Mizuki and His Offspring

"It seems Sister Chen is busy, so I won't disturb your work. But I'm going to make something delicious for dinner tonight. Would you like to come over, Sister Chen?"

"Hmm... okay then."

After calculating, Ch'en realized that her schedule for tonight was enough to make time for this. Mizuki's food had left a deep impression on her. Even though the appearance was intimidating, the taste was really great. Ch'en couldn't eat for several days afterward.

"Of course, it would be best if Miss Swire could come."

It's wrong to be biased. Mizuki showed the appropriate enthusiasm when they first met. Swire thought about it and nodded. Hoshiguma was in charge of patrolling from afternoon to eight o'clock in the evening. The Lungmen Guard Department wouldn't stop operating without her and Ch'en.

It's customary to bring a gift when visiting someone's home; she didn't want to lose face.

"Then I'll go back and cook. Goodbye, both of you."

They didn't even ask why Mizuki's way of addressing Ch'en sounded so intimate. The two watched him walk away with the groceries, and then suddenly realized something.

Mizuki worked for Penguin Logistics, and then he returned to Lungmen, which means Penguin Logistics has returned to Lungmen... Penguin Logistics...

"The Penguin Logistics team is back!"

Ch'en's intuition seemed to be buzzing, loudly warning that something was wrong. Lungmen should be on high alert right now. Why did those troublemakers have to choose this time to come back? This is terrible. When she goes over tonight, she should also warn Mizuki to keep an eye on her group.

"Is this Lungmen? It's so prosperous, right, brother?"

Leaning out of the car, the short-haired Liberi girl curiously surveyed the vibrant city. She could clearly sense its difference; she had seen many cities on her way here, but this was the most unique.

"Raffaella, don't stick your head out, it's dangerous."

The blond, handsome young man Perro, reached out and pulled his sister back to prevent her from bumping into something, while the dark-haired woman in the passenger seat chuckled softly.

"Hehe, Lungmen is indeed a very special city, completely different from Dossoles. It's not a good thing to stifle a girl's curiosity, Ernesto, take her for a walk around later."

"But Ms. Candela, we are, after all, your bodyguards."

Ernesto was somewhat helpless because Candela's identity was truly special. She was the mayor of Dossoles in Bolivar and the only person trusted by the three Bolivar factions. It was because of this special identity and position that she was assigned to attend this meeting and spent nearly half a month traveling non-stop from Bolivar to get here.

"I know you've all done a great job on your duties along the way, but you also need to relax. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning, so go and satisfy the girls' curiosity before then."

Let alone Raffaella, even Candela herself would like to explore the city properly, but that would only be after the talks have ended and on the premise that the talks have gone smoothly; otherwise, no one would be in the mood.

"Besides, I probably won't encounter too many dangers in Lungmen, right?"

Candela's words made a lot of sense, Ernesto reluctantly nodded in agreement, as he couldn't very well go against the lady's wishes.

"Then please continue to address us by our code names."

"Okay, if I need to open a bottle of wine, I think I'll definitely order a bottle of Tequila."

Looking at the bustling city and the passersby, Candela felt an indescribable strangeness. People seemed to think that the heavy rain a few days ago was just an accident, and that the dark clouds overhead were just bad weather. They did not realize the horror behind these anomalies, nor did they know the truth and secrets of the world.

But she knew—and Candela not only knew, but was also representing her country in a conference that would go down in history—that she did not believe could end in failure.

With the three countries of Great Yan, Columbia, and Iberia leading the way, how could all of this end quietly? You must know that the only purpose of this meeting was to discuss where Terra should go from here in the future.

She will become a part of history, and the name Candela will be passed down in the annals of Terra until its destruction!

"Oh, that's... that's Brother Mizuki!?"

Raffaella's eyes were fixed on the crowd. In that brief moment, she saw a familiar figure she had been longing for walk into the crowd, carrying a bag of vegetables and some juice.

"Mizuki!?"

Ernesto, or rather, Tequila, also looked out the window, but he only caught a fleeting glimpse of a back view. That was enough; Mizuki's attire was always unique, and her temperament was even more special.

"What, did you run into someone you know?"

"I never expected to run into a friend I've known for a long time here. It's quite a surprise."

