Surtr's Memories / Mizuki's Advance Warning

"It's just that lately I keep having dreams about Snowfield and forests, and some people dressed strangely. I've looked through the files and asked some Sami operators on Rhodes Island, and it seems that it's traditional Sami clothing from a long time ago."

"It's your memory." Mizuki slurped up a mouthful of cold noodles. "Perfect, there might be a way to solve your problem of confused memories."

Are you serious?

"I wouldn't joke about something like this. Let's eat first."

Even if Surtr hadn't come looking for her, Mizuki would have gone to her on her own initiative, because there was something Mizuki needed her help with, and Surtr was the most suitable person in the entire Rhodes Island. She was the most special one among all the Sarkaz on Rhodes Island.

Although she didn't know how much help she could offer, Surtr agreed anyway. She needed Mizuki to help her plan her way to Sami, and Kal'tsit had said that only Mizuki could help her get to Sami.

Mizuki didn't seem to like talking while eating, and Surtr was always arrogant. They looked like a perfect red-blue pairing, but they acted like they didn't know each other.

Countless questions flashed through her mind as Mizuki processed the data at a speed far exceeding the capabilities of the current Terra computer, and reassigned tasks time and time again.

(Sure enough, Mai-Mai was already starting to be affected. I feel so sorry for her, but at the time there was no better person to turn to.)

(Have the Bolivar clashed yet? It would be better to let the Sea Siren subtly influence the course of the battle.)

(That guy named Sui is unwilling to accept peace talks, so we'll have to resort to force. Also, the Grand Dukes in Victoria are preparing for war... We don't have time for them to fight amongst themselves right now. No, we need to give them a little warning.)

No one knows how much data is flashing through Mizuki's brain right now. He's splitting himself into 200,000 parts to use, collecting all kinds of information from all over Terra while constantly gathering those broken fragments in the Sea of Life and trying to piece them together as best he can. It's like being given a bunch of jigsaw puzzle pieces of various colors and being required to put them together exactly as they were. The difficulty is extremely high.

(No, fragment 23934 of 28372 should be placed at position 23984 of 29338, and then...)

In order to grow rapidly enough to contend with the Warp Shadow, the Sea of Life devoured too many destructive worldlines too quickly. The downside of this was that it was like eating too much and not being able to digest it. However, in reality, the problems that Mizuki faced were much more serious than that.

He had been trying to piece together these fragmented memories. As for those that couldn't be matched, he would look for corresponding fragments from similar parallel worlds to perform calculations and guess what Mizuki from the world with the missing memories might have done during the corresponding time period.

Constantly organizing, piecing together, repairing, and then reading, seeking a glimmer of hope from these countless devastated worldlines, Mizuki also has to endure the chaos brought about by the deepening pollution. For example, even though only Surtr is sitting next to him now, he feels like it is Saria, Gladiia, or Irene, or Hai Mo.

Speaking of Hai Mo, her first mission is almost over. She just helped Rhodes Island deliver the Originium Suppressant to Reunion. It was a very easy mission. Mizuki has been keeping an eye on her situation, giving off a feeling of an old father worried about his daughter going out to buy groceries.

"Sarkaz..."

"Um?"

Surtr looked up, thinking Mizuki was calling him, but then he saw her looking out the window of Rhodes Island, at the gradually brightening sky.

"Ah, the sky has cleared up!"

The children of Rhodes Island ran to the corridors or windowsills, watching the sunlight shine through the clouds and onto the ground, making it seem as if beams of light were rising from the ground.

After a long period of rainy weather, Terra finally saw the long-awaited sunshine. Mizuki was now certain that the Observers would not be turning its attention to Terra anytime soon, so he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Prolonged cloud cover can be depressing and cause unnecessary panic. Apart from Sami, whose situation has become more complicated due to the war in the Warp, there is no need to conceal anything further in other areas.

That being said, Mizuki is almost certain that after realizing they couldn't breach Sami's defenses, the Demons would definitely try to break through Great Yan and Ursus's defenses. The fact that they could probe with tentacles proves that the enemy is getting closer.

Mizuki felt anxious. If he had just a little more time, even just another year, Terra's chances of winning would double, but there simply wasn't that much time left.

"Surtr, let me ask you a question. Have you ever encountered an enemy that you had to risk your life to win against?"

"... Perhaps there have been, but at least I haven't encountered one since I started having these memories. But if there is such an enemy, and there is no way to escape, then I would have no choice but to risk my life."

Since there was no way to avoid it anyway, Surtr thought it was better to fight head-on. However, the situation that Mizuki was facing was much more complicated than that. He simply nodded and finished the last bit of food.

"Come on, I have something... I don't know if it's anything good, but I want to show it to you."

Mizuki stood up, then suddenly remembered that she hadn't asked a very important question yet.

