The means of entering the Sea of Quanta are extremely limited.
But after undergoing the X-10 Experiment and successfully mastering quantum power, Elias now had that capability.
After all, even Seele, whose experiment was considered a failure, had fallen into the Sea of Quanta due to complete quantumization.
As a successful case, Elias could not only enter the Sea of Quanta at will, but even... bring people back from it into the real world.
After all, the X-10 Experiment was originally an attempt by World Serpent—executed through Cocolia—to open a pathway to the Sea of Quanta and retrieve Kevin in the absence of usable keys like the Second Divine Key: Key of Infinity (Cosmic Juggernaut) and the Eye of the Deep.
But when both of the one-in-a-million Stigmata candidates—Elias and Seele—"failed," the project was deemed a lost cause and abandoned.
Elias: "That said, even though I can enter the Sea of Quanta on my own, and theoretically bring someone back... this isn't exactly a simple task."
Getting in wasn't the issue.
But bringing someone else back? That would require a tremendous amount of Honkai energy—at minimum, something on the level of a Herrscher.
And wouldn't you know it—
A certain Herrscher of Thunder was just about to fully awaken!
All Elias had to do was tweak tomorrow's plans slightly. He could resolve Mei's issue while using her awakened Herrscher energy to gather enough power to travel to and from the Sea of Quanta.
Elias: "Perfect. Rescue Mei, then rescue Seele. After that, we open a new chapter at St. Freya Academy!"
It all sounded lighthearted, but truthfully, even if someone else completed the X-10 Experiment, they wouldn't be nearly as confident as Elias about saving someone from the Sea of Quanta.
Let's not forget—aside from quantum abilities, Elias also had partial authority of the Herrscher of the Void.
The Second Divine Key, created using the Herrscher of the Void's core, had the power to open a portal to the Sea of Quanta.
Which meant Elias could do something similar.
Even without quantum authority, he had a shot at opening a portal—so with both powers combined, Elias estimated his success rate at over 90%.
And he was the kind of person who'd take the gamble even with just a 10% chance.
But there was one major problem.
"Seele's not the only one drifting in the Sea of Quanta—Kevin is in there too. If that guy catches me... it's gonna be real trouble."
Just thinking about it gave Elias a headache.
That guy was a final boss.
With the Herrschers of Finality, Origin, and Truth still unborn, Kevin was essentially an overwhelming force in this timeline.
If Elias accidentally brought him back along with Seele...
Whether it was Schicksal or Anti-Entropy—they'd all be toast.
The entire balance of power would collapse. World Serpent would become unstoppable, and the other major factions wouldn't even have time to grow.
So...
Elias: "If I'm going to rescue Seele, I also need a way to distract Kevin. No way can he tag along. If he comes back with us, it's game over for everyone!"
After thinking long and hard through the night, Elias finally came up with a viable solution.
And if it failed—no big deal. As long as he went alone, there was no risk of Kevin hitching a ride back.
If it worked, great. If it didn't, at the very least, he could see Seele again, keep her company, and let her know he was back—even if he couldn't bring her out right away.
As for that viable plan?
Simple. Just two words—
Convince him!
(So what if I'm not strong enough yet? I've still got a brain and acting skills.)
To prepare, Elias went out that night and bought an oversized box of instant noodles—the key item in his grand persuasion plan.
Everyone knew Savior Kevin loved noodles. Elias refused to believe that if he showed up with such a thoughtful gift, Kevin would immediately go for a fight instead of slurping them down first.
He'd choose the "friend" option, and while Kevin was distracted enjoying his noodles, Elias could grab Seele and dip out unnoticed!
"Alright, that's the plan. Whether it works or not, Kevin's staying locked in the Sea of Quanta for now. Still... damn, I'm jealous."
If only he had the strength—he wouldn't need to pull all-nighters strategizing like this. He could just steamroll the problem.
Elias looked up at the moon outside the window, reaching toward it as if trying to grasp it in his hand.
"I need more power!"
He really felt like some kind of shadowy mastermind character…
"Damn it, System, why didn't you let me reincarnate fifty thousand years earlier? We could've all trained together—I'd totally outclass Kevin by now! Ugh, I want to go visit the Previous Era! Wait... maybe this is my chance!"
