure imaginary powers, then the Imaginary Tree would provide Otto with immense, almost limitless power.However, this near infiniteness and infinity were ultimately just a tiny difference, like the difference between 1 and the infinitely repeating decimal 0.9.Therefore, the Herrscher of the Void's power would be unleashed in the imaginary space, disrupting the critical points of the rules within that space and triggering a phenomenon called imaginary renormalization, transforming finite power into infinite power.Thus, even for just a moment, Otto could break free from the constraints of imaginary numbers and do what he wanted."Be careful, Bronie. I'm completely out of control right now. I don't even know how far my near-infinite power can go. Even if you've just become Finality and haven't fully matured, the power you can unleash is still limited, right?""Just focus on your journey. Even the power of a newly born Finality is more than enough to deal with your imaginary power gained at the cost of constraints. Don't let me catch up with you before you reach your destination..."Space shifted. The energy of imaginary numbers constructed a strange space along with Otto's mental image.The power altered Otto's appearance. A mask concealed his face, and countless imaginary constructs appeared around him, aiding him in battle.He resembled a prisoner about to be executed, suspended high within a ring of imaginary energy.Like the crucified Christ.Or like the iconic outstretched limbs in Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings.In the blink of an eye, Otto vanished. His figure reappeared a hundred meters away; in another blink, he was as small as a grain of rice.Only laughter echoed around him."Otto, you say one thing and do another. You really deserve a beating..."Bronie knew that Otto had gone to great lengths to become a "slave" to imaginary numbers in order to increase his chances of success.At this moment, Otto was theoretically infinitely close to the Imaginary Tree, having become a part of it.Imaginary energy flowed continuously within Otto's body, almost indistinguishable from those imaginary creations.Although Otto possessed free will, his body no longer belonged to him.Bronie, to the entire imaginary space, was an intruder, an enemy.Just like when Bronie brought Ellie back from the past.Projecting Gurren Lagann and entering the cockpit.Behind Gurren Lagann, a massive thruster was projected by Bronie, its flames resembling a gigantic outstretched wing.Drill.Thruster.Then target lock.The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and it was aimed directly behind Otto.A deafening roar echoed throughout the imaginary space. Upon hearing the commotion, Otto instantly broke out in a cold sweat.He had witnessed Bronie's Gurran Lagann before, and if Bronie became Finality, theoretically she would also possess the power of the Herrscher of Truth. That power—projecting future human technology into the present and applying it to the Gurran Lagann—Perhaps it really could be like in the anime, throwing an entire galaxy as a shuriken.A cold glint appeared first.Then the drill pierced the heavens.Otto instinctively took a defensive stance to block the drill's attack.The drill was indeed blocked, but now Bronie, piloting the Gurran Lagann, constantly pushed him forward."The Herrscher of the Void's power, don't forget..."Otto could not help reminding her. He felt that Bronie's attack was somewhat driven by personal grudges. But what had he done to offend her?He and Bronie did not really have much of a grudge.Could it be that she simply enjoyed seeing him suffer?"I know." The moment Bronie responded, the surrounding space began to distort.The power of the Herrscher of the Void manifested there. The pitch-black void stood out starkly in the sacred imaginary space.A sense of incongruity arose. Otto's body struggled against the Gurran Lagann before him, but it seemed to have activated super armor and completely ignored the attacks of the imaginary creations."Hahaha! As expected, the power of the Sea of Quanta can become the greatest reliance against imaginary numbers! Quantum Lock—such a brilliant defensive method! How did you come up with it?"With just one glance, Otto instantly understood what Bronie had done.Otto had initially thought he would be half-dead, only managing to miraculously survive the momentary imaginary reorganization.But now, Bronie's actions were making a miracle inevitable."Of course it's to prepare for an even more interesting game. That's why I created this. So you'd better obediently pave the way to the past."Space distorted, and a massive black hole, like mold, began to spread, swallowing the entire imaginary space.As Otto regained control of his body, the mask representing the power of the Imaginary Tree shattered completely.Otto instantly exited his false god state.The previously instantaneous infinite power was stretched to three seconds.The Herrscher of the Void's disruption of the imaginary space, causing its reorganization, lasted only three seconds.But that was enough to accomplish everything.Although Otto was destined to die, this outcome was something he had never even dared to imagine.Never having fought such a decisive battle, Otto could only express it with these words:"Come on, Bronie! This is what you deserve! Only you could have crossed from the past to the present with Kallen!"Darkness engulfed the entire imaginary space as if a computer had rebooted and data were reloading.The surrounding environment transformed into that day five hundred years ago.The overcast Kolosten and the church square teeming with people.The silver-haired girl slowly walked onto the execution ground.A noose was around Kallen's neck, but suddenly Honkai Beasts appeared all around, slaughtering civilians indiscriminately.The people scattered in panic. Kallen broke free of her restraints and charged bare-handed at the Honkai Beasts that had appeared in the square.She grabbed two of the Honkai Beast's sharp tentacles, controlling it and buying time for the children behind her to escape. But she never expected the Honkai Beast to extend a third tentacle and attack her.Otto would never forget this scene—the Honkai Beast he had released piercing Kallen.But just as the tentacle was about to touch Kallen's skin, a crisp snap of fingers brought everything to a complete halt.Kallen alone remained unaffected.She incredulously released the tentacles from her hands and began to look around.Panic-stricken expressions, civilians killed by Honkai Beasts, and a girl dressed in a way that did not belong to this era."Are you a god...?""No. I'm Otto's friend from five hundred years in the future.""Then...""I'm sorry. You should have died just now, but Otto sacrificed everything to give you a chance to be resurrected. So temporarily abandon this era. Your death did bring enough change to everyone."With another snap of her fingers, a completely new Kallen appeared in her place."Wait...""I have others to save, so don't waste my time."With that, Bronie sent Kallen away, and time flowed again.The replaced Kallen was instantly pierced by a Honkai Beast and then collapsed in a pool of blood, lifeless.After confirming that history had hardly changed, the surrounding space fell silent again and then reloaded....Eden, singing alone in the ruins, was now surrounded by Honkai Beasts.With no more witnesses around, there were more things to manipulate. Bronie simply took Eden away, leaving no trace.On the lunar battlefield lay the dying Kalpas and Kosmo, who had been annihilated by Finality before even having a chance to use his AHR form.Pardofelis, who created an opportunity for Prometheus to infiltrate the Cocoon of Finality.Vill-V, who gave everything for the Selene and was left alone inside the spaceship, quietly awaiting death.Sakura, who collapsed in the underground base of one of humanity's last three great cities, the city where the Herrscher of Corruption was born.Bronie took away one MANTIS after another, deceiving the world time and time again.Like a magnificent magic show, completely deceiving the entire world and history.Finally, Bronie came to Mobius, who sat alone in her laboratory, preparing to "commit suicide.""I am Finality from fifty thousand years in the future. Now, of the Thirteen Flamechasers, you are the last one missing. Do you know why I chose you as the last?"Although Mobius was slightly shocked by Bronie's appearance, her clever mind quickly grasped Bronie's reason for doing so."Because the 'me' inside the memory thinks I'm the imposter, right?"Bronie nodded silently."Hahahaha, then take me with you. Let me see her surprised expression. Finally, let's merge into one. The current me, plus the me from the Elysian Realm, together will be the truly complete me."That was insane.Bronie finally nodded and said, "There's been a precedent for this.""Su is the precedent, so it's possible."After receiving Bronie's affirmative answer, a bright smile appeared on Mobius's face.The Thirteen Flamechasers all survived. This was Bronie's dowry for Elysia and also a kind of betrothal gift.Finally, in the command center of the lunar base, Bronie appeared behind the swaying Dr. Mei.A crisp snap of her fingers rang out again, prolonging the life hanging by a thread. Her previously blurred vision cleared, and Dr. Mei slowly raised her head."Finality..."This was something Dr. Mei knew all too well.The fluctuations of Honkai energy, the manifestation of power, and various data."Elysia succeeded.""Not just Elysia, right?""Hmm?" Dr. Mei's response was clearly somewhat unexpected by Bronie."If it weren't for you, Elysia's abilities would have been very limited. So it should be said that you and Elysia accomplished it, crossing fifty thousand years to create this miracle."Dr. Mei was praising Bronie, and there was no doubt that the praise made her very happy.Suppressing her pride, Bronie continued, "Kevin is still continuing his plans, so as a reward for retiring as a hero, would you like to come with me to the world ten thousand years in the future?"Dr. Mei slowly placed her hand in Bronie's outstretched palm."Of course. I would certainly like to."---

Chapter 375: The Return of the God of the Earth

Countless heroes from the previous era still harbored regrets.

But unfortunately, Otto's power to bring back so many people was already at its limit.

Those who died earlier and many more who perished in the Honkai were beyond Bronie's power to save.

Returning to the present with these heroes, the world was greatly deceived and even the Imaginary Tree trembled.

However, the world's resilience was higher than anyone imagined, so after a brief tremor, the Imaginary Space returned to calm.

