Chapter 308
But who could approach him so quietly? Could it be that Pardo has returned?
Hua subconsciously turned her head to the side, then couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Ai Yue stood beside her, holding a large black umbrella that seemed out of place in this era.
"You've worked hard." Seeing the girl's surprised expression, Ai Yue smiled slightly and tilted the umbrella a little more towards her, "You've done very well these past few days, Hua."
Upon hearing this, Hua blinked hard. The girl, who had been diligently implementing the plan and maintaining a calm and reliable demeanor in charge of the overall situation, suddenly felt an urge to throw herself into the other person's arms.
She had scrutinized her plan countless times, and had even harbored some resentment towards Ai Yue. She had even thought that once it was all over, she would pour out her grievances to him. But after seeing his familiar smile, all those emotions vanished, leaving only the most primal impulse.
Although she finally managed to control herself, she couldn't stop a few tears from welling up in her eyes. To avoid appearing too overwhelmed, the girl turned her head slightly and squeezed out a syllable from her nose to reply, "Mmm."
Ai Yue didn't expose the girl's reserve, but simply stood silently to the side, waiting for her to recover from her intense emotions.
After a moment, the girl, having calmed down again, looked at Ai Yue and asked, "Are you alright, Mr. Ai Yue?"
Compared to her own situation, she was clearly more concerned about Ai Yue's condition. Although seeing him appear in human form was enough to prove that Ai Yue's condition had improved a lot, she still wanted to get a definite answer from him.
"Great, even better than before." Ai Yue smiled. "The problem with the Sea of Quantum has also been resolved, so we don't have to worry about being attacked from both sides anymore."
"I knew you would do it." Hua smiled, because she had never worried about this. "So, what are your plans next?"
"Next..." Ai Yue looked thoughtfully at the gradually dissipating dark clouds, "Next, we can prepare for the most crucial part of the plan."
Chapter Fourteen: The Otto Development Plan
A moment later, everyone regrouped at the Observer Center and was delighted to see that Ai Yue had regained control of his body.
Pardofelis, in particular, simply clung to Ai Yue and refused to get down no matter what.
However, the fact that only Kiana, Hua, Pardofelis, Kevin, and Seele were present still surprised Ai Yue.
He vividly remembered that when he handed over the plan to Kiana and the other two, he had practically summoned all Thirteen Flame-Chasers. At first, he didn't sense them and assumed they were all like Kevin, staying behind in another world. But now, it seemed they really weren't there.
"Everyone has gone back for the time being, because the current situation doesn't require that many people, so I've adopted a shift system," Hua explained. "The World Serpent has already begun to take shape during this period, and we've also taken in many promising modern people as our core team. In addition, with the inventions of Vill-V and the others, there have been basically no mistakes."
"In addition, the United Earth Government also provided a great deal of assistance," Kevin added. "They gathered a group of scholars from various fields to reconstruct the general development and changes of the Post-Civilization based on the information provided by Kiana, and put forward many valuable suggestions based on this."
"Sounds pretty good." Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, seemingly pleased with the United Earth Government's reaction. "It seems these guys have made some progress; all my efforts to teach them by example haven't been in vain."
Upon hearing this, Kevin couldn't help but show a strange smile, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
If Ai Yue were to return to Earth now, he would know that the United Earth Government has not just made some progress—it's driven almost mad with the desire to make progress.
The United Earth Government has discussed Ai Yue's decision to help another civilization continue, but the central question remains: will this newly emerged civilization take away Ai Yue's protection of them?
Now, no one doubts just how exaggerated Ai Yue's existence has been in advancing civilization. It is precisely because of this that the Terran Alliance feels a sense of crisis regarding this newly emerging civilization.
If things had gone according to human practice, during the time Ai Yue was missing, some people might have already started making foolish moves. But perhaps it was Ai Yue's existence that truly had a positive guiding effect on the Terran Alliance civilization. Therefore, under the leadership of several key figures, the Terran Alliance finally decided to extend a helping hand to this future ally.
However, according to Dr. Mei, the real purpose of the vast majority of the Terran Alliance is not to help the Post-Civilization, but to express their loyalty to Ai Yue in this way, in order to prove that the Pre-Civilization will follow in Ai Yue's footsteps and develop.
