I cosplayed as the battle-damaged Azure Sparrow and got caught by the Immortal Boat!

In Ohma, the afternoon sun shines warmly on everything.

Most people went to participate in the "Chimera" themed interactive projects.

After discussing with everyone, Xi Lian decided to make "Chimera Job Interaction" and "Chimera Battle" the first major events launched in "Heroes of Onpharos".

The event not only allows you to command chimeras, but also has a very low probability of obtaining a unique "Chimera Memory Spirit" partner who is connected to you on a spiritual level.

This project brought a massive amount of work: designing the behavioral logic of the AI ​​chimera, conducting attribute balance testing, and choreographing event storylines.

The recording schedules of the Golden Generation members had to give way to these "miscellaneous tasks".

Thus, our director Qingyuan enjoyed a rare, leisurely afternoon. She strolled over to Custom Name 2, only to find Bai E leaning back in a chair, resting with his eyes closed.

"Bai E?" Qing Yuan was somewhat surprised. "Aren't you going to help?"

"You and Bige must have a lot of scenes to record related to the Chimera storyline and motion capture, right?"

Bai E didn't even open his eyes, and lazily replied, "No rush, it's not too late to go when they actually call me."

Besides, Bigeye doesn't seem to have any objections, right, Bigeye?

The light and shadow on his shoulder flickered, and a lazy "gurgle" came in agreement.

"Okay," Qingyuan found a flat rock next to him and sat down.

Since no one is coming to arrest you, it must not be urgent.

"Perfect timing, how about we chat? I have some questions, unrelated to work, just pure personal curiosity."

Bai E then opened his eyes, turned his head, and revealed a peaceful smile: "Of course, Director Qing Yuan. Please feel free to ask me anything."

"It's about the scene you were filming before," Qingyuan said, organizing her thoughts, "the scene where you fought against Wan Di."

Why did you so obviously "go easy"?

I understand that it might touch on some unpleasant memories, but logically speaking, wouldn't it be easier for you to finish the recording quickly and accurately and end that "performance" sooner?

"Dragging it out and repeatedly starting over only prolongs the discomfort, doesn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Bai E did not answer immediately. He looked up again at the dappled light filtering through the simulated leaves, closed his eyes, and seemed to be sorting out his long-standing and chaotic thoughts.

After a while, he opened his eyes again, his face still bearing that gentle smile.

"Well... let me organize my thoughts," he said slowly. "I think it might be a kind of... deeply ingrained habit."

"Habit?"

"Yes. Just like back then, whenever I felt the nauseating aura of the 'Iron Tomb,' I would inevitably feel hatred and murderous intent welling up from the depths of my soul."

"Holding back"—or rather, "guiding" rather than "destroying" in battle—is also a habit ingrained in one's bones over a long period of time.

Bai'er's voice was calm, as if he were narrating someone else's story: "In that endless cycle of the past, I appeared as the 'Fire Thief.'"

Most of the time, it's not about killing anyone, but about advancing the "fire-chasing" process, allowing the flame to be passed on, and enabling key "variables" to emerge.

Therefore, my battles often leave room for maneuver; they are a means of pressure, guidance, and even... to spur awakening.

He paused, then added, "Now that the cycle has ended, my power is much weaker than before, but that 'habit' has remained."

When I need to perform a 'non-lethal' act, my body and instincts seem to enter that mode before my consciousness does.

"I see..." Qingyuan nodded thoughtfully. "Then... have you never gone all out, determined to completely annihilate your opponent?"

"Yes." Bai E answered without hesitation, but his eyes instantly became deep and distant. "When I thought the time was right and it was time to take back the fire, in order not to let my companions suffer too much pain, I had to give them a 'final end'."

At that time, I would resolve it decisively and cleanly.

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence between the two of them.

Qingyuan suddenly lowered her head, her voice filled with regret and self-reproach: "So... I've actually been forcing you to repeatedly touch upon and 'play' that memory and grief of killing your companions."

I know perfectly well what that past means to you, but I only thought about the filming effect…”

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, “Yes, I wasn’t really involved in your past at all. At most… I was just an observer watching the story through the light cone.”

What right do I have to make such a demand of you...?

Seeing her shrouded in a cloud of loss and guilt, Bai E smiled gently.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, his tone gentle yet firm, "It's really okay, Director Qingyuan."

That's all in the past, and we volunteered to participate in the filming. You don't need to be so hard on yourself.

He paused, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. "Besides, from the moment we 'first' met in Onphalus, your understanding of us, the way you look at us..."

