Durandal took the leaf, looking at the layer of data-like halos lingering upon it: "Is this the authority of the Cosmic Juggernaut?"
"Correct. I hope you can use it well." Su nodded. "I also look forward to you being able to scale the high wall that we could not."
"Also, please take note: if you intend to explore the Sea of Quanta, you must be careful of a white-haired youth."
Su knew that after his body departed, the Bubble Universe, having lost its supply of Honkai energy, would inevitably dissipate gradually. Although, that Bubble Universe could never have held Kevin anyway.
If Kevin wanted to come out, given his power, he could have done so at any time. It was only because that Bubble Universe was created and maintained by him that Kevin had not emerged.
But after Su left, the Bubble Universe would gradually weaken. Once Kevin understood the current situation, he would leave that Bubble Universe and find a way to return to the Proper World to execute Project Stigma.
If that Overseer wanted to use the Cosmic Juggernaut for something, such as exploring the Sea of Quanta, Kevin would very likely find a way to hitch a ride.
"A white-haired youth?" Durandal was stunned for a moment, but then nodded solemnly. "I understand."
Su looked at Durandal. "Alright, the things I needed to do are done. You may leave as well. I imagine the people outside must be waiting anxiously for you."
"Senior Su, why not come out with us?" Durandal looked at Su with a face full of confusion. "The outside world is currently in need of manpower like you."
"My time is already short. I am very happy to have met you at the final juncture." Su waved his hand. "I am merely hanging on to my last breath now."
"Senior Su..." Durandal discovered at this moment that the vitality within Su's body had almost reached the point of a lamp running out of oil, a state where it could extinguish in an instant. She clasped her hands together in a salute, looking at Su solemnly.
"I will definitely do my utmost for civilization."
Su nodded. It was normal for Durandal to think this way; after all, from the very beginning, he had been using his ability to influence Durandal's judgment.
After all, thanks to Irene's treatment, he could not be considered to be in a state of running out of oil.
However, as a psychic-type MANTIS wanting to mislead the perception of a junior, it was effortless. Plus, Durandal currently had no wariness toward him.
This kind of perceptual misleading would not harm Durandal, so there was no need to worry too much about being discovered.
"Just do your best, and that is enough." Su sighed. He could still hear Durandal's determination, but was transcending Finality such a simple matter?
If it were truly that simple, there would be no need for future generations to still strive. However...
Su looked at Durandal, then extended his hand, flashing a trace of light as he patted towards her. "Go back. This is the final fortune I give to you."
Durandal did not resist; she merely looked with reverence as she was sent out of the Bubble Universe by Su.
"Nice acting." Irene suddenly popped her head out from behind a tree at this moment. "I didn't expect you, Su, to be a method actor as well."
"Miss Bianka is simply pure-hearted." Su turned his head to look at Irene. "It seems, Miss Irene, that you haven't been slacking off during this time either. You must have learned quite a bit of Pardo's stealth techniques."
"When I watched you hide just now, even I couldn't find where you were for a moment."
"I took the inheritance, and after undergoing so much teaching and usage, it would be impossible not to make some progress, right?" Irene spread her hands, then looked at Su and asked, "But are you really going?"
"Is the answer really that important?"
"If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening." Su sat down cross-legged. After losing the energy supply, the entire Bubble Universe began to gradually wither. The originally lush tree had turned into withered branches in an extremely short time.
"I have pondered that question for fifty thousand years. I must know the answer. I leave the rest to you, Miss Irene. I wish you a smooth journey."
Su closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to gradually disperse. However, he gradually felt an upward force. He didn't know how much time had passed, or if it was merely an instant.
His consciousness touched a certain boundary and penetrated through it. Su opened his eyes, and what filled his vision were the sky full of stars and the endless void.
Irene looked at Su, who had lost his vitality. It appeared Su's soul had already departed. "Really... 'Hear the Dao in the morning, die content in the evening.' What is the use of knowing the answer to this question anyway?"
