Chapter 321

After saying that, the call was disconnected.

Otto slowly put the microphone back in its place, then let out a long sigh.

"So, is that all there is to it?"

He looked at Ai Yue and smiled.

"Yes, that's a temporary pause." Ai Yue nodded slightly, then looked out the window at the sky. "However, the most important part is yet to come."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Auntie, I even held you when you were little!

With the establishment of Anti-Entropy, a special competition began between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy —a contest themed around "technological research and development."

Today you successfully land on the moon, tomorrow I'll unveil the massive "Titan" series of robots, the day after tomorrow you'll invent floating islands, and the day after that I'll present ultra-giant combat armor...

This competition not only provided a relatively peaceful outlet for the grievances between the two sides, but also led to a rapid improvement in the technological level of civilization. The technology transfer brought about by the technological competition allowed everyone in this period to enjoy the convenience and comfort brought by high technology.

Of course, for Otto, this was just an excuse to reveal many of his hidden research findings. The real core technologies he was focusing on at this stage could not be made public at all.

Even considering the subsequent events, this technology could easily be called a "disposable technology."

One day in 1972, in a special laboratory located in the experimental area of the floating island.

In the vast laboratory, there were only two cylindrical culture chambers. Through the transparent glass of the culture chambers, one could see that they were filled with a pale blue unidentified liquid, with occasional flashes of white light. Within this liquid, the bodies of two women, one large and one small, were encased.

Although they differ in height and other aspects, they share the same long white hair and strikingly similar appearances, clearly indicating that they possess remarkably similar genes—or perhaps even share the same genetic makeup.

Is this really okay?

Looking at the two slender figures suspended in the culture chamber, Otto hesitated slightly. "To be honest, I've never done an experiment with such a low margin for error..."

He looked down at the nameplates beneath the culture chamber, which read "A303" and "A310" respectively.

Logically, there should be at least three hundred more identical culture chambers here, but the entire laboratory is empty except for that, so there is obviously no such thing.

However, Otto knew very well that those test subjects originally existed, and their number far exceeded three hundred. But in the end, only two test subjects survived the entire experimental program, namely the two in front of Otto —at least they had the same number.

This was his "cloning project" in the original timeline, which was to revive Kallen. Using the Fused Warrior Formula, he combined Kallen's DNA with the genes of Honkai Beast to create a completely new Kallen.

Of course, the plan ultimately failed, and the only results were these two experimental subjects.

Theoretically, one of these two test subjects would become his future assistant, "Amber," and the other would become his granddaughter, the future Bishop of Schicksal, "Theresa Apocalypse."

His hesitation stemmed from the fact that "surviving two out of countless test subjects" and "creating only two test subjects and ensuring their survival" were clearly not the same concept. Moreover, Theresa's status as Theresa was not merely due to her number.

Will this method truly succeed in creating Amber and Theresa? If something goes wrong, will it affect the future?

"Wrong, this should be the experiment with the highest margin of error you've ever done." Ai Yue's voice came from the side, but he couldn't be seen. "Don't worry, with me here, the success rate is one hundred percent."

Ai Yue's confidence was not without reason, because the scene before him was actually the result of his "reversal of cause and effect" technique, connecting the future Amber and Theresa to these two experimental subjects.

In this way, there is no need to conduct more experiments that violate human ethics, nor to go through a series of bloody selections, so that two people can be successfully born.

"That's good." Seeing that the various indicators displayed on the experimental equipment were beginning to stabilize, Otto still frowned. "However..."

"Just say what's wrong, maybe I can help you figure it out," Ai Yue said, naturally not missing Otto's complicated emotions. "Keeping it inside won't do you any good other than torture."

"It's not a problem, it's just that I never thought I'd have the chance to be a grandfather at my age," Otto sighed. "And how am I going to tell Kallen about this? She's getting smarter and smarter; when she sees Theresa, there's no way she won't realize who she is."

"Given her intuition, she probably sensed something was wrong the moment she saw Theresa," Ai Yue agreed, but then added, "Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to help you with this."

"Teacher?" Otto paused, then gave a subtle look. "That's not what you said just now!"

