Every Last One of Them Is a Tough Cookie / The Various Factions Make Their Moves

"I'm serious, if you really want to... you know, I definitely won't object if you can win me over, I'll even give you a little help."

"Did the Doctor tell you that?"

Mizuki's words successfully silenced Exusiai chatter. She looked left and right; Texas and Sora were washing dishes, Croissant was moving things, Lemuen was making the bed, and Mostima and Fiammetta had just called to say they would buy some late-night snacks later.

Now the huge living room was empty except for Mizuki and her. She didn't know what to say, so she could only nod to show that Mizuki hadn't guessed wrong.

"As expected, your reaction to surprise was slower and calmer than Texas's and Sora's. It's probably because the Doctor told you beforehand that I had mental instability issues, and she also told you about that Leaf-Painting Theory."

Mizuki rolled her eyes. The Leaf-Painting Theory he mentioned was what the Doctor had said before: if Mizuki couldn't find her own leaf among the leaves, she should paint that leaf the most conspicuous color while she still remembered it, making it easier to find later.

This is equivalent to letting Mizuki distort the world line as much as possible, twisting it on the original world line to show enough difference.

For example, in the original timeline, he didn't have the Heart of Deep Blue before coming to Rhodes Island, but he does in this timeline, which is itself a distorted place.

Normally, he should have been introduced to Rhodes Island by Ch'en after the Grand Prix in Dossoles, just like the other 80% of the other Mizuki, but he went there on his own, which is the twist.

Even... the fact that he fell in love with the girls from Penguin Logistics is itself a twisted point. At least among all the memories of the Sea of Life that Mizuki has accepted, there is only one storyline about him falling in love with Exusiai.

In other timelines, he married Hai Mo, dated Specter, and even had a child with Gladiia. But those timelines had at least ten highly similar ones, while Exusiai's timeline has never had any repetitions.

The Doctor pondered that it was probably because in other timelines, Mizuki was relatively straightforward, devoted to the Doctor or her lover, but this timeline was so distorted that it was almost absurd. Mizuki had so many lovers that she couldn't count them on one hand, and she didn't know why things had developed to this point.

"Don't think about those things. I'm not that bad off. Besides... I'm all alone. I really can't feed that many people."

Recalling the incident that happened at the Rhodes Island bar that night, Mizuki felt that he still needed to be more careful. He wasn't worried about physical problems, but the problem was that there were too many people. Even if they changed people every day, it would still take about a month to rotate them.

"Pfft, so you do worry about this issue after all."

Exusiai almost laughed at his antics. She wondered why Mizuki was so conflicted, but it wasn't unreasonable. The team was already close to full strength, not to mention special players like Skadi and Specter who could keep up with Mizuki through the night. If more people joined the team, there might actually be conflicts arising from unequal distribution.

At that point, she, as the Empress, would be in real danger. If others didn't share the spoils equally, wouldn't they try to take them from her? She could be with Mizuki anytime, anywhere.

"If you notice me spacing out these days, don't worry too much."

Mizuki gave Exusiai a heads-up beforehand by separating his chaotic consciousness to exist as his offspring or reside in the bodies of other creatures, from towering beasts to invisible bacteria. By doing so, he allowed the host to share his contamination, and the separated contamination, due to its low average amount, would not harm the host. This was a way to achieve multiple goals at once.

However, there are drawbacks as well. Mizuki sometimes loses her sense of location, such as at this particular time.

He sat here leaning on Exusiai, chatted with Viviana in the Kazimierz bar, took his young daughter to the doctor, hunted in the wilderness, flew through the sky, and swam in the rivers...

In a sense, he is now truly everywhere.

Chapter 228 Everyone's Ruthless

"It feels so quiet. There isn't a single gangster on the street, and nobody seems to be trying to hijack our car. Am I still half asleep?"

Croissant glanced at the rearview mirror and found that no one was following behind. Given how popular Penguin Logistics was in Lungmen, there should have been several familiar faces following their convoy since they left home in the morning. It was strange that there wasn't a single one today.

"It's not that you're still half asleep. Didn't Mizuki say yesterday that Lungmen is holding meetings right now? What kind of fool would dare to cause trouble at a time like this? Are they out of their mind?"

"But aren't we the ones causing trouble? We think we just ran a red light." Exusiai glanced at the intersection behind her.

"Don't compare Mizuki to you, okay? The reputation of our Penguin Logistics is entirely thanks to him."

Texas glanced at Mizuki sitting in the driver's seat. As the main contributor to traffic accidents in Lungmen every year, Penguin Logistics' lawlessness was notorious throughout Lungmen, and the new member Mizuki was already known throughout the city.