"Surtr, which branch of the Sarkaz race do you belong to, Flame Demon?"

"I don't know myself, but at least he's a Sarkaz."

"In that case, how about we give it a try and become the Demon King of the Sarkaz?"

As she spoke, Mizuki produced a jet-black crown from somewhere, and her spirit seemed to have returned to normal, without the previous gloom and indifference.

For some reason, Surtr felt that the black crown on his hand looked very familiar, so familiar that it was almost a kind of nostalgia.

[Hey Surtr, why did you choose such a codename for yourself? It's as weird as the Doctor's. Wouldn't it be better to be like Priestess?]

[How was the experience? It was a little uncomfortable at first, but it got better quickly.]

[Experiment permit granted, code name...]

Surtr suddenly felt disconnected from his surroundings, and then he became a different person.

Chapter 256 Surtr's Memories

"Sister 42! My sister! I beg you, please help me!" Early in the morning, the Doctor's wailing echoed throughout the corridor. "If this research project can't be completed, that old geezer director will definitely kill me!"

Clinging to the other woman's leg without any dignity, Doctor couldn't help but cry out. Most people would probably help her if they saw her tearful appearance, but the red-haired woman known as Sister 42 only gave her a disdainful look.

"Let go! Stop tearing my stockings! Do your own thing! Didn't you say last night that you'd rather die than let anyone help you?"

"I am so sorry, I was really too arrogant and rude last night. Please forgive me, Senior Surtr!"

She finished speaking in one breath without even panting, Doctor hugged her even tighter. Surtr could barely move an inch.

"My expertise lies in consciousness transmission and the study of Consciousness Dimension. You should be looking for someone in the biology field. Why are you looking for me?"

Surtr was truly at her wit's end. The Doctor's persistent pestering wasn't a new thing, but she genuinely couldn't figure out how she could be of any help.

The project "Deep Blue," proposed and researched by the Doctor, is not highly valued among all the civilization survival plans at the institute, and the resources allocated to it are insufficient. This is mainly because the project was initially submitted as Star Modification Project, and it would be too difficult to change it at the last minute.

"Because you're the most suitable for this project, I plan to enable Deep Blue individuals to communicate with each other through consciousness. But as you know, I always failed courses in this area back then, and Priestess helped me write this part of my graduation thesis."

"Then go find Priestess, she never refuses you."

As best friends and colleagues, the Doctor and Priestess are so close they could practically get married. While it's not impossible, it's clear they don't have romantic feelings for each other. They've just grown up together, sitting at the same table from elementary school to university. If the Doctor were to approach Priestess, it would be a piece of cake; there's no need for him to be crying like this.

"There's nothing I can do. She's very busy too. The stability of the DWDB-221E still needs to be tested and adjusted. Besides you, senior, I really can't find anyone else to help."

"Isn't your Deep Blue Project only intended to develop species that can adapt to and modify the harsh ecosystems of planets? Why do you want to enable them to connect with consciousness? The risks involved are considerable."

If consciousnesses are to be able to link with each other, a highly efficient information transmission channel needs to be built. This will inevitably lead to the species that the Doctor is studying evolving considerable intelligence in a short period of time. If it is a hive-like mindset, that's fine, but if the thinking of each individual is not strong, it is very likely that the entire group will end up with only one centralized supreme consciousness.

Whether this consciousness will bring destruction or rebirth to the planet itself is as completely unknown as a box in the Warp.

"I know, so please don't tell the director about this, otherwise that stubborn old man will definitely stop all my experiments and send me to the judicial authorities."

"Yeah, they might even find a star that's about to explode to use as your grave mound."

Surtr felt that this might not be enough. As the most restless existence in the entire research institute, if everyone hadn't always been able to discover and stop her in time, who knows how much trouble her inventions and research results would have caused. She didn't know which unlucky civilization had picked up her things before and almost blew up their own planet.

"No, please, sis! Please help me! I know you're also doing related research, and I'm just one step away from that!"

Seeing that the Doctor was unlikely to give up so easily, Surtr had no choice but to nod in agreement. In the past, she would never have agreed to help the Doctor even if she had been beaten to death. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. At this stage, no one was actually thinking about whether they would be thrown into the sun by the Judgment Authority. Everyone just wanted to preserve civilization as much as possible, or at least preserve the Fireseed of civilization.

To this end, the thirteen highest-level research institutes of the entire civilization held a series of meetings and finally formulated a plan called "Fireseed," which aimed to liberate as many restrictions as possible on the exploration of the sea of science in the hope of finding a way to save the civilization.

Over a thousand plans, including the Preserver Project, the Consciousness Transfer Project, and the Grand Blueprint Project, were put on the table overnight, and then the feasible ones were selected as quickly as possible.

