Two days quickly passed, and the time Chen Ran and Nuwa had agreed upon soon arrived.
During this time, he had been researching the feasibility of the universal connection and how to set up an information password lock.
Connecting the terminals of each other's brain domains wasn't much of a problem; the issue lay in using people's information as nodes, which required specific devices to complete.
Unless he had the ability to influence consciousness like the Herrscher of Sentience.
Otherwise, producing the corresponding equipment with Fire Moth would require quite a bit of material.
He had already asked Vill-V to produce the corresponding terminal; he just needed to find the right opportunity to conduct the test.
In contrast, another message from the system caught his attention even more.
[A new simulation scenario has been unlocked. Please note that this scenario is the most likely future established by the system due to fluctuations in the timeline.]
[You have reached the optimal simulation time and can enter the simulation at any time.]
If the previous three simulation scenarios were based on the plot from Chen Ran's memories, then this one was already vastly different from his memories.
The storm stirred by this little butterfly not only affected the previous civilization era but also the future.
If it weren't for Nuwa's agreement, he would have wanted to enter the simulation scene long ago.
While Chen Ran was waiting in the rest area, he heard a familiar voice.
"Chen Ran, are you resting here?"
It was Himeko, followed by Kalpas.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he smiled: "Someone has an appointment with me; what are you two doing…"
During this time, Kalpas had not troubled Chen Ran again. According to several exchanges with Kiana, he had completely adapted to the Fifth Squad.
He had become the laborer of the Fifth Squad, basically doing all the heavy lifting.
Moreover, it was Kalpas who took the initiative to do so; no one had asked him. He could be considered a model among boys.
Kalpas turned his face away, clearly having a strong opinion about Chen Ran.
Himeko said generously: "Today, Hua said she had something to do and couldn't take Kalpas to adapt to Fire Moth, so she left it to me. Kalpas's temper still needs to be adjusted; I plan to let him meet more people."
"Well, that's really considerate of you."
Chen Ran's tone held a hint of teasing as he laughed: "Actually, I think the rest area, with people coming and going, isn't suitable for Kalpas. His personality is a bit reclusive; it would be better to take him to the outdoors for kebabs or just go shopping; there's no need to force him to make friends all the time."
Himeko pondered: "What you said makes sense."
Just then, they heard Nuwa's voice.
"Senior Chen Ran."
Nuwa was wearing a bright long dress, her hair styled elegantly, and she was running towards him, holding up her skirt.
"Sorry, it took a bit of time to do my makeup; did I keep you waiting?"
Fuxi, who was walking behind, was dressed simply and shook her head: "My silly little sister is completely hopeless."
Nuwa ran up to Chen Ran, her face flushed.
"Hello, Captain Himeko."
"Alright, I'll leave the space to you two. Since Kalpas doesn't like meeting new people, it should be fine for him to have a few drinks with me."
Himeko led Kalpas away.
Chen Ran looked at Kalpas, whose breathing was slightly hurried, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Nuwa asked: "Senior Chen Ran, what are you laughing at?"
"When I first met Kalpas, he was so imposing, not listening to anything, with a temper like no other. Yet now he's completely under Himeko's thumb." Chen Ran sighed: "Love makes one blind."
Nuwa pondered: "So, does Senior Chen Ran like people like Kalpas?"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't slander me."
Chen Ran spread his hands: "My sexual orientation is absolutely normal."
"Phew, that's good."
Nuwa let out a sigh of relief and then noticed Chen Ran's puzzled gaze.
He asked, "By the way, what day is it today?"
"Qixi Festival, it's Qixi Festival."
"Hmm?"
He was slightly taken aback, then subconsciously calculated the time.
The Third Honkai Eruption occurred in March, and he had been at Fire Moth for more than five months, which is August. Converted to the Shenzhou-unique lunar calendar, it was indeed the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
He hadn't expected there to be a Qixi Festival here.
Fuxi walked over from the side and said, "Fire Moth has people from many different countries. People from the same country will gather and communicate on special days, and Shenzhou is no different."
"There's a Shenzhou person organizing a Qixi dance party, and Nuwa, Hua, and I have all received invitations. Nuwa wants to bring you along."
