On Zeke's side, life settled into tranquility.
He assessed the evolving situation thus far, made some preemptive arrangements, engaged moderately with his daily tasks, and spent time interacting with the girls around him.
Enjoying meals meticulously prepared by Seele and Mei, listening to Fu Hua play her zither, assisting Senti's education using the Book of Fuxi, teasing Wendy until she jumped in exasperation, relishing Bronya's sophisticated flirtations, managing Kiana and Sin's relentless clinginess at all hours—overall, it was both leisurely yet fulfilling.
Meanwhile, high above the vast Pacific Ocean, Su sat on a golden platform suspended in midair. A fragrant cup of black tea rested on the table before him, opposite Welt and Hera.
"Sip~" × 3
The trio took synchronized sips of their tea, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a serene elderly gathering.
Welt glanced down at the azure sea below and hesitantly asked, "Is it alright to leave that solely to Mister Kevin? Before losing contact with the exploration equipment, we detected astonishing levels of Honkai Energy deep within the ocean. It might not be as straightforward as we think."
Welt looked briefly at Hera but ultimately directed his concerned gaze towards the smiling Su.
Despite Kevin's cold demeanor—Welt had even felt oddly uneasy during their first encounter, as if something was amiss with his own Core—they were now comrades. Naturally, Welt didn't want any harm to befall this survivor from the previous civilization upon their initial meeting.
Holding his teacup, Su smiled warmly.
"Mr. Welt, there is no need for concern. Please trust in Kevin's strength; when it comes to battles, he is absolutely reliable. Kevin is invincible... Well, our Emperor might have an even more unfathomable depth, but aside from him, Kevin truly is invincible. Have faith."
Su described Kevin as "invincible" matter-of-factly—a sentiment widely shared by the previous civilization—at least until the arrival of the Finality rendered it unquestioned truth.
Welt nodded, offering Su a warm smile akin to a gentle spring breeze, choosing to believe in his confidence.
"That's reassuring. We eagerly anticipate Mister Kevin's success."
At that moment, the serene and harmonious aura surrounding both men seemed remarkably similar.
Indeed, they bore striking resemblances: embodying immense compassion, one could almost call them Sages. After their initial meeting, they quickly recognized each other as kindred spirits, feeling a sense of familiarity and regretting not having met sooner.
Having passed the scrutiny of these two living fossils, Welt's character impressed them greatly, while his admiration for the patriarchs' will was mutual. Subsequently, Hera, with the intent to facilitate future collaboration, also took the initiative to engage in conversation.
Later, upon hearing about the brewing threat in the deep sea, Su and Kevin voluntarily stepped forward to address it. This era's glory was forged by contemporary humanity, and for individuals long detached from society like themselves, reintegration naturally required demonstrating their worth—essentially serving as a form of credential submission.
Amidst this harmonious atmosphere, Hera scanned her surroundings before softly remarking, "I don't doubt Your Excellency Kevin's capabilities. However, the marine ecosystem is already in dire straits; it would be best not to burn or freeze large swathes of the deep sea again. Cleanup would become incredibly challenging... Somehow, Zeke has gotten used to blaming environmental issues on me."
"Ah, that..." Taken aback, Su slightly widened his eyes and prepared to remotely send a message to Kevin, urging him to temper his power usage.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion!
A sudden surge of massive waves erupted beneath them, enveloping the boundless sea surface with dense steam. The fine rainfall drenched the trio above, chilling them to the bone.
Well, not entirely accurate—at least Hera had raised a mysteriously appearing small parasol, shielding herself and her cup of black tea perfectly from any water droplets.
Thus, only Welt and Su experienced the bone-chilling cold, being the honest ones caught unprepared.
"It seems we were just a step too late."
Su awkwardly scratched his face, watching as seawater evaporated rapidly from his body. He then brushed off some salt particles, rising to peer down at the ocean's surface.
Below, countless boiling bubbles emerged, continuously releasing steam before finally subsiding after a prolonged period.
Subsequently, remnants of colossal beasts began floating on the water—giant squids, sea snakes, and various other grotesque deep-sea horrors, alongside diverse smaller creatures resembling shrimp soldiers and crab warriors. Su believed this was merely an extremely tiny fraction; most likely, the majority had been utterly annihilated by Kevin's attack.
As an old comrade, Su had a clear understanding of Kevin's style.
