Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"Hmm?" Brunhilde teased.

"Ah! Bubu... Waaaaah... Theresa is a bad girl, Bubu must punish the disobedient Theresa..."

"What a cute, hungry little rascal."

"Hey hey hey..."

Brunhilde decided to reward her lovely little aunt with a rainbow piercing the sun and a sudden storm.

The door opened, and Cecilia, a silver-haired married woman, walked in. She glanced casually at the two people at the wooden table, sat down, and opened an IBM laptop, which was just becoming popular in Schicksal at the time. "I've heard the details. I found some information about the Herrschers. The previous civilization had many Herrschers. Generally speaking, they can be considered as Honkai will executors with a Honkai energy level reaching 1000 HW. They are powerful and have mastered one or more physical laws. This era's civilization also has a Herrscher, the First Herrscher, Welt Yang from the North American branch. I also found his information. ...Are you two ready?"

The volcano erupted, and Theresa sobbed, her toes, like creamy ice cream, curling and clenching before finally relaxing helplessly. The boy kissed her lips, straightened her skirt, and stood up, smiling at Cecilia, "I'm sorry, Sister Lydia."

"Haaah, haaah... Theresa will be good... Bubu, Cecilia... don't leave Theresa... whatever Theresa wants to do, she'll do... even if there are many, many Valkyries, Theresa won't be jealous..." The silver-haired beauty on the table repeated softly. Brunhilde helplessly wiped her eyes and let her fall asleep.

Cecilia looked at the girl who immediately fell into a deep sleep, equally helpless, "In gaming terms, she's bad at the game but loves to play."

“Have we been a little too harsh on Auntie?” Brunhilde stretched. “It feels like she’s already gotten used to it deep down.”

"It's you who went too far, not me," Cecilia snorted. "But Bubu, I never expected you to be so interested in someone with Theresa's figure?"

“Auntie is so cute when her toes can’t touch the ground,” Brunhilde laughed. “Although Leah might not understand what I mean.”

"Ah, I understand that."

"Can you understand?"

"It's that feeling of conquering from above, isn't it? I'm not stupid. When you could still let me pick you up with one hand, I liked playing with you like that too." Cecilia said innocently. "Back then, you were also on your feet, and you were so angry that your face turned red and you looked like you were about to yell at me. That's when I knew that Bubu would definitely be the top when he grew up. You've never been willing to be the bottom even a little bit since you were little."

Brunhilde looked embarrassed. "Let's get down to business, let's get down to business!"

"Now look at this table. This is a table I used to assess the difference between the First Herrscher's combat power and mine after my investigation. Specifically, if the Herrscher's combat power is at Welt's level, I would probably only need six-tenths of my strength to defeat her. Of course, Theresa might not be able to defeat her even if she tried her best. But Welt is, after all, a Herrscher who is biased towards humanity, so it's uncertain whether his combat power can be used as a standard unit of measurement for Herrschers. And look here, this is a radiation map of the forty-two Honkai energy reactions around the Tower of Babel..."

“Otto’s words are not entirely credible. In his conversation with Theresa just now, he deliberately omitted what happened at the Tower of Babel. He only mentioned that there was Honkai in the surrounding area, but he didn’t mention why the Honkai was born,” Brunhilde commented. “The information is still incomplete, and we cannot trust Otto’s one-sided story. Otto may not tell Theresa everything either.”

"So, how exactly should we proceed? Should we try infiltrating the Tower of Babel during wartime?"

“We need to find evidence of the artificial human experiments. If Babel really conducted experiments that destroyed humanity, the horror of this matter is probably no less than that of the Herrscher. This means that at least Schicksal’s credibility is bankrupt… But it doesn’t matter, such credibility should indeed be bankrupt.”

"It seems there aren't any of Otto's direct subordinates here."

"Then it doesn't matter."

The Snow Wolf Squad also joined the discussion, and they began to discuss tactics for defeating the Herrscher. After all, no matter how much Otto had concealed, the Herrscher was a disaster for all humanity, and if their intervention was necessary to resolve the situation, then they had no choice but to step in.

Even Otto's overt schemes had to work on this.

Noon the next day.

After dropping Kiana off at daycare, Cecilia got into her family's car, which was still her favorite sports sedan, a four-seater chosen to suit life with a child.

In the passenger seat, Mistelin appeared like a ghost, casually fastening her seatbelt.

