"Hehehe, Little Chen Li, my Little Chen Li…" Sirin sat on the sofa, holding Little Chen Li in her arms and nuzzling him with her cheek for what felt like an eternity.
Although Little Chen Li showed some slight resistance to this intimate behavior, it wasn't very forceful.
Munching on Chen Li's gold coin chocolate while enjoying the pleasure of kneading Chen Li, Sirin instantly understood the joy Big Herta felt.
Sirin didn't care whether Chen Li was willing or not. In any case, the melon she had forcefully twisted off the vine tasted incredibly sweet to her.
"Emm…" Big Herta was urgently revising the homework she had prepared for Sirin.
Although Chen Li had yet to tell her what kind of game with what kind of plot she was in, or how it was connected to the Honkai world, Herta had pieced together a good seventy to eighty percent of the picture based on the worldview and basic settings of the Honkai world that Chen Li had shared with her.
The Herrscher of the Void's abilities were crucial in Honkai Impact 3rd. According to the data, proper use of the Herrscher of the Void's authority could sever the connection between the Imaginary Tree and a specific individual. The Divine Key created from the Second Herrscher's core could even reach… the Imaginary Tree itself?
If it could sever the connection between the Imaginary Tree and an individual, it meant that the Herrscher of the Void's power might also be able to link itself to the power of the Imaginary Tree.
And in the world of Honkai: Star Rail, this ability was even more heaven-defying.
Because in the Star Rail world, when a certain condition was met and a portion of Imaginary energy was completely controlled by an intelligent being, they would be called an Aeon, and the energy they possessed would be called a Path.
So, ever since Herta learned of the Herrscher of the Void's existence, she had never understood how that "backwater place" of Honkai Impact 3rd could produce such a special authority.
Originally, Herta had been a little disappointed when a series of tests revealed that Sirin, even at her limit, couldn't draw upon the Imaginary energy of the Star Rail world and could only use the Honkai energy she brought with her. But the sight of Sirin shattering the spatial barrier glass, which was imbued with the power of an Emanator of Erudition, with a single punch gave Herta a new, wonderful surprise.
"Alright, stop playing with Chen Li. Can you tell me what it felt like when you borrowed that immense Imaginary energy? And can you use an attack like that again?" Herta looked at Sirin.
"Huh? I don't know. I just felt really angry at the time. I don't think I can use that power again right now. But I can still vaguely feel a connection… though it's just a little," Sirin said, shaking her head.
It turns out that when a person is extremely angry, it's possible for them to gain the strength to kill a tiger with a power slide.
"Still a connection? That means if you practice more in this world, it's possible for you to possess this power long-term." Herta seemed thrilled.
"Oh." Sirin's reaction was lukewarm. She was still more interested in the Little Chen Li in her arms.
Herta's enthusiasm, however, was not dampened by Sirin's indifference.
Although people still didn't know what method Aeons used or what conditions they met to master a portion of Imaginary energy and successfully ascend, looking at it from another angle, if one could master a portion of Imaginary energy, wouldn't there be a chance to bypass that condition entirely?
Therefore, Sirin's existence was crucial for Herta's research into the secrets of the Aeons.
Herta, Ruan Mei, and two other geniuses had jointly established the project known as the Simulated Universe to probe the secrets of the Aeons and understand the conditions for becoming one. Sirin, on the other hand, had provided a tangible form of mastering Imaginary energy.
Combine the two… and rounding up, that basically meant becoming an Aeon!
Thwack!
"Ow, that hurts!" Sirin clutched her head, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at Chen Li, who had returned to his normal form.
"Don't try to act pitiful to get sympathy. I barely used any force just now," Chen Li said, exasperated.
"I don't think you should blame me, Chen Li. This is just human nature," Sirin said after a moment of thought, tilting her head at him.
"Is 'human nature' your term for pinching me, hugging me, and then… forget it. This is definitely not human nature."
"Exactly. I'm not human, I'm a Herrscher. This is Herrscher nature."
"…" Staring at Sirin, who was spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face, Chen Li couldn't help but be amused.
Fine, seeing as you have such a strong talent for comedy, I'll forgive you for licking my face just now.
"Leave me some snacks," Chen Li said, directly snatching the uneaten gold coin chocolates from Sirin's hands.
"As expected of something made from the stress of yours truly, the flavor is simply divine. I've decided! If the Xianzhou wants this Curio, the first condition they must meet is to hold a 'Mengyin Day' every year. Then, they'll collect all the snacks from each Mengyin Day and hold a grand competition! Whoever's snack is the most delicious will be crowned the 'Star of Mengyin'!" Chen Li declared with great satisfaction as he savored the chocolate.
"…" Ruan Mei didn't understand, but she respected his decision.
Although on the surface it seemed like Chen Li was only thinking of himself, the Curio was his creation, so it was perfectly normal for him to do so.
"Didn't you say you can't eat the snacks you give out… Never mind, forget I asked." Herta was about to speak when she remembered Chen Li's other Curio, which allowed him to eat anything.
One Curio's effect was that he couldn't eat the snacks he gave out, or his stress would return.
Another Curio's effect was that he could eat anything and gain growth from it.
So the question was, when their logic conflicted, which Curio had higher priority?
"Chen Li, if you were to create an unstoppable spear and an immovable shield, which one would win if they clashed?" Herta asked.
"…" replied Chen Li.
