The two who had been punished sat obediently with their hands placed neatly on their knees.
Today, Bronya came to understand an old saying:
If you act too carefree, you'll get struck by lightning.
Relying on her good grades to recklessly play games all night and even show off in front of the idiot Kiana, well, the consequences had finally come.
Sneaking a glance upward, Kiana couldn't help but purse her lips.
The class monitor really went too far.
Ever since Fu Hua's body ran away from home, she had been presenting herself like this.
Thanks to her consciousness residing in Fenghuang Down's feather, she had the leisure to thoroughly dig into the student life of Kiana.
And with Mei's full support, she assigned Kiana a whole series of intensive supplementary lessons.
After all this, Kiana had basically turned into the embodiment of homework.
Looking at the two looking so drained, Mei couldn't help but laugh softly.
Kiana's academic problems had always been her biggest headache. Now that Fu Hua was giving her this kind of training, it was practically solving a major issue for her.
After laughing, Mei looked at Fu Hua, her expression curious.
"Class monitor, what exactly is that training ground you took Kiana to?"
Fu Hua and Kiana had only just returned not long ago.
In Fu Hua's words: Strength cannot lag behind; otherwise grades will fall behind too.
Mei also agreed with this.
And the spirit and demeanor Kiana had when she returned, Mei saw everything clearly. Her increase in strength had shocked Mei even more.
At her current full Herrscher power, Kiana was actually able to last ten minutes against Mei.
Although Mei had suppressed her power, even so, before going, Kiana could only last five minutes!
Was the legacy left behind by the previous civilization really this effective?
Mei only knew that the Elysian Realm stored the memories of Fu Hua and the other Flame-Chasers. Its deeper mysteries were not something she could explain casually.
"The Elysian Realm…" Hearing Mei mention it, a trace of nostalgia flashed in Fu Hua's eyes.
The Elysian Realm had once been a heritage method left by the previous civilization for the future.
It was a desperate measure meant to help those who appeared in times of crisis quickly grow stronger.
But now, the Elysian Realm had shed its burden of extending the fate of the previous civilization. It could be completely arranged as a place purely for nurturing newcomers.
Speaking of nurturing newcomers…
"Mei, do you want to train with Kiana?"
"Eh?"
…
The end of the Imaginary Tree.
This particular branch had once been one where a light-point of the Cocoon of Finality hid itself.
Now, another stable "cocoon" appeared here.
After adjusting it slightly with his tail, Godzilla nodded in satisfaction.
Perfect.
Once finished, he slowly returned to his favorite spot on the Imaginary Tree.
Lying down in his usual position,
Peace returned…
Without a sound, a long azure arc quietly wrapped around the Imaginary Tree, advancing in an orderly manner toward Godzilla.
A continuous stream of Quantum Sea energy flowed into Godzilla's atomic furnace, filling him with fullness.
Yes, this was the method Godzilla had come up with.
He firmly believed that every living being in the world had its proper role, and the role of that bed-shaped little creature he found was extremely important!
It allowed him to enjoy the combined benefits of the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea without even leaving his home!
The principle was simple: that miraculous creature (AKA Dr Primitive) was closely linked to the Quantum Sea, and since he had good relations with both sides to the point he could barge into either anytime…
The specific process: using Dr. Primitive as an energy hub, he attached his aura onto him and hid it, perfectly routing the Quantum Sea's energy through and into himself, achieving at-home dual-service enjoyment.
He was simply a genius!
Godzilla was extremely pleased with this clever invention, swinging his flexible tail leisurely in self-satisfaction.
As for Dr. Primitive's thoughts? No one cared.
Or rather, he was actually pretty happy about it.
As a researcher who had long struggled with the controversies surrounding the Imaginary Tree, Dr. Primitive had always wanted to study it.
Although his research could prove the theory, finding the Imaginary Tree itself had always been an impossible problem.
And while he was a genius, this wasn't his field of genius.
But now, even though he was being used as a relay hub, he could directly make contact with the very Imaginary Tree that had been the center of so much debate. How fortunate was that?
Thus, this was a win–win.
As for the issue of not being able to move… He would ignore that for now.
…
Danger. Danger.
The Herrscher of Sentience felt all the alarm bells ringing in her heart.
Her intuition told her the person in front of her was extremely dangerous.
The way those curious eyes kept glancing at her made it obvious the other party held great interest in her.
If it were just that, it would be fine, but the problem was, she couldn't beat her!
Her already sharp danger sense was greatly amplified after becoming the Herrscher of Sentience.
At this moment, in her eyes, Mobius looked like a venomous snake that could swallow her whole at any moment.
Extremely dangerous. It was an instinctive warning, telling her that the other party could easily end her.
But as the saying goes, even if you lose, you can't lose your spirit.
She was Fu Hua, a fusion warrior, a guardian of the previous civilization, how could she be afraid of Mobius??
"Mobius, why are you here?"
This was wrong, completely wrong! Especially this overwhelming sense of danger Mobius gave her.
No matter how she thought about it, it made no sense!!
Back in the previous civilization, although Mobius was one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers and not weak in combat, her main role was still that of a scientist.
Meanwhile she, the fusion warrior Hua, the one best at martial combat, was now feeling such intense danger from Mobius, as if she could die in the next second.
Even back then, when they ran into each other, she would only feel a hint of threat from Mobius, not like now, where she felt she could be killed anytime.
Meeting her vigilant gaze, Mobius smiled lightly.
The consciousness born from Hua's body was far cuter than Hua herself.
Not that Hua was bad, she was just a bit too serious.
"This lady, may I ask the purpose of your visit?"
Quietly waiting for the two to finish their reunion, Screwllum finally spoke.
