"Are you Victor?"
After boarding the Herta Space Station, Victor soon encountered the owner of the space station, Herta herself!
What surprised Victor was that the Herta before him was not a puppet, but her real body, commonly known as the true Herta!
Herta circled around Victor, examining him carefully, her purple eyes unable to conceal her curiosity.
"I thought you had three heads and six arms, a burly figure, and ferocious features."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is this about three heads, six arms, and ferocious features? How exactly did my Stelle describe me to you?"
Completely ignoring Stelle's frantic gesturing, Herta said matter-of-factly, "Very awesome, very cool, very abstract, sometimes mean, sometimes immoral."
"That's how your Stelle describes you."
"You didn't even mention the word 'handsome'!" Victor glared at Stelle.
Stelle scratched the back of her head and smiled awkwardly.
Markh 7th rolled her eyes speechlessly.
So you don't deny that you're mean and immoral?
"Well, you do look like a teacher."
Herta pinched her chin and commented seriously. "When you walked over just now, many women cast their eyes on you. Even Asta was fascinated by you."
As she spoke, she glanced at the pink-haired girl not far away, who was pretending to look at her terminal but actually stealing glances in their direction.
Sensing Herta's gaze, the girl startled like a frightened bird and quickly turned to look elsewhere.
Victor placed his hands on his hips and laughed. "I don't have many advantages. Being handsome is one of them, and it's also my biggest advantage!"
Herta ignored Victor's boasting and changed the subject. "This isn't the place to talk. Come with me to my office first."
Several people then made their way to Herta's office, the location where the simulated universe resided in the game.
"So what does Ms. Herta want from me?"
After sitting down, Victor asked directly.
Herta didn't beat around the bush and stated bluntly, "I want to study you."
Indeed.
Such an answer from Herta was exactly what Victor had expected.
As a member of the Genius Society, Herta always enjoyed studying new phenomena.
She wasn't satisfied with the laws of the ordinary world and preferred to turn her attention to the unsolved mysteries of the galaxy, hoping those distant enigmas could satisfy her curiosity.
Herta continued, "A few months ago, when everyone in the Astral Express crew left the space station, they were just ordinary Pathstriders, at most slightly stronger than average Pathstriders."
"But a few months later, when the train crew returned to the space station, their Path power hadn't changed at all, yet their strength had increased dramatically."
"Not only that, I can also sense that their individual life forms seem to be evolving toward a higher dimension."
"When I inquired, I discovered that all of this seemed to be related to you, so I became curious about you. Are you interested in being my research subject? Of course, it won't be free."
"As long as you agree, I can give you whatever you want."
She truly was one of the most intelligent humans in the universe.
With the naked eye alone, she could perceive that each member of the train crew's individual life forms were evolving toward a higher dimension.
The title of genius was indeed well-deserved!
"Can you really give me anything?" Victor looked interested.
Herta said calmly, "What I said is absolutely true!"
"What if I want you?" Victor said half-jokingly.
He thought this statement would put Herta in a dilemma.
But who would have thought that Herta didn't even hesitate, she nodded directly and said seriously, "Fine, but I don't want to raise a child for the time being, so you must take safety measures."
"..."
Such a straightforward answer left Victor speechless.
"Okay, I was just joking. I personally don't like being the subject of other people's research. Besides, I'm busy and can't stay here all the time."
"Is that so?" Herta couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"But Ms. Herta, I do have a deal that I'm sure you'll be interested in."
"Oh?" Herta was indeed intrigued and immediately asked, "What deal?"
"I need you to use simulated universe technology to help me develop a virtual battle game!"
Hearing this, Herta was stunned.
"Using simulated universe technology just to develop a virtual game? Are you sure you're not kidding?"
The simulated universe was an independent virtual space that she and several other members of the Genius Society had developed!
That was something used to study Aeons!
Now someone was saying they wanted to use simulated universe technology just to develop a game!
It was simply the most outrageous request she had ever heard in her life.
"That's right, Victor. If you want to develop a game, you don't need to find Herta, and you don't need to use simulated universe technology, right?"
Even Stelle and Markh 7th couldn't understand Victor's thinking.
Using simulated universe technology to develop a game was even more excessive than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Victor shook his head and explained, "The virtual game I want isn't an ordinary virtual game. It's a virtual training ground I'm preparing for you all."
"Many of you possess great strength but lack combat experience at the corresponding level, so I need a virtual game to improve your combat experience."
"Ordinary virtual games simply cannot fully simulate a person's individual data and abilities, but games developed using the same technology as the simulated universe can do exactly that!"
The simulated universe was a product used to study Aeons. The virtual world it simulated was almost identical to the real world!
If people entered it without prior knowledge, they would be unable to distinguish it from reality!
Using this technology to develop a game to improve the practical combat level of group members was undoubtedly the most effective approach.
"So that's how it is." Herta understood Victor's intention.
Although the deal was outrageous, she wasn't in a hurry to refuse.
"Since it's a deal, what are you going to use in exchange?"
"I proposed that you be my research subject, and I can help you develop the game you want for free."
This woman really has ulterior motives toward me.
Victor muttered internally, then retrieved the manuals on alchemy, artifact refining, and formation arrays from his system space.
"This is my payment."
"Three books? What's so special about them?"
Although these three books appeared plain and unremarkable, Herta didn't underestimate them.
Since Victor dared to offer them as payment for the transaction, they must have unique value.
Victor shook his head. "It's not the books themselves, to be precise, it's the content within the books. As for what's special about it, you can examine them yourself."
Hearing this, Herta picked up the artifact refining manual and began reading.
It didn't matter at first, but once she started reading, she became instantly captivated by the content recorded within.