"Zeke..."
"Yes?"
"I want to marry you now."
"I was initially planning to wait for Sin, but if you wish, I can prepare the wedding immediately."
"You're right. If we leave her out, she'd definitely go crazy... Alright then, let's skip it for now. We won't be separated anyway, so one ceremony doesn't matter."
"Hmm."
Zeke gently caressed the girl's delicate hands nestled in his embrace, a hint of regret in his voice.
On the vast grasslands, they sat on the ground with Kiana leaning back against Zeke, her expression a mix of helplessness and relief.
Was a wedding ceremony important?
Absolutely—it held immense significance!
But considering Zeke's perspective, Kiana agreed with him. No matter how significant, a ceremony was ultimately just symbolic; their harmony and unity as a group mattered more. Besides, they had plenty of time ahead, so rushing into it within these few years would only risk leaving Sin with deep-seated discontent for potentially many years to come.
As Kiana pondered this, she couldn't resist turning her head to give Zeke a peck on the cheek.
"Mwah! Just marking my territory to tide me over!"
Kiana blinked her bright, expressive eyes, filled with affection and radiant charm.
Zeke smiled softly and reciprocated with a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Kiana beamed with delight and couldn't resist turning around to face Zeke, embracing him tenderly.
"Oh, this is wonderful. Zeke, let's have two kids someday—a big brother and a little sister. The brother will be as smart as you, and the sister will be as mischievous as me. Then we'll make the brother protect his sister. What do you think?"
"Hmm... First, we need to overcome reproductive barriers at the genetic level."
"You gotta figure that out soon then! I want them to attend our wedding; it'll be such a lively celebration!"
"Isn't it usually marriage before children?" Zeke murmured hesitantly, one arm wrapped around Kiana's soft waist while stroking his chin with the other hand.
But he quickly shrugged it off. These were minor details; they didn't matter as long as Kiana was happy.
The couple embraced on this dreamlike grassland, engaging in casual banter and sharing intimate moments now and then.
Kiana wanted to savor this blissful state longer, and Zeke needed this warmth to calm the panic from earlier.
Only when the Book of Fuxi sent a reminder about dinner time did Zeke finally lead Kiana back to the break room space.
The scene shifts to Mobius's laboratory.
Mobius sat on her flying device, commanding mechanical tentacles with her thoughts to project images of Kiana and Kevin's battle mid-air. She replayed Kiana's complete transformation into a Herrscher over and over, stroking her smooth cheek, eyes flickering with contemplative emotion.
"Herrscher of the Void plus Herrscher of Flame... Damn it, why must I encounter so many fascinating subjects while trapped in this half-real state?"
The Elysian Realm was a virtual space crafted by Mobius fifty thousand years ago, incorporating research findings from multiple Herrschers of the previous civilization, such as the Herrscher of Sentience, the Herrscher of Corruption, and the Herrscher of Death. While not entirely false, it significantly diverged from true reality.
Mobius yearned more intensely than ever to regain physical form and touch actuality.
Without fully returning to reality, every thought and study felt hindered by an invisible barrier. Consequently, no matter how intriguing the materials before her, all she could do was drool in anticipation—a sheer torment for a mad scientist.
Gently tapping her metallic green finger gauntlets against her cheek, Mobius pondered deeply. On the ninth replay, she paused the footage at the moment Zeke appeared.
Herrschers... They all make excellent candidates for possessing physical bodies. Unfortunately, this guy knows I'm after them and has undoubtedly taken stringent precautions. If I were to charge recklessly, it'd end with me splattered and beaten down.
In quiet contemplation, Mobius shifted her gaze toward the experimental table, where Sin's body lay connected to countless tubes.
My little lab rat, meticulously prepared by my own hands... Although the technology employed here is proven from the previous era, it indeed serves as a suitable vessel for my rebirth. However, allowing her to enter my laboratory means that fellow must have taken every possible precaution—there's a high chance he's even observing my every move right now! Once again, not an easy target.
"Sigh..." With a deeply melancholic sigh, Mobius raised her arms in resignation and called out loudly, "Klein, bring me bubble wrap!"
"Right away, Doctor."
A slit opened in the ceiling, and a sheet of transparent bubble wrap floated down.
Mobius caught the bubble wrap, holding it in hand as they began popping the bubbles.
After a while, amidst the popping sounds, Mobius once again fell deep into thought.
'Herrscher is out of the question, and my lab rat cannot be used either. Among the remaining options—The Book of Fuxi, a battle idol, and Shi—are fundamentally incompatible with me, so they're not viable choices. As for Hua, well, although I'm unsure why she accepted becoming the Herrscher of Sentience, it's best to avoid someone who has been a psychic warrior for fifty thousand years. Who knows how her consciousness might have transformed?
