But now it was different. She was free to research to her heart's content!
----------------------------
After many days, Lady Herta, whose talent echoes through the universe, once again presented a research discovery that almost shook the cosmos.
The Quantum Sea, interdependent with the theory of the Imaginary Tree!
Hmm, but she hasn't publicized it yet.
"If those loafers who never do proper work found out about such a place, I can't imagine what stupid things they'd do." Hands on her hips, Herta spoke disdainfully.
"Reasonable suspicion." Screwllum nodded slightly, acknowledging Herta's doubts.
Likewise, he shared the same thoughts toward the factions of quite a few cosmic powers. History has proven that authority is a poison that corrupts the human heart.
No matter how shrewd one is, the moment they come into contact with authority, they already have one foot in the abyss.
Those who can break free from authority's shackles through sheer will are anything but ordinary.
Regrettably, ever since Screwllum's birth, he had scarcely witnessed anyone who could escape the erosion of power.
Even the firm Xianzhou Alliance still had many people who clung to old-era ideas, greedy and foolish.
"The Quantum Sea… does Godzilla enter it after falling asleep?" Ruan Mei murmured.
An unimagined domain.
She had thought Godzilla might head to Penacony in dreams, for that was a place bound to dreams by name.
A vast void filled from with Memoria matter.
But she never would have expected Godzilla to journey into the Quantum Sea, a domain that opposed the Imaginary Tree.
An untouched domain, and…
"Godzilla's soul must be extraordinarily powerful."
That was inevitable. A mighty body must be matched by an equally mighty soul.
Especially for the long-lived species whose strength grows with the passage of time.
They have more time to contemplate matters of the soul.
"Question: If the Quantum Sea and the Imaginary Tree oppose each other, how does Godzilla travel between them?"
"Hypothesis: Godzilla's adaptability exceeds prior estimates."
Screwllum raised the question and began analyzing.
"Then it's no wonder why those two entities haven't attacked Godzilla." Herta nodded slightly.
This speculation was unsurprising. In nature, when locked in combat with a rival, creatures often ignore the small pests that cause minor but non-fatal trouble.
After all, even if such pests might become fatal over time, compared to an equally matched opponent right in front of them, they're not worth the effort.
Of course, there's also the possibility they simply can't reach.
But… At this thought, Herta hesitated slightly.
Surely not? If the Quantum Sea, which clashes against the Imaginary Tree, couldn't even find an enemy like Godzilla, spreading that around would make it's old rival die laughing, wouldn't it?
Yet, recalling Godzilla's formidable adaptability, his ability to cross time and space, to build a bridge to the past through dreams, Herta found it not entirely impossible.
"Entering the Quantum Sea is no easy feat. One must gain its recognition. Without recognition, barging into the Quantum Sea leads only to getting lost within, never returning to the original world." Herta spoke.
"I also discovered some interesting things in the Quantum Sea, some worlds that are repeating."
"Repeating worlds?" Herta nodded slightly and gave a simple explanation regarding bubble worlds.
After hearing her account, the two fell into thought.
As fellow geniuses, they naturally understood the weight of Herta's words. Repeating worlds, so then, before this world reached its current state, what form had it taken?
A corner of the world's mystery was unveiled, intoxicating to the mind. The thoughts of geniuses soared wildly, seeking but never resting.
...
Xianzhou Luofu.
Jing Yuan immediately received Fu Xuan's party, who had hurried back.
Sensing the strong life aura on Xueyi, Jing Yuan's smile broadened.
After laughing for a moment, his expression grew solemn.
"You carry too heavy a burden. Aside from a few of us, try not to tell anyone else." Jing Yuan was no tyrant.
Xueyi, though cold, still had her own friends. Issuing a direct order would seem inhuman. Of course, this also had to do with Xueyi herself.
She had been a judge in the Ten-Lords Commission for centuries, long tempered by life and death.
"Mm, I'll keep my lips sealed." Xueyi nodded heavily, giving her word.
This matter concerned the peace of her and her sister's future. Hanya's condition was also kept secret, known only to a select few.
In some sense, Xueyi was far safer than Hanya. After all, she had only shifted into a new body, the differences were like a chasm.
Through centuries as a judge, Xueyi had witnessed both the kindness and the malice in human hearts.
After some further instructions, Xueyi and Hanya departed the Seat of Divine Foresight together.
Finally reunited in life, the sisters basked in the warm sun, naturally, they wanted to relax. Just as in the past, Hanya sought to ease Xueyi's troubles, coaxing her into enjoying life.