"I'm sorry, that's between the two of you, and has nothing to do with the experiment itself." Ai Yue casually made up an excuse, then interrupted Otto before he could speak, "Alright, alright, pay attention to the test subject's condition, the final adjustments are about to be completed!"

Hearing Ai Yue say this, Otto had no choice but to give up the idea of continuing the argument and instead went to observe the experimental subject's condition. As the liquid in the culture chamber gradually became transparent, the two of them slowly opened their eyes.

Otto then emptied the liquid from the culture chamber and put the two girls down. Seeing the two girls, one big and one small, who looked almost exactly like Kallen, staring at him with innocent eyes, Otto felt as if his heart had been struck hard.

A subtle, strange, indescribable thought is sprouting from the depths of my heart...

Then Otto saw pure white light emanate from the two women, gradually detaching from their bodies and transforming back into Ai Yue's appearance, looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "You brat, trying to make a mistake?"

"It was just a bit of instinct, nothing to exaggerate." Otto quickly looked away, calming himself and nipping the unsettling thought in the bud. "So, did it work?"

Otto didn't distrust Ai Yue; it was just that Ai Yue's methods were beyond his imagination, to the point that he simply couldn't understand them. He could only try to dispel his doubts by constantly seeking confirmation.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems," Ai Yue said again with certainty. "With this, the last piece of the puzzle is complete. The next step is to prepare for the 'Second Honkai Outbreak'."

"Preparations are underway in Siberia," Otto nodded, then reported, "Over the next twenty years, Schicksal will relocate all the residents there to create a no-man's-land to prevent the Honkai outbreak from harming them."

"I trust you to handle things." Ai Yue nodded, then said in a slightly pleased tone, "Then get ready."

"Prepare?" Otto paused, not quite understanding Ai Yue's meaning. "Prepare what?"

However, before Ai Yue could respond, he understood what the other party meant.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Otto? Otto, are you in there? I'm coming in!"

That was Kallen's voice.

"Teacher?!" Otto looked at Ai Yue in disbelief. "You're the one who brought Kallen here?"

This question doesn't even need an answer, because the entire project was conducted under extremely confidential conditions. Moreover, the floating island was in the experimental stage at this time, and very few people had the authority to enter it, let alone know about the laboratory.

In other words, there are only two people in the know about the entire project, but Otto obviously wouldn't let Kallen know about Theresa and the others' existence at this time, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain it at all!

"Don't put it so harshly. I'm just giving you some advice from an adult," Ai Yue said, speaking with the air of someone who'd been through it all. "These kinds of things get harder to explain the longer you drag it out. The best way is to be honest with each other from the start, otherwise it will create a rift in your relationship."

"I understand the logic," Otto said, looking speechless. "But what about my life?"

Otto knew Kallen well, of course. He knew that since all this had already happened, there was nothing she could do—the only thing she could do was give him a good beating.

But can I really withstand it?

"Don't worry, you won't die. Kallen wouldn't be that heartless." Ai Yue waved his hand, his figure gradually fading away. "I'll come to see you when you're taken to your ward."

"Teacher? Teacher!"

Otto watched in despair as Ai Yue's figure disappeared into the room, while at the same time, Kallen, unable to wait any longer, finally used her highest-level access card to open the laboratory door—

Then she saw Otto holding two girls who looked a lot like him on either side, staring blankly in a certain direction in the room.

Seeing this scene, Kallen paused for a moment, then silently walked towards Otto.

"Kallen, Kallen?" Otto instinctively took a slow step back, but was held back by Amber and Theresa and could only manage a weak smile. "Let me explain, let me explain..."

What happened next is unknown. However, a few days later, two female members with striking features resembling those of the Kaslana family suddenly appeared in the Apocalypse Family.

As for Otto? He didn't reappear until a month later.

"Wow, that felt so good!"

Inside the Observer Center, Fu Shi laughed so hard he almost fell over, "That Otto guy deserved to suffer a real humiliation! It's just a pity I couldn't do it myself, otherwise I could have kept him in bed for another month!"

