A flash of teleportation light connected the moon directly to the Earth's surface.
The group, originally trapped on the moon, appeared in the oceanic ruins of the Previous Era.
City of the Deep.
"We're back."
The golden-haired Valkyrie clenched her fist in the air, a happy smile appearing on her face after feeling the familiar atmosphere.
Compared to the desolate lunar surface, this vast, azure land was their home.
However, although they had successfully returned to Earth, more problems immediately presented themselves.
Durandal's lance annihilated a crab-like quantum monster. She said, "We know nothing about the current situation on Earth. We must contact Schicksal Headquarters and Anti-Entropy as soon as possible."
To deal with the Stigma Project and the Honkai, both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had their own preparations.
Among them, the World Island project left behind by the former Schicksal Overseer Otto Apocalypse was intended to create a final refuge for humanity, one that could ensure survival even in Imaginary Space and the Sea of Quanta.
Durandal didn't know if this plan would be effective, but for now, it was their only hope.
"Of course. Only by confirming the situation can we act more effectively," Brian agreed.
Moving up from the depths of the Eye of the Deep, the monsters along the way were eliminated without any chance to fight back.
Traces of life left by members of the Anti-Entropy organization could still be seen in this facility, but under the influence of the Stigma Project, these poor ordinary people had already become consumables for the project, collectively becoming 'Spiritual Adam'.
"Everyone, search for anything that might still be useful. And see if there are any survivors."
A thorough search was conducted.
There were few signs of human life in the entire Eye of the Deep.
However, while searching a warehouse, a short, yellow-haired girl suddenly rushed out from a corner, hugging Durandal's strong waist and crying pitifully.
"Lady Durandal, I finally found you!"
"Wuwuwu~~~"
Her subordinate was clinging to her like a child, and in front of all her companions.
Forced into the role of a mother, Durandal, even if she wanted to comfort her subordinate, had to put on a stern face: "Susanna, what are you doing here?"
The tear-streaked Valkyrie wiped the tears from her face and began to pour out her grievances to her superior: "I was assisting Dr. Changguang with research on the Key of Eternity: Thousand Worlds, but then the Stigma Project suddenly activated, and Dr. Changguang must have sensed something."
"She didn't even tell me! The World just activated Thousand Worlds and sent me to this place."
As she spoke, the Valkyrie's face was filled with grievance.
She had been told to assist with the research on Thousand Worlds, but that inhuman Dr. Changguang had, without a word, basically lit a rocket under her butt.
Sending her to this place was one thing; after all, Lady Durandal was also here, and it was the duty of Immortal Blades members like them to assist their superior.
But that person didn't even provide her with a weapon or a Valkyrie Battlesuit, forcing her to hide timidly in the Eye of the Deep from the monsters that appeared due to the Stigma Project.
Life had truly been too difficult.
"You've been through a lot, Susanna." Durandal, understanding the situation, patted Susanna's shoulder encouragingly.
Then she asked, "Susanna, we just returned from the moon and need to contact Schicksal Headquarters and Anti-Entropy. Do you have any good ideas?"
"Contact..." An idea flashed in the Valkyrie's mind. "I've got it."
"In the early days of the Anti-Entropy organization, to prevent misjudgments between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy that could lead to a full-scale conflict, Overseer Otto and Anti-Entropy had a shared communication channel."
"You've been a great help, Susanna."
"I'm honored to be of help to Lady Durandal!" The young Valkyrie, having successfully played her part, was beaming with joy.
With the answer in hand, Brian's group found the communication equipment in the Eye of the Deep, repaired it using the power of the Herrscher of Reason, and successfully established contact with Schicksal Headquarters.
"We've finally reached you."
Changguang on the screen let out a sigh of relief. The intellectual female doctor finally felt a long-lost sense of security now that the pillars of support had appeared.
"You have no idea what chaos erupted on Earth after you all disappeared."
Billions of lives vanished, the planet's surface was reconstructed, and the boundary between the quantum and imaginary began to blur...
A series of desolate, apocalyptic scenes played out on Earth.
If they didn't know this was the result of the Stigma Project, some people would have probably already attributed these disasters to the actions of the Herrscher of the End.
"Dr. Changguang, we have some understanding of the specific situation. The key is what we need to do next to counter the Stigma Project."