Suddenly, Elias' eyes lit up with inspiration.
If—if—he could raise this ice cube's affection toward him just a little…
Maybe, through the system's mechanics, he could unlock a time-travel opportunity to the Previous Civilization?
Just like when he traveled into Bronya's past. As long as there was enough emotional connection, it could happen.
He glanced down and gently patted the sleeping Bronya curled up against him.
But after thinking it through…
"Hmm... yeah, odds are still low."
Elias let out a helpless sigh.
It was a nice idea, but... it was Kevin.
The man had lost his loved ones, all his comrades except Fu Hua, and everything beautiful in his life. His heart had long since died with the warriors of the Previous Era.
Now he was little more than a walking corpse, obsessed with defeating the Honkai.
Honestly, even building a connection with Otto seemed more likely than forming one with Kevin.
At least Otto still held on to a sliver of hope. Kevin? His heart had been encased in concrete.
"So tragic. I'm never turning out like that."
Elias made a silent promise to himself.
No matter how strong he became—if he couldn't protect the ones he loved, it would all be meaningless.
With that thought, he hugged Bronya tighter, more gently, as if protecting something precious.
But then, something struck him.
"Wait a second—I almost forgot. System, get out here and answer me honestly... Why does Bronya still remember me? Why didn't our encounter before the time-travel change?"
Elias narrowed his eyes at the system interface.
According to his calculations, the events of playing games with Bronya and healing her injuries should've been erased by the altered timeline.
But somehow, that memory remained—perfectly intact.
Something wasn't adding up.
[...You're quite cautious, aren't you, Host? Do normal people think about this stuff so deeply?]
"Of course I do! Changing the past is god-tier stuff! You can't just wing it—it's like defusing a bomb. I have to identify every variable!"
Elias responded without hesitation.
Even the tiniest rules had to be understood. Who knew what kind of butterfly effect could ripple out from the smallest change?
Every single thing he did in the past could influence the future.
This was more intense than bomb defusal.
After all, if a bomb exploded, at most a dozen people would die. Even if it were a nuclear bomb, maybe a city would be wiped out—
But this bomb, named the past—if even one wrong wire was cut, the resulting consequences would be utterly unpredictable. At worst, it could change the fate of a few people. At worst... the entire world.
So of course Elias had to be extremely cautious.
[...You really are a contradictory person, dear Host.]
The system sighed.
Its host was often emotional, stubborn, and impulsive. The kind of lunatic who wouldn't flinch before betting his life on something.
But at the same time, he was incredibly logical and composed. Elias knew exactly what he was doing.
A madman—but a rational one.
"Stop stalling. Just explain already."
Elias rolled his eyes. The sun was nearly up.
The system finally gave an unexpected answer:
[Host, the reason for this anomaly... is not the system. It's your existence itself.]
"...Huh?"
[Try to picture the world as a vast, intricate machine. People like Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Otto, Kevin—everyone is a tiny gear that keeps the machine running.]
[But you, Host, are a being who was never meant to be part of that system.]
[An anomaly.]
[You appeared out of nowhere—right at the machine's core. In order to maintain functionality, the world had no choice but to restructure itself to accommodate you.]
[But that doesn't mean you've been changed.]
[Quite the opposite.]
[The world is changing because of you.]
[Darwin's theory of evolution says living beings adapt to their environment. But for you—it's the world that must adapt to you, to avoid collapsing.]
[Your arrival has made what was once destined—past, present, and future—an uncertain dream.]
[You are now the only truth in this world.]
[The world must reconstruct itself with you as the foundation—reshaping fate anew.]
[Because Bronya Zaychik met you and became part of your past, your encounter with her has become a new inevitability.]
[A new destiny that no one—not even your past self—can undo.]
Elias went completely still.
The explanation was so absurd and over-the-top that it left his brain frozen.
He sucked in a breath. Elias had never imagined that his existence would have such an overwhelming impact.
His heart pounded.
He had never seen himself as anything special. Every time he tried to change even one tragedy, it had taken everything he had—risking his life again and again.
And now the system was telling him—
He was the center of this world.
