57. Don't Put Green Peppers in It.

[Recently, several incredible beams of light, seemingly divine intervention, have appeared in the sea near Haiyuan City. Many citizens believe this is divine punishment for humanity's excessive greed in exploiting Earth's resources.]

[However, Azure Technology Company quickly followed up by stating that the light pillars were part of a new technological development project utilizing relevant technologies.]

[Some have speculated that similar phenomena have occurred all over the world, and companies in various regions have responded that these are projects in collaboration with Azure Technology Company.]

[It is said that due to the unstable technology inside, approaching rashly could be fatal, so official troops are stationed and guarding the area around these pillars of light.]

The sound of the television echoed in the warm room, while outside, the wind and snow intensified, causing the branches of the ancient trees to sway and bend. The bubbling sound of boiling water drowned out the howling wind...

And these fragmented feelings, when pieced together, constitute a sense of peace.

Seele was watching the TV intently, hugging a fluffy teddy bear, looking very well-behaved.

The little girl's injured hand and forehead were wrapped in gauze, indicating that she eventually went to the hospital.

[Canghai City Evening News: Recently, some citizens have been infected with a strange virus. Test results indicate it originated from the Middle East...]

Seele remained silent for a long time. After hesitating for a moment, she said softly:

"Brother, the Honkai is about to erupt."

Su Qing'an, who was sitting next to him, was taken aback when he heard this. He did not respond to the question, but he had already made a similar judgment in his heart.

Her dark blue hair was slightly damp, as if she had just washed it, but her eyes remained intently focused on the images playing on the television screen.

"The location of those beams of light blocked several sea routes operated by Azure Technology Company, consequently affecting the development of the underwater tunnel and the construction of the aquarium."

"I checked, and many of the companies that issued statements also suffered varying degrees of losses."

"If a research project is controllable, it's fine to do whatever you want in a place where it doesn't affect your own interests. But it's strange to do it at the expense of your own interests."

Given these conditions, coupled with Honkai Seele was already aware of, it's not surprising that she could reach this conclusion.

Su Qing'an, however, thought much more deeply. He had already learned that the government of the Previous Civilization was in an overwhelmingly centralized position.

Even the two previous Honkai -era wars, which were bound to be massive in scale, were all cloaked in a veneer of peace, keeping society in a beautiful illusion of calm and tranquility.

So assuming this really is a harbinger of the impending Honkai, there's no reason why the United Nations, which has the capability to control information like it did before, wouldn't be able to do the same this time.

In his view, this could only mean one thing: even within such a powerful official government, there was no possibility that these illusions of peace could continue to be maintained after the Third Honkai Outbreak.

If it's impossible to continue covering it up from the start, then it's better to give the public a little bit of a heads-up before the reality arrives.

Although the effect of doing so may be minimal, it is better than doing nothing.

Was there already a Celestial Phenomenon omen before the Third Honkai Outbreak even erupted?

In Su Qing'an's own memory, however, the outbreak of Honkai was always a phenomenon that could suddenly appear without any accumulation, just like the magma that had been stored in the volcano could break through the earth's crust at any time and come out to the outside world, bringing a hell on earth.

The clues to the Previous Civilization were already extremely scarce, and neither the history classes at the St. Freya Academy nor the permission granted by Headmaster Theresa contained any detailed information about what had been left behind.

Therefore, Su Qing'an cannot prove that the Honkai has always been so bizarre.

He put those questions aside for the time being and began to worry about whether these pillars of light would conflict with Fu Xiuran's journey.

My uncle probably knows about this too; he should tell him to stay away from those pillars of light.

Even if it's unclear whether the pillars of light indicate an impending Honkai in the area, all tourist routes with pillars of light should be removed for the time being.

Su Qing'an switched the TV channel to the children's channel and said:

Does Seele know what Honkai is?

The little girl nodded in agreement:

"Seele knows that the experiments conducted in the lab were established to prepare for the crisis of Honkai."

"Those adults want to find a backyard where human civilization can be perfectly passed down in advance."

"They say that there is a possibility of a Honkai event occurring anywhere in the world that could destroy everything. If humanity really loses to the Honkai, then with current technology, we won't be able to cope with the variables ten thousand years from now if we want to leave behind any trace of our civilization."

"Assuming there are no human footprints on the earth, it would only take a few thousand years before many devices could still function. And if tens of thousands of years had passed, the idea of leaving behind any corresponding civilization, technology, and resources would be pure fantasy."

"So they set their sights on places beyond the present world."

Seele's gaze was deep and unfathomable as she uttered four words clearly:

"The Sea of Quantum"

"This is where you dragged Seele out. Sometimes I think my brother is really strange. The lab has gathered the best people in the world."

