Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

Mei realized a truth: to prove one's strength to a layman, one cannot try to make them understand how groundbreaking or feasible a rudimentary theory is; instead, one must present concrete results to demonstrate one's abilities in order to gain their comprehension.

She had given up hope of the negotiations. Perhaps it would be feasible to communicate with the other party again after she had achieved some results.

But by then, that martial arts master will probably have fully recovered from his serious injuries. Even if Mei is absolutely confident in his theory that Seele Voller will be unharmed, the chances of him allowing it are slim.

Moreover, by then, I might not need to rely on the other party to prove myself.

But just as Mei was about to end the conversation and leave, the girl looked into her eyes, unconcerned about the risks or the possibility of death, and simply said:

"But I agreed."

On the afternoon of March 7, Seele and Mei reached an agreement.

This seemingly ordinary alliance will have a profound impact on the future.

88. Mei's awakening, a turning point in history.

What is the probability that the experiment will result in death?

"Zero percent".

What is the probability that the experiment will cause me to be trapped in the ocean of quantum mechanics and wander forever?

"Zero percent".

"What is the probability that I will be forced to stay in the Quantum Sea experimental group after the experiment is successful?"

"Zero percent".

Under Mei's somewhat embarrassed gaze, Seele poked at the watch face on Mei's wrist with her fingertip, clearly annoyed.

"Prometheus, you're so annoying. I'm talking to Dr. Mei."

Prometheus conjured blue light and shadow, within which a blurry-faced little girl spoke:

"From a purely rational perspective, Dr. Mei is the most outstanding human individual throughout history, and the possibility of her making a mistake is zero percent."

"Your questions are all unnecessary worries."

Mei Youyou tapped the watch face with her finger, and the fluorescent blue data stream suddenly disappeared. She coughed softly a few times and said:

"No matter what kind of experiment it is, there is always a risk of failure. If we assume that success is guaranteed just because we have derived the theory, then there is no urgent need to conduct the experiment."

"From a purely rational perspective, a perfect, one-time success is unrealistic. No matter how confidently I assure you, it's like talking to a child..."

She looked down at the little girl's small body, less than 1.5 meters tall, and her tender and cute face, and suddenly felt a little guilty.

Although Mei has strong confidence in her theory based on intuition and reason, she still feels reluctant to accept the risks the little girl in front of her is about to face.

In the instant she closed her eyes, the image of the earth slowly descending like dusk appeared in her mind, with inky black dust embracing the world like a ring of stars.

There were no cries, no sounds, no despair, no future.

Endless desolation filled everything, and the vast world became a hollow shell of falsehood.

If... that's what the future will be like.

If... you want to single-handedly reverse the gradually declining battle situation.

That won't work with your current mindset.

Kevin enlisted in the Fire Moth and entered a long period of training where he could not communicate with the outside world. This was the only time when Mei could quickly adapt to her inner awakening.

The barriers in her heart that had been gradually melted away by that boy had to be rebuilt into invisible barriers due to the arrival of reality.

Guilt, sorrow, sadness, and reluctance.

But these more magnificent things buried within the will are suppressed in the corners and silenced.

Mei opened her eyes and looked at Xi'er's face again, her heart no longer wavering.

To gain something, you must give up something else; this applies to everyone.

The only difference is... what value can be obtained in exchange for what is discarded.

Mei wasn't arrogant enough to think she could single-handedly become the key to defeating the Honkai side, but she needed the resources to test the limits of her abilities.

Only in this way could she look towards the so-called end and understand whether she was qualified to step into the realm of the gods.

Therefore, we must race against time.

She adjusted her glasses and whispered to Seele:

"I will protect your life and freedom to the fullest extent possible, and I will abide by the covenant."

"Seele Voller, I will not break my promise."

"Because his strength coincides with my vision."

"From this perspective, you are at a disadvantage in our agreement."

"So it's not too late for you to back out now. I will get what I need in my own way."