"Pfft... Ha... Hahahaha! So that's how it is? What a joke! I can't stop laughing!"
Elias clutched his face and burst out laughing.
"So, System, you're saying the world revolves around me now? That's both hilarious and terrifying! Hahaha~!"
He considered striking a dramatic pose, pointing toward the sky and shouting something like, "I walk the path of heaven, ruler of all!" But nah, he wasn't doing anything that cringe.
Part of him wondered if the system was messing with him.
But if it was true...
Then it was both ridiculous, terrifying—and thrilling beyond belief.
"If what you're saying is real, then I won't hold back anymore. Let's see what this world—this new fate—shaped around me, will become."
"Elias... Papa...?"
At that moment, Bronya spoke groggily, startling Elias into realizing he had woken the girl in his arms.
"Hehe~ Sorry for waking you, Bronya. It's nothing—just... I suddenly thought of something really exciting. Something that makes me incredibly happy."
Elias chuckled softly and rubbed Bronya's cheek.
It was the same gentle gesture as always.
But this time, Bronya felt something different—an overwhelming aura of presence. She stared blankly at the boy in front of her. His golden eyes shimmered with an indescribable wild confidence.
For a moment, Bronya was struck by a vivid illusion:
The boy holding her in his arms wasn't just Elias—he was a king, ready to conquer the world. His sheer charisma made it impossible for her to look away.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably.
If she had fallen in love with Elias before because of the memories they'd shared, then now, she was simply enchanted by the man himself. Her heart fluttered like a total fangirl.
(Project Bunny, record this! Take a picture! Ugh, what happened while I was asleep? Elias is too dazzling right now!)
Bronya gulped hard.
She was feeling a little impatient.
She had originally planned to take things slow… but now she had an overwhelming urge to give herself to him on the spot!
But perhaps because Elias' current aura was too strong, she ultimately didn't have the courage to go through with it.
...
The next morning—
"Did something happen last night?"
"I'm not sure... doesn't it feel like Elias changed again? Or is that just me?"
Mei and Kiana both noticed something off. Rubbing their eyes, they exchanged confused glances.
If Elias had seemed like a mysterious and sunny boy next door yesterday, now he felt like the chosen one straight out of a novel.
His entire presence radiated unparalleled confidence.
His looks, hairstyle, and physique hadn't changed at all—yet those bright eyes alone made their hearts skip a beat.
"Bronya, you slept with Elias last night, right? Any idea what happened?"
"...Bronya knows nothing."
Bronya blinked with her trademark deadpan expression.
She had no intention of sharing her Elias from last night. Her possessiveness as a girl in love compelled her to keep it to herself.
Though the girls were visibly shaken, Elias didn't feel any different.
He figured he just got a bit too swept up in the moment last night. But hey—as the saying goes: laugh with blade drawn toward the sky, then go to bed and sleep it off.
When he woke up, he was back to normal.
Elias (thinking): (Yeah, I know I'm awesome. But my power hasn't changed. I'm not some overpowered protagonist who can crush everything yet. So… it's business as usual.)
That morning, the four of them drove out of the city.
This sudden move confused the three major factions monitoring the situation in Changkong City.
They quickly sent out teams to investigate, with Cocolia being the most aggressive—mobilizing her entire Titan mech force to reclaim Mei and the Gem of Conquest.
But Elias had planned ahead.
When the group reached a remote area outside the city—
"Here we are. Mei, are you ready?"
"...Yes! Let's do this, Elias."
Mei took a deep breath and nodded with determination.
The plan was simple: if she was going to be targeted as long as she was a Herrscher candidate—
Then why not awaken as the full Herrscher of Thunder now?
Then go straight to eliminate the source of the problem—Cocolia.
"Alright. Then touch this crystal."
"Okay."
Elias pulled out a dark purple crystal—something Bronya had helped them locate the night before. It was a high-concentration Honkai energy crystal that Cocolia had planned to use to trigger the Honkai Eruption.
The moment Mei, as the Herrscher vessel of Thunder, came into contact with it, her Gem of Conquest instinctively absorbed the Honkai energy.
And with it—
The consciousness of the slumbering Queen of Thunder awakened once more!
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