If it weren't for the fact that the plan to reshape the timeline was too ambitious, and the mechanism of the Cocoon of Finality restricted the possibility of high-tech forces entering the field, Ai Yue might even be seeing the Terran Alliance people here providing technical assistance.
However, since Dr. Mei had repeatedly instructed him not to tell Ai Yue about these things, Kevin naturally didn't say anything more—although he felt that he probably couldn't keep such things from the other party anyway.
And that was indeed the case. Although Ai Yue was not clear about the details, he believed he had a good understanding of human nature. While the Terran Alliance civilization was indeed evolving in a positive direction under the influence of many factors, it was still wishful thinking to expect it to have such a high level of awareness in a short period of time.
But whatever the purpose, a good deed is a good deed. Starting with such exchanges is always better than mutual hostility, isn't it?
As for the future, with him around, nothing will go wrong.
"In conclusion, with the biggest loophole plugged, we can now move on to the next stage of the plan."
After briefly understanding the situation, Ai Yue got down to business.
Upon hearing this, the others also showed serious expressions, especially Hua, who remembered that Ai Yue had told her that the next step was the most crucial part of the plan.
But thinking about it carefully, whether it was creating the world with the power of the Imaginary Tree before, or filling the flaws in the world's laws now to make it able to resist the invasion of external forces, these can all be said to be factors that can determine the success or failure of the entire plan. If these are not the most crucial in Ai Yue's eyes, then what kind of difficult task will follow?
One day in the 15th century, in the church hospital in the Kolosten Town, a man dressed in a bishop's robe stood silently in the corridor.
His face was resolute, and he looked to be around forty years old. Although he was wearing a rather loose robe, the outline of a man's body could still be faintly revealed, which meant that he was by no means just an office worker.
Indeed, that is the case—this man named Nicholas Apocalypse is the supreme ruler of the Schicksal, which now controls the entire European region. As an organization whose mission is to fight against the Honkai, its ruler naturally cannot be a weakling who cannot even kill a chicken.
Therefore, although Nikolaus was born into the Apocalypse Family, one of the three great families of Schicksal, known for its "wisdom," he was able to stand out among his many brothers through his own strength.
Strength has always been the top priority for the Schicksal in selecting talent.
At this moment, he is awaiting the birth of his child, and his calm demeanor clearly indicates that this is not his first child.
As the ward door opened, the midwife responsible for the delivery came out, wiping away sweat. "Your Excellency, mother and child are safe—it's a boy."
When she said this, her tone was somewhat subtle, as if she was concealing some crucial information.
This subtle emotion did not escape Nicholas's notice. He frowned slightly, then spoke in a low voice, "What's the problem? Speak freely."
"This..." The other person hesitated, then simply stepped aside to allow Nicholas to enter the ward. "You should see for yourself."
Nicholas didn't dwell on it. Instead, he strode into the ward, first comforting his weak wife before turning his attention to the newborn beside him.
At a glance, he knew why the midwife looked so troubled; the baby was simply too small and thin.
In this era, children who are too thin and small will have a hard time growing up.
Fortunately, as the Bishop of Schicksal, he had the means to protect him until he grew up. However, such a frail child had already lost the right to compete for the position of bishop from the moment he was born.
Compared to Nicholas, Sabrese Schatten, as a mother, was much more genuine. She turned her head with great effort, looking at her child with loving eyes, then smiled with delight, "Look, Nick, this child's eyes are exactly like yours!"
"Yes," Nicholas nodded in agreement, a thoughtful expression on his face, "Let's call him Otto Apocalypse."
Unbeknownst to him, when he uttered that name, somewhere outside the hospital, another group of people breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright, at least there are no deviations here."
On a mountain outside the Kolosten Town, Ai Yue, who was directly monitoring the scene through the Observer Center's capabilities, breathed a sigh of relief, "I knew it, this guy isn't so easily influenced."
After saying that, he waved his hand to dispel the scene before him. "Alright, let's go. We can come back in a few years."
"That's it?" Hua, standing behind him, looked astonished. "Mr. Ai Yue, is this the most important part of the plan you mentioned?"
Otto Apocalypse —although Hua had never met this man before, she already knew about his actions from Kiana's accounts.
It can be said that Kiana and the others' suffering all stems from this person who has only just been born. However, from a rational and objective perspective, Hua must also admit that Otto's existence does have its positive value—in fact, if evaluated carefully, Otto's merits outweigh his demerits.