As the sisters left, only Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan remained.
"These are troubled times." Suddenly, Fu Xuan spoke. She was not referring to the two sisters, but to the troubles yet to come.
"With the Plague Author's appearance, even though the Alliance decreed no search of Jarilo-VI, those parasites won't care." Jing Yuan nodded slightly, his voice low.
"Heh, let them dabble their hands in these murky waters. I want to see what kind of expressions they wear at death's door." Fu Xuan sneered, contemptuous of the higher-ups' actions.
On the path forward, some always falter, some stand still, some retreat, some stray into shady byways, leaving the road ahead obscured.
"In that case, the Alliance may be facing a major purge." Jing Yuan sighed.
He had no intention of stopping them.
First, Godzilla was strong, so long as they were forewarned, it was fine.
Second, once the others suffered, they'd realize their own limits, what they could and could not do.
However, provoking Godzilla was no mere matter of pain. Most likely, they wouldn't even feel pain before being wiped from existence.
Jing Yuan was certain. Despite Godzilla's current good relations with humans, that applied only to a select few.
Especially that little gray-haired one on the Astral Express. Other than this handful of people, no matter how bitterly the rest begged, Godzilla wouldn't spare them a glance.
More likely, he'd feel annoyed and swat them away with his tail, gone in an instant.
...
Central Starskiff Haven.
The streets lively as ever with bustling crowds everywhere.
A head cautiously poked out, glancing left and right. Only after confirming safety did a breath of relief escape.
"Safe!"
"Qingque, what are you doing?"
"Wahh! Oh, it's you guys, I thought someone had come to arrest me."
Seeing who it was, Qingque patted her chest lightly, her tone aggrieved.
Hanya watched Qingque's guilty manner, the corner of her mouth lifting into a faint smile.
"Weren't you on a business trip to Jarilo-VI? How are you back so soon?" Qingque asked, puzzled once she calmed down.
"The matter was settled, so naturally we returned." Hanya replied, then continued.
"Not only us, but Master Diviner Fu has also returned. After discussing with the general, she'll likely head back to the Divination Commission."
"What!" Hearing this, Qingque nearly jumped.
She paced back and forth, muttering.
"Finished, finished, if Master Diviner is back now, and I get caught…"
At the thought, Qingque shuddered.
She immediately turned and dashed toward the Divination Commission, waving as she ran.
"Talk to you after work!" Watching Qingque vanish, Xueyi was astonished.
Usually she never saw it, but who knew that little Qingque could disappear in the blink of an eye once she started running.
Have the diviners of the Divination Commission already become so physically fit?
Shaking her head, Xueyi wished that Qingque could make it back to the Divination Commission before Fu Xuan returned.
After wandering around some more places, they arrived at Aurum Alley, where the loud noise of the market filled the ears.
"Everyone, take a good look, this is the shop run by the hidden master chef of the famous Aurum Alley on the Xianzhou. Unfortunately, this place only opens on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Today's not the right day for Little Guinaifen to come; otherwise, I'd definitely make all of you watching cry with hunger."
Holding a selfie stick, Guinaifen kept gesturing energetically, and her lively demeanor made the people in Aurum Alley smile.
As an old spot on the Xianzhou, Aurum Alley was usually filled with elderly people, aside from food lovers coming to eat.
Seeing such an energetic girl after reaching old age always made everyone smile. Waving her selfie stick, Guinaifen suddenly spotted two familiar figures.
Her face lit up.
"Eh?! Everyone, everyone, I just saw two friends, logging off now, please come watch my next stream!"
Before the viewers could react, Guinaifen quickly ended the stream and ran toward Xueyi and Hanya.
"When did you come back? You didn't even tell me in advance so I could come pick you up." Guinaifen said cheerfully.
"Just came back today, we haven't had time to tell everyone yet." Hanya smiled.
During that time, they had made many friends, Guinaifen naturally among them.
Besides, Guinaifen was an outworlder, unemployed. The word "unemployed" really stood out; it was also written on her registration.
"Hehe, since you just got back, you've got to have a good meal! How about calling everyone together and making it lively?"
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Xueyi asked.
"No, no, I've got plenty of time now. And Sushang, Bailu, Yanqing, Yunli, they're all free lately too. Hmm, but since you're back, Master Diviner must be back as well. I've seen Qingque being so carefree recently, I wonder if she'll get caught off guard by big brother this time."