But it doesn't feel like looking at a 'stranger' at all. Perhaps, in your lost memories...

"I'm in a hurry, can I borrow Qingyuan for a moment? Thank you."

A monotone electronic voice abruptly interrupted him.

Silver Wolf's projection appeared between the two with a "whoosh," its pixelated style outfit seeming out of place in the quiet forest.

She didn't even glance at Bai E, and spoke directly to Qing Yuan.

"Silver Wolf?" Qingyuan was startled. "Where did you learn this... way of expressing yourself?"

"Never mind that." The projection of the silver wolf waved its hand, its tone unusually urgent. "We need your help now. The goal is to cure Firefly's entropy disorder."

"Huh? Me?!" Qingyuan pointed to her nose, astonished. "You want me to use my hunting power to travel and my brute force to solve puzzles, that's fine, but saving people? Especially something like entropy loss..."

"We know," Silver Wolf interrupted again, speaking quickly, "of course we don't expect you to be able to conjure up a treatment plan by hand 'right now'."

"The fireflies are already waiting at the deduction array. Go there now and cooperate in a targeted deduction to see if you can find any useful fragments of information from the 'future' or 'possibility.' If this path doesn't work..."

She paused for a moment. "We have a backup plan, but it's more costly. Go now."

Since it concerned Liu Ying, Qing Yuan dared not delay and immediately stood up: "I'll go right away!" As soon as she finished speaking, she transformed into a streak of blue light and sped towards the direction of the formation.

What she didn't see was that after she left, the silver wolf's projection didn't disappear immediately; instead, it turned towards Bai E, who remained in the same spot.

"I'm telling you," the virtual avatar of Silver Wolf crossed its arms, its tone carrying a hint of warning, "don't blurt out every guess. Especially not in front of her."

Bai E showed no surprise at the sudden appearance and subsequent lingering of this Star Core Hunter, merely nodding slightly:

"This must be the renowned Star Core Hunter, Miss Silver Wolf, whom Miss Qingyuan mentioned. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hmph, she's the only one who can talk about us Star Core Hunters so 'naturally' in Onfaros these days."

Silver Wolf's tone was somewhat complicated. "She's naive and has no sense of caution. She always thinks she can do whatever she wants just because she's strong enough."

And the result? The opponents they were matched against were Marshal Hua of the Immortal Boat, members of that troublesome genius club, and "Little Fuli," a player who, even "Burning Wind" would likely stumble in Onfaros's home arena.

She seemed to remember something, and the projected data stream fluctuated: "Elliot said that if it were just to protect Onpharos, Xilian would not have needed to expand her memory destiny power so urgently."

But if...she intends to project her power beyond Onpharos, then indeed, she could be of great help at some point in the future.

"I will convey your words to Lord Xilian tactfully at the appropriate time."

Bai E responded, then asked a more pressing question, "So, regarding the conjecture I didn't finish explaining... what kind of error could have occurred that would be detrimental to Miss Qing Yuan?"

Silver Wolf remained silent for a moment, and the edges of the projected pixels seemed to blur for a instant.

"No," she finally answered, her voice lower, "it's precisely because you guessed right that it will be detrimental to her."

Some images and perceptions have been too stimulating for her "present".

Therefore, once you see any "future fragments" in your deductions featuring her as the protagonist and set outside of Onphalus,

The best approach is to put her into a deep sleep directly, rather than letting her "experience the whole thing."

"I understand." Bai E nodded solemnly, then asked, "One last question:"

Based on your vision of the 'future,' is there still a risk that the 'Iron Tomb' will descend upon Onpharos in this world again?

"No." Silver Wolf answered crisply, even with a hint of "this question is superfluous," "Not to mention that Xi Lian now has achieved unprecedented complete control over the 'Scepter' after fusing with that core light cone."

Even before her ascension, the current timeline was already anchored in the causal relationship of the "Iron Tomb's Fall," which fundamentally prevented the Iron Tomb from ever being resurrected.

Her projection shrugged, "In Onpharos, the current Xilian is only a match for the Star God himself."

What's even more "cheating" is that there is currently no known way to prevent her from returning to Onfaros.

Even if something happens to her outside, she will be "resurrected" in Onpharos... This mechanism is simply unsolvable.

Alright, enough chit-chat, the deduction is about to begin, I'll be going now.

The silver wolf's projection flickered and then disappeared.

Bai E stood still for a moment, digesting the information he had just received, before heading towards the direction of the divination array.

When Bai E arrived, the deduction seemed to be about to begin, and he also saw a purple figure.

