Chapter 513

"In short, let's start with my identity. The term 'crystallization' is not a metaphor... I am not human, but a new species brought to this world by the Stigmata Plan. To borrow a classical term, you can call beings like me 'Rigoletto'. You may have encountered enemies who look similar to me in the previous dungeons. They are Archetype Seed, a kind of artificial life that is temporarily in an incomplete state."

Here comes the explanation again. Please, can you stop using this method? The more you use it, the less you understand. Shen Gonglin was about to give up thinking again when Hato walked up to him. It felt like a teacher suddenly appeared in front of a slacker. Shen Gonglin didn't want to listen, but he had no choice but to pretend to be listening attentively.

"Because they have not yet grown into rational beings, they are easily driven by the instinct to reject outsiders. That's why they regarded you as enemies and tried to eliminate you while you were trapped in the labyrinth. After all, the Stigmata Plan is still in its infancy, and even the Stigmata themselves need some time to adapt."

Whether Shen Gonglin understood or not, Mei, who had previously worked at World Serpent and knew the Stigmata Plan best, noticed something amiss and let out a soft laugh as she spoke.

"Heh, you make it sound so easy. But if we only see the whole picture from a small part... the so-called Stigmata Plan is about creating something like you, an existence somewhere between a human and Stigmata?"

Her tone turned sharp. Gentleness was reserved for those she cared about. To the World Serpent, Mei felt she didn't need to be gentle. Was the Stigmata Plan meant to create beings like the woman before her? What exactly did Kevin want to do? The Stigmata Plan was truly a complicated thing.

Chapter 378

"Hmm, that's a very rational judgment. Indeed, that's true. As expected of Mei. However... as a product of the Stigmata Plan, we are actually a means, not an end. Simply put, we are just like humans, merely a vessel of civilization. However... that's a bit too abstract. Let me explain it to you with some examples."

Yuto gave Mei an approving look, then touched her lips, pondering how to explain things in a way that would make them understand better. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, the girl ran off quickly. Watching her retreating figure, Shen Gonglin and the others hesitated for a moment, wondering whether they should follow. They had suddenly encountered World Serpent executive here, and although the executive didn't seem particularly hostile, no one knew what her true purpose was.

"Let's follow her first. No matter what, we'll only know what she's planning to do once we catch up. That's our only option right now."

Bronya said softly, "We originally decided to rescue the Class President to fight Kevin, but now neither the Class President nor Kevin is here. The only thing we can do is follow Yu Tu. We should be able to get more answers to the questions between the Stigmata and humanity from her."

Bronya was right. The four of them followed Yuto's footsteps and caught up. Not far away, Yuto had stopped. Standing next to her was an opponent who had fought against Li Sushang and the others before. In Yuto's words, they were the undeveloped prototypes of the prototypes, the so-called Archetype Seed.

As soon as they approached Yu Tu, a strange conversation suddenly popped into their minds. What was that voice...?

Before the Stigmata Plan is fully completed, humanity still has a chance to end it and find a better alternative.

This idea is utterly absurd, like trying to teach ants on a flat surface to prove the Poincaré conjecture!

What is Poincaré? The one who brought me into this world doesn't know. And... since you already possess knowledge and wisdom inherited from humanity, why compare yourself to an ant?

Humanity can't defeat anything... and neither can we. That's the only thing they taught me.

[It seems the ideals you inherited have endured too many sorrowful events... It's alright. The fact that we can converse like this demonstrates that humanity can ultimately break free from its predetermined path and destiny... So can we. Before the Stigmata Plan is fully completed, humanity still has a chance to end it and find a better alternative.]

These words kept repeating in the minds of Shen Gonglin and the others. Was this... a conversation in the spiritual world? Kiana rubbed her head. From their conversation, she could tell that they, those voices, might be...

"It's less of a conversation and more of a recurring theme..."

Bronya rubbed her temples, her head throbbing from the noise. Those sounds must be... the Stigmata?

"Yes. After all, they are merely Archetype Seed, and in essence, they cannot create new ideas. Like... ah, let's leave that example for later."

Yuto smiled and said that this way of speaking made Bronya very concerned. It was difficult to get information out of her. For example, the example she mentioned just now was very important to Bronya, but now she was not talking about it. It was really... Bronya could understand what Shen Gonglin was talking about all day long. The Riddler was really annoying.