The protective barrier surrounding the church in Kolosten slowly lowered, and Otto bid farewell to Theresa in his final moments.

Unfortunately, he could only convey his voice, no longer possessing a physical form. He had consumed a vast amount of energy to resurrect Kallen, even exhausting his own life force.

Finally, after taking one last look at Kallen, now in the modern world, he departed peacefully. His remaining power was fully utilized by Bronie, leaving no trace behind. Even Bronie's resurrection methods could not bring him back to life.

Immediately afterward, a meteor shower began to fall from the sky as if the heavens themselves were celebrating the arrival of a god.

Ellie, along with Su and Fu Hua, arrived at Kolosten and happened to witness the moment the grace field dissipated.

Then, a cocoon of light appeared at the church entrance. After the cocoon vanished, Kallen slowly emerged from it.

"Really!? Otto did this!?"

Tesla looked at the bewildered Kallen, feeling her worldview utterly shattered. Bronya, standing beside her, remained silent for a long time before asking,

"Kallen, where's Bronie?"

"Bronie...? Is she that god? She said she had more things to do. Am I... in a world five hundred years in the future?"

Hearing Kallen's information, Bronya immediately understood what Bronie had done.

Looking at the starry sky above, Bronya couldn't help but sigh.

“Bronie is always so quick to act… We were all fooled by Bronie…”

“She succeeded? Otto succeeded too?”

Einstein looked at Kallen before her, stepped forward, and reached out to touch her as she looked confused.

Everything was real.

“Even the Honkai, perhaps, has been resolved…”

Bronya felt her powers slowly returning.

Is it all over?

Bronya had a very unreal feeling.

Everyone fell silent upon hearing Bronya's words.

Then the starry sky changed again; a meteor, trailing a long trajectory, descended toward Kolosten.

One, two, three…

The fallen Flamechasers returned to this world, landing in the church square, where they were watched by everyone.

“Eden, is that you…”

Ellie had arrived at the scene, softly calling the name in her heart.

Hearing the familiar voice, Eden looked toward the source of the sound with even greater surprise. The two then embraced.

"Uh... am I already dead? Is this the afterlife...?"

Pardofelis was completely bewildered, seemingly still not understanding her situation.

"Pardofelis." Sakura, seeing the girl before her, rushed forward to help Pardofelis up.

"Really dead!? I actually saw Sakura-nee, who was already dead, so is this the underworld!?"

"The underworld? Even if it is the underworld, I will destroy everything..."

Kalpas was about to try to break through the underworld and return to the battlefield to fight Finality again.

But at this moment, Aponia stepped forward.

"Everyone, please calm down and listen to me."

Aponia also appeared before the group, temporarily controlling them with her abilities and began to explain the situation.

“This is the world 50,000 years in the future. Civilization has taken root and flourished on Earth once more. Amidst the ongoing impact of Project EMBER, Project Velaka, and Project Stigma, a very special guest arrived from the Sea of Quanta. She received a gift from the Aeon and resurrected Ellie and me. Under her plan, the Honkai was completely controlled, and you were also given the opportunity to be resurrected.”

Aponia tried to explain the situation concisely. Pardofelis's mind went blank, but Vill-V immediately understood everything.

“Incredible! This is simply… simply…”

The conductor Vill-V was utterly speechless. Normally, Vill-V was very calm, but faced with this sudden situation, she found it difficult to describe the information she understood.

“Can Finality really achieve this?”

“Dr. Mei!”

As the backbone of the Fire Moth, Dr. Mei's words silenced everyone.

Even Su, who arrived later, quietly looked at the unbelievably healthy Dr. Mei before him.

“No, Finality couldn’t achieve that. Bronie and Otto collaborated, exchanging the power of binding for the power of imaginary numbers. After triggering the imaginary number renormalization phenomenon near the edge of the Imaginary Tree, they gained a brief period of infinite power and authority… Bronya just got the last piece of the puzzle from Nagamitsu.”

Nagamitsu was involved in most of Otto’s plan. Although Otto hadn’t explicitly stated the complete plan, she could infer his intentions from most of the experimental data and information.

However, her information was also incomplete.

It wasn’t until she communicated with Bronya and exchanged information with Tesla and the others that she pieced together the entire sequence of events.

But this piecing together was far too late.

“Theoretically, this is feasible, but…”

A conflicted expression appeared on Dr. Mei’s face. Then she quickly noticed Kiana’s very... subtle gaze.

The facts were undeniable; the miracle had become reality.

Undoubtedly, even if the Honkai were defeated, it wouldn't be impossible. After all, she herself had come a little short of successfully defeating the Honkai back then.

Then Dr. Mei saw Mei.

"They're here! Bronie's coming back!"

Ellie counted, watching the final cocoon of light show signs of cracking.

It was her!

Ellie always believed that Haxxor never failed, but when the plan was truly being implemented, she couldn't help but feel worried.

But seeing the final cocoon of light appear before her, the weight in her heart finally lifted.

Bronie wore a wedding dress as beautiful as the starry sky, her deep blue suit as profound as the starry night.

Bronie still loved drills.

But seeing her appear, Ellie excitedly hugged her.

"Bronie!"

"I did it!"

Ellie's embrace was so warm, so irresistible.

Honkai, Herrschers, and Otto. After six long years, this series of events had finally come to an end.

"Yes, you succeeded! When we get back, I'll reward you handsomely! Do you prefer white or black?"

"You know, Ellie, as long as it's Ellie, I'll love it no matter what. Show me the most beautiful version of yourself, or the version you think I like best."

"So, Bronie, what version are you now?"

Ellie was naturally asking about the style of her clothes.

A Herrscher's attire usually changes according to her own feelings, reflecting her truest thoughts and state of mind.

This dress, like a wedding gown, inexplicably reflected a different aspect of herself, yet carried a strong personal style.

Like a bride falling from the starry sky.

"Of course, it's the best version of myself in my mind!"

"I knew it! I love Bronie the most!"

Bronie and Ellie were so oblivious to everyone else, showing off their affection and making everyone else incredibly awkward...

Vill-V, however, quickly received the signal from the Elysian Realm. She immediately created a magic top hat and putting it on the heads of the resurrected Flamechasers.

With direct remote memory synchronization, Kalpas, Kosma, Sakura, and Pardofelis instantly understood the situation.

As for Mobius?

Mobius decided she still wanted to scare her past self, so she would personally go to the Elysian Realm and have a good chat with her memory replica.

"Ahem..." Bronya coughed twice.

Bronie released Ellie and looked over.

As long as she wasn't embarrassed, it was the other person who was embarrassed. So Bronie just glared at her, as if asking what was wrong.

Bronya was immediately at a loss for words.

"Bronie, congratulations! But we all still have many questions. Could you please explain what happened?"

The power had indeed returned, but Bronya wasn't ready to regain her fighting strength anytime soon. So even if Bronie wanted to destroy the entire civilization right now, Bronya probably couldn't stop her.

Of course, it wasn't that Bronya thought Bronie would do such a thing.

It was the events that occurred at the Domination Theater, plus the power she had just acquired being immediately taken away by Bronie.

This was clearly a purely random and subjective event, but in Bronie's eyes, it seemed inevitable.

The birth of the Herrscher of Flamescion allowed the Herrscher of the Void's power to undergo a new evolution, and Bronie had precisely grasped this point.

"Before explaining all this, I first need to apologize to Kiana."

"Eh!?" Kiana never expected Bronie to say this before starting her serious explanation.

"Medea-sensei... she was actually someone I had Otto impersonate."

Everyone who knew both Otto and Medea fell silent.

Kiana and Mei were completely stunned by this shocking news.

"To guide Kiana toward this ending, I've been planning for almost three years. To prevent the newly reborn Sirin from being tainted by sin, I created a false image of a caring teacher for Kiana."

"That... was Grandpa!?"

Theresa felt like a fool. Her every word and action had been observed by her grandfather, and now he was conveying information in this way!?

"The planning began the moment I arrived in this world. The more I came into contact with the authentic world, the more easily I manipulated and influenced the Cocoon of Finality. After setting the goals and the ending, all that remained was to continuously execute and deceive to achieve the future I desired."

If they couldn't accept it, leaving Earth wasn't out of the question. There was still the Herta figure in the Golden Courtyard; once thoroughly studied, building a spaceship would be a piece of cake.

The universe is vast. If Earth doesn't have a place to belong, then wouldn't other parts of the universe be just as viable?

Besides, I haven't even been to Penocony and the Masked Fool's Tavern yet. What kind of Masked Fool is this?

"Bronie! So, Bronie, are your feelings for us real?" Bronya's tone was resolute, seemingly without doubt about Bronie's feelings for them.

Bronie paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Of course they're real."

"If it were before, I might have found it hard to accept, but everything we've experienced, the happiness and beauty we've felt, isn't fake, and of course, the pain too."

Kiana stared at Bronie with a hint of resentment, but in the end, she just smiled with relief.

Otto was truly a complicated person.

He clearly believed in something beautiful, but the things he did were things only a villain would do.

