The civilization before the collapse, heroes and heroes are reborn with me

"From the perspective of the Forerunner..." The Herrscher of Knowledge stroked his chin, "It's a good idea. I suggest you cover yourself with a blanket to avoid catching a cold when sleeping."

Bronya: "..."

And... it's a really straightforward and vivid evaluation...

"If you have the strength, you can do whatever you want. If you don't have the strength, your ideal is just a dream." The Herrscher of Knowledge curled his lips and said, "'Don't hurt people while destroying Honkai'? There are no immortals in war. Honkai is not just a game."

"What Dr. Einstein and the others objected to was using the Valkyries as meaningless consumables," Bronya said. "The use of the artificial stigmata of Destiny has greatly shortened the lifespan of the Valkyries. While creating more Valkyries, it has also increased the number of casualties among them. Moreover... during the artificial stigmata experiments, many Valkyries have also died..."

"If there were no Valkyries, how many people would have died by now?" The Herrscher of Knowledge was too lazy to listen to Bronya continue. "Isn't this the same as the trolley problem? One person died on one side, and five people died on the other side. The lever is in your hand, so you can either pull it or not?"

"I……"

"This is the choice most people face. I told you, as long as you're strong enough, you can save everyone and create a third track out of thin air when the train comes. The question is, can you do it against entropy?"

"Anti-Entropy Titans can replace Valkyrie."

"Do you believe what you said? Titans were eliminated by the previous civilization, but you study them like treasures... Don't you know how inefficient they are in terms of utilization efficiency after the collapse? It's okay if they are inefficient, but when has the collapse occurred and you haven't seen a Titan that has been corroded by the collapse? Do you really expect this thing to be able to defeat the Herrscher?"

Bronya: "..."

This... is really speechless...

"You said you wanted to hear the opinions of the Forerunners? We are all people who have come from the previous civilization. Don't we know what Titans are like? You asked us what we think of an organization that focuses on developing and upgrading Titans? Bronya, what do you think we can think?" The Herrscher of Knowledge asked further.

Bronya lowered her head, and she suddenly felt that it would be a good idea to learn from Mei to be quiet, mute and air person.

"I am a person who speaks my mind and says what I want to say. I don't want to be like other people who use those roundabout things every day!" The Herrscher of Knowledge leaned back heavily on the chair. "There is nothing wrong with putting people first. No one says this idea is wrong. I said it at the beginning, destiny is corrupt and anti-entropy is incompetent. Ideals are beautiful, but reality is very skinny."

Kiana glanced at Bronya who was silent, and couldn't help but sigh.

Chapter 150: Alicia's Intentions

World Serpent Headquarters.

"This is the headquarters of the World Serpent...Mia, take Bronya to familiarize herself with the environment and pay attention to the Jackal's movements." Kiana said, "Mei...you should also go with Bronya."

"What about you, Kiana? What are you going to do?" Bronya asked.

"I... I certainly have my own things to do." Kiana lowered her eyes and said, "There are some things that I must get an answer for."

Bronya looked at Kiana. She knew that the World Serpent was not united internally. In other words, different cadres had different ideas about how to fight against Honkai. She didn't know what Kiana was going to do, but... it might be dangerous...

"Hey, don't pretend I don't exist, okay?" The Herrscher of Knowledge glanced at Bronya, "With me following Kiana, what can happen to her? What's more, Kiana's status in the World Serpent is much higher than you expected."

Bronya was silent. She saw Mia standing aside silently, waiting for her to leave with her. She looked at Mei, but Mei chose to look away. She didn't know why Mei seemed to be avoiding Kiana after the battle at Taixu Mountain. This was different from the Mei that Bronya knew, who had chased the World Serpent for Kiana.

Bronya withdrew her gaze thoughtfully. She seemed to have guessed something, but... this was not a topic that should be brought up here. She would talk to Mei alone later when she had time.

The Herrscher of Knowledge looked at the backs of Bronya and the others as they left, retracted his gaze, and shrugged: "See, she thought that if she didn't say anything, no one would know, but her own habits have betrayed her... She can't hide it from anyone at all, she is just deceiving herself."

