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[Keqing: That battle was so intense…]
[Theresa: Thank goodness… Kiana broke through in the end!!]
[March 7th: Kiana is amazing!! ✨]
[Raiden Mei: Kiana is the best!]
[Kiana: Hehe… that's a little embarrassing…]
[Kafka: The Herrscher of Domination—uniting so many consciousnesses and powers—was truly a nightmare to deal with…]
[Himeko (Honkai): The Authority of Domination is terrifying too!!]
[Ningguang: But what did she mean by those final words…?]
On the screen.
At Schicksal Headquarters, a familiar voice broke Bianka's meditation.
"Bianka, I'm back."
"Good morning, Overseer."
Durandal stood up to greet him, showing no surprise at all.
"Oh? You don't look surprised in the slightest?" Otto teased with a smile, having changed into fresh clothes—his body seemingly replaced as well.
"Not surprised that I've appeared, nor that I suddenly called you by your real name?"
"Aren't those just trivial details?" Durandal replied calmly. "If you have something to say, Overseer, just say it. Is there a new mission?"
"Heh… that straightforward tone really brings back memories of the Bianka from before you became Durandal."
Otto laughed lightly.
"For what comes next, you might want to change your mood—just like you changed clothes today."
"…?"
"Because you finally have the chance to fulfill the great mission represented by the name Durandal."
"Prepare yourself well.
In half an hour, come help me carry out an experiment—an exploration to connect a world bubble to the Imaginary Tree."
With a meaningful smile, Otto turned and left with light, almost carefree steps.
This was Otto's favorite way of doing things—acting freely by nature, dropping earth-shattering news as if it were nothing.
Durandal remained where she stood, momentarily dazed—though her gaze soon hardened.
She had always believed that the destiny she shouldered from the age of twelve might accompany her for her entire life.
After all, returning a world bubble from the Sea of Quanta back to the Imaginary Tree was no easy feat.
Worlds are born on the Imaginary Tree, flourish, wither, and finally sink into the Sea of Quanta—this was the natural order.
But three years ago, a turning point appeared.
The Overseer had shared his research on the Imaginary Tree with Durandal and her adjutant.
According to him, her personal goal could be incorporated into his ultimate plan.
Then, two years ago—
On an autumn day much like today—
Durandal assisted Otto in obtaining the Second Divine Key, and during related experiments, they encountered the executor of the Hengsha Plan from the Previous Era.
From that moment on, Otto's Ultimate Plan accelerated dramatically.
Yet no matter what, Durandal never imagined events would progress so suddenly—so rapidly.
Her journey through the Sea of Quanta felt like it had happened only yesterday.
Dr. Schrödinger… Senior Shigure Kira…
Where were they drifting now, in that endless sea?
And that eccentric weapon named Durandal.
Only by restoring a complete connection between that ill-fated artificial world bubble and the Imaginary Tree could she truly save everyone.
Perhaps—
It might even open a path humanity had never possessed before, a retreat in the face of the Honkai.
Still, she had never expected to reach this decisive moment of fate so abruptly.
The man who served as Overseer was right.
At this very moment, she truly did need to adjust her mindset to face such crucial work.
When Durandal entered the S-rank Valkyrie preparation room, a familiar figure had already arrived.
"Lady Durandal, you've already met with the Overseer, haven't you?"
"Yes… it really came out of nowhere."
Durandal looked at the gentle Rita and sighed.
"That man disappears whenever he wants, comes back whenever he wants—and now he wants to immediately conduct an experiment connecting a world bubble to the Imaginary Tree."
"Nothing about it feels real."
"But isn't that exactly the Overseer's usual style?"
Rita covered her mouth and smiled softly, clearly agreeing with Durandal's complaint.
"The Overseer has always treated the world as a chessboard—
And everyone and everything, including himself, as pieces on it."
"In such a framework, only the result holds absolute meaning."
"After all, the value of the process may have vanished for him many years ago."
[March 7th: Yep… that's Otto alright…]
[Sparkle: Disappears on his own, comes back on his own~]
[Theresa: Grandpa really never lets people rest easy…]
[Tesla: Wait—what kind of experiment is Otto planning?!]
[Himeko (Star Rail): Connecting a world bubble to the Imaginary Tree? Is he already moving toward direct contact with it?!]
[Herta: During his disappearance, Otto must have gained something significant.]
[Ningguang: Using fake death as cover?!]
[Tesla: As expected… none of Otto's actions are ever impulsive!]
[Yanqing: A terrifying man—always smiling, yet everyone is just a chess piece to him.]
After brief preparations, the two arrived on time at the specialized laboratory housing the Second Divine Key: "Eternal Calamity—Thousand Worlds in One".
"Excellent. Everyone's right on time."
Otto smiled warmly.