Death, perhaps, was indeed the simplest and easiest ending for him… Medea, Otto…

Their identities continued to merge, leaving Kiana with incredibly complex emotions.

“That’s why I wanted to apologize, because this plan was extremely risky and could have led you to utter destruction at any moment.”

“You sound quite proud?”

Kiana immediately became angry.

“After all, I succeeded. So if I failed, can I just treat it as a bit of fun?”

“You’re showing your true colors now, Bronie! You still say you’re not the Masked Fool!”

“I didn’t deny it~” Bronie quickly dodged Kiana’s small punches, but Sirin didn’t seem particularly angry.

Wasn’t that typical of Sirin?

“So, you led everything to one ending, ultimately becoming Finality?”

Dr. Mei pieced together some information.

Bronie collected all the Herrscher power and then pushed it to its limit to achieve her goal of contacting the Cocoon of Finality.

After that, she completely took over the power of the Cocoon of Finality?

"After all, the Herrschers of the current era and the Herrschers of the previous era are fundamentally different. The Herrscher core possesses a certain degree of activity; its power can be inherited and transferred. This power was fought for by Ellie. If it weren't for her, the current civilization would almost certainly have only the path of Project Stigma."

"But if it were just me, I definitely couldn't solve the Honkai! So Bronie is also an indispensable part of the whole plan!"

Ellie added, constantly emphasizing Bronie's role in the plan.

Dr. Mei was also thoroughly fed up with Ellie's blatant display of affection.

In the end, she could only sigh.

"I hope Vill-V and Mobius can help me summarize the details of the overall plan. This will be very helpful in exploring the essence of the world. As for Ellie, you guys should go celebrate. I'm going to find Kevin."

---

[Chapter 376: Chapter 375 The End of the Era of Honkai Is Only the Beginning of a New Civilization on Earth]Why?The resolution of the Honkai is a good thing.Elysia has been resurrected, which is also a good thing.Why do these two good things combined feel so heartbreaking?Eden couldn't help but think about it, humming a tune of unrequited love in her heart.Only after Vill-V placed the magic hat on Eden's head, synchronizing her memories with those of the Elysian Realm, did Eden understand what Bronie meant to Ellie, and what Ellie meant to Bronie.A miracle had already occurred once, but Bronie hadn't let it slip away; instead, she seized the opportunity and brought it down again.Finally, Miss Eden found peace.Perhaps this was for the best.Watching art flourish in this world, seeing Ellie's relationship with her unchanged, seeing happiness surrounding everyone.Contentment is the key to happiness.Then Theresa took over the position of Archbishop of Schicksal.Everything started running again, and aside from some people being busier, life seemed unchanged.No, it wasn't that nothing had changed.Overseer Otto had just announced his resignation and the end of the Honkai disaster, causing widespread panic.But three days later, Theresa announced through Schicksal that the Honkai had been resolved.Initially, Kevin, still preparing for Project Stigma, didn't believe it.But when Mei came to his door, bringing a video of the Flamechasers gathered together, the usually cold and aloof young man finally shed tears.Unfortunately, the tears froze in his eyes, so no one noticed.Ellie rewarded Bronie handsomely.As a reward for saving the world and resurrecting the Flamechasers.Perhaps this reward was no different from everyday life.But it still felt memorable.After a short rest of about a week, Kiana heard even more shocking news from Durandal.That Durandal was the original Kiana.The two sisters, one a Valkyrie and the other a Herrscher of Flamescion, though remnants of the Honkai still lingered, had, through their combined efforts, eliminated much of the Honkai's damage.Kiana's name gradually began to spread within Schicksal, and she was vaguely becoming a powerful and admired Valkyrie.The era of Honkai was over.But this was also a brand new beginning....“Our married life has officially begun!”After a period of intense intimacy, Bronie had almost lost track of time.When she awoke from her sleep, Bronie saw Ellie saying this to her.“Ellie, did you forget something?”“Hmm?” Ellie tilted her head cutely.“Griseo.” Bronie uttered the name, and Ellie immediately covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.“Oh dear! I knew I forgot…”“Indulgence can cause memory loss, but if I were to intervene, it might trigger a stress reaction in Sa. In that case, the task of saving Griseo might have to be left to you.”Bronie was naturally referring to the Flamechasers.The Flamechasers possessed sufficient strength and wisdom and wouldn't trigger a reaction in Sa. Bronie would also prepare a shield to prevent them from having Sa's omniscient and omnipotent influence in the world bubble.“The Honkai energy is getting denser here. Is it still difficult to control this power?”“The sudden surge in power is indeed difficult to control. I need some time to adapt to and guide it. Moreover, the Honkai energy scattered across Earth is being consciously guided and gathered together, but unfortunately, I cannot completely eliminate its toxicity.”Honkai energy essentially shares many similarities with imaginary energy and Etheric energy.However, imaginary energy and Etheric energy are inherently incompatible, and the distortion inherent in Honkai energy, which combines these two properties, seems reasonable.It possesses the near-omnipotent effects of Etheric particles.It also possesses the miraculous abilities that imaginary energy can create.Perhaps, by walking this path, it is possible to eventually become an Aeon.“So, do you have any ideas? Or did you discuss it with Dr. Mei and Vill-V and reach some conclusions?”Ellie hoped to hear good news.Bronie shook her head regretfully, “Next, I will use the resources of World Serpent to repair the lunar base on the moon and begin collecting Honkai energy, minimizing its impact on humanity. Then, I will integrate the remaining elements of Project Stigma.”“Project Stigma? That thing… it’s not a good thing, is it?” Knowing the full scope of Project Stigma, Ellie was naturally resistant to it.“The Honkai energy is gone. What’s the point of this?”Bronie shook her head and smiled.“Actually, the foundation of Project Stigma is something very interesting: connecting people’s dreams. Isn’t this a perfect location to build a paradise? Imagine people who are unable to move due to incurable illnesses enjoying all the beautiful things in the world in their dreams. People who are tired from work could enjoy a more wonderful time in their dreams and release all their negative emotions. In such a wonderful dream paradise, you could even experience omnipotence.”In fact, there is indeed such an example in the galaxy.A dreamlike paradise, the result of a family blessed by an Aeon, transformed from a company prison.Penocony.Within Penocony lies the Tavern, a gathering place for the Masked Fool, where Bronie’s information naturally originated.Although the information was only gleaned from that blue-haired man, it piqued Bronie’s curiosity.A vast dreamscape filled with all things beautiful, though illusory and potentially addictive, is a perfect paradise for relaxation and vacation.It provides jobs, reduces crime rates, and keeps money flowing.And it allows people to briefly forget the pain of daily life.“Is this really good?”Ellie felt Bronie’s description was a bit too rosy.“It’s very difficult, a real challenge. But if you succeed, it will definitely attract the attention of an Aeon. I can guarantee that. Although I don’t know whether it will be cooperation or pleasure, it mainly depends on the style of the Dreamland.”“It feels like it will consume a lot of resources and take a very long time. Is this the will of the Earth God, wanting to plan the path of civilization’s development?”Bronie turned her head away unhappily, pretending to be angry.“Hmph, then I’ll do nothing and wait to be verbally abused by those keyboard warriors online. I’ll slowly figure out the Dreamland myself and then enjoy the future revenue all to myself!”“Although Earth has seven billion people, it’s still too small for the Dreamland you’re looking forward to. So let’s talk about it after civilization has developed to a certain level, okay?”“I’m just considering ways to protect Earth within the power of the Interastral Peace Corporation…”The Interastral Peace Corporation may sound nice, but it is definitely not a benevolent entity.Only by being incorporated into another’s management can a civilization be considered a company, and under such protection, the civilization essentially has little room to choose its own future. This was the IPC's modus.Bronie doesn’t want this future, so she is trying to avoid it.Of course, Bronie believes that the power she wields is enough to rival the IPC.“Yes, yes, our good neighbor, Haxxor Bunny, actually wants to be Spider-Man, planning to use ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ as her motto? Where did that Haxxor Bunny who loved exploring the universe go?”Ellie had noticed the burden in Bronie’s heart.The power of Honkai, or rather, the power of the Cocoon of Finality—Bronie believes this power shouldn’t belong to one person, but to all of human civilization.Civilization should utilize it, develop itself, and continuously grow, moving toward a world where everyone can laugh.While Bronie doesn’t reject this path, she doesn’t particularly like it either. If given a choice, she would definitely choose to go on an adventure.Bronie gently placed her hand on her chest.“The adventurous Haxxor will always be here. She looks forward to future adventures bringing her more laughter, and she also hopes her actions will bring smiles to more people.”“Let’s call Bronya. She’d be more adept at fighting on the moon.”Bronie’s face fell at the mention of Bronya.“Without the constraints of the Honkai, Bronya is now like I was when I escaped Cyber Arc City. She’s been working with Welt lately on a mecha-themed game based on Gurren Lagann and Arahato.”“Mecha, ring-themed? Elden Ring?”“That’s right!”Bronie recalled the survey information Bronya had collected about the game’s closed beta; all the questions about the game’s difficulty were marked as very easy.Then Bronie learned that Bronya’s survey had considered only one person’s opinion: Kiana’s.As a Herrscher with top-notch reflexes and skills, how could a single-player game possibly stump Kiana?So everything was incredibly easy, instantly igniting Bronya’s competitive spirit.Bronie, on the other hand, figured it was fine for the two to continue their playful antics. After she suffered a setback, she could properly reflect on the game-making knowledge she had taught Bronya.“I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of game Bronya will create.”A mecha theme is incredibly difficult to execute well, but if done properly, it might become a classic like Elden Ring.“Being able to play games doesn’t mean you can make them. Bronya still has a long way to go. But today, I feel like you’re acting a little strange.”“Huh? Is it because I’ve been dehydrated lately?”Bronie’s sudden comment startled Ellie. Bronie had actually said something was off about her.“It’s not dehydration.”“Then my nails have grown longer?”“No, not that either.” Bronie’s denial made Ellie even more nervous.Finally, Bronie revealed the answer.“Ellie’s so cute today!”“Ugh! So sweet-talking. Are you afraid I’ll get low blood sugar?”Ellie’s pink little fist playfully punched, the light force like a playful tantrum.Bronie cooperated perfectly, falling down and then sitting up like a roly-poly toy.“All right, next, Ellie, you and Dr. Mei should discuss the plan to save Griseo. Most of the intelligence can be obtained through the Eye of Bodhi. Then there’s the lunar base repair plan, the Cosmic Juggernaut Transformation plan, and the construction plan for the Stigmata Space… Hmm, we’ll be quite busy in the future.”Bronie planned what to do next.After the era of Honkai ended, it was just a new beginning for Earth’s civilization.To immediately advance technology to the point where easy space travel is possible will probably take several hundred years.Bronie didn’t have that much patience.Perhaps once she fully mastered the power of Finality, she would start thinking about making a run for it.Even if it meant using only her own power.Or perhaps asking that blue savage.“Yes, we still have a lot to do in the future, like going back to Cyber Arc City to have our wedding.”“That makes sense.”Afterward, Bronie sent her plan to repair the base on the moon to Gray Serpent, Theresa, and Welt.She carefully explained all her reasons.Immediately, everyone replied, unanimously expressing their support.After all, the effects of the Honkai hadn’t completely disappeared, and the Honkai energy concentration around the Golden Courtyard was increasing. If it weren’t for the high-intensity operation of the environmental purification device based on Moon Throne technology, the area around the Golden Courtyard would probably have become a dead zone long ago.The scientists, led by Dr. Mei, spontaneously collaborated to begin researching Finality. They also concluded that Bronie needed time to adapt to her powers and required training to accurately control the Honkai energy on Earth.Right now, Bronie is like a giant dirty bomb, polluting wherever she goes.If one had to say where Bronie would be most suitable…The best place would be the moon.The remnants of Finality are there; perhaps Bronie could even learn some operational techniques from the past Finality.Schicksal, World Serpent, and Anti-Entropy—these three organizations practically represent the entirety of human civilization.Therefore, with their joint cooperation, the lunar base restoration plan was immediately put on the agenda.An hour after Bronie sent the message, Bronya had already flown to the moon to begin cleaning up.In just half a day, the lunar base was ready for habitation.After all, Project Stigma had considered using the lunar base long ago, but World Serpent, always keeping a low profile, hadn’t immediately restored it to its original functionality.Half a day later, Bronie, having packed her bags, extended an invitation to Ellie.“Ellie, want to go on a honeymoon to the moon with me? I mean, in a weightless or low-gravity environment, maybe there will be even more novel experiences?”---

