Ruan Mei's guess was absolutely correct.
Roughly twelve system hours later, Herta arrived on the planet—and found this place with unerring precision.
How did Kiana know that?
Because Herta, unable to reach Ruan Mei and locked out from entering, sent the message directly to her instead.
Kiana had been dozing for a few hours when her phone's vibration startled her awake.
When she opened it, the first thing she saw was a message from Herta: telling her and Ruan Mei to open the door immediately—or she'd dismantle it herself.
Still groggy, Kiana blinked in confusion, only for a call request from Herta to pop up right afterward.
That woman clearly had no patience to spare.
Kiana glanced carefully at Ruan Mei sleeping beside her, hesitated, and finally accepted the call.
If she didn't, she was genuinely afraid Herta would make good on her threat.
"Where's Ruan Mei? Why isn't she answering her phone? I'm already at her door!"
Kiana lowered the volume and whispered nervously, "Please, calm down, Miss Herta."
"Where's Ruan Mei? Tell her to come out and meet me right now! Don't even think about pulling this disappearing act—it won't work on me. I know she hasn't left this planet!"
"Ruan, she—"
"She's already given you clearance."
Ruan Mei's voice suddenly came from beside her. Just as Kiana turned in surprise, she met Ruan Mei's open eyes.
At some point, she had woken up.
Kiana immediately turned her focus away from the phone and whispered, "Did I wake you?"
Ruan Mei looked at her—and, unexpectedly, lifted a hand to gently touch her face. Unlike before, this wasn't to sense her life data.
She couldn't quite explain why.
She simply wanted to.
So she did.
She was used to perceiving others through their life signatures—it was faster, more efficient communication.
But this method, this direct contact, was something far less efficient.
And yet…
Ruan Mei withdrew her hand, took the phone from Kiana, and propped herself up to sit.
"You've been here before, so I'll save us both the trouble of directions."
With that, she hung up and handed the phone back to Kiana.
"Don't worry. I've rested enough."
Kiana blinked. Though they'd touched before, this moment somehow felt different.
She'd always thought that the lips and tongue were the most sensitive parts of a person—especially when tasting food, when flavors burst and linger upon them.
Touch, too, carried its own kind of memory.
Kiana's warmth, that soft lingering sensation, remained against Ruan Mei's palm.
It felt… new.
A pity that Herta had arrived.
Ruan Mei couldn't help but feel a trace of regret.
"Are you sure you're really rested?" Kiana leaned closer, fingers lightly brushing through Ruan Mei's hair that had become a little messy from sleep. "You don't look fully recovered."
"Talking with Herta will be enough."
A few moments later, a girl-shaped Herta puppet appeared at the door, led by a hovering guide robot.
Just like last time, it wasn't her true body—only a doll under her control.
"Seeing you face-to-face is harder than winning a research grant."
The puppet stepped in, voice laced with irritation.
All the messages she had sent Ruan Mei had vanished into the void. While she could understand Ruan Mei's circumstances, understanding didn't make her any less annoyed.
"Save the complaints. Let's get to business."
Ruan Mei's calm gaze met hers; she wasn't the least surprised that Herta had sent a puppet.
If anything, she would've been surprised had Herta come in person.
"Join my project."
No preamble, no buildup—Herta went straight to the point.
Everything that needed to be said had already been said in their first three exchanges: the pros, the cons, the gains and losses. She had no intention of wasting breath repeating herself.
Ruan Mei studied her for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright."
Herta froze.
Did she… just agree?
A few days ago, when she'd learned from Sirin that this Kiana girl was with Ruan Mei, she'd had a hunch this might happen—but still, hearing that easy 'alright' from Ruan Mei herself left her momentarily stunned.
It wasn't surprising that Ruan Mei would agree this time—but Herta hadn't expected her to agree so quickly.
"Well then, no time to waste! Come with me to the Space Station for the meeting right now!"
Even as she grumbled internally, Herta still felt relief at how easily Ruan Mei had accepted.
"Give me a few system hours," Ruan Mei said as she stood. "There are still a few matters I need to take care of."
"As long as you don't change your mind, I can wait that long."
After all, Kiana had said she wasn't leaving. Whenever Herta needed her, she'd be here—so there was no reason to rush.
Ruan Mei was genuinely interested in the Simulated Universe, and Kiana seemed to approve as well. So, taking a short trip to the Herta Space Station to meet Herta and her other collaborators wasn't a bad idea.
