Honkai: Star Rail Universe, Herta Space Station.
Inside the research laboratory, Big Herta was carefully observing the properties of a small slice of purple metal under a microscope.
No matter how many times she looked at it, she found this metal to be filled with incredibility.
After a series of observations and studies, Big Herta discovered that this piece of purple metal, which she had bought from that Trailblazer, would actually shift its physical and chemical properties according to the observer's subconscious mind.
If one were forced to use academic terminology for a metaphor, it would be "controllable quantum matter."
Sounds incredible, right? After all, the definition of quantum matter is that it cannot be observed accurately to begin with; between subjectivity and objectivity, it can only retain one state.
But this metal was different. It changed purely based on the owner's wish, and without any upper limit.
That's right, the "owner," not the "observer."
This left Big Herta, who was learned in the knowledge of the universe, momentarily unsure of how to define it. She felt she might be going crazy. She even began to feel the absurd sensation that the universe she resided in was merely a video game.
Not only that, but this purple metal was also unaffected by most external forces. It even seemed to carry some kind of "lock" itself.
Technologies surpassing roughly a Type 1 civilization would have no effect on it, let alone Path energy.
Heaven knows how much effort Big Herta spent just to get this tiny bit off that whole metal ingot for observation.
Even this small slice under her microscope was obtained only after she used a traditional ancient method from her home planet—heating and melting it with high temperature and high pressure, then cooling and recasting it—a technique from thousands of years ago.
The method of analysis was naturally the same.
Putting down the microscope, Big Herta rubbed her somewhat fatigued eyes. If any of the various analytical instruments in her space station were useful, she wouldn't have needed to stare wide-eyed through a microscope like this.
Wait, why would her eyes feel "fatigued"?
She is an Emanator, after all!
Could it be that this metal carries some unknown radiation?
The more she researched, the more suspicious Big Herta became, to the point where she didn't even notice when an uninvited guest had entered her laboratory.
"What era is this? Still doing research with an antique like a microscope?"
"Don't tell me you great geniuses of the Genius Society are all that kind of antique, leaving various advanced methods unused to be so nostalgic?"
After a ripple in space that looked like game pixels, the figure of a petite young girl with silver hair and gray streaks appeared inside the space station.
Dressed in a pixel-geek style jacket, with goggles on her head, her slender waist with balanced curves was exposed between her white tube top and hot pants.
Stellaron Hunter Silver Wolf. She possessed facial features incredibly close to Bronya's, and was also one of the examples Suke had mentioned to Stelle in the past.
"...Hello? Is this the Interastral Peace Corporation Security Department?"
Glancing sideways and seeing this uninvited Stellaron Hunter, Big Herta picked up her communication device expressionlessly.
"This is Herta Space Station. A wanted criminal, a Stellaron Hunter, has broken in... You ask why my voice sounds familiar to you, like the famous Madam Herta?"
"Because I am Herta herself."
"Now, send one of your company's Emanators over immediately to help me..."
"Hey, hey, hey! Wait! Don't call yet!!"
Seeing this scene, Silver Wolf's eyes went wide, and she immediately panicked.
No, why aren't you playing by the rules? Is this old woman on her period today?!
"Damn old woman, aren't you curious about the reason I came to find you? I have important matters to notify you about!"
Using Aether Editing to teleport the communicator out of Big Herta's hand, she then used hacking skills to mimic Herta's voice and state to the Interastral Peace Corporation on the other end that the previous words were just a joke.
Silver Wolf already wanted to run away. If not for Elio insisting she make this trip, and the fact that Herta, this Emanator of Erudition, hadn't stopped her series of actions...
Life is hard; Silver Wolf sighed.
She was just a messenger; what did she do wrong?
"If you have something to say, say it, little wolf cub."
"Also, this genius has a condition where I'll die if I hear riddles. And I'm not in a very good mood right now because you interrupted my research. If you dare speak nonsense and waste my time, I'll immediately turn you in for the bounty."
Big Herta looked at Silver Wolf with a gaze containing a mix of impatience and danger.
She looked fully prepared to execute Silver Wolf on the spot if nothing good came out of that wolf mouth.
Playing with kids used to be a hobby to kill time, but now...
She was in the middle of a research high. Daring to interrupt her—let alone Silver Wolf, even Ruan Mei wouldn't have the guts.
If Madam Herta doesn't show her power, do they really think she's made of clay?
"I was wrong! I was wrong, okay?!"
Silver Wolf raised both hands in surrender. Facing a Big Herta who was truly about to lash out, she had to be faster than anyone.
She was completely unlike the Interstellar Wolf King of the past who dared to go head-to-head against the combined forces of two geniuses, Herta and Screwllum.
"I really have something very, very important to tell you..."