"But even they are helpless against the Sea of Quantum, and can only resort to the most foolish trial and error by using human experiments and the core of the Second Herrscher. This should be a completely new and blank field for the entire human civilization."

"But my brother just pulled Seele out like that, so irrationally."

"So even if my brother were to slice the entire amusement park into pieces in a single second today, I might find it perfectly reasonable."

She casually revealed her past and secrets. Perhaps these were trivial matters that a young girl could easily confide in Su Qing'an.

It was simply that the boy's cautiousness and gentleness meant that Seele didn't need to bring up that past at all.

Now that things have come to this, even if Su Qing'an himself still hopes to continue this precious daily life in the same atmosphere as before, Seele will never allow the boy to tolerate her without knowing anything about it.

Su Qing'an knew nothing. He didn't know the weight he was shouldering while taking him in and protecting him.

But Seele understood everything, didn't want to be so selfish.

She said softly:

"I am special; I am the only one who has entered the Quantum State and entered the Sea of Quantum."

"Only I can actively enter Quantum State and pull myself into the Sea of Quantum."

"Therefore, I am the only one who can enable the laboratory to figure out how to utilize the Sea of Quantum method in the shortest amount of time."

Seele Fulei thus frankly stated her importance to humanity, and Su Qing'an, who was well aware of the future and the intricacies of the story, also fully understood the little girl's significance to the Previous Civilization at this moment.

Many technologies left to posterity by Previous Civilization are buried in the earth's crust and the deep sea, but those fragmented locations only contain the subtle power of this era.

The true and greatest wealth of the Previous Civilization resides in the Sea of Quantum.

Without Seele Fulei, it remains to be seen whether humanity could develop the Sea of Quantum to a sufficient extent before the arrival of the Herrscher of the End.

If the experiment fails for this reason, the wealth left to future generations by the Previous Civilization will be greatly diminished.

No one can say for sure how far-reaching the impact will be.

Even Su Qing'an, after truly understanding the weight of this experience, found it difficult to articulate his inner thoughts. Yet, in front of Seele, the young man showed no doubt whatsoever; he simply asked softly:

"Does Seele think that human civilization as a whole is more important than her own feelings and life?"

The little girl thought for a moment, then answered seriously:

"Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that I hate being done that to."

Even though she felt that something terrible might happen without my sacrifice, Seele didn't think it was her fault.

"Everyone in the orphanage was an infant whose family was unwilling to raise them. We were all raised by the government, and theoretically, we were probably all products prepared for this experiment."

"If it weren't for this experiment, Seele and the others might not be alive today, but they might have been picked up by someone else and lived a fairly ordinary life."

"The old man said that even if we didn't have the government, we wouldn't be alive today, but that's no excuse for playing with life. He said it himself that this is a sin he must bear."

Seele recalled the frail old man standing in front of the incubation chamber.

The future of humanity, the survival of the world, the collapse of society, and the withering of life.

Perhaps what fills the other person's heart is such lofty and grand thoughts, which is why I still cannot fully understand their thoughts.

But it is already remarkable that a young girl with limited knowledge and experience could understand these things.

She said:

Even so, I still don't like them, I even hate them.

"Perhaps from the perspective of the professor and his colleagues, this is an unavoidable sacrifice, a mistake that must be made even if it is unforgivable."

"But even so, everyone and Seele are not at fault."

"No matter what heavy the reason, we should not be props."

Looking at the boy's stunned face, Seele answered, word by word:

"So now I can give a clear answer to the question my brother asked."

As she changed the TV channel to Animal World, she said with an air of self-righteousness:

"Human civilization and the survival of society are profound matters that I shouldn't be responsible for. I'm just a child."

"So the conclusion is that Seele feels she is more important."

Su Qing'an smiled. For him, bearing more weight himself was already a common thing, but letting Seele bear this pressure was an outcome the boy did not want to see.

He is willing to contribute to humanity's hope of defeating the Honkai in his own way on the road ahead.

After all, whether it's to make up for the potential bankruptcy of the Sea of Quantum, or to hone oneself and protect others, this is the path Su Qing'an will eventually have to take.

As Seele herself said, she was just a child.

Perhaps this was just her naive remark—after all, Seele had just obediently gone to a hospital she didn't like so as not to be treated like a child—but in Su Qing'an's eyes, it was an undeniable fact.

She should not bear the burden of blood and fire, nor should her life be used to fill the weight created by the collapse of the entire civilization.

So, Seele thinks this way, then it's the best outcome.

Su Qing'an initially wanted to stroke Seele's head as he habitually did with Young Hua's, but under the little girl's wistful gaze, he smiled and withdrew his hand.

The snow fell softly into the boy's eyes, and he said softly:

"Okay, that's good."

The gurgling sound from the kettle gradually subsided, ice crystals silently condensed on the transparent glass, weaving a delicate network, and pure white snowflakes swayed and fell onto the windowsill...

