She Had Never Been a God

One year.

Based on the current pace and frequency of the war, this is a period so long that it can almost be considered to last until Fuxi awakens, multiple Herrscher appear, and even until the Finality and its Honkai.

Su Qing'an calmly commented:

"It could take longer, and they might not even be able to awaken."

No one can say for sure whether the rate of Chiyou Gene fusion will decrease again after it reaches a higher stage, but it's not the worst-case scenario.

The problem stems from the gradual merging of the body and soul caused by the Soul State, or rather, the subtle evolution that occurred in the boy's body during the mutual transformation between the Soul State and the physical body.

Su Qing'an couldn't help but wonder if this was because the Black Abyss White Flower was being used too frequently, causing the evolution that should have taken a long time to develop to be stimulated by the constant birth and death in the long cycle of reincarnation, thus leading to the current situation.

However, the essence of Black Abyss White Flower's power is to control the growth and reduction of biological cells. The fact that his injuries could be healed under this power shows that the body is not as ethereal as the soul is when it is transformed from matter.

In layman's terms, it means that the physical body gradually acquires an attribute called the soul, so the material aspect remains unchanged, and the powers can still play their original role.

If it weren't for the need to fuse his body with Chiyou Gene, it might actually be a good thing, as it's almost as if he's forging his own path.

However, this presents a dilemma in the present day. The urgent need is to achieve the combat power that Fusion Warrior can transcend, but this has become fraught with difficulties.

The worst-case scenario is that Chiyou Gene will eventually be stuck at 99%, preventing him from truly becoming Fusion Warrior.

Mei affirmed the first part of the statement, but expressed uncertainty about the second part, saying:

"Whether the Soul State affects the rate of Fusion Gene is a very subtle issue."

"The soul is a special and currently unknowable realm, but the essence of Honkai Beast genes is also completely different from that of normal genes; it can even be said that there is a conceptual gap between them."

"The Honkai Beast gene transplantation and fusion may seem like a biological experiment, but in essence it is not, or rather, it involves many other fields."

"Mr. Su, you should be aware of the differences between Honkai Beast genes and normal biological genes, right?"

Su Qing'an nodded to indicate that she understood; this was basic knowledge that could be learned in a normal school biology course.

Genes are hereditary factors.

It is the complete nucleotide sequence required to produce a polypeptide chain or functional RNA.

Genes support the basic structure and function of life, and store all the information about the processes of life, such as race, blood type, conception, growth, and death.

The interdependence of environment and heredity drives important physiological processes such as reproduction, cell division, and protein synthesis.

Simply put, almost all life phenomena in an organism are related to genes, which determine the intrinsic factors of health.

But whether the concept of genes can encompass the Honkai of creations is another interesting question.

Honkai Beast are not carbon-based life forms; they are closer to silicon-based life forms and energy life forms, or rather, a mixture of the two, or even more complex existences.

The human-defined concept of genes is largely inapplicable to this existence, which may or may not even qualify as a living being. The reason for continuing to classify it under a single concept is that Honkai Beast do indeed possess a similar sequence helix, which conforms to the principles of the materiality and informationality of genes.

The initial challenge of Mei's Fusion Warrior Project lay in how to extract the sequence helix—that is, the genes—from the Honkai Beast's body without damaging it.

Although the problem has been solved, it doesn't mean she has truly and completely understood the mystery behind it.

Current gene transplantation projects are largely unexplored in many theoretical areas, much like the knowledge and methods acquired by the earliest civilizations through experience. Even without understanding the true principles and rules, they could still comprehend how to make fire by rubbing sticks together.

Modern humans understand that it utilizes the physical principle of friction generating heat, but humans at that time did not understand it. Yet, they were still able to continue using it, and over the years, they unintentionally or intentionally discovered more and more effective ways to start a fire.

Modern civilization is currently at this stage in terms of Fusion Gene.

That is, knowing what happened but not why it happened.

Our current civilization still has a long way to go to truly understand both the "what" and the "why."

Therefore, both of them have a very shallow understanding of Honkai Beast genes. However, at least both Su Qing'an and Mei understand that the strange phenomenon of the body gradually merging with the soul attribute can interfere with normal genetic experiments. But whether Honkai Beast genes can provide an endless constraint is still an unknown.

Mei commented:

"Both the soul and the Honkai Beast's genes contain many unknown things. Even if a part of your body permanently becomes Soul State, it is ultimately not something that can coexist with heat, light, electricity, mechanical energy, chemical energy, gravitational potential energy, or other things that are difficult to coexist with."

"Whether the Chiyou Gene is unable to awaken or can awaken normally is entirely up to us; we can only continue to observe over time."

Su Qing'an said softly:

"Hmm, is there any progress on that recent matter?"

Mei responded:

"I tested the waters. If the enemy behind us is still a missionary, then she probably already knows that instruments capable of detecting soul fluctuations have appeared."

"But at most, she can only know that this instrument definitely exists, but she doesn't know about its cost and size."

"So we took advantage of the information gap—the information the other side knew but didn't know completely—and released some information while also deploying some real instruments to test the key areas."

Su Qing'an asked:

"And then what happened?"

Mei said softly:

"In the remaining human capitals around the world, warriors have exhibited unusual behaviors, some committing suicide, others attacking friendly forces, and still others fleeing. Without exception, the consciousness that governs their souls has become severely distorted."

Su Qing'an was almost certain that this enemy was a missionary; all the signs matched the power he wielded, and the familiarity with him was chilling.

She is still alive.

On the other hand, he vaguely understood that the missionary might have seen through this fishing trick.

Flora clearly had no need to take the risk head-on; deliberately removing her informants and creating the illusion that she had fallen into a trap was perhaps a more likely scenario.

If we become complacent and careless because of this matter, we will only be playing into their hands.

The obvious problem with the current situation is that no one knows whether the missionaries have really withdrawn all their informants.

To put it bluntly, even if the missionary's informant is discovered, she herself will not suffer any harm.

What this monster is truly wary of is Su Qing'an's control over souls, and Fu Hua's mastery of the Udu-dust.

The Key of Consciousness is the natural nemesis of [Bewitchment]. Even if you trace back to the source by following the leftover power seed, it would not be surprising if it injured or even killed the original body.

Su Qing'an now suspects that the mental disturbance he experienced that day may have involved some form of manipulation, so it's not surprising that the missionary witnessed Christianne's death.

The consciousness of Qiandaozi and the consciousness of the main body thus vanished into nothingness within the illusion created by Udu-dust.

If missionaries truly knew this, they could not help but fear its power.

No matter how cunning, despicable, or cautious she is, her [bewitching] abilities are only slightly Pseudo-Herrscher.

This level of strength is due to having devoured one's own kind once; otherwise, [Bewitchment] would only be at a simulated level of strength.

The power of [bewitchment] is like a flawed, inferior product compared to [consciousness].

If the Thousand Herrscher was targeted by Udu-dust because of his form of existence, then Flora trembled before Udu-dust because of the inadequacy of her essential power.

In this situation, Flora might actually take the initiative to remove all eyeliner.

However, this removal only meant reclaiming her own power, preventing her from repeating similar actions and taking control of the overall situation.

Yet, those who can be seduced remain under this distorted belief, continuing to live in the city, standing in the sunlight amidst the crowds, their whereabouts unknown.

Moreover, all of this is based on speculation. Even if Mei's Fishing Project is successful, its real significance lies only in reversing the other party's perception of him.

Currently, it appears that the worst-case scenario has not yet been reached.

The most direct way for Flora to truly reach the core information is to use Prometheus to reverse-engineer all the databases and even find Mei's location.

However, unless the power of [Bewitchment] is truly elevated to a conceptual level ability of Herrscher, it is impossible to influence artificial intelligence based on the current operating principle of [Bewitchment].

Su Qing'an stated:

"She's cunning; it'll probably be difficult to catch her out later."

Mei thought for a moment and said:

"Currently, relay stations equipped with soul detectors have been installed around the world to collect wavelength data. These stations are managed and overseen by Prometheus, and the newly developed soul detectors are responsible for receiving and analyzing the data transmitted from all over the world."

"Although it's a very crude method, and it's highly unlikely that it can detect her truly using her powers to interfere with the fluctuations of the soul, the power fluctuations that the missionary launched using the power seed as a medium cannot be concealed."

Su Qing'an commented:

"It's effective to some extent, but it feels more like a tool to bluff people."

Mei responded:

"I don't have the energy to keep wasting time with the missionary. She's cunning, and after you almost killed her last time, this monster has learned to restrain her desires. Prometheus can no longer uncover the traces of her wanton slaughter of humans and the Honkai Energy tide that covered them up, as he did before."

Su Qing'an said softly:

"She won't be able to resist; it's just a matter of time."

"Hua and I will use the Udu-dust to regularly eliminate some potential threats, and while we're at it, we'll see if we can find any trace of her."

Mei asked:

"Do you think there might be problems with the hundreds of thousands of people imprisoned in jail who were once bewitched by her but whose seeds of power have been severed?"

Su Qing'an thought for a moment and said:

"The missionary died once, so she must have been very weak for a period of time, and her power seed would have broken off on its own without her having to choose between it and her own."

"The other person has the aura of Honkai Fission Bomb, similar to Nuclear Radiation mixed with Honkai Energy, which is why she can change her appearance so strangely and survive being killed."

"But setting that aside, the missionary is merely a Pseudo-Herrscher; her [bewitchment] has always been limited, and to be used to this extent, in a sense, she has reached her limit."

"Those hundreds of thousands of people won't change because of this monster's life or death, so there's no need to worry for now. I'll work with Hua to use the Udu-dust to clean up this mess and alleviate some of the pressure on the current situation."

Mei said:

"Okay, I'll leave it to you."

After she finished speaking, she wearily put down the tablet in her hand.

This is a tool I used to take notes and search for knowledge during high school.

The girl who only needed to focus on academics and knowledge at that time could hardly have imagined that she would one day become the leader of humanity in the fight against the Honkai, holding the future and hope of the entire civilization in her hands.

Life is unpredictable; the world changes.

Those were clearly only a few short years, yet they seemed separated by endless mountains and seas, forever beyond our reach.

The difference between my past state of mind and my current thoughts is stark.

This girl, who was only a few years older than Su Qing'an, became cold-hearted after experiencing the Herrscher of Death incident. She rarely smiled, and her expression and eyes revealed a mechanical coldness and pure rationality.

The principles that once existed have been trampled upon.

The facts have proven that even with the talent to dabble in the divine realm, it is impossible to develop and advance various technologies to this extent through conventional means. This requires both implicit requirements of experiments and the integration of talent within human civilization.

Su Qing'an was not entirely unaware.

He disliked any experience similar to Seele Fulei's that happened to a child, and he loathed the inhumane experimental instruments and their various acts.

On the other hand, he had to admit that when the survival of an entire race depends on one person, it is unreasonable to use the principles, rules and morals of peacetime to oppress others.

The two had a great understanding of each other.

Su Qing'an and Mei both understand each other's needs and desires, and they are also able to calmly recognize the current situation and understand each other's needs and the gray areas.

Since we are both aware of each other's taboos, we can simply avoid interfering with or touching upon them.

Aside from his own observations and experiences, Su Qing'an's only sources of information were the information network controlled by Prometheus. He might be able to deduce the darkness within Mei's abundant experimental results, but that was all.

The boy didn't choose to investigate further; rather, he had no choice but to compromise.

In this crumbling world, the word "leader" carries an overwhelming weight.

Since there is no awareness or confidence to take responsibility and forge a better path, the only option left is to trust and expect.

If we could reach that future, even if our bones were tempered to a state of cold indifference by blood and fire, it wouldn't be a bad ending.

In Su Qing'an's view, Mei was not a purely rational scientist by birth. Her thinking logic tended to be rational in some aspects, but she still retained warmth and gentleness in many others.

If such a person truly chooses to trample on their own principles, then the suffering they inflict upon themselves is the best punishment.

As the girl placed the tablet on the table, she let her thoughts wander for a moment, her eyes lowered, as if she were pondering something.

Su Qing'an looked at her pale face and unfocused eyes, and said:

"You look very tired. If you need Black Abyss White Flower treatment, feel free to tell me anytime."

Upon hearing this, Mei took out a nutrient solution from her white coat, took a sip, and her gaze was deep. She looked up at the person's face, thought for a moment, and then said:

"No need. It's a problem with the brain. Using the Black Abyss White Flower to solve it is too risky. This is fine."

Su Qing'an was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Mei meant.

The power of the Herrscher of Death seems sufficient to perfectly revive flesh and blood. Under the radiation of this power, life can even achieve immortality without becoming Fusion Warrior, as if it were not subject to reincarnation.

However, if a human brain is completely destroyed, even with the power of the Black Abyss White Flower, it cannot be fully repaired. The complexity of the internal structure and cells is difficult to fully reproduce even with the operation of a Herrscher. Or rather, even if it is fully repaired, it may not be possible to restore that person's consciousness to its original state.

