Capítulo 977: Chapter 977: One Family, Even More Chaotic
I always thought Lin Xue had a life attitude that was very worth learning from, which is even if she has the power to foresee the future, she would not easily use it on herself. According to her, it’s to make life more interesting. After all, according to the prediction mechanism, her observation of the future would lead to the historical process being prematurely predetermined. Although not a hundred percent fixed on one future, it would also turn life from full of surprises into a dull known. As an individual growing up in human society, Miss clearly does not like this tedious way of life.
However, now I think it would be great if I had this ability, at least I could know how my daughter slowly got corrupted by those unreliable relatives.
We are staying at a budget restaurant run by students, and the store owner is a business-savvy Sister Misaka, with two goblin partners. It’s considered quite a famous restaurant on this street. The biggest feature of the little shop (and its unreplicable feature) is that all the waitstaff are three-headed, 60-centimeter-tall Mercury Lamp Dolls. These little arm and leg big-head dolls run around the ground serving dishes, collecting bills, delivering things. They’re quite a scenic line in this student restaurant. If you dine here, you can interact with the interesting and cute three-headed dolls, but be careful when walking to watch your feet, as it’s easy to accidentally kick over some clumsy little fellow. The tables here are specially made, with foldable small ladders by the side of the tables. The three-headed Mercury Lamp, just over half a meter tall, can climb up the ladder to clean the dishes—after all, even when jumping, they can’t reach the table.
Watching those Dolls carrying trays and running around, Xiao Xue always has a cheerful expression and occasionally lifts up some little fellow not holding anything in its hands for a round of kisses. Soon, no Doll dared to approach this place, and I was a bit curious: “Back then, were these little guys still active?”
“Of course, and their number reached tens of thousands. In the Royal District, these little big-headed dolls were very popular partners and staff, very cute and smart. But back then, ‘Princess Dolls’ had become quite different from these Alchemy Dolls now. When I was born, these dolls had split into many types, some with their own intelligence and biological characteristics. They were actually a new type of Angel Envoy with a special appearance, skilled in combat and logistics. Every spaceship in the Royal Fleet had a large group of them. Some Dolls were directly controlled by Sister Lamp, equipped with super gear from scientists, acting as Imperial Guard. We called them ‘Princess Knight Team,’ very enviable. And a small number of prototype models were just like these now, still under the command of Sister Misaka. But back then, Sister Misakas were very busy, and Dolls under their control weren’t as fun, they all had to work.” Saying this, Xiao Xue seemed to recall something interesting and couldn’t help but grin: “Of course, getting stuck in corners when clumsy hasn’t changed. I heard this flaw has been there from the beginning.”
Seems like some things are just as expected.
I know Xiao Xue’s birth is already many, many years later. Time flows, things change, perhaps many things around me now will slowly disappear, but surely these mass-produced Mercury Lamps will always remain, along with the Sister Misakas behind them.
This leads to the current New Empire’s biochemical transformation initiative for all subordinate races.
Before this, after obtaining Atlantis’s biochemical technology data, Sandora and I had already launched a genetic enhancement project for the Servant Army soldiers, and now this project has gradually expanded to cover the entire Macro World. With the joint efforts of a group of biology-specialized scientific experts and Lilina, the Empire developed a standardized biological modification process suited to hundreds of life forms. These processes are so cheap that they require only a bit of energy and equipment wear, some even don’t require human participation, automated equipment can handle everything. All citizens of Shadow City, honorary citizens, contract staff, and vassal races have the right to undergo standard process modifications—of course, this is also their obligation. Even many vassal races’ entire life’s form is being continuously adjusted by the Empire, which no one can refuse unless they give up any benefits offered by the Empire. These adjustments can make a race’s members stronger, smarter, better suited to extreme environments, and have a longer lifespan from genetic levels.
Every world has many Imperial biochemical stations carrying out this adjustment task, and the entrance of the biochemical station is inscribed with this phrase:
Extend your life, refine your body, and use them to serve the Emperor more enduringly.
The initial direct purpose of gene enhancement was to increase the Empire’s supply of excellent Servant Army soldiers, making them tougher and accumulate richer war experience. Atlantis Artificial Gods were once the product after this plan reached its peak: the entire race collectively ‘ascended’ to a superhuman race. And now, as the New Empire keeps unlocking the technology tree, we have started trying to replicate the miracle that happened on the Atlantis race.
As for the byproduct of this plan, perhaps it’s that we will create countless super species with long lifespans that can fly while launching spherical lightning—although it’s hard to say in the short term whether all vassal races can achieve immortality like Atlantians. After all, many biological fundamentals might not support eternal life. Some races’ soul lifespans are limited with no unlocking possibility in sight, and some races themselves don’t want to surpass a thousand years. Not everyone likes immortality; for some mortal races, death is actually a part of a complete life. To address these situations, our solution is a typical Xyrin thought and Dingdang doctrine: if you really feel you’ve lived enough, and have completed all responsibilities and obligations to this world, you may submit a death application. This application will be verified with Divine Techniques by the Priest from Life God Sect, and once verified, the applicant can be freely sent to the local world’s Life Temple to return to the River of Life. Correspondingly, the applicant’s death will generate one or two new birth quotas in this regional area (additional quotas since we don’t really need to worry about survival resource shortages, these quotas only serve to commemorate the deceased), and newborns born from this quota will posthumously recognize the deceased as Godfather/Godmother according to Life God Sect’s doctrine, thereby completing a cycle from actual to symbolic life.
