You're Not Leaving Tonight

Following the river of dreams upstream, back to its very beginning, Mr. K saw an eye, a lifeless eye, empty and deep, like a black hole.

She saw the truth.

She witnessed the worlds she had visited being sought out, destroyed, assimilated, and devoured one by one by the shadows of the Warp, and she was the catalyst for all of this.

The Warp twisted her mind. She was indeed saving Terra, but she was also pushing Terra step by step toward destruction. Terra, having lost Mizuki and the Doctor, also lost its future. And what about her...? The Warp followed her trail and found those worlds.

She thought she had saved enough, but little did she know that she was actually an accomplice in the destruction.

Mizuki entrusted the "Continuance of Civilization" to her, but she did not expect that she would still be corrupted by the Warp and have a wrong perception of herself. She has always been on the path of saving Terra, but she has gone in the wrong direction.

Despair, regret, and resentment— Mizuki sensed these emotions emanating from Mr. K, and he understood that Mr. K was probably truly dead from that moment on.

The only obsession that kept her from collapsing became the mountain that crushed her. Although she had already guessed that this might be the case, Mizuki did not expect that the Warp would make such a calculation. In most people's eyes, the Warp represents collapse and irrationality, but in reality, people's understanding of the Warp is incorrect and too one-sided.

"Have you woken up from your dream?"

Mizuki twirled the transparent umbrella in her hand, watching the person in front of her constantly transform into Viviana, Skadi, Typhon Magellan, or someone else.

He knows some people and doesn't know others, but most of them are Rhodes Island operators. Mr. K changes his appearance every second, but the only one who doesn't change is Mizuki.

"... Why... why didn't you kill me?"

"Killing you will do me no good, and the one who should judge you is not me, but yourself, the resentful echoes of every consciousness within you."

As the surroundings changed, Mizuki and Mr. K appeared in the Wound of the Wilderness. Mr. K eventually transformed into Kal'tsit's appearance, which was her original form. Even though losing Kal'tsit as an anchor brought her no benefit, her heart found a little peace.

But honestly, if she could, she would choose to leave now, destroy all her means of resurrection, and then find a place where she would never harm anyone again to end her own life.

"You're absolutely right, ha, I really... cough cough, I shouldn't have done that."

Killing Mizuki and the Doctor would solve the problem, so why would she believe such an unsubstantiated claim? Since the Terra alliance has no chance against the Warp, she needs to disrupt the meeting; why would she do that?

The contamination of the Warp caused a fundamental error in her thinking, making her deny certain things deep down while maintaining her rationality as a human being. This change was so subtle that it made her take everything for granted.

"Is this a form of self-repentance?"

"Just... the mutterings of a pathetic wretch." Mr. K, unable to stand, knelt before Mizuki. "I'm ridiculous, aren't I?"

"You're so pitiful."

Mizuki knelt down, reached out and patted Mr. K's head, showing no dissatisfaction or anger. Her calm tone carried a hint of comfort and tenderness.

"Are you going to cry?"

"... No, I can't cry."

She had cried meaninglessly too many times, despair overwhelmed her sorrow, her heart had died too many times, shattered and pieced back together time and time again, and now it had finally turned to dust, with no hope of ever being pieced back together again.

"The influence of the Warp on you remains; it is following in your footsteps, moving here slowly, but it will come sooner or later."

It was bound to come sooner or later, there was no escaping it. Mr. K raised his head and stared at Mizuki. There was no emotion in his lifeless eyes, and she couldn't see any other emotions on Mizuki's face either.

Aren't you afraid?

After a long silence, Mr. K asked this question, "If it were you, you would have known what the true nature of the shadow in the Warp is by now."

Mr. K had no doubt that Mizuki knew, he was certain. But he was surprised that there was no fear or worry in Mizuki's eyes, only relief.

"I cannot be afraid, nor can I waver."

"Then you're quite pitiful too."

Mr. K lowered his eyes, understanding why. Mizuki was the only one on Terra who could possibly fight against the Warp Shadow. His wavering could lead to total defeat. The pressure on him was greater than anyone thought. One careless move could very well lead to the destruction of Terra.