Nuwa scratched her head: "After all, we're all Shenzhou people, it wouldn't hurt for Senior to get to know them."
Chen Ran nodded.
The so-called Qixi dance party—Qixi and the dance party are both excuses; essentially, it's just people seeking warmth in a group.
People in South Asia do this, people in East Asia do this, and Europeans do this too.
The group behavior within Fire Moth is actually quite serious. If you are of Asian descent and happen to be a European citizen, then you will have countless dances every day.
After the Third Honkai Eruption, Shenzhou began to send some geniuses to Fire Moth. With the increase in numbers, corresponding groups naturally formed.
Fuxi, Nuwa, and Hua started to get in touch because of this.
Chen Ran didn't care about these things.
If Finality is inevitable, then the results of grouping together or not grouping together don't make much difference; at most, it's just a competition for a Project EMBER spot.
"A dance party is worth you paying so much attention to?"
Nuwa said, "Humph, the dance party is certainly not worth paying attention to; I'm paying attention to the fact that today is Qixi."
…
…
Modern society always discards traditional customs, and the same was true in the pre-civilization era.
Although it's called a Qixi dance party, the people gathered here focus more on the dance party than Qixi.
The location of the dance party is not inside Fire Moth, but in a super-large city where Fire Moth is located, which is also the city where the United Nations is located.
The appearance of Fuxi and Nuwa quickly became the focus of the dance party.
When Nuwa solemnly introduced Chen Ran, the eyes of many people changed when they looked at Chen Ran.
Those who can come to Fire Moth mostly understand what being a formal member of the First Research Institute means.
Those who came to visit the Herrscher Core at the First Research Institute were also among them.
Chen Ran responded a few times, exchanged a few drinks with some active members, and then sat in the corner with Hua.
"Whew, it's really not something I'm used to."
He said to Hua beside him, "What about you? Are you used to this kind of dance party?"
"No."
Hua shook her head.
She didn't want to come here; it was Himeko who inadvertently found out about it and encouraged her to make more friends that she's here.
But even so, Hua prefers to be a marginal figure.
She said, "I don't like interacting with people very much, and Fuxi and Nuwa don't like it either."
Chen Ran was surprised: "Fuxi is indeed a little reluctant to come here; I thought Nuwa would be very enthusiastic."
Hua looked at him, her eyes carrying a hint of strangeness.
"Isn't Nuwa's enthusiasm because of something else?"
Chen Ran fell silent.
He wasn't someone who didn't understand people's hearts; otherwise, it wouldn't be him here, but No. 666.
But precisely because he understood, he didn't know how to respond.
The dance party had reached a lively atmosphere. Chen Ran noticed that Nuwa's cheeks were flushed, and Fuxi was taking care of her.
The two sisters attracted many people of the same and opposite genders, but they both maintained their composure, basically just touching on the surface.
As if sensing Chen Ran's gaze, Nuwa turned her head and saw him in the corner.
She swayed slightly and walked towards Chen Ran.
Seeing this, Fuxi sighed and shook her head.
Only she knew that Nuwa didn't care about the dance party at all, but the Qixi Festival.
When Nuwa walked in front of Chen Ran, she almost fell, but Chen Ran quickly supported her.
Then, his wrist was grabbed by Nuwa.
"Come with me."
Under the lights, the flushed girl was clearly more radiant than usual.
Before Chen Ran could react, she pulled him out the door.
As if she had been prepared, she went straight to the top floor of the building where the dance party was held.
The cold wind blew against the girl's cheeks, lifting her hair.
Chen Ran looked at Nuwa and asked, "You've drunk so much, are you okay? Should I get you some sobering tea?"
"No, I actually didn't drink much."
Nuwa blinked and said, "My face is so red because I'm naturally prone to allergies, so I rarely drink alcohol."
She held Chen Ran's wrist with one hand and pointed at the stars in the sky with the other: "Sure enough, you can see Altair and Vega here, right there."
Chen Ran couldn't help but laugh: "Isn't this something you can see every day?"
"It's different, today is Qixi." Nuwa said, "The annual Qixi Festival."
In this era, few people remember traditional festivals.
Even if some people remember, it's just another cleverly created consumerist festival.
But Nuwa is different.
She softly said, "This is the day when the Cowherd and Weaver Girl have their annual private meeting."