From the moon to the Earth, the confrontation between Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent had just begun.
The Stigma Project that had reconstructed the world needed to be confronted, and the world's strongest man also needed to be overcome.
The road ahead was difficult and required utmost caution.
Regarding this, Dr. Changguang, who was not yet fully aware of everything, could only shrug helplessly.
"I don't know what to do to fight World Serpent. After all, I haven't finished studying the current situation."
"But I do know that if you all don't come back soon, Schicksal will truly be without a leader."
"Is something wrong with the Overseer?" Durandal's question immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Overseer Theresa has been in a deep sleep ever since the Stigma Project started. The entire Schicksal organization is currently barely functioning under Rita's command."
"..."
...
Stigma Project, Planetary Catalog...
"These monsters, how come they keep appearing no matter how many I kill!"
A heavy cross felt as light as a feather in her small hand as she forcefully smashed it into the surrounding Imaginary monsters.
The weak Imaginary monsters stood no chance against Theresa's strike, being wiped out as easily as swatting flies.
Theresa, having lost count of how many monsters she had defeated, earned a brief moment of rest. The silver-haired, blue-eyed girl remained vigilant of her surroundings, her eyes filled with confusion about this strange world.
From her senses, this place should be a part of Imaginary Space.
But the Imaginary monsters she had just eliminated were clearly artificially designed, as if they had all come off the same assembly line.
And then there was the matter of how she, a Kaslana, had inexplicably ended up here.
Putting all these things together, the only connection Theresa could think of was...
"Could it be that old fogey Kevin's Stigma Project has begun?"
Artificial manufacturing, Imaginary Space, Kaslana...
The Kaslana family's Stigma naturally held an important position in the Stigma Project. It wasn't impossible that she possessed legendary administrator privileges in this place.
Coupled with these Imaginary monsters that were designed like workhorses, the only possibility was that Kevin had begun his move, having already forced the masses on Earth to make a sacrifice, becoming the ark that would carry a select few to a new era.
But these were all just guesses, and Theresa didn't dare to be too certain of her own brilliant intellect.
After all, intuition was a fickle thing.
"I should look for other clues first."
However, since this might be a part of the Stigma Project, it was her responsibility as the Schicksal Overseer to explore it.
Rights and responsibilities were equal. If she could risk her life to save the world, Theresa would never hesitate to put everything she had on the line.
As Theresa ventured deeper, she tried to avoid combat as much as possible. Along the way, she saw a network woven by giant, piranha-plant-like Imaginary Godsbane, and she also saw ordinary people who had their wishes fulfilled in their dreams, living a life of hedonistic pleasure.
She had tried to wake these pitiful souls who were drowning in their beautiful dreams, but every single one of them refused to leave, unwilling to break free from their dreamscape.
After all...
"Those who can enjoy success and glory in the real world are only a very small part of human society. But as long as they stay in the dreams created for them by the Stigma Project, they can get everything they want."
An Android appeared not far from Theresa.
This one had the same voice as all the other Gray Serpents, but its golden exterior marked it as something extraordinary.
He was the administrator of the Stigma Project, responsible for maintaining 'Spiritual Adam', allowing this world to rise and fall under the leadership of the God of Earth, Kevin Kaslana.
"Good evening, Ms. Theresa Apocalypse."
"I did not anticipate your arrival. Shall I prepare a grand welcoming ceremony for you?" Gray Serpent was polite and courteous, as if he already had Theresa firmly in his grasp.
That was only natural.
The bionic organs in his body were the crystallization of two eras of technology, and in this world, he possessed authority second only to Kevin Kaslana.
While these powers didn't make him invincible, they made it easy for him to fight against a Herrscher.
A MANTIS who could barely hold her own on the stage... was not enough!
"Hmph!" The warm welcome did not make Theresa lower her guard. "Your so-called warm welcome is nothing more than asking me to dream like these ordinary people, right?"
"No, thank you. My life is very happy. I don't need your World Serpent organization to worry about me."
"I'm afraid that's not up to you." That Gray Serpent sneered, and a giant, piranha-plant-like Imaginary Godsbane rose behind him.
"Your own power is no threat to us, but the power hidden within you is enough to warrant our utmost attention."
