The entire world had become a playground for an unknown existence. As long as no one violated its rules, nothing bad would happen.
Kevin had tried to attack experimentally—targeting some regions surrounded by air-wall-like barriers—but even at full strength, he couldn't break through.
He could handle dozens or even hundreds of those NPC-like guards, but they were spread all over the world.
Consider this:
The Herrscher of Dominance numbered only one thousand.
But the number of those NPC guards was estimated to exceed ten million.
Each possessed combat power exceeding 2,000 HW—on par with a Herrscher—and elite individuals reached beyond 5,000 HW. Above those elites, there were surely even stronger ones.
And that was only the visible force.
Human technology was still being disrupted by an unknown power; even the Divine Keys had lost their function.
At the same time, Kevin could feel it—they were constantly being watched.
"..."
Su sighed. There was nothing they could do now.
The one who had changed the world seemed to have both paranoia and obsessive tendencies.
Not just them—every single human being was under surveillance.
Orbital weapons had been deployed around the planet.
Anyone who dared to resist would be precisely struck down by beams from the heavens.
Humanity no longer had the right to develop freely, nor were they allowed to form governments of their own.
Yet, ironically, life for most people wasn't bad—quite the opposite. The vast majority lived comfortably.
After all, resources had been redistributed.
The only ones dissatisfied were the former elites—those who once held power and vast wealth.
Su felt troubled. The world now seemed destined to become a utopia—a paradise on earth.
But all of this wasn't the result of humanity's own progress. It was the work of a single powerful being, forcibly reshaping human civilization.
"Hm?"
Su suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the door—his spiritual senses detected three people.
Her?!
"Lord, I'm back," Natasha said as she pushed open the conference room door, followed by two others.
As they entered, Mobius narrowed her icy green serpent-like eyes, observing Kevin and Su as if examining wild specimens.
Kevin frowned deeply.
He didn't know what had become of the Mobius he once knew—but this one before him was clearly not her.
There was none of that faint pretense of youth that lingered after rejuvenation through age regression.
This Mobius was genuinely a child.
"My, my, big brother~ Staring at me like that—don't tell me you're into little girls? Sorry, but I'm not into boys," Mobius teased with a sly glint in her eyes, her lips curving into a playful smile.
Kevin: "..."
Having nothing better to do, Esdeath casually pulled up a chair and sat down in the conference room.
Su turned to glance at her.
Esdeath raised an amused brow. "What? Am I not allowed to sit here?"
"Of course. Sit wherever you like," Su replied with a faint smile.
Natasha said, "Lord, she wanted to come take a look at our base. I hope you don't mind."
Kevin's face remained expressionless. "It's fine. You did well."
World Serpent had once thrived in the shadows—but now, with the world changed like this, hiding no longer mattered.
"My, my, you're all such small fries~ What's the point of being so cautious around us?"
Mobius's delicate, beautiful face lit up with a mischievous smile.
This world had been completely rewritten!
Which meant no force existed that could oppose them.
When the power gap grew too vast, the weak guarding against the strong became meaningless. After all, the strong could easily crush the weak anytime. Conversely, it was the strong who should be wary of the weak—for when direct confrontation was impossible, the weak resorted to cunning and deceit.
This was why students going on expeditions had to be accompanied by faculty—to prevent them from being mentally influenced by the natives of other worlds.
In many worlds, though the locals lacked strength, their hearts were deeply corrupt.
"I'd like to know why you've come to our world," Kevin asked.
"World exploration—traveling to other universes, other worlds—that's something decided by the big sisters. It has nothing to do with me," Mobius replied lightly.
After collecting and briefly analyzing Kevin and Su's biological data, Mobius quickly lost interest in both of them.
From the data alone, the modifications on their bodies appeared to be ancient—obsolete versions from who knows how many centuries ago.
While their strength seemed decent on the surface, their weaknesses were glaringly obvious.
Moreover, the Honkai energy of this world was vastly different from the kind she was familiar with.
"If you have questions, ask Esdeath-sensei here," Mobius said casually.
She had no interest in these matters.
Even if she knew the answers, she couldn't be bothered to explain.
Kevin turned to Esdeath.
"Defeat me," she said, rising to her feet.
"Alright."
Kevin stood up as well.
Neither wasted words.
...
Meanwhile—
Siegfried was living together with little Kiana.
He instinctively felt repulsion toward the otherworldly Sirin—the invader from beyond.
And everything she had done only deepened that feeling. She ruled like a brutal, dictatorial god, suppressing humanity through sheer force.
It filled him with disgust.
After lunch, little Kiana suddenly said, "Dad, I want to go to school with Mei."
Siegfried frowned at that. Raiden Ryoma, an Anti-Entropy operative, was now his neighbor—so naturally, his daughter Raiden Mei and Kiana had become close friends.
For investigative purposes, Raiden Mei had accepted her admission letter to Chiba Academy and gone there to study.
"That Chiba Academy isn't a place for you," Siegfried said sternly.
He had looked into the curriculum. What Chiba Academy taught was the darker side of human nature—how to expose it, manipulate it, and overcome it.
They treated humanity itself as a hypothetical enemy.
That philosophy was utterly opposed to the Kaslana family creed—to fight for and protect the people.
He couldn't deny that humanity had its share of evildoers, but to educate students in such a way...
He simply couldn't accept it.
"Oh..."
Little Kiana lowered her head sadly.
She had already received an admission letter from Chiba Academy. She could attend anytime she wanted.
But her father clearly despised that academy.
"I'm going to play with Mei," she said, dashing out of the house before he could stop her.
"...Sigh."
Siegfried shook his head helplessly.
Outside—
At Raiden Mei's room.
From the doorway, Kiana heard a girl's voice: "Mei~ let me hug you, okay?"
"Elysia, stop that~" Mei's voice sounded flustered, tinged with embarrassment.
"But we're best friends! Just one hug, please?" Elysia pleaded playfully.
"You—stop right there, get away from Mei!"
Kiana burst through the door.
She saw Mei pushing away a elf-like girl with soft pink hair.