But that didn't stop Hua from wanting to stay away from this guy.
Besides, is simply confirming whether the other person was born normally really that crucial?
Compared to Hua, Kiana, who had suffered Otto's torment before, was much more agitated. In fact, if Ai Yue and Hua hadn't been there, and if Kiana herself hadn't known that Otto's presence was inevitable, she probably would have done something irrational.
But Kiana ultimately restrained herself—because she also wanted to know what Ai Yue was planning to do.
Instead of answering the question directly, Ai Yue asked in return, "Hua, what do you think is the key to the plan's success?"
Hua paused for a moment, then looked thoughtful. "A clear and feasible solution?"
"No, the most crucial thing is actually having enough hardworking and dedicated people." Ai Yue smiled. "Without people to execute the plan, even the most reasonable scheme cannot become reality. And as outsiders to this timeline, we ultimately cannot interfere with it too much, so we must find reliable people to complete the plan for us."
"So, you chose Otto?" Hua frowned. "Forgive my bluntness, but given his later personality traits, he might not be considered a reliable choice."
For someone with a deep-seated cunning, obsessive personality, and exceptional intelligence and drive, the things they are capable of doing to achieve their goals are truly unimaginable—they don't even care about their own lives, so how could such a person possibly care about the world?
Not to mention that Otto occupies an extremely important position in the timeline of the next five hundred years. If someone were to interfere with the life of such a person, wouldn't it cause unimaginable interference to the timeline?
"Don't worry, it's not as dramatic as you think." Ai Yue naturally understood Hua's concerns. "Perhaps I wouldn't have done something like this before, but now... the timeline is also under my control."
As part of the world's rules, the timeline is naturally under Ai Yue's control. Before, he could only indirectly make minor adjustments, and in most cases, he let the timeline use its own characteristics to heal itself. But now, this approach is clearly no longer sufficient for Ai Yue's needs.
From Hua's perspective, interfering in Otto's life was already a very risky thing, but for Ai Yue, it was just an experiment.
If the experiment succeeds, he may be able to do even more outrageous things.
Hua was completely unaware of Ai Yue's thoughts, but she also understood that she was utterly clueless in this area. Rather than worrying unnecessarily, it was more reliable to simply trust Ai Yue.
As for Kiana, after Ai Yue whispered something in her ear, the girl, who was initially hesitant, immediately agreed, and even showed a slight smile on her face.
And so, twelve years passed quickly.
Protected by the financial resources and scientific expertise of the Schicksal, Otto survived despite his frail health. Although his weak constitution prevented him from becoming a warrior like his older siblings, he was able to live a comfortable life thanks to the protection of his family.
Although he couldn't participate in the soldiers' training, Otto found something he loved. His father's study was filled with many interesting books, but he preferred those that were somewhat obscure and difficult for children to understand, rather than storybooks.
Using the knowledge he gained from the book, Otto invented many interesting gadgets, adding a bit of fun to his otherwise dull life.
However, as a child who was weak and sickly, he could not help but suffer some exclusion and criticism, especially when others were training hard while he was able to rest comfortably, which naturally attracted even more indifferent looks.
Therefore, as Otto excitedly watched his invention, a small ornithopter, take off, a sudden pebble easily broke its wing, causing it to wobble and fall to the other side of the wall.
That was his elder brother's disdain for these "strange skills and tricks." In their eyes, a sickly child like Otto should stay quietly in the house and not run around getting in their way.
Otto, who had long since grown tired of this exclusion, paid no heed to the ridicule. All he wanted now was to scale the wall and reclaim the invention he had worked so hard to create.
Unfortunately, this wall, less than three meters high, was like an insurmountable chasm for the frail Otto. No matter how hard he tried, his hands and legs were covered in wounds, he could not climb over it.
However, at that moment, the ornithopter that should have crashed flew back from the other side of the wall and landed in front of Otto.
The boy picked up his artwork with a blank expression, then felt a shadow loom over him.
He looked up and saw a figure that had appeared at the top of the wall, looking down at him.
His face was backlit, making it impossible to see clearly, but the smile at the corner of his mouth seemed even warmer than the sunlight.
"The design is too immature, and the craftsmanship is also very rough, but it's already quite good for a child."
