During the execution of the plan.
Because "Variant" Honkai Beasts were exceedingly rare—Variants already made up a small percentage of lower-tier Honkai Beasts, and the Honkai Beasts spread across the entire planet had been mostly wiped out by quantum energy corrosion and attacks from Quantum Beasts—the number of "Variants" that Odin ultimately "collected" was barely more than a handful. This was clearly insufficient to support the implementation of a massive project.
For this reason...
"[Shenhuo] made a 'small request' of me."
"A request?"
"Correct."
"But having said that, in truth, this was [Shenhuo]'s original objective."
Odin spoke slowly with a reminiscent expression.
"In order to complete the Hybrid Honkai Beast project, [Shenhuo] took the initiative to ask if it could borrow the power of the [Core of Death] from me."
"Withering and Creation."
"In my hands, the Core of Death can only exert half of its effect."
"But in [Shenhuo]'s hands, the Core of Death is more crucial than any other Herrscher Core."
"As long as it could obtain the power of the Core of Death, [Shenhuo] would not hesitate to lose even its most powerful Core of Reason."
"..."
Odin did not continue on this topic, but based on the existing intelligence, Lu Xing already knew what this [Shenhuo], whom he had never met and likely never would, wanted to do.
With the "Authority of Sentience" to command souls, coupled with the "Authority of Death (Authority of Creation)" to birth flesh, [Shenhuo] could completely use itself as a template to create an entirely new race rooted in the foundation of the old civilization!
"You didn't agree?"
"No, I agreed."
"Otherwise... where would those Hybrids outside have come from?"
This time.
Odin did not elaborate on what he had done.
But the outcome was already obvious—while a new race was not born, by relying on the existence of the original Honkai Beasts, Odin did indeed mass-produce the unprecedented concept of "Hybrid Honkai Beasts."
Honkai Beasts are not a race that can master technology.
To achieve a technological goal, aside from "partnering" with a civilization, there was only one other way to do it:
Absorb the Core of Reason.
The birth of the Herrscher of Reason is based on the highest level of technology a civilization possesses.
Its initial combat power is extremely weak, but it has terrifying growth potential. As it spends more time in contact with things, the Herrscher of Reason can understand and replicate almost all the knowledge it encounters. At this point, the knowledge recorded in the Core of Reason could be controlled by a Honkai Beast... provided it knew how to use the core correctly.
Although Odin's stats did not show the authorities of "Reason" or "Sentience," the power of [Shenhuo] had inevitably fallen into its hands.
Incidentally.
Odin's existence itself was probably the earliest Hybrid prototype. A mere companion Honkai Beast to a Herrscher was incapable of doing something like absorbing a Herrscher Core. Lu Xing hadn't forgotten how terrified Sheshe was when he had asked her to eat a core... and Sheshe was a Honkai Beast that, in the general sense, could not die.
And after coming full circle.
Lu Xing's attention returned to the matter of "change." The reason he said time had changed Odin was not only due to the various changes mentioned above, but also because of the Herrscher Core inside Xiao Zi.
That's right.
With the close-range communication, Xiao Zi's attributes were no longer as tightly locked as they were at the beginning. Most of her information could now be captured by [Spiritual Perception].
Name: Mortal Angel
Level: 80
Abilities: Creation, Withering, Admonition, others omitted.
Attack: 331
Speed: 331
Constitution: 331
Evaluation: Seraph
The [Core of Death].
This was one of the sources of Xiao Zi's power.
Her ability to command, or rather, control the Hybrid Honkai Beasts outside was definitely related to the power of this core.
Furthermore, both the "concealment" of the Herrscher Core and the steampunk-style mechanical armor she wore indicated that Xiao Zi, like Odin before her and the Hybrids outside, was no longer the purest form of Honkai Beast.
However.
Oftentimes, purity was not necessarily a good thing.
Just like the special Honkai energy they had previously displayed, which was powerful enough to rival Quantum energy, Lu Xing discovered an unprecedented possibility in these "Hybrids." They were likely test subjects, possibly semi-finished products, or perhaps even disposable items, but they had indeed opened up a brand-new path for Lu Xing.
Leaf, flower, fruit.
If the birth of a civilization could be called a leaf, then the experience of flowering was the process of undergoing the test called "Honkai." And finally, one would see what kind of fruit the civilization could bear. Those that couldn't even produce fruit would likely fall into the water without making even half a ripple.
As for the rotten fruit...
Even if it fell into the sea with a splash, it had indeed made its own ripple on the Quantum Sea.
That was the cry of a civilization, and also the proof of its existence.
"Imaginary."
"Real."
"Quantum state..."
The story Xiao Zi told, the truth Odin recounted.
Even if only a small part of it touched upon the truth, it was still a huge shock to Lu Xing.
Aside from his stance.
His existence, his goals, his actions—all would change because of this.
"Senior."
"Thank you for clearing my doubts."
Lu Xing expressed his gratitude to Odin.
"Outsider, you are too polite."
"Without your help, the last Tide would have likely destroyed this World Bubble completely."
"Tide?"
Lu Xing heard a familiar yet unusual term.
"Yes, the Quantum Beasts... their appearance is like a tide. They come and go, leave and return, never stopping."
"Tonatiuh."
"Thoroughly killing a Quantum Beast of that level might delay the arrival of the next Tide, but no matter what, it is only a stalling tactic."
"If we cannot find a solution—"
"No."
Odin immediately negated his own statement.
"There is no solution."
"Perhaps only a fight to the death with the Quantum Beasts can, in this deep sea, earn a sliver of the 'Tree's' notice?"
This was a method Odin and [Shenhuo] had tried before.
Back then, this world had not yet sunk to such depths. At an extremely rare spatio-temporal node, following [Shenhuo]'s suggestion, Odin launched a massive, full-force assault on the Quantum Sea.
It was effective.
The ripples on the sea successfully attracted the "Tree's" attention—or perhaps its autonomous defense mechanism was activated. As envoys of the "Tree," over 40 "Imaginary Constructs" appeared in the World Bubble and conducted a "purge" of the Quantum Beasts.
But that...
Was the full extent of the results.
Aside from new intelligence—on the existence of the Sea of Quanta, its speculative nature, and verification of its mechanisms—it had no further practical value.