On the third day of the Chimera experiment.
Aside from Mobius, Dr. Mei, Prometheus, and Kevin—who had volunteered to remain as a guard—there was also one other figure who hadn't left for even a moment during these past few days.
Miss Pink Elf herself.
"Doctor, how much longer until Eli comes out? Can't you give me at least an estimate?"
"Within ten thousand years, maybe! Hmph! Elysia, don't you have anything better to do? Go complete a mission or something!"
"I don't want to! Until Eli comes out, I refuse to do anything else. Anyway, Miss Pink Elf has been working so hard lately. A few days of rest won't hurt. Besides…"
Elysia gazed mournfully at the white-haired boy floating inside the cultivation pod. To anyone who didn't know the situation, she looked exactly like a heartbroken girl abandoned by her lover.
And in truth, that was precisely how she felt. These days, her mind was filled with nothing but worry for Elias… and fantasies about what stories he might tell her once he awoke in the far future.
The night before the Chimera experiment began, Elias had revealed to Miss Pink Elf that he was actually a time traveler—and even told her stories of the Current Era.
But he had promised to tell her a little more every night afterward… and now, it had already been three days! Elysia hadn't heard a single continuation of the story for three whole nights!
"Ugh! Forget it, Mobius—you have no idea how I feel right now!"
Elysia sighed deeply.
It was like finding a novel she absolutely loved—only for the author to suddenly vanish for three days right at the most exciting part, leaving no announcement of when updates would resume. It was pure torture!
"So frustrating!"
Mobius twitched at the sound and crushed the bubble wrap she was holding.
If she weren't certain she couldn't win in a fight against this pink-haired menace, she would have tied Elysia up and whipped her—no, better yet, she'd use her serpentine tail for a proper artificial cascade punishment!
"Eli, my dear Eli… you're not like Sleeping Beauty, are you? You don't need a kiss to wake up, right? Because I'm really running out of patience here—one more day at most!"
Elysia groaned dramatically. She hadn't heard Elias' voice or seen his face for three whole days.
(Ugh… Vill-V, couldn't you have designed this pod a little more human-friendly? Why does filling it with liquid Honkai energy make it completely opaque~?)
No matter how good her eyesight was, Elysia could only make out a faint white shape through the thick, shimmering fluid—and barely feel the faint trace of Elias' familiar aura.
Miss Pink Elf's heart itched terribly.
Knowing he was right there, yet unable to see or touch him—it was unbearable. Especially for a girl hopelessly in love.
When Elias and Mobius had been working on the Honkai Serum together, Elysia had managed to go a full thirty days without seeing him. But that was long ago—and their relationship had deepened countless times since.
Back then, she could endure thirty days.
Now, she couldn't even handle four.
"Eli, how am I supposed to live without you~?"
Elysia pressed her forehead gently against the cultivation pod and knocked lightly. Not being able to see Elias made her feel as though she was fading away—turning from Miss Pink Elf into Miss Faded Elf.
The serpent beside her snorted in disdain—then sighed, because she understood all too well.
"My little lab rat, you really are making me wait…"
Mobius glanced at the cultivation pod as well, her sharp eyes softening briefly before she exhaled and resumed popping bubble wrap to vent her frustration.
And then—
"!!!"
The next second, Kevin—who had been slurping noodles in silence—suddenly froze mid-bite. Every muscle in his body tensed as he snapped his head toward the cultivation pod.
As a fusion warrior, Kevin's senses far surpassed those of an ordinary human. At that moment, he felt it—a powerful aura awakening from within.
He took a deep breath, eyes narrowing. "He's waking up."
"Elias… succeeded."
"What?!" ×3
Elysia, Mobius, and Dr. Mei widened their eyes in unison, all turning to the cultivation pod.
The next second, two golden lights gleamed within the chamber that had once been opaque—twin golden pupils opened, and for an instant, everyone present trembled as if a god had just awakened.
Kevin instantly tensed, gripping the Judgment of Shamash in its Might of An-Utu form. If Elias went berserk like he had earlier, then it would fall to him to stop it—no matter what.
(Can I even stop him? Even with [Diabolic] active, my odds don't look good… No. No matter the cost, I'll stop him! I won't let him destroy what I hold dear!)
But before Kevin could steel himself further—
"There's no need to be on guard. I'm still me."
As the pod's hatch opened, the white-haired boy stepped out into the air, his movements calm and measured—yet somehow carrying an even greater pressure than Kevin's explosive emergence had.
At that moment, it felt as though the roars of ten thousand beasts echoed faintly in celebration of his rebirth.