Theresa Apocalypse was not to be feared. Theresa Apocalypse holding the Key of Binding was not to be feared either.
What was to be feared was Theresa Apocalypse without the Key of Binding!
When her creator, Otto Apocalypse, created this shorty, besides using the Kaslana family's genes as a blueprint, he also used MANTIS technology to infuse the genes of the Honkai Beast Vishnu.
In Schicksal's records, the Honkai Beast Vishnu was just an ordinary Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
But in the research of the Previous Era, Vishnu was an Apocalypse-class Honkai Beast just like Mahā-īśvara, and in some ways, it could even surpass a Herrscher.
Once freed from the restraints of the Key of Binding, this shorty would enter a state of infinite expansion until she transformed into that massive beast that used its own body as a ship to traverse the stars.
"For the safety of this world, please be a good girl and take a nap here."
An endless torrent of monsters surged forward, and the giant Imaginary Godsbane brewed a terrifying ray, as if to pierce through Theresa and the entire world.
Although the silver-haired, blue-eyed girl fought with all her might, she was ultimately outnumbered, and her small body gradually became covered in wounds.
But the combat instincts passed down through the Kaslana bloodline were never just for show.
"You all forced me to do this!"
Going all in is a sign of wisdom!
Without hesitation, the girl awakened the power within her that she had never dared to use. An invisible, terrifying beast roared behind her.
Indiscriminate of friend or foe, harm or benefit, reality or illusion...
Anything that existed in this world was within Vishnu's devouring range.
The terrifying entity within Theresa Apocalypse's body was absorbing everything around it like a greedy sea, growing itself at the fastest speed and with the greatest effort.
"The worst-case scenario has come to pass." The golden Gray Serpent's voice was as calm as ever, but a sense of gravity could be seen in his demeanor.
One of the reasons he had only just appeared before this person was because Vishnu's power was uncontrollable.
If this woman were to be integrated into 'Spiritual Adam', it was possible that the dreams of all humanity would become fuel for Vishnu's growth, and it could even introduce an unimaginably huge variable into the Stigma Project.
And now, the development he least wanted to see had already begun. No matter how much power was thrown at it, it would only become fuel for Vishnu's growth.
If it were allowed to develop, it was highly likely to harm the very foundation of the Stigma Project.
He did not have the ability to kill Vishnu; expulsion was the only choice Gray Serpent could make.
Just as Gray Serpent was about to issue the command, a fluctuation in another part of the Planetary Catalog made the administrator pause.
"Perfect timing."
Compared to doing it himself, he preferred to have someone else clean up this mess.
The terrifying beast was gnawing at the world behind it, and Gray Serpent had already quietly disappeared from the scene.
Under his guidance, the uninvited guest who had entered the Planetary Catalog from another direction was led before Theresa.
"Great Aunt, are you okay?" The familiar aura made Kiana call out from a distance.
But the tall, buxom woman made the silver-haired girl stare in disbelief.
"This is my Great Aunt?"
Wasn't she supposed to be the legal loli I could hug, kiss, and lift up? How did she turn into a graceful young woman just like me in the blink of an eye?
False advertising! I want a refund!
"Who else would it be? Let's hurry and subdue her. Her current state is not right."
While Kiana was stunned, the black-haired youth had already made a Pseudo Oath of Judah appear in his hands and charged forward without hesitation.
The irrational Theresa let her nun's habit be torn to shreds by her violent movements, her springtime splendor completely exposed.
Golden chains spread across the girl's buxom body, making Theresa's curves even more prominent.
The mindless beast was completely crushed by the intelligent hunter.
"Kiana, it's time to go back."
"..." The mission was completed so easily, but Kiana didn't feel the slightest bit of happiness.
She looked at the woman squirming at Brian's feet, even while naked, and then looked at this man who radiated righteousness.
The light of the righteous path shone on him, but the light of the Mark of Conquest shone on her great aunt's leg.
She subconsciously blurted out, "You're not really going to make a move on my great aunt, are you?"
"Things are already like this. Can you bear to watch your great aunt remain unmarried?"
Kiana: "..."
She looked down. Her witless great aunt was writhing like a fleshy worm. Even if she wanted to convince herself to help her great aunt, she couldn't find a reason.
Better to just go with the flow.
"Shameless."
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