Looking at Mobius. He wasn't unfamiliar with her.
Every bit of her aura made it clear she was the same being as that Oroboros-like being, the one who bit off half of Dr. Primitive's body in one bite.
Not only that, he could read in Mobius's eyes the same "factor" he had within himself: A spirit driven by the desire to explore the unknown of the world.
It is also an instinct possessed by every genius.
The one who inherited the Ouroboros Factor is likewise a genius, a genius not yet known to the vast public of the cosmos.
Mm, perhaps "not known" isn't quite right.
News of Ouroboros' reappearance had already spread among the well-informed, thanks to those who were present back then.
It's said that the IPC issued a task to the Intelligentsia Guild it funded:
Investigate the reason behind Ouroboros' appearance.
There are many theories about why the Amber King constructed the Wall, and one of them is to guard against the defeated ones of the Dusk War.
And the main forces of the Dusk War were, of course, the ancient Leviathans.
Following the Amber King's footsteps, the IPC absolutely would not allow any danger to cross the Wall!
Hearing Screwllum's words, her slightly parted lips seemed to show she understood.
A Herrscher… if she were still in her original world, she might have shown interest.
But after witnessing a broader universe, Herrschers might still have greater room for development, but before that, what she could reach was the endless, boundless galaxy.
If a Herrscher had something on her that was worth Mobius taking action for, she wouldn't mind being troubled for a while longer.
But now, she had more important matters.
"I asked Herta about the matter of Intellitron's, but she told me to ask you. So I came here specifically to seek answers."
Smiling softly, Mobius explained the reason she came to find Screwllum,
She came for the subject of Intellitron's.
Screwllum was unmoved, staring back at Mobius.
Mobius understood, he was asking for her true intention.
And that was not something unspeakable.
"I've always been curious, when a machine gives birth to its own life, not man-made consciousness, not pre-installed programs, but real, genuine life, how does such a strange form of life come into being…?"
Screwllum froze for a moment.
The birth of Intellitron's was indeed mysterious, at least in Mobius' eyes.
Perhaps one could say that Grey Serpent was no different from an Intellitron.
But one must understand, through fifty thousand years of development, including the era when the previous civilization truly stood tall, her world had produced only one Grey Serpent.
And his birth was quite dramatic at that.
If there were only one or two such beings, she could understand.
But Intellitrons across the cosmos were far from rare.
Some planets had even formed complete machine civilizations.
Planet Screwllum was one of them.
If it were just that, then this topic would merely be an extremely meaningful academic pursuit, not enough to make Mobius so obsessed.
The key to the question lay here:
The Aeon of Erudition, Nous, was a machine that ascended.
The greatest mechanical being in all the cosmos.
The field of machinery shouldn't have been Mobius' obsession, that should've been Vill-V's job.
But the way they were born made Mobius fascinated.
She wanted to peel back the layers, even if the truth could never be fully proven, she still wanted to pursue it.
"…Answer: I cannot provide the answer to that question, miss."
"In fact, even today, the topic of how Intellitrons give birth to life remains one of the great unsolved mysteries in academia."
A race of Intellitrons, their bodies mechanical, their thoughts driven by programs.
Yet this still could not conceal the fact that Intellitrons were a race possessing life.
The Intelligentsia Guild had invested massive funds and effort, achieving many results.
But the main question, how Intellitrons are born, remained unanswered.
Even Screwllum, King of Planet Screwllum and the de facto leader of mechanical life in the galaxy, could not answer this question for Mobius.
"Well, fine~ looks like I'll have to work harder myself." Mobius let out a soft sigh that sounded half-complaint, half-melancholy.
Even the Herrscher of Sentience could tell how fake that sigh was.
Screwllum, naturally, wasn't moved by the act. He pondered for a moment.
"If Miss Mobius is truly interested in this topic, I can introduce you to an existence who may be able to help."
"Oh?" She raised a brow. That was something she hadn't expected.
Under the curious gazes of Mobius and the Herrscher of Sentience, Screwllum slowly spoke that name:
"The 27th seat of the Genius Society, Emperor Rubert I."
…
"The [Emperor]… I recall he already fell, didn't he?"
Sitting on the sofa, Mobius raised an eyebrow.
[Emperor] Rupert I, now that was a ruthless figure.
Both times inorganic life attempted to purge organic life, he was directly involved.
A man like that naturally wouldn't still be alive today, otherwise, the situation of the galaxy would have undergone earth-shaking changes.
She believed Screwllum wouldn't give her a useless clue.
"From the moment he was born, he worked toward the war between inorganic and organic life. What lies hidden behind his status is likely far more than what appears on the surface."
Everyone understood that much. But still,
"How am I supposed to find him? Judging by the timeline of the two wars, even in the best case, he should've died ages ago."
"Answer: That is something Miss Mobius must search for on her own."
He only provided the direction, no after-sales service.
Lightly exhaling, Mobius gave a soft, plaintive look.
"All right then, looks like I'll just wander around the universe alone like a homeless drifter~"
Suit yourself.
No one said it aloud, but Mobius read precisely that from Screwllum's eyes.
She still hadn't left.
"I wonder, does Planet Screwllum welcome outsiders as guests?"
Smiling, Mobius asked.
Screwllum gave a slight nod.
"Planet Screwllum welcomes any friend in the galaxy who carries peaceful intentions.We look forward to your visit, Miss Mobius."
·······
Mobius left.
Before leaving, she even teased the slightly ruffled Herrscher of Sentience.
Unfortunately, it seemed that when they were co-workers in the previous civilization, Mobius had left too deep an impression on Hua, so the Herrscher of Sentience always held maximum vigilance against her.