[The long-term reproduction experiments, though unsuccessful in producing offspring with the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, revealed an unexpected benefit: each time the experiments concluded, your body experienced a temporary enhancement.]
[Later, you discovered that the enhancement was due to your body absorbing the secretions of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. You extracted and studied these secretions, eventually developing a genetic enhancement serum.]
[Age 68: After numerous experiments, you finally used the genetic enhancement serum for the first time. The effects were indeed beyond your expectations, but the cost was severe. After using it, you were bedridden for at least a month, and your aging accelerated significantly.]
[This serum could drastically increase your strength in a short period, but the drawbacks were severe: side effects, prolonged weakness, and... the difficulty in obtaining the "raw materials" needed to produce it.]
[Moreover, only a monster like you, with your immense strength, could withstand the serum's side effects. For an ordinary person, even if they didn't immediately explode, their body would rapidly deteriorate to the brink of death.]
[Age 69: Yelan passed away. To maintain her youthful appearance, she had been using a forbidden technique that was harmful to her body. Reaching this age was already a remarkable feat.]
[You knew in your heart that she had done this out of fear of losing your affection, even though you had never truly cared about such things.]
[She bore a significant share of the responsibility for the misfortunes in your life, but over the decades, she had also devoted almost her entire life to you, completing many nearly impossible covert missions.]
[She lived her life in the shadows, and even on her deathbed, only you and Ningguang were there to keep her company. Seeing her hesitant expression, you seemed to already know what she wanted to say.]
["I forgive you." After hearing your answer, a look of relief finally appeared on Yelan's face as she slowly closed her eyes.]
["When I die, will you stay by my bedside too?" Ningguang's face, rarely showing emotion, now carried a trace of sadness. Her beauty remained, but the wrinkles around her eyes betrayed her age—after all, she was only human.]
["Don't overthink it," you brushed a strand of silver hair from Ningguang's ear and said calmly, "Perhaps I'll be the one to leave first."]
[Age 70: Although the establishment of the Seven Nations Alliance united the seven nations, cultural differences and other factors still led to frequent "minor troubles" among the countries.]
[This time, however, the trouble was not minor. With the support of a small group of traitorous Fatui, the imprisoned Tsaritsa began her plan for restoration.]
[Of course, you had already received intelligence from Tonia, but instead of stopping the plan at its root, you chose to observe and wait.]
[As expected, the Tsaritsa, who had long harbored resentment toward you, formally established a rebel army. Leveraging her charisma, she managed to gather a force loyal to her cause.]
[The Queen's army quickly captured several towns and strategic points in Snezhnaya. Seeing the time was ripe, you mobilized the army you had prepared in advance and launched a counterattack.]
[This army, built on "faith," had initially succeeded due to the Tsaritsa's power and influence. But when faced with the disciplined forces you had trained, they quickly lost their advantage.]
[However, the Tsaritsa was still one of the Seven Archons. Even without her Gnosis, her strength was not to be underestimated. Under her fierce resistance, the ruins of the Ice Palace became an impregnable fortress.]
[And so, you once again stood before the Tsaritsa, amidst the ruins.]
[Mission Objective: Stop the Tsaritsa's Restoration]
[Entering Immersive Mode]
---
"Cough, cough... I never thought we'd meet again in this lifetime," Lucas said, clearing his throat lightly. "You could have lived a carefree life in this palace."
"My earlier compromise was only to wait for your decline," the Tsaritsa showed no fear, instead sneering coldly. "In the end, you're just... a human. Look at you now—nothing more than a decrepit old man."
Lucas turned his head, and the shattered ice crystals reflected his current appearance like a mirror.
His silver hair was neatly combed, and the wrinkles on his face, along with the beard on his chin, gave him the appearance of a gentle elder.
For some reason, Lucas suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. At this moment, he looked almost like Uncle Tianshu of past.
Of course, even so, there was still a considerable gap between Uncle Tianshu and the "decrepit old man" the Tsaritsa had described.
"Yes, I have indeed grown old," Lucas said calmly. "After all, I am only human, not an adeptus. In the face of time, I am but a weakling."
"Did you really think I could endure being trampled underfoot by a human forever?" the Tsaritsa said coldly. "Old grievances and new hatreds... today, you will repay them all."
"I must admit, you are quite clever, using your strengths to exploit my weaknesses," Lucas sighed. "But you're not clever enough. If you had waited a little longer, I might have died of old age on my own."
"But then, how could I savor the fruits of my revenge?" The Tsaritsa stepped forward, her petite body maturing with each step. By the time she stood before Lucas, she had transformed into a tall, mature woman.
The contrast between her and the slightly hunched Lucas was striking.
"In your life, you may have made many foolish decisions," Lucas said as he pulled out a vial of serum and injected it steadily into his vein, his expression unchanging. "But this one will undoubtedly be the most foolish."
As the genetic enhancement serum entered his body, Lucas's form began to change instantly. His once frail, aging body grew robust and powerful.
His silver hair turned jet black once more, and even the wrinkles on his face vanished.
"You've... regained your youth?" The Tsaritsa narrowed her eyes, murmuring, "What have you done?"
"Nothing much..." Lucas stretched his shoulders, a playful smile returning to his face for the first time in twenty years. "Just a heads-up—this might hurt a little."