Bronya hates it when people only say half of what they mean.

The emotionless girl crossed her arms and stared at Yuto, but her scrutinizing gaze did not make Yuto feel uncomfortable in the slightest. As if unaware of Bronya's resentment, the World Serpent executive responded somewhat playfully.

"But I also hate letting things slip or being tricked into revealing information."

Well, that's a really high-class response. Yu Tu is clearly telling them that she is indeed hiding something from them and has no intention of telling them.

"Phew... Can you tell me openly where these sounds are coming from?"

It felt like she had returned to the state of first entering the Elysian Realm. Mei had always been wary of this Yuto, or rather, she needed to be wary of everyone in the World Serpent except for Raven. This World Serpent executive, whom she had never dealt with before, had too many suspicious points about him.

"Hmm. Even though we've never met before, Mei, who was once a member of World Serpent, is definitely more reasonable."

After ending her eye contact with Bronya, Yuto said meaningfully, "You said Mei is more reasonable. Doesn't that mean Bronya is unreasonable?" As soon as she said this, Bronya's face turned even uglier. This girl is really annoying. She is clearly the most reasonable person.

"These voices are collected from the dreams of humans, that is, from the humans already absorbed by the Stigmata Plan. Since you are interested, shall I show you some more?"

As she spoke, Yu Tu waved her hand, and the other voice once again resounded in Kiana and the others' heads, but this time the content had changed.

Humanity will eventually perish, just as we are witnessing. Flame-Chaser, Divine Key ... all the struggles are nothing more than adding a eulogy before the coffin lid falls on the race.

But civilization will not die... As the Lord said, this was the original intention behind the Stigmata Plan.

Do you know about the London fire that claimed tens of thousands of lives? That's the last memory I inherited from its perpetrators. I beg you, don't let me remain here carrying that memory.

I understand that kind of pain... or rather, that's precisely why I'm here. Please accept the Stigmata Plan and confront your sins with me.

Only by watering it with one's own blood and tears can the cracks in one's soul be somewhat mended... This is not hypocrisy, but rather a way to allow one's soul to find peace.

The voices in their minds gradually faded away, but the girls' expressions were somewhat complicated. None of them spoke, while Shen Gonglin rubbed her head, looking somewhat displeased. "These voices really give me a very uncomfortable feeling. But the London fire... Bronya, give me an encyclopedia entry."

Calling upon the knowledgeable Bronya, Shen Gonglin only has a vague recollection of the London fire, which she stumbled upon while being coerced by Einstein into learning various subjects. Bronya will have to explain the specifics of the events.

Chapter 379 Threatening You

"Regarding the fire... Bronya remembers that there was indeed a great fire in London in history, but that must have happened several hundred years ago."

As expected, Bronya did know about that matter, but as she said, it happened hundreds of years ago. Yet, descriptions of it could be heard in conversations among the Archetype Seed, which was quite thought-provoking.

"Yes. For the Stigmata Plan, the information about civilizations it can capture is not limited to the present. All history and culture... as long as it is a civilization created by humankind, has the potential to become nourishment for the Stigmata. Doesn't that sound a bit like something else you're familiar with?"

Yuuto offered an explanation, her gaze fixed on Bronya throughout. The meaning of "the other thing" was obvious, and Bronya knew what she was referring to—a familiar "other thing"—undoubtedly referring to the power of the Herrscher of Reason.

Strange... She seems to harbor some inexplicable feelings towards the Herrscher of Reason?

Bronya wasn't sure if she was overthinking it, but she really felt that this Feathered Rabbit seemed to have some profound thoughts about the Herrscher of Reason, which she just couldn't understand.

"You may have collected many fragments of human consciousness. But there's something I've been very puzzled by from the beginning... Why can a project like the Stigmata Plan be used to fight against the Finality?"

Unable to understand the purpose behind what the other party was doing, Mei asked the fundamental question: how could collecting information about civilizations and having the Stigmata and humans "exchange homes" be based on any principle that could fight against the Finality? She simply couldn't understand it.

