A Missionary Harboring Delusions About Su Qing'an

As the entire Northern Hemisphere heats up, Greenland, within the Arctic Circle, bids farewell to its long winter polar night and welcomes a brief summer.

Singing to the sun, hunting seals, growing vegetables and grains, and even celebrating national day are all things that the Inuit residents of the island look forward to in the summer.

They spent half a year in the dark winter, and until recently, they still had to rely on dog sleds to travel on the snow, facing a long period of time when the sun no longer set.

It was the height of summer, and people were finally able to walk and cycle on the bare ground, and occasionally even row boats and kayaks on the sea.

So during these days, there are always some people happily drinking themselves into a stupor in the tavern, celebrating the hard-won summer.

The person Flora devoured had apparently gone out drinking for this reason, but unfortunately, the joyous occasion turned into a death, which can only be described as very unlucky.

Humans are so fragile and easily broken in the eyes of such monsters, like delicate glass toys, requiring one to deliberately restrain the force applied when handling them.

This matter has not yet attracted the attention of the residents.

The reason is simple: with such a large number of people, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she could do whatever she wanted.

From the man's memories, the nun learned that he was a farmer living along the fjord, who, like others, grew carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and other plants in his fields.

These are all agricultural tasks that need to be completed in the summer, but unfortunately, they are now destined to not be completed as he originally hoped.

Summer is the best season in Greenland; the sun brings good fortune to the island.

The missionary's travel experience was quite extensive; the travel efficiency of a normal explorer was probably not even one-tenth as high as hers. So even without deliberately learning, she understood why she was praised by the local residents in the summer.

In most regions, calendars and festivals change with the moon.

But in Greenland, where the day and night cycle is elongated, summer is more than just a season; it also signifies the sun's return.

In June, local residents welcomed back the long-awaited sun.

From that day on, the sunlight lasted 15 minutes longer each day than the day before, until the sun stopped setting.

In the Norse epic Sagara, Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland to this place for committing murder. Erik and his family, along with their slaves, sailed northwest in hopes of finding the legendary island.

After he settled on the island, he named it Greenland, which literally means "green land".

Perhaps Eric arrived just in time for June.

After all, at least in the summer, the southern tip of Greenland can still be considered lush and green.

In reality, the name was simply an advertisement designed to attract more immigrants.

Judging from the current number of people here, the advertising effect is not too bad.

Flora strolled leisurely through the town, listening to the residents reminisce about the days when Arctic explorers would come to the island, watching the men going out in groups to hunt seals, and softly singing Norwegian folk songs, feeling quite pleased with herself.

In the nun's view, apart from the absence of buses, this place was almost no different from the fjords of western Iceland. Wildflower fields covered the land, and farms were scattered in the low-lying valleys. The whole scene was almost like a page torn from Andrew Wyeth's pastoral sketchbook, with a very poetic and picturesque feel.

She thought that perhaps she wouldn't get tired of it even after staying there for a while.

A faint smile appeared on the girl's beautiful face, but dark thoughts were revealed in her heart.

Maybe... we should wait until we've finished eating before leaving.

Of course, this refers to all forms of consumption.

After many twists and turns, Su Qing'an finally arrived at the snow-capped mountains from the distant coastline. He walked towards the distance, where the ever-changing aurora borealis shone.

Like a wisp of smoke on the horizon, it remained motionless for a long time, sometimes resembling an open curtain, and sometimes quickly curling into a spiral ribbon.

This is Greenland, where arable land is scarce. Almost all daily necessities are supplied by a ship that sails from Denmark once a week. The port is the link between Greenland and modern society.

Missionaries don't go to places like this.

Greenland, with a total population of less than 50,000, is undoubtedly unsuitable for diving and living, but it is one of the areas that can produce Ten Thousand Year Ice. So after checking the entire Iceland, Su Qing'an chose to come to Greenland first.

But what can a piece of Ten Thousand Year Ice represent?

Even if Flora drank that glass of wine, it might have been just a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Perhaps this was just the wine the victim poured shortly before her death, and that "Ten Thousand Year Ice" was something she had longed to bring from elsewhere, with no connection whatsoever to the missionary.

Using this as a clue to investigate and travel to various places would undoubtedly be a waste of time, because the logic involved is insufficient to support a complete closed loop.

But Su Qing'an still came.

Whether it was to clear his mind or out of intuition, he was now getting infinitely closer to that nun.