"Thanks, Sister 42! Your research will definitely succeed!"

Overjoyed at receiving the promise, the Doctor ran back to her lab. Surtr didn't ask her what the "Deep Blue" experiment was really about. As one of the most outstanding geniuses in the entire institute, most people felt that the Doctor should spend her time on other things, but Doctor seemed more enthusiastic about her own plans.

Those who know her well know that this means that in her eyes, all the plans may not have a high success rate, and Deep Blue's value is more worth investing in.

Indeed, the Preserver Project has its limitations in terms of time, and both the Grand Blueprint Project and the Consciousness Eve Project carry high risks. But what about Deep Blue? Are they really hoping that a group of beings they created will turn around and save them, their creators?

No, that's obviously impossible. How could the creations of this civilization possibly be able to fight a crisis that the entire civilization couldn't confront and could only choose to flee from? If they could, they wouldn't have fallen to this state.

Surtr looked out the window. The sun was still shining, and it would continue to shine for billions of years to come, witnessing the passing of one civilization after another, and the birth of new ones.

She touched her long red hair again. She loved the sun and hoped that she could burn like the sun, either burning away all the withered grass and thorns or warming all the winters.

She gazed at the sun like that, and then... she herself began to burn.

Flames engulfed the enemy's corpses. Surtr wielded her greatsword, which was longer than her entire body, like the conductor of an orchestra waving a baton. The flames burned the monsters before her as she wished.

Why is she here? Why is she carrying that sword? Who is she?

Surtr suddenly stopped moving. The flames had burned away the last trace of filth; they flickered, but remained still.

She suddenly remembered that she had found the sword several years ago. At that time, she was just an ordinary Sarkaz girl who had lost her home, family, and friends. She had fled to the mountains behind her hometown and, by chance, entered an ancient ruin and obtained it.

She was very thin back then, her hair wasn't the beautiful fiery red it is now, and she wasn't called Surtr. But when she got this sword, she underwent some subtle changes.

"I am..."

She tried to search for her memories, but found no clues. The land in front of her was melted into lava by the high temperature, and then a headless giant several meters tall crawled out of the lava and knelt respectfully on one knee before her.

Suddenly, she felt that none of that mattered anymore. There was no need to recall that clearly unhappy past. At least now she held power in her hands. She came to her senses, and memories of the present gradually flooded her mind. She sheathed her sword, extinguished the fire, and then walked towards her companions.

"Is this Surtr's past?" Mizuki had remained an observer throughout, not disturbing Surtr's recollections, but instead helping her organize her chaotic memories. Arranging them in a certain order would reduce Surtr's usual frustration with memory confusion. "While it's not hard to guess that her memory confusion stems from the legacy of Laevatain, this sword is actually a creation of Old Civilization, so its power must be more than this. Perhaps it's being used incorrectly or misused."

The scientific level of the Old Civilization was very clear to Mizuki Seaborn, Originium, and those sky megastructures. Although Laevatain might not be as good as the DWDB-221E Black Crown codenamed "The Continuance of Civilization" currently worn on Surtr's head, it must have some other use.

However, Mizuki didn't have time to explore Laevatain's secrets. The reason he made Surtr wear that Black Crown was not only to help her find herself, but more importantly, he needed an entry point to get involved in the Sarkaz's network.

Surtr is the most suitable candidate at present. No matter how special she is, she is still Sarkaz, just not affected by the Sarkaz clan.

Following the pulse of her blood, Mizuki found a point of entry and then chose to intervene.

The Sea of Life extended a tentacle, exploring the past in that boundless dimension. Using itself as a reference, it calculated the possible direction of the Sarkaz's sea of consciousness, and then reached out to it.

In an instant, or perhaps for several years, the world of consciousness has no clear concept of time. Upon touching the consciousness of the Sarkaz, Mizuki's first feeling was anger, followed by pain. These emotions filled the Sarkaz's world of consciousness and flowed through their blood.

Violence is the only thing left for the Sarkaz race. Their homeland has been destroyed, their home is no longer beautiful, and their people are scattered in all directions. Only after experiencing such emotions can Mizuki understand Theresa's choice: the duty of the Sarkaz Demon King and the persistence of a kind person. Her death will minimize the losses of the Sarkaz race.

It's difficult to resolve; this isn't something that can be resolved with mere words or in a year or two. It's a messy affair involving almost every country in Terra. But Mizuki never intended to act as a mediator. He simply tried to soothe the situation and then surveyed the ocean of consciousness.

The Sarkaz have a history of seven thousand years, and were first influenced by Old Civilization. Their history is etched in blood, containing not only hatred and pain, but also the expectations of their predecessors for their descendants.

As Mizuki moved, the Sarkaz's Sea of Consciousness began to ripple slightly. The Sea of Life recorded these ripples and then began to imitate and search for them.