He had grown even more striking. His body looked as though it had been sculpted by divine hands; his long white hair fell freely down his back, purer and more commanding than snow, and his golden eyes shone with the radiance of miniature suns.
"Hm… that's a bit indecent, isn't it?"
Elias was still naked, but before Elysia could even catch a proper glimpse of his newly evolved physique, a majestic set of violet-gold armor materialized around him in a flash.
The sleek black-violet undersuit fit him perfectly, layered with ornate armor of brilliant violet-gold. Intricate engravings covered every piece, a diamond-shaped amethyst embedded in the chest plate. Twin pauldrons curved outward like draconic heads, and streams of luminous Honkai energy pulsed through the seams. Behind him, that same energy flared outward, forming a flowing cloak of radiant light.
"W-what is that?!"
Kevin instinctively took a step back, his entire body on alert.
The aura radiating from Elias' armor was terrifying—an overwhelming surge of Honkai energy so vivid it felt alive, as though the armor itself were a Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast given form.
(This is so unfair… it even looks cooler than my [Diabolic] form! Why does Elias always get the stylish upgrades?!)
Kevin couldn't help but think enviously—but seeing that Elias remained fully conscious and in control, he finally lowered his weapon.
Pop!
A sharp noise drew everyone's attention—the Honkai energy detector in Mobius' hands had just exploded.
But in the fraction of a second before it burst, her serpent-like pupils caught a glimpse of the final reading.
—600,000 HW.
"Mobius," Elias said with a smile, raising his arms slightly as if to display himself, "I've transcended the finite."
His presence was so overwhelming that the others could hardly breathe. Every cell, every gene in their bodies trembled with primal awe—an instinctive urge to kneel before the higher being standing before them.
Mobius immediately understood why.
This was no mental effect or psychic coercion—it was biology. As a Chimera, Elias' very existence had evolved far beyond that of normal life. Their instincts were reacting to him as an apex species—an absolute superior.
(His armor… that aura… this is the true Artificial Cascade? And why didn't he go berserk like Kevin? Did he actually conquer all fifty thousand Honkai Beast consciousnesses?!)
Feeling that instinctive pull toward submission, Mobius had no more doubts—Elias had indeed become a Chimera.
Of course, that effect didn't influence everyone equally. Mobius and Mei were affected because they were human, while Kevin—another Chimera—was immune. As for Elysia… well, that was a different story entirely.
By the time anyone noticed, Miss Pink Elf had already thrown herself into Elias' arms.
"Waaah~ Eli, you look so handsome! Wait, how come you're even better-looking than three days ago? Does becoming a Chimera have a beauty enhancement feature too?!"
Her crystal-blue eyes sparkled, and she looked him over eagerly—as though she might pull out a magnifying glass to inspect every detail of his transformation.
She was certain—her boyfriend had become even more perfect. More handsome. More powerful. And although it had only been for an instant, she could swear even his physique looked… improved.
"But why doesn't your artificial cascade look like Kevin's [Diabolic] form, Eli? I really, really want to see it!"
"If Elysia wants to see it, then of course she can."
Elias gently patted the pink-haired elf's head, his expression full of fond indulgence. To the others, it was as if a noble king were showing affection to his beloved queen.
Elysia's heart nearly stopped. She had never been one to swoon easily, but the moment Elias' hand touched her hair, her mind went blank.
Elias, meanwhile, felt both familiar and alien in his own body.
(So this is the Chimera… this is the [Palatinus]… what a truly wondrous feeling.)
It was like emerging from a cocoon—rebirth after death. The world before him seemed smaller now, yet infinitely clearer. Time itself felt slower, its rhythm discernible with perfect clarity.
He turned that heightened perception toward the girl in his arms.
Every blink of her eyes, every breath she took, every beat of her heart—he could feel them all. To him, she was flawless in every sense of the word.
(Artificial Cascade, right? Let's see… I think that's what it was called…)
Elias began testing his power. At this point, he was no longer merely an ultimate Chimera—he had become one who stood upon the path of [Palatinus].
The former represented infinite evolution.
The latter represented infinite growth.
And with this transformation, Elias had gained three new forms:
Knight Form, Guardian Form, and Artificial Cascade.
The Guardian Form was what he currently displayed—his body fused with the genes of all Honkai Beasts, forming the ultimate Chimera armor and weaponry.
The Knight Form allowed him to summon his Chimera Honkai Beast as a mount—much like the future Durandal's Krishna.
As for the Artificial Cascade, symbol of MANTIS—
Elias raised his hand, his voice echoing like divine proclamation.
"Heaven-devouring beasts, merge with me. The path of Palatinus—Reverse God, Ascend!"
A vast, surging wave of energy erupted from within him.