Thanks to the wide coverage of [Udu-dust • Critical], the search for souls is extremely efficient for a group of only tens of thousands of people.

In theory, if the boy conducts a large-scale search in this manner, the missionary's whereabouts will be impossible to conceal, and within minutes everything about her will be exposed.

However, Su Qing'an's personality dictates that such large-scale searches can only be used as a last resort, such as the Yakarta incident. But since he did not believe that the missionaries were there, he could not use such an extreme method to conduct a search.

Soul oppression is indeed simple and effective, but it is not a pleasant thing for ordinary people who are affected.

That day in Yakarta, putting the entire city into a deep sleep was the gentlest outcome.

Otherwise, dwelling on the despair and terror of being oppressed into the dust with a clear mind will only cause greater harm.

Assuming the other party is unlikely to be present, Su Qing'an changed his search method to a resonance detection approach, similar to the wavelength of the soul, which was precise and would not attract anyone's attention.

The only downside is that it's too slow, which is perfect for a leisurely stroll.

The boy gazed at the vast expanse of floating ice drifting with the current in the distance, his eyes filled with a sense of longing.

The White Sparrow fluttered its wings, its tiny body landing like a snowball in the snowdrifts of the mountains. It rolled around in the snow, then pecked at the soft, cold white ground with its red beak. Looking up at the person beside it, it said earnestly:

"Snow doesn't taste good."

Su Qing'an picked up the white sparrow by its downy feathers, placed it in the pocket of his chest, patted its head with his fingers, and whispered:

Didn't Udu-dust's records tell you that snow isn't food?

Su Muxi thought for a moment and replied:

"But Xiao Fu said we can't blindly trust Udu-dust's records. She said that only her own personal experiences and answers are meaningful."

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

"What you said is true, but it can't be applied to every situation."

She tilted her head, looking as if she understood but not quite, and then said:

"I understand."

Su Qing'an didn't know what the child understood; he simply pointed to the magnificent aurora borealis in the sky and whispered:

Do you have any photos of the aurora borealis in your records?

Su Muxi's honest answer:

"No, Udu-dust's records only officially started after Xiao Fu gave me to you. As for what happened before that, apart from a few things being recorded very clearly, everything else is quite vague."

The boy smiled and said softly:

"Let's just say you had the aurora borealis in your previous records."

"Hua means that even if you have a record of the aurora borealis, the feelings and emotions you have after witnessing it in person will still be different."

"The same goes for other things; Xiao Xi will understand in the future."

Looking at her adorable appearance, Su Qing'an thought to herself.

Perhaps the existence of Udu-dust was never a romantic accident. Whether the so-called Divine Key and Soul Link can withstand the immense power of the reboot remains an unknown that needs to be questioned.

In the current timeline where Udu-dust has not yet been born, the existence of this feather is equivalent to the paradox itself. However, unlike his own memories, which need to be protected by Kenshin himself to avoid being corrected, it seems to have never been targeted by the world's corrective power.

If it weren't for the permission of that god, this feather would never have been able to follow me from the previous timeline to the Previous Civilization.

But let's assume that's really the case.

His target is Su Muxi right now.

Once Udu-dust truly possesses a self and gives herself a name, her very existence becomes an inseparable bond.

After Su Muxi bound her soul to herself, even though she later established Soul Link with Fu Hua, the original owner of the body, she could no longer sever her connection with Su Qing'an.

This transforms what was originally a matter of personal choice—a death restart—into an option where abandoning it would negatively impact the other party.

Moral blackmail and coercive constraints.

Such ruthless scheming, the so-called gods are simply... more obsessed with that perfect ending than Su Qing'an herself.

"The Fourth Ending."

The boy murmured softly, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, carried away by the chaotic wind and snow, then buried in the rustling whispers of everyday life, unheard by anyone.

No one knows what the outcome of such measures will be.

There is no church here.

Or perhaps it once existed, but that little wooden chapel was torn to shreds during that blizzard.

All the current buildings are products of reconstruction. Prioritizing more practical buildings and postponing the church reconstruction plan is a reasonable judgment.

But this was a very difficult thing for a nun.

Under normal circumstances, Flora would be planning what kind of new church the townspeople should build, but with a sudden whisper in her mind, her peaceful life was no longer repeating itself.

He's here.

The missionary calmly handed the crucifix to the man praying before him, a mysterious smile on his face, and whispered:

"The gods will protect you."