Most people's evaluations of Mizuki are surprisingly consistent: she's so well-behaved that she doesn't seem like someone from Penguin Logistics at all; she's cute, sensible, and polite, and I want to raise her; whose child is this? If no one wants her, I'll take her home and make her my husband.

(Come to think of it, something unexpected happened the last time I was alone with Mizuki.)

Texas recalled the time when Mizuki first came to Penguin Logistics. The attack by the Cat Gang almost cost her her life, and she was saved by Mizuki. After that, she inexplicably fell in love with him. The so-called suspension bridge effect probably refers to this kind of thing, but she didn't dislike him.

"To turn public opinion around... do you know I'm afraid to let him go out alone now?"

Exusiai lay on the car seat, feeling something poking her. Reaching out to touch it, she found an empty box. It was a safety device she had bought when leaving Rhodes Island, but the girls had used it up on the very first night after leaving Rhodes Island, so it was practically useless.

"How?"

"What else could have happened? He's running into ten women asking for his contact information every time he goes out. His face didn't seem this alluring before, did it?"

Recalling the scene of going out with Mizuki yesterday, Exusiai felt a headache coming on. She was just going to buy an ice cream, but Mizuki was still bothered by people.

"That's really true. Have you guys noticed? Although Mizuki's appearance hasn't changed much, she just seems more charming than before."

Without any attempt to conceal the fact that Mizuki was right there, Kong said this as if it were a compliment, showing absolutely no shame.

"Or rather, it's more appealing."

Texas was still chewing on a chocolate bar. It wasn't just empty; she had realized this a long time ago. It was as if Mizuki possessed some kind of alluring poison.

"Oh, Mizuki, do you know what's going on?"

"Well, it's probably because I'm at the Evolutionary Singularity now. Seeking evolution is a biological instinct, just like how Closure can't resist money."

Mizuki remembered that she had explained it before, but never mind, maybe he remembered it wrong. After all, her memory is now tainted, and many memories that she recalls cannot be fully trusted. Mizuki's memory always has errors in some minor details, making it difficult for people to distinguish at first.

However, at least today's delivery process should be smoother than before. At least no one will try to intercept the vehicle. Lungmen doesn't want to lose face at a time like this. So many foreign guests are watching. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time is asking for trouble. Otherwise, the driver today wouldn't be Mizuki, who is the most law-abiding traffic enthusiast.

"I see. By the way, what meeting were you referring to at dinner last night?"

Last night I was so busy eating Jellyfish-chan that I forgot about this. The fact that Ch'en and Lin Yuxia couldn't control their expressions means this meeting must be of a high level. Exusiai's curiosity led her to ask Mizuki.

"It's nothing, except that, apart from Victoria, all the countries in Terra have sent representatives to Lungmen to discuss the impact of the rain that happened nearly half a month ago and the rain that happened last night."

"Last night's rain... wasn't that what you caused?"

Last night, when it started to drizzle, there was a brief power shortage throughout Lungmen. As her Exusiai, Exusiai knew that it was Mizuki's doing, and he even bypassed the hospital's power supply system.

"Yes, the rain from the Sea of Life has the power to suppress Oripathy, but essentially it suppresses the activity of Originium. Terra's industries depend on Originium. If my rain lasts longer and I'm lucky, I might be able to turn all of Terra's Originium into more refined ordinary stones."

Mizuki spoke casually, but Exusiai and Texas weren't stupid. Even Croissant was a college graduate. They also knew that Terra's current industrial system was built on Originium, a special mineral. Without Originium, Terra would fall into complete chaos within three days, and order would cease to exist. At most, within a year, the entire Terra would revert to the world before the emergence of industry.

Panic, plague, and war—how many lives will be lost? Exusiai suddenly felt fortunate that Mizuki wasn't a bad person. He just didn't care much about the fate of the Terra and didn't have much of a heroic spirit, but he loved his friends and loved ones very much. Because of this love, all of Mizuki's actions now could be considered positive.

Exusiai suddenly felt her responsibility. She and the Doctor could be said to be the two most important anchors for Mizuki, anchors of humanity, and also beacons of his soul.

"It seems I have a huge responsibility; I have to stop you from destroying the world."

"Yes, I would have gone crazy if it weren't for you or either of you, Doctor."

"What if neither of us is there?"

"..."

Mizuki did not answer again. He dared not think about such a possibility and the corresponding result, as it would deepen his corruption. This was indeed the price commensurate with his power.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding, don't take it seriously. With you protecting me, I'm sure nothing will happen. Look ahead, don't look at me! What if we bump into something!"