“Dad?”
“Dad!” Suddenly a call brought me back from my wandering thoughts, and Xiao Xue was holding a piece of roast meat in front of me, “Dad, eat. And Mom, why aren’t you eating?”
I felt a bit odd, munching on the food Xiao Xue handed over and speaking unclearly: “You’re really friendly, we’ve only met for a few hours.”
“That’s what you think, I’ve been with you for over ten years…” Xiao Xue said with her mouth full, without any girlish prudence. Perhaps this doesn’t indicate a lack of upbringing but rather that she sees no need for restraint in front of her own parents—her words woke me up.
Indeed, to me, this strange girl named Chen Xiaoxue meeting for the first time is just a few hours ago. Between us, besides that bit of affinity derived from blood ties, there’s actually just the equivalence of strangers just met. But to Chen Xiaoxue?
Before projecting over, she had already lived with our family for a dozen years!
We might even guess, until just recently she was dining, watching TV, chatting, and shopping with her parents in another space-time. Today she’s still with her parents; only the opposite side is younger by quite a number of years. For Lin Xue and me, this scene is novel, but for her, it has repeated countless times. The difference in perceptions now that I think about it is indeed strange.
Clearly, Lin Xue had similar thoughts as me. Her face remained slightly flushed as she gently nudged my arm: “Wood, seems like we will have some adjusting to do. I bet this kid won’t be polite with us, but I… really have no experience being a mom!”
I chuckled foolishly and pinched Lin Xue’s cheek: “Our child, our child…”
Miss shook her lips slightly, poked my waist with chopsticks: “You have the right to remain silent, anyway, I’ll find a way to make you shut up!” Then she looked diagonally upward at a 45-degree angle with a sighing tone: “Now, I unprecedentedly surpassed Sandora and Qianqian. Originally wanted to find mental balance, but this time, the balance is overdone.”
After eating, Xiao Xue’s energy showed no sign of diminishing, rather she was more interested due to being full. She dragged me and Lin Xue around the entire Academy Road, signaling the beginning of another segment of an awkward journey because along the way she saw quite a few familiar faces. The girl has a sweet tongue, greeting everyone regardless of others’ shocked faces, couldn’t stop her from warmly engaging with everyone:
“Uncle selling bracelets? Business good? Are the bracelets losing color?”
“Aunt, give us a barbecue skewer. Me? Oh, you don’t know me yet, but as long as you know my dad, right, dad?”
“Ah! Auntie, auntie, good afternoon, Auntie!”
“Granduncle! Granduncle! Your bracelet looks nice! Is it made of plastic or glass?”
“And isn’t that Uncle Cu Chulainn still carrying his lightning rod?”
“Hey, Uncle Ball! You’ve got writing on you again. Who wrote it: Please maintain a constant speed while rolling to avoid injuries. It must be those junior students. Oh no, but you’re not teaching at the academy yet—Me? I’m Chen Xiaoxue! You’ll know me in the future!”
The strange girl named Chen Xiaoxue was full of energy, greeting every upright walking object she saw on the road, even including rolling creatures (perhaps they were sick with a cold), spitting out all sorts of strange names like popping corn, leaving everyone she met dizzy. Normally, if she greeted people like this, they’d think she was crazy, but the people she encountered saw Lin Xue and me first, so their amazement was quickly followed by a whispered question after she passed by: “Where did you pick up such a treasure?”
I didn’t have the heart to tell them that years from now, an identical treasure would start to wreak havoc on the entire town from the age of one.
When Chen Xiaoxue finally started clinging to a startled Altoria, calling her “Auntie, Auntie” incessantly, Lin Xue and I could no longer hold back. We stepped forward and pulled this unruly girl back: “Where did all these random titles come from? Is Altoria even your aunt?!”
Xiaoxue looked up at the sky for a bit, then shook her head: “How should I know? I’ve been surrounded by a large group of people ever since I was young. You said they were all elders, and since I learned to talk early, I liked to respond when others called me, so I just gave everyone random titles. I’ve been calling people like this since I was little. Aside from gender, everything else’s random. Anyway, people understand the spirit behind what I say…”
Me: “…”
Finally, someone reacted. It was Medusa, whom Xiaoxue had previously called “Fourth Auntie”: “Boss… what’s going on here?”
“Let me introduce you,” I looked around at the crowd and pointed to Xiaoxue, feeling helpless. “This is my daughter, uh, mine and Lin Xue’s…”
The corners of Miss’ mouth twitched as she turned her head skyward, unable to acknowledge nor deny it. The crowd of Heroic Spirits was instantly in an uproar. Cu Chulainn, ever quick of speech, pointed at the strange girl Chen Xiaoxue, who seemed at least seventeen or eighteen, and was shocked: “Boss! Isn’t she way too big! Could Dingdang have accelerated her growth?!”