Andrew rubbed the strangely textured jewelry in his hand, gazing at her serene smile, feeling as if he were drowning in some forbidden vortex. He longed for the feeling of touching her soft skin and parting just as quickly, and an inexplicable affection arose naturally, like a wildfire filling every corner of his body.

The moment the man's fingers gripped the cross, his emotions reached their peak. He unconsciously gazed at the girl's exquisite curves beneath her solemn attire, his throat bobbing, his eyes filled with a strange light.

But finally, Andrew met his gaze, and that ethereal chaos and wondrous sense of holiness washed over him, extinguishing all emotions and subsiding his physical reactions. He realized the delusions he had entertained, avoided his gaze, and said in a dry voice:

"Thank you, Sister."

"I will express my gratitude to you next time I have the opportunity."

Flora watched his retreating figure and whispered:

"You will have a chance to repay me."

He said:

[Leave here.]

The missionary's eyes were slightly closed, her lips slightly upturned, as she answered:

"There's no escaping him. The moment he arrived in Greenland, it meant I had to confront him head-on."

Su Qing'an's Honkai Energy perception range is so vast that even the slightest fluctuation that could deceive the Honkai Energy detector could not escape the other party's senses. In addition, his speed is not on the same level as Su Qing'an's, so it would be pointless to choose to escape if Su Qing'an detected Su Qing'an's arrival in advance.

Using Honkai Energy to escape will result in being discovered instantly, leading to a faster death.

Even without using Honkai Energy, attempting to leave solely through bodily functions is impossible to reach beyond the range of the other party's perception.

The so-called nemesis is nothing more than this.

As long as one survives within the opponent's vicinity, the level of danger cannot be described as merely walking on thin ice.

The nun seemed to be gazing at an approaching abyss, the unparalleled darkness and despair washing over her like a tidal wave, giving her soul a tremendous shock.

Instead, she found joy and wonder in it, and fear, sorrow, despair, and panic—unprecedented emotions—continued to spread through her heart, satisfying her inner desires.

A smile appeared on the girl's beautiful face. Her slender waist unconsciously bent slightly, and her arms wrapped around her abdomen in a strange way, stroking it. The contents inside had been completely digested, and she had wanted to savor the aftertaste of the delicious food, adding to her enjoyment at this moment.

But something is still missing.

The person in front of me was originally supposed to be the food I ordered for today, but unfortunately there's no time to savor it slowly right now.

But a hasty, uninhibited enjoyment doesn't fit the monster's aesthetics. What she craves is the pleasure of suffocating and stifling her own consciousness over a long period, gradually releasing it completely at the peak of everything; only that kind of desire can satisfy her.

Of course, the cost is that all objects become consumables for a short period of time, lasting only one night.

Flora, adjusting her short, rapid breathing, casually straightened her clothes, smiled, and said:

"I've only used my powers in this town. Given his current search methods, I still have a chance."

The missionary pursed his lips, suppressing his inner turmoil, and imagined various futures in this life-or-death gamble, letting out a long sigh:

"But once that opportunity arrives, our stance will be different."

The Honkai Consciousness understood what the other party meant, but it didn't think the missionary's plan was very meaningful, given the strength of that person's soul; the risk of failure was high.

But as she said, any attempt to escape is futile against the breadth and depth of the opponent's abilities.

The missionaries' only advantage in Su Qing'an at present is that the world is extremely vast.

It was so vast that Su Qing'an had to play a game of hide-and-seek with it, using limited technology and his own abilities to find a monster skilled at hiding itself in the boundless world.

In this game of hide-and-seek, he was the one who was "it".

If a ghost catches a person, that person will die.

That's fair.

So now it's time to see who comes out on top.

The Honkai Consciousness stated:

"Your life is of utmost importance, my future apostle."

The missionary whispered:

"Of course, Lord Kami."

She smiled, her tone indifferent:

"I won't die, I'm a monster!"

"A monster... created by Honkai and humanity together."

It's very strange.

As I stepped into the vicinity of this town, the wavelengths that had previously resonated in my Sea of consciousness began to fluctuate like a piano piece, weaving together a melodious tune.

This only proves one thing: that there are a large number of "special cases" in this town that are different from the Soul Essence.

Su Qing'an silently took out the round bead from his pocket. He gazed at the Honkai Energy Crystal that originated from the other party. The particles inside were moving rhythmically in an orderly manner, but the closer one got to that area, the more subtle changes this rhythm would undergo.