"Do quantum states also need seatbelts?" Cecilia asked.

“Quantum states don’t even need to wear clothes,” Misterlin said calmly. “So, it’s just for the sake of human rituals.”

"It's been a long time," Cecilia remarked. "Ever since Bubu and I became husband and wife in effect, you've rarely come out. Is it because you no longer need to constantly remind me to give Brunhilde blood transfusions?"

"Ah."

“You seem to care a lot about Brunhilde. I have never seen you pay such attention to any human being, not even me.”

"I didn't hide it from you."

"So, you weren't actually born for me, were you?" Cecilia said quietly.

Mistelin paused for a moment, then shook her head. "No, theoretically, I was indeed born for you. My appearance is also thanks to you. The Sariat Stigmata is a form without human appearance, but I retain this appearance because he loves you."

“No, that’s not right, is it? You were already my Stigmata before he was born.” Cecilia retorted quickly, but then she fell into thought, biting her finger for a while before her eyebrows relaxed.

"You are very smart."

"Is that so? No wonder I've always felt that you were secretly watching him from somewhere. Are you already so familiar with him? He... likes me from another timeline?"

“To be precise, it’s just another time period,” Mistelin said calmly. “For the vast majority of the time, you are the protagonist of his story. You are very lucky. No matter how the world changes or how time turns, as long as he sees you, he belongs to you, and that has never changed.”

"Ah... is that so?" Cecilia looked at her indifferent expression, opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.

But then she took Mistelin's hand without hesitation and smiled, "But there must be. You're the protagonist of his world, right? You love him so much, just like I do. You must have memories he can never forget, right?"

Mistelin stared blankly at her hand being held.

She frowned, perhaps realizing that frowning was a bad attitude, and tried to pull her hand away. But Cecilia held her hand tightly, and she didn't know how to break free.

What to say?

She had imagined confronting Cecilia more than once. She didn't think it was a big deal; possessing Cecilia's body, adopting Cecilia's appearance, deceiving the child with Cecilia's voice… it wasn't a big deal either. "I can apologize, what more do you want from me?" she thought. "When he needed closeness, when he needed help, I was there for him. I did everything; shouldn't I get some interest?"

But she was a fraud; she never received any real affection from "Shen Liang" from beginning to end.

So after Cecilia returned, she remained behind the scenes, and that was enough.

But Cecilia held her hand.

Mistelin was somewhat dazed again.

She nodded. "Of course, I've also had moments when I was the main character in that child's story."

“Then we’re family, senior.” Cecilia laughed. “I don’t understand anything about timelines, and I don’t want to figure it out in detail, but I feel like you seem to be thinking of giving up. How can that be? Giving up on someone you like so easily? Bubu doesn’t know anything and he’s being given up on. Isn’t that very unfair to him?”

"It's very unfair to you that I love him using your identity, isn't it?"

"Uh, I don't care if it's when I don't know."

"..."

“I really don’t care. You say I’m a lucky woman, and that’s what being a lucky woman is all about. I met adorable white-haired, red-eyed Ragdoll cats when I was young, I met adorable white-haired, red-eyed Ragdoll cats when I grew up, and even after I’m gone, I can still meet adorable white-haired, red-eyed Ragdoll cats.” Cecilia said with a smile, “When I’m not around, instead of entrusting myself to other women, I’ll entrust myself to another version of myself. You see, a lucky woman can always pet cute young cats.”

Two identical, tall, silver-haired, mature women, one in casual clothes and the other in a straitjacket, stared at each other. Cecilia smiled broadly, while Mistelin's lips parted slightly, and she finally sighed.

"We can't win..."

Cecilia flashed a peace sign, striking a victorious pose.

"So I guess Bubu's genetic modification is also thanks to her predecessors?" she asked again.

“The chances of him having offspring with someone else are close to zero. As an experimental subject that has evolved to near perfection, it can be said that nature does not allow him to reproduce.” Misterlin’s eyes wandered for a moment before she said, “Even Dr. Mebius could not achieve this genetic modification, so naturally I have no way to do it either.”

"Putting aside Möbius for now... does that mean the hospital's tests were actually correct, and Bubu is indeed unlikely to have children?"

“Yes, so I…” Mistelin hesitated for a few minutes before deciding to tell the whole story. “It’s not without its benefits that I’ve been hiding in your body for so many years. For example, I’ve spent over a hundred years adjusting this body and his genetic suitability to an absolute match.”