"If Mei accepts this result with a clear conscience, I will be disappointed." Kiana turned her head and looked in another direction, "Misterine...did Alicia ask you to come here?"

Mistellyn, who had the same face as Cecilia, walked out from the shadows and smiled at Kiana: "You're right, don't you also want to talk to Lady Alicia? So Lady Alicia asked me to come and pick you up~"

"You're here to pick up Kiana? What do you mean? I also have something to say to that woman Alicia!" The Herrscher of Knowledge said with some dissatisfaction, "Is she afraid?"

Mistellin shrugged and said, "Miss Herrscher of Knowledge... For now, Lady Alysia has no intention of seeing you. As for why she doesn't want to see you, it has nothing to do with me. Of course, you can also choose to use force to see her, but I have to remind you that this is the World Serpent."

The Herrscher of Knowledge made an unhappy "tsk" sound when she heard that. No matter what, she couldn't start fighting directly in the World Snake. Kevin and other heroes were all in the World Snake. Although she had never lost verbally, it didn't mean that she didn't know what was going on. Moreover, her identity as a Herrscher was quite sensitive. If she started to make a fuss, things would be difficult to resolve.

"What about me? Kiana goes to find Alicia, and I'm just waiting here like a piece of wood?" The Herrscher of Knowledge said in an unhappy tone.

"Of course you are free to do whatever you want, Ms. Herrscher of Knowledge." Misterine spread her hands.

"Since I can't go, then you should be more careful, Kiana. Who knows what Alicia is thinking right now." The Herrscher of Knowledge said, "Even if you cheated and asked Feng to help you when you fought me before, but between you and Alicia, it's hard to say how Feng will choose."

Then she said indignantly: "After all, I am Feng's old comrade-in-arms. How could he choose to help an outsider instead of me..."

Kiana glanced at the Herrscher of Knowledge, then looked at Mistellin and said, "Then lead the way."

Under the guidance of Misterine, Kiana met Alicia.

What was different from the previous time when she was asked to go to Taixu Mountain to find out what was going on was that this time, Alicia did not greet people enthusiastically as usual. Instead, she leaned lazily on the sofa, gently shaking a gilded wine glass, her eyes fixed on the red wine in it, a little absent-minded, as if thinking about something.

That looks like Eden's cup... Come to think of it, although I know that Alicia can drink, I was still a little surprised when I saw this scene.

In addition, the Alicia at this moment... seems to be a little different from the Alicia we see in daily life. Or maybe this is actually the truest appearance of Alicia?

"Hey, you're here, Kiana?" Alysia turned her gaze towards Kiana, "The matter at Taixu Mountain has been resolved successfully. You really are worthy of being the child that Feng values ​​so much, right?"

Kiana glanced at Mistyline out of the corner of her eye, and Mistyline bowed slightly to Alicia and left. At this time, only Alicia and Kiana were left in the entire space.

"Don't be so reserved. This is a lounge that Eden designed specially. Everything inside was bought by Eden." Alicia smiled and said, "If you have anything to say, why don't you sit down and talk slowly? However, the child is not old enough to drink, and Eden didn't put any other drinks here, so... I have to inconvenience you a little bit?"

Kiana sat silently on the sofa next to Alicia.

She didn't say anything, and Alicia didn't try to find a topic to talk about. Instead, she gently sipped the red wine in the glass, as if waiting for her to speak.

After a long while, Kiana finally spoke: "…Why did you do that?"

"What do you mean?" Alicia looked at Kiana.

"... Feng." Kiana said, "You cut off the connection between Feng and me and locked him in Shaniyate's stigmata space. What is your purpose in doing this?"

"What's the purpose..." Alicia raised her head and looked at the ceiling, "What's the purpose? Maybe, I just wanted to do this, so I did it?"

“…Such a conversation is meaningless.”

"That's right, it's really meaningless." Alicia looked at Kiana, "I want him to truly return to the original world, without any so-called 'intermediary point', so that he and I can... truly meet again in this real world. Is this reason enough?"

"..."

