Chapter 317
"Of course not." Kallen shook her head. "But I will try my best to keep an eye on you and prevent you from going that far—so you can't do anything strange behind my back, okay?"
Kallen knew very well that she couldn't forgive the person who had been hurt, so all she could do was stop everything before it happened.
"What if all of this has already happened?" Otto blurted out instinctively, then quickly added, realizing he'd let something slip, "Of course, I mean, what if."
"Then let me share your sins," Kallen said without hesitation. "Let's work together to atone for this sin. Two people are always more efficient than one, right?"
Noticing Otto's expression, Kallen added, "Don't say things like 'This has nothing to do with me.' I told you, we're friends, right?"
Otto pursed his lips, then nodded vigorously. "Yes, we're friends."
"So, can you tell me now?" Kallen finally smiled with satisfaction. "What's been going on with you lately?"
"It's nothing, it's just..." Otto hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the other person something he could, "The teacher came back once before."
"Oh, Mr. Ai Yue has come back?" Kallen blinked, then smiled. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"The teacher only stayed for a short while before leaving. It's too late to tell you now," Otto said with a hint of helplessness. "I wanted him to stay a few more days, but the teacher had his own things to do."
"Yeah, he'll probably have it even harder than us." Kallen nodded, then continued, "So, what did the teacher say that made you so nervous?"
"My teacher said that the future situation will be even more severe, and that I should prepare myself and strive to reform and upgrade the system of Schicksal," Otto said carefully. "He also said... that I should be a bishop for another five hundred years."
"Huh? Five hundred years?" Kallen's eyes widened in surprise. "Can a person live that long?"
"The teacher will always find a way, right?" Otto was also a little confused. "Anyway, he has spoken, so I naturally have to try my best."
"Oh dear, this is a bit troublesome..." Kallen scratched her head, looking somewhat confused. "We just agreed to share the burden, but I don't think I'll live that long?"
Kallen didn't know what kind of situation she would face in the future that would require Otto to support her for five hundred years, but since she had already made a bold promise, she naturally had to do her best to help share the workload for five hundred years.
"Let's not think about things that far ahead for now." Otto smiled as he looked at Kallen's conflicted expression. "Let's start with what's in front of us."
"That makes sense," Kallen readily put aside the question she couldn't understand, "So, are you still leaving now?"
"No, I'll finish this breakup manuscript first. I can deliver it to the workshop tomorrow." Otto smiled, shook his head, and sat down again. "You'll stay with me, right?"
"Of course, don't worry!" Kallen sat down as well. "Even though I might not understand, you can tell me whatever's bothering you."
Thirty seconds later, Otto looked at Kallen, who was fast asleep in the chair, and shook his head helplessly.
He draped his coat over the girl, then dimmed the light and returned to designing the blueprints.
At this moment, neither of them could imagine how they would traverse these five hundred years.
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Perfect Timeline
As it turns out, Ai Yue's judgment was absolutely correct.
Otto, who has resolved his inner conflicts, received a proper education, and has a normal life, especially living in a timeline where Kallen was not dead, is of a quality that completely exceeds the imagination of ordinary people.
When ordinary people are in high positions, it is almost impossible for them to stay true to themselves. Power, wealth, beauty... all kinds of temptations will come rushing in, making them sink into them and unable to extricate themselves.
Otto, however, was an exception. He possessed a strong enough will to keep striving toward his goal, thus avoiding interference from other factors.
Moreover, as the leader of the Mandate of Schicksal, Otto is now considered the most powerful figure in all of Europe, and even in the whole world, only the ruler of the vast empire entrenched in Asia can be compared with him.
Under such circumstances, Ai Yue could say that he had no need to worry about Otto being corrupted, since Ai Yue was the only person in the world truly capable of fulfilling Otto's wishes.
That's why he was so confident in entrusting this matter to Otto, because Ai Yue knew very well that, both publicly and privately, Otto would do his utmost to make this matter the best it could be.
And Otto certainly lived up to his expectations. After reconciling with Kallen, he quickly began his plan.
Having gained experience from the memories of another timeline, Otto now clearly has a more detailed plan for the future. He divides five hundred years into different stages to lay the groundwork for the development of the timeline.
The first phase was the shortest, lasting only about ten years. During this phase, Otto's main objective was to Schicksal the chaotic situation and international relations within Europe, avoid meaningless internal strife, and devote more energy to exploring the world and ensuring the survival of ordinary people.