"I bet you'd say the Curio that cost more Crystals would win. So what if we made two Curios that were identical in both rarity and Crystal cost?"
"You really don't know the cost of firewood and rice if you're not the one running the household… When I get to the point where I can forge one Curio while throwing away a Crystal for another, then I'll satisfy your curiosity," Chen Li retorted.
"Don't you have any of the curiosity a genius should have for everything in the universe?"
"Not a single bit! Instead of being curious about that, you should be curious about how you're going to teach Sirin from now on," Chen Li said, shaking his head.
Chen Li truly believed Sirin had immense potential. "In the past, there was Seele, who shattered the Sea of Quanta with seven punches. Today, there is Sirin, who broke the barrier of Erudition with one."
The Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree had both welcomed their favorite daughters!
…Probably.
"I have a perfect plan! Come here." Herta beckoned to Chen Li with her finger.
"What plan?"
"I've discovered that when you're being played with by other girls, Sirin often erupts with unprecedented power, so…" Herta whispered into Chen Li's ear.
After Chen Li patiently listened to Herta's entire plan, his face screamed, "Are you messing with me?"
Chen Li said this because Herta wasn't just "messing" with him, she also wanted to "mess" with him.
"I suddenly feel like it doesn't matter if Sirin gets stronger or not," Chen Li said abruptly.
"That won't do. Sirin has great potential. Can you bear to see such a promising seedling fade into mediocrity?"
"I can," Chen Li nodded.
Chen Li could accept Herta's plan if it hurt heaven and earth, but he wouldn't accept it if it hurt Chen Li.
"Besides, compared to you, I have another female candidate who can make Sirin chase after her with all her might, yet leave her completely helpless," Chen Li said.
"What? A genius more outstanding than me? I don't believe it. And even just from a female perspective, very few can compare to me." Herta was disdainful.
"She's not a genius. But she is an Emanator, and she's got a big thunder. You, on the other hand, 'Big' Herta, aren't big at all." Chen Li looked Herta up and down and couldn't help but let out a snicker.
Here's a joke: "Big" Herta.
"…" A vein popped on Herta's forehead.
"One day, I will eliminate all of you from the Big Thunder Faction!"
"The last person who said that betrayed her own camp and became the very thing she hated most," Chen Li scoffed again.
He vaguely remembered hearing a line from Bronya when he played Honkai Impact 3rd, something about how she would one day eliminate all the giant ru in the world.
And then, Bronya successfully used eight years of growth to crush a certain Shenzhou Flatboard's 50,000 years of effort.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Chen Li's communicator rang.
He accepted a video call request from Jing Yuan.
"Chen Li, I might not make it," Jing Yuan said, his very first words stunning Chen Li.
"What happened? Did Phantylia attack? Or did the Aeon of Abundance run over to the Xianzhou and kowtow to you all?" Chen Li asked hurriedly.
"No." Jing Yuan shook his head, his expression grave.
"Don't tell me that lunatic Mobius finally couldn't resist turning the Ambrosial Arbor into a life seed? Or is Vill-V trying to make the Xianzhou stand up?" Chen Li began to worry.
"It's none of those… wait, what do you mean turn the Ambrosial Arbor into a life seed, and make the Xianzhou stand up?" Jing Yuan instantly spotted the oddities.
"That's not important! What's important is what you have to say. Hurry up and say it." Realizing the situation wasn't as serious as he had imagined, Chen Li quickly changed the subject.
"During the time I am dead, I will entrust all matters of the General's residence to Master Diviner Fu Xuan. I don't know how long I will be gone, or what kind of competition I must endure and what opponents I must defeat to return to the world of the living. I only hope… that you, Mr. Forger, will absolutely, positively create a Curio to suppress the Mara-Struck on the Xianzhou. The Xianzhou… will reward you handsomely!" Jing Yuan said to Chen Li with a solemn expression.
"Uh, no problem, but what on earth happened?" Chen Li was a little confused.
Based on his time calculations, Jingliu should have already taken Baiheng to give Jing Yuan a surprise by now.
Why was Jing Yuan using a tone as if he were delivering his last will and testament in this final video call?
"I saw Baiheng coming to get me," Jing Yuan sighed.
"???"
Jing Yuan looked at the semi-transparent shade of his old friend standing not far away. He rubbed his eyes, but she didn't disappear. Instead, she got closer.
If the real Baiheng had appeared, Jing Yuan would have thought she'd won her Revival Game. But with Baiheng showing up in a semi-transparent form, Jing Yuan could only conclude that he was about to die.
Am I finally at my limit? Is the Mara-Struck claiming me?
For the people of the Xianzhou, living too long was also a curse.
An ordinary Xianzhou native would already be at the age of succumbing to the Mara-Struck after a thousand or eight hundred years. Yet Jing Yuan had been single-handedly shouldering the pressure for 700 years since the Sedition of the Imbibitor Lunae! He was truly a legendary king of withstanding pressure!
And now that something like a Revival Card existed, Jing Yuan felt that dying for a bit might actually be beneficial for his mental and physical health.
"Baiheng… take me away," Jing Yuan sighed once more.
"Huh? Oh." Baiheng scratched her head.
Although she felt Jing Yuan's expression was a bit strange, it was great that he could grasp the situation so quickly!
Besides, this Heroic Spirit ability to turn oneself into spiritrons and pass through walls was just too convenient!
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