As Irene spoke, she looked around. There was nothing here suitable to place Su's body, and she couldn't very well carry him on her back. Soon, Irene's gaze locked onto that giant tree which had already begun to wither.
"Seems there's no other choice." Irene walked forward and kicked forcefully, snapping the tree directly. "After all, you accompanied Su for thousands of years. Contribute a little more for him at the end."
Without Su's power and the energy supply of the Cosmic Juggernaut, this tree was now merely an ordinary withered ancient tree.
Irene brought her five fingers together. A layer of Honkai energy quickly climbed onto her hand, condensing into sharp blades, and she began to perform some necessary processing on the tree.
Her physical fitness combined with the blades formed by Honkai energy made her processing exceptionally pleasant. Soon, she had hollowed out a space in the center of the tree sufficient to accommodate Su, and she even polished it slightly.
"Although it's not a coconut tree, it's a tree nonetheless." Irene picked up Su's body, stuffed it into the tree, and covered it with a wooden lid. "It should be considered suitable."
"You can stay together with your tree from now on." As she spoke, Irene waved her hand slightly, and a pitch-black teleportation gate suddenly unfolded to the side. This was the temporary authority Su had left her earlier.
After being used once, everything including usage records and teleportation direction that might expose intelligence would be automatically deleted to prevent being discovered by a certain someone.
Irene carried the coffin into the teleportation gate. The gate closed quickly, and the entire Bubble Universe fell into silence. Presumably, before long, this Bubble Universe would completely dissipate.
Irene carried the coffin roughly processed from withered wood, stepped out of the teleportation gate, and returned to the island where the Elysian Realm was located. She then followed the previous route back into the Elysian Realm, passing through the halo.
Before her footing was even steady, a pink figure greeted her with a fragrant breeze.
"Oh my, my~ Our beautiful Miss Irene has finally returned?" Elysia leaned in with a beaming smile, but her gaze was quickly attracted by the conspicuous wooden coffin on Irene's shoulder.
The smile on Elysia's face retracted slightly, taking on a tone of just the right amount of concern. "Mm? This is... Su's aura? He..."
Elysia still remembered Irene saying earlier that she would bring Su's body over later. It seemed the time represented by 'later' had arrived.
"Mm," Irene put the coffin down gently, patting away non-existent woodchips on her hands, her tone calm. "Senior Su... his consciousness has already departed."
"He said he was going to find an answer he had pondered for fifty thousand years."
A trace of understanding and faint melancholy flashed through Elysia's pink eyes. She sighed softly, her voice remaining gentle but lacking a bit of its usual playfulness.
"Is that so? Then Su will return, right? Did he say anything else?"
"He said, 'If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening.'" Irene repeated Su's words, then added, "However, Senior Su only went to find an answer."
"One day in the future, I think he should return. This body, I think, should still be preserved for him."
Just as Irene's voice fell, the light and shadow to the side fluctuated slightly. Realm Su appeared quietly. He did not say much, merely nodding slightly to Irene, his gaze falling upon that crude wooden coffin.
"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Irene." Realm Su's voice was as peaceful as always, his hand gently caressing the withered wood. "Leave the rest to me."
"It was effortless." Irene waved her hand at Su, who was levitating the coffin aside. Su then disappeared with the coffin to the other side of a teleportation gate. Since she had handed the body to Su, there was no need to worry about the rest.
With this matter concluded, Irene thought to return to Mobius's laboratory as soon as possible to continue her "hellish" biology studies. After all, only in this way could she better understand what creation or decomposition meant.
As everyone knows, Herrschers rely on their brains to understand their Authorities. Although the Authority released by instinct without using the brain is also powerful, the brain is also a very important thing for a Herrscher.
However, just as Irene adjusted the route of the teleportation gate and prepared to step in, the sign of Infinity on the door suddenly transformed into a symbol resembling a raging, burning flame.
Huh? Irene looked at the situation in front of her and tilted her head. Irene naturally recognized the symbol above; it was the Decimation symbol representing Kalpas. But what was this situation?