Medusa’s face changed dramatically, while Altoria raised her sword and cried, “Find cover! Take shelter!”
In an instant, the group scattered, leaving me to woodenly activate my energy shield and close my eyes, silently counting to three. Upon opening them, Cu Chulainn was already gone without a trace.
Medea, who was slower to react, shuffled back with a head of frizzy hair: “As a guard, he should at least learn to add a reverent expression after mentioning the Goddess’ name. So, boss, this… new Princess… uh, what’s the story here?”
The Heroic Spirits have lived in Avalon for quite a while. Though officially considered soldiers under Dingdang, because of Dingdang’s usual unreliability, they interact with me a lot more. So I’m also familiar with these Heroic Spirits, and outside of formal occasions, we’re pretty open with each other. I imagine it will be similar in the future; otherwise, Chen Xiaoxue wouldn’t call Altoria “Auntie”. When I suddenly showed up with a new Princess who was actually Lin Xue’s biological daughter, even the least gossip-inclined Heroic Spirits gathered around, including Altoria. I shrugged and explained Xiaoxue’s origin to everyone.
Of course, all they understood by the end was that “Xiaoxue is a Princess from the future”. The way this odd young lady came to this timeline was convoluted, making me suspect her arrival was purely to test our reasoning abilities.
The group of Heroic Spirits was intrigued by the sudden addition of a Princess, proposing that we should hold a welcoming ceremony, at least have a group meal. This was not surprising; the Heroic Spirits we recruited from the Holy Grail World largely hailed from the Princess Knights’ era, during which terms like: Princess, King, Knight, Conquest, and Honor were profoundly significant. I believe that for them, adding a Royal Family member was worth celebrating, even if it was just the arrival of a Princess or the birth of a royal family’s pet. Plus, Lin Xue and I, a pair of pure-hearted lovers, have long been a model couple in the Empire. Now, two renowned figures suddenly having a seventeen or eighteen-year-old daughter would surely be hard for these adrenaline-driven folks to comprehend.
However, Xiaoxue seemed uninterested in the idea of a welcoming ceremony, thinking there was nothing worth celebrating. From her timeline’s perspective, she’s familiar with these Heroic Spirits, having barely been separated for less than a month. A banquet after such a short separation seemed hard to comprehend. This was another disparity introduced by the differing timeline perspectives, and predictably, this kind of disparity would consume much of my energy in the future.
Of course, I eventually agreed to the Heroic Spirits’ wish for a welcoming ceremony. I knew these unreliable and often half-drunk individuals well, and I was certain half the reason for the ceremony was just to have fun. Having mingled extensively with the fairies from Fantasy Country, this tendency had intensified; Xiaoxue’s lack of enthusiasm for the event did not affect their own participation in the slightest.
Before I knew it, it was mid-afternoon. Though Xiaoxue still seemed energetic, Lin Xue and I were too drained to continue wandering outside. We had spent the morning intensely focused, directing a massive battle involving simultaneous assaults on three Fallen Apostle worlds. I was curious what kind of material my peculiar daughter was made of; she should’ve been more exhausted than us. This girl hadn’t just fought against the Fallen Apostle; she led her fleet in a breakout attack straight through enemy territory! Were these “Ultimate Descendants” born after the Void Catastrophe made of special alloys?
Upon returning home, I found that Qianqian was indeed back. From the commotion inside, it seemed that the whole family, including Sandora, was present. A group of little girls surrounded Qianqian, including the Rose Maidens. Qianqian was enthusiastically narrating something to them, and upon seeing the three of us appear in the living room, she immediately pointed at Xiaoxue and exclaimed, “It’s her, it’s her! Projected from the future! Your sister!”
Once she finished, Little Baobao appeared in front of Xiaoxue like a specter, looked at her seriously, and stretched her arms, shouting, “Goo-yah!”
“Sister Pao’er! Wow, it’s Sister Pao’er, who can’t even talk yet!” Xiaoxue’s eyes sparkled as she picked up Little Baobao and hugged her tightly, squishing her into her chest. Little Baobao, who had intended to experience what being a sister felt like, let out a series of distressed yells. Though seemingly naive, Little Baobao wasn’t foolish. She understood the concept of sisterhood and, thanks to her Xyrin Host talents, likely grasped Xiaoxue’s origin not much less than anyone else did, prompting her to extend a sisterly greeting towards her future sister. Sadly, she completely overlooked her current height…
(Let me recommend a book, “Moon Driver”, a new sci-fi novel exploring the aftermath of humanity’s discovery that the Moon is actually a giant planetary mothership. It’s surprisingly well-written, with a laid-back approach and thought process, in this era overrun by weeds. The protagonist’s mindset is commendable, and the character depictions are vivid. Remarkably, the content fits the “science fiction” label, echoing classical sci-fi to some extent. However, it does have flaws; from a traditional sci-fi perspective, the book still contains technical errors and detail inaccuracies. These may be attributed to the author’s liberal arts background. Nonetheless, finding a sci-fi book more akin to sci-fi in this current environment is a challenge.) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian () to vote, subscribe, and your support will be my greatest motivation.)