Chen Ran smiled: "One day in the sky, one year on earth, so they're actually having a private meeting every day. Don't think too much."
"Such a mood killer, I'll bite you."
Nuwa's tone lost its usual playfulness and became somewhat bright.
She boldly leaned her body against Chen Ran's side.
"You know, my parents and Big Sister's parents made their promise on Qixi."
This was the first time Nuwa had talked about her past in front of Chen Ran.
Like most Shenzhou people, the two sisters lived in a happy and affluent family.
Because of their beautiful appearance and outstanding talent, they became other people's children.
They skipped grades in elementary and middle school and quickly entered higher education, majoring in biology.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would have enviable academic achievements, get well-paying jobs, and live even more comfortably.
But accidents still happen.
After the Third Honkai Eruption, Fuxi and Nuwa's parents survived in Cang Hai City, but they also contracted Honkai disease.
This is an incurable disease, and even delaying the patient's life requires a large amount of money.
Even the best hospitals in Shenzhou can only temporarily use cryogenic technology to freeze the patient's physiology, temporarily encasing them in ice, leaving the minimum vital signs, and delaying the further corruption of Honkai disease.
So, Fuxi and Nuwa made a deal with the Shenzhou government.
They used their talents to come to Fire Moth, gain a deep understanding of Honkai, and bring the information back to Shenzhou. The condition was that Shenzhou would find a way to treat their parents.
But this disease is more difficult to treat the longer it is delayed.
Nuwa whispered, "Big Sister wanted to conduct experiments on me because she had consulted the information and felt that reverse-transcribing humans into Honkai was the only way to cure Honkai disease."
"Even if it becomes a different kind of being, at least it can survive."
"She didn't want to burden me and you, so she planned to use her body for research by the Shenzhou side, to undergo a super-transformation surgery."
Nuwa took a deep breath and whispered, "Chen Ran, am I too useless?"
Chen Ran shook his head: "How could that be?"
"I don't think so either." Nuwa pouted: "So, I decided to help Big Sister."
"Fuxi is too tired alone. She even used Bia to find information about Honkai disease, planning to study it herself. How is that possible?"
Chen Ran fell silent.
He had always known about Fuxi borrowing Durandal.
But Fuxi was very measured and would not ask about confidential things, and Chen Ran made sure Durandal would not tell others about the data that was set as confidential.
He didn't ask Fuxi what she was doing, but he never expected that Fuxi and Nuwa were shouldering such hardships.
In the plot, the super-transformation surgery would not appear until after the seventh Herrscher, and by then, Fuxi and Nuwa's parents would probably not be able to wait that long.
But now, the prematurely appearing super-transformation surgery undoubtedly became their only hope.
He had once again disturbed the world.
"When are you leaving?" he softly asked.
"Tomorrow."
Nuwa whispered, "I've already sent a copy of my physical data to the Shenzhou side, and the Shenzhou side is urging me very urgently. I originally wanted to sneak away, but Fuxi caught me. So, tomorrow Fuxi and I will ask Klein for a long leave."
"So when we come back, we'll have to ask Senior Chen Ran to put in a good word for us."
Nuwa's body is a MANTIS body.
Shenzhou would definitely want to obtain the technology of integrating the body with Honkai genes. This is a completely new life form.
Chen Ran sighed.
"You've shouldered too much."
"But you've shouldered a lot too." Nuwa's voice was slightly hazy: "Although I don't know what Senior is chasing, I can feel Senior's urgent heart."
Chen Ran was silent.
He didn't know how to answer.
His time was indeed very urgent. The threat from Finality was secondary; what made him feel most suffocated was the urgency of fate.
It's like a rope tied around him, and he has to dance ballet.
Just when he didn't know how to answer, he found his waist being hugged by Nuwa.
"When I was very young, my parents taught me a poem, called Queqiao Xian, I wonder if Senior knows it?"
Chen Ran couldn't help but wonder, "Queqiao Xian is the name of a poem, which one are you referring to?"
"The most famous one."
Her body pressed against his chest: "Recite it to me."
Chen Ran paused and began to recite:
纤云弄巧,飞星传恨,银汉迢迢暗度.(xiān yún nòng qiǎo, fēi xīng chuán hèn, yín hàn tiáo tiáo àn dù.)
