Mizuki's Starting Point

Kal'tsit is in the same state now. She doesn't even have any memory of how she came to this parallel world, and she's completely dazed.

"But since you understand the concept of parallel worlds, it saves me a lot of trouble."

"Um."

Mizuki maintained a certain distance from Kal'tsit throughout, out of consideration for both of them. After all, this was their first meeting in terms of their actual relationship, and they didn't know each other well. Even if she knew the other party meant no harm, she still had to be careful.

"A sunny day that I miss."

Kal'tsit glanced at the bright sunshine outside the window; even that sunshine felt so warm and inviting to her, something she wanted to hold onto tightly.

"In my world, there has been no sunlight for five years... All living things have been assimilated and shrunk into members of the Demons. Civilization ekes out a living, huddled in the deep sea, relying on the Seaborn for protection."

There is no light in the deep sea, and the entire Terra is shrouded in an ever-present dark cloud, preventing sunlight from reaching the land. Black mist covers the entire territory.

Sami and Ursus, and indeed all the nations of Terra, underestimated the power of the Demons. They thought they could keep the Demons out of civilization, but they didn't realize that what they had been fighting was only the tip of the iceberg.

When the Demons turned their gaze upon this land, Sami and Ursus's defenses were quickly breached. The Great Yan Celestial Master held out until the very last moment, but physical barriers could not stop fear from spreading among people. Ordinary people are always the first to panic when faced with such danger.

The fear of living beings has become an instinct for Demons. They have become more powerful because of human knowledge, and these more powerful individuals have come to the mortal world from behind the Star Gate, bringing destruction.

Kal'tsit will never forget that during the final evacuation, Amiya removed all the rings from her hands, forcing herself to become a vessel for the will and power of all the Sarkaz kings, completely becoming the Demon King of Sarkaz.

Dragging her collapsing body, she gifted the Black Crown to Mizuki, and then, relying on the Sarkaz bloodline network, she intimidated all the evil creatures of the Warp, permanently destroying one of the most powerful among them.

She never looked back; she simply went against the flow of people, offering blessings to all beings.

This is a sculpture personally created by the Doctor based on Amiya's final pose. As one of the few decorative symbols of this Deep-Sea City, the statue is inscribed with the words: "In eternal remembrance of our friend Amiya, who, though young, was worthy of being the Sarkaz Queen."

"Kal'tsit, have you seen the Doctor?"

A splash of blue became the last bright color in this city interwoven with gray, black, and white. Kal'tsit looked at Mizuki, who remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened.

Just like back on Rhodes Island, as if he wasn't yet the Lord of the Seaborn, the protector of this city, or the source of life, but now everyone depends on this Mizuki to survive, his flesh and blood are the only healthy food, and there's also the Black Crown on his head.

Compared to when Amiya possessed it, this crown now...

"No, the Doctor is probably still in the lab."

"He's still researching those things."

Mizuki's expression was somewhat helpless. Everything that happened on land was a huge blow to the Doctor. Apart from Amiya, less than one-tenth of the Rhodes Island operators survived. Now, in this city, there was no longer any hostility or prejudice between people. Even the Aegir from the deep sea had put aside their long-standing arrogance. When you're living under someone else's roof, you have to be more restrained.

Since arriving in this temporary city built by the Seaborn, the Doctor has secluded himself in his laboratory, researching how to break free from the current predicament. He believes that the relics from the Old Civilization might offer an unexpected solution.

"I'll go help him later, don't worry, I'll bring his lunch with me."

Mizuki nodded slightly, then looked at the statue of Amiya in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.

"Um... Mizuki, how are you feeling?"

This is not just a polite greeting, but a genuine expression of concern, as the entire city now exists solely because of Mizuki.

Seaborn fights against the Demons, relying on the crown Mizuki on his head to stabilize the emotions of all the residents and strip them of their fear to prevent the Demons from taking advantage of them. At the same time... his other body is responsible for supplying the food that now needs to feed these 100,000 people. The people know what they are eating, but they have no choice.