With the help of knowledge from the Pre-Civilization, the plan for this stage could be said to have been completed without much hindrance. It should be noted that the knowledge Ai Yue provided him included not only a large amount of natural science, but also a lot of social science based on observations and research from the Pre-Civilization.
In this part of science, the logic of social operation is systematically laid out according to economic, political and other content, and using this knowledge to deal with the natives of the 15th century can only be described as not too easy.
Even at the very end, Otto had every opportunity to unify the whole of Europe and become the true supreme ruler of this land. However, he was also well aware that true unification would never be possible without resorting to violence, but rather through treaties and other means. Yet, if violence were used, countless people would die as a result.
In the end, he did not choose true unification of Europe, but instead bound the various countries together through a relatively close alliance. Although it did not achieve the best result, it was enough for Otto at that time.
He has a lifespan of at least five hundred years; matters of this kind can be dealt with slowly.
After completing the first phase of the plan, Otto promoted the management system he had established throughout Europe. In this way, as long as no serious problems arose, the system could operate on its own, greatly reducing Otto's management burden.
With more time, he can focus his energy on the next phase.
After resolving the management issues, Otto's next step was to promote the development of a grassroots intellectual liberation movement. After all, he knew very well that the strength of a civilization could never be achieved through the efforts of an individual—at least he himself could not.
In the original timeline, this intellectual liberation movement, which lasted for almost two centuries, was called the "Renaissance".
Based on his memories from the original timeline, he secretly contacted those who would play a significant role in this Renaissance, either by providing financial assistance or by guiding them, so that they could fulfill their own missions.
Of course, the greatest obstacle to the Renaissance actually came from the Mandate of Schicksal itself. After all, in a world where supernatural phenomena truly exist, divine authority would exert a more severe oppression on ordinary people, and the spiritual constraints would be more intense.
Fortunately, Otto had anticipated this, and in order to solve the problem, he staged a play called "divine revelation," using a divine oracle to change doctrines and greatly promote the development of the Renaissance.
In this process, Otto also expanded the sphere of influence of Schicksal to other continents by improving shipbuilding technology, and perfected the "Age of Discovery" in the original timeline, so that the complete appearance of the earth was presented to people earlier.
The plan at this stage didn't sound difficult, and it would have been completed naturally even without Otto's intervention. However, in order to prevent human greed from causing a series of bloody events, Otto actually spent more effort to finally complete the plan in a relatively peaceful way.
At this point, almost two hundred years had passed since he became the Bishop of Schicksal.
By this time, Otto had already gone from the limelight to the shadows. On the surface, the lifelong unmarried Otto had relinquished the position of Bishop of Schicksal to his brother's descendant, but this was merely a pawn to conceal his longevity.
After all, Otto knew very well that the more people enjoyed power and wealth, the more they feared the passage of time. If they knew that there were ways to prolong life, it would definitely cause a bloodbath.
In reality, Otto did not complete his research on life extension. In the original timeline, he survived for five hundred years thanks to the power of the Abyss White Flower and Soulium, which were legacies of Pre-Civilization. However, these things were clearly not enough for more people to share.
Moreover, Otto doesn't need these methods now; he can survive simply by relying on the "contract" between him and Ai Yue.
As time passed, human civilization quickly experienced explosive development driven by technology. With the outbreak of the Industrial Revolution, the threat of Honkai became increasingly intense.
During the period when Otto first became bishop, there were at most 20 large-scale Honkai disasters in Europe a year. In some less developed areas, it might be difficult to encounter a Second Honkai Outbreak within ten years.
However, after the First Industrial Revolution, the frequency of Honkai disasters began to decrease, and the scope of their impact gradually expanded. Soon, there was no longer a safe haven in Europe where one could escape the Honkai disasters.
However, at the same time, Schicksal was able to launch their latest research—a powerful weapon called the Photon Armor, which, when piloted by someone who has activated a mysterious power within their body, can unleash unimaginable power.
Thanks to this mass-produced equipment, the areas under Schicksal's control did not suffer too many casualties due to the rampage of Honkai Beast. However, Otto was well aware that the real enemy that could threaten human civilization had not yet been born.
He still has a lot to do to prevent the disaster he himself instigated from happening again.
"This person is really hardworking."