"But letting him get away with it like this is letting him off too easily, isn't it?" Black Seele was still brooding over it. "I really want Kallen to know just how many heinous things the original Otto did!"

"Even if Kallen found out, Otto shouldn't be the one to bear the responsibility now," Seele commented, then looked at Ai Yue. "Besides, what's more important now is the next phase of the plan, right?"

"Oh right, how exactly do we plan to handle that 'Second Honkai Outbreak'?" Fu Shi also looked at Ai Yue, "From what you guys are saying, you're planning something big?"

"Well, I plan to... solve this once and for all," Ai Yue said ambiguously, "To use this incident to completely seize control of the point at which the Herrscher is born into human hands."

"How exactly do I do it?" Fu Shi pressed, a hint of worry on his face. "It won't affect me, will it? It shouldn't, right?"

Although she didn't know much about Ai Yue's plan, after hearing the general description, she still worried about whether she could continue to be the Herrscher of Consciousness.

"Don't worry, now that you exist, it's hard for you to be affected," Ai Yue reassured him. "To be honest, you now have every opportunity to break free from your original life and truly live as a Rune Consciousness. There's no need for you to continue being the Herrscher of Consciousness."

"No way! I actually miss that time!" Fu Shi quickly shook his head. "Besides, wouldn't having more people involved in the plan mean more stability? I did a great job back then, no one died!"

Recalling those lawless days, the Herrscher of Consciousness couldn't help but straighten her back—those were some of her few shining moments as the protagonist, and if she gave them up now, when would she ever have such a good opportunity again?

"But you almost got Sister Hua killed, didn't you?" Black Seele asked with a questioning look.

From Kiana, they also learned about some things that had not yet happened.

"Well, that's because I didn't know!" Fu Shi's face flushed red as he loudly protested, "If I had known the old antique was so vulnerable back then, I wouldn't have... no, it was the old antique who wanted to harm me, wasn't it?"

Black Seele immediately pursed her lips and remained silent.

"Alright, calm down, everyone stop arguing." Ai Yue interrupted their conversation with a smile. "There's another thing I need to clarify beforehand."

After everyone present had focused their attention on Ai Yue, he continued, "Once the Second Honkai Outbreak is over, everyone can leave here."

"What do you mean?" Fu Shi was taken aback. "The Observer Center is going to be shut down?"

"Simply put, the Second Honkai Outbreak Strike was the crucial turning point where reality and the Perfect Timeline began to merge." Ai Yue nodded, then said, "After that, the timeline will gradually transition towards reality, eventually merging perfectly. At that point, the Observer Center will naturally no longer be needed."

"I see, then it's alright." Fu Shi nodded, indicating his understanding. "So, that means I can go and play around in the real world whenever I want, right?"

Ai Yue responded, "That's roughly the idea. By then, you won't need to carry out any more missions."

"But what should we do?" Seele asked, somewhat confused. "According to the timeline, we weren't even born yet at that time..."

"Besides, shouldn't we wait until everyone is here before discussing something so important?" Black Seele looked around in confusion. "Hua Jie and Kiana aren't here, and even Pardo isn't here."

"I'll talk to them about it, and I'll make different arrangements for them." Ai Yue smiled, his expression somewhat subtle. "As for you, there are ways too. For example... would you like to be reborn?"

"Huh?"

At roughly the same time, Kiana returned to the space where the Cocoon of Finality was located, her face beaming with a happy smile, clearly having just experienced something joyful.

"What good news happened? Why are you smiling so happily?" Elysia looked at her curiously. "Tell me quickly, let me share in your joy!"

"I just went to see my period," Kiana said with a smile, having no reason to hide it. "I thought my period would be this big when it was born, but it's actually a little smaller. It was still a lot of fun though!"

As she spoke, she took out her mobile device and shared the photos she had taken with Elysia.

At the same time, she also showed a somewhat regretful expression. "It's a pity that my parents haven't been born yet, otherwise I would really like to take some pictures of them."

"Oh my, how adorable!" Looking at the slightly bewildered little Theresa in the photo, Elysia couldn't help but show a longing expression. "I wonder when I'll be able to enter the real world; I can't wait!"

