Chapter 325

"You know that?" Mobius rolled his eyes at him. "It's like we're the ones who made a mistake. How many times have you come back these past few years?"

Although the time flow rates on both sides are not currently interconnected, the existence of the Cocoon of Finality results in a fairly high ratio between the two time flow rates. Therefore, after the Post-Civilization has developed to this stage, a full five years have passed since Ai Yue left the original world to create this new Solar System.

"That's right, Mr. Ai Yue," the others teased, seeing that Ai Yue knew he was in the wrong and didn't respond. "The Terran Alliance has already completed the initial phase of the 'Great Unity' plan, and they're just waiting for you to go back and inspect it."

"Wait, I remember that the Cocoon of Finality there needs to be someone monitoring it, right?" Hua suddenly remembered something important. "Is it really alright for everyone to come all the way here?"

"Don't worry, even if we stay here for a short while over there, the Cocoon of Finality won't be a problem," Mobius replied to Hua's doubts. "Because there are people watching over the Cocoon of Finality."

As she spoke, she glanced in Ai Yue's direction.

"Who?" Hua thought for a long time but couldn't think of anyone from the Pre-Civilization who could take on this responsibility, and couldn't help but feel a little lost. "Could it be Dr. Mei?"

"Of course not, guess again?" Seeing Hua's confused expression, Mobius couldn't help but tease her, but then quickly revealed the answer, "It's Ai, didn't expect that, did you?"

"Aiyi?" Hua was taken aback for a moment, then the image of the super Artificial Intelligence reappeared in his mind. "But isn't Aiyi Artificial Intelligence? Is the device left behind by Mr. Ai Yue enough for now?"

"The truth is far more exaggerated than you think," Vill-V said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Ai has already broken through the third technological singularity and become a true god of the network!"

"With the combined powers of the Herrscher of Aberration, it can be said that she is now truly capable of replacing the Herrscher of the End and becoming the one who controls the Cocoon of Finality!"

"So, Ai is about the same level as me now?" Kiana's eyes widened. "I really didn't expect this... that Artificial Intelligence could evolve to such an extent?"

"Don't even mention you wouldn't have thought of this, even Vill-V wouldn't have," Kevin said with a smile. "Don't let her proud demeanor fool you, as if she played a key role. In reality, Ai's evolution was entirely due to her own efforts."

"What are you saying? What are you saying! I am one of the creators of Ai, of course I played a key role!" Vill-V immediately retorted, "If it weren't for my efforts, Ai's birth would have been... well, at least a day later, right?"

She originally wanted to exaggerate the numbers, but upon closer reflection, given Ai Yue's capabilities back then, it probably wouldn't have taken him long to build a super Artificial Intelligence from scratch.

She glanced at Ai Yue somewhat guiltily, only to find his gaze also fixed on her. "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"I don't want to hear you!" Vill-V quickly covered her ears, afraid that she would hear something that would shatter her Dao heart.

"In short, don't worry about the situation over there. Just like everyone said, everything is fine in the Pre-Civilization." Ai Yue didn't continue the topic, but a subtle expression still appeared on his face. "However, I really didn't expect Ai Yi to achieve her second breakthrough so quickly. She's really working hard."

"After all, people with goals are always highly motivated," Aponia said with a smile, glancing meaningfully at Ai Yue. "So, when you go back, remember to be mentally prepared."

Mental preparation?

Ai Yue was taken aback, unsure of what Aponia meant by those words.

However, he then raised his head and looked up at the sky.

Arahato's figure was now clearly visible.

Chapter Thirty-Five: I Can't Be the Only One Getting Beaten Up

"Ughhhhhh!"

With a terrified gasp, Siegfried sat bolt upright.

He felt as if he had a nightmare—in the dream, a man with white hair, wielding a flaming greatsword, beat him up badly.

Of course, he was not convinced, so he fought back, only to be repeatedly and thoroughly beaten by the other party in various ways.

Until he finally collapsed from exhaustion, the other party seemed completely unharmed.

"Honey, you're awake?"

Before Siegfried could recover from those memories, he heard a gentle voice and felt a soft touch on his face. "How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Siegfried turned his head and saw a face filled with worry and heartache; it was his wife, Cecilia Schatten.

"I'm perfectly fine!" Siegfried smiled immediately, not wanting the other person to worry. "Don't worry... Hmm!"

He had intended to show off his muscles to prove he was in great shape, but he never expected that even raising his arm slightly would trigger intense pain in countless parts of his body.

Yes, after all, what I thought was a "dream" was actually all real.

In the midst of intense pain, Siegfried finally recalled memories he had subconsciously ignored.

That was the third phase of the plan. With the return of the "Fully Herrscher of Void" who had mastered thirteen Herrscher Core to the ground, she also gathered a huge army in the no-man's land of Siberia. This army included not only a massive number of Honkai Beast, but also "simulated Herrscher" who had each inherited a portion of the Herrscher authority.

These simulated Herrscher were none other than fire-chasing heroes from Pre-Civilization!