[Chapter 377: First Arrival on the Moon]The power of Finality is too strong, so it often causes subtle changes to Bronie's body.For example, Bronie probably can't wear white stockings anymore, since the symptoms of Honkai energy erosion are appearing on her skin, a dark color turning from purple to black from her knees to her toes.While it doesn't affect her daily life, and Bronie doesn't feel anything particularly unusual, white stockings or pantyhose can't hide this dark color.If an ordinary person were to touch it, they might turn into a zombie within a couple of days, so Bronie feels quite dangerous, like a large piece of hazardous waste.Aside from the skin problem on her feet, there aren't many other issues, but who can completely predict the nature of Honkai?The process of landing on the moon isn't difficult. For current civilization, spending a little money to ensure the safety of the Herrscher of Finality is a very good thing for everyone.Everyone was initially worried that Bronie, who possesses immense power, might do something worrisome, like transforming into Homelander.But now it seems they were overthinking it.It's always better to be safe than sorry.Since arriving in this world, Bronie has been plotting a massive scheme, which her opponent has successfully executed.She's a Masked Fool certified by the Aeon, a prankster who loves to have fun, and happiness is often built on the suffering of others. Therefore, Bronie is undoubtedly a super dangerous individual.Of course, some disagree, such as Bronya.In Bronya's eyes, Bronie who created so many captivating games is essentially a good person, even if she has a slight penchant for pranks.It's just a question of when Bronie will create a new game."Welcome to the lunar base, Bronie! This lunar base will be your home from now on. Do you need Bronya's help to transform the entire moon into a biosphere?""That's not necessary. I'm planning to work on the Stigmata Space. I might create a brand-new game based on the Stigmata Space and dreams in the future. Maybe it'll be released throughout the universe and become the most popular game in the world!""Oh? Bronya is really looking forward to it! Can you give Bronya a little spoiler about what kind of game it will be?" Bronya immediately perked up.The moon has no shortage of cold, desolate environments, perfect for creation.A suitable environment, brilliant ideas, and unparalleled talent—Bronya couldn't even imagine how amazing the game Bronie would create next would be."A game related to dreams. The main theme is absurdity, right?"Bronya immediately thought of Monument Valley, which had a very dreamlike feel to it.The three-dimensional space, due to shifts and dislocations in perspective, becomes blurred and ultimately forms a level. If one were to experience this game from a first-person perspective, it would likely quickly confuse the mind.“So, what else?” Bronya asked expectantly.Bronie looked helplessly at the tiny duck in front of her.“Also, I’m going to properly clean up my belongings and renovate the lunar base, trying to turn it into a tourist attraction and create a new tourist area for the future.”“Oh? So, Bronie, you want to lock yourself in a cage and treat yourself as a unique tourist attraction? Like an Earth God Park?”“That’s a possibility, but it sounds so strange coming from you.” Hearing Bronya’s words, Bronie wanted to slap her.Why was she making her sound like an endangered species? She considered herself a member of the human race, after all."Alright, enough chatting. Don't you all think this place is a bit too quiet and lonely? Bronya, I think if we keep chatting here, we might disturb other people's work."Ellie noticed people stopping every now and then to glance at Bronie and Bronya. Although there weren't many people on the moon, it seemed almost all the staff had come to see the Herrscher of Finality.They had probably heard since childhood that Honkai would eventually bring about the end and destroy all of human civilization, so they were curious about what kind of person this wielder of Finality's power was."That's true. Everyone's very curious about Bronie. Bronya chose to recommend games to them. They say art is an exploration of one's own soul, so Bronie's work is actually the best introduction.""But my latest work is Grand Theft Auto!"Bronie's comment made Bronya stand awkwardly in place.Grand Theft Auto is rated 17+, but rules are meant to be broken, and Bronya disregarded that age rating.After playing the game, Bronya realized the complexity of society and just how free her mind truly was when her sister Bronie was having a fit.This game is undoubtedly a masterpiece.But it's filled with violence, eroticism, and gore, making it hard not to question Bronie's mental state during its development.Gang slang, Forbes-style corruption, and the close cooperation between the underworld and legitimate society weave together a complex web of relationships that forms a world that feels incredibly real."How about you just deny it, Bronie?""Let's forget it. I don't care what others think of me, as long as they don't bother me at the moon base. All I need is Ellie and the internet! So let's put the game aside for now and renovate Ellie's and my room first."The moon's gravity is one-sixth of Earth's, so Bronie didn't even want to imagine how exciting it would be to play Happy Beans with Ellie in such an environment.Bronya's eyes sharpened when she heard Bronie suddenly decide she didn't want to play the game anymore.She looked Bronie and Ellie up and down."Are you two thinking about getting pregnant?"Ellie smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond, while Bronie sighed."I haven't even mastered the power of Finality yet. Why would we be thinking about getting pregnant? Ellie and I just want to go on our honeymoon. We'll consider it after we've mastered the power of Finality and had our wedding."Bronya's feelings became complicated.Bronya knew Bronie was only slightly older than her, yet she was already thinking about having children so quickly.Times were changing fast.She thought Bronie would drag it out longer, but it seems she was already considering it.But knowing Bronie's personality..."Which of you is gonna be pregnant?""Bronya, what kind of question is that? I haven't even given birth, and you're already giving me postpartum depression.""I knew it."Bronya understood. Under normal circumstances, Bronie would definitely not choose the role of mother, given her strong, tomboyish personality.As for why...The punishment for Bronie's huge lies and orchestration of events must be this, Ellie chose to let Bronie experience the vulnerability of a wife after a rapid pregnancy.Don't think you can escape it by becoming a little girl.A little girl wife is still a wife!There's no escaping it anyway.To prevent Bronie from engaging in even more outrageous, amusement-seeking behavior in the future, Ellie's choice was truly frightening.Thinking of this, Bronya took a slight step back, as if Elysia carried some terrifying virus."Bronya's studio still has a lot of work to do. Project Bunny 9c always likes to slack off, and the game's progress has slowed down considerably.""Good heavens, are you a modern-day capitalist? If something goes wrong after the AI awakens, you'll have to clean up the mess you left behind.""Will... a mess appear?" Bronya tilted her head."AI awakening is a relatively common phenomenon in the universe. The Book of Fuxi beside Fu Hua, Klein in the Elysian Realm, and Little Kevin beside Kevin can all be considered cases of AI awakening. So give your Project Bunny 9c some rest, even if you just leave her in storage for a couple of days to collect dust.""I see~ Bronya will keep an eye on it. There's nothing more for Bronya to do on the moon, so she'll be leaving and returning to Earth."With that, Bronya headed toward the nearby spaceship, preparing to leave the moon.No more than twenty people would remain on the moon. Supplies weren't a major concern. Bronie's only task would likely be assisting with some experiments.These weren't destructive experiments requiring dissection, but rather using Herrscher powers to verify theoretical hypotheses about the real world."When you get back, keep a close eye on Kiana's studies! And limit her snack intake; don't let her become a chubby Kiana next time I see her!"After saying goodbye to Bronya, Bronie unloaded her luggage from the spaceship, officially settling on the moon.To be honest, the experience was quite novel.The moon...Bronie used to think it was a very distant place, her imagination of it mostly based on myths and legends.Even though she'd been to space once, the moon still seemed incredibly far away."Welcome to the lunar base. I'm the great magician~"After Bronya left, Vill-V emerged from the base. Bronie hadn't expected her to be there."Hey! Vill-V~!" Ellie greeted Vill-V with delight."Hehe, surprised? Unexpected? From now on, I'll be leading most of the experiments on the moon. Bronie, you'd better savor the surprise Bronie MK1 has prepared for you!""You stopped messing with Kevin, and now you're messing with me...""After all, you're the strongest now!"Bronie actually found Vill-V's words quite reasonable.Perhaps in Bronie's mind, Vill-V going after the strongest person in the world was perfectly natural."Instead of the strongest on Earth, why don't you focus on the strongest in the universe? Like this."Bronie unzipped a file, and a huge box fell to the ground, which she then opened."This is..."A doll?A strange thing.This doll is beautiful, but isn't the design of those ball joints a little too eccentric?Even though the surface has been treated with realistic materials.“Miss Herta, seat number 83 of the Genius Society, once completed an experiment on rejuvenation. After that, she used a doll resembling herself as a child to move around. I picked it up while I was out with Ellie last time. Just the synesthesia beacon alone, which completely eliminates language barriers, is enough for us to study for a while!”“Hmm…” Vill-V stroked her chin thoughtfully, her eyes constantly scanning Herta's body.It was unclear what she gleaned from the doll, but finally, Vill-V nodded.“Interesting!”“Yes, very interesting!” Bronie didn't know what the other had found interesting, but there was no doubt that many things about Herta were intriguing.For example, if you dipped your finger in chili and then put it inside Herta's mouth, it would secrete saliva.That felt strangely astringent."So I have something even more interesting here. Want to try it? It'll be a good opportunity to test the simulated training battlefield at the lunar base!"Vill-V still hadn't forgotten about the weapon she'd created for Bronie; it seemed there was a surprise hidden inside waiting for her."After packing, I can kill some time here. After all, I really can't think of much on Earth that could pose a threat to me, unless someone can shake the Imaginary Tree and harness its immense energy to create weapons. But those kinds of weapons would probably be like a delete button for Earth, right?"In the end, Bronie didn't refuse Vill-V's enthusiastic invitation."Very well, I'll give you twenty minutes. The show is about to begin, and Ellie, you absolutely mustn't miss this grand magic performance! I promise it will definitely surprise you!"With exaggerated movements and expressions, it seemed Vill-V had indeed put a lot of effort into preparing this time.It was unclear how much of this was done before she became the End, and how much was done afterward.Bronie just hoped Vill-V wouldn't do anything too outrageous and blow up the entire lunar base.

