Facing this almost eerie situation, Luo Lin couldn't help but feel genuinely happy. She thought of someone—Yae Sakura!
Yae Sakura was able to transform herself into a Stigmata to rescue Theresa, who was poisoned by the pseudo-Herrscher. Later, in the plot of the Sakura Samsara, Yae Sakura even had the opportunity to return to the real world with the help of the "Eclipse Key - Jizo Mitama."
However, Yae Sakura chose to retreat at the time, living a quiet life in the peaceful world of Sakura Samsara.
Now, does this situation mean that Cecilia didn't really die, or even...
As Luo Lin pondered, the black Homu beside her also finished watching memories and refocused its gaze on the somewhat distracted Durandal.
"I must admit, this was the type of memory I was least interested in," the black Homu puppet said. "The Kaslana family, burdened with the original Stigmata, has been bound by it since birth. The so-called 'choice' is just an illusion brought about by impulses engraved in their instinct."
"Will 'Deliverance' truly bring you happiness, make you happy? Being the shield of the people, what does it bring to you?"
"You're just living under 'his' immense shadow, leaving the glory of life to the world and the bitter fruit of the curse to yourself." The black Homu paused. "Since the day 'he' bore the burden of the whole world... I have been witnessing your repetitive fate."
"Each of you... is so much like 'him.' So much like those lives abandoned by 'him' for the world."
The tone of the black Homu was solemn. "So much like, the extremely boring Sisyphus."
Sisyphus is a character in Greek mythology who once even kidnapped Death, bringing an end to death in the world.
As a result, he offended the gods. To punish Sisyphus, the gods required him to push a huge rock to the top of a mountain. Sisyphus struggled to push the boulder up the mountain only to watch helplessly as the boulder rolled down from the high mountain—this cycle repeated endlessly.
The gods believed that there was no punishment more severe than this futile and hopeless labor.
Durandal fell silent for a few seconds before speaking, "Although you claim to be uninterested, in the end, you still experienced this memory with me. Why is that?"
"Because you have a great mother," the Will of the Stigmata space said. "Although she may not be called the strongest warrior, she has always protected you, watched over you—she has never left you, she exists in every part of your body, in every moment of your blood flowing."
"Blood..."
Durandal murmured, lifting her hand to examine the veins faintly visible beneath her fair skin.
Luo Lin naturally understood the meaning of the black Homu's words; it referred to the "Schariac's Holy Blood."
The Schariac Holy Blood is one of the main materials used to neutralize the Honkai energy in the "Godslayer Spear," possessing extremely powerful neutralizing capabilities.
At the end of the Second Honkai Eruption, Cecilia used her blood to neutralize the heavy Honkai energy spreading to other regions, preventing the entire Siberia from becoming an uninhabitable zone.
However, in reality, the power of the Holy Blood far exceeds this...
"...Otto once said that your resistance to Honkai energy will increase with the dosage of Honkai energy you come into contact with," the black Homu's tone even seemed somewhat eager. "This is a power that countless generations have dreamed of, it is one of the origins of the Stigmatata Plan, and it is the true purpose of the Holy Blood—"
"To cross the boundary between imaginary and real numbers, to control Honkai with the flesh, and embrace the truth!"
Fifty thousand years ago, humans, after studying the Honkai energy and its underlying imaginary space, had a bold idea—they wanted to use the so-called "Stigmata" to directly connect human Will to the imaginary space and gain the power to control the Honkai energy.
However, unfortunately, whether it was due to the extremely urgent time of the previous era's experiment or because the ordinary human physique could not bear this painful evolution... this construction of "Stigmata," the plan to ascend all humanity, ended in failure.
The PE humans had to shift their focus to experiments successful and immediately useful experiments to deal with the continuous threats of Honkai and the Herrscher.