Siegfried was facing "the first Kaslana," Kevin Kaslana.

Unsurprisingly, even with his best efforts, he was ultimately no match for his ancestor.

Thinking of this, Siegfried felt the pain in his body less noticeable, because he was more concerned about something else at the moment.

What was the outcome of the trial? If he ultimately failed, did the others win?

"Don't push yourself, lie down quickly!" Although Cecilia couldn't fully see through Siegfried's thoughts, considering his injuries and his reaction just now, it wasn't hard to guess part of it. So she quickly diverted his attention, "By the way, little Kiana was also worried about you. I'll go tell her that her father has woken up."

"Wait, don't wake the child yet," Siegfried quickly grabbed Cecilia's hand. He was clearly more concerned about the Second Honkai Outbreak. "Cecilia, how did I get back?"

"It was Theresa who brought you back." Cecilia answered the question, though she didn't want Siegfried to hold a grudge. "She looked quite injured too, but at least she was in much better shape than you."

Hearing this, Siegfried finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Theresa was also one of the candidates to take the test. The fact that she was able to return sober and even manage to get herself home suggests that the test went well.

However, just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he noticed that Cecilia's gaze suddenly turned serious.

Seeing Cecilia's expression, Siegfried's heart skipped a beat—he knew very well that although his wife was usually gentle and lovely, it was precisely because of this that she seemed even more terrifying when she got serious.

At least in front of Cecilia like this, he was utterly powerless to resist.

"Siegfried, are you hiding something from me?" As expected, Cecilia launched into a direct and serious interrogation. "And Theresa, she was also secretive when she brought you back. Besides, I still don't know anything about the details of this mission... What are you hiding?"

Hearing Cecilia's question, Siegfried was momentarily at a loss for words, but he felt much more at ease.

Cecilia still doesn't know what mission they're on, which at least shows that the situation isn't as dire as it initially appeared, requiring her intervention. It also indirectly demonstrates that Otto kept his promise and didn't involve Cecilia.

However, this question is indeed a bit difficult to answer; how exactly can one get away with it...?

Just as Siegfried was about to tell a little lie, Cecilia cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Siegfried, you won't lie to me, will you? We made a promise!"

Looking into Cecilia's clear eyes, Siegfried, despite having prepared a reason, could no longer utter it.

Fortunately, at that moment, the doorbell rang.

The two of them paused for a moment, then Cecilia reluctantly let go of their hands. "Don't think you can get away with this, darling."

Siegfried finally breathed a sigh of relief as Cecilia left the bedroom to open the door for the uninvited guest.

He then began to think about how to explain this to Cecilia.

It's impossible to hide it. Cecilia's current lack of knowledge might be because Otto has effectively placed her under house arrest here, cutting off her access to normal information from the outside world. However, this "house arrest" can't last forever. Once Cecilia regains her freedom, she'll easily find out what mission Siegfried has been carrying out during this time.

However, Siegfried quickly came to terms with it, because he suddenly realized that there was nothing shameful about this mission.

What he really didn't want to tell Cecilia was what she had actually experienced during the mission—as long as he could keep that a secret, nothing else mattered.

Now that the timeline has been rewritten and the original tragedy will not repeat itself, Siegfried certainly doesn't want to let those messy things affect his wife's emotions anymore.

However, the most important thing right now is still...

Siegfried had just gathered his thoughts when the door opened again. "My dear, the Archbishop has come to see you."

Siegfried instinctively turned his head and saw Otto's familiar face.

"Thank you for your trouble, Cecilia. Let's have some alone time now." Otto nodded toward the door, then looked back at Siegfried with a slight smile. "After all, some topics are best left between men, don't you think, Siegfried?"

For some reason, even though he knew perfectly well that the Otto in front of him was not the same person he remembered, Siegfried still couldn't help but clench his fists when he heard the other's familiar tone, wanting to give him a hard blow.

"Look at that look in your eyes..." Otto casually pulled up a chair and sat down, then said in a teasing tone, "I bet Mr. Siegfried really wants to punch me in the face right now."

"Your Excellency truly has a keen eye for people," Siegfried said with a smile, his Yin and Yang. "Besides that, I wonder what else Your Excellency has discerned?"

"I also see," Otto leaned forward slightly, meeting Siegfried's gaze, "That you want to find a chance to escape Schicksal with your wife and daughters, don't you?"

Siegfried's smile froze on his face.

Otto was absolutely right. Even though he had turned over a new leaf, after experiencing what happened in the original timeline, Siegfried could no longer trust Otto, let alone put his wife and children under Otto's influence.

Therefore, he had already discussed with Theresa that once the script for the Second Honkai Outbreak was completed, he would find a way to take Cecilia and Bianca away from Schicksal, seek refuge in Anti-Entropy, and wait for Theresa to establish St. Freya Academy.

"Mr. Siegfried, your thinking is all too easy to understand." Seeing Siegfried fall silent, Otto smiled. "However, it's not that I can't understand it either. If I were in your current situation, I might make the same judgment."

