Putting everything else aside.
Our very own Fu Hua, the legendary Immortal, is a successful product of such a plan.
She awakened the Garuda factor within her.
Although this method still requires the Herrscher of Domination's Divine Key as a catalyst to significantly increase the chances of success.
But in the end, it's a viable approach.
The only problem is!
Even with higher success rates and better safety measures, achieving awakening is still far from simple.
There's immense terror between life and death.
Back in the day, even Dr. Mei had to send soldiers into battle on the front lines for a handful of them to awaken.
Moreover, the strength of these awakened Honkai factors varies greatly. They're far less stable than simply undergoing the MANTIS surgery and pulling through.
Cases like Hua's are extremely rare.
Most of them, honestly, come off a bit like cannon fodder.
They can fight Honkai beasts, sure.
But most of them aren't taking on Emperor-class or Judgment-level threats.
By Valkyrie standards, they'd probably range from A-rank to C-rank. As for why they aren't compared to D-rank? Well, that's because D-rank Valkyries are administrative staff—they don't even see combat.
If you're stacking up against D-rank, you're pretty much beyond help.
"According to what the Sky Screen showed, I do have some ideas about Stigmata, but wouldn't it be better to hand this over to Mei?" Mobius wasn't particularly bothered by it.
But she still wanted to hear Kiana's opinion.
"After all, you can't handle everything on your own," Kiana said with a laugh.
Stigmata research, Divine Key development, and MANTIS soldiers…
Each of these three could easily consume a lifetime of research.
Was there a limit to how far they could go?
Maybe…
But!
It definitely wasn't as limited as in the original timeline.
In the original, they were simply running out of time. The next civilization couldn't even carry on the research.
Kiana was genuinely curious about how far Dr. Mei and the others could take these projects if they had the chance to develop them fully.
Even though she'd glimpsed some possibilities through the system, and hinted at a few things… those were just her hopes.
The future was never set in stone.
She wanted them to achieve even greater things.
Every conversation Kiana had here, every action she took, was shaping the future in its own way.
She kept her mindset flexible.
It wasn't about forcing Mobius and the others to strictly follow these ideas.
But if they liked them? Then why not?
Wasn't that fine?
Kiana suggested that Mobius share the Stigmata information with Miss Mei and let her run with it. She also encouraged Mobius to pass the Divine Key details to Vill-V and let her experiment.
Even though everyone had some idea of their future projects through the projections—the names alone gave away a lot—what Kiana revealed was essentially spoilers straight from the original timeline, things they'd actually done.
Since they'd already done it themselves, borrowing a few ideas wouldn't hurt. They didn't mind skipping a few steps along the way.
"Mmm... I'll do my best," Miss Mei said, feeling both honored and a little overwhelmed.
She still had so much to learn. Even though Kiana and Mobius believed in her, she wasn't going to get ahead of herself.
She planned to study, research, and explore Stigmata-related topics step by step.
She adjusted her glasses, looking every bit the quiet scholar.
As for Vill-V, the moment she heard it was Kiana's idea, she treated it like an imperial decree. She slammed the table and demanded that Mobius hand over the Herrscher Core immediately so she could start her research.
After all, ever since the Sky Screen exposed Mobius's connection to the Herrscher of Finality, the higher-ups at MOTH had practically delivered the Herrscher core to her doorstep without so much as a word.
They knew how to read the room.
These days, Mobius's lab felt like a dedicated storage facility. Any valuable materials ended up there almost automatically.
Not that she cared much anymore—her standards had risen.
If this had happened in the past, she would've been over the moon.
"Hmph~ Not as good as the materials from Sesha, not as interesting as the Third Herrscher... just set it aside. Don't clutter the place."
"Understood, Doctor."
Klein was used to this.
Blanca had finally transferred to logistics.
Now there wasn't even anyone around to complain with.
Mobius was honestly feeling a bit bored.
She looked at Vill-V and said, "I'll give you the Herrscher Core, but! Don't cause any trouble. Or else, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
She'd known Vill-V long enough to understand what a headache this split-personality could be.
She knew that no matter how many warnings she gave, it probably wouldn't matter. Vill-V would do things her own way regardless.
So she left it at that.
If things went south, it wouldn't be her problem anyway.
During this time, Kiana had finally finished editing and polishing the fourth video.
It had taken her longer than before.
But there was no helping it.
If she had new ideas, she had to incorporate them.
Otherwise, she'd feel restless.
Then, that very night!
The sky once again rumbled, churned, and began to transform.
Everyone knew immediately—the Sky Screen was finally back.
"Yay! We get another video to watch tonight!"
"Took you long enough! I've been waiting forever!"
"Sky Screen! You're the only one who brings me joy~ I've missed you every single day you were gone!"
Some people found spots outdoors right on the streets, gazing up at the sky.
Others rushed out of their homes or crowded near windows.
Many pulled out the recliners they'd prepared earlier, adjusting the angles like seasoned pros before settling in to watch the spectacle above.
At Kiana's place, the crowd kept growing.
Though this wasn't her home in Sapphire City—it was a temporary residence near the MOTH headquarters.
Not only were Elysia, Mobius, Klein, and Vill-V there…but Miss Mei, Kevin, Su, Himeko, and Blanca had also been invited.
The courtyard was buzzing with energy in no time.
The moment Kevin spotted Kiana, he rushed over asking for an autograph.
He looked like he'd just met his idol.
Su could only shake his head.
Miss Mei just found it embarrassing.
The only reason they knew the Sky Screen would appear today was that Kiana had told them.
That's how they managed to wrap up their work early and relax a bit.
Although MOTH had plans to officially task Kiana with announcing the Sky Screen's schedule—not just to those close to her, but to the entire world—things were still in the preparatory stages. Even if Kiana agreed, it wouldn't be feasible right now.
It'd probably have to wait until next time.
After all, the aftermath of the Third Herrscher was still unfolding, and everyone was swamped.
Unless it was important, Kiana tried not to disturb them.
But gatherings like this were nice for catching up and strengthening bonds.
"Ooh, the visuals are starting!" Elysia's eyes lit up as she spoke first.
Everyone looked up at the sky, where the screen gradually sharpened into focus.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
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If you guys wanna check it out.