A Man Born Between Heaven and Earth-How Could He Remain Beneath Others for Long?! (4k)

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Professor Mobius was naturally delighted when Klein agreed to her request outright, especially with that starry-eyed expression on her face. However, to maintain her aloof, high-level persona, she forced herself to look calm and said flatly:

"Hmph... At least you have good taste... Enough nonsense. Hurry up and eat. Good taste alone won't do. Come with me to the institute later and let me see what you're really capable of."

"Mm!!"

Klein nodded enthusiastically, her eyes filled with admiration.

But that was still the same old saying.

Time was the best nourishment, and also the best witness. Klein was smiling happily now, but who knew whether she would still be able to smile in the future?

At least this had been her own choice—the will she had chosen to move forward with. So long as she did not regret the decision she made today, no one had the right to criticize her actions.

Elysia merely smiled without saying a word.

Breakfast was still as delicious as ever. If someone unaware of the circumstances tasted it, they would probably find it hard to believe that it was merely the result of Elysia practicing Chinese cooking for less than half a month.

About halfway through breakfast, Klein suddenly realized something and asked Professor Mobius:

"By the way, um... Professor Mobius, may I presumptuously ask what area your current research focuses on? I... I feel that if I could learn about your research project in advance, I should be able to provide you with more help during the experiments."

"Oh?"

Professor Mobius raised an eyebrow and said, seeming somewhat surprised,

"You haven't even joined yet, and you're already asking about my research direction? I thought you would ask about how to use those instruments first. What, have you studied this before?"

"I'm nothing special..."

Klein shook her head and said,

"I previously represented Chiyu Academy in an international biology competition, so I have some understanding of the world's cutting-edge instruments. Besides... I just feel that if I can truly understand and participate in your experiments, then my decision today can definitely change my future life. Please, Doctor, give me a chance."

"I see... That works too."

After finishing her breakfast, Professor Mobius pushed her tableware toward Elysia, then looked at Klein and said,

"Little one, since you're preparing to study under me, then perk up your ears and listen carefully. My research direction isn't difficult, but it isn't simple either... Have you heard of Honkai?"

"Honkai?"

Klein scratched her head and said,

"Ah, I've seen that term in the news... Is it a natural disaster similar to typhoons, earthquakes, and mudslides?"

"Tch... That's merely the explanation the Fire Moth gives ordinary civilians."

Professor Mobius curled her lips, then glanced at Xu Ziling and said casually,

"Little Mouse, explain it to Klein... Forget it. Considering that your understanding of Honkai is very likely different from ours, and to avoid unnecessary discrepancies, Elysia, you explain it."

"Mm-hm~ Wait a moment, Doctor Mobius. I actually have some ideas of my own, you know?"

Elysia waved a finger in front of them, while her lower leg swung restlessly beneath the table. She smiled and said,

"It's precisely because Little Ziling's understanding of Honkai differs from that of our era that he should be the one to explain it, shouldn't he? We can treat it as... an exchange of information? Don't worry, don't worry~ You and I are both here watching from the side. If there are any differences between the Honkai Little Ziling describes and the Honkai of our era, we can point them out to Klein directly. Mm~"

Xu Ziling pondered this after hearing her words. After casting several discreet glances at Elysia, he rose with a smile and said:

"Mm, I've troubled you too often, Miss Elysia. That wouldn't be right. Doctor, let me explain it this time. Besides, even if I don't say anything now... someone will always ask me about it later."

Professor Mobius raised an eyebrow again but made no comment on the matter. She simply watched Xu Ziling in silence.

This left Klein, who knew nothing of the situation, completely confused. She looked at Xu Ziling, then at Professor Mobius and Elysia. She couldn't tell whether her high-school way of thinking was simply too backward or what, but she felt that the conversation between the three people before her seemed to be taking place on entirely different levels.

What did he mean by... "the Honkai of our era"? Could Honkai have continued through more than one era? But since they could stand here today, didn't that mean they were people from the same era? Then where had "our era" come from?

She didn't understand. She truly didn't understand.

As an outsider, Klein did not feel comfortable interrupting them, so she could only look timidly toward Xu Ziling to observe the situation more closely.

"No need to be nervous, Klein. I'll explain what 'Honkai' is right now."

"Mm-hm-hm."

Klein hurriedly nodded. To her, every word she was hearing was brand-new knowledge. As the model student she was, she immediately entered study mode. She even pulled a notebook from her arms, looking entirely like she was attending a serious lecture.