"You must have sensed it too, right? The strange silence of that machine head in your house?"
"Silence? Isn't It always silent?"
Nous has always been silent. Unknown since when, there have been fewer and fewer questions in this world worthy of It asking, and thus Its silence has become increasingly deafening.
"That's different!"
"I say, you're an Emanator of Erudition, aren't you? Even the Divination Commission on the neighboring Xianzhou noticed it; don't tell me you haven't sensed a thing?"
Silver Wolf spoke like a rapid-fire cannon, afraid that in the next instant Herta would feel annoyed and hand her over to the IPC.
"I'll get straight to the point. Madam Herta, I am here representing the Stellaron Hunters to initiate an alliance with you!"
"From now on, us Stellaron Hunters are turning over a new leaf. To deal with the 'Fifth [Finality]' together... if possible, I hope you, Madam Herta, can speak to the Interastral Peace Corporation and get our wanted warrants revoked."
"Fifth [Finality]..."
Hearing Silver Wolf's words, Big Herta raised an eyebrow.
As a member of the Genius Society and an Emanator of Erudition, Big Herta naturally knew that these Stellaron Hunters were related to the legendary [Terminus].
Given their elusive style of conduct, it was hard to imagine these Stellaron Hunters allying with others.
She had also heard a little about the [Four Ends Theory].
Although she, who had likewise seen the future possibilities open-sourced by Nous, was somewhat skeptical. Given the premise that [Destruction] was currently hung in the sky of the Xianzhou for the whole universe to admire, and [Xipe] had been skinned of half Her body... how much credibility did this [Four Ends Theory] still hold?
"Let me clarify first, we are doing this for your own good. You should have also seen the future where your head gets torn off and mounted on that Lord Ravager 'Iron Tomb', right?"
"These aren't things that can be avoided just by knowing them. They are processes that will inevitably occur on the path to the Fifth [Finality], even though many futures inside contradict each other and seem unable to exist simultaneously."
"Okay, I admit I didn't quite understand what that 'Slave of Destiny' in our Stellaron Hunters wanted to express either. This isn't me speaking in riddles; when the time comes, you can ask it yourself personally!"
Silver Wolf performed a righteous separation, selling out that black Hajimi (cat) at home without hesitation.
This couldn't be blamed on Silver Wolf lacking loyalty. Who told Elio to assign them such outrageous missions!
Silver Wolf still remembered the scene where the black cat named Elio ran out to distribute the "script" after muttering alone in the room for a long time:
[The "Terminus" has been confirmed. The occurrence of the Fifth [Finality] is related to those three newly appeared "Aeons."]
[We must find every possible way to stop the Fifth [Finality]. Because unlike the other four endings, if the Fifth [Finality] arrives, we won't even have the chance to "start over."]
So what could they do?
Before Silver Wolf could even raise a question, Elio had assigned the mission to their group:
[We need to grasp the future in our own hands as much as possible first. If necessary, we would rather guide the future toward the [Four Ends] than let it go to the [Fifth Finality].]
[That Emanator of Erudition, Madam Herta, will be left to you to contact, Silver Wolf.]
[Additionally, if possible, the Astral Express, suspected to be the residence of those three Aeons, is about to dock around the Herta Space Station. You can conveniently go up there and investigate their intelligence.]
Elio: Just three Aeons. A simple task.
Silver Wolf: ?
Silver Wolf still remembered the face full of question marks she had when she received the mission.
Her alone?
"Conveniently" go investigate the Astral Express that might be hiding three "Aeons"?
In the past, she indeed treated that place as somewhere she could come and go as she pleased, but could the situation be the same now?!
Although, according to the intelligence she hacked from the Interastral Peace Corporation's system, those three "Aeons" had extremely rich humanity, rivaling Aha.
They would even gather to play cards at the Celestial Jade pavilion on the Xianzhou, and they weren't existences that couldn't be negotiated with through words.
But that wasn't the same thing!
Silver Wolf felt like her throat was being strangled by destiny right now. She felt her wolf life would only last until noon.
Because sooner or later, she wouldn't survive!
However, speaking of Big Herta's reaction after hearing Silver Wolf's words.
Hearing the alliance invitation sent by these Stellaron Hunters, she didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. She rejected the other party without a second thought:
"Ally with you Stellaron Hunters? This genius doesn't like dealing with rats cowering in the gutter."
"Scram back to where you came from, little one. Before I call someone to capture you and exchange you for bounty money."
"Tell your master that he isn't the only one who can see the future now. Trying to fool others into working for him for free with just that?"
Big Herta extended her hand. In the void, a staff that appeared to be made entirely of purple gold manifested in her grip.
"Keep dreaming!"
