False Happiness and Daily Life

Su Qing'an was not surprised by the possibility Mei mentioned; the power of the Herrscher of Death seemed to be able to control the other side between life and death.

Assuming that the essence of its power can be fully realized and perfectly utilized, it wouldn't be surprising if a completely new body with excellent Honkai Energy resistance were created by directly annihilating Su Qing'an's physical body.

However, fully realizing the essence of one's powers is something that no Herrscher can currently achieve. If the Herrscher of Death could truly develop her powers to such a mature level, then the young man would have to worry about how future Herrscher should respond.

Mei was used to his lack of response, and she continued:

"Controlling cell apoptosis and growth—this is the essence of your power, as you once said. It seems that besides the infinitely expandable meaning of this statement itself, we can also see other possibilities within it."

She steered the conversation back on track, saying:

"In short, based on the analysis and experiments conducted by Seele over the past few days regarding the application of her powers, we have drawn preliminary conclusions."

"The research report has been sent to your device. You can take a look if you're interested."

"Simply put, she has the ability to restore your unknowingly deteriorating organs and bodily functions to their peak, thus freeing you from the aftereffects of the disappearance of Artificial Stigmata."

"Although the problem of Honkai Energy erosion remains unresolved, we can still buy some more time."

"In the current situation, this is a rare piece of good news."

Su Qing'an was silent for a moment, then he said directly:

"Not necessarily. My ability to absorb Honkai Energy has always been in a passive mode."

"Seele's powers cannot interfere with my body through judgment."

Mei paused for a moment upon hearing this. She assumed the other person's abilities were self-controllable and hadn't considered this issue before saying:

"You can't undo it yourself?"

Su Qing'an responded:

"I don't know, or rather, I've never tried to undo it."

"But we can give it a try."

[Stigmata] has been in a semi-frozen state, and passive triggering is a normal occurrence.

The only reasons not to proactively lift the restrictions are that it's unnecessary and the risks are too high.

The reason Su Qing'an was able to survive after entering the State of Dustless was because the Artificial Stigmata barely amplified his Honkai Energy resistance. Now, after entering the Clear Mirror Realm, the updated Honkai Energy cycle link has long surpassed Su Qing'an's own limits.

Without the [Stigmata] to sustain his life, the invisible link between him and the Honkai Energy of the world would be enough to dissolve him into ashes within three seconds.

The reason Su Qing'an said it was worth a try was that even though completely removing the [Stigmata] would lead to direct death, partially removing the [Stigmata] would allow the Herrscher of Death's powers to interfere with oneself, which was not impossible.

[Stigmata] is already in a semi-dead state, and the process of deactivating it is essentially putting it into a deeper state of dormancy.

In theory, as long as you grasp the right balance, you can control the precise activation and deactivation of [Stigmata].

Mei nodded and said:

"Let's try it later. The cloning and resuscitation in the medical pod are far too artificial compared to Seele's powers."

"If it succeeds, it might buy us more time than we expect."

Su Qing'an was silent for a moment, then asked:

"Have you decided how to deal with Seele?"

Mei did not directly answer the question, but stated:

"The powers of the Herrscher possess a limitless potential."

"The most frightening aspect of these Honkai apostles lies in the consequences of this possibility. However, as things stand, they all have limitations we are unaware of. This is not merely a matter of the degree of permission granted to the Imaginary Space, but also involves other factors."

She countered with:

"Su Qing'an, have you ever considered that, given the fragile structure of the human body, even after being shaped by Honkai Consciousness, it's truly possible to evolve a body capable of bearing and utilizing power in such a short period of time?"

Su Qing'an vaguely understood what Mei was trying to say.

In reality, he had thought about these things before, but subconsciously he believed that the answers to these questions were difficult to find and had no significance for the short-term future, so he never gave them much thought.

Therefore, when faced with Mei's question, Su Qing'an could only respond with the most basic facts and honestly give his opinion:

"Honkai is something that cannot be fully understood by modern science. The existence of Honkai Energy resistance and adaptability already violates many existing rules, so I have always taken the special nature of Herrscher for granted."

"Furthermore, regarding the issue of the short time frame, Satou Yunona's physical age increased by approximately three years after becoming Herrscher. To this day, we do not know whether the Honkai Consciousness that grants Herrscher Authority possesses even more omnipotent powers to achieve the result of creating a qualified Apostle."

"If He possessed the power to alter the locality of time, then the brevity of time might not be an objective fact, but rather an illusion manifested in the external world."

Mei neither confirmed nor denied this. Although there are many arguments to refute this conclusion, it is meaningless to speculate on the limits of the opponent when the Honkai Consciousness is only providing a trial and screening and may not be using its full strength.

She pulled out a series of medical reports, which contained the remains of all the previous Herrscher and the specific data of Seele Fulei's current body.

"At least in reality, even though the Herrscher's physical body has been modified by the Honkai Consciousness, it is still human."