Seeing this, Xu Ziling smiled helplessly before speaking:

"First of all... Honkai is born alongside civilization, and falls alongside civilization. You can understand it as the 'entropy' born alongside human civilization as it climbs the technology tree. The more powerful our technology becomes, the more terrifying the proportional growth of the 'entropy' born from it will be. Consequently, Honkai will grow stronger as well.

"But don't naively assume that if we stop climbing the technology tree, Honkai will stop becoming stronger too. First, Klein, you should have studied sociology. 'The whole' has never represented 'every single part.' Humanity believes that sealing away scientific research can restrain Honkai's growth, but there will always be lunatics born for the sake of research conducting experiments in unknown corners."

Upon hearing this, Professor Mobius's expression became slightly unnatural. She had the distinct feeling that he was talking about her.

"Secondly, Honkai itself isn't that simple... Let me give you a simple example. Suppose the universe we inhabit is a gigantic school. The 'civilization' we inhabit is its group of examinees, while 'Honkai' is the teacher setting the tests and handing them out in this school called the 'universe.'

"Our decision to stop developing the strength of our civilization is no different from the students who give up and slack off. Klein, you should understand this deeply. The 'school' won't stop operating because its students slack off, and the 'teacher' won't lower the difficulty of the exam because the students slack off. So, my dear Klein, in that situation, what do you think will happen to those students when they face the 'monthly exam' or even the 'final exam'?"

"Um..."

Klein scratched her head. She was already completely engrossed in the explanation. After thinking for a long while, she said tentatively,

"Would... they lose credits?"

"Haha~ Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the case, Klein. After all, in human society, students who slack off at most get expelled. They never understand the heavy price hidden behind the words 'giving up.'"

Xu Ziling chuckled. Before he transmigrated, he had truly witnessed far too many university students join the company where he had worked, changing from full of confidence at the start to numb and indifferent, before being discarded by the company like trash after their potential had been drained.

Slacking off had always been nothing more than a joking expression. Beneath that expression lay something terrifying called "numbness." Of course, in nicer terms, it could also be called... "forbearance" or "silence."

But the price of "silence" was still too heavy for the young and ignorant to bear.

Fortunately, Xu Ziling was not silent. He knew how to "speak up" for himself. After transmigrating, he could never stand by and watch this brilliant civilization fall silent.

"So... Assistant Xu, you mean that when facing the disaster known as 'Honkai,' we must bravely resist it and absolutely cannot collapse on our own without doing anything?"

Klein summarized his words and asked Xu Ziling,

"Is... is that what you mean?"

"More or less."

Xu Ziling rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then smiled slightly and added,

"But back home, there's an even more fitting phrase for this sort of thing—'A man born between heaven and earth—how could he remain beneath others for long?'"

"?!"

Upon hearing this, Klein blinked in astonishment, as if some strange attribute within her were about to awaken.

This frightened Professor Mobius so badly that she hurriedly rose and grabbed Xu Ziling's arm, saying with slight reproach:

"Little Mouse, if you really can't manage it, then step aside and let me explain. We're discussing Honkai here, but you've already derailed the conversation all the way to M Continent."

"Uh... Ahem, sorry, Doctor. Since I personally experienced it, I got a little carried away discussing it. Please don't mind me."

Xu Ziling smiled awkwardly yet politely, then looked back at Klein and said,

"However, the relationship between civilization and Honkai that I described just now is also something you must remember. It will help you better understand what I say next, Klein.

"Where were we? Mm... Right. We compared 'Honkai' to the teacher setting the exam, and 'civilization' to the students. Then the beings known as 'Herrschers,' born from Honkai, are the 'monthly exam' we must face.

"And depending on the field of study—in other words, the direction in which civilization develops—the teacher will provide a different exam paper. If the student known as civilization passes successfully, it can remain safe and sound. But if it fails... as you just said, Klein, it will lose credits. This corresponds to the decline of civilization. Once all its credits are deducted, we'll be expelled... and our civilization can officially declare GG.

"That's my general explanation of the existence known as Honkai. It should be no different from the Honkai you've encountered, Doctor, right?"

After Xu Ziling finished speaking, not only Klein but also Professor Mobius and Elysia were left stunned. In this world, where even the First Herrscher had yet to be born, everything Xu Ziling had just said was absurdly advanced intelligence, like an insider leak from Mahayuri. How could they not be shocked?

"Um... Little Ziling."