Only Dr. Mei chose to leave the Stigmata genes behind, injecting the genes into the survivors of the PE Humans, letting them reproduce individuals carrying the Stigmata genes, and letting the Stigmata genes evolve through generation after generation of inheritance.
In the end, there would always be some people who could withstand the awakening and transformation of the Stigmata, completing the metamorphosis of life, becoming a type of "new human" that was not a Herrscher but superior to a Herrscher.
This was another path different from the Herrscher, different from the MANTIS. Although in a sense, the Stigmata plan would fundamentally extinct the race of the "old humans," and those who survived would be awakeners or "superhumans" like Kevin, Kiana, Bianka, and Mei.
But if a few awakeners of both genders survived, they could continue to reproduce and expand. Evolving into a new civilization far beyond the past, unafraid of the threat of Honkai, relying on the foundation of human technology.
This plan also perfectly matched Dr. Mei's principle of "efficiency and high success rate." In her absolutely rational judgment, it was an option that could definitely be tried.
Now, as the Will of the Stigmata space, the black Homu believed that it had found one of the most successful test subjects in the Stigmata plan.
It rejoiced in Dr. Mei's foresight and was excited about the future anticipated in the Stigmata plan.
"This is something only you can do, and something only you can succeed in," the black Homu said firmly. "Your life, your value, will far exceed the 'Kaslana Tragedy' that makes people feel numb, empty, and tired, offering no help to save the world."
"Durandal, show me your talents."
With that, the black Homu looked at the golden-haired knight with expectant eyes, falling into a brief silence.
Durandal clenched her fists.
Luo Lin could feel the Stigmata behind her gradually heating up, seemingly echoing the words of the black Homu. The power stored within boiling and surging, even making the girl feel intense pain—it even pointed to a clear target. Towards the black Homu speaking nearby.
Lady Cecilia, are you angry now...?
In this brief silence, Durandal pondered a lot. She recalled her journey, her thoughts during her journey, and the emotions she had gained.
"Are you mistaken about something?"
"What?" The black Homu was a little puzzled.
"You've seen too many memories, and that makes you forget some key things. Perhaps, in your view, there are many people like Siegfried, who repeat the fate of their ancestors over and over again, but never grasp the essence..."
Durandal's tone gradually intensified, her azure eyes flashing with determination. "But that's just the result of their lives—and results do not have absolute meaning."
"Saving the world is an absolute meaning," the black Homu said matter-of-factly.
"Indeed. And, such 'absolute meanings' are not limited to just saving the world... but is an unfulfilled life, a story that is dull, capable of being denigrated by words like numbness and emptiness?"
"Life in the world, its value is not as simple as you see it..." Durandal stared directly at the other party, her momentum steadily rising, "Even for Siegfried, who has regrets to this day, even for Kallen, who has been put under the noose—does their lives seem dim and devoid of value?"
"..." The black Homu finally realized something, "...you are trying to convince me that every person's life deserves enough respect, regardless of success or failure?"
"But, I am the will of the Stigmata, a rule that has been working like this since fifty thousand years ago... if you want to slightly change my perspective—"
As she spoke, the figure of the black Homu gradually blurred, transforming into another appearance in the swirling crimson sand, Durandal stood in the distance like a mirror image, clad in the Bright Knight - Excelsis Armor, wielding the Eternal Silence Helel, pointing at the serious-faced golden-haired knight.
"—you must first defeat yourself!"
Seeing this scene, the burning sensation behind Luo Lin's back reached a new level. It was like an endless torrent surging in her veins, almost wanting to leave a mark on her soul and body together!
That anger almost solidified, even giving Luo Lin a feeling that it wanted to burst out of the Stigmata behind her and fiercely confront the Will of the Stigmata!
If the girl were to open the Valkyrie panel at this moment, perhaps she could see Cecilia's gradually sharp gaze in the Stigmata image, and the slowly condensing words on her skill panel—
[S*%￥Holy Blood@!]
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Sorry for the late upload. Busy weekend.