"I don't think so, I'm just a little grateful for my good luck. At least I should be able to stay with the person I like."

"Mizuki, what are you thinking about?"

Exusiai reached out and called Mizuki's consciousness back. Although driving could be left to the tentacles, being distracted was inherently dangerous for Mizuki.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to be the most special one."

Leaning back in the car seat, Mizuki let go of her hands, stretched her waist, and then rested her head on Exusiai's shoulder.

The tentacle took over the steering wheel and continued driving, Exusiai somewhat bewildered by his action.

"What's wrong?"

"Well... I've realized that Xiao Le, you really are my one and only."

It's not sweet talk, but a statement of fact. Looking at all the memories of the Sea of Life, Mizuki from parallel worlds will have intersections with many people, and there will be world lines where she falls in love with others. But the one for Exusiai is unique, belonging only to Mizuki.

He felt he was special, and even more so, he felt Exusiai special. This special girl always had a certain charm, and he was indeed very lucky.

"Why are you suddenly saying something like that... Hmm, maybe next time you should say it in front of my older sister and the others?"

"Then next time, I'll probably teach you a lesson you won't forget."

"Oh, what are you afraid of? You can just help me pack it up and put it back later. I'm going to record her embarrassed face, and then... hehehe."

Looking at Exusiai's sinister and malicious expression, Mizuki could already foresee the scene where Lemuen would turn the tables on her. Exusiai had never won a single time in all these years of scheming and fighting between the sisters.

However, he really liked this carefree and easygoing attitude towards life. Exusiai, the Sea Siren also had a healthy and positive attitude towards life, even a bit too positive.

"Damn, I'm finally done eating! Oh my god, I'm so full."

Siren No. 666 wiped her mouth, watching the black void in front of her gradually close, and several of her sisters fell from the sky.

"I've already said that you should eat in moderation. Just now, several of my sisters ate so much that they ate themselves to death. They all looked like they were starving ghosts who had never been full. It's shameful."

Siren No. 1 sat on the ground, touching its belly which looked like it was ten months pregnant. It licked its lips and felt that the taste of the Warp was even better than that of magma. The only pity was that it was not easy to digest. Most of the food was preyed upon by the Sea of Life, and even with the Sea Siren attacking together, it didn't eat much.

"Although it tastes delicious, just one tentacle can spin Terra like a top. Our opponent is quite difficult to deal with."

"So what if they're tough? We'll face whatever comes our way, even if it means our deaths, to buy Izumik time."

Sea Siren #233 lay on the ground, looking at the brilliant starry sky above, and couldn't help but let out a burp.

"I also want to go see the stars."

Chapter 250 Don't even think about leaving tonight

"Terra Federation, hmm..."

On the throne in the royal hall of Londinium, Theresis looked at the intelligence report in her hand and couldn't help but feel a headache. No matter how secretive the news of the Terra countries' choice to unite was, it was impossible to hide it from the intelligence network built by the King of Shapeshifters. Theresis knew from the very beginning that this meeting was going to be held.

What puzzled him was what could possibly make the nations of Terra willing to sit down at the negotiating table and discuss their interests at such a time, and what kind of force could be pushing these nations together from behind the scenes?

"It's someone you would never expect."

The King of Shapeshifters seemed to really like Golding's appearance, or rather, his state. After talking with Mizuki, he realized that he couldn't just maintain one state.

"Kal'tsit?"

Of all the people Theresis knew, only Kal'tsit was most likely to do such a thing. However, based on his understanding of Kal'tsit, the Great Yan should not be within Kal'tsit's sphere of influence. Those guys who believed that man could conquer nature even dared to kill omnipotent Feranmut.

It is because of the terrible things that the Great Yan did a thousand years ago that all the Feranmut have chosen to be quiet since then, to find a place to hide and live their lives, or to find a proxy to walk on this land for them. Now, most of the Feranmut have become legends.

"No, because you don't know him, but... Theresa does."

The Shapeshifter recalled the conversation between Mizuki and Theresa that day, as well as his own conversation with Theresa afterwards, and a complex look flashed in his eyes.

