At this moment, Venti felt both confusion and shock toward the two Descenders who had appeared above Mondstadt.
Because when he looked at their figures, he sensed something extremely similar to that being.
Then the appearance of the pristine white warship made Venti worry—had these two arrived with hostile intent?
He was just about to manipulate the gentle wind to approach them and gather more information.
Kallen cast a sidelong glance in Venti's direction.
In an instant, all the winds across Teyvat ceased.
The sudden change made Venti's heart skip a beat.
That kind of power!!
He felt like an ant before her—one that could be crushed at will.
Kallen paid no attention to the local god of wind. She had seen far too many beings who called themselves gods for it to be anything special.
Besides, the gods of Teyvat were so weak.
She turned and flew into the Finality warship.
Only those with keen perception across Teyvat sensed that strange, air-solidifying anomaly disappear.
Venti let out a long breath and patted his chest.
Thankfully… there was no hostility.
Inside the Finality warship.
After Kiana Kaslana reconnected with the Final Empire, Kallen quickly began resolving the various issues that had arisen across worlds and planets.
To her, it had felt like only a short while had passed.
But for the Final Empire, one thousand three hundred years had gone by.
For the first five hundred years, everything had remained peaceful, with only minor issues appearing.
During the next five hundred years, humanity began to grow dissatisfied with the status quo.
Artificial intelligence and the Legions maintained order through force for three hundred years. Small problems accumulated into major ones.
Rebellions in certain worlds became increasingly frequent.
Somehow, the Legions learned that the supreme rulers had vanished and that everything was governed by artificial intelligence.
Even the Legions began to waver.
The rebellious worlds demanded the restoration of democracy and opposed dictatorship.
Artificial intelligence did not suppress the worlds demanding democracy again. Instead, it reclaimed the Final Empire's technology and evacuated loyal citizens from those planets.
They relocated to other worlds.
Kiana Kaslana did not care about the rebellions below. It was only a matter of time.
The universe was vast—countless worlds beyond counting.
There was no need to waste time fighting over a single planet.
If they wanted democracy, she would give them democracy.
But all high technology belonging to her would be taken away. What could not be taken would be destroyed.
Not annihilating the planets outright was already the greatest mercy.
After all, those people might one day become enemies.
Once the artificial intelligence withdrew, the rebellious worlds celebrated wildly for a time—then descended into chaos.
Without an absolute, overwhelming force, no one was willing to submit to anyone else.
They fought over territory and resources.
If they had refrained from fighting and simply relied on the infrastructure, agricultural machines, and factories that Kiana Kaslana had left behind, they could have lived reasonably well.
But human desire would never be satisfied.
Kallen watched as, after hundreds of years following the withdrawal of many AI space fleets, humanity in those abandoned worlds fell into endless internal strife.
Some devolved into apocalyptic wastelands. Others regressed to feudal monarchies. In some places, even cannibalism appeared.
"You went a bit too far, didn't you?" Kallen said.
"That's just how humans are. I didn't do anything," Kiana Kaslana replied with a shrug.
"You…"
Kallen started to speak, then swallowed her words.
Forget it.
In truth, Kiana Kaslana had done nothing more than instruct the artificial intelligence to withdraw whenever large-scale rebellion erupted.
Over one thousand three hundred years, the final centuries had become the darkest and most chaotic era for those forgotten planets.
Looking at the astronomical death toll displayed across the abandoned worlds, Kallen let out a sigh.
Having witnessed the cruelty and darkness of the neighboring human empire, her mental endurance had grown stronger.
In the past, she would never have been able to accept such staggering numbers of deaths.
Now, she was accustomed to it.
It even felt… within acceptable limits.
With Kallen's return, those within the Final Empire who had begun stirring grew quiet once more.
To her slight surprise, Kaguya—that troublesome woman—had behaved herself and caused no chaos.
Using her abilities to check, she discovered that the population of Dream City had grown again.
Still, that was Kiana Kaslana's private matter.
Kallen did not bother to interfere.
"Kallen, want to go out and have some fun with me?" Kiana Kaslana suggested while Kallen rapidly processed imperial affairs.
"Let me finish first. The worlds you abandoned are a complete mess," Kallen replied without looking up.
"You can assign that to any employee."
Kiana Kaslana raised her hand.