Elysia patted Xu Ziling on the shoulder and asked,

"Although you explained it very clearly, I still want to ask one more thing. Herrschers... what are they? Do they absolutely hate us humans? Why did you say that if civilization couldn't pass the examination known as the 'Herrscher,' it would be doomed to perish?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziling gave Elysia a deep look. Under the questioning of this incredibly lovable Pink Elf, memories of the later story of Paradise surged into his mind, leaving him utterly silent.

"Is it inconvenient to say...?"

Having failed to receive the answer she wanted, Elysia's disappointment was visible to the naked eye. But she quickly realized that she had lost her composure, and the smile that had adorned her face at their first meeting returned as she said,

"It's fine~ As for the civilization exam, although the price is a little heavy, as long as everyone works hard and we pass it, won't everything be fine?~"

"Heh, only a pink pig like you could say something like that."

Professor Mobius glanced sideways at Elysia and said,

"Little Mouse has already made it clear enough. 'Herrschers' are the 'exam papers' of 'civilization'... And the point of something like an 'exam paper' isn't for the examinees to answer it? Elysia, your question just now was like a student asking the invigilator in an examination room, 'If I don't write the exam, can you still give me full marks?' It's equally ridiculous."

"Mm... What kind of thing is that supposed to mean...?"

Elysia scratched her head, then looked at Xu Ziling and said,

"But when all is said and done, our understanding of Herrschers is still far too limited... Little Ziling, could you explain it to us in more detail?"

"Mm..."

Xu Ziling pondered for a moment before saying,

"Then I'll elaborate a little more... Klein may not know this, but Miss Elysia and Doctor Mobius, you should at least have heard of Honkai Beasts and the dead. Right?"

"Mm-hm-hm."

Elysia nodded, and Professor Mobius did the same. In fact, the latter was practically going mad with the desire to get her hands on a Honkai Beast.

"Good. That makes my explanation much easier."

Xu Ziling glanced at Klein, who was doing her best to take notes despite not understanding anything, and said,

"I'll still use an example. Since Doctor and Sister Ellie know what Honkai Beasts and the dead are, you should understand how powerful these creatures are before ordinary people... But what I want to say is that creatures like Honkai Beasts are merely the lice on Honkai itself. They're beings that can die in any number without mattering.

"'Herrschers' are different. These beings, transcending Honkai Beasts, can be said to be Honkai's own flesh and blood. They possess 'Authorities' directly granted by Honkai, and usually possess enough power to command a Honkai Beast tide. Therefore, Herrschers are usually far stronger than Honkai Beasts... Of course, we can't rule out the existence of a very small number of women surnamed Jiang who can overpower Herrschers, but they're ultimately only a minority.

"Also, a Herrscher's 'Authority' isn't fixed. It can be wind, thunder, fire, ice, or rock. It can also be knowledge, elation, the hunt, or abundance... This is directly tied to the direction in which human civilization develops. For example, if the civilization era we currently inhabit maxes out quantum mechanics, Honkai might descend with a Herrscher of Imaginary whose sole purpose is to counter quantum phenomena.

"One more thing: the way Herrschers wield their Authorities is very special. It practically overturns the entire edifice of physics. I don't know the exact reason either. I'm merely giving Doctor a warning in advance, so that when she later sees a Herrscher who can handcraft a Rasengan, she won't feel that her understanding of the world has been overturned.

"That concludes my personal summary of Herrschers. Now that you've heard it, you should have a preliminary understanding of these Herrschers born from Honkai, right?"

"Heh, just as I suspected... Honkai truly isn't simple. It can become the key to developing civilization, but it can also become the meteor that destroys civilization... Hmph, I even expressed similar views at Mu's meeting before, yet those old fools in the Fire Moth refused to believe me..."

Professor Mobius muttered to herself, then looked at Xu Ziling and said,

"However, Little Mouse, judging from how you described Herrschers, you mean that no matter how we develop our technology, Honkai will give birth to a Herrscher specifically designed to counter us? Doesn't that mean that in humanity's struggle against Honkai, we can only ever remain at a disadvantage?"

"Yes."

Xu Ziling nodded and said,

"But that isn't the saddest part. The saddest part is... the beings known as 'Herrschers' are selected by Honkai from creatures like us humans. Moreover, because Honkai itself has a rigged system, nearly all Herrschers that come into existence harbor immense hostility toward human civilization. The possibility of peace talks... I can't say it's nonexistent, but it's infinitely close to zero. Unless..."

Elysia blinked and instinctively followed up:

"Unless what?"

"...Unless the Herrscher chosen by Honkai can, just as when we first met, deeply love every 'person' in civilization."