"You've seen it?"

"I went to Rhodes Island and met with her successor."

There's nothing to hide about this. Theresis isn't so narrow-minded as to be intolerant of this. In fact, the King of Shapeshifters knows that Theresis herself wants to see Amiya, to see the person to whom her sister Theresa entrusted her ideals. However, the conflict between Rhodes Island and Theresis is difficult to resolve. Theresa's death was indeed her own choice, yet Theresis remains Rhodes Island's enemy.

"The world is undergoing a change we can hardly imagine, Regent. What danger is approaching from beyond our sight?"

"I know, ha, the lich's messenger has arrived."

The Terra Alliance's claim that it didn't want to isolate the Sarkaz was laughable, but Theresis knew perfectly well that it was simply because the Sarkaz's power was something Terra needed at this time. In addition, Victoria still possessed the foundation of an Emperor former Terra empire. Considering all these factors, the initiators, including Columbia, extended invitations to him and other Grand Dukes of Victoria.

The Grand Dukes couldn't simply choose a representative to attend the meeting; none of them would be satisfied, thus creating the awkward situation where Victoria couldn't send a single person.

As for Theresis, he certainly couldn't send anyone to participate in this meeting. Any ruler of the royal court was extremely important at this time, and he hadn't forgotten the history of the Sarkaz over the years. Many countries in Terra had deep-seated hatred for Kazdel, and reconciliation wouldn't be so easy. Otherwise, why would he occupy the royal city of Victoria? To host a banquet?

However, he saw further than the Grand Dukes, who prioritized the struggle for control of Victoria's future and paid little attention to the Terra Federation Conference. But after learning about this, Theresis understood the complex information hidden within it.

Sometimes, what brings people together isn't just visible interests, but also an imminent crisis. But since they're even willing to accept the Sarkaz, it can only be the latter.

Therefore, the Sarkaz could not miss this meeting, and he tacitly approved the liches' acceptance of the Reunion, sending Talulah as Kazdel's representative, which was tantamount to the Sarkaz making a statement.

As for the lich's messenger who wanted to persuade him, Theresis didn't mind meeting her. As an ancient race among the Sarkaz, the Lich Clan, like the Cyclops who chose to leave Kazdel a thousand years ago to go to Sami to monitor the Warp, had their own mission.

The Lich King's willingness to accept the Reunion, and even his agreement to allow Talulah to represent Kazdel at the meeting, suggests he may have other plans.

"The lich's messenger, huh? Come to think of it, it seems like you've dealt with them before."

Mizuki stirred her coffee, digging deep into her memories for information about liches, but it still took her a while to distinguish which memories were her own and which were experiences from parallel worlds.

"I remember you said you'd been to Kazdel?"

"Yes, back then I just heard that there were strange noises in some ruins in Kazdel, and that there might be vengeful spirits guarding the treasure, so I went there. I always liked to do adventurous things back then."

His encounter with Surtr, his connection with the little angel Cecilia and her mother, and many other things happened in Kazdel. The only problem was that Mizuki's memories were confused, making it difficult for him to remember the timeline. Of course, he now had a different idea about this time discrepancy.

If one had to describe it, the relationship between Mizuki and Surtr would be more like a case of being destined to meet but not to be together. Surtr's memories are disordered, and Mizuki has to do what she has to do.

"The Lich Clan is a tribe among the Sarkaz who are proficient in spatial magic. Surtr had a conflict with them at the time, which caused some unpleasantness."

Mizuki doesn't particularly like coffee, but he prefers it to alcohol. Because of what happened between Hoshiguma and Gavial, he's somewhat averse to bars now, but Exusiai said she wants to open a bar with him in Lungmen in the future, he's let go of that reservation.

"Heh, probably because of women again, right?" Talulah gave a knowing look, forked a piece of cake, and took a bite. "After all, you're popular wherever you go."

"This is the only thing I really can't refute."

Mizuki couldn't help but scratch his head. That incident was entirely an accident. He was discussing the use of spatial and illusionary magic with a female lich. It was supposed to be an exchange of experiences, but she was just too enthusiastic and got too close, which made Surtr already had some feelings for Mizuki, jealous and angry.

