On Earth of this universe, the appearance people took on after implanting insect genes simply did not align with their aesthetic standards.
No one was interested.
The insect gene implantation surgery was like an inferior version of the MANTIS procedure.
After Academy City took over the entire Earth, very few people came here.
Even more people went to the zombie world than to this world where one could only transform into insect-men.
Bronya simply watched to see what Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent would do on Earth.
...
Earth.
The floating warship from the Honkai World that had flown from Mars activated optical camouflage and circled above various nations, gathering intelligence and studying this world without Honkai.
Holding up a picture of a white-haired old man sticking out his tongue, Tesla teased Einstein. "Chicken nest, this is your counterpart."
Einstein replied calmly, "That's nothing surprising. In this world's history, you're male as well. And so is Edison."
Otto said, "Doctors, is it possible that in our world… you became women because the Will of Honkai prefers females? Perhaps a history dominated by men like this is what a normal world looks like."
Tesla snorted. "Isn't the Will of Honkai just Prometheus from World Serpent? Does she prefer girls?"
Prometheus replied, "Your becoming female has nothing to do with me. Please do not shift the blame onto me. However, between males and females, I do indeed prefer females."
Tesla blinked. "Uh… you're surprisingly honest."
The group examined the past of this universe's Earth.
Fourteen years ago, numerous mysterious and beautiful female aliens who closely resembled humans descended upon the world. They defeated humanity and took control, redistributing human resources.
Although ruled by aliens, life had actually become better than before.
People only needed to work six hours a day, received three meals plus snacks, and had milk in the morning.
There was a one-hour lunch break.
Bonuses were distributed three times a year, along with two months of annual leave.
Salaries increased once every four months.
Overtime paid triple wages.
After reading this, Raven felt that the Will of Ruler did not seem to have come to enslave humanity. It was more like they had come to do charity and liberate mankind.
Wasn't this employer a little too good?
"…"
Welt Yang frowned. The world under the Will of Ruler's control was vastly different from what he had imagined.
What was the purpose behind such actions?
He could not understand it.
However, the Will of Ruler's control over Earth was not particularly strict. It merely maintained order and ensured the functioning of human society.
The Herrschers under the Will of Ruler had, over the past fourteen years, clearly grown increasingly disinterested in the humans of this world. One by one, they left.
Now only one remained—Rvy—who appeared from time to time.
The insect gene implantation surgery had existed even before the Will of Ruler arrived. Humanity had already possessed this technology. Later, it was continuously improved by Rvy.
If they had not been able to look up historical records online, they might have thought they had arrived in a world of insect-men.
Through the information humans of this world possessed about those Herrschers, the group obtained part of the intelligence regarding the Will of Ruler's forces. Whether it was entirely true remained uncertain.
But it was most likely real.
Given the Will of Ruler's level of technology and strength, there was no need to deceive these Earth natives who could not even leave their own solar system.
Within the Will of Ruler's forces, human Herrschers comprised one portion. There were also the mechanical intelligences known as the Fleet of Fog, the immortals and demons from Shenzhou legends, elves, angels, demons from fantasy worlds, and even aliens from across the cosmos.
Some members of these races had been selected to become Herrschers.
Up to this point, none had been male.
With so many different races forming the Will of Ruler's forces, it was almost certain that they had traveled to numerous worlds.
They had already suspected as much before. Now, it was simply confirmation.
...
Teyvat Continent.
Finality Warship.
Watching the slimes bouncing about on the screen, Kiana Kaslana recalled fan works of Genshin Impact she had once read and suddenly became interested in slimes. She created a slime-transformation potion.
Since she herself could already transform freely, she had no need for such a potion.
If placed on sale in Academy City, it should have a decent market.
Kiana Kaslana glanced toward Academy City.
Well.
They already had it.
And they were playing with it in far more creative ways.
In comparison, within the Finality Empire she had established, everyone below her was focused on expanding the Empire's territory and fighting everywhere. There was none of that kind of desire.
As for the size of the Empire's territory, Kiana Kaslana did not particularly care. The entire Finality Empire had been created by her simply for fun.