Cecilia blinked her beautiful eyes, seemingly stunned by the bombshell news, and remained speechless for a long time before asking, "What do you mean by 'perfect match'?"

She has a fairly good grasp of scientific knowledge. Does Mistelin mean she actually performed genetic modifications on her? Over a century of modifications… in what direction were they adjusting her? Could it be…

“Cecilia, why can you inject your blood directly into Brunhilde’s veins without surgery? Why can you summon me? Why do you have two holy marks on your body? Why do you involuntarily become weak and even emotional when facing Brunhilde?” Mistelin smiled faintly. “You’ve probably guessed the answer by now. It’s because I’m using your body, and I’ve completed the most unsuccessful project of several doctors over the past hundred years! That was to adjust the genetic strength of a mother body that matches hers! The doll was the most powerful human in the previous civilization, even surpassing humans. So, in this era, it’s natural to cultivate you into the most powerful human as well!”

"I am... the strongest human?" Cecilia wasn't particularly concerned about this; she had always lived under this title. She was only slightly surprised to learn the truth now. "You..."

“So your blood can nourish the doll, not because your blood is so special, but because your genes are deliberately coupled with his, a masterpiece I’ve honed over centuries in Teyvat.” Mistelin pulled up her collar, her smile tinged with arrogance. “In a way, you could even say you’re like Adam and Eve, an inseparable whole. The doll once had the sacred blood flowing in your veins, so he can accept your blood without any risk… You could even say you’re literally spiritually connected, blood-bound, coexisting and symbiotic; what flows in your veins is even something with the same genes.”

Cecilia was taken aback. "But strictly speaking, the Shaniat Holy Blood is transmitted through Holy Marks. Aren't you the Shaniat Holy Mark? If we share the same genetic bloodline... then you are both Bubu's Holy Mark and mine, aren't you?"

Mistelin thought about it and realized that made sense.

"Am I the link between the two of you?"

She felt a little annoyed. Just a moment ago, she was at least a "love rival" who could stand on equal footing with Cecilia. Now that she had become a "link," it felt like she had regressed from a cool and beautiful girl to a comical matchmaker.

Its prestige plummeted instantly.

Cecilia seemed to have thought of something again.

"So when Bubu and I are together at night... are you actually watching from the sidelines?" She asked a question on a whim, which sounded rather stubborn.

Mistelin shrugged indifferently, "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it."

"It must be quite novel to be able to see yourself from a third-person perspective, right?"

"Hmm... a little bit, seeing yourself wailing or crying is also a very interesting experience."

"Could you control my body and let me see things from your perspective? Please, senior, I'm really interested!"

"?"

Chapter 72 The Black-Haired, Red-Eyed Clones

New Year's Day, 2000, in the dead of winter.

North of the Ural Mountains in Siberia, at the junction with the Kara Strait, lies a frigid permafrost harbor.

Tower of Babel.

You won't find the Tower of Babel on a map. This place is located in a truly icy and snowy land, hidden on the border of humanity. All around it are the Ural Mountains, which are covered in snow all year round, and permafrost that is harder than metal. To the north lies the Barents Sea, which is frozen and gray all year round.

All around them was uninhabited territory. The nearest city was Serktevkar in the Komi Republic, a place that 99% of the world's population had never heard of. Babel Towers favored this location, as it meant they could do whatever they wanted without being monitored. After all, even polar bears couldn't survive here, and no one would dare venture into such a desolate place.

But the interior of the Tower of Babel was full of life.

The Tower of Babel experimental site alone cost over four billion US dollars to build, making it a rare and extravagant building even among the world's most luxurious. However, compared to building complexes that often occupy hundreds of thousands or even millions of square meters, the Tower of Babel is just a building of about twenty stories, with a total of only thirty-three floors including the underground.

It's hard to imagine such a meager setup costing so much. Even considering the labor costs of working on the permafrost, one might suspect the person in charge embezzled over 3 billion yuan. But in reality, only the researchers living here know that this cost is accurate. The Tower of Babel covers 200,000 square meters, is a completely enclosed structure, and has its own independent ecosystem. Its food and water resources function without the need for additional supplies.

Furthermore, the tower possesses a military defense level of 1 for conventional weapons and a level 2 for nuclear weapons, meaning that even the nuclear weapons that annihilated Nagasaki fifty years ago would have had virtually no impact on this building.