Tequila quickly regained his composure, though his heart was still pounding. Mizuki was here... meant his sister was going to be kidnapped!?

But there's nothing he can do; he can't beat Mizuki!

"I think I heard someone calling my name." Mizuki turned around, but the bustling crowd blocked his view; he had been somewhat lost in his own thoughts.

The surrounding air seemed to gradually cool down. After adjusting the temperature, Mizuki pondered whether she should lift the blockade and cover over Terra. Half a month had passed and there had been no reaction from the Observers. In any case, the other side certainly wasn't looking at Terra with their eyes. She should just keep Sami's side covered for now. The aura of that the Warp was too strong and could easily cause trouble. It was because Sami had left Terra's reality dimension and the Warp contamination had been detected that the megastructure left by the Old Civilization had been activated.

The Sea of Life can ensure that Terra can survive without sunlight, but it's still not quite used to not seeing the sun all the time. Mizuki plans to remove the cover curtains once everything is ready and give it a try.

Secondly, Terra herself needs to step up her game. More than anyone else, Mizuki hopes this meeting will bring about significant and positive changes for Terra. Only by standing in his shoes can one truly understand how important unity is.

In the records of hundreds of millions of worlds destroyed in the Sea of Life, Terra was mostly destroyed by disunity. The disasters came too quickly. Even when a tsunami was about to sweep across the coast, there were still people thinking about how to empty other people's pockets. This was something that gave Mizuki a headache.

If it weren't for the fact that Victoria's affairs were so troublesome to resolve, he would have wanted to rush straight to Londinium and beat up all those unruly Sarkaz, as well as those Grand Dukes who wanted to start a war or sit idly by while Theresis became Victoria's regent.

Even the three-way division of power in Bolivar knew to send someone, and even the impoverished Kjerag was present. Yet, for Victoria and her ilk, they couldn't find a suitable representative.

"This is a bit of a hassle. Oh well, I'd better go home early and make dinner; I'll be busy for quite a while."

Besides Ch'en and Swire, Mizuki also invited Lin Yuxia. It must be busy having the whole family for dinner. He's currently distracted by other things, so he should go home early.

"Lungmen, as a turning point, has met its criteria."

Dressed in a simple mandarin jacket and long gown, the elderly man gazed at the city and its people.

After thinking for a while, he lowered his head, picked up his chopsticks, and began slurping the noodles.

Chapter 224 Mizuki and Her Offspring

"Even though I haven't been away for very long, coming back here still makes me feel nostalgic."

Leaning back on the sofa, Exusiai opened a can of cola and drank it, feeling a sense of homecoming. Penguin Logistics has such outposts everywhere, it's nothing out of the ordinary, it's just that it stays in Lungmen for a longer period of time.

"It feels like you've been traveling for a long time and then come home; it suddenly feels very warm and cozy."

Kong placed the washed fruit on the table, picked up an apple and took a bite. Texas Croissant to move some things. Texas came down from the second floor and, after hearing their conversation, couldn't help but look towards the kitchen.

"It's probably because of Mizuki that it feels like a home now. Before, it really just felt like a dormitory."

I've lived in Lungmen for several years, but this is the first time I've had this experience. When I get home, I'm no longer just lazy and want to order takeout, eat something, take a shower, and go to sleep. Instead, I look forward to what dinner will be and what interesting topics I can use as conversation starters.

"So, Mizuki has brought about quite a few changes for us."

Exusiai and Sora both looked towards the kitchen, where Mizuki was busy, and Lemuen was helping out. Mostima and Fiammetta had gone to report to the local Laterano garrison.

"Yes, how could it not be a lot... He's already made me a married woman."

Muttering to herself, Exusiai stroked her lower abdomen. As the child grew in the Sea of Life, she could feel that wondrous connection, and even occasionally hear voices from the Sea of Life.

"But aren't you enjoying it? You're about to be a mother, and you're still acting so... casually?"

"You're not my husband, what's it to you?" Exusiai rolled her eyes playfully. "Besides, he's totally falling for my act."

"It's clearly the other way around, with Mizuki completely dominating them." Texas couldn't help but complain, pulling out a chocolate bar and biting into it.

This rare moment of harmony felt like a return to when she first met Mizuki, but many things had changed. She couldn't help but wonder if she had known about his problems from the very beginning, would she have been able to handle things better?