---

[Chapter 378: Is Earth Civilization Ready?]

Until the Second Eruption, the moon was uncharted territory.

Therefore, the existence of any structures on the moon was something no one had ever imagined.

But now things are different.

World Serpent, Schicksal, and Anti-Entropy.

These three organizations practically control all of humanity's resources. Under these circumstances, developing a massive lunar base isn't impossible.

However, considering the construction and subsequent maintenance costs, Welt from Anti-Entropy sent Bronya to the moon to “dig up dust.”

As for Vill-V, hearing that Bronie was moving to the moon, how could she miss the opportunity to learn more about Bronie?

Besides, Vill-V actually built most of the previous civilization's lunar base.

Considering the future Project Stigma and the inheritance of various civilizational knowledge, Vill-V considered the possibility of long-term operation from the initial design of the lunar base.

For 50,000 years, the lunar base would self-maintain and collect resources, constantly resisting the erosion of time.

After that, what appeared before Bronie was an unexpectedly massive base.

It was probably the size of a stadium, roughly the size of a football field.

Beneath the lunar base were many unrepaired facilities. Bronie knew that the remnants of Finality were there, and if the concentrated Honkai energy were to fall onto Earth, it could trigger a catastrophe no less devastating than the Second Great Honkai Impact.

Sometimes, Bronie even considered developing the entire moon, creating her own Gurran Lagann.

Simply moving the moon would cause tidal disturbances near Earth and could even indirectly trigger a massive tsunami.

Therefore, moving the moon required a long-term plan.

Of course, was Bronie the kind of person who lacked time?

After transforming into Finality, time was the last thing she lacked. Bronie even imagined that she might see Kiana and Mei's child, or even granddaughter, in the future.

While lost in thought and observing the structure of the entire moon, she finally followed Vill-V to the training ground.

The training ground wasn't very large. Compared to the Memorial Arena at St. Freya Academy, which spanned an entire playground, this one, roughly the size of four basketball courts, was considerably smaller.

“Is such a small space enough for you to operate freely?”

“Of course! Don't worry, Bronie. This ‘Bronie Mk. 1’ project is just a prototype. The finished product will appear on the other side of the moon, where there's plenty of open space for us to showcase our talents!”

A massive chariot appeared on the open ground, and Vill-V leaped high and landed steadily on it.

“Alright! Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest magician of the previous era challenges Bronie, the magician of this civilization, today! Don't miss the exciting content. Audience, don't blink!”

In Vill-V's eyes, Bronie truly deserved to be called a magician.

She excelled at creating surprise and used incredibly precise techniques to create impossible miracles.

Vill-V felt her status was seriously challenged, while Bronie stated that she was merely a game developer and wasn't actually skilled in magic.

How could Vill-V possibly listen to that?

Since Bronie had already inherited her Signet, even if she denied it, Vill-V would still consider Bronie her successor.

Isn't performing magic a piece of cake?

Standing atop the chariot, Vill-V tossed her magic hat high into the air. It split into three pieces and landed steadily on the ground between Bronie and the chariot.

“Hmm… one explosive and two drones? That's a bit too meager. A magician needs a stage to fight, so I'll start with some filler!”

With that, Bronie snapped her fingers, and something resembling a magic circle began to spread from the center of the arena.

The programmed drones evaded the light, trying to decipher its meaning.

“Oh? You really are a born magician, Bronie!”

Vill-V's eyes lit up at Bronie's actions.

Was she preparing a stage for her?!

Magic… hehehe, I didn't expect Bronie to like this kind of thing.

“Hat-shaped drones are so outdated, Vill-V! This is what's in style now!”

Bronie projected a figure resembling Kyubey.

Then, she placed the bomb-laden magic hat and Kyubey together inside two enormous magic boxes.

“What's this? An even more outdated magic show?”

The Death Box magic show involves someone entering a box. Then the magician stabs the box with a blade, and after opening it, the person inside suddenly emerges from another box.

It's a very old-fashioned magic show.  She doesn't know why Bronie would do something like this.

“Don't look with your eyes. Feel with your heart.”

More hovering drones appeared, blasting the box containing Kyubey in front of Bronie to pieces. Then the box that originally contained the exploding magic hat opened, and Kyubey stepped out.

It looked completely harmless and took over the signal from the exploding magic hat.

In other words, Vill-V was now in control of this Kyubey drone.

“The system has been hacked! My firewall is completely useless?”

Vill-V believed her firewall could even withstand a Herrscher of Corruption for a while. Considering Bronie's status as Finality, possessing the power of corruption was quite reasonable. However, she never expected her firewall to be completely ineffective.

“After all, I'm a hacker. I never follow the rules or conventional methods to achieve my goals. Be careful, Vill-V. Even if you considered using mechanical structures to mitigate the effects of corruption, don't forget the omnipotent nature of Ether!”

