After seeing the memories extracted from Qin Suyi's mind, Lucius couldn't help but have a bold idea.
"Is there a possibility—I'm just saying it's possible."
"Actually, me being thrown back fifty thousand years wasn't the system's fault, but because there was an accident at the pre-civilization timeline's point in time?"
Yes, seeing those two colliding comets in Qin Suyi's memories, the time point of Kallen's death, the anomaly from ten years ago... combining all these situations, he arrived at a conclusion that seemed absurd but upon reflection seemed somewhat possible.
"Could it be that while descending to this world, I had an accident with Otto who was charging toward the Imaginary Tree?"
"Could one of those two comets be this system in my mind?"
Because Lucius thought that in this world, besides the power of Finality, there seemed to be the pseudo-divine power that a certain archbishop once obtained that could interfere with time.
However, after this idea arose, he felt it wasn't very likely.
Although this silly system performed quite unreliably, it shouldn't be useless to that extent, right? What kind of system crashes because of a traffic accident?
This question still had many doubts. Lucius felt there might be deeper reasons.
However, information was still limited now. He couldn't make more deductions.
But one thing could be confirmed—the reason Qin Suyi came to this era was most likely inseparable from Otto charging toward the Imaginary Tree.
And as he reviewed Qin Suyi's memories, Lucius discovered that the Seven Disciples of Taixu all seemed to have come to this era, which made him think of even more.
"Are the only ones who came to this era... really just Fu Hua's seven traitorous disciples?"
As this doubt arose, Lucius's mood gradually grew heavy.
He'd originally thought this was just a simple pre-civilization, but looking now, perhaps there were still some 'surprises' waiting for him.
"Tch... troublesome."
So many variables suddenly appearing might greatly affect his plot arrangements. This made Lucius somewhat vexed.
However, thinking of the grand aspiration of bringing the Herrscher of Finality to their knees, this bit of vexation was instantly erased. His heart filled with fighting spirit again.
"Hehe... incomprehensible things. No one can stop me from bringing the Herrscher of Finality to their knees."
"Whoever dares block me, I'll bring them to their knees first!"
So after adjusting his mindset, Lucius refocused his attention on Qin Suyi before him, whose throat he was gripping.
After taking a hit from Fenghuang Down, her face showed a foolish expression, answering anything he asked without reservation.
Lucius could even confirm that in Qin Suyi's current selfless state, he could even modify her memories, tamper with her thoughts, reshape her personality, brainwashing her into a puppet that only obeyed his commands.
Taixu Realm + Fenghuang Down was the unparalleled method for opening inner world mode.
But Lucius had no interest in this. He preferred thinking about how to bring the Herrscher of Finality to their knees.
So after confirming he'd forcibly controlled the other with Fenghuang Down, Lucius released Qin Suyi and said: "From now on, answer whatever I ask."
Although using Fenghuang Down could directly access her memories, Qin Suyi's Xinyun cultivation had reached Mingjing, already possessing strong resistance to mental interference. Continuing to forcibly access might turn her into an idiot.
So Lucius chose to use Fenghuang Down for guidance, letting her voluntarily reveal her memories.
After hearing Lucius's command, Qin Suyi stood in Hua's room and dazedly replied:
"Okay."
Then Lucius asked: "Where are your other senior brothers and sisters?"
"Naturally scattered throughout Shenzhou."
"Why did only you come alone? Or are you the only one who knows of Hua's existence?"
"Master's existence isn't a secret to us. Just previously we all thought she wasn't Master, only a flower that looked similar."
"Then why did you change your mind?"
"Recently I was nearby and sensed the aura of Taixu Sword Qi."
When discussing matters she greatly cared about, Qin Suyi's expression began growing excited, faintly showing some flush.
"This sword qi's feeling is unmistakable—absolutely Master's. Yes, I'm certain Master has also awakened to past wisdom like us. This must be Heaven giving me a chance to make amends!"
Looking at Qin Suyi before him with an excited expression, just short of humming, Lucius's face showed visible disgust.
"You step back three paces from me!"
He was currently in ghost possession state, controlling Hua's body. Hua was a good child—she absolutely couldn't be influenced by this incomprehensible madwoman.
After hearing the command, even though forcibly controlled by Fenghuang Down, Qin Suyi's face showed extreme unwillingness.
But under Fenghuang Down's power, she could only obediently retreat three steps.
"Qin Suyi, have you told your senior sisters about Hua's situation?"
"No, of course not!" Qin Suyi answered decisively, her face also showing a cold smile. "Living a second life, I've seen through it all. Those senior sisters of mine are all lunatics. The closer Master is to them, the more unfortunate she becomes."