"Ah...you misunderstood, Mei. Strictly speaking, the Stigmata Plan is not a method to fight against the Finality ...the end it can reach can be called embracing and transcending the Finality."

Well, Yuto's explanation made the already confusing situation even more complicated for Shen Gonglin. Feeling dizzy, Shen Gonglin gave up thinking again. He leaned against Kiana, closed his eyes, and rested. Rather than thinking about these things, he might as well lie down for a while. Anyway, they would understand these theoretical concepts.

Embrace, and transcend the Finality?

Mei on her hand, deep in thought. She had indeed heard this kind of statement before, but that was all. These people always liked to complicate simple things, as if making others understand them immediately would make them seem uncultured.

"Oh dear, Mei seems to have heard this idea somewhere before. Speaking of which, as warriors fighting against the Honkai, you must be curious about where the Finality from, right? Although my Lord would like to communicate with you about this in his own way... knowing some of the story beforehand is probably not a bad thing."

Noticing Mei's expression, Yuto seemed to want to explain the meaning of the Finality, which made Kiana interrupt. Although she always said that she wanted to fight against the Finality, Kiana had always been somewhat ambiguous about the meaning of the Finality.

"You mean... World Serpent knows the origins of the Herrscher of Finality?"

"Of course. After all, we are the successors of the Flame-Chasers."

In response to Kiana's question, Yuto gave an affirmative answer. The girl nodded as if she was thinking about something, and finally slapped her palm and nodded.

"However... to tell this story, we'll need to go to another place. Remember to keep up!"

As they were talking, Yuto suddenly pointed in the direction ahead, and then the girl floated away. Her fleeting figure was just like her name, swift as a rabbit. Was there something that had to be said in that place? Just like the decision made earlier, Shen Gonglin and the others had no choice but to follow.

"Phew, this road... it's so high! Who built this road? It's so hard to walk on."

Following the direction Yuto had gone, Shen Gonglin and the others followed. However, as they stepped onto the high platform, Shen Gonglin, her calves trembled. If she fell, she would surely be reduced to ashes. She had to be careful... But why did her legs feel increasingly unresponsive?

"Be careful, we don't know what dangers lie ahead, we can't afford to have any problems here."

Mei grabbed Shen Gonglin by the collar and pulled this guy who was always courting death back. Only when she held his wrist tightly did Mei feel relieved. This height was simply a dead end for Shen Gonglin, but this guy who was afraid of heights kept wanting to look down. No one could save him, right?

"Shen Gonglin, you can hold my hand. No matter what happens, I will protect you."

Kiana grabbed Shen Gonglin's other hand. Just as Shen Gonglin was about to break free from their grasp to see how high it was, Kiana quietly leaned close to his ear and whispered something like that.

"Don't you dare shake off my hand, or I'll call you Dad in front of them both and say you forced me to... Be a good girl and I'll call you Dad later."

When Shen Gonglin Shen Gonglin heard this, her eyes widened. Shouldn't this be the kind of thing she used to threaten her? It felt like she was the one threatening her... But when she thought about the disdainful looks Mei and Bronya might give her, she felt helpless. As the leader of Schicksal, Shen Gonglin still had to consider her image.

Why does Shen Gonglin listen to Kiana so much?

Seeing Shen Gonglin obediently listening to her, Bronya and Mei were incredibly surprised. This guy weighed over 100 pounds and had a rebellious streak of over 90 pounds. Getting him to listen was harder than climbing to heaven. To get him to study properly, Einstein even resorted to coercion and bribery to sacrifice himself. But what was wrong with him this time? As soon as Kiana spoke to him, he actually listened to her. Why was that?

Hmph, isn't this young lady amazing?

Noticing the gazes of her two companions, Kiana felt incredibly proud. Although calling him "Dad" was embarrassing, the special treatment she received was definitely worth enjoying. See? Shen Gonglin had a special relationship with her; he was willing to listen to her. Kiana was so proud of herself that she had to put her hands on her hips for a while.

No, there's definitely something wrong, Shen Gonglin... You need to step up your game! You can't just treat Kiana differently; that would be favoritism.

The two girls were puzzled and couldn't understand it, so they could only swallow their anger for the time being. Why was Kiana treated so specially? What was wrong with them?