Because of its unrestrained expansion and conquest, the Empire's forces developed rapidly. The Academy's advantage lay in the Herrschers they cultivated—three to five were enough to conquer a world, allowing them to attack multiple worlds simultaneously.
Another reason the Empire's forces developed so quickly was that when she had been cultivating Herrschers for the Academy's forces, she had already paved the way.
Large-scale legions could be thrown into parallel worlds of those already conquered by the Academy's forces.
Now, the process had reversed again. A few Astartes from the Empire were sent ahead to scout and test the waters.
As for the issue of energy consumption, Kiana Kaslana resolved it by absorbing an endless number of parallel worlds.
Only the limitation of the passageways remained unsolved.
Holding the newly created slime-transformation potion, Kiana Kaslana pondered how to use it.
From a third-person perspective, she glanced at Fischl of Mondstadt, Hu Tao of Liyue, Raiden Ei of Inazuma, Nilou of Sumeru, and Furina of Fontaine.
It seemed unnecessary.
Better modify it again.
Kiana Kaslana thought of the shadow slime outerwear—capable of offense and defense, and even usable as padding or as weapons and tools.
The slime-transformation potion was altered into a slime-outerwear generation potion.
With an instruction manual attached, it was teleported to each target's side.
Faced with such an unknown item, only two people used it.
Fischl of Mondstadt and Furina of Fontaine.
Fontaine.
Furina pushed open the door and immediately spotted a bottle of blue potion on the table, with a sheet of white paper pinned beneath it.
"What's this?"
Curious, she picked up the blue potion and the paper beneath it, reading the contents.
Exclusive all-in-one offensive and defensive outerwear generation potion for mortal Furina. After drinking, soak in water for ten minutes to generate outerwear, allowing you, with a mortal body, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods!
Special note: This potion has a tiny little issue.
Mortal?!
Furina's eyes widened. How could this be? When was I exposed?
She was just about to throw the potion away, yet hesitated.
To stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods as a mortal?!
"Hmph. How could this god possibly be a mere mortal."
In the end, Furina followed the instructions, drank the potion, then stripped and stepped into the bathtub to soak. Ten minutes later, a shimmering layer of slime outerwear appeared over her body. To her surprise, it not only clung perfectly to her form but was also extraordinarily comfortable.
It could even change into various shapes according to her thoughts.
Even clothing could be simulated—indistinguishable from the real thing, complete with colors.
Although it could simulate clothing, Furina still put her original outfit back on.
The slime outerwear was only a thin layer, like a bodysuit. With a single thought, Furina fused the slime outerwear completely with her body.
At the same time, it entered an invisible state.
"Wow, this is amazing."
Furina was as excited as a child who had just received a new toy.
She decided to first test the defensive capability of the outerwear inside her room.
Furina picked up a fruit knife from the corner and lightly stabbed at her arm covered by the outerwear. The blade felt as though it had struck incomparably tough rubber and slid away. Her arm was completely unharmed.
She then increased the force, trying a hammer and even flames.
The result was the same—no damage at all.
With such a powerful defensive treasure, she would no longer have to live so cautiously in the future.
Furina was overjoyed and could not wait to test more of its functions.
She activated invisibility and reduced her presence before stepping out of the room.
The people on the street did not notice Furina's arrival.
She quietly approached a street magician who was performing, her footsteps light and soundless.
The cards in the magician's hands suddenly rose uncontrollably into the air, and the surrounding audience gasped.
The street performer looked utterly confused. What was going on? Why were the cards moving on their own?
The slime outerwear Furina generated was akin to a symbiote, except it had no self-awareness. After merging with magic, it possessed defensive capabilities similar to magical girl attire.
It appeared to offer no defense at all, yet in reality its defense was maxed out. Even after intense combat, the clothes remained spotless, and not a single scratch appeared on the body beneath.
The cards danced in the air as Furina manipulated them into various marvelous shapes, drawing continuous exclamations from the crowd.
Finally, the cards returned to the street performer's hands.
"Bravo!"
"What an amazing performance!"