Within the space where the Cocoon of Finality resided, Elysia sighed, "I'm starting to feel sorry for him."
At this moment, the girl who was originally bound to the Cocoon of Finality was finally able to reveal her own figure independently, which seemed to suggest that her control over the power of the Finality had risen to a new level.
Not only her, but the surrounding space was no longer as empty and cold as before; in fact, it was the complete opposite. At this Cocoon of Finality was surrounded by a garden, with flowers, green grass, lush trees, and many creatures living in it growing freely around it, looking as beautiful as a fairyland.
Meanwhile, Elysia was sitting on a swing tied to a large tree, leisurely swinging while monitoring events on Earth through a link to the Observer Center.
"Wasn't it you who was shouting 'Even I can't forgive this guy' back then?" Behind her, Ai Yue was rocking her on the swing while casually chatting, "I thought you wouldn't calm down until he finished his mission."
"Actually, I'm still quite angry," Elysia zoomed in on the image, pointing to a corner, "But because the child is innocent, I'm a little soft-hearted."
In the corner of the scene, Kallen sits in a chair watching Otto busy himself. Like Otto, Kallen has awakened her true power with Kiana's help, so the years have not left many marks on her.
For hundreds of years, the two have supported each other all the way. Everyone who sees them would say they are a perfect match, but only a very few people know that they are still just friends.
"To be honest, I never thought things would turn out this way." Ai Yue shrugged. "I thought Kallen would get married and have children."
"Do you really think so?" Elysia lightly jumped off the swing, then looked at Ai Yue with a subtle gaze. "I thought you arranged all of this."
"What are you talking about? Do I look like that kind of person?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, seemingly not understanding why Elysia would say such a thing. "Besides, how could I possibly do such a thing?"
"Ai Yue, now that things have come to this, shouldn't you tell me the truth?" Elysia sighed softly. "I thought we were best friends, the kind who could talk about anything!"
"Only Eden would be fooled by that, right?" Ai Yue looked at this "heartless woman" who seemed to befriend everyone and couldn't help but shake his head. "Besides, I haven't hidden anything from you in this plan, have I?"
"Then, let me ask you a question," Elysia said seriously, looking at Ai Yue, "Can Otto's efforts really yield the corresponding results?"
Ai Yue was taken aback for a moment, then revealed a somewhat subtle expression. "It seems I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to actually possess the authority of Time."
"You only realized it now? With your personality, shouldn't you call me an idiot?" Elysia smiled. "So, what I saw was all true, right?"
"The current timeline is still in the midst of a massive chaotic computation, making it impossible for it to 'align' with reality, right?"
If Elysia hadn't possessed the authority of Time, she probably still wouldn't understand what was happening on Earth.
At this moment, when Elysia, having gained full power, directly observed Earth, what she saw was not the thriving human civilization depicted in the image, but rather—a blank space.
There was no land, no ocean, no humans or other living beings. At this moment, the Earth was in a strange void, like a blank sheet of paper, waiting for a paintbrush to depict it.
This is the Earth in the real timeline; the images Seele and the others saw from the Observer Center were from another "world."
A world that exists in a virtual world.
"Well, how should I put it?" Faced with Elysia's persistent questioning, Ai Yue scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. "While I admit that your mastery of time manipulation is beyond my expectations, I'm not sure if you can understand this..."
"You're still saying I'm stupid!" Elysia puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "I don't care, I want your explanation now! If you don't, I'll tell Kiana and the others!"
Although they said that, both Elysia and Ai Yue understood that this matter would ultimately remain confined to their conversation. After all, although Elysia was somewhat confused by Ai Yue's current behavior, she was still very clear that Ai Yue's actions must have their reasons.
She wasn't worried that the other person would cross her moral boundaries because of this, but that's precisely why Elysia wanted to know the truth.
Because she had every reason to suspect that Ai Yue was planning to bear some heavy price alone again.
"Simply put, your guess is partly correct," Ai Yue thought for a moment and began to organize his thoughts, "Let's call the timeline Otto and the others are currently in the Perfect Timeline —it really can't connect with reality."
The original plan was to create this timeline to stabilize reality and bring back those lost in the gaps between timelines, thus ensuring the continuation of Post-Civilization.
But Ai Yue's words at this moment clearly contradicted the original intention of the plan, causing Elysia to frown. "So what is the meaning of this timeline? And how can reality be stabilized?"