Chapter 380 Not Entering Reincarnation

Bronya and Mei had different thoughts. They really didn't know why Shen Gonglin was listening to Kiana so much this time. Could it be that they had reached some important deal? Judging from Kiana's happy and cheerful appearance, there must be a problem, but what exactly was it?

The girls were completely baffled, and so, with those unspoken questions in mind, the four of them followed Yu Tu's footsteps. The mysterious white-clad girl was waiting for them in front of a deep pit. Hearing the footsteps approaching, the girl turned around and spoke as if she had been waiting for a long time.

"Welcome to the Finality Crater... Hmm, if I had been waiting here from the beginning, could I have greeted you with lines like this?"

She told a lame joke that even she couldn't laugh at, and this way of greeting... Kiana and the others were reminded of what happened when Domination Theater. Fortunately, Yuu didn't dwell on it too much, and the girl quickly moved on to her own story. Looking at the deep pit in front of her, the girl recounted the past of this place. This was once the stage where generations of civilizations fought to the death for their own destiny... Humanity failed time and time again, and cycled through countless reincarnations. Countless different wills created similar fates, and in the end, they all froze here.

"Kiana Kaslana. Bronya Zaychek. Raiden Mei. And... Shen Gonglin. As Herrscher, how fortunate yet tragic it is that you can avoid reincarnation."

Suddenly making such a sigh, Yu Tu turned to look at the people in front of her. As Herrscher, they did not have to use the cycle of reincarnation like those who followed one after another. But whether this treatment was a blessing or a curse was really hard to define.

"... Reincarnation? What does that mean? Please explain."

Despite already having some deductions in her mind, Mei still wanted Yuto to explain this statement. Could Herrscher transcend the things that should befall all of humanity?

"Hmm. The cycle of the world, destruction and rebirth, haven't you also gathered some information? If it weren't for someone cutting the thread of fate 50,000 years ago, this so-called cycle would continue to play out on Earth."

Yuto said this, and Mei already understood who she was referring to: Elysia, who only appears once every 50,000 years... She was indeed an extremely special being, but unfortunately, the chances of her appearing were too small. Would she ever be able to see her again?

"But even if the threads are broken... as long as humanity cannot completely coexist with the Honkai, the energy of the Imaginary Number will continue to flow into the Cocoon of Finality, catalyzing the emergence of new Herrscher of Finality."

Standing before the Finality Crater, gazing at the ruins before her, Yu Tu slowly uttered these somewhat desperate words: The Herrscher of Finality will be resurrected; this is a foregone conclusion. As long as the conflict between humanity and the Honkai remains unresolved, this is bound to happen.

"But then, if we destroy that Cocoon of Finality..."

Kiana raised this possibility. According to her, the energy of imaginary numbers gathering into the Cocoon of Finality will catalyze the creation of a new Herrscher of Finality. So, if they could destroy the Cocoon of Finality and eliminate it before the Herrscher of Finality appears, wouldn't that prevent such a thing from happening?

Isn't this the kind of setup in many games? Even though you usually don't manage to destroy anything in the end, you still have to face the boss.

"The World Serpent would also like to do that. But that's impossible, Kiana. After all... to see the Cocoon of Finality, you would most likely need to possess the Power of Finality yourself. In particular, for you, Kiana ... that means you yourself would have to become the Herrscher of Finality."

Yu Tu smiled and shook her head. If this could be done so easily, then World Serpent wouldn't have not tried this method until now. There is only one way to see the Seed of the Finality, and that is to possess the Power of Finality. If Kiana becomes the Herrscher of Finality, she will be able to see the Cocoon of Finality.

"But... how is that possible?"

Her words silenced the girls, but then Yuto changed the subject. She sighed softly, seemingly unconcerned about the impact her words had had on them. Yuto looked at Kiana, as if she were looking at them all, and then turned to the Finality.

That's very difficult.

"Discussing the Finality is like discussing death... No one can return from the afterlife, and we can't discuss what the experience of death itself is like. But if we use this metaphor, then the World Serpent is redefining death. Let's go, we can talk as we walk. You must be getting bored of just sitting here giving a dry lecture, right?"

