"Looks like this is going to be a long journey."
Elias looked at the three entries displayed on the system interface and felt a little more at ease. "Rewinder EX" gave him the chance to retry as many times as needed—a crucial safety net.
After all, this time, he wasn't saving just a few people.
He was saving an entire civilization!
The second entry, "Eternal Heart," offered no direct boosts, but it was Elias' greatest insurance policy.
He already foresaw that this time-travel might span decades, even centuries. In the worst-case scenario, he might live from the Previous Era all the way to the present—a full fifty thousand years.
Even if he managed to reach his perfect ending, Elias couldn't help but worry how such a long passage of time might affect his heart.
Time could change everything, save for Immortal Phoenix's eternal tablet. Elias didn't want his heart to grow old. He had to remain a youth until the very end.
As for the last perk, Miracle...
"Not bad~ It fits perfectly. After all, I'm shouldering the task of saving an entire era. As a savior, of course I need the power to inspire miracles!"
Elias was raring to go, staring at the massive storybook in front of him. Just as he was about to flip it open and enter that timeline, he suddenly thought of something and asked the system:
"Hey system, can you seal away my memories of a certain person? And then restore them when I activate the 'Rewinder EX' perk?"
[That can be arranged. May I ask the reason?]
"Well... it's just a little personal wish of mine. I want to encounter that person in a pure, flawless meeting. Without any baggage, without any initial affection—I want to see what kind of story would unfold between us."
A hopeful glint shimmered in Elias' eyes.
Thanks to the Rewinder EX perk, even if it all fell apart, he could just start over.
With that kind of safety net, Elias allowed himself a little romantic whimsy—to pursue that so-called "flawless encounter."
[Request accepted. Memory processing complete. It will take effect the moment you time travel. This scenario's coordinates have been successfully generated. Temporal entry point: The moment of the First Herrscher's arrival. We wish you an enjoyable journey.]
"Perfect~ Then here I go, Previous Era! I'm coming to save you!"
Elias didn't hesitate. He flipped open the massive book in front of him.
In the next moment, light flared brightly.
The book transformed into a gate, and the boy stepped into it—thus beginning his journey of salvation.
...
Vostok 51.
"Mm...?"
This time-travel sequence was unusually long. Elias felt like he had slept for ages.
A pitch-black world gradually lit up. While his vision had yet to return, his hearing and sense of smell kicked in first.
Leaves rustled gently, birds chirped. The crisp, cool air carried the earthy scent of soil. As it brushed against his cheek, it felt like the world itself was welcoming his arrival.
Elias opened his eyes. Just as he suspected, he was in a forest. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting speckled beams of light. He instinctively raised a hand to block the blinding rays.
However...
"Eh?!"
The arm he raised was soft and pale—tiny, like the short stubby limbs of the plushies Teresa and Bronya loved so much.
Elias froze, stunned.
He had a sinking feeling the system had just pulled one over on him. Just how old had he become in this time-travel?! That was clearly a child's hand!
"Wait, no way, no way..."
Elias twitched at the sound of his overly childlike voice, confirming the unsettling truth: he had indeed become a child.
He was at a loss. With a body like this, he probably couldn't even jump high enough to hit a Herrscher in the knees.
Also, wasn't he supposed to be teleported near the First Herrscher? Yet the surroundings were eerily peaceful, with not a trace of any Herrscher—a small mercy, since in his current state, he'd be no match for one.
But just then—
"Waaa... waaahhh... waaaa..."
The sound of a little girl crying reached his ears.
Elias struggled to turn over and was surprised by what he saw.
"Waaaahh, waaaahh..."
A little pink-haired girl was lying next to him. Such a small, adorable life—like a child of nature itself. But she looked so fragile and delicate.
Elias stared blankly at her, instinctively wanting to protect this newly-born life, though he had forgotten that he himself was in nearly the same state.
"Don't be scared. I'll protect you..."
He seemed to forget that the girl couldn't understand him.