"The moment I gained complete control of this world, reality had already stabilized." Ai Yue smiled. "The original timeline will exist in this world as quantum state information. In this way, even if things continue to develop according to the original timeline, reality will not collapse."
"But as I said—since we have the opportunity, why not try to make up for those regrets?"
Chapter Twenty-Five: I'm in Region K
The fact that reality has stabilized means that Kiana could have already returned to her own world and reunited with her family and friends.
But Ai Yue's next question stunned Elysia: "You want to change reality?"
Modifying reality is the complete opposite of Ai Yue's original plan. The former means disrupting the stability of the timeline, which can be said to fundamentally negate the original plan. More importantly, performing such an operation under the premise that reality has already been stabilized is undoubtedly a blow to Kiana's personal expectations.
However, Elysia quickly calmed down because she knew very well that Ai Yue would never do such a thing easily, unless the benefits were great enough to outweigh the damage it caused.
The key point, without a doubt, is "making up for regrets".
"You want to resurrect the dead?" After a quick recap, Elysia realized something. "But how can that be done? After all, even if you call the current timeline the Perfect Timeline, it's still not real."
Even if a timeline isn't real, no matter how perfect it is, it's still just a story written on paper and can't become reality.
Take Kallen as an example. From Otto's perspective, who is in the Perfect Timeline, this timeline does indeed change the fact that Kallen was originally dead, allowing her to live. However, from Elysia's perspective, her figure is elusive.
Because time in the Perfect Timeline belongs to the "past," while in the real world, only the "present" is a fixed point in time. The best way to connect the past and the present is to work backward from the present, rather than, like Ai Yue, evolving from the origin of civilization.
This means that once this timeline actually intersects with reality, Kallen will immediately disappear. The deviation between the Perfect Timeline and reality is too great to be compatible, and one side will inevitably disappear. Compared to the real "present," the erroneous "past" is obviously more likely to collapse.
To allow Kallen from the Perfect Timeline to live into the "present," the records in reality must be altered, allowing this Perfect Timeline to be successfully integrated into reality.
In other words, when Ai Yue chose to start reconstructing the timeline from scratch, he was already prepared to change reality.
"It seems you've thought of that too," Ai Yue smiled, noticing the change in Elysia's expression. "That's right. I admit it's very difficult to resurrect the dead from the past timeline, but in this new world, it's not without a chance— Kallen is one such attempt."
If this world were still under the rule of the Imaginary Tree, then Ai Yue's idea would probably have no chance of succeeding. After all, he can't control the rules of the Imaginary Tree at will, so trying to rescue someone from that timeline would be even more absurd.
But now things are completely different, because this world was reshaped by his power, so Ai Yue has absolute control over the rules of this world.
"So, what was the result of the attempt?" Elysia asked. "Will Kallen survive in the end?"
"It's hard to say for sure," Ai Yue said with a wry smile. "To be honest, I didn't expect it to be so difficult in practice."
"That's really exaggerated?"
Upon hearing this, Elysia's expression showed a hint of astonishment—if she remembered correctly, this was the first time Ai Yue had ever used the word "difficult" to describe something.
Even when she had to fight against the Cocoon of Finality as a mortal, Elysia had never seen Ai Yue look so troubled.
Faced with Elysia's doubts, Ai Yue could only sigh, after all, the situation he was currently facing was difficult for others to understand even through description.
After all, who could have imagined that mastering the laws of the entire world would merely grant one the qualification to attempt this plan?
No, it could even be said that if the current state of Post-Civilization were not so peculiar, even if Ai Yue had mastered the laws of the entire world, he would not have been able to bring back people who had been dead for five hundred years.
Elysia may be able to see the current reality of this world through the power of the Cocoon of Finality, but her understanding of this Perfect Timeline is clearly not deep enough.
This Perfect Timeline cannot be considered real now, but it is not entirely a fabrication created out of thin air either—it is a timeline that Ai Yue reconstructed based on the original broken timeline by combining his own power with the laws of the world.
Although it tells a story of the past, it is also a "reality" that is happening now. The reason why Elysia cannot see its existence in the real timeline is because it has not been truly completed yet.
Only by merging the reality anchored by Kiana with the Perfect Timeline can the most beautiful ending be presented in Ai Yue's heart.