"Of course, in addition to this, I also need to make some other preparations. As you know, all heroes do not want to fail again, because we cannot bear the consequences of this failure..." Alicia said in a gentle tone.

"The Stigma Project?" Kiana asked.

"You are very smart, Kiana. Indeed, I am planning to implement the Stigmata Plan." Alicia put down the wine glass in her hand. "This is the most reliable plan, an absolutely foolproof plan... As long as the plan succeeds, no matter what the will of the Cocoon is, mankind will eventually cross the end, and we won't have to say goodbye again..."

"But the Stigmata Plan is the worst plan. It was also the plan you firmly opposed no matter what, wasn't it?" Kiana looked into Alicia's eyes and said, "Ignoring everyone's wishes..."

She remembered that in the memory of Alicia in Paradise, at least in the first act, Alicia begged Mei before her death not to carry out the Stigmata Plan at all costs, because it was the worst plan, because that plan placed the right to life at the bottom, erased the possibility of life, and arbitrarily determined the definition and future of life with the most arrogant attitude.

"Yes, looking at the world with the eyes of a god... No matter what kind of life it is, it has the power to embrace its own future, and life is beautiful because of this..." Alicia lowered her eyes, "This is what I thought at the beginning..."

"Then why are you now..."

"Because I saw... when he fell from the sky, the people on the ground cheered, celebrating the fall of their savior... I saw that they labeled him a "traitor" and wanted to wipe out everything he had from this world..."

"...What you said, could it be..."

"I saw it with my own eyes..." Alicia looked at Kiana, her eyes deep at this moment, "When I said goodbye to him with all my heart, when he left me alone in this world... I don't even know how I got back to the moon base, but guess what I saw, Kiana? What I saw was... a scene of jubilation..."

"..."

"No one was sad about his departure, not even a little bit... They were just glad that he disappeared with the end..."

"..."

"Ha... He chose to chase fire because of me, and he stepped onto the long steps to godhood because of me. In the end, he changed from a human to a Herrscher, just to protect the world I love, to create a future where I can live... But, in the end... Heh, do you know what they said to Kevin at that time?"

“…What did you say?”

"'A Herrscher is a Herrscher and can never be a human.' Isn't that ironic, Kiana? After that, they also discussed erasing all records of him, because humans don't need to be saved by a [traitor]..."

"..."

"The world I loved so much rejected him, and the humanity I loved denied him... If it were you, what would you think, Kiana?"

"..."

"This time I just want to keep him, that's all. It doesn't matter if I fail, because I will leave with him." Alicia said, "Maybe the Alicia in the past would never make such a choice, but... that doesn't make sense to me now."

"So...are you still willing to love humans now?" Kiana asked.

"Of course I still love humans." Alicia replied, "I still love the splendor of this civilization... That's why I didn't do anything to you, right?"

Kiana's pupils shrank slightly.

"There's no need to be so surprised. Your identity is no longer a secret... Kiana, or should I say, the End?" Alicia looked into Kiana's eyes and said, "The past is a thing of the past. Who you are now depends on yourself... You were brought to the Eigenworld by Feng. You traveled around the world and witnessed the world today just like I did back then... Both Kevin and I hope that you can cross the End. We hope that you who are willing to fight for humanity this time can realize our unfulfilled ideals."

"..."

"…but we can no longer afford any possibility of failure."

"..."

"Kevin wants to put his life into the barrel of a gun, just to leave a trace of one person in this world, and to define humanity with civilization, but I... have chosen another path. After all, there are different versions of the Stigmata Project, and they are also advancing with the times... I will not let anyone leave, no one will be left behind, and no one will be sacrificed."

"But every time it's done, it has its price, right?"

"That's right. No matter which plan is adopted, mankind will no longer have the possibility of a future."

"…Why are you telling me this?"

"Isn't this what you asked? I just told you what I was going to do next. If Feng was still here, it would be difficult to handle these things." Alicia smiled and said, "I can tell you very frankly that I deliberately led the Herrscher of Knowledge, and the absurdism that appeared at the end... It can also be considered to be related to me, or related to my final plan."