Irene didn't try to take a detour. It was obvious that Kalpas was likely blocking her path. But why? Could it be that, like before, he didn't want her to contact Mobius?
Unlike that time, when he came out, Kalpas was squatting at the laboratory door, but at that time Kalpas clearly saw her and didn't say much.
She couldn't figure it out. Irene looked at the teleportation gate in front of her. Since Kalpas was blocking the door, there was no other way; she could only go in first and see what exactly Kalpas wanted to do.
Irene passed through the teleportation gate. Before her feet had even stood firm, she felt an astonishing wave of heat. A suffocating sense of oppression lunged at her face from the front like a tsunami.
Kalpas's tall figure stood with his back to her. Under the illumination of the dancing firelight, his mask appeared even more ferocious. Just standing there, he seemed like an active volcano about to erupt.
Kalpas didn't even turn his head. That rough and extremely penetrating voice exploded in Irene's ear, carrying unconcealed anger and a trace of... imperceptible scrutiny?
"Hmph! Dilly-dallying, finally willing to roll over here?!"
Irene looked at Kalpas. "I wonder what Mr. Kalpas wants to do? I don't think I've done anything to make Mr. Kalpas dissatisfied."
And this inquiry seemed to further enrage Kalpas. He spun around violently, his sight beneath the mask burning Irene like substantive flames.
"What? After following that snake and learning for a few days, do you feel your wings have hardened?"
A violent aura rose abruptly with his words, smashing toward Irene like an invisible heavy hammer.
Irene narrowed her eyes slightly. Although the aura was strong, Irene wouldn't be scared by mere presence. Moreover, she was clear that Kalpas definitely wasn't simply looking for trouble.
After all, she hadn't done anything that would make Kalpas insist on picking a fight. Furthermore, if she really had done so, Kalpas would likely have rushed over to beat her up first.
Then, this oppression probably had another meaning. Irene looked at Kalpas, who had his arms crossed. For a moment, Irene seemed to understand something.
Before, he said that the reason for going to study at Mobius's place was to allow herself to grow. And Kalpas, not knowing how to persuade Irene not to have contact with that woman,
Directly wanted to test Irene's ability. If Irene really had sufficient ability, then Kalpas naturally wouldn't say anything more. If she didn't, then Irene probably wouldn't have any good fruits to eat.
However, this wasn't making things difficult, but rather a certain kind of care from Kalpas for her. Although this care was indeed as tall as a mountain, it was most likely a volcano.
"Come, show me your rage." Kalpas looked at Irene, the aura on his body becoming increasingly explosive, and flames even began to ignite on his body. "Prove your ability to me."
"...Very well." Irene finally spoke, her voice calm but carrying an unquestionable firmness. "I also just happened to want to test exactly how much skill [I] have learned."
As she spoke, Irene shouted in her heart: [I'm counting on you, the other 'Me'!]
Red light flashed in Irene's left eye. The original ice-blue pupil quickly transformed into bright red, and the pupil expanded into the shape of a cross in the blink of an eye.
[Coming, coming, my Dear.]
White flowing light attached to Irene's body, and black mist hovered around Irene like a guard. Irene squeezed her palm, and the twin blades from Pardo arrived in Irene's hands through the Mirror Sync skill.
It is worth mentioning that although the biggest limitation of Mirror Sync before was her Honkai energy storage—so much so that she always had to pinch pennies to manifest weapons, and could only create fakes among fakes with half the performance cut off—
It was different now. As a Herrscher, there weren't many in this world who could compare with a Herrscher in Honkai energy reserves. Moreover, she could extract unlimited Honkai energy from the Herrscher Core.
So now, with almost infinite Honkai energy backing her, the power of Mirror Sync could be completely liberated.
Watching Irene's appearance at this moment, the aura on Kalpas's body became increasingly tyrannical. The hands originally crossed over his chest had now been lowered. "Herrscher... Very well. Is this your reliance? Then prove it to me."
"Prove to me that you are worth killing!"
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