"You should calm down. This is the time when we need you most."

Ai Yue's figure appeared in the space along with his voice. Kiana, upon seeing him, put away her terminal and revealed a serious expression. "Teacher, you've arrived?"

"Hmm," Ai Yue nodded, then looked at Kiana, "Are you ready?"

"You mean, the Second Honkai Outbreak?" Kiana paused for a moment, then nodded. "Don't worry, to prevent this tragedy from repeating itself, I will absolutely fight with all my might this time!"

"Don't be so tense, relax a bit." Seeing Kiana's clenched fists, Ai Yue couldn't help but smile. "Just like Otto, you can tone it down from now on. You don't need to go all out—after all, if you go all out, everyone will be in trouble."

"Yes, Kiana," Elysia patted Kiana's head, "After all, you're going to be playing the enemy next."

"Yes, right..." Kiana couldn't help but look embarrassed when she thought of Ai Yue's plan. "But teacher, is it really okay for me to handle this side? What about Sirin?"

According to Ai Yue's plan, Kiana herself will directly replace Sirin's identity as the Second Herrscher at the point of the Second Honkai Outbreak. However, this will put Sirin originally occupied this position, in a very awkward position.

On one hand, Kiana naturally didn't want Sirin to become Herrscher and cause so many tragedies, but on the other hand, she was also afraid that this would cause Sirin to lose the salvation from Cecilia, so she was conflicted.

"Don't worry, without the threat of Honkai, she won't even become an orphan, and will naturally be able to live a happy life." Ai Yue smiled and told her about Schicksal's plans in Siberia. "Perhaps one day in the future, she will be able to enter St. Freya Academy based on her talent and become your classmate."

"That would be wonderful," Kiana finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then her expression turned expectant. "I really hope that day comes soon."

Chapter Thirty: What? I'm fighting the Herrscher of the End?!

In the same year that Theresa was born, Siegfried Kaslana was also born. A year later, the Saniyat family also gave birth to a baby girl with extremely strong bloodline power, named Cecilia.

And so, all the "participants" in the "Second Honkai Outbreak" had quietly taken their places.

It's worth mentioning that in the original timeline, Cecilia and Siegfried's encounter was a chance occurrence during the Anti-Entropy attack, but now that relations between the two sides are not so tense, such a thing will naturally not happen again.

So, in order to recreate this chance encounter, Otto had to meticulously plan an "accident" to successfully bring the two together in 1991. Even the part where the two were forced to separate halfway through their date was accurately recreated, for which Kallen complained about it for a long time.

Fortunately, things progressed relatively smoothly afterward, and by 2000, their child was already over a year old.

February 1st, on the floating island of the Schicksal Headquarters.

After more than 20 years of renovation, the original floating islands have been upgraded into a sizable floating island group, with complete internal functional areas, which can be described as a country in itself.

At this very moment, people are resting in the gardens that have been renovated at headquarters.

"Theresa, Kiana, come to the camera!"

As Siegfried called out, Theresa subconsciously looked up and used her free hand to straighten the hem of her clothes. In contrast, the child she was holding was a beat slower and looked at the camera with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"Honestly, why do I have to wear this kind of outfit?" After the photos were taken, Theresa was still a little uncomfortable adjusting her clothes. "Seriously, when did I get this outfit? Did Grandpa secretly put it in my closet again?"

Meanwhile, after taking the photos, Kiana broke free from Theresa's embrace and staggered towards the white-haired woman on the other side. After being caught by the woman, she clung tightly to her, seemingly unwilling to get down.

"After all, Kiana really likes this dress." Siegfried walked over to Theresa and showed her the photos on his camera. "And it looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

In the photo, Theresa, dressed in traditional Shenzhou clothing, is holding a little girl in a white dress, and both of them are smiling happily.

"Thank you for coming to help take Kiana's portrait, Theresa." Cecilia also came over, carrying Kiana. "This child seems to really like you."

"Haha, that would be perfect," Theresa looked at her friend, momentarily dazed, but quickly regained her composure. "By the way, Cecilia, how are you feeling?"