The topic drifted as they chatted.
Rubbing her chin, Guinaifen considered the possibility.
'With Qingque's personality, she shouldn't get caught by Fu Xuan, right?'
Even if she did, it wouldn't matter. With Qingque's ability and style, she'd have finished her work early anyway, otherwise she wouldn't be so free.
At most, after being caught, she'd just get roped into doing some hard labor.
Anyway that wasn't too important. After all, it wasn't her being caught.
...
The past.
The Sea of Quanta.
Godzilla lay quietly in the Sea of Quanta, his massive bed drifting along with the currents.
Suddenly, Godzilla opened his eyes, sensing the distance.
"Strange fluctuations. Weird." Normal fluctuations couldn't catch his attention.
But this one was different, as though someone was plucking the strings of a zither, luring him to look.
Swinging his thick tail lazily across the huge bed, Godzilla threw the matter aside.
His intuition told him it didn't matter. Instead of taking action, better to sleep.
The powerful traits of the long-lived species, their sense of danger was sharper than any instrument.
If something didn't threaten them, they ignored it.
Otherwise, across endless years, if they had to respond to every little thing, they wouldn't even have time to sleep.
...
Meanwhile.
Otto, with a human-like form, muttered to himself.
"Sure enough, this works. The strings of time's fluctuations, reflecting the past."
Otto was a genius.
Without doubt, his talent was unparalleled.
Otherwise, he could never have extended his life into infinity within limited years.
Transforming the body was convenient, but it couldn't hide the soul's peculiarity. Yet for Otto, that was nothing, solved with a snap of his fingers.
And now, he was carrying out his plan.
A great plan driven by himself.
But first,
"The frequency is still too small. The Herrscher of the Void's powers are tied to the Imaginary Space. To complete the plan, her authority is indispensable."
Otto calmly deduced the next steps, the water's surface unruffled.
...
Amid the fresh early morning air, Fu Hua finished a set of punches.
"Hoo, " Exhaling slowly, Fu Hua came to a resting position.
After seeing Kevin and hearing from him that Su was still alive, her mood had grown brighter day by day.
She had thought she was the only one stubbornly holding on, but to find her old companions returning one by one, it lifted a weight from her.
And Griseo. Her plan was different from theirs. With a stasis pod, and as a fusion warrior, that little girl might really still be alive!
Thinking of this filled Fu Hua with motivation; she wanted to wipe out Honkai immediately so they could all welcome a bright future together.
Glancing aside, she noticed Wendy, equally refreshed in the morning breeze.
Since being taught a lesson, Wendy had dropped her sharp, combative manner.
No choice, people here could really beat her.
She thought those two Herrschers and even Theresa, an S-rank Valkyrie, were enough... But upon arriving at the dorm, her attention was drawn to Fu Hua's punches.
Her sharpened senses told her, if those blows landed, she'd die.
Wendy's heart tightened, afraid this deceptively gentle-looking A-rank Valkyrie might dislike her and wipe her out.
That'd be too unjust. Watching a moment longer, Fu Hua withdrew her gaze, thoughtful.
Because of Kevin and Su, her mindset had shifted; she hadn't hidden it well.
Fu Hua didn't mind. Her strength was her own after all.
Besides, apart from Wendy, whose powers gave her heightened perception, no one else could see through her true ability no matter how much they stared.
Suddenly, Fu Hua tensed, her gaze sharp.
She snapped her eyes toward Wendy's direction.
Wendy's nerves spiked to the extreme. 'Was she really about to attack her?'
Were all her earlier movements just to deceive?
In her panic, Wendy's nose twitched, plum blossom fragrance.
"Where's that scent from?" Looking up instinctively, she saw a classical beauty, long brown hair flowing freely, behind her, watching her warmly.
Her attire looked like was unlike the normal dressing-style, instead it seemed a bit old-fashioned. Extending her senses a little, Wendy's face stiffened.
This seemingly gentle beauty felt even more dangerous than Fu Hua!
"Who are you?!" Fu Hua stepped forward to shield Wendy, her fists clenched, voice low.
About to answer, the woman noticed the unique aura on Fu Hua and her eyes lit up.
"Answer me!" Fu Hua's sharp call snapped the woman back to clarity.
"My name is Ruan Mei. You may not know it, but there's another name you might be familiar with."
"She's called Herta." Ruan Mei smiled faintly, her gentle gaze softly resting on the two of them.