The reason why Su Qing'an was able to let Black Abyss White Flower use the method of life and death reincarnation to get rid of the omnipresent dominating power inside the [theater] was essentially because, as the master of the Divine Key, he could leave his accurate imprint within it.

To use a computer analogy, it's like having an identical backup data model, leveraging the power of authority to copy and paste at will.

However, this accurate mark is not a technique that can be obtained simply by establishing a link with the Black Abyss White Flower, but rather a formula that he developed specifically for himself.

Even so, the fundamental reason why Su Qing'an dared to destroy and then restore his own brain is that he is not a normal human being.

If a normal human loses its brain, its bodily functions will determine that it is dead, and its soul will soon perish. Even if it is repeatedly imprinted with the Black Abyss White Flower, it is easy to generate bizarre philosophical questions.

That is, the Swamp Person theory.

However, Su Qing'an's consciousness was able to remain perfectly still within the Soul Hall, observing the state of the outside world and himself clearly, even in the instant his body was destroyed, so he did not have such troubles.

In short, Mei's problem is tricky.

It could even be said that even if one were to try using the Black Abyss White Flower, it wouldn't constitute any meaningful test.

Regardless of anything else, it's simply because her personal value and significance are far too profound.

If the experimental treatment causes even a slight impact on her thinking, logic, knowledge, or memory, the research, development, and experimental progress will be indefinitely halted.

But at that moment, Su Qing'an suddenly had a bad feeling.

He remained silent for a long time, but finally asked:

Why did the problem occur?

Mei said calmly:

It's hard to lie to you.

Su Qing'an took a deep breath and said:

"Your words gave me a very bad feeling."

"But I also understand that you don't intend to lie to me."

"What do you want to say, Mei?"

The violet light in the girl's eyes seemed to freeze slightly, and she smiled, a slight curve to her lips.

"Is this the Path of Sincerity? Mr. Su, it's always a pleasure to talk to you."

She extended her slender, pale fingertip and tapped her forehead, her gaze lingering for a moment before she spoke in a light tone:

"The answer is simple: I studied myself."

"A significant increase in efficiency was achieved at a minimal cost."

If they remain silent here, even with Su Qing'an's terrifying intuition, they probably won't be able to discern the true nature of the object.

The fact that Mei brought up this topic means that she believes there's no need to hide anything from them, or that there are some things that can only be known by letting the other person know in order to achieve her goal.

Then.

The young female scientist pondered for only a moment before softly revealing the true answer:

"Mr. Su, I cloned myself."

Then came a long silence.

In fact, Su Qing'an had pondered why Mei's efficiency was increasing.

In the end, he could only conclude that this girl with the gentle smile in later generations had perhaps trampled on many of his principles and inner taboos, allowing her talents to be fully displayed, which is why she received such a rich reward.

Perhaps this young female PhD student is simply born with the ability to reach limits that are incomprehensible to others; her talent may even be beyond her own imagination.

Prometheus, Soul Steel, Fusion Warrior, Divine Key, Hyper-Mutation Factor, Quantum Technology, Stigmata, Godslayer Seat, Soul Instrument, Aether Anchor, the Holy Sword Durandal that manipulates microscopic particles, and countless other proposals and gradually implemented results.

Mei made progress on all of this in less than two years, and some parts have even been perfected and have played a significant practical role.

When miracles have happened many times, the ingrained habitual thinking makes it easier for people to accept that miracles will happen again.

No one has ever questioned the irrationality of it all, simply because she is seen as a deity in the eyes of the world.

Su Qing'an was once amazed by Mei's extraordinary talent.

So even with such abundant fruit, he never questioned anything. Geniuses always transcend the understanding of ordinary people, and often he can accept things calmly with just such reasons.

Now, the unexpected answers and truths have been revealed.

It tells a fact that doesn't need to be stated.

--She was never a god.

She simply wanted to see the world become better and more peaceful than anyone else, and she also abhorred more than anyone else that such beauty and peace had to be achieved by trampling on the lives of others.

So in the end, Mei chose to trample on her dignity and personality completely, just like Seele Fulei, who carried out self-sacrifice to the point of making people feel cheap.

At this moment, the young female doctor, regarded as a deity by the world, made a request to the person before her:

"Mr. Su, I need the help of the Black Abyss White Flower."

"Besides this, I see no way to defeat Fuxi."

There was still a long silence.

Su Qing'an couldn't refuse Mei.

Even if Kevin were here, he still wouldn't be able to refuse Mei.

"Okay," he said.