"So, what are you trying to say?" Having his plans exposed, Siegfried decided to be more frank. "Could it be that our Bishop is willing to take pity on us and spare our lives?"

"Of course not." Otto shook his head, then added meaningfully, "And let me correct you—that's not a way out, it's the complete opposite."

"What do you mean?" Siegfried paused, then frowned. "You mean, if I take Cecilia away, it will actually kill her?"

"Of course, you don't think Cecilia is safe just because the script for the Second Honkai Outbreak has been completed, do you?" Otto explained. "In fact, not only her, but also Kallen, Joyce, and many others who survived because of the reforged timeline are in a very special state."

"I don't understand." Siegfried shook his head honestly. "But it sounds like this situation involves a lot of people?"

"That's true, after all, you are Kaslana," Otto said helplessly, making a discriminatory remark. He then continued, "I won't explain the specifics to you. You just need to know that their fate can only be determined when the timeline is completely integrated with reality."

"I think I've heard of a similar principle before, what's it called, someone's dog or cat again?" Siegfried scratched his head. "Never mind, anyway, you mean my actions will affect the merging of the timeline and reality, right?"

"Yes, after all, there's a very crucial turning point coming up, and it's happening to your family." Otto tilted his head slightly, then looked back. "You haven't forgotten how Kiana became Bianca, and how K423 became Kiana, have you?"

Siegfried's expression instantly turned serious.

"How could I forget?" He sighed, then said, "But I thought this time could change everything."

"Of course it can be changed, but the general plot must still be retained, otherwise it will conflict with the 'present'," Otto said. "Otherwise, we could have gotten through the Second Honkai Outbreak in an easier way."

"So, what exactly do we do?" Siegfried's eyes lit up when he heard there was a solution.

"We can discuss this after your injuries have healed," Otto smiled, then stood up. "But right now, I think you have other things to do."

After saying that, he walked to the door and opened it.

Standing behind the door was Cecilia, holding Bianca in her arms.

Clearly, she had overheard their conversation.

"Otto!" Siegfried's eyes widened in shock as he realized what had happened. "You tricked me!"

"Mr. Siegfried, my life experience tells me that you should be honest with important people, or you will suffer greatly." Otto said, shivering slightly, but a smug look remained on his face. "Believe me, you'll thank me later."

After saying this, he nodded to Cecilia, patted Bianca on the head, and then turned and left.

Cecilia calmly walked into the room, looking down at Siegfried: "Darling, you must have a lot to say to me now, right?"

Before Siegfried could speak, Otto, who had already left, returned. He raised an exaggeratedly long object and leaned it against the wall. "I almost forgot, I've approved your temporary use permit, Cecilia. Remember to be gentle."

Go easy on me? You want me dead, don't you, Otto?

Siegfried looked at the Abyss White Flower leaning against the wall and felt his face turn green.

Fortunately, Cecilia did not act as Siegfried had imagined. Instead of using the Abyss White Flower, she used its creative power to heal Siegfried's injuries.

However, even after healing Siegfried, she did not put down her weapon.

"I applied to His Holiness the Bishop for temporary permission precisely for this matter," Cecilia said with a smile, which sent a chill down Siegfried. "But, my dear—if you don't tell the truth, I can't guarantee what might happen later."

"At least don't do it in front of the child, okay?" Siegfried managed to squeeze out a sentence helplessly, "Aren't you afraid of scaring her?"

Then he saw Bianca cover her eyes with her hands.

There's no need to be so sensible!

"Alright, I'll tell you everything." Seeing this, Siegfried completely gave up resisting. He sighed, "But you have to promise me you won't get too agitated, okay?"

Otto, of course, had no idea what happened after he left. At this moment, the thought that Siegfried might suffer the same fate as him made him groan softly.

However, his smugness quickly faded, because when he returned to his office, he found Ai Yue waiting for him there.

"Teacher?" Seeing that the other person clearly wanted to see him, Otto immediately began to reflect on whether he had neglected something recently. "Did you need something from me?"

"After the Second Honkai Outbreak ends, and before Kiana's true awakening, there will be a period of relative calm," Ai Yue said calmly. "But for you, this period is crucial—are you prepared?"

Otto paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Don't worry, it was prepared five hundred years ago."

Chapter Thirty-Six: This Time He Skipped Over Life

It turns out that the gap between people can be even greater than the gap between people and dogs.

The scene Otto imagined did not appear; in fact, it was the complete opposite.

The next day, as he was handling necessary official business in his office while waiting for Siegfried to come and discuss the next steps, what first entered his perception range was a terrifying energy reaction.

What's going on? This is the Schicksal Headquarters! Who would dare launch an attack here?

Otto was momentarily confused, but his instincts, honed over many years, allowed him to quickly construct simulated Judah, creating a defensive barrier for himself.

The next second, the terrifying energy reaction blasted open the door and crashed straight in.

"Boom!"