Astral God.
A higher-dimensional existence. A philosophical concept.
In the universe composed of the Tree and the Sea, they were a part of the Imaginary, a manifestation of a Path (a rule).
The above was Lu Xing's understanding of the concept of an Astral God.
But for a god possessing such power...
"How could it possibly fall?"
"Right?"
The face formed from the river of stars answered the question Lu Xing had not spoken aloud. This was not surprising. Even in death, the entity's very existence was beyond the scope of common sense; such a minor ability was nothing to be concerned about.
"The story is not long."
"For every child who arrives here... I will clear their doubts."
"That's right."
"You are not the only child to have reached this place."
Before Lu Xing could speak—or more accurately, the very moment the thought of "every child" surfaced in his mind—the face had already answered his question.
"Hmm—"
"If you do not know what to call me, the name 'God of Honkai' should be easier for you to understand."
"..."
"Please, speak."
---o---
"Astral Gods act in accordance with their 'Path'."
"There are no limits to our control over Imaginary energy, but the price is that we Astral Gods are firmly bound to the route of our 'Path'," the God of Honkai explained in a calm, flowing voice.
"The more our actions align with the principles of our 'Path', the stronger an Astral God becomes."
"The reverse is also true."
"When an Astral God's actions exceed the limits of its 'Path', it is very likely to fall. This is not the only way, but it is the most 'efficient' way I know of."
"I am the Gardener of the Tree."
"The 'Path' I followed was to help the Imaginary Tree remove its pests."
The God of Honkai's voice paused for a moment, clearly giving Lu Xing time to more tangibly understand its words.
"The universe is not fair."
"The more prosperous and flourishing the branches and leaves are, the farther they are from the abyss... oh, in your cognition, it should be called the 'Quantum Sea'."
"The distance from the Quantum Sea is thus greater."
"The power of the Sea has difficulty influencing these 'higher' worlds, so in these vast cosmic spaces that occupy the vast majority of existence, there is no need for my appearance."
"Correct."
"In most of these worlds, the phenomenon of Honkai does not exist."
"However."
"Some worlds are too close to both the Tree and the Sea."
Lu Xing immediately understood the God of Honkai's meaning: the world it was referring to included the Earth they inhabited.
"The higher places are already occupied."
"These new sprouts growing in the lower reaches are not yet sturdy."
"Being in close proximity to the Tree allows them to easily obtain Imaginary energy, letting their worlds grow more rapidly. At the same time, because they are too close to the Sea, they are extremely susceptible to the Sea's erosion, becoming 'springboards' that affect the Tree's growth."
"At times like these, it is my turn to appear."
"I transform Imaginary energy into 'Honkai energy'—a lower energy level, but one that is easier for a civilization to understand and use. While helping these worlds resist the erosion of Quantum energy, I also force them to leave this leaf as soon as possible."
"The methods are slightly radical."
"But it is impossible for me to take care of every single leaf... This is already the best possible outcome. Without this power to intervene, or if I fail to intervene in time, then these worlds, upon their birth, would be directly abandoned by the Tree into the Sea."
"This is 'Judgment' and 'Order'. This is the 'Path' I followed."
"...When I was alive."
---o---
The voice of the God of Honkai was extremely pleasant to the ear, regardless of whether it was expressing joy or sorrow.
"This cycle has continued for too long."
"So long that even an Astral God would grow bored."
"At the border between the Tree and the Sea, I rarely came into contact with other Astral Gods of my kind. The last time I saw a fellow who wanted to 'climb the Tree' was an eternity ago."
"My only companions were the endless knowledge and energy from the Imaginary Tree."
"And watching civilizations' towers rise and fall, watching all of you be born and then perish."
"..."
"I don't know when it started, but I began to have other thoughts."
"Since the power of an Astral God comes from its Path, and the Path is a manifestation of the Tree's rules, then if I could seize more 'Paths' to bring my power closer to that of the Tree, could I break free from this endlessly boring cycle?"
"The power you have obtained, the so-called Herrscher Cores, are precisely the powers of other Paths that I 'borrowed'."
"..."
"Of course."
"I failed, as was to be expected."
"Perhaps it was because I had walked too far down the road of 'Order', or perhaps there was something wrong with my methods."
"In short, the 'God of Honkai' became a thing of the past."
"What continues to perform its duties is a 'divine husk', now an empty shell."
"The 'Honkai Consciousness' born from it has no self, but it does indeed continue to 'ensure' that most worlds like yours are not directly abandoned by the Tree."
"Among them, some children who have gone further than you may have already become a part of the 'Honkai Consciousness'—though that is not what I wished to see."
"That's right."
"The moment I died, I also scattered the power of the 'Paths' I held across the entire canopy of the Tree—in a way that each civilization and each life form could understand."
"For example..."
"The Honkai Crystal you call the 'System'."
---o---
"I see."
The God of Honkai's story made everything clear, giving Lu Xing the feeling of clouds parting to reveal the sun.
"What must I do?"
"..."
"You don't need to do anything."
"Continue my Path, forge a new road, seek the power of other Astral Gods, or complete the journey I left unfinished. Even if you choose nothing and live out your life peacefully as a 'Honkai Beast', that is also fine."
"What remains here is but a sliver of a thought."
"My child."
"You still have the right to choose. This is something that free life can easily grasp, but which an Astral God seeks for an entire lifetime and can never find."
"Cherish this right..."
The God of Honkai's voice grew fainter and fainter.
The space formed from the river of stars also began to blur. When Lu Xing came to his senses again, everything before him had returned to a familiar sight:
Earth.
An Earth without a moon.
Only then did the feeling of unreality slowly dissipate from Lu Xing's mind.
After slowly digesting the words left behind by the "true God of Honkai," Lu Xing finally had time to observe the changes to himself...
Heaven-and-earth-shattering changes.