Keqing, who had been inspecting work in Liyue, was suddenly transported onto the ship.
"Who are you? Why have you brought me here?"
Keqing stood before Kiana Kaslana.
Just standing in front of this person, she felt an overwhelming pressure, as though she were smaller than an ant.
Even when facing Rex Lapis in the past, she had never felt such a sensation.
What nation's powerhouse is this? Why have they captured me?
Keqing kept her thoughts hidden, not daring to reveal the slightest change in expression.
"There is indeed a small matter we'd like your help with."
"I appreciate your work ethic. Help us handle these tasks."
With a casual gesture from Kiana Kaslana, Kallen's blue holographic interface was transferred in front of Keqing.
Kallen glanced at her. "You're bullying a child a little too much, aren't you?"
"This child believes that human affairs should be handled better by humans. So I'll trouble you to deal with the mess left behind by humanity in other worlds."
"If you do well, there will be a reward."
Kiana Kaslana smiled.
"You're outsiders?"
Otherworldly visitors were not exactly a secret in Teyvat. Keqing sensed that the two before her—and even the surrounding environment—did not belong to this world.
"In a sense. Kallen and I only recently returned to the Imaginary Tree and accidentally jumped here."
Resting her chin in her hand, Kiana Kaslana floated idly in midair.
"What happens if I refuse?"
"Nothing. A beautiful girl like you—I wouldn't hurt you. Don't worry. If you wish to return now, I can send you back."
"…"
Keqing stared at Kiana Kaslana's face.
What kind of test was this?
"Very well. I accept."
She nodded.
"The work is yours. Artificial intelligence will assist you."
"Kallen, let's go."
"Mm."
Kiana Kaslana and Kallen vanished from the bridge.
"They just left?"
Keqing looked around, her gaze settling on the holographic panel before her.
With guidance and instruction from the artificial intelligence, she quickly learned how to operate it.
Why is everything just numbers—and universes?
Keqing could not understand.
She tapped on Universe No. 32, and an even larger list of numbered worlds appeared.
She selected World No. 5342.
Immediately, a broken world unfolded before her eyes.
Streams of information and imagery flooded her mind.
The humans there lived without order—only brutal mutual slaughter and plunder.
Four hundred years ago, when the imperial fleet withdrew from the planet, it had descended into chaos.
To date, war had claimed more than 3.1 billion lives.
Three point one billion people… Did all of Teyvat even have that many?
Keqing found it hard to believe.
Yet she maintained her serious and responsible attitude toward the task.
Reclaim. Destroy. Abandon.
She reviewed the differences among the three options.
Reclaim: dispatch a fleet to retake World 5342.
Destroy: conduct planetary annihilation upon World 5342.
Abandon: allow World 5342 to fend for itself.
Without hesitation, Keqing selected Reclaim.
In Universe No. 32, an imperial fleet in a nearby star system received the highest directive and immediately set sail.
The entire process felt strangely like playing a game.
The Final Empire, which had been declining and stagnant, reignited with vitality and rapidly returned to its former prosperity.
The more Keqing learned about the Empire, the less she believed these universes and worlds were real.
If they were real, then the Empire's territory was absurd beyond imagination.
Weapons that could casually obliterate planets and star systems. Spacecraft soaring across the cosmos through faster-than-light travel, wormholes, star gates, spatial folding, and warp engines.
Keqing had never even imagined a nation could be so powerful.
On Teyvat, not even the most outrageous boasts reached this level.
Is this really just a fictional game?
It is rather interesting.
As she thought this, she continued manipulating the holographic interface.
On planets freed from the God-Emperor's rule, humanity fought one another for power and profit. The decisions made by rulers and leaders fascinated Keqing deeply.
...
Honkai World.
Upon entering the solar system, Kallen noticed that Venus and Mars had been terraformed—yet there were no traces of humanity.
Earth, too, was filled only with human ideals.
"A Honkai world where Project STIGMA succeeded?"
She had seen parallel Honkai worlds before and knew about the various plans humanity of the Previous Era had prepared.
Kevin's Project STIGMA—allowing humanity to live within dreams—was strikingly similar to the Infinite Tsukuyomi of the ninja world, where an entire planet lived in a beautiful illusion.
If there were no external threats, living within a beautiful dream was not entirely bad.