"Durandal, Rita, Amber, Nagamitsu—thank you for safeguarding headquarters while I was away."
He then began explaining the experiment in detail.
"The four-dimensional spacetime we inhabit may seem flat and vast, but at higher cosmic dimensions, it contains structures beyond human intuition."
"The people of the Previous Era coined two vivid terms: the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree."
"In the Sea of Quanta, all things naturally decay with time, eventually dissolving into chaos."
"Worlds on the Imaginary Tree do not—yet most must endure the catastrophe known as Honkai."
"Today's experiment aims to verify a technology:
We will attempt to reconnect a world bubble from the Sea of Quanta back to the Imaginary Tree, altering its destined extinction."
"Therefore, Durandal, you must personally enter the high-dimensional gateway created by the Second Divine Key."
"This experiment is of the utmost importance.
Rita and Amber—you will remain here to coordinate all operations."
"As for me—
I will personally accompany Durandal and participate on the front line."
Otto laughed, showing not the slightest concern for the danger.
"So this is what it feels like to be in the Sea of Quanta… rather similar to zero-gravity in space."
"Please try not to stray too far from me, Overseer," Durandal said helplessly, watching Otto behave as if he were sightseeing.
"According to Nagamitsu, drifting alone in the Sea of Quanta risks decay and disappearance for anything from a normal world."
Nagamitsu's voice chimed in over comms.
"Though, considering Mr. Otto's body is made of soulium, the risk is quite low~
But losing contact with the outside world would still be troublesome—after all, I've already transplanted my consciousness core into this body."
Otto's words were shocking.
Even Durandal was startled.
The Overseer… was genuinely risking his life?
This was completely unlike the Otto she knew.
And not just her—
The audience watching was equally stunned.
[Hu Tao: Wait… has Otto lost his mind?!]
[Ningguang: He's personally risking his life in the experiment?!]
[Tesla: No way it's that simple! Otto must have another motive—someone as cautious as him would never do this otherwise!]
[Himeko (Star Rail): What exactly is hidden in this space that Otto cares about so deeply…]
[Furina: Lately, it feels like Otto has been constantly pushing his plan forward…]
[Sparkle: Heehee~ the final stage is about to begin!]
[Herta: Seems both Honkai and Otto are accelerating now.]
As the experiment proceeded, a familiar scene appeared before everyone—
One that made every heart tremble.
Otto smiled as he introduced it.
"This is the space created not long ago by the Tenth Herrscher—the Theater of Domination."
"Although the Tenth Herrscher has been destroyed, I managed to preserve part of it."
"Can it help us establish direct contact with the Imaginary Tree?" Durandal asked, puzzled.
Otto snapped his fingers.
"Exactly.
How much do you know about the Herrscher of Domination?"
"I've reviewed the joint reports from Anti-Entropy and World Serpent," Durandal replied.
"She was a composite of multiple consciousnesses, capable of constructing a unique domain within spatial rifts—quite different from the Domination Herrscher of the Previous Era."
"That's sufficient," Otto said calmly.
"What matters isn't the Herrscher herself—but the legacy she left behind."
He gazed deeply at the theater.
"To control her puppets, the Herrscher borrowed the power of the Imaginary Tree—using strings to link disparate spaces together."
"Even though the Tenth Herrscher is gone, and the Theater of Domination is sinking into the Sea of Quanta—
This place still maintains a direct, unobstructed connection to the Imaginary Tree!"
At that moment, realization struck—
Durandal, and everyone watching, felt a jolt of understanding.
"So that's why you rushed this experiment…"
"Indeed. Time waits for no one.
Though a detached space takes time to sink into the Sea of Quanta, we should seize control of all relevant technology and resources before the Honkai consciousness intervenes."
"I understand. But Overseer—"
Durandal frowned.
"Does this confirm that the Honkai consciousness truly exists?"
"Before this century, it was only a hypothesis," Otto replied calmly.
"But during the Second Eruption in 2000, I encountered a vast intelligence beyond conventional explanation."
"It excelled at overwhelming humans with information—capable of compressing all of Earth's archives and knowledge into your mind in an instant."
"Then… if this really is the Honkai consciousness—if it truly were omnipotent—"
"Precisely," Otto nodded.
"If it were all-powerful, erasing civilization would be effortless. Humanity would not have risen again and again through successive eras."
Even when speaking of this existence—
A threat above the world itself—
Otto's tone remained calm, devoid of fear or reverence.
"The Honkai consciousness manipulates the connection between our world and the Imaginary Tree, influencing the natural cycle of Honkai energy, forcing humanity to bear suffering it perhaps never should have."
"So, optimistically speaking—
This experiment may allow us to cast off those shackles and establish a direct, equal connection with the Imaginary Tree."
Otto's final plan had truly begun.
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