Mizuki didn't tell anyone about his current condition because he was afraid they would worry about him. His condition was indescribable and destined to be misunderstood by others. The Sea Siren knew about Mizuki's changes but were powerless to help, so they could only do something in their own way.

"Xiao Le has something on her mind, and so do you, but you won't tell me?"

Lemuen stopped chopping vegetables, turned her head to gaze at Mizuki who was simmering soup, and also looked at the small notebook hanging from his waist, which hadn't been there before.

"So you won't worry, really... how come I can't hide anything from anyone?"

"Because you always wear your heart on your sleeve. Besides, if you have to force yourself to act like nothing's wrong in front of us, and hide all your worries inside, that would be too pathetic."

Putting down the kitchen knife, Lemuen's eyes were filled with tears. She reached out and gently stroked Mizuki's cheek, carefully scraping it.

"Don't think of yourself as alone. We're here for you. We can't share too much of your burden, but we can at least... lend a hand, right?"

Mizuki lowered her eyes and did not answer Lemuen's question directly. She spoke after a long while.

Even if you touch me with your hands that are cutting onions, I won't get teary-eyed from the spiciness like you do.

"What a boring story. I thought you would cry like Xiao Le."

Lemuen had originally wanted to try it herself after seeing Mizuki chop onions without any reaction, but she didn't expect it to actually make her eyes water from the spiciness. Mizuki reached out and wiped her eyes, and she felt much better quickly.

"My body is now basically made up of water, and its structure is quite different."

"Then you can still eat... wait, what about last night?"

This refers to the incident last night when Lemuen climbed into the Mizuki tent in the middle of the night. She seemed very familiar with it; it couldn't be fake.

"Hmm, let's not delve too deeply into such inexplicable issues."

Mizuki waved her hand and continued cooking with Lemuen. Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning the issue. Lemuen knew that Mizuki didn't want to bring it up, and Mizuki knew her feelings, but she didn't want everyone to worry.

He merely detached a portion of his consciousness to macroscopically regulate the entire environment of Terra, fulfilling his obligations as part of the environmental transformation project and his responsibilities as a protector.

Meanwhile, on Rhodes Island, the Doctor put down her coffee and gently tapped another glass of water next to her.

"Mizuki, will you be angry with me?"

The water in the cup suddenly began to churn, eventually condensing into a Mizuki shape the size of a palm. He climbed out of the cup and walked to the Doctor's side.

Why do you say that?

"Because I burdened you with these missions, you suffered this contamination, and now you have to work as a firefighter all over Terra in this way."

It's impossible for someone as carefree as the Doctor to feel no remorse at all. On the contrary, she has been feeling very guilty. Terra's current situation is too dire, and they must have enough power to at least preserve the last Fireseed of hope. At this stage, only Mizuki can do that.

But Mizuki wasn't alone. After learning the truth about the Sea of Izumik, she finally understood why this world was so different from what she had imagined.

"Don't say that, Doctor. This is our own choice. Otherwise, so many of us wouldn't have chosen to become part of the Sea of Life. Even without your request, Doctor, we would still protect Terra."

"Although it feels... a little shameful, hearing you say that makes me feel much better."

Feeling a little less guilty, the Doctor reached out her hand. Mini Mizuki's head was no bigger than her thumb, and she felt it was even cuter than before.

"Are you also Mizuki?"

"Yes, we are all of them. Nowadays, Mizuki is no longer just a single individual. All life is Izumik, and all that nourishes life is Mizuki. Doctor, your cup of coffee is the same, except that it doesn't contain our consciousness."

The current Mizuki gives Doctor a feeling of a Shapeshifter Collective and Surtr— similar life forms, similar memory confusion, and, as he said, all the water in the entire Terra has become part of Mizuki, along with the rivers and seas.

Her worries were greater than ever before, and Mini Mizuki sensed this. Given the Doctor's mindset, it was virtually impossible for him to deceive her by lying.

"However, Doctor, there is one thing that will never change."

Mini Mizuki reached out and hugged the Doctor's fingers, her face, which required a close inspection to see clearly, displaying an unwavering expression.

"In an infinite number of parallel universes, among an infinite number of possibilities born from choices, whether a god or a mortal, even if he becomes Izumik, the individual named Mizuki will always reach out to the Doctor."