Parallel worlds were simply worlds with different fates.
If nothing unexpected had happened,
Otto must have pushed things too far again.
Kallen believed there were Imaginary Tree Honkai worlds where Otto had succeeded.
But given how unstable his plans always were, there were likely far more parallel worlds where Kiana Kaslana bore the consequences of failure.
Kiana Kaslana was someone favored by the destiny of the Honkai world—the destined Herrscher of Finality. Whether it was the true Kiana Kaslana or K-423.
Floating in Earth's orbit, Kallen glanced toward the Moon.
She knew Kevin was there. But this ancestor of the Kaslana family had never truly cared about the family itself.
As soon as Kiana Kaslana arrived in this world, she vanished—likely to find this world's Kiana Kaslana.
"And what about the one in this world?"
After a moment's thought, Kallen turned her gaze toward Nagazora in the Far East and vanished.
"Who's there?"
Hua stared vigilantly at the suddenly appearing Kallen Kaslana.
"Long time no see, Immortal Phoenix," Kallen said with a smile.
"It's you."
Hua's pupils shrank sharply.
Although she had burned away her past memories, she still recognized Otto's most cherished Kallen.
And Kallen was supposed to be dead.
"Are you a Herrscher?"
Hua noticed Kallen's eyes—the distinctive pattern unique to Herrschers.
Had a Herrscher resurrected Kallen using her corpse?
"Mm. I am Kallen from another Imaginary Tree. In terms you can understand, I am truly Kallen Kaslana from a parallel world—and yes, I am indeed a Herrscher."
Kallen understood Hua's personality. Unless something unusual had altered her, she was fundamentally an honest person—otherwise Otto would not have been able to shoot her so easily.
"What is your relationship with Will of Ruler?" Hua asked.
"What is Will of Ruler?" Kallen tilted her head.
"Will of Honkai."
"Isn't the Will of Honkai your Previous Era's Prometheus No. 17?"
Kallen did not fully understand—but differences between parallel worlds were entirely normal.
"..."
Hua fell silent.
She could sense that this self-proclaimed Kallen from another Imaginary Tree bore no hostility—and did not appear to be lying.
Kallen lifted her gaze toward the sky.
"Was the cosmic passage opened by this world's Kiana Kaslana?"
"You can see it?" Hua asked.
The sky above her looked like nothing but blue skies and white clouds. She could only faintly sense the passage's presence.
"Of course."
The inverted cross pattern in Kallen's eyes shifted.
A massive vortex suddenly manifested in the sky.
"This is a passage leading out of the Imaginary Tree. It seems your world's Kiana Kaslana also ran off to other universes. Though she doesn't appear particularly concerned about you."
"Also?"
Hua froze.
What did she mean—also ran off?
"Nothing. No need to concern yourself with it."
Kallen smiled faintly and looked at Hua.
"You're guarding this place to prevent her from returning to destroy humanity?"
"..."
"There's no need. A Herrscher of Finality Kiana Kaslana capable of leaving the Imaginary Tree wouldn't need even a second to annihilate the entire solar system. There are similar passages on Mars and Venus as well."
"She is not the Herrscher of Finality," Hua said firmly.
"Then how did she leave?"
Kallen frowned slightly.
"Will of Ruler took her away."
Hua did not conceal the truth. She also wished to learn about other Honkai worlds from Kallen.
"Ah… so she was the Herrscher of Finality Kiana Kaslana from another Imaginary Tree."
Kallen nodded in realization.
"No wonder the Cocoon of Finality still remains in your world, yet she left."
"How did you come to our world?" Hua asked.
"There was a small accident during an experiment. We jumped onto the Imaginary Tree of your world."
Kallen scratched her head.
"I don't know the specifics either. When using time-traveling power from outside a world, the results vary. In some worlds, you can travel freely to the past and future. In others, it becomes a jump to a parallel world instead."
"..."
Hua was speechless.
Jumping to parallel worlds? Traveling to the past and future?
Was that truly possible?
Seeing Hua's disbelief, Kallen waved her hand with a smile.
"You can just assume I'm talking nonsense."
She understood.
For someone living in a technologically advanced world without a clear concept of the soul—who had never witnessed all sorts of bizarre metaphysical powers—skepticism was only natural.