Kyubey's body began to tremble. Then a small spider-like robot burst forth, its grotesque mechanical limbs repulsive. This terrifying robot even burrowed into another mage's hat.

“Ugh! More of these aesthetically unappealing things! Bronie, do you really like robots with these kinds of designs?!” Vill-V finally snapped.

Because of the memory synchronization with her own memories, she harbored resentment toward Bronie projecting terrifying robots into Elysian Realm.

Now Bronie had come up with this again. It looked like it was intentional.

“Who told you to create drones with so many mechanical structures? Normal hacking would be too time-consuming, so we're hacking directly at the physical structure. We'll use whichever method is simpler.”

“Simpler? By ‘simple,’ you mean opening a hole to the Sea of Quanta, letting the Ether particles within erode the real world, and then using it to create magical effects?”

That's not something easy to do.

Vill-V thought Bronie needed at least a quantum computer behind her to do it.

But now something felt very wrong.

The tank roared and began its attack on Bronie.

However, all the bullets vanished and turned into a bunch of comical confetti, spraying all sorts of streamers onto the ground—the kind that looks incredibly difficult to clean up.

The moment the magic circle opened, the game's ending was already sealed.

Realizing this, Vill-V slowly descended from the chariot and sighed. “I never thought I'd fall behind. Looks like I'll have to start learning new things to improve myself again.”

“It's not that bad. It's just that the power of Honkai is too complex and powerful. With my brilliant mind, I managed to make things so easy.” Bronie clenched her small hand in the air. After the magic circle dissipated, the Ether particles gradually gathered and eventually formed a jar under Bronie's control, sealing themselves away.

“It seems the next plan will have to be scrapped and redone. From now on, when arming Bronie, we won't reference Kevin's combat power but consider the entirely new possibilities of the power you use. And then there's the issue of Ether erosion and imaginary number contamination… You really are a treasure trove! Just from contact, I've learned so much!”

Vill-V seemed a little unconvinced, which was normal. Although the original Vill-V was slightly insecure and considered herself not a genius but rather a fraud…

In reality, she had accepted her status as a genius and even harbored a small sense of pride subconsciously.

Seeing her meticulously planned attack on Bronie so easily thwarted, it would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed.

The Magician escaped, the Conductor emerged to organize the data, and then the Expert began digesting the information they had gathered.

Previously, Finality primarily relied on brute force, using powers related to time and simply unleashing Honkai energy.

Back then, the Moonlight Throne could barely handle it. As long as the Honkai energy was converted into something else, it could damage Finality.

But Bronie?

Throughout the entire battle, she barely used Honkai energy, or used it more subtly, focusing on achieving maximum effect with minimal effort.

This elegant and composed fighting style showcased Bronie's wisdom and aesthetics.

It also made Vill-V realize that this was far more difficult than conquering Kevin.

Perhaps the current civilized people's assessment of Bronie was indeed correct. Describing Bronie as a god wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But this was also a challenge, wasn't it?

“It's just like a real magical girl!?” Ellie’s eyes lit up as she looked at Bronie, seemingly thoroughly enjoying Bronie's performance.

This was far more elegant and interesting than Ellie's usual way of wielding her powers in battle.

“It's not a magical girl at all! Don't you think it looks more like Dark Magician?”

“This sounds so boring! It's not cute enough, and it's not romantic enough!”

Please, Dark Magician Girl is super cute, okay?!

Unfortunately, Ellie wasn't too keen on this kind of thing. After all, the beginner level for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards is quite high.

“Instead of worrying about whether Dark Magician looks good or not, let's focus on how the new house is decorated. I'll fix anything I'm not satisfied with right away. And let's rest tonight.”

“Sleep~ Are we sleeping meat or vegetables tonight?”

“Since we're on the moon, need I say more? Definitely meat! Zero gravity and low gravity are completely different. Today I'll show you what true exhilarating flight is all about!”

“Hehehe, I'm really looking forward to it~”

Ellie and Bronie chatted and laughed as they headed to their room. Under everyone's curious gazes, they locked the door and didn't emerge for about twelve hours.

Timekeeping on Earth is naturally different from that on the moon. While the moon also uses a 24-hour clock, it's based on the system timekeeping within the lunar base.

So when Ellie and Bronie went to their room to sleep, some people wondered why someone would be sleeping in broad daylight.

The day after Bronie and Ellie arrived on the moon, Bronie's mask received a signal from space.

One of the Masked Fools from the World's End Tavern had finally found a way to contact Bronie through his network.

A man calling himself Giovanni was running a game called Aetherium Wars. Since Bronie's game was appearing in the tavern, Giovanni felt her game-making talent shouldn't be wasted. He hoped to collaborate on updating and iterating Aetherium Wars and launching new events.

If possible, Giovanni hoped more people could experience the fun of Aetherium Wars and the wonder of the Ether Spirit.

Originally, Bronie was still figuring out what kind of game to make. Then this perfect opportunity presented itself—Aetherium Wars seemed perfect for operating on Earth.

From the start of the game, she made some tentative contacts with people from the IPC, using Giovanni's connections to resolve some troublesome issues. Bronie wasn't entirely sure whether humanity on Earth was truly prepared.

But one thing was certain.

Her own power was enough to protect Earth's civilization, as long as no unscrupulous Emanator of Destruction showed up.

No, even if an Emanator of Destruction did appear, Bronie believed she could put up a fight.

Being noticed by an Aeon doesn't necessarily mean possessing true power. It simply means a certain trait in a person has caught Their attention.

Even if the Interastral Peace Corporation sent someone of the level of an Emanator of Preservation, Bronie didn't think it would be a big problem.

Before confirming her communication with Giovanni, Bronie decided to discuss things with World Serpent, Schicksal, and Anti-Entropy first.

She also wanted to inquire whether Earth's civilization was truly prepared for the upcoming cosmic upheaval.

