Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Noldrei no longer concerned himself with the affairs of the outside world.

He had already brought Elysia back to the Elysian Realm.

Elysia shared tales of the "happy" life outside, describing just how "outstanding" the humans of the Current Era were.

Although Elysia was trying her best to pick out the good parts...

Mobius still managed to read between the lines and pick up on several interesting points. "Doesn't that mean," she sneered, "that the humans of your era would be doomed even without the Honkai?"

"We have seven billion people," Noldrei stated calmly.

"And what good are seven billion?" Mobius retorted coldly. "They'll only kill each other."

"We have seven billion people."

"If you can't beat the Honkai, any number of people is useless."

"We have seven billion people."

"Is that the only thing you can say?"

"Oh, and we still have seven billion people after fighting the Honkai!"

"I... @#$%_&-+()/."

Mobius's defenses were completely broken. She thought of the Previous Era, which had fought so hard and still failed, only for the Current Era to stumble its way through and have a prodigy fall from the sky.

What kind of cosmic joke was this? The Current Era had reaped all the benefits of the Previous Era's struggles.

It was like a self-made millionaire father watching his second-generation son take the entire family fortune to start a business, only to discover that all the competitors were even bigger idiots. The father, who had wanted to teach his son a lesson about the harsh realities of the world, could only watch in disbelief as his son rode the wave, doubled the family fortune, and surpassed him in influence.

"Calm down, calm down! There's no need for this, really!"

"That's right, that's right. We're all dead, after all. There's no point in getting worked up over this."

The Flame-Chasers were generally more magnanimous. They had accepted their own deaths with remarkable serenity.

For them now, the main concern was how to live on, especially how to face a strange new world when they finally got out. They were, to some extent, excited. The Elysian Realm was nice, but it wasn't the real world.

Only Mobius was proud and arrogant. This was true when comparing herself to the original Mobius who created her, and even more so regarding the prospect of being under Noldrei's thumb once she left.

But what kind of man was His Majesty the Emperor? Would he really antagonize his future top researcher over such a small matter?

He immediately stepped forward to console her. "You need not worry. This is precisely why I've come to ask for your help. You are the unyielding mountain, and I, the steadfast pine. Even should my body be ground to dust, I will never fail you!"

"Mobius, don't be fooled by their seven billion people. In reality, they're a disorganized mess, completely useless. I reckon they'll only win against the Honkai by pure luck, pulling a few heroes from the gacha."

"But I estimate they're already in trouble. The times have changed, and the conflict between them is no longer about the Honkai destroying civilization. As people gradually master the power of Stigma and ideologies become increasingly transparent, the divisions will become sharper than humanity could ever imagine!"

"When that time comes, who has power and who doesn't, what they think, what they want—a simple test with a Stigma Battlesuit will reveal it all."

"Just imagine," Noldrei said with a meaningful smile, "when that time comes... what a beautiful new world you and I will witness!"

Mobius was speechless for a moment. She watched as Noldrei stepped forward, took her hands, and began to pitch his new world to her. With his face being identical to Kevin's, anyone who didn't know better would think she had just NTR'd Dr. MEI.

Elysia, who had been watching from the side, had to interrupt them. "Um, you probably shouldn't be saying things about being 'ground to dust.' We're already dead, so you don't really have a body to be ground up."

Elysia even thought it was debatable who would be grinding whom into dust between Noldrei and a pulverizer.

Noldrei nodded in agreement. "Good point. Then, with Dr. Mobius's help, I shall be like a fish in water!"

"I know that one! The son of the man who was told that worked his strategist to death!"

Elysia felt this wasn't a very auspicious metaphor, especially since the "heir" in Noldrei's household was indeed a bit of an "Adou."

Noldrei frowned and pondered. "Then... as they say, strong winds test the sturdy grass..."

"The man praised with that line was dismissed from his post six times."

Elysia suggested that Noldrei might want to try another one.

He felt Elysia might be jealously trying to sabotage him. "How do you know everything?" he asked, annoyed. "Aren't you from the Previous Era?"

"When I came to the Current Era, the first thing I did was study your historical figures, especially the more famous rulers. Most of the time I spend with you, I'm reading those kinds of history books."

Elysia explained the source of her knowledge. It was, after all, what she was always reading with Noldrei.

Mobius felt like the two of them were treating her like a clown.

"Hmph! If you're only here to laugh at me, then once I'm out, I'll turn you all into my lab rats!"

Noldrei immediately rebuked her. "Absolutely not! If you're busy researching other people, how will you have time to research my body?! At the research speed of your local talent, how many years would it take to finish studying me? And now you want to get distracted with others?! I see you want to become the next Tesla! How can you contribute your strength to human evolution with an attitude like that!"

He spoke with such conviction that Mobius was utterly stunned.

She took a small step back, her guard up. "The process of evolution is inherently ugly," she said warily. "Research itself involves destruction and violence. I refuse to believe a guy like you would willingly become a lab rat."

"Hm? What's so ugly about the process of evolution? It's not like Elysia and I haven't watched men and women procreating. It's nothing special. Just the random combination and propagation of genes, with a bit of releasing sexual tension thrown in."

Noldrei held onto Mobius's hands, afraid she would run away. He then sprouted a third hand and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. "You people are still too conservative. In our Academy City, we're already preparing courses on multi-limbed research. And you're still here debating whether evolution is ugly or beautiful. Too conservative! You can't have that kind of thinking when you get out!"

"You're already so powerful. Wouldn't adding a few more arms and legs make your work more convenient? I've observed you people. Even after your MANTIS modifications, you've all maintained your original humanoid forms. It's a bit unnecessary, don't you think?"

"When you get out, however many heads and arms you want, I'll get you that kind of body. How about it?"

Mobius tried several times to pull her hands away, but to no avail.

She secretly swore that once she was out, she would show this guy what's what and let him witness the true wisdom of a researcher from the Previous Era