"I originally didn't believe in so-called fate."
"But now I might have to believe it."
Also on the moon, standing outside the world, Cecilia saw Bia in Chen Ran's arms and couldn't help but sigh.
Bia, who was pouting on Durandal, glared at Chen Ran, but because of the quantum, she couldn't see him at all.
"Will they be able to see us once they open the imaginary space?"
Cecilia voiced her doubts.
Bia said lightly, "Weren't you just standing in front of Sirin? Didn't Sirin see you?"
Cecilia was slightly taken aback, then smiled wryly.
On the moon, they had witnessed Sirin opening the channel to the imaginary space.
But that channel repelled them from entering.
Currently, Durandal, Shigure Kira, and Bia belonged to quantumized individuals; although they could still retain their 'existence' in Shigure's world due to Durandal and Shigure's relationship.
However, outside of Shigure, they could not influence this world in any way.
Aside from that, although Cecilia had not become a true quantum individual, her state was even worse.
She had already been assimilated by the imaginary.
Although Cecilia still retained all her memories and consciousness, she was now just a humanoid imaginary life.
She could enter the imaginary space, but once inside, whether she could maintain her current integrity was another matter.
She sighed, "How did it end up like this?"
Bia said coldly, "It's just the inevitability of fate."
"Alright, alright, I don't have such a strong resentment even in my quantum state." Shigure Kira said, "Bia, just let it go."
Bia's aggression was at its peak: "Of course you think it's fine; have you ever thought about how it feels to suddenly see another me?"
"Stupid Chen Ran, bad Chen Ran, only knows to listen to MEI, hum, not a bit of his own thinking."
Durandal lowered her head, not knowing what to think.
Cecilia noticed Durandal's abnormality: "What's wrong? Bianka."
She respected her daughter's new life, so she called her Bianka.
Durandal didn't know how to address this 'revived' mother; she pursed her lips and said, "I was thinking, if we defeat Honkai, can we stop this absurd farce, fate has played tricks on us."
"All troubles stem from Honkai itself; all farces begin with Honkai. So, who the enemy is should be obvious."
Durandal looked at Bia: "You said that the quantum state means we can traverse the timeline; since Chen Ran can cross, then we can too."
Bia: "Are you still not satisfied with how chaotic this world is?"
"But even if you can traverse, so what? Even if that era defeats Finality, it is still destined for Destruction in the end."
Bia said, "Defeating Finality does not mean defeating Honkai; to have that power, one must have the interference recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which does not belong to humanity or Honkai."
"Dead Sea Scrolls, what is that?" Durandal asked, somewhat puzzled.
Bia replied, "It's a book that Chen Ran had me print years ago, but only Dr. MEI can understand it. When MEI asked Chen Ran about the origins of this book, Chen Ran didn't answer. I suspect it was brought back from this world."
While they were chatting.
Inside the world, on a planet called the Moon.
A door named the Imaginary was slowly opening.
Chen Ran looked at Kiana's back, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
In this timeline, because Kiana was well protected by Cecilia, she did not explore the Sea of Quanta's world bubble using Gnius like Bianka did, nor did she use Gnius to venture into the branches of the Imaginary.
If Cecilia hadn't had an accident, Kiana would never have had the chance to enter the Imaginary space.
But after all the twists and turns, fate returned to the starting point.
Chen Ran gave Kiana a small part of the spatial lens from his Stigmata space, and he also installed a small part for himself.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Bia transformed into a holy sword, which Kiana held in her hand.
Chen Ran did not know swordsmanship, but Kiana did.
As for Chen Ran himself, he only needed to step into the realm of the Imaginary; he wasn't worried.
Because he still had the authority akin to the Herrscher of Wind to protect himself.
However, after they opened the Imaginary door using Ether, catching a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg of space, Chen Ran realized he had taken too much for granted.
This was a place where countless Honkai and consciousness overlapped. Stepping into this place meant facing not only physical Imaginarization but also the control of Honkai over consciousness.
He instinctively wanted to pull Kiana away, but Kiana jumped into the Imaginary space before him.
Chen Ran could only follow helplessly.
He wasn't worried about death; even if he died, it would just mean returning to the true reality.
What he was worried about was that even if he regressed an hour, Kiana would still be lost in the Imaginary space.
The system proved to have no control over the world beyond.
And when the two fully entered the Imaginary space, they saw a tree not too far away, along with Herrscher Sirin standing in front of the Imaginary Tree.
"Aunt Sirin!"
Kiana began to run forward.
Chen Ran stood still, lost in thought.
He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to think that the Imaginary Tree was just a tree; whether it was the Imaginary Tree or the Sea of Quanta, they were merely names given by human observers.
Just like Honkai, although referred to as 'Honkai,' it was merely energy observed from the human perspective.
If one were to discard the human observational perspective, Honkai should actually be a special power of idealism, perhaps deserving of a more fitting name.