The two women were arguing so hard it gave him a headache, and they even started fighting. Mizuki even got glared at by both of them for trying to stop them. He didn't even understand what was going on at the time.

How are FrostNova and Mudrock doing on Rhodes Island?

"It's pretty good. Mudrock goes on some missions. FrostNova originally wanted to go too, but Amiya wouldn't let her, so she's now a specially hired Originium Arts instructor at Rhodes Island. She's also made some very compatible friends, and she's even planning to open an ice cream café after she retires in the future."

"Then I can open a barbecue restaurant in the future."

Talulah was quite happy to hear that her good friend was doing well, but what made her happiest was the good news from Mizuki.

"So what you said on the phone before was true, that Rhodes Island has developed a cure for Oripathy?"

When Talulah heard the news on the phone, she jumped up excitedly, wishing she could hug and kiss Mizuki. This was probably more important to her than the meeting itself.

"Although it cannot be completely cured, it can perfectly suppress the spread of infection in Oripathy. It ensures that the condition will not worsen. The effect of one dose can last for about a month. The effect will be greatly weakened for severe patients, but it can save lives in critical situations."

"The only side effect is that it greatly reduces the user's Originium Arts adaptability after using the potion."

This is mainly because Rhodes Island's Oripathy inhibitor is based on research using Mizuki's cells and related products. Mizuki's ability to suppress Originium is too powerful. Even someone with exceptional Originium Arts talent like Angelina could only unleash less than one-tenth of her original Originium Arts power after using the drug, and that was with a relatively small dose of the drug.

After all, it's still in the development stage, so the results are already quite encouraging. The most important thing right now is to find a balance: to stabilize Oripathy while ensuring that users don't lose their eligibility to use Originium Arts.

A delicate balance has now been achieved between the people of Terra and Originium. The use of Originium has been integrated into all aspects of people's lives. Angelina is another example. As a messenger, she needs Originium Arts to protect herself when she goes out. Her Originium Arts, which manipulate gravity, can also ensure her delivery speed.

Mizuki also heard Croissant say that when Rhodes Island's operators found Angelina, the girl was gliding freely through the city, even freer than Spider-Man.

For Angelina, being unable to use Originium Arts is a very distressing loss.

"Overall, it's still a good thing, right? It allows more people to survive, which gives us hope, doesn't it?"

Talulah was much more optimistic than Mizuki. She knew the Infected had short lifespans, but she never expected to see this matter come to a conclusion. What could be more joyful than this?

"You're right, having hope is better than anything else."

Mizuki gently raised her coffee cup. "Cheers?"

"Cheers!" Talulah her glass to clink glasses, then downed the liquor in one gulp, exhaling a burst of flames from her mouth.

"Don't burn down their shop."

Mizuki reached out and covered Talulah's mouth, then sat back down opposite her. "What did Friston say to you?"

"It's nothing, they just told us about the threats Terra faces and some things about our ancestors. It was quite a shock to everyone, especially the Sankta representative, who smashed the table to pieces."

"It's really hard to accept knowing that your ancestors and the Sarkaz share a common origin."

Mizuki's undeniable that this is an extremely difficult fact for any Sankta to accept, but verifying it isn't actually that difficult; just ask Great Yan.

As one of the oldest Kingdom in Terra, the Great Yan was established a thousand years ago, and its historical records have never been interrupted. At that time, there was neither Laterano nor Sankta, and the Great Yan could not find any historical documents.

"Didn't you listen to what we had in the meeting?"

"It's just a guess. There are too many things he can't tell you. The main thing is to dispel the distrust between you, otherwise there's no need for him to show up."

Friston is merely a remnant of the past, a ghost of what once was. He should have remained silent, no longer interfering with Terra's development. However, judging from his appearance at Mizuki and this meeting, it's clear he seems to have become more active.

This is not hard to understand. It must have been something the Doctor said back then, plus the hope that Mizuki gave him. He didn't want this season's Terra civilization to follow in the footsteps of the Old Civilization.