The girl frankly added:

"As far as I'm concerned, even without making this agreement with you, he has proven himself to be the first human to be registered after the plan succeeds."

Seele nodded, gazing at the girl's face, and said softly:

“I know, but that’s not enough.”

“That’s not what I’m betting on, Dr. Mei.”

"I'm not betting on the success of this plan; I'm betting on your future."

Mei was stunned for a moment. Those eyes looking at her were so bright, so very bright, as if the last withered grass in the wasteland had been burned to ashes. Yet, the scattered sparks were so resolute and revealed a stubbornness that inspired awe.

She asked:

"Won't you regret betting everything on someone else?"

A knowing smile played on Seele's lips as she said casually:

"of course not."

"It wasn't until recently that I realized how lucky it is to still have value to be utilized."

“I have no reason to refuse, because besides that, Seele Vollerai has no value whatsoever.”

"I can't help my brother on my own, even if I spend the last day of my life."

“Dr. Mei, you are my only chance to hold on to.”

"So even if we fail because of this, I won't blame you; it was my own choice."

Mei shook her head helplessly and replied:

“Miss Xi’er, I’m afraid Mr. Su is not as understanding as you are.”

"Even for the sake of personal safety, I will do everything in my power to prevent any accidents from happening in the experiment."

"So, in a sense, we've now staked our lives on each other."

Seele said softly:

"That's fair."

Mei pressed down on the faintly glowing Prometheus on the dial, preventing it from making any insolent remarks.

She said earnestly:

"of course."

……

……

It was unrealistic to bring Seele back to the lab without the knowledge of the Firemoths, but apart from Himeko, who was embroiled in a major battle, and Fu Hua, who was undergoing long-term training in the recruit camp, few people cared about her.

At least assuming the little girl is willing, there is no one who would choose to meddle and stop her.

Therefore, whether or not the Fire Moth branch could keep it a secret became a trivial detail.

Moon never imagined that Seele Voller would choose to come back.

In the old man's memory, the eyes of the young girl looking at him were filled with bewildered and ignorant hatred.

She couldn't understand the future that the laboratory represented, nor did she need to understand that weight.

Like them, Seele suffered injustice, her freedom was destroyed, her life was distorted, and her chance to survive was taken away.

On such a basis, to demand that they understand the so-called hardships, and to be willing to die with a sense of righteousness just to eliminate the guilt of some experimental personnel, is even more unreasonable.

The outbreak of the Third Honkai further proved that the sacrifices made for the Spark Project were worthwhile.

Dr. Moon has never regretted his choice.

The old man was getting closer and closer to death, and what he was doing was not seeking a name that would not exist in the ruins of the Sea of ​​Quanta in an era when humanity truly perished.

He discarded even the most crucial thing, fame, as if it were worthless, so wealth and power were even more useless to him.

The old man, with his frail body, shouldered this sin and guilt. He deliberately issued all the instructions to start the experiment himself, as if in doing so he could bear more of the burden.

The initial reason for launching this plan was quite simple.

That was simply a belief.

If I don't do it myself, will anyone else be able to come up with the idea of ​​a quantum sea?

Even if such a hypothesis is proposed, can that person do better than themselves?

This was something only he could do, so even though his age no longer allowed him to work for long periods, Dr. Moon still chose this path.

The future of humanity and the greater good weighed heavily on his chest, compelling him to lead to this outcome. So when Mei appeared before him, displaying a talent that left him speechless, Moon's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Because this means that it's no longer something that only I can do.

This will be a relief, and more importantly, an opportunity to let go and enjoy a peaceful retirement.

But in the end, Moon was more worried about whether Mei, who was only 17 years old, could bear such a path that was destined to be full of sin.

Therefore, he chose to continue to take on the responsibility. Only after truly confirming that this person had such awareness and a strong heart could Moon feel at ease letting this girl move forward on a hopeless path.

The old man's concerns were certainly not without reason.

Even though Mei is incredibly intelligent, almost like a demon, that doesn't mean she can be a heartless monster.