The only concern is whether Mizuki's physical and mental health will suffer under such pressure.

"I'm fine physically, but I'm more worried about the Doctor. He's definitely overworking himself, but it's not his fault."

With the power of the Seaborn, and the "Continuance of Civilization" artifact, Mizuki still occupies the sea, protecting the last embers of Terra civilization along with several other Firstborn.

"But his sense of responsibility always drove him forward. We must never forget those we abandoned and those who pushed us into the sea."

"Yes."

Mizuki looked up at Amiya's statue, gazing into her eyes that were a mixture of reluctance, grief, and determination, yet devoid of fear. She was originally the one most likely to survive.

However, Amiya knew that to survive in the sea, she needed the help of the Seaborn. Apart from Mizuki, no one could guarantee that they could maintain their human rationality after becoming the Seaborn God. Therefore, she gave him the crown as a blessing, or perhaps a curse.

"Let's go see the Doctor together, Mizuki. You haven't seen him in a long time."

Kal'tsit thought it might be good to bring Mizuki along when she went to see the Doctor. After all, Mizuki needed the Doctor as an anchor for her personality stability, and the Doctor also needed Mizuki as a source of emotional support. Now, he only had Mizuki and Kal'tsit left.

"No, I still have some things to do. Although they have slowed their offensive, they haven't given up."

Mizuki shook his head. Although he wanted to see the Doctor more than anyone else, he didn't want to go now. Kal'tsit remained silent for a while and didn't say anything more. She always felt that Mizuki had something on his mind, but nowadays, no one except the Doctor could understand Mizuki's thoughts.

The entire population of the Deep-Sea City revered and respected him, and would always greet him when they met. However, apart from Kal'tsit and the Doctor, no one else could get close to him. Everyone kept a certain distance from Mizuki and dared not approach him easily.

"Then I'll be going now."

See you later.

Mizuki waved to Kal'tsit, then left alone, holding her umbrella.

Watching his departing figure, with no one else on the desolate street, Kal'tsit felt an indescribable sense of guilt.

After Mizuki chose to accept that power and become the leader of the Brood Seaborn, no one else was his kind, no one else could stand by his side. He could only rely on the existence of the Doctor to struggle to support his will.

In the dim light, the world appears quite different in Mizuki's eyes.

The city buildings on both sides were twisted, dark, and unspeakable things. Kal'tsit had also become a bizarre creature made of pure blood and flesh. He was sure that the Doctor looked like that in his eyes too. Of course, Mizuki knew that the problem was with herself, and that Kal'tsit, the Doctor, or anyone else was fine.

But he still didn't dare to see the Doctor, not because he was afraid that the Doctor's figure would be distorted in his eyes, but simply because he was afraid that the Doctor would see through his abnormal state.

Mizuki wasn't lying; the Demons had indeed slowed their attacks on the city, but this was actually because the struggle between the two sides was now taking place in a different way.

Because their original purpose was not to destroy the Terra civilization, it wasn't until recently, when Mizuki once again tried to retrieve the remains of Amiya and the others, that he realized the Demons' only target now was himself.

Amiya and Surtr are both dead; their only choice is Mizuki.

The thick black fog attempted to invade the sea, but was pushed away by another surging wave. The Deep Blue sea radiated a profound light, causing the darkness to recede somewhat.

The tide surged, and the seawater intertwined to resemble the Mizuki reflected in the water. He gazed at the land that had been completely eroded, and at the people who had shrunk on the shore, especially Amiya who was standing at the very front.

"Do you really want me that badly?"

The sea surged, Mizuki raised her umbrella, the tide surged behind her, and dark clouds and an eerie aura from the north clung to her head.

The Demons did not answer, but all the people who had collapsed were staring intently at Mizuki, and no further response was needed.

