Newborn Sustenance / Mizuki from Another World

"Then I'll go with you."

"No."

Mizuki gently pressed the Doctor, who also wanted to go, into her seat, as if to soothe them both and reassure them not to worry too much.

"Believe me."

These words were more effective than any other. Mizuki gently patted the Doctor and Exusiai on the shoulders before heading towards Kal'tsit's office.

The Doctor and Exusiai glanced back at Mizuki, and he, as if by telepathy, turned back, giving a reassuring smile. He even playfully stuck out his pink tongue and winked, causing the two to turn their heads back to their own.

This is too much! How come we never noticed before that Mizuki could be so alluring? If this were anywhere else, the two of them would have been unable to resist tying Mizuki up.

Having settled things with the Doctor and her girlfriend, Mizuki continued walking with measured steps toward Kal'tsit's office.

Kal'tsit, on the other side, was also on her way to the Preserver Facility.

Deep in darkness, in a damp cave, she gradually recalled some details from the past.

Yes, she had been here before, with the Doctor and Theresa. That was ten years ago, before the Sarkaz civil war had reached its most intense stage, Babel still had the resources to focus on other things.

Dorothy naturally couldn't come along. Kal'tsit followed her instincts and walked forward, avoiding all traps and protective measures, calming the M3 hidden in her spine to keep it quiet. Once the M3 appeared here, it would be regarded as a weapon by the Preserver's facilities.

Even if thirteen thousand years is enough time for this hastily built Preserver Facility to come to a standstill, it still has the power to destroy the entire Columbia before it reaches its ultimate limit of use.

Reaching the door, Kal'tsit stopped and looked up at the steel gate, which was Michael. Ten thousand years had not left many marks on it; it had existed for much longer than the civilization that created it.

The door opened, and before Kal'tsit even stepped inside, she could already hear that familiar voice.

Come in.

Upon hearing the knock on the door, Kal'tsit put down the report in her hand. Based on her memories of seeing the Doctor and Mizuki earlier, although the Doctor's invention successfully sent her back to a point in the past, it wasn't to her current world. So... going back to the past is impossible, isn't it?

However, at least the world has now resolved the issue of the Seaborn. Next, it only needs to be wary of the threat from behind the Warp Gate to the north of Sami, the Observers behind the stars, and the massive catastrophe beneath Terra.

Thinking about it this way only makes her head ache more. Kal'tsit couldn't help but sigh. As soon as Mizuki opened the door, she saw her frowning and sighing, and couldn't help but feel curious.

"What's going on? Rhodes Island is in deficit again?"

The words and tone of the voice made Kal'tsit pause for a moment, and she even doubted whether the person standing in front of her was Mizuki or the Doctor.

"No, it's not a deficit. Rhodes Island has always had sponsors, so it's not short of money."

This was also something that surprised Kal'tsit. She had already realized that this was not the world she was in, but she did not expect that Rhodes Island would have so much sponsorship from Columbia. Let alone a financial deficit, it wouldn't be a problem for them to spend money on charity every day.

"So, you're not actually the Kal'tsit I know?"

The sudden change of topic caught Kal'tsit off guard. She hadn't even figured out how to explain her origins without being misunderstood as having some kind of mental problem before Mizuki exposed her secret.

Seeing Kal'tsit's surprised expression, Mizuki knew she had guessed correctly.

"Don't worry, I haven't told the Doctor and the others about you yet. That must be a very important secret of yours."

"... Even Amiya didn't notice."

"She might just sense something was off, but out of trust and affection for 'Kal'tsit,' she would automatically ignore these unusual issues."

Mizuki placed the transparent umbrella by the door and closed it to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

"Of course, I can't hide that from you. After all, you're not the same Kal'tsit I know."

From the moment they met, Mizuki knew that the person before him was not someone he knew, because the Kal'tsit he knew was pregnant and had some connection to the Sea of Life, while this person before him did not.

However, out of caution, he still took some time to confirm the location of the original Kal'tsit, and finally found her in Columbia after a rain shower.

At least Kal'tsit is safe and sound, and Rhodes Island has not detected anything unusual or malicious.

Most importantly, the feedback from the Sea of Life told Mizuki that, despite the presence of many different components, the life form before her was exactly the same as Kal'tsit's, without any falsehood.

This left Mizuki somewhat bewildered, so clarifying the situation was more important than ruling out the other party.

With the Sea of Life, which allows him to observe all parallel worlds, Mizuki can accept the occurrence of certain events.

Chapter 194 Nourishment for New Life

"It's been a long time, Preserver, Trevor Friston."

The red sphere was surrounded by silk threads that resembled the ripples of a musical staff. Beside Kal'tsit were tens of thousands of Sarcophagus containing a person who would never wake up again. These were all the Doctor's kin, the dying Fireseed of Old Civilization.

For Kal'tsit, it was a tragedy that left one speechless with grief.

"Ten years is not a long time, neither for you nor for me."

Friston's voice echoed throughout the Preserver Facility's hall. With the scientific level of Old Civilization, digitizing and storing a person's personality in a device was not difficult. However, the real challenge of the entire Preserver Project was not how to preserve the human Fireseed or how to evade the Observers' watchful eyes.

Rather, it lies in... how to ensure that the mastermind responsible for the entire plan can remain rational for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

"You've come here, so you must already have your own ideas about certain things."

"When I realized that it all started with Mizuki being invited to Columbia, and that he happened to possess the Heart of Deep Blue, it was hard for me not to connect the dots. Mizuki's plan began more than a decade ago when the Doctor and I were searching for Cicero, and I realized that someone in Columbia must be cooperating with us."

Kal'tsit looked up at the ancient beings. They were all remnants of that great ancient civilization, proof of its existence. But now, the ancient civilization had long since vanished, and the secondary civilization was also facing the crisis of destruction.

The Old Civilization and its power—if any one of the Sarcophagus in the Preserver Facility were opened, anyone could bring unimaginable progress and development, as well as destruction, to the Terra.

"Yes, your vigilance comes from your experience and sense of responsibility; any carelessness could lead to irreversible consequences."

Friston's answers were always accompanied by a deep, resonant voice, like a giant rising from the earth. Kal'tsit didn't choose to get straight to the point, but instead asked her first question.

Why did you agree to see me this time?

"I had imagined that your presence here meant that the psychological suggestion she had placed had been broken, which meant that you were qualified to know the answers to certain questions."

"... For example, was it actually the Doctor's suggestion that you be Mizuki here?"

This is the most illogical conjecture, yet it perfectly matches the trajectory of everything; otherwise, neither Friston nor Mark Max should have known of Mizuki's existence, so how could they have invited him?

"Yes, one day ten years ago, when she and you all pushed open that door, I was incredibly surprised."

Friston answered Kal'tsit's question frankly. He still remembered that day when he was routinely checking whether all the facilities and equipment were still working properly, and the door that had been sealed for more than 13,000 years was pushed open. When the ancient facility welcomed an outsider for the first time, and a fellow human being, Friston, as a digital life form, felt his processor running at high speed.

However, we were too late.

Kal'tsit looked around, and she could almost hear the heartbeats of the survivors in the Sarcophagus gradually weakening, but it was just an illusion.

They were indeed too late. Even with the scientific and technological level of Old Civilization, more than 13,000 years had passed, and the Preserver Facility had reached its limit. The more than 100,000 people here could no longer be awakened. Unlike the stone Sarcophagus where the Doctor had been, the Preserver Facility consumed far more energy and had been operating for more than 10,000 years. A thousand years ago, it might have been able to awaken all those sleeping inside, but now... everyone was waiting for death.

"Even if we go back a thousand years, the outcome won't change. Until we're certain the Observers's gaze has left this planet, none of us dare to take the risk."

As Friston spoke, he seemed to feel a sense of oppression himself. Compared to Kal'tsit, he felt this emotion more deeply, because for more than ten thousand years, he had to look at his compatriots and check their vital signs every day.

From the initial hope that their compatriots would awaken and rebuild their once glorious civilization, to the final despair of waiting, no matter how many times they cried out to the distant and profound universe, there was no response from the stars. Their compatriots had lost all hope of revival.

"Kal'tsit, the universe is a pile of cold, lifeless ashes, and we are the embers that are about to be extinguished."

This statement contained a sense of helplessness and loneliness. Friston knew very well that restoring the Old Civilization was no longer an option.

"But you are not. The Terra civilization is just beginning, its flame is still weak, and someone needs to protect this tiny spark."

In the past, Friston's attitude towards Terra might have been one of disappointment and disdain. As a secondary civilization, Terra had performed poorly, with all sorts of problems. In this dark and sunless underground facility, he was already able to observe the world's appearance when Terra developed means of communication.

But now, Friston doesn't place much hope on the nascent Terra civilization; he simply believes that giving all his blood to the heart of a heart is better than guarding a lamp that is about to go out.

"In any case... at least you and those ancient beings left Fireseed for this world."

"Yes," Friston said, as the entire hall was illuminated.

Even if the universe is now empty and desolate, at least civilization still exists. Even if we cannot be sure whether Terra is the only civilization at present, some things will not change no matter how much time passes.

"Even if one day Terra's civilization is swallowed by its sun, destroyed by its underground calamities, shrouded in the Sami Hollow, or perhaps the eyes of Observers are once again cast upon this land."

"Even if the current civilization is destroyed, a new civilization will be born sooner or later. Only civilization is eternal."

As someone who has also lived through these ten thousand years, Kal'tsit could sense that Friston's words came from the bottom of his heart; he had come to terms with it.

"Besides..." Friston hesitated slightly, seemingly wondering whether he should tell Kal'tsit about this, "They have all willingly become the catalyst for Mizuki's evolutionary Evolutionary Singularity."

As expected, Kal'tsit's eyes flashed with a "I knew it" look. Columbia was a crucial turning point for Mizuki; he learned something here, which led him to take action.

Friston already knew what Kal'tsit's purpose was this time, so he stopped beating around the bush.

"You've probably guessed it already, but there are always things beyond your expectations. For example, you thought the Doctor's plan started more than ten years ago when you first went to find the Deep Sea Bishop? No, it started thirteen thousand years ago, long before Trevor Friston's consciousness became a data life form. She was already preparing for this."

Now, recalling when the Doctor warned everyone of the impending danger and inevitable destruction, no one believed it. As a civilization capable of easily transforming or destroying an entire star system, the Old Civilization, though gradually declining, shouldn't have been unable to even preserve its Fireseed. But... facts have proven everything.

For the first time, Kal'tsit's expression turned to undisguised surprise. She had indeed considered that the Doctor's plan might have started much earlier, but she hadn't expected that this plan predated her own existence.

"The blessing of the Deep Blue Seed was initially proposed as one of the design proposals in the <Planetary Terraforming Project Proposal>, so no one thought there was anything wrong with it."

"Their ability to adapt to various harsh environments and their capacity for resilient evolution, prioritizing the survival of their species above all else, coupled with a shared mental network throughout the entire population... such creatures are perfectly suited to the mission of planet terraforming."

From the very beginning of proposing this plan, the Doctor was laying the groundwork for the future. She understood that she alone could not persuade her many companions, and she also understood that some things were destined to remain unchanged. She was unwilling to accept this, but this was all she could do.

"The Continuance of Civilization... when we created it and forged a connection with the unknown Sea of Solaris, we understood... destruction was our inevitable end."

"That ocean of consciousness?"

As a creation of Old Civilization, Kal'tsit also knew what the Sea of Solaris represented. It was not unique, but a collective term. Each part of the Sea of Solaris was not bound by time and space. They could connect people's consciousness, and even... connect people's present consciousness with their future consciousness.

"Yes, we sought hope in the Sea of Solaris, but apart from the Doctor, no one received a response from the consciousness of the future. This means... in all the timelines covered by the Sea of Solaris, our civilization has not survived."

Despair followed by resentment. The Old Civilization tried its best to preserve itself, but in the end, it could only prove that the conclusion was correct. As a result, the Doctor began to further modify the creature Seaborn.

She did her best to endow Seaborn with strong vitality and adaptability, trying every means to create a perfect species, but that was beyond what could be achieved in a short period of time.

"Many of our compatriots volunteered to become part of this plan, merging their consciousness into one, and then... becoming what you call the Firstborn."

"I once accidentally saw the Doctor secretly implant some instructions into the deep consciousness of Seaborn, which affected the mental network of the entire race. But no one except the Doctor knew about this until ten years ago... She came here and told me everything behind it."

"Deep Blue Seed Project was originally designed, prepared, and implemented for the individual Mizuki. Everything was solely for the purpose of enabling Mizuki to access and fully control the Sea of Solaris."

This is a past that perhaps no one but Friston knows. It's hard for anyone to imagine that all of this was actually paving the way for Seaborn Mizuki.

"Individual strength cannot change anything, much less salvage the overall situation. Since that's the case... let's use all our strength to push one person to the top, and then make him the anchor point for the convergence of many forces."

"... This is the truth about the Sea of Life; it's a distorted version of the Sea of Solaris?!"

Kal'tsit was stunned when she realized this; it was even more unbelievable than hearing that the Doctor had been paving the way for Mizuki more than 10,000 years ago.

"Yes, it started as a small piece. In human terms, compared to the Sea of Consciousness formed by Originium, the Sea of Life was initially just a tiny fraction. But... it was far more incredible than we expected. It expanded rapidly at an unimaginable speed. Mizuki from countless parallel worlds sacrificed herself to become a part of the Sea of Life."

Friston didn't continue on that topic, perhaps worried that Kal'tsit would press him further, and he shifted the focus back to Mizuki.

"Now, let's get back to that topic, Kal'tsit. You want to know what happened when Mizuki came here, so I'll answer you."

The surrounding light gradually intensified, the white light seeming to engulf Kal'tsit, but just as the white light completely enveloped her body, she found that nothing had changed. It was still the Preserver's underground facility, and the only difference from before was the familiar Mizuki standing before her.

Friston projected a scene that had happened here in the past directly to Kal'tsit.

"Is this really okay? They... are still alive."

Mizuki looked around and felt his heart pounding, as if coming here had some special significance.

"Sometimes, death is a relief. Facilities are powerless to wake them up. You can open your mind and empathize with their thoughts. I think they would all be willing to pave the way for you."

Friston's attitude towards Mizuki was completely different from his attitude towards Kal'tsit. When facing Kal'tsit, he was like a stern superior, but in front of Mizuki, he was like a kind elder, speaking softly to her.

"Is it worth it for me?"

"Back then, we didn't choose to believe the Doctor, which led to our destruction. So this time, I choose to believe her, and I believe in you too."

Mizuki didn't know the Doctor, but he realized that if Friston was telling the truth, he needed to do this to protect everything he cherished, at least for Susie and the others.

"So what should I do next?"

"Go to Chernobog first, set a countdown to wake her up a few days early, then head to the deep sea and find the gift she left for you... After that, just follow your heart."

Friston stared at the Mizuki before him, watching him walk to one Sarcophagus after another.

Through the ancient Sarcophagus, Mizuki sensed how faint the life responses were. She confirmed the thoughts of each of the Preserver, and they all shared the same viewpoint as Friston.

Rather than die, it is better to become nourishment for new life.

Chapter 195 Mizuki in Another World

So... you come from a parallel universe?

Just as Kal'tsit was wondering how to explain her origins, Mizuki's words completely stumped her.

This is mainly because, given Terra's current level of scientific and technological knowledge, she feels it would be difficult to explain this to Mizuki, who hasn't even received an elementary school diploma. After all, even Kal'tsit herself couldn't explain what was going on.

However, the fact that Mizuki could guess her origins directly is something worth investigating further.

"Yes, but I don't know if it's because of the Doctor's research... My memory is even a bit hazy, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I understand how uncomfortable it is to have these memories mixed up."

Mizuki had already experienced that feeling when her entire consciousness submerged into the Sea of Life. That time, she had only accidentally touched it a little, and her mind suddenly received the memories left in the Sea of Life by thousands of other Mizuki consciousnesses, almost causing her to have cognitive errors and confusion about her self-awareness.