I don't think you, madwoman, have any right to talk about others...
"How did you repair your sword heart? And how did you cultivate to Mingjing?"
When reviewing her memories earlier, Lucius knew Qin Suyi's sword heart had shattered.
But now, through Fenghuang Down, he saw her sword heart was bright as a mirror, even showing threads of transcendent feeling.
Where was there any sign of shattering? She'd almost glimpsed the Taixu Realm.
"Cultivation is nothing more than enlightenment. My sword heart shattered from guilt over backstabbing Master, but upon discovering Master's aura, I knew I had a chance to start over."
"Thus breaking the heart demon and firming the dao heart, naturally progress was rapid."
"So what is your dao heart?"
"Of course it's showing Master 'filial piety'!"
"Hehe... Master can only rely on me. Only I am most filial, most respectful of teachers, hisshahissha~"
Looking at Qin Suyi whose face still showed excitement even while forcibly controlled by Fenghuang Down, Lucius knew this madwoman's realm had skyrocketed entirely because she'd entered madness!
"Could this world also have an underlying setting of 'the madder the stronger'?"
Seeing Qin Suyi's current state, Lucius felt somewhat disgusted. He felt letting Hua contact such a person would corrupt this honest child.
But after pondering a while, Lucius sighed again.
"Forget it. She'll do if she's usable."
No matter what, this person was indeed Qin Suyi. She'd still be needed for Fu Hua's upcoming plot.
Just that with this unexpected twist, his script needed rewriting again.
After asking Qin Suyi many more questions, Lucius activated Fenghuang Down to erase Qin Suyi's memories from this period.
Then, taking advantage of her mental defenses being vacant, he planted a consciousness clone made from Fenghuang Down into her mind.
When Qin Suyi came to herself again, she found herself already walking on the nighttime street.
"What was I going to do... oh right, I was searching for Master's aura."
Qin Suyi set aside her doubts and prepared to continue investigating nearby.
Suddenly, she discovered her mental energy being touched—an additional consciousness had appeared in her mind from nothing. This put her on high alert.
"Who are you?"
In Qin Suyi's mind was naturally Lucius's consciousness separated using Fenghuang Down. However, he now had a new persona.
"Me? I'm you from the future."
"Because I discovered Master's whereabouts, I went alone to Master's home to 'show filial piety,' but before succeeding I was killed by the demon thought born in Master's body."
"Unexpectedly, after death I again traversed spacetime."
Lucius's words were full of holes. Any person with normal intelligence couldn't possibly believe them. But that was fine—he just needed to use Fenghuang Down to temporarily suppress Qin Suyi's intelligence below normal.
The academy principal who'd taken a full Intelligence Debuff and changed from Theresa to Teri-teri probably had much to say about this.
Indeed, with greatly reduced intelligence, Qin Suyi ignored the inconsistencies and easily believed it.
But what Lucius hadn't expected was that the situation didn't develop as he'd anticipated.
Qin Suyi, after accepting the setting Lucius gave, first stood dazed in place for a while, muttering to herself:
"Dying by Master's hand... dying by Master's hand..."
Then the corners of her mouth couldn't help showing a sweet smile, her face flushed.
"This is... this is too wonderful!"
Then Qin Suyi no longer lingered, turning to rush toward Hua's home.
"Master, this disciple is coming to show you filial piety!"
"..."
Seeing this situation, Lucius felt like laughing from anger.
"You incomprehensible madwoman... Fenghuang Down, do it over!"
The next moment, Fenghuang Down's power burst forth again, erasing Qin Suyi's recent memories.
"Aba aba..." Qin Suyi once again stood dazed in place.
After thinking, Lucius decided to give this incomprehensible madwoman some stronger medicine while keeping the setting unchanged.
"Qin Suyi, I'm you from the future. In the process of showing Master filial piety, I was killed by the demon thought, but Heaven took pity and still gave me one chance."
"Being killed by Master—there's such a good thing?" Qin Suyi's face grew excited. She hurriedly rushed toward Hua's home. "Master, this disciple is coming to show you filial piety!"
But at this moment, Lucius suddenly said: "What you don't know is that although Master's demon thought was born from her own memories, it has a pathological possessiveness toward Master herself."
While speaking, Lucius projected the appearance of the Herrscher of Sentience. Although having the same appearance as Fu Hua, her face showed complete madness.
"If we can't eliminate this demon thought, Master will be XXOOed then OOXXed by her!"
Qin Suyi's forward steps stopped. Her face first stiffened, then twisted.
She held her head with both hands, a furious voice emerging from her mouth.
"No... anything but this!"