His Honkai energy output—three times greater than Kevin's—burst forth in a single overwhelming shockwave. The steel-alloy testing facility began to crack under the pressure…
Then, in a blinding radiance, his new form descended upon the world.
Curved dragon horns like a crown framed his head. Six pure white wings spread wide from his back. A platinum tail extended behind him, edged with blade-like ridges. His ears had become pointed like an elf's, his snow-white hair burned with golden flame, and intricate exoskeletal patterns traced across his body.
This Artificial Cascade form was neither human nor beast—it was the form of a radiant, otherworldly angel. A beauty so divine it defied description, matched only by the sacred pressure it radiated.
Elysia: "…"
Mobius: "…"
Mei: "…"
Kevin: "…"
The four of them stood frozen, gazing at the divine being before them.
If Kevin's [Diabolic] form was that of a demon from the abyss—chaotic, feral, and terrifying—
Then Elias' [Reverse God] form was that of an angel from the heavens—orderly, magnificent, and holy.
Even Mobius, the world's foremost biologist, found herself utterly speechless. There were no words—no existing taxonomy or vocabulary—that could describe the transcendent figure before her.
Elysia stared upward in a daze, her hand instinctively reaching out toward the [Reverse God] Elias, as if pleading to be taken up into the heavens with him.
For his part, Elias marveled quietly at the incredible might flowing through his new form.
"Hmm… let's test this out a little."
With a casual leap, he pierced through the laboratory ceiling and soared into the sky. To the [Reverse God] Elias, soulium was as fragile as paper.
As they watched him ascend into the open air, the others almost believed that the fallen angel was returning to heaven.
But instead, Elias simply hovered high above the ocean below.
He didn't strike or unleash any technique—he merely flicked his platinum-white tail toward the ocean below.
BOOOOM—!!!
The next instant, the sea split apart.
The water, crushed beneath that single casual motion, parted to either side, revealing the ocean floor beneath. From orbit, one would have seen it clearly—a massive fissure cutting across the ocean's surface.
Then, with a sudden spark of mischief, the [Reverse God] Elias pointed his toes downward, the white exoskeletal plating around his legs gleaming as his feet touched the sea.
Zzzzzzzzz—!!
In an instant, the entire ocean within sight froze solid. The cataclysmic scene he'd created with a mere flick of his tail was now locked eternally in crystalline stillness.
If Elias didn't personally choose to release it, this frozen ocean would likely remain preserved for fifty thousand years.
"Hahaha~!"
The [Reverse God] laughed brightly, admiring his handiwork.
Then, with a single flap of his six wings, he shot upward—becoming a blinding white meteor streaking toward the heavens.
...
"Kevin, could you do something like that?"
Inside the testing facility, Mobius swallowed hard as she stared at the satellite feed. Without turning her head, she addressed the still-stunned Kevin.
"I could. For a Chimera, that kind of feat isn't impossible… but not with that much ease."
"...Even though I designed this experiment myself," Mobius murmured, trembling slightly, "I can't help but say it—Chimeras are terrifying."
She took a deep breath, though her serpent-like eyes gleamed not with fear, but with wild, unrestrained excitement.
How perfect. How utterly perfect.
Absolute power and absolute beauty—Mobius had never seen, nor even imagined, such flawless life. Her breath quickened, her expression one of reverence and obsession.
"What about Elias—where did he go?"
The satellite had already lost track of the [Reverse God]'s presence. As everyone wondered where he might have flown off to, the next second, he reappeared in the laboratory.
With a souvenir.
"I'm back~ Here, a little something for you all."
"Is… is that a meteorite?!"
The others froze as the radiant being gently set down a massive, jet-black rock, its surface half-melted from intense heat. Mei's eyes widened immediately—she recognized it at once.
"Yes. I saw it sneaking a little too close to our planet. And when it tried to run away after I noticed, well… I couldn't just let it go. So, I brought it back."
The [Reverse God] Elias crossed his arms proudly.
Mei twitched at the corner of her mouth. She had, in fact, read reports from the astronomy base—this was supposed to be a harmless meteor passing by Earth today.
And yet, Elias had caught it.
Still…
"Hmm. Not bad. I'll take it as a gift," Mei said with a calm nod.
The meteorite: ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3
Then Mobius' sharp eyes caught something—two deep handprints on the meteor's surface. She froze, then quickly asked:
"Wait! Elias—how did you catch this thing? What power did you use?!"
"Power? To grab a tiny rock like this? Why would I need a special power?"
The [Reverse God] tilted his head, smiling as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I just flew in front of it and… raised my hand to stop it. It couldn't even push me back."
"…" ×4
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven