This sudden display nearly scared the souls out of the other Annihilation Gang members wandering nearby.
Which bastard forgot to turn off the autopilot function after parking the ship?!
----------------------------------
"It really is peaceful and empty."
Tesla hung one hand over the back of the computer chair, holding a bag of potato chips in the other, occasionally tossing one into her mouth.
Looking at the data on the screen, Tesla couldn't help but sigh.
"At this rate, we won't find it until who knows when!"
"Calm down." Einstein glanced at the impatient Red Head and spoke calmly.
"According to the information we currently have, Godzilla is neither the work of the Honkai nor some kind of genetic organism. From its two appearances, it's not hard to see that Godzilla possesses some unknown spatial ability, similar to the Second Herrscher, yet different. But anything that exists must inevitably leave traces."
"Even if you say that... the deep-sea range is way too vast!"
Tesla almost wanted to quit right then.
The search range Einstein proposed practically covered all of the world's oceans, and given Godzilla's habits, almost none of the areas were shallower than the deep seas.
With Anti-Entropy's capabilities, searching through all those regions in a short time suddenly felt harder than waging war against Schicksal.
Not to mention, Godzilla couldn't possibly just sit quietly in one place waiting for them to find it.
"You don't need to worry about that. Godzilla's habits are closer to a hibernating snake, it won't move easily."
"Where'd you hear that?"
"A movie."
"..." At that moment, Tesla looked at Einstein like she was some oversized piece of non-flammable trash.
As expected, chicken-head was still chicken-head. Don't expect her to be of any use.
"That line applies to you as well, Dr. Tesla, who only eats chips without helping."
Welt watched the two bickering with a helpless look.
As everyone knew, unless uncontrollable factors intervened, Einstein and Tesla were the uncontrollable factors.
The two geniuses had been at each other's throats since childhood, and even as adults, they still fought.
That kind of persistence was... touching.
Seeing Tesla about to push harder, Welt quickly spoke up.
"Is there some important reason you're in such a hurry to find Godzilla?"
Hearing this, Tesla decided not to argue with Einstein anymore and also looked at her expectantly.
After a moment of silence, Einstein said, "Do you remember the Sea of Quanta?"
The Sea of Quanta was not an actual sea.
More precisely, it was like countless hidden faces of the world. No one knew how many so-called "bubble universes" existed within it.
"You're not seriously suggesting Godzilla ran into the Sea of Quanta, are you? That place isn't fit for humans, even with protective gear."
Tesla cried out in surprise.
To them, the Sea of Quanta was hardly unfamiliar. Both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had conducted much research into it, and many brilliant scientists had gone missing trying to explore it.
Schrödinger was one of them.
Even though they racked their brains trying to establish contact with Schrödinger, who was trapped in the Sea of Quanta, in the end, all attempts failed.
That kind of place didn't look like somewhere anything could survive.
"For ordinary beings, no. But Godzilla is different. I've gathered all the data after its appearances, and there were no traces of Honkai energy. That's why I boldly speculate: the Sea of Quanta is Godzilla's 'home.'"
"That's certainly bold. I almost want to crack your skull open to see what's inside."
Though Tesla often acted like she was at odds with Einstein, on this matter she had to admit... it actually made sense!
Otherwise, there was no way to explain such a massive heat source going undetected by either Anti-Entropy or Schicksal.
Even if it wasn't in the Sea of Quanta, it definitely wasn't in this world.
It's just...
"If it's in the Sea of Quanta, why are you monitoring the oceans?"
Glancing at Tesla, Einstein said flatly:
"Just in case. No one can guarantee Godzilla's habits are exactly as in the movies or as we imagine, but taking extra precautions never hurts."
Anti-Entropy's research into the Sea of Quanta wasn't shallow, the Eye of the Abyss was one result.
With that knowledge, Einstein planned to trace the spatial disturbances Godzilla left behind.
That was the place she was searching for.
...
Cosmic Juggernaut.
One of the divine keys created by the Previous Era.
Its function included manipulating space, capable of forcibly suppressing even someone like Kevin, confining him within a barrier.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, even Kevin would be unable to find a escape with Cosmic Juggernaut sealing him.
As long as it was only between the two of them.
But clearly, small problems in the world always led to bigger ones.
"Trouble." Su controlled Cosmic Juggernaut, his long-unmoved expression shifting slightly, revealing the urgency beneath.
He wielded it not only to contain Kevin, but also in his mission to save the world.
If nothing unexpected happened, Su would spend the rest of his days seeking a solution.
Yet he never expected things to unravel at the hands of the Honkai.
Not long ago, an immense surge of Honkai energy gathered. Even far within the Sea of Quanta, Su sensed it.
Kevin certainly did as well.
Though it was fleeting, that alone meant... however slim the chances, Kevin might have found a way back to the real world.
Troublesome indeed. Sigh... what situation could cause the Will of Honkai to generate such a massive burst of energy?
...
Honkai, the Will of Honkai, the God of Honkai.
These were only labels.
To Honkai, delivering trials as civilizations advanced was essential. But most civilizations faced too many disasters and misfortunes along the way, so much so that they perished before they could carry on their legacy.
Mm, definitely not Honkai's fault.
But this time, an accident occurred in the trial, forcing Honkai to raise the difficulty, to erase the variable.
St. Freya Academy, a carefully decorated room.
Soft pink colors and a variety of cute dolls silently represented its owner.
On the large bed, Yuno slept quietly.
Her obedient posture tugged at the heart.
This wasn't Nagazora City, nor Chiba Academy.
At St. Freya, she was given the chance to experience life anew.
Yet the past often returned to her in the form of dreams, conveying the pain she once endured.
Her dreams were unlike those of ordinary people, she remembered them clearly even after waking, leaving her dazed in class.
Considering Yuno's condition, Himeko and the others didn't enforce harsher discipline on her grades.
After all, it was rare to see someone so hopeless that even being dragged by the ear didn't help.
It wasn't math, you either got it or you didn't.
As she slept, Yuno's brows furrowed slightly, her hands clutching the sheets, her teeth biting lightly, sweat beading faintly on her forehead.
In her dream, Yuno cycled endlessly through memories of the past.
Each one was heartbreakingly painful.
"No, it's not, it didn't happen." she murmured, before suddenly snapping her eyes open.
...
With a simple maneuver, an Annihilation Gang's spaceship obliterated a port somewhere in the galaxy.
Nothing unusual, just a runaway spaceship crashing around the port, ramming into a cargo vessel loaded with explosives. After a flash of fire, the entire port became space debris, drifting to who-knows-where.
Looking at the scene, Aha, disguised as a mortal, shook his head in feigned regret.
Humans, so fragile.
Just then,
"Hm?" Aha suddenly froze, then lifted his head, and saw...
The next second, Aha found himself within a dream.
Looking up again, Godzilla's vertical pupils fell upon him without the slightest concealment.
"Ehh~"
…
In the past, the Sea of Quanta.
"Su, move aside."
The white-haired man spoke coldly to his close friend.
"…I can move aside, if you can truly accomplish what you claim."
"These are necessary sacrifices. Only by doing this can we defeat the Honkai! You sensed that surge of Honkai energy earlier too, right? With such a scale of Honkai energy, the new civilization is facing an immense challenge."
The Stigmata Project, according to Kevin's arrangements, left behind survivors that could not be called a civilization at all. At least from the perspective of humans, that civilization was already dead.
Kevin and Su confronted each other.
The two close friends had endured countless years and still shared a deep bond, but in how they viewed things, each held to his own stance. And when both tried to push matters toward their own desired outcome, conflict inevitably broke out.
Kevin knew Su would never move aside.
Su knew Kevin would never abandon the Stigmata Project.
Therefore, a great battle was unavoidable.
Although Kevin had been trapped in the Sea of Quanta for an unknown number of years, lacking Honkai energy and inevitably growing weaker…
But as everyone knows: one becoming weaker, that does not equate to another becomes stronger.
Even Su found it troublesome to face Kevin's relentless attacks.
After all, this was Kevin, a terrifying existence capable of capturing a Herrscher alone.
As one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Su knew Kevin's strength better than anyone.
If this guy stood on the side of the Honkai, there would be hardly anyone on their side who could fight back.
Defeating the Honkai? Forget it and go to sleep.
"Move aside, Su, this is the last chance."
Looking at Su blocking his way, Kevin gave his final ultimatum.
"The feasibility of the Stigmata Project is far too low. Even if it succeeds, this world will only be left with those who can survive. But even then, can such beings truly still be called human?"
Of course they could, but in that case, the development of human civilization would be compressed to the extreme.
Once numerous and spread across the world, humanity would become no different from rare, protected animals.
And it was not that Su did not see the flaws of this plan.
If this could truly defeat the Honkai, then what did that make of the previous civilization?
Those born with stigmata were powerful, but still weak before the Honkai.
If not, why would the Flame-Chasers, having developed to such a scale, have ultimately failed?
Why would he be wandering here, observing countless worlds through Cosmic Juggernaut, hoping to find a solution?
Seeing that Su still held to his view, Kevin said nothing more, only showing his resolve through action.
He must return!
The Stigmata Project must be realized!
Just as the two were about to clash again, the Sea of Quanta began to surge.
A surge without warning! The Sea of Quanta was not a real ocean.
In this silent world, anything could happen.
A massive figure, carrying an indescribable aura, descended into this tranquil sea.
Just glimpsing that figure through the mirror-like substance made one's mind flash with a dangerous red glow.
A terrifying being that put one on full alert just by looking at it.
Fortunately, it was still outside.
Then, the tide surged again.
The Sea of Quanta, with a reaction speed impossible under normal circumstances, isolated the intruder outside.
But Kevin saw it clearly.
The glow in that behemoth's eyes undoubtedly said: "I've found you."
"…What is that thing?" After a long silence, Su spoke dryly.
"No idea. But it's definitely not from our world." Kevin answered.
The two exchanged glances, their earlier aggression vanished.
They were sure, their world held no such terrifying being.
Although both were trapped in the Sea of Quanta, their strength was real. Even if not at their peaks, any ordinary existence encountering them could only count itself unlucky.
Yet that behemoth, whose whole body could not even be seen at once, even through a barrier still radiated a suffocating aura.
It made one's skin ache.
After a moment of silence, Su made his decision and said: "Kevin, I can help you return, but not now."
"No matter, as long as I can return." Kevin nodded slightly.
"When you return, you cannot draw attention. Honkai descends with the level of civilization's development. Just pulling out some of the things in your mind would throw the current civilization into chaos. Especially your Stigmata Project, that must absolutely not be used! Or else, we meet again in the Sea of Quanta."
At the last words, Su slightly opened his eyes… truly, just slightly!
That face, usually calm as though through the ages, now revealed grave seriousness.
…
"This one's stingy too." Godzilla thought so.
Honestly, he hadn't expected this.
He had originally planned to find Aha. And well, Aha wasn't hard to find. With the lingering traces of Aha's frequent visits, Godzilla easily tracked him down, as Aha never truly hid himself.
Sure enough, interesting things were always happening around Aha.
After finding Aha, he explained his idea.
Though no one knew what Aha was really thinking, when he heard Godzilla wanted to find the Imaginary Tree, Aha only paused for less than two seconds before cheerfully agreeing.
But in the process, something went wrong.
They didn't find the Imaginary Tree.
Instead, they found the Sea of Quanta.
As for the reason…
"Aha actually being listed as an unwelcome guest, this is just too delightful!" Aha laughed loudly.
Yes, that's what happened. Because Aha was leading the way, the Imaginary Tree instinctively sensed something was off.
Then, the moment Aha approached, it swapped the keys on him.
The Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta, though long locked in struggle, were very close to each other.
But that was only from a macro perspective.
Under normal circumstances, without special means, it was nearly impossible to reach the true opposite side.
So, upholding the principle of "better them than me," the Imaginary Tree decisively sold out its old rival of countless years.
Fortunately, through its endless battles with the Imaginary Tree, the Sea of Quanta knew its old opponent well. The moment something seemed off, it immediately created something to cut itself off from all outside intrusion.
But in this world, there is no such thing as absolute defense.
You may dodge once, but let's see if you can dodge twice!
Godzilla hummed an unknown tune, relaxed in body and mind.
Now that he had a concrete address, things were much easier.
Just now, in that brief instant, he had memorized its aura using his own method. Next, he only needed to slip in a little something while the Sea of Quanta was still reacting, and he could enter.
Eventually, he would find it, along with the Imaginary Tree.
But still…
Indeed, he had to say it: "Stingy, won't even allow me to go and play there!"
…
Jarilo-VI.
After the unknown clash, a period of peace followed.
A tranquil life leads to decadence. But if some factors that force people to struggle are added in, the outcome may exceed everyone's expectations.
"Jarilo-VI."
From the Xianzhou Luofu, a Judge from the Ten-Lords Commission of the Xianzhou gazed out the viewing deck of the spaceship at the planet ahead, radiating life at every moment.
"This place really does change every single day." Qingque lazily leaned on the platform, eyes filled with curiosity as she looked toward Jarilo-VI.
She had been dragged off by the Master Diviner as free labor countless times. With the nature of the Divination Commission's work, she knew Jarilo-VI's changes were anything but simple.
Even so, to witness the destiny of a planet firsthand carried an inescapable weight.
"Hurry up. I have already made contact with Jarilo-VI's Supreme Guardian, Miss Bronya. Don't keep her waiting." Fu Xuan said.
"Mm." Xueyi nodded slightly, without speaking.