"Given that Herrscher, who possess exceptional Honkai Energy, and humans are still in the same biological state, you should understand the immense value inherent in this."

"This not only suggests that the embodiment of power is likely not merely the physical body, but also proves the possibility of putting some theories into practice."

"Mr. Su, Seele Fulei is not only the only living Herrscher at this stage, but she is also the best reference for researching perfect Stigmata."

Mei was silent for a moment, then looked into the boy's dark, deep eyes and asked earnestly:

"What do you think I should do with her?"

"Leaving aside external pressure and subsequent public opinion, the person who needs the Stigmata the most right now is you."

"Until the Fusion Warrior Project succeeds, the remaining warriors of the Moth to Fire, even if they acquire Stigmata, will not be able to climb very high."

"Realistically speaking, I don't need to use her to pay a price for my experiments."

"Because even without researching Herrscher, it's only a matter of time before we successfully research Stigmata."

"But this is a matter of efficiency, a matter of time."

"And what we, you, and indeed all of humanity lack most right now is enough time."

The value that a living Sixth Herrscher can bring is far more complex than Mei claims. Her current evasive remarks are essentially a way of reducing the pressure on herself.

Therefore, Su Qing'an understood Mei's meaning. She was not using righteousness to coerce Su Qing'an, but simply stating the facts and then asking her to make a choice.

Su Qing'an answered seriously:

"Her life was previously confined by her innate Honkai Energy proficiency and her physique adapted to the Sea of Quantum. For more than ten years, her value lay solely in fulfilling the visions of others, and she was used at will like a prop."

"And if I were to allow Seele to sacrifice herself for my own physical condition now that Seele has become Herrscher, then I would be no different from the person who used her for experiments before."

"Shortly after we met, she told me about her past."

"Back in the orphanage, the people there would always give a child a piece of candy before they were to be used in experiments. She said that later on, all her friends died because of a piece of candy, and she cried and said that it would have been better not to give them candy in the first place."

"I've already given her candy; to me, that reality is more important than the future of all humanity."

"I'm not a very strategic person, Dr. Mei."

"No matter what, I will not make Seele do something she doesn't want to do."

Mei thought this was a response that already provided an answer before the question was even asked.

Su Qing'an is such a selfless yet selfish, noble yet gentle person.

She has always believed that there are no truly perfect people in the world.

Because true perfection is flawlessness itself—that which strips away all humanity and approaches divinity.

In Mei's eyes, the boy was someone who stood just short of godhood, the closest thing to a perfect human being.

Su Qing'an's selfish desires and favoritism not only did not diminish her opinion of him, but also completely dragged him down from the possibility of being a near-god.

That's good.

Su Qing'an, all I need is Su Qing'an.

This leads to Mei believing that even if she were to apply a power like the Soul Scale to someone else, she would only see it as a temptation from the devil, not a sign of God's mercy.

The other party's response was not an answer that exceeded my expectations, yet such a person, when faced with the torrent of reality, always breaks his spine because of this integrity and falls into abyss, which is nothing short of laughable.

Mei was grateful for the other person's existence, yet troubled by the noble character she admired.

The desire for a true win-win situation will ultimately remain a pipe dream.

The girl said softly:

"I understand, I will respect your choice."

"But it will still occur periodically in experimental measurements that do not harm Seele; this is the limit that you and I can do."

Su Qing'an understood the pressure the other party was under, and the experimental measurements over the past few days had been conducted under his observation. Apart from the process being quite boring, nothing had happened that was beyond his tolerance.

So he nodded in agreement:

"Thank you, then I'll trouble you."

Mei gazed out the window at the villa district and sighed:

"No trouble at all, I quite like Seele too."

Su Qing'an was somewhat surprised, because in his mind, Mei's personality was almost completely different from Raiden Mei's.

Although both possess a gentle exterior but a strong interior, the former is more rational and calm, even bordering on indifference.

Therefore, the fact that Seele received Mei's favorable evaluation even after becoming Herrscher Seele something he hadn't anticipated.

Perhaps a fondness for children is one of the rare things they have in common?

Su Qing'an spoke frankly:

I thought you'd be colder.

Mei took a sip of water from her glass, her gaze drifting into the distance, a rare hint of guilt in her expression.

It was really difficult to explain directly to Su Qing'an how she and Seele had met.

The girl lied without any expression:

"It's probably just a matter of first impressions. I used to want a little sister too, Seele's appearance and personality are both adorable, which fits my past wish quite well."

Su Qing'an saw through the lie almost instantly; the acting lessons that Nishikujo Sara had taught him were still benefiting him to this day.

Although I don't know why she's lying, it's best not to investigate for now.

The boy always felt that Mei's way of getting angry was completely different from that of a normal woman, and in this respect, he still preferred Mei.

"Then next time I'll have her call you 'sister'."