For now, the only thing he could do was reach out, trying to wipe away her tears.
"Waaa... waa—eh...?"
Noticing his presence, the girl suddenly stopped crying. She opened her pure, sapphire-like eyes and saw Elias right in front of her.
Their eyes met.
Elias' golden irises reflected the girl's form.
The girl's blue eyes reflected Elias.
She looked at the boy reaching out to her and reached out her own chubby little hand, grabbing his.
"Ahahaha~!"
She stopped crying and began to laugh.
Elias, seeing her innocent and flawless smile, felt all the frustration over being turned into a child melt away. Her joy was infectious, and he found himself smiling too.
Just then, a hardworking gardener passed by and was drawn by the sound of children laughing.
Beneath a large tree in the lush green forest, among blooming pink and white flowers, a boy and a girl lay hand-in-hand in a small patch of blossoms.
Looking at that beautiful scene,
The gardener felt as though he had found two angels who had fallen to earth.
...
Elias and the girl were taken to the orphanage in a small town.
To this quiet, secluded rural town, these two children were treasures sent by nature itself.
Elias was smart, polite, kind, and always eager to help.
The girl was lively, adorable, always smiling and full of affection.
In the shifting seasons, Elias would warmly greet everyone in the town, while the girl would hand out flowers she picked herself to every person she met.
In the mellow autumn air, Elias would sing melodies no one had ever heard before on the town streets, while the girl held his hand and gave blessings for a bountiful harvest to all.
The residents of Vostok 51 quickly grew fond of them.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a year passed, and Elias and the girl had become part of the town.
...
Today, in the town—
"Uncle Bruce, I fixed your radio."
"Really? Elias, you're amazing as always. I stared at that thing for ages and couldn't find the problem."
"Hehe, it was nothing. Well then, I'll be off."
Elias patted his small hands together and turned to leave.
"Wait, child—here, fresh bread straight from the oven. Take some with you. Don't even think about refusing. You're always helping everyone. A good kid like you deserves a reward."
Uncle Bruce handed him a basket of warm, soft bread.
"Uh, thank you."
Elias blinked, then smiled and accepted the bread, picking one up and taking a bite. He was surprised to discover it still had warm honey inside.
Nearly a year had passed since Elias arrived in this timeline.
Each day, he lived a peaceful and serene life. It was as if he had forgotten the crisis of the Honkai, forgotten his past, and truly become part of the town.
"A little more rest won't hurt. After all, it was the system's mistake that sent me to the wrong timeline. Besides, recovering my power takes time."
Munching on his bread, Elias made his way to the town's flower shop.
Sure, he'd taken breaks even in the current era,
But back then, he never let himself fully relax.
With so many problems pressing in—the Honkai threat, Otto's scheming, Kevin trying to resurface—there was never a moment to let his guard down.
Now, though, things were different.
The system had supposedly sent him to the point in the Previous Era when the First Herrscher emerged. But so far, he had only seen roaming Honkai Beasts—no sign of any Herrscher.
Plus, having reverted to a child, much of his strength and authority was temporarily unusable.
Elias' power as a Herrscher of Rebirth with five Herrscher Cores was simply too vast for his current body to handle. He had to wait until he physically matured to regain access.
That said, he could still use some of his abilities.
For example, he used the Herrscher of Reason's power to fix Uncle Bruce's radio earlier.
"Until the Herrschers appear, I'll keep living like this. After all, to save the world, a savior must first fall in love with it, haha~"
Over the past year, Elias had truly let his nature shine. Each day was carefree; if he wasn't playing, he was helping the townsfolk. He shared his kindness with everyone and received the same in return.
And maybe—
That was partly because of the pink-haired girl.
Elias felt she had influenced him. Maybe it was the resonance he felt with her that made him so full of goodwill.
"I'm back—huh? Where is she?"
"I'm here, Elias!"
Before he had entered, the pink-haired girl had hidden behind the door. Catching him off guard, she launched a surprise attack and placed something on his head.