(Delicate clouds play tricks, flying stars convey hatred, the Milky Way is secretly crossed.)
金风玉露一相逢,便胜却人间无数.(jīn fēng yù lù yī xiāng féng, biàn shèng què rén jiān wú shù.)
(Golden wind and jade dew meet once, surpassing countless things in the world.)
柔情似水,佳期如梦,忍顾鹊桥归路.(róu qíng sì shuǐ, jiā qī rú mèng, rěn gù què qiáo guī lù.)
(Tenderness is like water, the appointed time is like a dream, how can one bear to look back at the Magpie Bridge's return path?)
两情若是久长时,又岂在朝朝暮暮.(liǎng qíng ruò shì jiǔ cháng shí, yòu qǐ zài zhāo zhāo mù mù.)
(If two hearts are long-lasting, why should they be together day and night?)
As soon as he finished reciting, he saw Nuwa tiptoeing and kissing his lips.
When he finally regained his senses, he saw that the girl had already run away.
"If love can last for a long time, why worry about the morning and evening? See you again, Senior."
Chen Ran was taken aback.
Right, how could Nuwa, who was already a special Honkai life form, possibly get drunk?
…
…
The ball ended in a way that Chen Ran did not pay attention to, and the next day at the First Research Institute, he received news that Fuxi and Nuwa had taken long leaves.
Mobius did not comment on this, but the work in the laboratory inevitably fell on Klein and Chen Ran.
Oh no, to be precise, it was on No. 666.
Because Chen Ran had already entered a new simulation scenario.
[Welcome to the new simulation scenario: Unnamed.]
[Please note: This simulation scenario emerged after the fate changes in the third simulation scenario and can be considered as having an inheritance relationship with the third simulation scenario.]
[In this scenario, the system will no longer set clear goals. When the system determines that a certain node has been fixed, it will announce the completion.]
[The host's corresponding identity is being generated.]
[Note: Some characters in this scenario inherit memories from the previous simulation scenario, so the host should respond carefully.]
Chen Ran complained, "Unnamed, can you be a bit more perfunctory?"
The system responded as follows.
[After this simulation scenario ends, the system will name the scenario.]
It was clear that in the previous three simulation scenarios, the system could predict what would happen next.
But in the upcoming simulation scenario, it could not grasp it.
To be precise, rather than a simulation, it was more like a possibility of the future.
From this perspective, the simulation scenario seemed to have some kind of quantum entanglement relationship with Chen Ran.
He began to receive his identity information.
Then he discovered that he had become a teacher at Saint Freya.
However, the current thoughts of Saint Freya were somewhat different from his own; everyone was hurrying with their heads down, and some people's bodies even carried a sense of sorrow.
He found his office area based on his memories and then discovered the reason for people's mourning.
Cecilia had disappeared due to the imaginary space experiment.
Sirin opened the subspace layer to search for Cecilia, using the powers of Herrscher Sirin.
However, the large-scale Honkai triggered by Herrscher Sirin caused Siberia to once again become a place of refuge.
She did not intend to oppose humanity, but the enormous losses suffered by Schicksal led them to declare war on the Herrscher.
Thirty million people and the direct destruction of the Babylon Tower could not be ignored.
All branches of Schicksal participated in the campaign against Sirin, including the Far East branch.
Wendy and Raiden Mei participated in the battle against Herrscher Sirin, but the special spatial abilities mastered by Herrscher Sirin allowed her to reclaim the Gem of Desire and the Gem of Conquest. The two were also receiving treatment at Schicksal Headquarters.
After that, she attacked Schicksal Headquarters and seized the Gem of Serenity.
Welt Yang, the leader of Anti-Entropy, also participated in this battle, and the Herrscher Core was taken away.
Murata Himeko died due to excessive use of the Key of Blankness loaded with the Gem of Haste, resulting in Honkai corruption. The Gem of Haste was missing.
Herrscher Sirin, not intending to entangle with humanity, took her follower Benares and flew to the moon.
The gears of fate returned to the starting point, and the Möbius strip would engulf everyone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced chapters in patreon (46 blocked, 5 free)
https://www.pat reon.com/ThatGreatStuff