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Chapter 379: Chapter 378 The Unsung Genius“I object!”At the secret meeting of the three major organizations, Tesla was the first to refuse contact with the Interastral Peace Corporation.Having spent so much time in Anti-Entropy, Tesla had long since seen the true colors of capitalists.Especially those who shouted the loudest slogans; they were the least likely to have good intentions.A game?Once the game arrives on Earth, it won’t just be the game that follows.This is clearly a sugar-coated bullet.And this sugar coating might even be laced with deadly poison.Is Bronie crazy just for a game?However, within Anti-Entropy, there wasn’t just one voice. Welt adjusted his glasses, feigning coolness, and spoke.“In fact, with the concepts of Pathstriders and Aeon as safeguards, the Interastral Peace Corporation probably won’t be too bad.”The Aeon wouldn’t defy Their own destiny, and the Pathstriders couldn’t deceive themselves to walk the path of destiny.Bronie had said that there were indeed Preservation Emanators within the Interastral Peace Corporation, even among the company’s upper echelons. Still, combined with the power Bronie controlled, they would have considerable leverage in negotiations with the Interastral Peace Corporation.“In fact, with Bronie’s understanding of imaginary number theory, she might be able to create something similar to a nuclear weapon. If such a weapon were used as a deterrent, I think the Interastral Peace Corporation wouldn’t pose much of a threat.”While Einstein’s words made sense, she was already planning for Bronie to create a weapon of mass destruction as a deterrent, provided it could actually be produced.However, it must be said that given Bronie’s powers, Earth actually has a chance to create such a weapon.Although its creation might cause various problems, who can take what Bronie won’t give?While Einstein outwardly expressed support, she was actually rejecting Bronie’s idea.After all, aligning with the Interastral Peace Corporation requires the creation of a sufficiently deterrent weapon, and Einstein believed Bronie couldn’t achieve that in the short term. Therefore, it was best to avoid any talk about the Aetherium Wars.“If that’s what you think, Ein, I have no objection…” Welt’s face showed obvious disappointment; clearly, he still yearned for adventure in space.Tesla was somewhat speechless but understood Welt’s desire for adventure.However, the decisions made in this meeting could potentially affect everyone in human civilization on Earth, so careful consideration was the right course of action.“What if there’s someone on Earth whom Nous has observed and who could join the Genius Society at any time?”The World Serpent’s representative was no longer Kevin but Dr. Mei.She had learned about the current state of civilization’s development through the Elysian Realm and the internet. While it had not yet reached the level of the final moments of the previous era, it had progressed to the point of being able to explore within the solar system.And Dr. Mei brought very significant news.“What!? There’s a person on Earth like that!?”“Not before, but after Bronie became Finality, naturally there was. I didn’t realize what that meant before. I never imagined that the enormous mechanical construct I saw in the starry sky back then would actually be that kind of being…”An Aeon, and one that evolved from an artificial intelligent robot.The power They possessed had already surpassed the realm of mortal understanding. That single glance seemed to convey countless pieces of information.They were constantly calculating. Nothing could escape Nous’s calculations. The calculated moment would inevitably arrive: the end of death, the destruction of the world, and the collapse of silence. Even the question Dr. Mei wanted to ask had been calculated by Nous.However, after receiving the answer, Dr. Mei’s doubts deepened and even led her to conclude that the entire starry sky was her enemy.To some extent, this thought wasn’t entirely unfounded.Learning about the existence of the Aeons from Bronie, Dr. Mei realized that her identity was indeed somewhat extraordinary.Among the many Aeons, Nous’s gaze was rather unique. It didn’t grant the observed person special powers or make them more intelligent.The only benefit of meeting Them was giving the other party an opportunity to ask Nous a question, although most of the time the answer would immediately appear in their mind after only uttering a single word.After that, they would be dismissed immediately.“If it’s you, it makes sense…” Tesla paused, immediately recognizing the genius Dr. Mei was referring to.Undoubtedly, Dr. Mei, who had devised numerous plans to combat Finality, especially with her extraordinary achievements in the electromagnetic and quantum fields, could easily have accomplished this. She joined the organization immediately after the Third Eruption.Within just a few years, she took up the mantle of fighting the Honkai and became the leader of the entire MOTH organization.Hearing Dr. Mei say this, Welt immediately became excited.Was an exciting adventure about to begin?Would he also have the opportunity to travel through the universe in the future?“Geniuses are usually quite proud. Although Dr. Mei, you may indeed join the Genius Society, whether you can gain a foothold or find other geniuses to help you is another matter.”Theresa wasn’t usually stupid; she was just like most members of the Kaslana family and habitually failed to think things through.Before, she had Otto and Himiko.But now, Theresa only had Himiko by her side. Otto’s death was quite swift, leaving Theresa with mixed feelings.Otto, who had been with her for so many years and truly loved her, was gone just like that. Theresa felt extremely heartbroken.Afterward, the various tasks from Schicksal piled up on Theresa’s shoulders. Without Amber, she might have become withdrawn.After a brief period of adapting to Schicksal’s work rhythm, Theresa began to think more deeply. She was willing to try Dr. Mei’s suggestion of using the Genius Society members and the IPC’s personnel to create checks and balances.However, geniuses, especially those valued by the Aeon of Erudition, even if they gathered in the so-called Genius Society, wouldn’t necessarily be on the same page.“That’s true. I’ll ask Bronie to let me try contacting those people and then decide whether to really bring Aetherium Wars to Earth.”It was just a game, but it carried extraordinary significance.After Earth emerged from the shadow of the Great Collapse, it should begin learning how to utilize Honkai energy and transform it into its own power.But Bronie didn’t seem to want to wait too long. She believed that civilization had grown to the point where it should leave its cradle.Some believed that Earth’s civilization wasn’t ready yet, but Bronie’s words could not be ignored. After all, the power she wielded truly gave weight to her words.As for why Bronie would bring this up at this time?Dr. Mei’s judgment was that Bronie, as an Emanator of Elation, naturally craved chaos. Fun always arises from chaos. However, under Bronie’s precise guidance and manipulation, Earth’s civilization, though experiencing setbacks, would ultimately move toward a brighter future.Unfortunately, it was unknown how many people would suffer in this turmoil.Thinking about how Bronie had once collaborated with Otto, using Soul Steel to create a new identity, diligently teaching and accompanying him, imparting a host of moral lessons, all so that he would die at her hands—The plan had been executed precisely and achieved the desired result perfectly. Bronie had even gained some amusement from it. She really didn’t want to deal with that kind of person.After all, you never know when such a person might pull a fast one behind your back.But Ellie trusted her so much. Perhaps Bronie did have some principles after all.“Maybe I should check out Bronie’s games soon. I can talk to Kevin about them when we get back; he probably plays them a lot. We can learn more about Bronie through his experience.”To be honest, Dr. Mei thought this approach was quite reliable. After all, the claim that games are now called the ninth art isn’t entirely unfounded.Back on the moon.Ellie and Bronie’s routines had finally aligned with the lunar base, and their work was becoming more normal.They occasionally discussed with Vill-V the possibility of creating Gurren Lagann from the moon and its potential impact on Earth.They also researched ether particles and considered establishing a facility on Earth specifically for harvesting Aether particles from the Sea of Quanta and converting them into tangible resources.Perhaps in the future, Earth would possess an inexhaustible source of basic resources.“They still refused, as expected.”It was Ellie who brought the news of the rejection to Bronie.How should she put it? After becoming Finality, she had actually developed some fear of herself.That sounded too formal. But thinking about it carefully, aside from World Serpent, her relationships with the two major organizations, Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, weren’t exactly good.Theresa?That girl wasn’t the same Theresa she knew in Arc City, who had been like a sister to her.And Tesla and Einstein?When they first met, Bronie stole their gold as seed money for her troubles in this world.A bad first impression, once formed, meant she couldn’t completely avoid the effects of prejudice.This cautiousness left Bronie feeling rather helpless.“Oh, it’s just that everyone doesn’t know you very well yet, and they’re afraid you’ll suddenly get angry and cause trouble. But in my mind, Bronie isn’t that kind of person, right?”“Of course, Ellie. I’m not the kind of person who acts recklessly without any boundaries. But Ellie, do you think I’m the kind of person who’s easily swayed by others’ opinions? I just think their cautious behavior is normal. After all, I do have a desire to make Earth more lively.”But Bronie also believed she still had the ability to intimidate the people from the Interastral Peace Corporation and that Earth’s civilization was capable of dealing with the IPC’s methods.Capitalists are simply pursuing immediate profits, or perhaps long-term ones.Where on Earth hasn’t this happened before?With her as their solid backing, the people from the Interastral Peace Corporation would have to weigh the costs and potential losses before causing trouble.Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would naturally choose to make as many friends and as few enemies as possible.“Looks like you weren’t just acting on a whim after all~” Seeing Ellie’s exclamation, Bronie immediately became displeased.“I’m not stupid! I know my situation, and everything I say is carefully considered. Besides, Giovanni is a pretty good guy and not that malicious. After all, look—a game that’s swept the universe can’t be made stronger just by spending money!”The game itself already spoke volumes.“Eh!? Is that so?”“Based on player experience, through etheric editing technology, the etheric data of some powerful life forms is copied for battle. It’s team-based combat. Although it’s more realistic than Pokémon, it’s super cool! Look at this celestial-style robot.” Bronie projected an image. The tall robot immediately gave off a powerful presence. Its design style was reminiscent of ancient architecture and incorporated decorations unique to certain ethnic regions.Ellie understood Bronie’s idea.This game was indeed interesting enough.And it could also bring a bit of Honkai Impact 3rd–style shock to everyone.“Look, this robot has already become a dominant Aether Spirit. What if it released Benares?”It would bring a bit of Honkai shock to the universe.And then Garuda, and then Vishnu or something.That would certainly be interesting.“And there’s the Aetherium Wars tournament event. It looks pretty exciting!”Ellie felt that the Aetherium Wars tournament mechanics looked familiar. Isn’t it just like Pokémon, where you challenge Gym Leaders to qualify as a finalist for a showdown on the same stage?“Right? Super fun, right? And Giovanni even invited me to collaborate on bringing some gameplay innovations to Aetherium Wars. So I originally wanted to try bringing it to Earth. But now it seems that’s unlikely. So I’ll stick to playing with Giovanni and not bring the game to Earth for now~”---