"I must save Master! I must save Master!!!"
Finishing, she prepared to rush to Hua's home to fight desperately.
At this point, Lucius finally breathed a sigh of relief and said: "We can't beat her. We must call senior brothers and sisters."
Qin Suyi's face showed conflict. She really didn't want to get involved with those senior sisters again.
But thinking of Master's current situation, her face gradually firmed. Gritting her teeth, she said:
"Right, to protect Master's chastity, these are all acceptable compromises!"
"Master, just wait. This disciple will return swiftly!"
Seeing the Seven Disciples plot finally on track, Lucius only felt mentally exhausted.
"Never want to deal with these madwomen again..."
...
Although the script about Fu Hua had some twists, at least it was finally progressing now.
And in Europa, Lucius again encountered some small troubles.
After obtaining Fenghuang Down, he used it to separate consciousness after consciousness, scattering them around the world to simultaneously advance various plots.
The consciousness clone in Austria, Germany was responsible for precisely Otto's plot.
As the man the main storyline couldn't avoid no matter what, Otto's importance was naturally self-evident.
Therefore, actually even before Nagazora City's plot began, he'd already been searching for Otto's whereabouts.
But unfortunately, even after accessing the United Government's population database, he still hadn't found anyone suspected to be Otto's counterpart.
This situation meant either this person truly didn't exist, or wasn't entered in the database.
Considering Otto's importance in reincarnation, Lucius leaned toward the second possibility.
After pondering fruitlessly, he thought of the only information in the main storyline connecting pre-civilization to Otto—the information shown in the world bubble Su constructed in Sumeru Mustard Seed to test Durandal.
Inside was an existence called Dr. Otto, whose identity was Director of Fire Moth's Fifth Research Division.
But Lucius knew that world bubble was essentially constructed by Su using his own experiences as the framework and Durandal's memories as materials. The characters appearing within were all prototyped on people in Durandal's memories.
However, with a thread of hope in his heart, Lucius still investigated this Fire Moth Fifth Research Division director.
For this, he specifically accessed Fire Moth's internal information through Mobius, very easily obtaining this Fifth Research Division director's information.
The current director was named Fagal, had a wife and daughter—a happy family.
When investigating this, Lucius knew the worst had happened. He probably couldn't find someone to fill Otto's role in the short term.
Just when he was thinking whether he should unlock quantum sea exploration technology to try his luck in world bubbles, the name of a United Government councilor who frequently appeared on TV pointed him toward another line of thinking.
So following this clue, he found Otto. Only the situation seemed somewhat different from what he'd anticipated.
...
Austria, in an extremely spacious luxurious manor.
A blonde, blue-eyed human cub so cute that gender couldn't be distinguished was standing beside a broken globe.
Beside him stood another blonde, blue-eyed young man, currently using a slightly reproachful tone: "Otto, my brother, you're taking these things apart again!"
Facing his reproach, the little boy named Otto shrank back, head lowered without speaking.
Seeing him like this, the young man's brows relaxed somewhat, his tone also softening. He looked around and, finding no one else present, continued:
"Otto, as your brother, I think I should give you some advice."
"You should spend your time on cooking, poetry, painting, and combat."
Hearing his brother Fabien's tone wasn't as severe as before, Otto somewhat fearfully raised his head, eyes showing confusion.
"Otto, you simply don't understand the family's darkness..."
Fabien's eyes showed some gloom. Otto noticed he was actually gripping his hands tightly, seemingly even trembling slightly.
"In that old... Father's eyes, this generation of children aren't as important as himself. To avoid being abandoned, you need your own value."
"Your value comes from your fiancée. As long as you maintain good relations with her and preserve Father's relationship with Francis, your position in this family will be unshakeable."
Seeing that after his heartfelt words, his brother still said nothing, shrinking aside like a hamster with clenched hands, Fabien felt frustrated at his lack of ambition.
"Sigh... Otto, do you know how much I envy you..." Fabien left somewhat disappointed.
Watching his brother leave, Otto finally raised his head, hands clenched tightly, eyes showing determination.
He ran back to his room, dragged out a box from under the bed and opened it.
After seeing what was inside, Otto's originally downcast little face finally showed a trace of smile.
Inside the box was a portable wearable flying device.
Only this flying device was assembled from various strange parts—backpack, wine bottles, gilded plates, copper pipes, exposed wires... various common miscellaneous items assembled together, actually like a wearable portable flying device.
Or rather, this was a real flying device.
Otto opened one clenched hand. In his palm lay several gilded screws.
Then he screwed them onto this flying device.
"This should work..." A soft voice emerged from his mouth. Otto's face showed joy.