Otto stared blankly as the other person vaulted over the wall and jumped down, instinctively clutching the ornithopter to his chest. "You, who are you?"
"Someone who can teach you more."
Seeing Otto's reaction, Ai Yue's expression softened even more.
Kiana, watching this scene from afar, couldn't help but whisper to Hua beside her, "Why do I feel that Teacher Ai Yue's expression right now... is a little frightening in a way that's hard to describe?"
"Although I really don't want to say this," Hua replied in a helpless tone, "Mr. Ai Yue looks like some kind of kidnapper right now."
Chapter Fifteen: You brat, I'm going to correct you!
Ai Yue's plan was simple: to exploit Otto's psychological weaknesses and thoroughly manipulate him... I mean, control him.
Ultimately, there are very few born villains in the world, at least Otto doesn't belong to that category—for him as a child, what he longed for most was simply recognition.
In the original timeline, Kallen gave him this recognition, so Otto devoted all his kindness to her, even though he knew very well that it was not love, and he was willing to give everything to create a parallel world where she could survive.
If that's the case, what if someone else gave him that recognition and provided him with proper education and guidance? Would things turn out differently?
"But won't doing this change the existing timeline?" Kiana asked. "What we're actually trying to do is maintain the original timeline to align with the 'present,' right?"
"Guiding only one person is unlikely to truly change anything," Hua said. "The course of time is the result of multiple factors, and even if Otto is exceptional, he cannot change things by himself."
"So, Professor Ai Yue's plan might not succeed?" Kiana nodded, seemingly understanding. "But changing someone's fate on a small scale shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Hua fell silent this time and did not respond.
Before personally taking over the project, Hua had always been concerned about the timeline's so-called "self-healing ability." In addition, Ai Yue made so many changes, such as replacing the Stigmata Project with the Power of Light and making extensive modifications to the Honkai Beast by relying on Elysia's authority. It was obviously impossible that it would have no impact on the timeline.
But in reality, this level of change cannot cause the timeline to become disordered. Not to mention the large-scale collapse and disruption caused by the continuation of the Pre-Civilization, even small-scale chaos has not occurred.
Although Otto will be the most powerful person on the planet for the next five hundred years, that will be due to various factors: the failure of the Church of Schicksal Church, the expansion of the power of the European Union Parliament, the power struggles within the Apocalypse Family... If all of these factors remain unchanged, the outcome is still hard to predict.
Furthermore, although Otto ultimately chose to become the Bishop of Schicksal because of Kallen's death, according to the clues provided by Kiana, Otto also experienced a period of disillusionment during this time, and subsequently concealed his identity to become an ordinary priest.
If it weren't for the fact that Schicksal later became so corrupt that people raised the banner of sainthood to rebel, he might have spent the rest of his life as an ordinary priest.
But this only further confirmed Hua's point of view, so she always had a subtle feeling about Ai Yue's plan.
Was Ai Yue truly only intending to guide Otto onto the right path, thus selecting a useful ox or horse for his own plans?
Otto was unaware that two other people were discussing their futures not far away. At that moment, he was staring intently at the strange man who had suddenly appeared in front of him, pondering the man's words.
Ai Yue wasn't in a hurry; he simply leaned against the wall and waited for the other party's response.
After a moment, Otto mustered his courage and looked up at Ai Yue: "You just said it's rough, is that right?"
As he spoke, he handed the ornithopter to Ai Yue: "Could you elaborate?"
What's going on? Are they testing me now?
You didn't treat Kallen this way back then!
Seeing Otto's reaction, Ai Yue was speechless, but he wouldn't argue with a child. He could only sigh that the relationship between the two wouldn't be so easily broken.
However, this was within his expectations. After all, a strange adult male is indeed less likely to win people's favor than a white-haired loli.
So Ai Yue squatted down and carefully explained the defects to the other party, "The material you chose is too brittle and cannot withstand stronger forces. Moreover, the hand-polishing is not meticulous enough, and the weight of the two wings is different, so the plane always tilts when it flies, making it easy to crash..."
Otto listened attentively, then raised a few questions that had puzzled him the previous night, all of which Ai Yue answered one by one. The two of them squatted by the wall and chatted around the small ornithopter for a long time until someone came looking for them, finally ending the conversation.