As Elysia badmouthed her husband to their daughter, a certain man leaned against the doorframe, smirking.
Hearing his voice, Elysia froze.
Mechanically, she turned her head.
Meanwhile, Chang Ya happily jumped off the bed and ran to him.
"Daddy! Mommy told me a story about you dying! She's so mean!"
"Hey! Chang Ya, how could you betray your mother like this? You little rascal!"
"Pfft—you started it! And now that Daddy's here, you can't do anything to me!"
Hiding behind Yuan, the girl stuck out her tongue.
Elysia could only glare helplessly.
"Love, you were the one who conspired with them to deceive me for so long. So me tricking you in return is fair, right?"
Chang Yuan kissed his daughter's cheek, then sighed at Elysia.
This all started back then...
When the signal jammer broke, Schicksal quickly located the area via satellite.
Everyone rushed there—only to find Elysia's puppet kneeling motionless.
Of Yuan, there was no trace.
But clever Theresa noticed the tombstone and immediately started digging.
As she dug, the soil darkened—stained with dried blood.
"Shit! Don't just stand there—help me dig! He's really dying!"
The hole was deep—10 meters—as if Chang Yuan hadn't wanted to be found.
When they finally reached him, his face was deathly pale.
His wrist had stopped bleeding long ago.
"Damn it! Durandal—Abyss Flower! Now!"
Even with its diminished Honkai energy, the Divine Key could still heal.
Durandal activated Abyss Flower power—
But Chang Yuan's condition didn't improve.
"Blood loss... organ failure... Abyss Flower accelerates cell regeneration, but his body can't produce new cells anymore. It's hopeless."
The diagnosis came instantly. After all, this was Mobius - the woman who had perfected the MANTIS procedure, the Previous Era's undisputed master of biological science.
The group was speechless.
Their prank had gone too far.
"Wait—there's still a way! Near-death revival! There's still a flicker of life! Hua—get over here!"
Vill-V (Expert Mode) barked orders.
She drew a blood sample from Fu Hua.
"Mobius, prep MANTIS surgery. No time for finesse—brute-force fusion is our only option."
"Understood."
Mobius shooed away the spectators.
"We need a sterile environment."
Prometheus, wielding the Core of Reason, constructed an operating room instantly.
Expert Vill-V hauled Chang Yuan onto the table.
Then began the crudest, most violent MANTIS procedure:
Dissect. Inject genes. Stitch. Activate with the last dregs of Honkai energy.
Now, they could only pray.
"Sigh... We shouldn't have taken the joke this far. If he dies, Elysia might follow."
Vill-V massaged her temples.
Had they just told the truth earlier, this could've been a happier ending.
"Tch. Blame that pink airhead. If she hadn't insisted on 'surprising' Chang Yuan, we wouldn't be here."
Ever the tsundere, Mobius couldn't resist dissing Elysia.
Meanwhile, Chang Yuan trembled on the operating table, trapped in nightmares.
Suffocation.
Elysia dying before his eyes—over and over.
Failing to save her.
Losing her. Again and again.
His vital signs plummeted.
"Hey! Don't you dare give up! Wake up and endure this power! Now!"
Mobius grabbed his collar, shaking him violently.
No effect.
His life force neared zero.
"Got it! Mobius—move!"
Expert Vill-V shoved her aside, then shouted into Chang Yuan's ear:
"Elysia's alive! Wake up, or she'll be left alone—or follow you to the grave!"
For a split second, Chang Yuan's vitals stabilized. Then rose slightly.
"It's working! More—quick!"
"Leave it to me. I'm the expert."
"Wake up! Elysia's pregnant—with your child! She's been alive all along, waiting to surprise you after everything ended! So open your damn eyes and take responsibility! Or your wife and daughter will be lost forever!"
With each word, Chang Yuan's vitals climbed.
In the darkness of his mind, the nightmares shifted.
Memories of promises made to Elysia.
Vows to never give up.
To grow old together.
One by one, these moments ignited his will to live.
Suddenly—
Chang Yuan's eyes snapped open as he jolted upright, gasping.