'Finally, that little girl named Bronya...'
'No, no, let's think this through carefully. Zeke must have simulated my thought process. After eliminating each option, the only non-Herrscher who hasn't entered my laboratory seems too obvious! That guy surely has preparations in place!'
'So, aren't we cornered now?'
'It appears full of opportunities at first glance, but with him standing in our way, every path leads to a dead end!'
"Hissss!"
Mobius tore apart the bubble wrap she had been crumpling for some time, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"The answer is quite clear, isn't it? No matter which path you choose, we would inevitably cross paths. So why not stick to your original course? Zeke, only possessing your physical body presents the most perfect option! Ha ha ha!"
"I suggest you reconsider. I came here offering you a chance; wouldn't it be better to sit down and talk?" Zeke's voice echoed from behind Mobius.
A blackish-green substance emerged on Mobius' hand, dissolving the torn bubble wrap instantly. With a sideways glance at the man approaching, her turquoise eyes tinged with pink revealed a delicate yet captivating smile.
"I don't trust you, nor will I entrust my future to outsiders. Besides, with a perfectly fused genetic structure, limitless growth potential, and unprecedented adaptability to Honkai Energy—such a body standing before me, how could I possibly resist? Ha ha ha!" Amidst her alluring laughter, Mobius licked her crystalline upper lip sensuously, emitting a sound as if overwhelmed by temptation.
This captivating scene elicited only a brief glance from Zeke before he completely ignored it. He approached Sin's side, reaching through the dense cluster of tubes to gently touch her forehead.
Zeke said, "Show me your progress."
"Sure, and while you're at it, help me verify if there are any errors or omissions," Mobius replied sweetly as she projected all the experimental data, both pre- and post-tests, in front of Zeke.
Despite their conflicts and current adversarial stance, Mobius never falsified scientific data. There was no need; nothing fake could escape Zeke's discerning eyes. Moreover, encountering someone qualified enough to critique her research, Mobius eagerly wanted him to review more details.
A rapid stream of numbers flashed before Zeke's eyes. After a moment, he calmly dismissed the projection screen with a sigh and nodded approvingly.
"As expected from you. Your distinctive approach—fighting poison with poison, embracing risk for survival—is truly unparalleled, unlike Otto, Mei, myself, and others."
"Thank you for the compliment; many people have said similar things! By the way, shouldn't you be attending to your little sweetheart? How do you find time to wander here?"
Mobius asked nonchalantly.
In reality, she had physically isolated the laboratory space, preventing anyone, including Klein, from entering.
Of course, Mobius knew this was merely a symbolic gesture, never expecting it to deter Zeke's visit.
Feeling Sin's icy forehead, Zeke maintained his composed demeanor and responded matter-of-factly:
"I momentarily neglected the situation here; I needed to see for myself to be reassured. For Dr. Mobius, my respect remains unwavering."
"When you called me a mess earlier, that didn't seem like your stance!"
"That was simply a difference in ideals. I've never underestimated your capabilities."
"Alright, I'll take it as a compliment then, albeit reluctantly. Now, do you have any suggestions for improvement?"
Mobius spread her hands with a pleased smile, indicating her satisfaction.
Zeke replied, "This technology has been well-established and proven over fifty thousand years, so I don't have much to suggest. However, if I must mention something, have you considered enlisting Herrschers to assist? Many experiments could be perfected using their abilities."
Gradually, Dr. Mobius's expression turned serious.
This was a tantalizing offer! And one she couldn't resist!
The power of Herrscher abilities far surpassed any meticulously crafted human design. By harnessing these powers for biological experiments, numerous previously unattainable research areas could break through their bottlenecks, turning countless imaginative concepts into reality.
"So, is this your proposition?"
"In a way, yes. With so many obedient Herrschers under your control, wouldn't it be a waste to only have them fight and battle?"
"I admit, it's quite enticing. However, this alone isn't enough for me to entrust my freedom to you. Once I am truly resurrected, I can achieve what you propose using my own capabilities."
"That's fine; I'm just informing you of the possibility. When you inevitably fail again, I believe your perspective might change," Zeke replied.
They locked eyes—Mobius with a smile, Zeke remaining indifferent as usual.
Mobius firmly believed she could seize Zeke's body, thereby returning to reality and achieving true Infinity—well, considering Zeke's intellect, once the time came, she'd simply transfer his consciousness into an ELF and make him her experimental assistant. That was Mobius' plan.
Zeke's perspective, however, was clear: dreams are fine, but don't indulge in them during daylight hours. As a memory fragment with outdated knowledge and obsolete body modification plans from the previous era, how do you compare to me, a leader of the new age? By relying on wishful thinking? Ridiculous!
Both shared equal confidence and understood that their next confrontation would not be far off.