"Waaah! I knew it—it suits you so well! You look great!"
"Uh, is this a flower crown?"
Elias looked into the mirror in the flower shop. He saw a flower crown perched on his head, woven from brown twigs and adorned with beautiful white Casablanca flowers.
"Aunt Yaya taught me, and I made it myself. It's for you, Elias!"
The pink-haired girl beamed brightly.
"Thank you. But I think a flower crown suits someone like you more."
Elias examined himself in the mirror.
If he had been in his teenage form, there was no way he could accept wearing a flower crown. He preferred to look cool, not pretty. But for a child, the distinction didn't matter.
Still, such a beautiful crown—rather than wear it himself, Elias wished he could place it on the pink-haired girl's head. He bet it would be unimaginably cute…
But it was rare to receive a gift from her, so he couldn't bear to give it up.
So…
"Aunt Yaya, can I have some flowers?" he asked the florist.
"Of course, little Elias. Take whichever ones you like. You've helped me so much."
"Huh? Elias, what are you doing?"
The girl leaned in curiously. Maybe because Elias was the first person she saw upon opening her eyes after being born, she always liked sticking close to him.
Elias gently patted her pink hair, then took the flower crown off his own head and examined it for a moment.
Then, under the girl's surprised gaze, he wove a beautiful pink flower crown and placed it atop her head.
"As I thought—it suits you best," Elias said, pleased with his handiwork.
"Amazing! I practiced for so long to learn this!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed in awe.
"Little Elias is always so talented—he picks up anything just by looking. Truly a little genius," Aunt Yaya the florist praised.
Elias scratched his head sheepishly.
It was the Herrscher of Reason's power. Its innate analytical ability let him understand the weaving technique in mere seconds—and even improve upon it.
The pink-haired girl examined herself in the mirror, eyes sparkling like sapphires. She giggled like silver bells and threw herself into Elias's arms, rubbing her cheek against his.
Aunt Yaya, watching this scene, wore a look of utter contentment. Two angelic children wearing flower crowns made from her flowers, snuggling close before her eyes—pure bliss~
"I love this so much! Thank you, Elias!" the girl said happily.
"Mhm, as long as you're happy." Elias gently adjusted the crown for a better fit.
"Can you praise me? Do I look pretty like this?"
"Hehe~ Of course. Right now, you're the cutest girl in the whole world."
Elias meant every word.
The girl before him radiated pure goodwill to everyone—perhaps even more than he did. She was like an angel who had fallen from heaven: kind, adorable, and beautiful.
But there was one issue with her.
"Hey~ it's about time you picked a name. It's been nearly a year. It's kind of inconvenient not having one," Elias said.
The children in the orphanage, lacking parents, were allowed to choose their own names. But the pink-haired girl still hadn't made her choice.
Elias couldn't help but push her a little. He was eager to call her by name—it was getting hard to wait.
"But I haven't decided yet~"
"Everyone's given you tons of suggestions. Still nothing you like? Like Atlantia or Theirin? Those sound nice."
"No, no! Those aren't cute enough! Names are super important. I need the cutest one I can love the most!"
She shook her head firmly.
Elias sighed, but deep down, he kind of agreed. A girl this angelic deserved the most beautiful and adorable name in the world.
"Naming is so hard! Ugh, I need to hear Elias sing. Otherwise, my brain's going to melt~"
"Haha, alright. Which song do you want?"
"The one from last time! True!"
She answered without hesitation. The first time Elias sang "TruE," she felt a deep resonance—like it had been written just for her.
Of course, Elias didn't refuse.
He cleared his throat and began to sing.
The melody and lyrics for "TruE" had suddenly come to Elias one day while watching the pink-haired girl. Even he thought it was a little mysterious.
And as she listened, the girl began to dance. She hadn't learned any formal steps—just swayed and twirled to the rhythm.
Yet her simple movements captivated Elias.
A feeling surged within him.
Before anyone else could—
He wanted to give her the most beautiful name in the world.
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