Chen Ran initially thought that the 'tree' created in the plot was just for the convenience of players outside the story.
But now, it turned out to be a real tree.
However, just as Chen Ran was observing carefully, he noticed Kiana was in danger.
Countless shadows resembling Kiana emerged from the ground.
These were the past, future, and parallel versions of her.
Countless shadows opened fire on Kiana, who immediately countered with the Immortal Blades in her hands.
Her strength wasn't particularly strong; she was still just a B-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. It wouldn't be long before she was overwhelmed.
But Kiana was not an ordinary B-rank Valkyrie.
Currently, Bia did not have seven crystals, but she was originally a biological computer made of Soulium, not inferior to an ordinary Divine Key.
Moreover, when Kiana held Bia, Bia could communicate with Kiana's consciousness, allowing Kiana to control her to fend off enemies.
In an instant, one Kiana was able to match countless 'herself' equally.
"Damn, is this going to charge at the tree?"
Chen Ran suddenly panicked.
He hurriedly manipulated the ideal fluid to protect himself and Kiana together.
This was a privilege of the Imaginary space, allowing the creation of individuals outside the rules.
One could say that the Imaginary space was a vast Stigmata space, a realm composed of pure consciousness and Honkai, where high-dimensional consciousness could create all individuals imagined.
Although he didn't know what consequences charging at the tree would bring, this was quite a mess.
If Kiana were to disappear, the world would fall into chaos!
He chased after Kiana's footsteps, but suddenly found himself blocked.
By himself from the past, himself from the future, and himself from parallel worlds.
A total of 665 of him.
Chen Ran's face turned green in an instant.
However, neither he nor Kiana noticed Sirin standing at the very front of the Imaginary Tree, gently stroking the branches of the Imaginary.
Around her were the fallen figures named 'Sirin.'
Chaotic memories spread within the Herrscher Core, allowing Sirin to see another future of hers.
In 2000, she became the Herrscher of the Void in the Babylon Tower, declaring war on humanity out of hatred.
Meteorites thrown from the Moon caused severe disasters in many places, leaving countless people homeless.
Welt Yang, Siegfried, Theresa...
The faces of these enemies flickered in her mind.
Her gaze fixed on the cheek of someone named Cecilia.
"Thank you for tolerating me for 14 years, Teacher Cecilia."
"Now, it's my turn to return the favor."
Her figure began to fade away.
The branches of the Imaginary Tree gave birth to new forks.
At that moment, both Kiana and Chen Ran lost consciousness.
...
...
"Hey, ha."
In the chaotic space where consciousness intertwined, she heard a voice.
The girl groggily stood up, then was surprised to find that the Immortal Blades she had been holding were gone.
"What is this..."
The chaotic space began to change.
Memories surged like a tide, and she gradually widened her eyes.
Before her was no longer a gray and chaotic scene, but a warm room.
It was a room with pink wallpaper, a Homu doll, and a photo frame of her with her parents and Theresa.
Kiana remembered.
This was clearly the place where she had spent her childhood.
She looked at the bedside and saw her younger self using a white bedsheet as a cape, holding an Abyss Flower umbrella, bouncing on the bed.
The voice she had just faintly heard was her own.
She seemed to see Kiana aiming the Abyss Flower small umbrella at her, and in a childish voice, she asked:
"Do you want to save the world with me?"
"Mm."
Kiana instinctively reached out to touch, only to find that her younger self had vanished.
In her place stood her grown-up self.
No, to be precise, it was another version of her grown-up self.
Bianka. Durandal. Ataegina.
Kiana's eyes widened slightly; although she had never seen her before, she just knew the name of the person in front of her.
She was the same person from another life line.
"I..."
Kiana just opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
"Let me speak instead."
Compared to the nervousness of the Kiana in front of her, Bianka was more at ease.
"Sirin created a new branch of the world, which is another life line."
"She rewound time. Chen Ran disappeared; he should have returned to the original world."
"And you are protected by Kaslana's Stigmata space; this space is temporarily closed, and time has temporarily stopped, so we can meet for a while."
"And when the Stigmata space opens again, you can return to the original world and then see... mother."
She explained the cause and effect methodically, but when mentioning 'mother,' there was still a hint of complexity.
Bianka still wasn't used to that title.
However, at this moment, Kiana was more concerned about another matter: "What about Aunt Sirin? What will happen to her?"
"She will no longer appear in this world. Time has shifted, and in your and the entire world's memory, she will become the Herrscher in 2000."
"She is learning from Chen Ran, trying to reverse her destined fate. I don't know where she will ultimately return."
Kiana fell silent.
She actually had a good relationship with Sirin.
In the timeline altered by Chen Ran, Sirin joined Squad Snowwolf, and because her math grades were nearly zero, Cecilia often brought her home for tutoring.