A crimson feather floated playfully in the room, and finally, as if tired from playing, it lay down on the boy's dark hair. The crystal-clear tip of its tail swayed lazily from time to time, as if breathing, which was kind of cute.

"----."

Su Qing'an glanced at his phone, ignoring the Udu-dust on his head, and smiled at Seele, explaining:

"It's news from your Sister Hua. She rushed over as soon as she heard you were injured."

Seele glanced somewhat shyly at the boy's smiling gaze, and muttered:

"It's just a scrape, Sister Hua didn't need to come see Seele at all."

"Knock knock knock."

Not long after, a polite knock on the door rang out, causing the little girl to involuntarily stiffen.

But she quickly disregarded Su Qing'an's amused gaze and chose to run to open the door.

What came into view was the girl's snow-white face. The White Comet she exhaled slightly lingered nearby, and the red scarf that matched hers kept her warm but was stained with a few snowflakes.

Those pure blue eyes gazed at the gauze on the little girl's forehead, causing it to ripple with emotion. She knelt down, her slightly cool fingertips carefully touching the skin around the gauze, making Seele feel her face flush.

Fu Hua frowned, and gently questioned:

How could you be so careless?

"Master Su told me that after you tripped outside, you unfortunately bumped your head on the marble steps of the school. Did you scrape your palms too?"

The little girl was stunned for a moment, but she quickly realized that this was an excuse her brother had made up for her.

Seele gazed at the girl's delicate face; her adorable, unconscious panting breath and the lingering tenderness in her furrowed brows were both incredibly endearing.

Even though the door to the entrance was not closed, the atmosphere of the wind and snow outside vanished from her body.

Sister Hua, you're such a fool! Your brother told such a simple lie, yet you believed him without hesitation.

But... even with such a foolish and naive personality, he himself didn't know how to deal with it.

Wouldn't that make me look even dumber? I was the one who was teasing Sister Hua all along.

The little girl tried to adopt a defiant stance, believing that this would suppress the emotions surging within her.

Fu Hua noticed the wind blowing the stray hairs on Seele's forehead. She first closed the door to prevent Seele from catching a cold, then took Seele's small hand and carefully examined the white gauze on it.

She felt somewhat helpless, but still offered words of comfort:

"You can't be so impulsive in the future. Seele wants to go out, I'll go with you next time."

It's all fake, I'm not that stupid.

Falling down and hitting your head is something only true fools and unlucky people do, not Seele.

She kept repeating these words to herself, but gradually she could no longer suppress the grievances and sadness that were building up inside her.

But... why do I feel like crying?

Even when she was almost captured by bad guys, even when she entered the Sea of Quantum, even when her brother came to save her, Seele held back all her tears.

Sister Hua is being too unfair!

Why does everyone have to treat Seele so gently? We're all just strangers.

In that case, next time I won't want to leave quietly...

But if Seele doesn't leave, her brother and Sister Hua will always get hurt because of it.

Su Qing'an may be able to protect himself now, but after the Honkai outbreak, the laboratory's achievements will definitely receive more attention from above.

At that time, one day...

Su Qing'an would stand against the entire world because of her.

Seele only spent a short time with them, but that brief period in her short life was enough to heal the gray world she had experienced before.

Therefore, she understood the boy's personality perfectly.

Even if this experiment represents not only a threat of power, but also the continuation of civilization.

It goes without saying what beliefs Su Qing'an held that made him completely unmoved even after hearing such facts.

He would never allow himself to become a victim of the experiment.

What should I do?

While she genuinely felt the care and warmth, a mix of accumulated fear, sorrow, and resentment welled up inside her. Helpless, she pouted and murmured:

"Sister Hua and brother are both idiots."

The boy standing behind him understood the other's inner turmoil, and he gently comforted him:

"Seele just needs to stay the way she is now."

As the words slowly and gently entered her ears, the mist couldn't help but condense into tears and fall down. Seeing the little girl's flustered and confused expression, wondering if she had spoken too harshly, Seele looked somewhat dazed.

If I disappeared one day, wouldn't Sister Hua be very sad?

My brother will definitely feel sad too.

If that's the case, wouldn't leaving so easily seem too willful?

The little girl hugged Fu Hua, burying her head in the snow-stained coat, and mumbled:

"Seele didn't cry."

Su Qing'an and Fu Hua looked at each other, momentarily stunned.

Immediately, her soft voice continued:

"Seele just got some snow in her eyes, don't laugh."

Fu Hua suppressed a smile, pursed her lips, and silently uttered five words to the boy while holding the little girl in her arms.

Don't add green peppers.

The boy removed the Udu-dust from his head, ignored its protests, and threw it into Fu Hua's body, nodding and smiling as he said okay.