From the intelligence collected so far, the Academy City they were currently in contact with could traverse at least more than ten universes. As for the exact number, it was estimated that only the Final Herrscher with high authority would know.
Each universe also contained infinite parallel timelines.
Academy City's examinations involved sending the first batch of students to train in a world, while the second batch would go to a parallel version of that same world.
A world where humans suddenly turned into zombies could be farmed repeatedly. Once all the zombies were killed, they would move on to a parallel world. After clearing that, they would continue on to the next one.
Academy City's technology was clearly capable of using data to create a simulated universe nearly identical to a real one, yet in certain examinations, they refused to use such technology.
The more Tesla learned about Academy City's technology, the more absurd it felt.
It was completely mixing science and theology together.
"You two, regarding this examination, how do you plan to arrange it?" Natasha walked over and asked Einstein and Tesla.
Having the four of them, who were newcomers, arrange the examinations for first-year students.
If they did poorly, would they get fired?
"The examination should be arranged according to the customs here," Einstein replied in a flat tone, without any expression.
"Chicken-head, are you serious?" Tesla frowned and looked at Einstein in disbelief. "Arranging it according to this place's examination style will get a lot of people killed."
"Dr. Tesla, if life were like in a game where death meant revival, would you still care about your own death, or the deaths of others?" Einstein asked.
Tesla fell silent. When life only existed once, one could say it was precious. But when life existed countless times, it became cheap.
Just like the otherworldly Sirin, who could kill humans and also revive humans.
Life was like grass in her eyes.
"Our former human moral concepts are not suitable here," Einstein reminded her.
"I'm not suitable for this. I'll resign and quit, alright!" Tesla said angrily as she turned and left.
She understood the reason, but she could not accept this place's disregard for life.
Nearby, Amber watched Tesla's retreating figure as she left the office. Having served by Otto's side as a secretary for so long, she could roughly guess the intentions of Chiba Academy's headmistress.
This was a test for them.
If no one had pulled strings behind the scenes, they would not even have been able to enter Academy City, let alone become teachers at Chiba Academy.
Amber lowered her head and looked at the information of other worlds displayed on the light screen.
According to the customs here, when arranging things, the original human rulers of a world, along with their related supporters, had to be purged. There was no possibility of resolving things through dialogue.
Those humans who sat in positions of power would not give up the authority in their hands and accept arrangements imposed by a group of invaders.
Even if they could not win, they would still fight.
Only when those above were defeated, and their lives were threatened, would they surrender and accept the arrangements.
There were also many organizations or individuals who had done filthy things, forcibly abducting people to conduct human experiments. All of them had to be sent to hell to receive punishment.
In Academy City, crimes such as swindling, conducting human experiments, and causing victims severe physical and mental suffering were considered even more serious than murder.
Amber genuinely worried about Lord Otto. One day, he might wake up only to face thousands of years of punishment in hell.
While thinking, Einstein continued to work on the examination tasks, which meant arranging the questions for the exams.
Headmistress' Office.
Diana looked at Tesla, who had come to resign, and said calmly, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. The work here isn't suitable for me," Tesla replied.
"That is indeed the case." Diana nodded. "The world you can see is too small. Let me ask you a question. Do you know what exists in your universe?"
"What exists?" Tesla frowned.
Diana smiled and transmitted memories related to the Aeons to Tesla.
After receiving those memories, Tesla was briefly dazed.
"Weak individuals and civilizations, in front of existences with overwhelming power, are nothing. If you're unlucky, you might die one day just from being caught up in a battle."
"Is that your reason for casually playing with the lives of an entire world and civilization?" Tesla looked at Diana.
"Playing with them? Is that how you see it?"
"Isn't it?"
"It seems you have a huge misunderstanding about our existence. We do this only to make the world a better place."
"What?"
Tesla was dumbfounded.
You go to other people's worlds, treat the entire world as a game field, treat humans as NPCs to be slaughtered at will, then impose a dictatorship over the whole world, and you still claim it's for making the world better.
"To change the world, sacrifices are unavoidable. Although we could change a world without anyone dying at all, our Great Will intensely loathes those humans, so they must die."
"Your world is a special case. Under normal circumstances, we should have killed everyone from Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent."
Diana said with a smile.
"..."
Looking at the white-haired nun headmistress smiling as she said these words, Tesla did not know what to say.
Over this period of understanding, she had also discovered that this Academy City was not unique. In other worlds and on other planets, there existed an unknown number of similar Academy Cities.
All of these Academy Cities were established by the Great Will.
And the channels that connected different universes were also opened by the Great Will.
This Great Will had never appeared in person, but it could be confirmed that the Honkai energy different from their own world originated from it.
Based on preliminary speculation, the Great Will might be the Will of Honkai from another world.
In the end, Tesla still chose to stay.
After all, in the outside world, she could only work for others.
She could no longer earn money through scientific research like before.
...
Consciousness Transfer Station.
Within a pure white space.
"Elysia, may I team up with you?"
"Are you confessing to me?"
"I disagree. Elysia is mine."
"I also want to team up with Elysia."
...
Elysia was surrounded by girls.
Raiden Mei stood not far away, watching from the side.
"Sorry everyone, I already have two people I'm teaming up with."
Elysia walked over to Raiden Mei and took her small hand.
Seeing this, the others each went to find different teammates.
"You're really popular," Mobius walked over. From World Serpent's Kevin and Su, she had learned about the Previous Era.
Although knowing those things did not really mean much to her.
"Mobius, you're here," Elysia said with a smile.
"By the way, I have a very pretty pink dress. Do you want to try it on?"
"Get lost."