As time went on, she and Kiana became very good friends.
Sirin loved little girls' toys, enjoyed telling stories, and loved picture books, showing extraordinary patience and love in taking care of Kiana.
Kiana often helped Sirin skip math class, providing cover for her and helping her with cheat sheets.
Although most of the time, it ended with Sirin being caught by Cecilia for her poor lying skills, resulting in both of them being punished.
But their relationship grew warmer through their shared hardships.
"She is protected by Honkai, so she shouldn't die."
Durandal said, "But those who jump into the Möbius ring will suffer more than death, just like what you saw with Chen Ran."
"Like a drowning person struggling endlessly, unable to escape the whirlpool of time for a lifetime."
"However, I will go save him, along with everyone else."
Only then did Kiana notice that Durandal was holding the Abyss Flower.
"I will use all my strength to defeat Honkai."
When the Kaslana Stigmata space opened again, the Valkyrie named Bianka. Durandal. Ataegina completely vanished.
Witnessing all this, Bia felt a complex mix of emotions.
The girl before her, who had added her name to her own, was determined to use herself to save everyone.
She decided to jump into the Möbius ring of fate as well.
This time, the pointer of fate finally underwent a complete shift.
——
[Detected that the host has died, the system temporarily ends the simulated scene.]
[Each death does not cause actual harm to the host, but the system suggests that the host seek an excellent psychologist to treat psychological trauma.]
[The next time the host simulates a scene, time will rewind to one hour before death. Please prepare in advance.]
[Due to special circumstances, when the host enters the scene again, there will be changes in the existence of special individuals. Please prepare in advance.]
[In light of the host's good performance, the system has specially selected a song "Courage" for you and rewarded the host with two God-Slaying Spears, which have been placed in the Stigmata space where the system resides.]
[Congratulations to the host for gaining an increase in consciousness carrying capacity due to death, theoretically extending the simulation time.]
[The next best simulation time is in two days.]
Chen Ran gaped, slightly stunned.
His memory was still stuck at the moment he witnessed Kiana running towards the Imaginary Tree.
He just didn't expect that the one charging at the tree in the end was actually Sirin.
What Otto failed to do was instead accomplished by Sirin.
And the reason Sirin could do this? Don't ask, just know she's the beloved daughter of Honkai.
He didn't know what price would be paid for charging at the tree, but it shouldn't be greater than what Otto would have to pay.
However, even with Sirin charging at the tree, the system didn't consider the simulation scene to have reached a node, successfully clearing it.
Clearly, the system judged that something had yet to happen.
He scanned the surrounding environment and synchronized with the memories of number 666.
He was still in the First Research Institute, and number 666's job was basically to handle the lab's clutter alongside Klein.
Mobius had been visiting the First Research Institute more frequently, and several times she came with Kiana, though it was unclear what they were researching.
Kiana had already become a regular at the First Research Institute.
Number 666 had extracted the Schariac serum and sent it to Shenzhou.
But whether this serum could be sent to Fuxi and Nuwa, and even if it arrived, whether it could be used directly, Chen Ran couldn't say for sure.
The significance of the Schariac serum was too great and could easily be intercepted for research. But the Honkai disease was worsening, so this was a desperate measure.
The First Research Institute and the engineering department had increased new sources of funds, with the investor being the wealthy Eden.
Eden had not joined Fire Moth.
At this time, Fire Moth still had the complete backing of the United Nations. Although Eden was wealthy, money alone was not enough to pry open privileges.
However, this didn't mean she had no opportunities. After contacting Vill-V, she quickly found Mobius.
Mobius certainly wouldn't refuse a pile of cash.
However, one issue was that Eden was older, and becoming a warrior was unlikely unless she underwent a super transformation surgery.
And currently, that surgery had not reached the stage of being promoted; Mobius didn't plan to use it on ordinary people.
Moreover, at this time, Eden preferred performing, so she became an investor in the First Research Institute, officially a Fire Moth employee in name, but in reality, she hadn't come to work at Fire Moth.
This method wouldn't be opposed even by the higher-ups of Fire Moth.
Aside from that, there were still the Stigmata terminal and global connection.
These two things, which Chen Ran valued the most, had not achieved new breakthroughs in the field.
In fact, this was the norm in research.
On the contrary, having new things emerge every so often was the abnormality in research.
Just as he was gradually absorbing the memories of number 666, he suddenly received a communication from Kiana.
"Can I ask you a question? How did you do it?"
Kiana sent Chen Ran a few photos.
In the photos, Sirin was lying on Kiana's bed, sound asleep.
Chen Ran zoomed in and saw that she was not the mature image of Aunt Sirin from Kiana's adulthood, but rather the face from the year 2000.
She was still wearing the clothes she had on during the Babylon Tower.
And for this, Chen Ran had only one thought: this joke has gone too far.
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