201. The Possibility of Disappearance
"I told you, those people couldn't understand our foresight. They didn't believe they could fail," Vill-V complained to Ling.
[No, it's not that they don't believe, it's that they can't believe. If even they think the world is finished, then there's truly no hope.] Ling shook his head.
"Force yourself to believe in hope? Unfortunately, the cruelty of this world won't disappear just because you believe in hope," Vill-V sighed softly.
The Ninth Herrscher destroyed not just one continent, but the entire social structure of humanity.
The Honkai could no longer be concealed; the apocalyptic crisis had caused a global uproar.
Panic, crisis, and unease began to spread wildly outwards.
After being paid less, Vill-V expressed her dissatisfaction slightly by going on strike.
It wasn't exactly a strike; it was more like a way of relaxing.
For example, the Great Magician hadn't toured in a long time, and she still had many new ideas to bring to life. This was a perfect opportunity to take a break!
Vill-V packed her bags and immediately set off, leaving a small note at the Helixcraft.
"On vacation, do not disturb."
The Fire Moth had originally wanted Vill-V to create the Sixth Divine Key, but upon seeing this note, they were completely dumbfounded.
So they decided to find someone else to try it out themselves.
However, they discovered that those so-called engineers were far inferior to Vill-V.
Their idea was to split the Sixth Herrscher's core in two, creating a lance, and naming it Black Abyss White Flower.
One half would control the power of life, and the other half the power of death.
However, in practice, they discovered that splitting the core into two wasn't so easy.
It wasn't like the Herrscher of Fire's core; while the Herrscher of Fire's core energy was violent, its internal energy was uniform.
Therefore, by using special materials to suppress the energy, it can be split into two; this is the origin of the Judgment of Shamash's 'Hand Cannon Form'.
Within the core of the Herrscher of Death, the power of life and death is mixed.
Therefore, to separate them, a way must first be found to divide the power of life and death within them into two.
The other members of the engineering department discussed it for weeks without any results, and could only try to contact Vill-V.
Vill-V, who was traveling abroad, saw the message and provided a feasible solution in just two days, allowing the production of the Black Abyss White Flower to continue.
After this incident, the higher-ups dared not offend Vill-V again, restoring her project funds and even adding a portion of funds that she could use privately.
The kind of funds no one would check.
This was a tacit show of weakness.
Vill-V, upon receiving the message, didn't seem to care much and continued to happily play outside.
The members of the Fire Moth didn't dare to urge her, and could only wait for Vill-V to get tired of playing before returning.
Of course, Vill-V wasn't just playing around; she built a submarine and went treasure hunting on the Mu Continent.
Although the Mu Continent had sunk, it was, after all, once the most outstanding research department, not under the jurisdiction of the Fire Moths and possessing a certain degree of autonomy.
Most of the Mu Continent was destroyed, leaving only ruins, while the very center of it seemed to have been 'transferred' by a strange force.
Vill-V's investigation revealed that Dr. Einstein of the Mu Continent had been researching how to seize and use the power of the Sea of Quanta.
It seems that in the final moments, she transferred all her living forces to the Sea of Quanta.
So, they might still be alive?
Vill-V shook her head. The vastness of the Sea of Quanta far exceeded human imagination; going there was a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, and that was already an optimistic assessment.
But she still found some valuable information, such as the method for manufacturing ELFs.
This was also her main purpose for coming here.
"Ling, what if I created an ELF as a vessel, and then tried to separate you and put you into it... Do you think it would work?" Vill-V asked.
[Not very feasible. Although an ELF can transmit a person's consciousness, the relationship between us doesn't seem to be something that can be explained by ordinary consciousness streams. At least, when we went for the checkup, Su didn't detect my existence.]
"I have a theory. Maybe you've been in a special quantum state since your birth, and only someone like me, who has been observing you, can know of your existence?" Vill-V speculated.
[That's not out of the question.]
"If that's the case, only those who truly believe in your existence can see you? And they have to be psychic-sensory MANTIS warriors?" Vill-V seemed to have found a breakthrough.
[Conversely, if one day you also stop believing in my existence, will I suddenly disappear?] Ling teased.
"...No way..." Vill-V said softly, her tone slightly annoyed.
[Okay, don't be angry. It was my fault, I shouldn't have joked like that.] Ling sensed her thoughts and quickly apologized.
"Call me elder sister, and I'll forgive you," Vill-V said, arms crossed, looking wronged.
[That's impossible. A little sister is a little sister.] Ling resolutely refused.
"Then I'm ignoring you!" Vill-V said angrily.
[Then I'll go find 'Mystic Scholar' Vill-V. She's willing to talk to me and even call me brother.]
"You…you can't go! Now's my time!"
The usual sibling banter was quickly changed by Ling.
Whenever the topic of Ling's existence came up, the two inevitably argued.
Therefore, they usually kept quiet about this topic.
Vill-V put the information about the ELF into the Fire Moth database and then ignored it.
The ELF was just a concept; she didn't actually intend to create it.
Even if she did create it, it might not be able to separate Ling from her body.
She might encounter some unknown difficulties along the way.
If Ling were to disappear due to an accidental operation, that would be terrible.
At least for now, she can still see Ling in her mental world, which is already a good outcome.
Perhaps the two will continue to interact in this special way.
Only each other, inseparable.
Vill-V continued her journey, then suddenly had the idea to come to the 'Deepest Place' she had built on P-21 island.
Probably because she wanted to see how her creation fared.
Like criminals always returning to their crime scenes.
There was a strange attraction.
Looking at the many 'non-human' monsters imprisoned in the 'Deepest Place,' Vill-V remained unfazed.
Most of them were merely failed products of the 'MANTIS Warrior' experiments and the 'Stigmata Project,' having lost their minds, or rather, having committed mistakes and thus imprisoned here.
Vill-V strolled through the Deepest Place like a patrol officer until a strange 'mother and daughter' caught her attention.
...