"Obey your orders, follow your commands, obey your will, and protect everything you own."

This is Mizuki's mission, the result he came to after summarizing all the memories of the entire Sea of Life. How wondrous is fate, intertwining them in this way. Yet Mizuki neither hates nor dislikes them. The Doctor is the kind of person he likes the most, not to mention that a large part of Mizuki comes from the Doctor.

This is far more exciting than a confession. The Doctor felt her heart beating strangely fast. If it were Mizuki himself standing in front of her, she would definitely not be able to resist hugging and kissing him.

"However, if we really need to define our differences in a more explicit way, I would say that I am a descendant of the main group."

"So your job is to monitor the entire Terra?"

"Not only that." The miniature version of Mizuki sat on the edge of the table, swinging her legs just like Muelsyse. "Monitoring the entire Terra is important, but even more important is collecting genes from various species of Terra individuals, using these genes for continuous adaptation breeding and selection, and preserving the superior ones."

"But haven't you and the Sea Siren already evolved into another life form, no longer confined to the Material Realm? Is it still necessary to collect genes from various species for screening and fusion?"

Nowadays, Mizuki and Sea Siren have become an unknown life form, like a conscious life form. They shouldn't be said to need to rely on gene selection; they are not even carbon-based life forms anymore.

"Of course, it's not for us to use, but for Seaborn and the Terra."

By bringing together different genes, having them screened by Mizuki, and then having Seaborn carry out the actual evolution, whatever kind of organism is ultimately obtained, it will be able to survive in all kinds of harsh environments.

Not everyone is qualified to become Sea Siren; more accurately, not everyone has the easy mindset to let go of hatred, sorrow, and fear to embrace all possible outcomes.

Under such circumstances, it's quite normal for Mizuki to choose to make more backup routes. The Doctor rested her head on her hands, crossed over the table, pondering other things.

"The meeting in Lungmen... it's definitely not going to go smoothly."

Since Mizuki knew about the upcoming meeting, the Doctor had no reason not to know as well. However, Rhodes Island was not officially qualified to participate in the meeting, and in a sense, Rhodes Island was now standing on the opposite side of the whole world.

"Kal'tsit is back. With Mizuki's cells and secretions as samples, research on Oripathy inhibitors should make great progress soon. But are the Terra ready to be free from Oripathy?"

At first glance, the Doctor's question seems a bit strange. Of course, it would be a great thing if Oripathy disappeared, but upon closer inspection, it's not that simple.

Although discrimination against Oripathy is ubiquitous, Oripathy is ultimately just a disease. The discrimination and abuse of Infected is ultimately caused by human nature. Whether it's Columbia or Kazimierz, various propaganda channels always portray Infected as inferior. Ursus is even worse; there, no one dares to say they are Infected. Being captured and forced to mine is considered good luck; if you're unlucky, you're buried alive.

Unfortunately, Oripathy are a minority. If Rhodes Island develops a drug that eliminates Oripathy from the threat, how should those who consider themselves normal and arrogant treat those who were once discriminated against, now that the Infected are suddenly indistinguishable from normal people and even find it easier to learn Originium Arts because of Oripathy?

At that time, the contradictions that have been brewing and fermenting in the dark will erupt all at once, war will be inevitable, and Terra will only face another useless internal strife.

"Then there's this meeting. Even if all countries realize the threat is imminent, uniting them is still extremely difficult. Unsurprisingly, they'll prioritize their own interests. Columbia has Friston, so it's not a big problem... but Kazimierz and Bolivar are different."

The situations of Bolivar and Kazimierz are really bad. The former is still in a state of three-way struggle for supremacy, while the latter has fallen into decadence and is plagued by serious internal conflicts.

Great Yan's sense of responsibility goes without saying. Because of Seaborn, Iberia also sided with Rhodes Island. As for Kjerag... the Doctor just felt that the people there were too conservative, or even a bit backward in their thinking.

She recalled that before she transmigrated, when the plot of the TV series "Lone Trail" had just finished airing in her previous life, someone said, "Since the Barrier Layer is only about 6,000 meters away from Terra, and Mount Kjerag is over 5,000 Michael, why not build a launch base on Mount Kjerag?"