"Iron—" Bai E was about to say something to remind Qing Yuan, and his body even subconsciously began to move.

But the next second, a warm hand gently patted his forehead, and a soft yet irresistible drowsiness instantly enveloped him.

Gradually, the image began to appear. First came Qingyuan's voice, but it was more composed than before, carrying a calm and decisive quality born of experience:

"Star Core Hunters, your proposed plan... is indeed bold. I must say, it's quite something."

Qingyuan in the formation suddenly widened her eyes, her heart skipped a beat: Wait! This opening... I remember this 'plot'!

No, this is clearly some random "IF scenario" story I wrote back then! You can't believe this stuff!

If I believed that, the plot would fall apart so badly I wouldn't even recognize my own mother... Oh well, you guys never listen to me anyway... I'll just run away myself...

So, Xilian patted herself and went to sleep.

The camera focuses on a conference room with a minimalist style and a futuristic, futuristic feel.

Liu Ying stood in the center, and around her were three different forms of "Azure Kite"!

One is in human form, dressed in smart clothes, with sharp eyes like the old diviner;

One was in fox-human form, playing with its fluffy white tail with great interest, a sly smile on its lips;

There was another one, who was actually in the form of a dragon, with jade horns on its head, fine scales covering its neck, and a noble yet slightly lazy temperament.

Liu Ying looked at them, gently shook her head, and said earnestly, "We rely on the power of the star core to maintain our existence and balance the 'reproduction' within our bodies with other forces of destiny..."

Even with her various methods, this is by no means a long-term solution.

"Lady Qingyuan, please reconsider our original plan."

"The original plan? To let you 'ascend' again, unleash Sam's full potential, and then... compete with this 'reproductive' legacy within me for 'status'?"

The fox-woman Qingyuan picked up the conversation, curiously touching her tail as if it were a new toy, then chuckled, "As far as I know, Elio, the leader of the Star Core Hunters, can see almost the entire future."

Didn't He tell you what the price you would pay if you actually did that? It wouldn't be as simple as losing the 'Firefly'.

"If my sacrifice can buy the entire galaxy crucial, even decisive, time in its fight against 'gluttony',"

Liu Ying's voice was calm and firm, "Then, this price is worth it."

Only after the gluttonous beast perished did the Milky Way continue to exist.

Dragon Lord Qingyuan waved her hand, interrupting her, her dragon tail swaying impatiently: "Alright, alright, let's put these grand principles aside for now."

I've already staked too much on myself—abundance, hunting, intellect, reproduction, immortality, destruction, preservation… and now it seems there's also the added concern of 'harmony'?

[Huixing]: Storage Protection?

She sighed, "I can't even count them myself."

I've always known that I'm no longer just an ordinary piece on the chessboard, but rather the "decisive move" in the game of celestial beings, targeted by countless eyes.

Qingyuan, in her human form, sighed and slumped onto the conference table: "Who knows which other Star Gods' envoy powers will manifest on me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a soft "click".

A bizarrely shaped, pure white mask with a mocking smile appeared out of thin air and fell onto the carpet at her feet.

The three blue kites simultaneously looked down at the mask, then exchanged glances with each other.

The human Qingyuan straightened up, a bitter smile on her face that was a mixture of speechlessness, exhaustion, and "I knew it" and said, "Lord Changletian... you really did come uninvited."

Have you ever heard a famous quote from the "Big Black Tower" lady at the Genius Club?

She cleared her throat, mimicking a certain tone, and quickly said, "Get out, I want Idrisla!"

"Oh dear, don't be so heartless~" A cheerful, teasing voice rang out, and Hanabi's figure "jumped" out from the shadows in the corner of the conference room as if by magic.

She pointed to the mask on the ground and winked: "This mask was given to me personally by the God of Fun!"

He said he could help you suppress the erosion of that emptiness within your body.

Of course! Why not just give it to you directly instead of having me pass it on? You should ask Aha himself that question, hehe!

Almost the instant Hanabi finished speaking, the human Qingyuan bent down and picked up the mask with lightning speed, her movements so fluid as if she had rehearsed it a thousand times.

She carefully placed the mask in the center of the conference table, and then added quietly, "

But pleasure is not out of the question.

But honestly... if I could choose, I'd still prefer to be the messenger of the 'pure and beautiful' star goddess Idrila...

Seeing her change from arrogant to obsequious and devout in an instant, Liu Ying, who had been in a serious mood, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What's all this commotion about? Looks like I've missed a good show?"

A lively voice accompanied by a "gurgling" sound came from behind.