"Amiya..."

Mizuki stared at the person standing at the very front. The youthful face had long since collapsed and replaced the person's features, and the body was on the verge of collapse like a porcelain doll full of cracks. The consciousness and power of the Sarkaz Demon King of all generations had been exhausted.

In the end, Amiya, determined to become the Sarkaz Demon King, made the most difficult choice of her life. She became the Demon King, but in doing so, she also cut off the chance for millions of people to survive. Mizuki seemed to see her tear stains.

"I'll take you back."

Mizuki pointed the tip of his umbrella at the earth, and the raging ocean surged forward. He knew he couldn't protect the Doctor and the others behind him forever, but at least until he died, the spark of Terra civilization would not be threatened in any way.

"After saying goodbye to Mizuki, I went to see the Doctor, who told me about his plan."

"By relying on the Matrix unearthed by the Aegir civilization and utilizing the capabilities of DWDB-221E, one can project individual consciousness from the future into the past, thereby influencing history."

As Kal'tsit spoke, Mizuki allowed a portion of her thoughts to wander through the Sea of Life, searching for memories that corresponded to her own timeline, but her face remained impassive.

"That was a bold idea, but it seems your plan didn't work out."

Having grasped the concept of "the Continuance of Civilization," Mizuki understood that what Kal'tsit was saying was not impossible. In fact, the Sarkaz race's ability to prophesy for thousands of years, and even the Cyclops race's prophecies, were all influenced by this crown.

Passing messages from the future to the past using the creations of an Old Civilization is not difficult, but... sending a person's consciousness or even the person themselves back to the past is a completely different matter.

"Yes, it seems I haven't returned to the past of my own world, but have come to yours. But thankfully... you haven't been driven to the brink of despair."

No.

Mizuki shook her head, shattering Kal'tsit's idea.

"The situation is not as optimistic as it seems. Sami has already rallied his forces, the Demons in the north are gathering strength, I have observed the formation of the Void, Terra is also in a dangerous situation, and..."

Seeing that Kal'tsit seemed to be on the verge of collapse, Mizuki didn't say anything more, lest Kal'tsit just shut up on the spot.

It's clear that the other party's worldline is definitely apocalyptic, just like many parallel worlds that Mizuki knows of, where destruction is actually the best outcome.

"It's gotten this serious..."

"That's why the Doctor and I were a little anxious."

Mizuki could completely understand why he and Doctor became nervous after realizing that their dream was not a figment of their imagination but a real historical event.

He didn't doubt that the Kal'tsit in front of him was a fake, because there was one thing she was right about: Mizuki and the Doctor had indeed left a way out during their negotiations with Iberia.

After hearing that the Sea Siren were planning to destroy one of Aegir's cities, Mizuki and the Doctor decided to build a final fortress in the deep sea, so that if they could not stop the destruction, they could preserve the Fireseed.

Like Old Civilization that has long been destroyed, at least it left behind traces of its existence.

Chapter 196 The Beginning of Mizuki

"I still don't understand... Could that Doctor have foreseen my existence over ten thousand years ago?"

Mizuki looked at Friston in front of him. He had received an invitation from Columbia President Mark Max, and he knew that this trip to Columbia would be different from all his previous trips.

However, he did not expect that coming here would cause such a huge fluctuation in his already altered fate.

"She is the most special one among us, the most easygoing, and never makes things difficult for herself, which gives her extraordinary talent in some aspects."

"We have all worn that crown, but it was in the early stages of the experiment, and all we could do was share our emotions and memories. She, however, could resonate with you, thousands of years in the future."

Friston patiently recounted his past to Mizuki, seemingly very enthusiastic about it. Perhaps it was because recalling those untold stories buried deep in the database made him feel exceptionally real as a human being.

"Me?"

"Yes, how's your digestion going?"