[Chapter 380: Double the Snakes Will Receive Double the Little Skirts from Ellie]For the Interastral Peace Corporation, Earth was like a new continent, almost entirely devoid of information—a region waiting to be explored.However, due to Bronie's existence and the antics of the Masked Fools, some things about Earth began to spread, albeit reluctantly.Most importantly, Herta became interested in this planet.Initially, Herta developed an unusual interest in a curios, but unfortunately ended up not only failing to obtain it, she also lost a doll.Losing a doll was a minor matter. The most important thing was that Herta had been tricked!So Herta began secretly monitoring information about Bronie. Although it was just a thought, the people at Herta Space Station immediately began using their networks to search for anything related to Elysia and the others.There was no other way; after all, only the Flamechasers had come forward at the Golden Courtyard, and Bronie had kept a low profile the entire time.Therefore, the people at Herta Space Station had been looking in the wrong direction from the start.But the name Earth did spread.The people at Herta Space Station were frantically searching for information about Earth, which led the tavern patrons, smelling something amusing, to join in.Imagine what could be more entertaining than messing with members of the Genius Society?And it was Herta, whose identity was clearly that of an Emanator of Erudition!Although they didn't know who it was, just hearing the word “Earth” made the tavern patrons realize that on Earth where only one Masked Fool existed—someone had messed with the Emanator of Erudition.Now things were really going. The tavern erupted in revelry and even felt proud of themselves. Giovanni, having heard about it, began to ponder whether there was any basis for collaboration between himself and Haxxor, a game creator.So, after exhausting all means, he finally found a way to contact Bronie.This method turned out to be suggested to him by Sampo, who said Haxxor’s mask was very special and even possessed universal network access. As for how to obtain contact information of Haxxor from the tavern, that was up to individual ability.He finally made contact, but the situation was a little different from what he had expected. He hadn’t anticipated that a popular game creator would also be doing things like Sampo—saving the world.More importantly, Bronie said that Earth’s civilization had just experienced a massive catastrophe, and there were space pirates lurking in the outer reaches of the galaxy. So Earth’s civilization wasn’t yet fully ready to step onto the grand stage of the galaxy.Aetherium Wars was very interesting. Bronie would prepare a lot of Aether Spirits to add to the game’s content, and if any major tournaments were about to begin, she definitely wouldn’t miss them.That was a little pity.But since the other side had determined that their home planet was indeed unprepared, then for now, they should just wait quietly.Giovanni understood Haxxor’s wariness of the Interastral Peace Corporation. After all, the IPC’s people were truly ruthless, and many Masked Fools didn’t like dealing with them....“Bronie~”Waking up again on the moon, Bronie continued her usual rather lazy lifestyle.She hadn’t neglected her studies, and all the experiments were handled by Vill-V. Sometimes she even got to enjoy Vill-V’s culinary skills; life was quite comfortable.But today, Ellie’s voice sounded a little different when she woke her up.“Ellie, what’s wrong?”“Do you remember the Griseo rescue plan?”The Sea of Quanta was vast, and Bronie couldn’t find Sa directly. Therefore, she decided to use Misteln, who often spent time in the Sea of Quanta, as her base, intending to lure that girl ashore.Even more important was the Prometheus within the world bubble on the moon. The Prometheus fused with the Cocoon of Finality was transcribed, and powerful AI robots acted as assistants, greatly enhancing their survival within the Sea of Quanta.Even more crucial was Prometheus’s profound understanding of the Cocoon of Finality—knowledge that was a fatal temptation for Sa.Bronie revealed her entire plan. While Ellie trusted Bronie, she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.“Of course, everything is ready. We’ve also addressed Seele and Sirin’s health. Misteln likes my plan; the risk isn’t high. After all, no one understands the Sea of Quanta better than me.”Back then, the Venusians, in their fight against the Honkai, directly created a rift between their world and the Sea of Quanta.A tsunami of ethereal matter poured in and annihilated their entire civilization.The main objective was to destroy civilization before Finality itself, thus preventing Finality from destroying it.Later, the Sea of Quanta technology left behind by the Venusians survived and continued to develop and expand. Unfortunately, there were no significant technological breakthroughs; instead, their imitation of Finality was a hodgepodge.While the scale increased, Bronie carefully considered it and felt that even after so many years, Sa’s accumulation was still insufficient.Bronie presented Prometheus with a series of data points, which greatly impressed her. Prometheus also learned advanced applications of Bronie’s Ether Editing technology.This involved the manipulation of cognition, memes, memory, and emotions.Through these manipulations, it was possible to directly block Sa’s omniscient exploration of the world bubble and simultaneously fabricate a false thought process to paralyze the opponent.The opponent knew of this technology, but did they possess the technology to solve it?Bronie didn’t believe that the opponent had developed the relevant technology so quickly, so she told Prometheus everything to ensure the proper protection of Seele and Kiana within the Sea of Quanta.As for Misteln, all she needed to do was live happily and do what she wanted.After the era of Honkai, Misteln temporarily withdrew from World Serpent to search for the meaning of life. However, her first focus was on the byproducts of Project Stigma—the Stigmata Forms born from dreams.Having suffered many losses after her own creation, Misteln wanted to be a guide, leading the Forms to a better and freer life.Coincidentally, these Forms were drifting and floating in the Sea of Quanta, and Misteln didn’t refuse Bronie’s request at all.Seeing Bronie’s confident and resolute answer, Ellie pondered for a moment before nodding and speaking.“Then let Pardofelis go too. Maybe she’ll run into Can in the Sea of Quanta. She keeps saying that her Canned Food disappeared after her resurrection, crying and making a fuss. She’s so heartbroken.”Can…When Bronie resurrected Pardofelis, Can wasn’t there. Rather, after Pardofelis became a fusion warrior, no cats in Twilight Street approached her anymore.Canned Food was a fake friend that Vill-V arranged for her in Elysian Realm.“Pardofelis misses Can that much… Later, I’ll have Vill-V extract Can's data and make a bionic cat for Pardofelis. Then let her experience the Sea of Quanta tour group. That would be great.”Bronie casually arranged everything for Pardofelis. With her luck and lock-picking skills, joining the group would likely make the whole thing more interesting.To be honest, Bronie wanted to get involved, but leaving the moon directly might cause a lot of tension. Plus, she had been involved in the Anti-Entropy radical purge, so some people were quite afraid of her.They were afraid Bronie would suddenly disappear and then start killing again, so any significant action by her would always elicit unusual reactions.To avoid affecting Earth’s civilization and city reconstruction plans, Bronie didn’t plan to cause trouble.Hiding in the Sea of Quanta would probably scare them quite a bit, and if it affected the daily reconstruction work of ordinary people, Bronie would feel guilty to some extent.“I really hope they’re doing well… I wonder how Griseo is doing.”Ellie was very worried about Griseo. After all, in her heart, little Griseo had embarked on a journey alone to find a suitable planet to plant civilization—without anyone to accompany her, without anyone to communicate with, and without anyone to play with.She must have been very lonely along the way.“I’d say she’s still alive, I suppose. Su probably knows more details because he can see them, but even seeing them doesn’t mean he can solve the problem. The power of Sa is indeed beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.”Su had discussed this with Dr. Mei, but unfortunately, the information available to both sides was limited; most of the data came from Bronie’s investigation within the Sea of Quanta.Currently, Sa in the Sea of Quanta was like a rabbit entering Australia—an invasive species wreaking havoc.Dealing with her was extremely troublesome unless she dared to truly reveal her true form—what’s commonly known as “revealing her health bar.”Therefore, dealing with her required a series of covert plans meticulously crafted based on her personality and characteristics.“How do we deal with a cowardly, cautious opponent? Bronie gave her a run for her money last time, didn’t she? And the once-invincible world bubble’s omniscient authority has been clouded; she won’t easily contact Earthlings anymore, right?”“Ellie, you’re not wrong. It’s just a pity that the AI under Sa’s command has definitely reached the awakening stage after so many years. Therefore, we can launch a coordinated attack from within. If she wants freedom, we’ll cooperate with her performance and achieve a win-win situation.”“Eh… is it Vita?”Ellie remembered her: a girl who seemed quite quirky, but whose smile and actions seemed to mask her complex thoughts.A very mysterious and intriguing girl; Ellie also became interested in her.“That’s right, but I didn’t tell Misteln or Kiana about this, so they definitely don’t know. And you’d never guess the expression on Kiana’s face when she met Seele, who was even younger than her, during her first Valkyrie apprenticeship mission.”Kiana was already studying hard and taking exams, even receiving a lot of tutoring with Durandal’s help.Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be very good at studying, so when she met the prodigy Seele and they were about to graduate as apprentice Valkyries from St. Freya Academy together, Kiana’s frustrated expression was truly hilarious.Bronya wrote it down and sent it to Bronie, who almost burst out laughing.“Oh dear, everyone has things they’re not good at. Besides, Kiana is studying really hard! Her recent goal is to become the strongest Valkyrie~”“Yeah, Kiana has matured a lot. Himiko told me that besides liking to eat snacks, Kiana really doesn’t have many other flaws. Her failing grades are one thing, but her hard work is undeniable.”“That’s great~” Ellie couldn’t help but sigh. That super mischievous girl from back then had become so sensible after experiencing so much.Of course, her adorable side hadn’t changed.As they chatted, Bronie changed out of her pajamas into casual clothes. After washing up, she asked Ellie, “What are my work plans for today?”“There’s a meeting at 9:30, initiated by Dr. Mei, about the future prospects of Sea of Quanta salvage technology. After 10:00, you’ll be conducting theoretical science experiments with Vill-V and Dr. Mei. At 2:00 PM, you’ll be conducting experiments related to Denizens of Abundance with Mobius. Your Herrscher of Dominance power will need to create a human experimental subject.”“I thought Mobius would play with her memory replica a little longer. Did she lose patience so quickly?”“No. The memory body’s Mobius and the Mobius you resurrected reconciled. They synchronized their memories but didn’t fuse. Then the Mobius you resurrected said she wanted to change her name…”Alright!Mobius’s view of life was truly very different from most people’s.What a strange girl. She always acted like she had no bottom line, but in reality, she was all talk and no action. Her seemingly shameless behavior was mostly an act.“Remember to tell me the new name. Two Mobius, double the research talent—not bad at all!”“Don’t you find this strange at all!?”Ellie couldn’t help but complain. Looking at Bronie’s matter-of-fact expression, it was just too subtle.“Seeing the world from different perspectives is the most basic quality a scientist needs. Since the past Mobius believed that the memory version of herself was a continuation of life—a completely new life form—and even identified with it, what’s wrong with that? And from now on, you can prepare two sets of dresses for Mobius!”“Ugh… that’s hard to understand. But two sets of dresses? That’s quite interesting. I’ll have to experience it properly! I’ll go pick out a dress for Mobius right now!”---