Even though he no longer needed his eyes and ears to perceive the world, Mizuki still habitually looked ahead. Just as Exusiai had said, he wanted to avoid any accidents. He didn't want to be remembered by Ch'en because of a traffic accident, which would lower his favorability and make it harder to rescue Exusiai and the others in the future.

Of course, while letting the tentacles control the direction of the vehicle, Mizuki also used her unique ability to listen to the upcoming meeting. All the guests had arrived. The light rain last night had soaked quite a few people, such as Mr. Dario, the Iberia representative in charge of the meeting. Mizuki remembered that he was Irene's mentor.

Although the rain from the Mizuki had a clear effect on suppressing Originium, no one could have imagined that this rain could also become his eyes and ears. Apart from the Columbia side who knew the truth, most people regarded this rain as a new and more threatening Catastrophe.

"Is everyone here?"

The water droplets hidden inside Dario's hat caught a glimpse of a deep, magnetic voice. Mizuki suddenly paused in his driving, because he remembered the owner of that voice—the owner of Penguin Logistics, one of his nominal superiors, the Emperor.

"Almost everyone who could come has come."

Wei Yenwu looked around. Including himself, who was the host and provided the venue, there were a total of fourteen representatives from the seventeen countries of Terra. The Higashi and the North remained opposed, and Victoria was a heavyweight. But why didn't Sami send anyone? The relationship between Columbia and Sami should be quite close, so it was impossible that they hadn't notified them.

"Today will be remembered in history; never before has a conference been able to bring together representatives from all fourteen countries of Terra."

Candela couldn't help but sigh, trying to ease her tension while making herself appear more composed and capable. She knew that her status was probably among the lowest in the room, and her seniority was also slightly lower.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Candela's words. After today, the situation in Terra would likely change significantly, and they were the starting point for these changes. This was both exciting and filled with an indescribable worry and anxiety.

"But the fact that we've been gathered here means this matter is still quite serious. Before that, I really didn't expect that Mr. Emperor would be the representative of Columbia. And what is the identity of this beautiful lady beside you? Guards shouldn't be allowed here."

Sargon was a man who was wrapped up very tightly, and his voice seemed to carry a sense of dust and sand. The Emperor gave him a disdainful look and pointed to Kristen beside him.

"Rhine Lab's people are responsible for explaining the situation to you old fogies. And don't say a word, the sand is practically flying into my face."

The Emperor waved his hand, showing no restraint in his personality despite the seriousness of the meeting, or at least no willingness to shut his mouth. Fortunately, the people here either understood the Emperor's personality or wouldn't get angry over such a trivial matter.

"Representative of Columbia, Your Emperor, beside me is Kristen, the head of Rhine Lab. She is more than qualified to stand here."

Starting with the Emperor, the meeting seemed to return to normal. The surroundings suddenly quieted down, and the guards of the representatives from all sides were outside the door, which could be seen as a way of expressing trust and sincerity. Candela looked around and suddenly felt that she was the least likely person present to fight.

"Representative of the Great Yan, Wei Yenwu."

Wei Yenwu never expected that simply inviting the Grand Tutor to dinner would lead to this mission, and he couldn't refuse. Who would have thought that he was just the organizer yesterday?

"Talulah, the leader of the Reunion and a representative of the Infected, I can also be considered a representative of Kazdel."

Talulah's primary role as a representative of the Infected was a way to demonstrate her stance. As for representing Kazdel, that was mainly because the Reunion was currently based there and had connections with many Sarkaz forces in Kazdel. In addition, due to her relationship with Mizuki, Columbia also invited her to attend the meeting as Kazdel.

Upon hearing the name Kazdel, the expressions of representatives from several countries turned somewhat unpleasant. Kazdel was the Kingdom of the Sarkaz, and to prevent the Sarkaz race from becoming too powerful and dominating the entire Terra, they had destroyed that land countless times.

Perhaps Talulah is the best choice as the representative; at least she won't bring up those old grievances from Kazdel. Facing a leader of the Reunion is always better than facing a blood feud. Hmm... maybe the Ursus representative doesn't think so.

"Viet, representative of Ursus, I come on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."

The middle-aged man in formal attire sported a mature beard, but he claimed to represent the emperor, implying that the new emperor and the old nobles within Ursus remained irreconcilably opposed, and the conflict might even escalate.

"Representative of Sargon, Sand Bone, I've forgotten my real name for a long time, just call me that."

The man who spoke was the one whose body was wrapped in bandages earlier, and the white-haired girl from Cautus's next to him spoke next.

"Rim Billiton representative, Ofina Burofensk."

"Bolivar's representative, Candela."

"Representative of Kjerag, Enciodes Silverash."

