Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Mobius had some truly rotten luck.

Her original plan was to use the Honkai, gain the power of a Herrscher, and thereby escape the confines of Noldrei's control.

But, while the Honkai did grant Mobius power, that power ended up splitting her in two.

The cruel irony was that the Herrscher of Sentience's abilities had absolutely no effect on Noldrei.

"Mobius, my dear, I admire your pursuit of freedom and your clever little schemes. But you really shouldn't have done that again. We're talking about the Honkai, after all. Look, you don't need some cool Herrscher skin, nor do you need to mess with Honkai Energy for your research. Why put yourself through all this trouble?"

Noldrei had always been good to his new subordinates, even though he knew Mobius would surely get new ideas once her power swelled. But for now, Noldrei still needed both Mobiuses to work for him.

"You won, so of course, everything you say is right."

Mobius now understood perfectly.

Noldrei wasn't treating her like a lab rat; rather, he had absolute confidence in his own body. A confidence born from the certainty that she could research him forever and never figure him out.

The man simply didn't take her research skills seriously at all.

"Now that's where you're wrong. I win because I'm right. Ely, go comfort Mobius. And while you're at it, ask her where she wants to work in the future, or what kind of research projects she wants to take on."

Noldrei had found the perfect person to chat with Mobius. He believed that under Elysia's excellent communication skills, Mobius would surely be able to embrace a happy life in the Current Era.

"Grandma Mobius! Let me tell you about the current situation, and the research projects you'll be participating in."

"..."

Mobius suspected that coming out was a mistake. She never should have believed the nonsense from Elysia and the people of the Current Era.

No wonder Aponia never showed her face; she must have foreseen this day long ago.

Mobius should have realized why Aponia, with her powers of divination, would suddenly make so many pointless moves.

It was clearly because Aponia had encountered a situation she couldn't comprehend, and having lost her powers of precognition, she simply decided to shut her doors to all visitors.

"Kevin has already cleared out an area. We'll be taking in the people there next, and the best-case scenario is to gain control over their lives. Your most important task right now, Mobius, is to figure out a way to research and develop a system of 'Signets'."

The Signets Elysia mentioned are a unique power system from the Elysian Realm. They're somewhat like random stat bonuses in a game, providing unique buffs under specific conditions.

"What do you mean?"

Mobius, of course, knew about the Signet system in the Elysian Realm. It was more like a temporary Stigma-like system that provided services to the memory constructs.

"Mobius, my dear, don't get too excited about what I'm about to say. Although your Signet of Infinity is rather useless, it's the perfect tool for teaching others."

Mobius really didn't know how to deal with the current Elysia. She found Elysia's words getting more and more outrageous. Had she picked up bad habits from someone?

Elysia seemed to ignore Mobius's uncomfortable expression. What could a mere snake do to the beautiful Miss Pink Elf? Wasn't she still obediently under his control?

"The Signet of Infinity can act upon memories, using properties like time delay and acceleration to achieve corresponding effects. It's especially influential on memory constructs. So... we were thinking of using your creations to establish a system within the Stigma Space, allowing more people to complete their learning and change the effectiveness of their own work."

Mobius had never thought of such an application.

After all, she had been cooped up in the Elysian Realm for a long time and didn't have a large enough social group to experiment on, so she couldn't conduct similar tests.

Now that someone was actually trying to use the Stigma Space for such a purpose, it was indeed a novel idea.

Using the Stigma Space for teaching? Isn't that a bit too extravagant?

"Do you even have enough Stigma users to link together like that?"

Mobius had, of course, learned about the Stigma Battlesuits Noldrei mentioned.

They transferred the negative effects of the Honkai through a form of living compensation, a method of using Honkai that was beyond their imagination.

It was like seeing someone wearing an anti-Unforgivable-Curse suit filled with living mice. Simple, practical, and filled with the imagination of a pragmatic materialist.

Elysia then explained the difficulties they were currently facing.

She explained, "We've run into some trouble. For example, we've learned that the will born from a Stigma is closely related to a person's education, past experiences, and the records a civilization has of that person. So, research has been ongoing into how to tap into Imaginary Space for energy through the expressed will of these individuals active in society."

"But we've encountered an interesting problem. If the will within the Stigma Space is a congealed piece, or a 'slice,' of the Imaginary power from reality, then here's the question: If a person learns and lives within the Stigma Space and changes their own will, can they still synchronize with their Stigma as usual? Or will it cause a corresponding effect within the Stigma Space?"

"This is where we need you, Dr. Mobius, to step in."

A research project this huge, right after I just got out?

Snakey had no idea Noldrei would entrust her with something so important. She felt a real urge to jump at the chance, but she suppressed her thirst for research.

No, I can't give in for such a 'small' benefit.

"We have one doctor who is researching how to directly influence Stigma from the physical, genetic level. And you, Mobius? You'll need to research from within the Stigma, to figure out how Stigma, in turn, influences reality."

"It's just like how World Serpent researches the relationship between information, memory, and life. The Current Era is truly studying these concepts out in the open. You won't have to be secretive like in the past, nor will you have to worry about finding your own research materials."

At this point, Elysia looked a bit troubled.

"And because of all this, the Honkai has been hiding, refusing to come out. It's as if it's worried we'll study it too much. Many people are desperately in need of Honkai ICHOR factors to generate more genetic variables and possibilities."

"The progress of the Current Era is achieved by cannibalizing the Honkai."

Mobius felt as if she had heard an incredible descriptor. Not coexistence, not even usurpation, but the construction of new life through naked cannibalism.

To put it simply: mining and eating people.

'Doesn't that make being a Herrscher in this era incredibly dangerous?'