Even if Kiana hadn't told Vill-V, in the original story, the Fifth Divine Key she created was indeed called "The Great Hibernation."
It was originally a massive cannon capable of freezing an entire continent with a single shot.
Later, because its destructive power was too great and impractical to use, it was repurposed into hibernation pods. This became the very reason the Pioneers could journey to the next epoch.
But being frozen in slumber—was indeed one of the few viable methods to endure such long endless ages.
Otherwise, even if the MANTIS warriors theoretically possessed limitless lifespans, and even their minds were fortified, becoming far more resilient, able to withstand the erosion of time...
The thought of doing absolutely nothing for tens of thousands of years? Just imagining it was enough to drive anyone mad.
Some people cherish every single minute and second, yearning for immortality to live each day to the fullest.
But there are also those who, simply wishing to reach a better future, hope to awaken and return within that promised time.
Then!
Hibernation pods naturally hold greater appeal for them.
And this was exactly Vill-V's line of thinking.
She didn't mind catering to a client's demands to get something built.
Besides, she herself was intensely curious and interested in the power of absolute zero.
So, when she learned from the celestial projections that in the Honkai Impact 3rd world, Pioneers had reached the next epoch through cryogenic freezing, she already had a pretty good idea.
Then, hearing from Kiana that she could indeed create a Core of the Herrscher of Ice, even before she'd laid hands on the gemstone, Vill-V was already planning how to use it to squeeze some serious funding out of those higher-ups.
Right now, news that Vill-V had genuinely started preparing to build hibernation pods was circulating within the upper echelons.
They were planning to cover both bases.
While MANTIS warriors could live forever, it was... unreliable.
If things went as expected, they knew perfectly well they probably wouldn't make it, wouldn't endure.
Maybe there would be other ways to extend life in the future.
But surviving tens of thousands of years? Too difficult.
Therefore.
Hibernation pods? Good! Excellent!
And what's more, hibernation pods on the level of a Divine Key? Yes, yes, even better!
Don't doubt just how much funding those conglomerates and elites are willing to invest once committed. You could see it in how Vill-V floated around these days.
This round, she'd truly hit the jackpot.
Kiana was quite pleased about this.
In fact, she didn't mind if these people used hibernation or any other means to extend their lives and reach a better future.
Because this itself was a selling point for the elites, a grand promise she'd dangled before them.
Only by keeping them on their toes like this, constantly stringing them along, could she make them more obedient, more manageable.
Kiana didn't appreciate being stabbed in the back.
As long as those in power didn't stir up trouble, she wasn't stingy about handing out some benefits.
Kiana had even said to the system:
Although, from the original story she'd read in her previous life, it was possible that the higher-ups of MOTH who caused so much trouble might very well be this very batch.
Even!
Those uncles, aunts, and grandmothers within the families who supported her the most now might turn out to be the ones she despised most in the original tale.
But so what?
At least for now, they were behaving.
Right?
While Kiana often liked to use the future to anchor the present, using outcomes to reason backwards, she wouldn't actually punish them for crimes they hadn't committed yet.
Not to mention, in the future she was now shaping, they wouldn't act that way.
They wouldn't dare.
If they had the capability and the will to go to the future, so be it.
It was like an emperor always having a few obedient eunuchs to serve him.
Having capable aides who could follow her into the future was indeed not a bad thing!
Besides, Kiana had seen the future.
Across countless world-lines, an increasing proportion showed societies progressing, worlds ascending, environments becoming almost excessively improved, leading to genuinely longer lifespans for everyone. Even in the worst-case scenarios, individual power far surpassed what was possible now.
This was probably a result she had helped bring about.
Thinking of it that way, ancients sleeping into the future, or those living extremely long, even immortal lives, didn't seem so extraordinary anymore.
Never mind the original thirteen Flame-Chasers, who would all become MANTIS warriors and, in the future, even utterly free Aeons.
Even if they didn't want to hold power directly, their mere presence alone meant that those in power, the elites, at any time, would never dare to act too recklessly. Because there would always be a sword hanging over their heads. You had to admit, sometimes deterrence was truly more effective.
In Kiana's view, she didn't advocate for purely human governance, nor did she support purely divine rule.
The results of human governance? Just look at history.
Divine rule? With gods managing everything, blocking all paths of ascent, providing safety nets for all—would the world still have any vitality?
The best method was to basically maintain human governance to preserve vitality, while having divine beings oversee, watching with an immortal perspective.
Not concentrating power in any single individual—that was the ideal way!
Of course, if that power was concentrated in herself... well, Kiana wouldn't complain.
But since she herself had no interest in it, it didn't matter.
So she had even specifically anchored a certain future, causing a reverse influence that led to the current elites and authorities being affected by that future's grand environment, becoming single-mindedly focused on self-improvement.
Sometimes you didn't even need to say anything.
They'd just go ahead and do it for you.
Whether they were sycophantic or scrupulously meticulous, as long as the job got done, Kiana didn't nitpick.
These past couple of days, Kiana's mother had called, telling Kiana she could come home now.
So Kiana had started packing her things, preparing to leave.
MOTH was extremely reluctant to let her go!
But over in Shenzhou, every light was green; they couldn't wait to sweep Kiana up and bring her back.
They were absolutely thrilled.
"See!"
"The young mistress truly is destiny itself..."
Inside Mobius's laboratory, Fuxi said leisurely, "Wherever the young mistress is, that's the center of the world. Where she resides, that place becomes the leader."
"This is what you call 'Commanding the globe by honoring the young mistress'," Nuwa raised a finger, saying perkily.
"You two, instead of standing there chattering nonsense, why don't you come here and help me pack?"
Mobius gazed darkly at the two sisters.
"Do you not want this month's performance bonus?"
The amusing thing was, originally Mobius's lab was struggling to make ends meet. Forget salaries, it was practically destitute, to the point where they could barely afford meals.
But!
Ever since Mobius legitimately attached herself to the young mistress, their lives had become incredibly comfortable.
Not only were their salaries paid on time, but there were also various bonuses. While accepting gifts wasn't allowed, performance bonuses, subsidies, and all sorts of other allowances were more than enough to make them quite wealthy.
Before, Fuxi and Nuwa were constantly complaining, always saying they were going to leave, that they couldn't go on like this. But now? Try making them leave. Even if you kicked them out, they wouldn't go.
It seemed they'd even become a little more proactive in their work.
Even if only a little.
Still, that was significant progress.
So utterly pragmatic.
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