Unlike the dazed appearance when facing his brother's reproach earlier, he could actually completely understand what the other was saying, and likewise knew... what the family's darkness was.
After all, some time ago he'd personally witnessed eldest brother coming out from Father's never-accessible house clutching his buttocks.
He'd also seen eldest brother encounter sister Bianca after coming out. They'd conversed about something unknown, causing this daughter Father cared most about to become extremely angry, even running to confront Father. During this he'd even heard Father shouting things like "do you understand filial piety?"
After that, this sister completely broke with Father and left the family manor.
Originally these matters had nothing to do with him. After all, he was just one of Father's countless descendants, only gaining Father's slight attention because he'd somehow been selected as a marriage alliance target with another family.
In this cage called home, he'd always been at the lowest position of the ecological niche. Not many people paid attention to him.
Otto had thought such days would continue until he came of age and left this cage through marriage alliance.
But recently Otto discovered Father's attitude toward him was becoming increasingly wrong. He often muttered to himself as if no one else existed, saying things like "similar" and "really similar," making him feel chilled and fearful.
A strong sense of crisis urged him to quickly leave this cage.
Otherwise, Otto always felt something terrible might happen.
But due to Father's further perverted control obsession, the manor's surroundings all had guards stationed. He knew with his physique he couldn't possibly run out.
Therefore, he set his sights on the sky.
Although unable to leave from the ground, he could make a flying device to escape.
Now everything was ready. Next was the time to flee this cage.
Thinking of this, Otto dragged the box and, following calculated timing, evaded the manor's servants and Father's surveillance, arriving at the garden behind the manor.
Using tree cover, he began adjusting the flying device.
"Icarus, I'm counting on you from now on..."
This was the name Otto gave this flying device, named after Greek mythological allusions he'd read, also carrying his small hope.
So Otto began adjusting the flying device.
Wires were connected one by one. This joke-like flying device actually began trembling slightly. At this point, Otto knew he was mostly successful.
Because the flying device had activated. Next was to wear it.
Then—break out of the cage!
Taking a deep breath, eyes showing no lingering attachment, Otto prepared to fasten this flying device onto himself.
But at this moment, a crimson feather floated down.
Then a voice rang out in his mind.
Otto's heart jumped in alarm. His arm accidentally touched the flying device's valve.
Thus, accompanied by a rushing air current, he watched the flying device ascend toward the sky. At the same time, the various miscellaneous items composing the flying device began scattering.
But Otto, currently staring at the departing flying device, didn't notice that across the manor's high wall, a small hand emerged from the wall's top.
Then a white-haired little girl poked her head out from the wall top.
At this moment, from the flying device in the sky, a wine bottle fell down, directly hitting her head.
"Thunk!"
With a pleasant sound, this little white blob's body stiffened. Her azure eyes began showing spirals.
The next moment, she slid down from the high wall like water droplets on glass.
Otto looked toward the high wall and found nothing above.
However, he didn't care about this, because in his vision, changes worth noting appeared.
披bathed in sunlight, a handsome blonde man appeared before him.
Although the age difference was great, Otto always felt he resembled a more mature, more confident version of himself.
"You, you are...?"
Regarding Otto's confusion, the blonde, blue-eyed man smiled and replied:
"The explanation is somewhat troublesome. Simply put... I went to the very distant future, experienced various encounters, and finally had the chance to appear before you."
"You can call me Otto Apocalypse—you from the future."
Future, traversing spacetime—these terms weren't unfamiliar to the book-loving Otto. But compared to these, at this moment he cared more about another matter.
Otto looked behind. Because of the commotion the flying device just made, most people in the manor had been alerted. Now they were rushing here.
Otto's eyes showed pleading.
"Can you take me away from here?"
"Of course."
The man calling himself Otto Apocalypse lightly snapped his fingers. The surrounding time flow seemed to have the pause button pressed.
Facing little Otto, he extended his hand while saying: "But I hope you know that once you grasp my hand, there's no turning back."
But regarding his warning, little Otto didn't hesitate even a bit, extending his small hand to grip firmly.
Thus, little Otto's life was about to be ruined.
So Otto Apocalypse—or rather Lucius—finally couldn't suppress the smile pulling at his lips.
"Very good. Otto's role is confirmed. Next is Kallen... she's also only twelve. There shouldn't be much difficulty."
"Then I'll use Fenghuang Down to forcibly control Otto's old man and siblings. Soon I can complete this production and have Otto take over the Schicksal Archbishop role."
Reviewing the plan in his mind, Lucius was in an extremely pleasant mood.
"I didn't expect no complications this time. What an unprecedentedly wonderful start~"
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