She raised the staff, and with a flash of light, Silver Wolf instantly felt she could no longer use Aether Editing, nor could she sense any Path energy!
Immediately after, an irresistible repulsive force lifted her violently from the ground and pushed her away through the air!
She obviously hadn't expected Herta to turn hostile on the spot!
"Uwah~!"
Bang—!
Accompanied by a muffled sound, she flew backwards all the way out of the research lab door in the space station, slamming heavily against the glass wall of a cabin!
"Ouch! My waist, my waist is going to break—"
Silver Wolf, who was clearly hurt badly by this collision, clutched her waist and cried out miserably.
She really had enough. Who told her that coming in person to initiate the alliance showed more sincerity and made it more likely for Herta to agree?
If she had known earlier, she would have used a projection clone!
Oh right, it seemed to be Elio too. If this continued, she really wanted to resign from the Stellaron Hunters!
And Herta, this old woman who acted like she was on her period... damn it, hitting so hard for no reason!
Silver Wolf's miserable cries were ignored for the time being. With Big Herta's signal, no one in the space station made things difficult for her; Asta even thoughtfully had a medical robot deliver a patch for bruises to her.
As for Big Herta, this Madam Herta, renowned throughout the universe for her unparalleled intellect, weighed the newly forged staff in her hand.
It was quite handy, she could only say.
Everything was just right, as long as she controlled her subconscious not to let her thoughts run wild.
She then turned her attention back to the purple metal slice under the microscope before her, pondering for a moment.
She didn't know why, but she always had the illusion that she had a strong sense of being a thief.
Perhaps such a metaphor was a bit superficial.
But it was as if the smart lock of a wealthy tycoon's home had mistaken her, passing by in ragged clothes, for someone in the family.
The door opened automatically, allowing her a glimpse of a scale or a claw of the extraordinary scenery inside that tycoon's home.
Although it was a bit overly self-deprecating, Big Herta felt that she had vaguely touched upon some truths of the world.
Of course.
It was just that the existence who revealed this truth to her was somewhat nasty.
"How is it? BB-chan's craftsmanship is pretty good, right~"
Big Herta discovered that she really couldn't handle this kind of woman with a nasty personality.
When a purple-haired young girl wearing a gold-and-blue cape, a golden rabbit-ear hat, and clad in golden silk clothes exuding an aura named 'flamboyance' appeared in the research lab...
"BB-chan has already crafted the thing you wanted. In exchange, that Simulated Universe of yours... belongs to BB-chan for the next Amber Era~"
"Hehe, Senpai must be unable to wait, right~ It really makes one feel expectant~"
Clearly possessing incomprehensible mighty power, yet not seeking knowledge, but instead obsessing over the false love constructed by hormones and neural reactions of life.
This wasn't what Big Herta wanted to say, but rather what Big Herta felt her colleagues in the Genius Society would want to say after seeing this woman with a nasty personality.
Looking at the woman holding her cheeks with both hands as if immersed in a maiden's delusion, Big Herta sighed and stored the luggage packed in the research lab into imaginary space.
She was going on a long trip. To a place named Amphoreus, to confirm the location of the Lord Ravager and his staff related to her future, as well as the 1st seat of the Genius Society, the person named Zandar.
"That organization called the Stellaron Hunters isn't simple. They are related to the Aeon [Terminus]. You'd better pay attention."
"No need for you to say, BB-chan knows. Just a motley crew of clay chickens and pottery dogs~"
"...Also, the Simulated Universe is very precious. Be careful with it. If any problems arise, you can call Ruan Mei and the others to fix it."
After exhorting what she wanted to say, Big Herta took a deep look at her own Simulated Universe. She actually rarely felt an emotion called "heartache."
She didn't know if such an exchange was worth it.
But the current her indeed needed to go to Amphoreus to confirm some matters. If she didn't utilize this person's power to forge a new staff, the danger level would carry a risk of failure even for her, an Emanator of Erudition.
This was already the smallest price she could offer; after all, this person wasn't interested in anything else.
She only hoped he wouldn't play too hard. It was just one Amber Era; she could endure it and it would pass!
What if the Amber Lord slammed the hammer down after just half a day?
Big Herta forced herself not to look back at the Simulated Universe authority key she had handed to BB. She was afraid she would regret it if she looked a few more times.
Woooo—
A humming sound came from the platform of the Herta Space Station. The Astral Express, traveling along the star rail paved between the stars, shuttled in and arrived at the same time Herta departed.
"Heheh, looks like Senpai is here~~"
"Haven't seen him for so many days. I wonder if he has missed BB-chan~~~?"
And on the other side, aboard the Astral Express, Suke was looking at the newspaper Pom-Pom handed him, doubting life.
What does it mean, Simulated Universe "Holy Grail War" recruiting?
....
____
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