Her laboratory was right behind her. Turning around, Ruan Mei headed back in—there were still a few things to tidy up before she could safely leave.
She needed to make sure the lab wouldn't malfunction in her absence.
The moment Ruan Mei stepped in, Kiana got up to follow. She was a little worried about Yae Sakura and wondered whether she should bring Sakura's Stigmata along just in case.
"Kiana, was it?"
She froze at the sound of Herta's voice.
"Yes, Miss Herta?" Kiana asked, puzzled, as the puppet approached her.
They were acquainted, but far from familiar.
"Sirin said those strange artifacts came from you, didn't she?" Herta's eyes swept over her appraisingly.
"That's right."
"And the mysterious energy within those artifacts—what was it called again… Honkai energy, yes. Where did you get it?"
"I don't know, actually."
Where had it come from?
Kiana blinked, caught off guard. She herself had wondered the same thing—how those weapons and their ammunition seemed to replenish endlessly, no matter how much she used them.
"You don't know?" Herta raised a skeptical brow. "Aren't you and Ruan Mei studying that energy?"
"Hmph. Even my Simulated Universe couldn't tempt her to join before—don't tell me she's been hiding discoveries from me."
"We're not studying the weapons," Kiana clarified. "We're studying the Honkai energy itself—not the devices that use it."
"Isn't that what I just asked?" Herta deadpanned. "I'm asking where you first came into contact with this energy."
She had noticed it while analyzing the artifacts. The energy within them couldn't be extracted; once dismantled, the items turned to inert scrap, the power vanishing completely.
"Aren't you working on the Simulated Universe project right now? Why the sudden interest in Honkai energy?" Kiana asked curiously.
"Don't change the subject. Answer the question."
Kiana sighed inwardly. So, Herta could interrogate, but Kiana couldn't ask back? How fair.
"It's… from me," Kiana said finally.
Herta blinked. Her expression shifted from confusion to dawning realization.
"No wonder that woman keeps you around," she muttered. "So you're her research material."
That was the truth.
But hearing it phrased so bluntly by someone else—it still stung.
"Let me see for myself," Herta said, eyes glinting with curiosity. "What exactly makes you so special that she'd spend so much time on you?"
"I'm warning you, don't try anything weird—or I won't be polite about it!"
Kiana stepped back with exasperation, a black line forming on her forehead. What did Herta mean by 'let me see too'? Did she think Kiana was some kind of exhibit on display?
The only reason she'd agreed to Ruan Mei's experiments in the first place was because her memory had been affected by Nihility at the time—she hadn't remembered anything.
If she had, even a fragment of her memory back then…
She would've never agreed to it.
Selling herself off as an experimental subject? No sane person would do that. Of course, if she'd had her full memory from the beginning, she and Ruan Mei probably wouldn't have ended up so deeply intertwined.
But still—having Ruan Mei's support wasn't exactly a bad thing.
"If Ruan Mei can, why can't you let me see too? It won't hurt you," Herta said, her tone filled with interest.
Because Ruan Mei found her intriguing, Herta wanted to see for herself what exactly had captured Ruan Mei's curiosity.
What was it about Honkai energy that fascinated her so much?
Wasn't Ruan Mei supposed to be researching lifeforms?
Nothing about these things seemed like something she'd normally care about.
And that only made Herta even more curious.
"What do you mean 'if Ruan Mei can'?!"
Kiana was utterly speechless. "Ruan's different, okay? You and I barely even know each other!"
"Barely know each other?" Herta replied casually. "That's easy enough to fix. Just tell me what it takes for us to be close enough for you to let me have a look."
"Absolutely not!" Kiana puffed up in frustration, glaring. "I'm not your research specimen!"
"Don't be so absolute. Whatever Ruan Mei can offer you, I can too," Herta said, unbothered by Kiana's anger, focusing only on the result she wanted. "Ruan Mei should've introduced me to you already."
Kiana shook her head firmly. "Don't waste your time on me. I'll never agree."
"Boring," Herta muttered, pouting slightly.
Just like Ruan Mei.
It wasn't as if Kiana would lose anything—Herta only wanted to take a look, after all.
Kiana's mouth twitched. She ignored the scientist entirely and turned her gaze toward the laboratory door.
Thanks to Herta's interruption, she'd nearly forgotten what she was doing. Moving past the puppet, she walked straight into the lab.
Inside, Ruan Mei was adjusting some settings on the system. Kiana took a few steps toward the area where the Stigmata was stored.
The Stigmata floated within the shimmering Memoria fluid.