With her finger touching her lips, Yuto continued walking forward on her own. The girls exchanged glances and slowly followed behind her. This time, Shen Gonglin really listened to what Yuto had just said. Redefining death? And the Herrscher of Finality... This feels like the opposite of Elysia's Origin Herrscher. Origin and Finality?

I memorized this seemingly important information. These people don't like to speak plainly; you have to guess what they're thinking. Also, the background of this Feathered Rabbit is intriguing. Does the World Serpent breed traitors? They should be considered an opposing organization, with Miss Natasha being an exception, but this Feathered Rabbit... why do I always feel that she has some special feelings for Bronya and Kiana?

I can't figure it out.

"Although I said those things just now... in truth, my words about death were nothing more than arrogant self-righteousness. While I can indeed walk between dreams and reality, I do not possess the ability to transcend time and space to witness the full truth. Just like the Finality remnants on this moon, turned into ordinary rocks, it will never awaken again because of the Lord, and everything you all bear... And my ability to escape from the vast Stigmata Space and appear here and now is also thanks to the path paved for me by a senior."

Having revealed why she was there, why she had added the World Serpent, and why she was the "instigator" of all this, Yutu sighed softly. As if she had thought of something, Yutu gazed at Bronya and let out a barely audible sigh.

Chapter 381 Fairness and Justice

Senior? Who is this senior who brought Yuto here?

Bronya shook her head. There were just too many suspicious things about this person, and it would be a very troublesome thing to figure them out one by one. Right now, it was better to focus on processing the intelligence they needed.

"Compared to the seniors you mentioned, Bronya is probably more concerned about something else. You said that the enormous, statue-like Finality is no longer awakening because of what Kevin and we are carrying. What do you mean by that?"

Bronya raised this question with Yutu, hoping she could provide an explanation, as it was very important and would help them handle the following matters.

"Hmm... If you are the anchor points in the ocean, then the Stigmata Plan behind the Lord represents this vast sky. You are grounded, while the Stigmata is ethereal... But the problem we all ultimately need to solve is exactly the same. Ah, if you also feel that my analogy is too heavy, then we can also look at the problem from another perspective."

Here it comes again, another metaphor that seems to make things even harder to understand. As soon as Shen Gonglin heard Yuto speak, he felt uncomfortable. Shouldn't a metaphor make things easier to understand? But why did he feel like he understood less and less? Since arriving on the moon, there have been many things that Shen Gonglin doesn't understand. He just wants to kill as soon as possible. Let whoever wants to have a headache have a headache.

"I'm sorry, but these things really need to be explained this way. Please bear with me for a moment... The birth of the rational form is not the fundamental purpose of the World Serpent. It is merely a life form suitable for crossing the Finality... to carry on the civilization created by humans in the past."

Sensing Shen Gonglin's growing impatience, Yuto nodded apologetically. These matters were far too complicated, and even though she wanted to explain them in the simplest terms, it wasn't an easy task.

"You mean... the World Serpent hasn't found a way for ordinary people to directly transcend the Finality?"

Perhaps because she had spent so much time in the Elysian Realm, Mei's ability to understand this kind of storytelling was significantly better than Shen Gonglin's. She had been silently memorizing all the information. After hearing Yuto's account, Mei also made her own deductions about the situation. The World Serpent's fundamental purpose was not to facilitate the birth of the rational form. So, the World Serpent did not find a way for ordinary people to transcend the Finality. Then, what about those people who were sleeping in the Stigmata Plan...?

"You can understand it that way. After all, if we could even do that... then why would we all gather on this desolate moon, fighting each other for our own different kinds of justice?"

Yu Tu nodded slowly. If the World Serpent could enable ordinary people to surpass the Finality, then the Stigmata Plan would undoubtedly be a successful and perfect plan. In that case, they wouldn't need to have the "final battle" on the moon. As mentioned before, the Stigmata Plan was the worst plan ever.

"... From the perspective of subverting humanity and destroying life, you are no different from the Iron-Pulling of the Finality."

Ultimately, it still comes down to this: Kiana must do everything in her power to stop the Stigmata Plan. With her arms crossed, Kiana said mercilessly to the World Serpent executive in front of her, "The Stigmata Plan, a plan that sacrifices so many ordinary people to achieve its goals, has never aligned with Kiana's aesthetics."