Enciodes? Mizuki remembered seeing his information in Rhodes Island's archives. He was also one of Rhodes Island's partners. As a place that wasn't that big, Kjerag was mainly managed by three families, one of which was the House Silverash. Kjerag itself was backward and conservative, and only the House Silverash made efforts to contact the outside world. It wasn't surprising that he was here.

"Iberia representative, Dario."

Dario gently pushed up the brim of his hat and surveyed the attendees around him. To his left was the representative from Columbia, and to his right was the representative from Great Yan —both were heavyweights. The three initiators had gathered together.

"Representative of Minos, Jitia."

It was quiet from beginning to end. If no one had made a sound, they probably wouldn't have noticed that there was a veiled Minos sitting in that chair. He looked like Vouivre (Argonian).

"Laterano representative, El Salvador cavalry."

"Representative of Siracusa, Bernardo Belone."

When Bernardo introduced himself, the Emperor scrutinized him, seemingly interested in him, yet his eyes held a hint of boredom, as if he were looking at some decorative vase.

"Leithanien, representative of Leopold."

Upon hearing this name, even Wei Yenwu's expression turned somewhat solemn. Looking at the white-haired yet spirited old man, Grand Duke Leopold, the founder of Terra's modern military theory, and a war scholar, all his foresight was indeed commendable.

"Representative of Kazimierz, Viviana Droste."

That makes perfect sense. Viviana, the Candle Knight of Kazimierz and the stunning Marigold, perfectly represents the attitudes of the two major factions in Kazimierz with her attendance at the meeting.

All fourteen representatives had now arrived. Only Mizuki stopped the car, watched Exusiai and the others get out to retrieve their packages, then closed her eyes and gently leaned back in her seat.

"Found you."

Chapter 229 Movements of All Parties

"As you've probably all noticed to some extent, about two weeks ago, the entire Terra was hit by a heavy rain that lasted for half an hour, and even now, those dark clouds are still hanging overhead."

Wei Yenwu had certainly been paying close attention to these matters, and the information provided by the Grand Tutor also revealed the strangeness of this rain.

"Kjerag is the same."

SilverAsh's expression was cold, but his heart was in turmoil. Before receiving the invitation to the meeting, he had never imagined that this matter would be so serious. It would be impossible for him not to have noticed anything unusual, but this far exceeded his expectations.

It was winter, the worst time of the heavy snowfall in Kjerag, but unexpectedly it started raining, melting most of Kjerag snow and promoting the growth of many unusual plants.

"I've never seen so much rain in Sargon. Ha, the rainforest is one thing, but many cities in the desert region were almost wiped out."

Sargon is mainly divided into two major sections: rainforest and desert. Although there are reservoirs in the desert area, no one has ever thought that such heavy rain could fall there. If the heavy rain lasts for three hours, it would be no problem to wipe out a city built of sand.

"What is certain at present is that this rain not only covered the entire Terra, but it also had a very obvious effect on promoting plant growth, bringing a completely new type of plant. According to the investigation, the rainwater was not poisonous, and the plants that were promoted by it were no different from ordinary plants."

"As for that new plant, it has been confirmed that the blue fruit is non-toxic and edible, and rich in nutrients. However, the roots and stems are inedible, and both the stems and leaves contain a certain degree of toxins. The toxins in the roots can easily be fatal."

Of course, none of the above are the most important. From this perspective alone, it could even be said that this rain has many benefits for Terra, which is relatively resource-poor. However, the key issue is not here.

"But most importantly, it has a very obvious restraining effect on Originium, which is not something to be happy about."

Wei Yenwu didn't continue, but instead let everyone think about it themselves. There was no need to say more; even Minos and Sargon, two countries that have preserved many ancient customs and have only just come into contact with Terra's industry, could understand what this meant.

The same applies to Kjerag. SilverAsh deeply understands that backwardness only invites attack, and he also knows that once people have tasted the benefits of the industrial age, even the most conservative will gradually loosen restrictions. Kjerag's modernization has only just begun, and he will not allow anyone to disrupt his plans.

"As for the Great Yan region, during those half hours, Great Yan entire city experienced power shortages, with some areas experiencing power outages and machines stopping. Perhaps the only good news is that the Oripathy Infected' conditions were somewhat controlled after coming into contact with the rainwater, and the mortality rate among Infected decreased significantly."

As he spoke, Wei Yenwu couldn't help but look at Talulah, as did the others. After all, Talulah had made her stance clear from the beginning: she had come for the Infected, and for Infected, this rain was even a lifesaver.

"We also don't want to see such a Catastrophe paralyze Terra's industrial system; it would be equally detrimental to the Infected."