"..."

"I know you got Feng's help. After all, Feng is very partial to you. But no matter what Feng did or did nothing, it would not affect the final outcome of my plan." Alicia said lightly, "I think what I said should be enough to answer your doubts so far, or do you have any other questions?"

Was there any personal grudge involved in you cutting off the connection between Feng and me?

Kiana really wanted to ask this, but in the end she chose to say nothing, got up and said goodbye.

After watching Kiana leave, Alicia picked up the wine glass again, took a sip and said, "Mavis, are you sure you want to keep hiding this from me for your sister?"

"...Mom, I think I can explain..."

"Forget it, no need to explain. Otto took the stigmata of Eleanor's child. Even Feng can't revive her, so how can he do it? It's really curious..."

"Otto made his offer, and it wasn't bad for our plans."

"Oh? A deal with you guys?"

"...I think you will definitely agree, so I will agree to it for you. After all, what Otto wants to do does not conflict with our plan, and he will also be a help to us."

"Ha...Okay, tell me what the deal is."

On the other side, Kiana just left the lounge where she met Alicia and met Grayshu.

"Ms. Grayshu?"

Grayshu looked at the color on Kiana's body and asked, "Have you finished talking with Sister Alicia?"

"You also know her plan?"

"Not long ago at the Yingjie Conference, Sister Alicia had already made her plan public, and Grandma Mobius also chose to cooperate with Sister Alicia." Grayshu said calmly, "If you are the main body of Brother Yufeng's plan to fight against Honkai, they now want to abandon Brother Yufeng's plan and implement another one."

"...So, Mr. Gray, what about you?"

The corners of Grayshu's mouth slightly raised, she looked into Kiana's eyes and said: "I choose to believe in Brother Yufeng's plan, so... I will help you, Kiana."

Chapter 151: Abstract Fathers

"Is this... the World Snake..."

Bronya followed behind Mia, and after getting familiar with the environment together with Mia, she was taken to a reception room to rest for a while. Mia went to report the specific content of this Taixu Mountain expedition.

And the water of the World Serpent seemed to be much deeper than she thought...

While Bronya was thinking about what she should do next, she looked at Mei and said, "Sister Mei, don't you have anything to say?"

Mei glanced at Bronya, then quickly looked away: "I... don't have much to say... but if you want to ask how deeply the Shanyatid family is involved in the World Snake, then I can say with certainty that the Shanyatid family has been a part of the World Snake since its inception..."

"Although this is what I want to ask... But what I want to ask more is, Mei-sister, are you planning on not telling Kiana?"

The fact that the Shaniyat family was deeply involved with the World Serpent was not a big surprise to Bronya. After all, Shaniyat's ancestor Lucifer Shaniyat was one of the masters of the World Serpent. What she didn't expect was that Shaniyat would join the World Serpent so early.

The Kaslana family of the same period had little to do with the World Serpent...it's still a question whether the current head of the Kaslana family knows about the existence of the World Serpent.

"...I..." Mei pressed her forehead with one hand, "I know...but...Bronya, I really don't know how to tell Kiana that although I have gained more during my time at the World Serpent than before,...some things are still not as expected. I even think that since you have noticed it, Kiana may have already known that the Herrscher of Knowledge can read people's minds, and she chose not to say it. Does this mean that Kiana doesn't want to talk about this now?"

Bronya was silent.

On the way back, Mei actually thought a lot and figured out some things. As for her performance in Taixu Mountain, to put it in a good way, at least she participated in the last wave of team battles. To put it in a bad way, if no one helped her, she would have accomplished nothing in the Taixu Mountain crusade.

I tried my best to catch up with Kiana, but in the end I found myself getting farther and farther away from her.

Everything now has become an unspoken secret between her and Kiana. She knows that Kiana probably knows it, otherwise with the Herrscher of Consciousness's outspoken character, she would definitely say it out loud. The only possibility is... Kiana doesn't need the Herrscher of Consciousness to say it out loud.

She was giving herself another chance.

As long as I can prove myself in the next action, what does it matter if I escaped from trouble this time with the help of others?