[It's not a question of how often it happens.]
The system explained.
Unlike the meticulously ordered Imaginary Tree, the Sea of Quanta is the very definition of chaos and disorder.
What seems blurred can also feel clear.
What seems distant can also feel close at hand.
Direction, space-time, and so on... are all difficult to define.
Without an anchor point, one could even be lost forever.
Infinite dimensions, countless world bubbles.
Even its various regions are fragmented, piecemeal, scattered and chaotic, existing as minuscule, discrete units.
Much like how the sea ebbs and flows upon the shore.
In fact, this phenomenon of the Sea of Quanta is akin to the ocean's breath.
Countless world bubbles vanish, while countless others appear. Some even collide, merging to form new world bubbles, and so on...
This is all part of the Sea's ecology.
Kiana had gained a bit more understanding of this now.
After all, settings are just settings; reality is what truly matters.
Indeed.
Unlike the relatively stable Imaginary Tree and Imaginary Space, the Sea of Quanta and Quantum Space, even in scenery alone, carry an extra layer of profound shadow, filled with an eerie and unpredictable atmosphere.
The Tree is steady; the Sea is turbulent.
So, phenomena like Quantum Tides aren't actually rare.
The real difficulty lies in the sheer coincidence required to facilitate a miracle like this 'Fool's Dream'.
"Was it really just a coincidence?" Kiana didn't believe it.
Because she knew full well—when too many coincidences pile up, they become inevitability.
Everything must have a cause.
She knew the system must have the answer.
The system could review, retrieve information, understand many things, unravel complexities, and trace connections.
Asking it was definitely the right move.
Sure enough.
Faced with Kiana's question, the system answered like this.
[Based on all the futures observed so far, and the future self you are striving to compile and shape...]
[We can ascertain.]
[In the future, you are the shared sovereign of the Tree and Sea, the spokesperson of the entire Tree-Sea macrocosm, the center of the world, the one who watches over the entire universe.]
"Mhm~" Kiana neither confirmed nor denied it.
The greater this possibility became, the more feedback she received.
So what if her strength came entirely from her future self?
[Therefore.]
[Although you have not yet gained the allegiance of the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta, they will still feel a closeness towards you due to the feedback from the future.]
[Considering you are a Transmigrator, you were likely a unique singularity within the Tree-Sea universe to begin with, inherently possessing a high probability of attracting the attention and favor of the Tree and Sea.]
[The Tree and Sea, whether intentionally or not, facilitated an early intersection between you and the world you desire in the future.]
[This is perfectly plausible.]
In short.
Since she was definitely going to the future Honkai Impact 3rd's current era eventually, going early or late didn't really matter.
Because in the future she is the master of the Tree and Sea, making early contact and showing goodwill was only to be expected.
In a nutshell.
As long as Kiana was willing, she would have the opportunity to catch this special tide again in the future.
In fact, she was probably the only one who could do it.
If every counterpart across the Tree and Sea could just hijack each other's accounts, with the strong helping the weak by taking over, wouldn't the entire macrocosm be in complete chaos?
"Kiana, you... you're awake?"
Right at that moment.
Eden's surprised voice came from beside her.
Looks like she had been sleeping lightly.
Even though Kiana had just been lying in bed, quietly communicating and discussing with the system, Eden had still been startled awake.
Kiana sat up, and Eden hurriedly supported her.
"Don't be like this... I'm not an invalid."
"You're one to talk."
Eden shot her a mildly reproachful glance. "You were sleeping, and then suddenly you had no breath, no heartbeat—you scared me to death."
"Ah, that..."
Kiana thought for a moment. "It's probably my body's protective mechanism."
Actually, Aponia had said something similar.
But it had taken Eden quite a while to barely accept it.
Kiana explained.
Under the protective mechanism, it wasn't just her heartbeat or breathing that stopped; her entire body's time was frozen in place.
Unless someone could overpower her control over time, it was impossible for them to harm her even slightly.
Moreover, if Aponia and Eden had harbored any hostility, the autonomous countermeasure program she had specifically compiled would have been more than enough to deal with any ill-intentioned individuals.
Back then, Kiana had made it just out of boredom.
She never thought it would come in handy now.
Actually, all Herrschers of Finality have similar abilities.
Shutting out all external interference to repair themselves—even if they can't move or attack others while in that invincible recovery state—it's still incredibly powerful.
"Alright, my dear Eden~"
Seeing Eden's rare display of minor temper, Kiana shifted her little butt over to the edge of the bed.
She got very close to Eden.
Tilting her head up, looking adorable, she gazed at Eden and opened her arms.
"Hold me!"
"Kiana... Pfft—" Eden was taken aback for a second, then couldn't help a small laugh.
Gracefully, she sat down sideways on the edge of the bed, gently embraced Kiana, and pulled her into her arms.
Although Kiana was well-developed, she certainly couldn't compare to Eden.
Sniffing Eden's fragrance, feeling her full, soft bosom, and holding her slender, supple waist, Kiana felt an indescribable joy.
It wasn't her imagination~
It seemed that after that little incident, Eden's attitude towards her had clearly become much more intimate.
Before, Eden had kept a slight distance, enjoying the ship but reluctant to step onto the deck herself.
But now, she seemed to have loosened up a bit, becoming more honest.
Maybe it was because Kiana had given her a real scare before.
Sometimes, you only realize regret and learn to cherish something after you've almost lost it.
Yes.
While taking care of Kiana, gazing at her peaceful face, Eden had indeed wondered what her true feelings towards Kiana were.
Before, she hadn't paid much mind to the claim on the celestial projection that she was Kiana's future wife.
But looking back now, how could she have been indifferent?
If she were indifferent, would she have rushed to Fire Moth to find Kiana immediately?
If she were indifferent, would she have settled down in Sapphire City with Kiana?
If she were indifferent, would she have shifted more of her career online, even opening a café just because Kiana wanted a secret base?
If she were indifferent…she wouldn't have become so unlike her usual self, panicking like that, when Kiana stopped breathing.
So!
"Kiana..."
"Mhm..."
"Next time, you're not allowed to do that."
Kiana was surprised for a moment, then, nestled against Eden's shoulder in her embrace, she broke into a radiant smile.
"Okay."
"Are... are you hungry?" Eden had just spilled all her inner thoughts in a flustered, rambling complaint.
And Kiana had heard every word!
Her face was burning red now.
Slowly releasing Kiana, she felt a little shy, mixed with a touch of panic.
It added a charm she didn't usually show.
A maiden's shyness, gentleness, a hint of youthful innocence, yet also sweet.
No matter how much she seemed like a mature big sister, she was still just a young girl at heart.
Love is wonderful.
Feeling mischievous, Kiana answered sweetly, "I want to eat you, Eden~"
--+--
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