As the show ended, the audience applauded enthusiastically. The street performer forced a somewhat stiff smile and bowed.
Invisible and with her presence suppressed, Furina ran to Neuvillette's office.
Neuvillette, who was handling official affairs, heard the sound of the doorknob turning. He frowned slightly. There was only one person in Fontaine who would enter without knocking.
The Hydro Archon, Furina.
The door opened.
"Furina, you—"
Neuvillette looked up and saw an empty doorway. "No one?"
He neither saw nor sensed anyone else's presence. As for the door opening by itself, he was merely slightly puzzled before lowering his head to continue his work.
Furina walked over to Neuvillette and waved her right hand in front of him.
"Even Neuvillette can't detect me?"
The ability and strength of the outerwear shocked her. She knew Neuvillette's power very well. If even he could not detect her, then no one else stood a chance.
Recently, strange events had been occurring across Teyvat. It was said they were all related to the flying ship above Mondstadt.
This miraculous outerwear potion must surely be the product of the outsiders aboard that ship.
They knew she was a mortal and had sent her a bottle of outerwear potion.
Furina did not know their purpose. It might just be a prank. After all, the instructions had clearly stated there was a tiny little problem.
Up until now, she had not discovered what that tiny little problem was.
Inside Neuvillette's office, Furina deliberately made noises.
Although she was invisible and her presence was greatly diminished, no matter what she did, it was difficult to attract anyone's attention.
However, her reduced presence was not a conceptual-level ability.
If a stone by the roadside suddenly leaped up and smashed into someone's head, people would still notice.
"Lady Furina, is that you?"
Neuvillette looked in the direction where Furina stood. A book was floating in midair. He could not see or sense anyone there.
Yet with the book floating like that, he knew something unseen was present.
"So you still noticed me."
Furina dispelled her invisibility and presence suppression, appearing before Neuvillette.
At that sight, a subtle ripple passed across Neuvillette's normally placid expression.
Invisibility itself was not frightening. What was frightening was invisibility that could not be detected or sensed.
If Furina had not kept making noises, he would never have noticed her existence.
Used for assassination, it would be flawless.
"Is this your power?" Neuvillette asked.
The Hydro Archon who had always behaved like an ordinary person actually possessed such an ability.
If she had used invisibility to do something in Fontaine, no one would likely have discovered it.
"More or less… I suppose?"
Furina knew she was merely a mortal—a mortal playing the role of the Hydro Archon. A powerful ability of unknown origin had to be treated with caution.
"What do you mean, more or less?" Neuvillette frowned. Wasn't one's own power something one would clearly understand?
"It's a power I obtained by accident. It's probably related to the outsiders."
Furina was uncertain whether Fontaine's prophecy would still unfold under the interference of these outsiders.
Recently, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale used for trials in Fontaine had experienced issues. Although it later returned to normal, she could sense that something extremely crucial was missing within it.
"…"
Neuvillette fell into deep thought. This new Descender was influencing and altering the entire Teyvat, yet the Heavenly Principles and the other gods had taken no action.
"Lady Furina, what price do you pay for using this power?" Neuvillette asked solemnly.
"A price? I don't feel anything at all."
Furina shook her head. Her body felt better than ever.
"Pay attention. If there are any abnormalities, inform me immediately."
"Alright, alright. I understand."
Furina nodded.
Late at night.
Lying in bed, Furina tossed and turned, murmuring in her sleep.
The next morning, she went to take a bath.
She roughly understood what that so-called tiny little problem was.
The problem indeed was not big.
But how was she supposed to tell Neuvillette about that kind of strange dream?
The girl's cheeks were flushed.
Because of the dream, the outerwear had moved under subconscious control.
Furina thought about it. It was just a dream.
There was no need to make a fuss.
In the days that followed, she began dreaming from time to time.
She repeatedly dreamed of the same white-haired girl.
Furina was not foolish. She realized this was not a simple dream.
The dream must have been created and controlled by that white-haired girl, who was most likely the one who had given her the outerwear-generation potion.
How excessive… to toy with my dreams like this!