Mei's fingertips trembled slightly as she held the glass, but her expression remained calm and composed.

"If Seele accepts, I'd be happy to."

The girl glanced at the information that had suddenly popped up on the tablet, and frowned as she said:

"Their squad's deployment in Pakistan ends in a week. Although the news is currently being kept under control, with the entire soldiers' barracks area sealed off, Seele's situation cannot be kept from them."

"In their eyes, the only two possibilities are that Seele became the Sixth Herrscher or that Seele sacrificed herself in the birth of the Sixth Herrscher."

"Logically speaking, although it's somewhat unfair, directly informing the other party as a response might be a safer decision."

Su Qing'an remained silent, understanding the meaning behind Mei's words.

Could Fu Hua accept Seele like this? Perhaps she could.

Firstly, because the relationship is closer, and secondly, because they themselves possess a certain degree of power.

But what about the others?

It's truly difficult to be optimistic about the reactions that Carole, Shiyu Qiluo, and Lin Xinchán will make.

Rather, it would be impossible for any normal person to treat Seele normally under these circumstances.

Mei put the cup back on the table, sat down in the ergonomic chair, took off her glasses, and massaged the sides of the bridge of her nose with her fingertips as she said:

"Of course, ignoring them altogether might be an option, but given your personality, you probably wouldn't simply disregard their concerns."

"I don't mind if they know the truth, or even come to visit Seele."

"But you should know Seele's current mental state. The reality of becoming Herrscher has already overwhelmed her. In terms of psychological testing, she can still be considered optimistic. However, the reactions of these former loved ones to Seele are more likely to become the final push that drags her into the abyss."

"Herrscher are undoubtedly dangerous, even if this Herrscher is just a 14-year-old girl. It is my duty as a person in charge to ensure that the other party's mental state remains optimistic."

Su Qing'an said softly:

"Tell me the truth, it's okay."

"If one cannot accept the fact that Seele has become Herrscher, then naturally one would not intend to come and visit her."

"As for those who know everything and still intend to come in to visit, I will personally oversee their entry."

Mei turned on her personal terminal on her desk, put her glasses back on, and began working:

"It's up to you to decide. After all, you're the one who cares most about this matter, and no one cares more about the impact than you."

Her gaze was earnest and focused as she looked at the screen, and she asked, seemingly unintentionally:

"By the way, how's Kevin's progress lately?"

Su Qing'an observed the details of Mei's expression and found it extremely interesting.

He responded:

"It'll be soon. Kevin possesses an unreasonable talent."

"He can now not only initially ignore my spiritual pressure, but his training is also gradually nearing its end."

"At that time, he will be able to carry out missions to defeat Emperor-class Honkai Beast on his own."

"If the Fusion Warrior Project succeeds, he might be the first one to become Fusion Warrior."

Mei suddenly paused for a moment, then whispered:

"Fusion Warrior?"

"Perhaps Fusion Warrior are less human than Herrscher."

After the words were spoken, no one continued to explore the topic further.

Both understood that the existence of Fusion Warrior was imperative for the future of humanity.

As for the price paid and the distorted future it will create, only history can witness the final outcome.

The little girl stared at the dining table in front of her and said resentfully:

Why must there be green peppers in beef with green peppers?

Su Qing'an placed the beef mixed with green peppers into the other person's bowl and explained earnestly:

"Because the beef with green peppers is called beef with green peppers."

Seele retorted:

"Brother is lying. There's clearly no fish in the shredded pork with garlic sauce, and there's no need for green peppers in the beef with green peppers either."

The boy replied calmly:

"Next time I'll add fish to the shredded pork with garlic sauce."

The little girl poked at the pile of rice with her chopsticks. Looking at the other person's face through the rising steam, she said unhappily:

"That's cheating."

Su Qing'an thought of an excuse and then said:

"Dr. Mei said that becoming Herrscher hasn't improved your health. She said you've been lacking Vitamin C lately, and eating more green peppers can help replenish it. This vegetable is very effective in boosting the body's immunity."

The boy added in a serious tone:

"Furthermore, your eyes turn red when you use your powers, so I think it's necessary to eat more green peppers to soothe your liver and improve your eyesight."

Upon hearing this, the little girl initially thought that Sister Mei had become bad, but then she showed an incredulous expression. She took a small bite of rice and protested:

"The latter reason is completely illogical. In gaming terms, it's like the special effects of using a skill having absolutely nothing to do with Seele has a problem with her eyes."

Su Qing'an said quietly:

"Once your eyes stop turning red when you use your powers, green peppers will no longer appear on the dinner table."

Seele Fulei pursed her lips, but she quickly regained her composure, her eyes brightening as she looked at the boy and said:

"Sister Mei said my powers can help my brother's body become better, do you want to try it?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qing'an paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before replying:

"Let's wait until after we finish eating."

Why... does one subconsciously feel resistance?

At least for now.

No one could answer the boy's question.