In her perception, it seemed to be in far better condition than when it had been attached to her own body.
Maybe it was because of the Memoria.
If that was the case… should she still take it along when they left?
Kiana hesitated.
"What's this?"
Lost in thought, Kiana didn't notice the Herta puppet approach until the woman's voice suddenly came from beside her—making her jump.
Startled, she glanced toward Ruan Mei, then hissed under her breath, "You scared me!"
"Oh."
Herta didn't even acknowledge her tone. Her gaze was fixed on the object floating in the tank. "It's soaking in Memoria… but it's neither a Light Cone nor a Dream Bubble. What is it?"
Kiana didn't reply, glaring at her in annoyance. Herta might be more animated than Ruan Mei, but her attitude was still infuriating.
"You don't know either?"
Herta didn't seem to notice Kiana's irritation—or simply didn't care. She was far too focused on the object before her.
"Unbelievable," Kiana muttered, rubbing her forehead. "It's a Stigmata."
Arguing with Herta was a waste of energy.
"Something new from the Garden of Recollection?" Herta asked curiously.
"It's not related to 'Remembrance,'" Kiana replied flatly. "It's connected to the Honkai."
"Sirin never told you?" Kiana added.
At that, Herta's eyes sharpened, her tone growing serious. "So this thing is tied to the Honkai as well? And you're the one who brought it here?"
"Guess she really didn't tell you anything."
Seeing Herta's reaction, Kiana understood—their cooperation must not have been deep. Sirin had probably only given her a few pieces of equipment.
"I was actually interested in that sword of hers," Herta said with a hint of regret. "Too bad she wouldn't let me borrow it for research."
Herta paused for a moment, then said, "How about this—you help me convince her to lend me that sword for research? I'll pay you for it."
Kiana shook her head instantly. "No way. I don't have that kind of sway. If you want it, you'll have to ask her yourself."
"Tch." Herta clicked her tongue, dropping the topic of Sirin's sword. Instead, her gaze returned to the Stigmata floating behind the glass.
"What's this thing for?"
"It increases resistance to Honkai energy and provides certain enhancements to the host. There's also a Stigmata World and a consciousness within it."
No wonder it was being stored in Memoria.
Herta stared at it, her curiosity clearly piqued.
"Where did you get it? Are there more?"
She turned to look directly at Kiana. "Did you make this too?"
"…You could say that."
Kiana glanced again at the Stigmata. With Herta right beside her, it wasn't exactly convenient to connect with Yae Sakura inside.
"Make me a batch of them," Herta said matter-of-factly. "I'll pay you well."
Kiana's expression twitched. "These aren't something that can be traded!"
Those Stigmata were formed from people who'd perished in the Honkai Eruption—her friends, not strangers. Selling their lingering consciousness for money? That would be… hellish.
They were her friends, not her enemies.
"Why are you like this? You can't trade this, you can't trade that," Herta huffed, visibly annoyed. "Your friend's a lot more open-minded than you."
Kiana opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. In the end, she only sighed.
Then Herta suddenly called out across the lab, "Ruan Mei! Mind if I borrow this thing for a few days of research?"
She's going straight over my head now?!
Kiana's nerves tensed instantly. She turned toward Ruan Mei, anxious that she might agree.
After all, Ruan Mei had already completed her research.
Hearing Herta's voice, Ruan Mei looked their way. Seeing Kiana's worried face, she thought for a moment and immediately understood what was happening.
She turned off the holographic screen in front of her and walked over.
After a quick glance at the Stigmata floating in Memoria, she asked evenly, "And your Simulated Universe?"
"I'll lend you that once the project's finished," Herta replied.
The reminder brought Herta back to her current commitments. Though reluctant, she knew she'd have to focus fully on the Simulated Universe for now.
Ruan Mei nodded. "I have no objections. So when the time comes, just ask Kiana for her opinion first."
Kiana finally exhaled, relief washing over her.
As long as Ruan Mei hadn't agreed outright, everything was fine. Even if she had, Kiana trusted she would've been consulted.
Still… it always came back to her, didn't it?
Herta eyed Kiana again.
Just by looking, she couldn't see what was so special about her.
Forget it. Once the Simulated Universe was done—if she still remembered—she'd come back and dig deeper then.
"Alright, fine," Herta said finally. "Are you done with your preparations? If so, let's get moving. Time doesn't wait for anyone."
It hadn't even been half a system hour yet.
Ruan Mei thought for a moment, glanced around the lab one last time, then said calmly, "Let's go."
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