The answer is obvious.

Although it's unclear why missionaries would choose to stay in a place like Greenland, it's a good thing.

The young man gently stroked the Black Abyss White Flower in the sword sheath, and guided by the orb and the fluctuations of those souls, he walked in the predetermined direction.

He did not deliberately stop the investigation. Missionaries are cunning creatures; while they discovered the other party, they should also have been discovered in return.

It's okay.

The oppression of the soul blossomed like silver flowers, spreading throughout the small town with a population of less than three thousand, granting it peaceful sleep and deathly tranquility.

By preemptively hindering the opponent's actions, the most precise location can be locked in.

After realizing that the other party was indeed there, he decisively implemented the plan.

Su Qing'an silently stepped onto the street. The wind blew past the hem of her clothes, brushed against her slightly cold fingertips, and stirred her disheveled hair. Under the gaze of her eyes, she rushed towards the figure in the distance.

That's where the wind is against you.

This monster, who destroyed Yakarta's life, schemed against Himeko, assassinated Mei, and has killed and bewitched countless humans to this day, is none other than the gentle nun standing before him.

Su Qing'an was not surprised by this, but when he actually stood in front of the other party, the strange yet familiar force field and fluctuations made him vaguely understand many details and truths that he had never noticed before.

But none of these were the real reasons hindering the speed of his sword strike. The killing intent in his heart was so chilling, and his surging emotions were as high as flames, yet they were still like stuck gears entangled in the sticky fluid flowing through his palm and the crimson that suddenly meandered down in his vision.

Flora watched the boy slowly drawing his sword and whispered:

"I know you'll hesitate."

The fact that the opponent was unable to truly fight the Seventh Herrscher in the previous encounter demonstrates the severity of that deficiency in being unable to engage in combat.

Psychological barriers that can be overcome immediately are not considered psychological barriers.

The missionary believed that Su Qing'an would resolutely unleash this sword strike, but the tug-of-war with his own conscience was still inevitable.

She murmured:

"That's your reason for defeat."

Time is up.

"Mr. Su, the entire population of Iceland has fallen into a coma."

Prometheus's words forced the boy to stop drawing his sword. He frowned and looked at the smiling nun opposite him, concluding that it was her doing.

Is it a threat?

Using the lives of the entire Icelandic population as a bargaining chip for survival?

However, Iceland had already been inspected by him, and theoretically, the other party's authority should not have interfered with the local residents. Dao Integration this could have led to the current dire situation.

Unless... I misjudged the limits of the other party's power from the very beginning.

The missionary sang softly a nursery rhyme he had recently learned, a song composed by nearby residents to welcome the arrival of summer.

She was in a good mood.

This is an easily exposed bluff, but anyone on the other side who cares about the lives of those people will be bound by it.

Su Qing'an had no choice but to test whether this was his doing, and perhaps even negotiate and communicate with him. Time would pass little by little in this process, and the cycle would not repeat itself.

Flora sensed the fluctuations spreading throughout the area and smiled.

Everything has settled down.

Prometheus continues to report:

"Mr. Su, similar incidents have occurred in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and it is expected that millions of people will fall into comas within minutes."

"Mr. Su, Norway has fallen into a state of utter silence, and so has Canada..."

"Mr. Su?"

The dial could monitor the boy's physical condition at any time, which made the artificial intelligence finally realize that something was wrong. His brainwave data almost stopped in a short moment and entered a state of stagnation.

With a formidable enemy at hand, and just as he was about to unleash his sword, this Martial Immortal inexplicably fell into a deep sleep.

Su Qing'an maintained his original posture, his pupils dimmed, his consciousness wandered off somewhere, and the State of Still Water instinctively controlled his muscles and body, keeping him standing still like a sculpture. The force of his fingers on the hilt of the sword did not dissipate, but he could not pull it out.

The eighth Herrscher has appeared.

This Herrscher possesses the power to manipulate consciousness, has only been on the scene for a short time, yet she has already spread this power, which is similar to Meme weapon, through an unknown medium, causing a large number of patients with Sleeping Sickness.

It's not surprising that Su Qing'an was among the first batch of victims.

When he stood before the missionaries during this period, the Honkai Consciousness issued an order to the newly born Eighth Herrscher to first silence the entire Antarctic Circle.

Flora gazed at the silent boy, her inner longing surging like a tide.

It will probably be completed within two months.