The conference room door was pushed open, and a round and cute-looking piggy bank—Zhang Zhang—that seemed to be worth 160 Star Jade was the first to waddle in.

Immediately afterward, Topalli appeared in the doorway. She glanced at the scene inside the conference room, especially the conspicuous mask on the table, raised an eyebrow, and joked, "

"Hey boss, so you've finally made up your mind... to 'join' Pleasure? Haha, just kidding."

When Huixing, who was watching from the sidelines, saw Topa appear, her heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition quietly rose within her.

Just now, when we were talking about storage and protection, one of the ten people from the Star Peace Company's Stone Heart team arrived.

"Oh, it's Toppa." The human Qingyuan turned around, her playful expression fading as she regained her composure. "Coming at this hour, I suppose... you won't bring me bad news like failed investments or project losses, will you?"

Upon hearing this, Toppa's face flashed with an expression that resembled "ashamed": "Boss, don't you trust your most outstanding A20-level senior executives at all?"

"But..." she shrugged, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather.

"However, the results of this business were truly mediocre."

In other words, it simply helped the company expand its market share in three undeveloped star systems "incidentally."

[Huixing]: She's your boss? What about my Celestial General, the Heaven-Suppressing General of the Immortal Ship?!

"Being ordinary is fine too," Long Zun Qing Yuan interjected, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

After all, even with the best preparations, we can't directly confront the true form of 'Gluttony' Obros at this stage, right? A steady and methodical approach is the right way to go.

"Of course!" Toppa nodded. "Ah, just in time, there was an urgent communication that said they've discovered the activity of a 'Gluttonous' envoy."

I need to go check first. Excuse me, everyone!

She spoke rapidly, and after finishing, she waved to Zhang Zhang, and the two of them, along with a sack, hurriedly left the conference room, the door closing automatically behind them.

The meeting room fell silent again.

Qingyuan's gaze refocused on Liuying.

"Firefly," the human Qingyuan spoke, her voice more serious than before, "Instead of carrying out your hugely sacrificial 'Ascension Competition' plan, why not listen to another suggestion I just came up with?"

Liu Ying raised her head and gazed at her quietly.

"I will seal away the fragment of divine body within you that originated from 'breeding' Taizyuros."

Qingyuan spoke slowly, the voices of the three figures seemingly overlapping, carrying a certain resonant power, "

Then, I will use the most 'perfect' dragon transformation technique that I currently possess to try to transform the residual essence of 'reproduction' within you into the power of 'immortality'.

In this way, you can not only get rid of the root cause of entropy loss, but also perhaps gain new, more stable power.

Firefly's pupils contracted slightly. She remained silent for a few seconds before softly replying, "Elio... has seen such a future branch."

"Oh? What did He say?"

"He said," the firefly said, each word heavy as if carrying a thousand pounds, "If you have chosen this path, then..."

In the distant future, when the threat of 'gluttony' is resolved or transformed in some form.

The 'reproductive' divine body within you, which has been sealed and suppressed layer by layer, will eventually go completely out of control due to the accumulation of various uncontrollable variables.

You will transform into the new Insect King.

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

Liu Ying continued, her voice filled with deep sorrow: "And your beloved disciple, Xi Lian, who inherited your legacy and ideals."

She will not disappoint you. She will lead the people and personally defeat you, who have transformed into the Insect Queen.

"But," Firefly closed her eyes, "from a 'potential hope' protecting the galaxy, she has fallen into a 'monstrous creature' bringing disaster..."

The world will not understand your past hardships and sacrifices, nor will it remember how much you endured to suppress this power.

In most people's eyes, a hero, once fallen, is often more despicable and "deserve to die" than an ordinary villain. History has been written since then…

The deduced scene ended at this moment, and as soon as it ended, Huixing began to contact General Jingyuan.

Outside the formation, Silver Wolf watched this scene with growing unease. Their original plan was to use Azure Kite as the Insect King to maintain the existence of Firefly.

Now, however, it is suddenly learned that in Qingyuan's timeline, a remnant of a reproductive body is also sealed within the body of the future Liuying!

"Didn't Eriol see it? Or was it on purpose?" Silver Wolf wondered.

On the other side, Xi Lian looked at Topa thoughtfully.

"I wonder if you can bear this kind of future, Miss Topa?"

......

When Bai E woke up, he found himself back in his room. Recalling what had happened, he shook his head, feeling sorry for the fish he had finally managed to catch.

Just then, a text message arrived:

Qingyuan: Sai Feier happens to be free during the next schedule...