For a fleeting moment, a strange feeling swept through the Sarkaz of Terra, centered on Rhodes Island Terra. It was as if a pair of gentle hands were stroking the top of their heads, a very comforting sensation. W even subconsciously felt that this was the comfort of a mother, even though she didn't know who her mother was.

Surtr didn't feel that way; she simply continued to search through her memories, jumping back and forth between different characters.

Sometimes she is a scientist from Old Civilization, sometimes a simple mercenary, and sometimes a warrior, but all her identities can be summed up in one: a wanderer.

"Do you really believe that these beings possess power capable of contending with the Warp or even the Observers?"

Surtr looked at the species in the petri dish, which the Doctor called Seaborn; they also had another beautiful name: Deep Blue Seed.

"This is my creation, which I am very proud of!"

"But you should also know that a fountain's height will not exceed its source. How can they possibly fight an enemy that we have exhausted all means to defeat?"

Deep Blue Project was permitted out of necessity for survival. If Terra's living environment deteriorates in the future, the Seaborn can effectively modify the planet's ecology, allowing their resurrected inhabitants to live better lives. They can also serve as a source of labor to aid in the rapid recovery and reconstruction of civilization.

But this was the original form of Deep Blue Project. Now, Surtr clearly senses that the Doctor's vision has expanded beyond that.

"But they're not fountains." The Doctor didn't look at Surtr, but stared intently at the inhuman creatures in the petri dish. "They are life."

"Life will grow, evolve, and keep moving forward. Although it is still very weak now, like a newly sprouted seedling, time... they will not lack time, and they will grow into a forest that is less than a storm."

A kind of fanaticism... Surtr suddenly remembered that the Doctor and Priestess were best friends, the same kind of people, they both had the same fanaticism, especially when it came to their own plans.

Suddenly, Surtr realized that she was only playing a role in a memory. She remembered Mizuki, and she knew that Mizuki also came from this plan.

Looking at the few cultivation chambers, Surtr suddenly understood the Doctor's idea: over hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, these life forms would adapt, grow, evolve, and one day surpass their creator.

The instinct of life is to survive. Give them enough potential, and they will find their own possibilities and then answer that question.

Mizuki gazed at the phantom standing deep within his consciousness. He knew it all too well; he never expected to see it again in this Sea of Consciousness Sarkaz Souls' consciousness.

"Doctor?"

"Mizuki?" The other person seemed stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap! A living Mizuki! Can DWDB-221E still make my fantasies appear in my consciousness?"

Chapter 257 Mizuki's Advance Announcement

In the Sarkaz Sea of Consciousness, a place where the souls of countless Sarkaz converged, Mizuki never imagined he would meet the Doctor, and... this Doctor seemed not to recognize him?

There was no possibility of admitting a mistake, nor of being deceived; it was indeed the Doctor. Mizuki gently parted the drifting consciousness and came before her. The Doctor was clearly unfamiliar with the place and didn't even know how to move. She could only stand there and watch Mizuki walk up to her.

"Doctor ...you...no, you are indeed the Doctor I know, but you may not know me." This was the answer Mizuki's intuition gave him. "You come from the past?"

"Ah, this, I think so. I just wanted to experience the effects of DWDB-221E. I remember I was supposed to be reading the backup of Priestess, so why did I... run into you? How did you get in?"

The Doctor was completely bewildered. What was happening before her eyes was beyond her imagination. She liked Mizuki very much, but it was not to the point that she could conceive of his existence in her consciousness. She realized that there must be something wrong with the Black Crown she was wearing.

"It was just an experiment, um... I see." Mizuki suddenly understood what was going on. The Doctor in front of her was a historical projection from Old Civilization. In this Sea of Consciousness there was no concept of time, the past and the future could intersect.

He still didn't quite understand. He had clearly connected to the Sarkaz consciousness port, so could it be because the Doctor had previously placed the crown on his head? Yes, the past Doctor had intervened in this port at the same time, unintentionally turning him into a signal relay station???

Mizuki guessed that this was probably the case. The Doctor's unintentional actions a couple of days ago had actually led to such a big mess. However, if the Doctor in front of her was in the past, then her worldline would either deviate from Mizuki's current world or converge back.

He reached out his hand, realizing that words alone couldn't explain it all. Fortunately, this was a world of consciousness, so he gently took the Doctor's hand and then tiptoed to kiss her lips.

First came shyness; the Doctor felt as if she were in a pink dream. Then came a sudden realization; Mizuki conveyed his guesses and memories, as well as some unspeakable speculations, to her.

In an instant, their lips parted, and she felt a sweetness on her lips, as if the soft touch still lingered. She touched her lips and realized that she had severed her connection with the DWDB-221E and returned to the real world.