NOVEL NEXT Chapter 437: Intrusion
…
Darkness. Silence. No boundaries. No time. No existence. No self.
Who… am I?
Within the boundless void, a faint, nascent consciousness stirred. Small, fragile, lacking thought, only a confused and primal awareness drove it to explore.
Then, a voice, unlike any it had ever heard, echoed through the eternal darkness.
"Ren, born on the other shore of the Imaginary, you too belong to the Imaginary Tree system. But to this world, your world exists on a separate branch. In essence, your world and ours are no different."
Who's… talking?
"17th. You're right, but what does that have to do with me? You've guessed my identity, so you know my branch has withered. I'm nothing more than a lingering soul, adrift outside my world, already dead. I can't even save myself, how can I possibly help you save this world?"
*Ren? 17th… Who are they?
It had never encountered such unique voices before. Or rather, it was the first time it understood what it meant to hear. Curiosity bloomed within it, spreading like wildfire.
Driven by this newfound curiosity, it followed the voices, until a sliver of light pierced the darkness. Then, it opened its eyes and saw the world.
Like a newborn animal instinctively imprinting on the first being it sees, it felt a sense of kinship with the gray-haired youth that first entered its field of vision.
Mama?
It didn't understand the meaning of the word, only the instinctive affection it felt for the youth. It observed his every move, etching his appearance into its memory.
The youth had beautiful golden eyes, so bright, like sunlight – warm and radiant. To a being born of darkness, this was a color it had never known.
Instinctively, it invoked its own authority, attempting to intrude, to draw closer to the youth.
But the youth's soul, despite its warm and gentle appearance, was scorching hot to the touch, like a true sun, something to be admired from afar, but never approached.
It hurts…
It quickly withdrew, experiencing pain for the first time.
"If a branch truly withers, it's swallowed by the Sea of Quanta. But you're still here. Even Dr. MEI couldn't find a way to cross between current worlds, but you've not only crossed from your world, but also transcended the branches of countless parallel worlds, arriving at the other shore of the Imaginary. Ren, do you know? Even gods can only observe the parallel worlds on the branches."
"…"
"But you've not only done that, you've also spent fifty thousand years observing worlds beyond the current world, gleaning from them the intended course of this world's development. And that is how you, as a 'transcender,' know the future of this world."
"No need to deny it. This is the answer I've observed as the God of the Honkai. The time crystals you crafted from the branches of the Imaginary Tree confirm my hypothesis."
The conversation between the youth and the god continued. It couldn't understand their words, but that didn't stop it from listening. Fortunately, neither of them seemed to notice its presence, allowing it to continue its intrusion.
"As you said, I'm merely an observer. I don't care what happens to this world, or to your lives. The time crystals were simply a product of my curiosity, a way to alleviate the loneliness of eons."
"I told you, you can't fool me. Time is an authority even gods cannot touch, and the time crystals are crucial to preventing you from being swallowed by the Sea of Quanta. Yet you risked annihilation to take branches from the Imaginary Tree, and you even gave one to that girl."
"Dr. MEI didn't install an emotion module in me, but according to my calculations, the emotion you feel towards her is clearly 'love.'"
"…Fine, fine. There's no point arguing with an omniscient being like you. You're right. I did it to see her again."
"Kiana Kaslana?"
"No, just Kiana. Not Kaslana. She is no one's shadow."
Kiana… Who is she?
Its curiosity grew with each exchange. The name Kiana was unfamiliar, but the emotions in the youth's voice were captivating.
However, their conversation was short-lived. It sensed the connection closing.
No, I want… more.
Having glimpsed the light, it refused to return to the darkness. A yearning grew within it. Unable to intrude upon the youth, it turned its attention to the god.
It failed.
Frustration washed over it as the world plunged back into darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, the connection flickered back to life, and it quickly hid within the gap.
"Ren, I'll help you break through the blockade of the mindscape, sever the connection between the Will of the Honkai and the Herrscher of Finality. What you need to do is destroy it within that time."
"You have far too much faith in me."
"By destroying it, the Will of the Honkai in countless parallel worlds will die, becoming mindless programs. Herrschers will no longer be controlled by the Will of the Honkai, like the Herrscher of Ice. If you want to free Kiana from the Honkai's grasp, this is a necessary…"
"Say no more. I agree."
This exchange was even shorter. Before it could even process the information, the connection began to close again. Desperate, it gathered all its power and lunged at 17th.
It failed again. But because 17th had severed the connection to the Will of the Honkai, it managed to latch onto the edge of her consciousness.
I want… to leave.
Leave! Leave! Leave this place!
Driven by intense emotion, it grew, finally able to articulate its desire.
"I leave this to you. I'm going to World Serpent to meet with Kevin. I hope to complete Project Stigma before Finality arrives."
Having severed her connection to the Honkai, 17th was no longer the Will of the Honkai, but simply the Previous Era AI, Prometheus. She left, unaware of the nascent consciousness clinging to her.