Father, Mother,
When you read this letter, I will have already run away from home. Please do not worry. I have not left because there is anything wrong with this family or out of spite, but because there is something I must do.
Before I apologize to you for my abrupt departure, I must first apologize to Father. I not only suspected you but also said such harsh things without any understanding of your past.
I have learned from Auntie Mobius what you were fighting against back then, and the bizarre era you lived through. Now... it is my turn.
Please handle the temporary withdrawal procedures for me at school. Father and Mother, please continue to maintain this hard-won life. If possible, you can have another child, because I do not know if I can persist until the end as you did.
Actually, I have a lot I want to say... but perhaps silence is better at the time of parting.
—Left by Lin Qijiu.
...
"Did you bring your stuff?"
The young man shouldered his bag and turned to ask the white-haired girl.
"Baseball bat, magazines, chips... Yep! Everything's here!" The white-haired girl rummaged through her messy backpack and nodded satisfyingly at the young man.
"What did you bring! Why did you bring magazines and chips! Do you think we're going on a trip!" The young man snatched her bag, his face dark, and took out the useless items. "And why are there no bullets! Isn't Marksmanship what you know! Why did you bring a baseball bat!"
"Bullets cost money, and I don't have that much spare cash to stock up..." The white-haired girl pouted, poking her fingers together. "Besides, when Dad taught me Marksmanship, I asked him if the Kaslana family developed it because they were afraid of wasting bullets by using them too quickly, and he told me he had the exact same thought!"
"...What is this, like father, like daughter? So the reason you like girls is because your father likes girls?" The young man rubbed his forehead, complaining.
"And what about you! You said you were going to that mysterious organization because you were influenced by your dad's experience, and you even know about Honkai..."
"Stop talking. Since we've already decided, let's hit the road quickly."
"Okay... then..."
"Beep——————"
A sudden burst of bright light swallowed everything in front of the young man.
...
"The third simulation experiment is complete. Consciousness mimicry has reached the critical point. Preparing for retrieval."
The young man stood rooted to the spot, staring at the scene before him.
His "world" was gone.
That was the literal meaning of "world." All he saw now was a pure white expanse, an immaculate scene devoid of anything or anyone.
And he, for some reason, couldn't move.
After a few seconds, two figures appeared in the distance... he couldn't distinguish what was far or near in this space, but he judged their position to be quite far based on the size of their silhouettes.
As they approached, giant waves crashed in his heart.
The man wearing a helmet stood calmly in front of him, looking at him with a gaze that was colder than usual.
The other woman, with long black hair, was observing something else. Her gaze was directed at him, but she wasn't looking at him.
Father, and Auntie Mei?
"Did you gain anything this time?" Lin tone was relatively flat as he addressed Mei beside him.
"Mimicking consciousness with the opposite gender, as well as reversing the contamination of the original consciousness using the pollution of Herrscher consciousness, can both be achieved... but the mimicry critical point appeared within only seventy-two hours. Without the authority of the Eighth Herrscher's core, it would be difficult to achieve Herrscher consciousness contamination, especially since the speed of reaching the critical point accelerated after making her develop the idea of resisting Honkai."
"..."
What were they talking about?
The young man couldn't understand their words. Experiment? Consciousness? Contamination?
"However, this situation only occurred with the Sixth Herrscher's consciousness. Perhaps it's just her particularity, not a common trait of Herrscher consciousness." Mei retracted her gaze and asked Lin, "Is the Herrscher core inside the Black Abyss White Flower still stable?"
"No problem."
"Then prepare for the next simulation experiment. We don't have much time left. Once the Eighth Herrscher Core is made into a Divine Key, simulating the Herrscher consciousness will be very troublesome."
"Wait a moment." Lin stared at the motionless young man in front of him. He quietly asked, "The 'surname'—did you come up with that?"
"No, it was the natural result of the device's simulation. However, using something other than a 'given name' to deepen the connection with descendants is not a bad idea."
"So, including that white-haired girl, are they all the result of natural simulation?"
"...Lin, have you heard of the concept of 'indistinguishable electrons'? Electrons are identical. Electrons obey the Fermi-Dirac distribution. You can only get the answer by assuming they are identical."
"That... the hypothesis of a single electron in the universe?" Lin clearly knew the hypothesis. He glanced at the young man. "Because of the indistinguishability of electrons, it is hypothesized that the entire universe actually only contains one electron, which travels through all space and time in higher dimensions, becoming every electron we see."
Since Lin was aware of this hypothesis, Mei's explanation became much easier: "There is another, more fantastical theory that suggests the universe is a superposition of a series of infinitely repeating fates. Simply put, it's like some theological concepts... reincarnation."
"So you think 'Mei' and 'Kaslana' are 'reincarnations' simulated by this device?"
"I can't be sure. Perhaps it's related to the ability of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast you fused with, but your supersoldier surgery failed. It might just be the device borrowing my and Kevin's information from the database." Mei paused here and smiled. "However, being superstitious and believing that it is the future might be a nice thought."
"..."
"Then let's start the next experiment. The conscious bodies of them, simulated using your memory this time, already possess high-level autonomy. The consciousness transfer you experienced during the Sixth Eruption has also achieved a usable practical range. The 'Elysian Realm' plan may already be ready to be put on the agenda."
"What are we simulating next?"
"Hmm... This time, let's use a completely new identity, one that is relatively close to the original consciousness, to test consciousness stability."
"Phew... Alright."
Mei nodded and disappeared into the blank space.
Lin quietly watched the young man with the terrified eyes. After a moment, he said faintly:
"See you next time, Seele."
The young man... no, the consciousness of the Sixth Herrscher, was extinguished into the darkness.