Even with just this small fraction, the wreckage covering the ocean surface stretched as far as the eye could see, illustrating how terrifyingly formidable these enemies would have been if allowed to fully develop.
Su and Welt observed the sea, while Hera put away her parasol and gracefully arranged new teacups and refreshments with hands delicate as jade.
She pushed a cup of hot tea towards the white-haired youth who quietly stepped onto the golden platform and took a seat nearby.
"How do you perceive the collapse of this era, Mister Kevin?"
"It's on a massive scale, no less daunting than the previous era. Greater efforts will be required."
"Sigh, so many colossal deep-sea beasts, truly frightening! Without you, Mister Kevin, I wouldn't have managed."
"You didn't seem quite as concerned when playing around with the Herrscher of the Void," Kevin retorted.
Kevin lifted the teacup, its unique material insulating against his body heat, allowing the tea to remain lukewarm—though it inevitably turned icy cold upon reaching his lips.
Hera's smile widened, and she responded leisurely, "Ah, that was youthful ignorance, wasn't it? Please don't hold it against me, Mister Kevin. Now, I am genuinely committed to combating Honkai!"
"No need to tell me all this; I don't care about your past or actions. As long as you stand against Honkai, we're allies," Kevin said coldly, showing no change in expression even after finishing his tea.
From their first meeting, Hera had tried to project a friendly and harmless image. However, Kevin had already gleaned much about her—more accurately, about Otto—from Su, his own little animal companion, and various other accounts.
Otto was undoubtedly not a good person.
But among the Thirteen Heroes who led the previous civilization to its end, how many could truly be considered virtuous? Even Mei, through Kevin's lens of love, couldn't be described as wholly benevolent.
Thus, whether someone was good or bad held no importance; the only measure that mattered was their stance against Honkai.
Hera suppressed her smile, realizing her attempt to create a favorable impression had completely failed. With Cosmic Juggernaut allowing Su to observe information from the real world, combined with his keen insight into human nature, it made sense he couldn't be swayed easily. Yet she hadn't anticipated that Kevin, despite his seemingly straightforward demeanor, would also remain entirely unimpressed.
Well, never mind—it was just a casual attempt. Otto delighted in befriending these resolute heroes, but if it didn't work out, there was no harm done. It wasn't crucial anyway.
After all, everyone must unite under Emperor Zeke's leadership in the fight against Honkai. As long as they don't hinder each other, with the most critical aspect being not to obstruct his plan to revive Kallen, nothing else matters.
"Hmm?"
On the crimson floor, Zeke, leading a lively group of companions, suddenly lifted his head as if hearing something through layers of ceiling and earth.
"Zeke, what's caught your attention?" Kiana peeked from beside him, gazing adorably with her large eyes sparkling like twinkling stars.
Zeke reached out and gently patted her soft hair.
"With the vast amount of consciousness-related information I process, covering such a wide range, I inadvertently perceive some data relevant to myself. It's nothing significant; otherwise, the sensation would be much stronger."
"...Sounds pretty mystical," Kiana remarked innocently.
"It's science."
"But it really does sound mystical!" she insisted.
Zeke patted her head again without further explanation. If it seemed mystical, so be it. As the understanding and application of informational concepts deepened, the materialist perspective had become thoroughly blurred. While he called it science, for those unable to grasp the intricacies of the Information Origin Theory, labeling many of these methods as mysticism wouldn't be entirely off-base.
"We're here."
As they spoke, an ancient stone door appeared before the group.
The imposing earth-toned gate exuded an ancient aura, weathered by time, reminiscent of both an entrance to a primordial temple and a portal leading to a subterranean tomb.
"The engravings are the masterpiece of Dr. Mobius from the previous civilization, affecting both soul and body simultaneously. To some extent, they can be considered a unique variation of Stigmata... Whether you can obtain them depends on your own efforts. I can only assure you of their potency, effective even against Herrschers."
"Then why didn't you bring us here earlier?" Kiana clutched Zeke's arm, blinking curiously.
Zeke raised his hand, slowly pushing open the stone gate. "There were significant instability factors before; the timing was not right. Without my direct supervision, this place is far from hospitable to Herrschers."
Mobius's malevolent intentions, the heroes' hostility towards Herrschers, coupled with the unpredictable Elysia—without personally overseeing the situation, Zeke wouldn't risk exposing the girls, who had been progressing smoothly, to such dangers.
With the establishment of the Empire imminent, it was now time to address potential allies and attempt to rally their support.