Life needs sufficient nourishment to grow, and the spirit also needs ample sustenance. Using the spiritual will of 100,000 people as an aid to help Mizuki break through her limits, along with the blood that Doctor left here, is enough to help Mizuki complete a sublimation.

"It's almost here. I have a strange feeling... I've seen many things I can't see before, and I can hear the sound of ocean waves."

"That proves you have made contact with the Sea of Solaris."

Friston was very satisfied with this. He seemed to understand why Doctor had chosen Mizuki as her last hope, someone who could retain her own personality after becoming Seaborn and who had not been affected by the Seaborn the Brood now. This was something that many of his compatriots could not do.

"But what you told me wasn't a sea, was it?"

"That's because you've connected the Sea of Solaris with the ocean in your mind. It's an instinctive association. The Sea of Solaris will appear differently to different people depending on their thoughts and perspectives. Besides, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an ocean of consciousness."

A more vivid and figurative explanation of the Sea of Solaris is that it is an ocean composed of consciousness, where people's consciousnesses are like drops of water merging into it without distinction, thus enabling them to communicate and understand each other's thoughts.

How are you feeling?

"Hmm... the sound of the sea is so beautiful; it seems to be faintly calling my name."

"You're the first person whose first reaction after connecting to the Sea of Solaris was to say that the sound of the waves is beautiful."

Mizuki has indeed demonstrated powerful talent, not only in physical ability Friston also in spirit. The Sea of Solaris is an ocean of consciousness, and only a sufficiently resilient and powerful consciousness can maintain a long-term connection with it.

"Now, try to break free from your body, but remember your heartbeat. Tell me a secret that no one else knows, and I will use it to ensure that your consciousness can return intact."

"A secret that others don't know... Well, I actually had someone I liked, but she doesn't remember me."

When this matter was brought up, Mizuki couldn't help but scratch his head; even he found it difficult to discuss a failed relationship.

"Anyway, we were just travel companions for a month, so our relationship wasn't that deep."

"What is her name?"

Friston didn't intend to delve too deeply into the matter; he wasn't the kind of gossipy old man.

"Surtr, her name is Surtr, she's a Sarkaz, she has beautiful red hair, loves ice cream, and is very protective of her own."

"Okay, go ahead."

Mizuki nodded slightly, then closed her eyes, trying to direct her consciousness toward the direction from which the sound of the ocean waves was coming from.

After that, Kal'tsit felt a sudden flash before her eyes, Mizuki disappeared from her sight. Everything around her remained unchanged, followed by Friston's deep voice.

"The connection with the Sea of Life caused quite a commotion; all the recording equipment stopped working, and I am unable to describe to you everything I saw."

Friston seemed to be getting agitated, and Kal'tsit judged this by his voice.

"Mizuki exceeded our expectations. In the original plan, it should have taken him at least four or five years to fully adapt after connecting to a Sea of Consciousness, but he did not get lost the moment he came into contact with the Sea of Solaris."

"His consciousness remained unshaken, like a towering mountain. Within minutes, he completed the connection with the Sea of Solaris, and then he told me... that ocean of consciousness was entirely himself."

Kal'tsit frowned imperceptibly. Even with her limited knowledge, she couldn't quite grasp the meaning of those words. She knew about the Sea of Solaris, and in fact, the Originium that had fueled Terra's industrial development and caused so much suffering was also like that. Originium crystals were essentially just appendages of the material world, and within each Originium was its own unique ocean of consciousness.

"I know you can't understand, I felt the same way back then."

As Friston spoke, he displayed some documents in front of Kal'tsit, any page of which could overturn many of Terra's current scientific theories.

"The Sea of Solaris, a name I came from a novel in my hometown, is an ocean of consciousness that does not exist in the Material Realm, a dimension outside of time and space."

"So, Kal'tsit, what do you think is the starting point of the Sea of Consciousness?"

These words caused Kal'tsit's mind to explode; she immediately realized the meaning of what she had just said.