[Brain storage provided by Wisteria Cake]
Outside a certain cosmic medical bay.
Ruan Mei was observing the foxian girl slowly recovering within the chamber.
Behind her stood Madam Herta's full-body holographic projection, magic hat atop her head, violet dress flowing, her face full of composure and confidence.
"This is the Xianzhou foxian girl you saved. Why did you save her?"
Ruan Mei's light veil drifted in the breeze. She gave a subtle smile and inclined her head slightly.
"Every life has its value."
Herta looked down at the unconscious Tingyun, brow furrowed. She murmured to herself.
"The power of Destruction still lingers. I wonder if that will be a blessing or a curse for her."
Ruan Mei gently touched her lute, her voice like a heavenly melody as she replied.
"Perhaps blessing and curse depend on one another. The two may only transform in a single instant."
"Oh?"
Ruan Mei summoned bamboo slips from her pouch and began recording, characters materializing in midair.
"Heart function beginning to recover, but only fifty beats per minute. Still requires restoration."
"Fox tails beginning their ninth regeneration. Power of Destruction still—"
Thump.
In an instant, the bamboo slips slipped from her fingers. Ruan Mei's breathing grew labored.
She braced herself against the medical bay, waves of memory rippling through her mind like ripples in water.
Herta startled, hurriedly stepping forward to steady Ruan Mei—but her hand passed through empty air. She suddenly remembered: she was only a holographic projection now. There was nothing she could do.
[Tingyun... is it just me, or does five-star Tingyun not look as good as four-star Tingyun?]
[Madam Herta! I hit hard pity! 179 pulls! Seriously, Herta, I've treated you well—why do you do this to me? I was here first...]
[Cyrene. Why does she look so much like that person from long ago?]
As this memory surfaced, Ruan Mei felt her head spin. She was lost, adrift.
"Ruan Mei? You?!"
Herta's voice—rarely so anxious—brought Ruan Mei back. She pressed her hand to her forehead, eyes shut tight, forcing herself back into her usual detached coolness.
"I'm fine."
Herta crossed her arms and studied Ruan Mei carefully.
"You haven't slept in over five hundred days, have you?!"
"Five hundred and thirty-one, to be precise."
Herta fixed Ruan Mei with an exasperated look.
"Even geniuses need rest!! I'll look after the foxian girl for now. You—right now, immediately, this instant—go get some rest!! No arguments!! Or else... or else..."
Herta faltered slightly, unsure how to phrase it.
"Or else?"
"Or else you'll be the first genius to join the Fool's Club!!"
...
Ruan Mei reclined in the Dreamcradle Pool, slowly closing her eyes, reasoning with herself.
"Perhaps I'm simply a little tired. Every living being deserves a moment of rest. I should be no exception."
"There remains a gap between humanity and divinity."
The moment her eyes shut, memories of the past came flooding back like a tidal wave.
Across the cosmos, the galaxy, that blue planet in a remote solar system—was that the world I transmigrated from in my past life?
Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact—they were just two games from that company, miHoYo.
But... the former self in the mirror.
Tingyun, Cyrene, Madam Herta. And all those Stellar Jades I saved up. Most of my salary, really—all poured into miHoYo in the end.
"Hi. Miss me?" ♪
That flawless, crystalline figure appeared in her dream. The pink-haired girl's ethereal, lilting voice shattered like glass against the ripples of memory.
Ruan Mei's eyes flew open. She sat bolt upright in the Dreamcradle Pool. Her reflection—that peerlessly beautiful face—stared back at her from the water, reminding her that everything was real.
[■■] Elysia, you've gained weight.
But in an instant, Ruan Mei had already composed herself, resuming her usual rationality.
Saving Tingyun. Observing "life."
Life is but a fleeting moment. The long path toward divine ascension—that is the destination she has always sought.
Cold. Detached. Free of worldly passions.
But is this still me?
Ruan Mei gazed at her reflection. If that memory was to be believed, in the near future, she would travel to the space station. She would mildly inconvenience a certain little Stellaron with truth serum.
Then she would abandon the life forms she created, leaving them behind without a second thought—even as they missed her desperately.
Was she truly so heartless?
"Ruan Mei? What's wrong with you?"
Herta's voice came from behind. Ruan Mei turned her head—and even Herta was briefly caught off guard.
On Ruan Mei's face, Herta saw something that did not belong there: self-reproach. Was this still the same aloof, detached Ruan Mei?
In all the countless amber eras Herta had known her, such an expression had never once crossed Ruan Mei's face.
"Ruan Mei. Something is wrong with you, isn't it?"
Ruan Mei shook her head slightly. This woman Herta—her perceptiveness remained as terrifying as ever. Even the subtlest change, she could spot it with ease.
"Everything is fine. Speaking of which... Tingyun?"
"She's still unconscious, but her vitals are steadily recovering."
Ruan Mei picked up her lute and stepped out of the Dreamcradle Pool. Herta followed close behind.
Herta watched Ruan Mei's retreating figure. Still so cold, so distant. After all these eons...
Can't you just come a little closer? Praise me a little more? Give me an extra piece of preserved plum cake?
Hmph. It's not like Madam Herta is particularly fond of sweets.
Unaware of Herta's inner thoughts, Ruan Mei walked on ahead, silently processing that fragment of memory. But the thought kept surfacing in her mind, again and again.
The true nature of this "memory." Was it me? Or wasn't it?
As Ruan Mei pondered, Herta kept calling after her, tossing her one topic after another. She herself was a genius, proud and aloof—she would never lower herself to treat Ruan Mei like some ordinary person.
"Ruan Mei, the Simulated Universe..."
"Oh."
"Ruan Mei, Yu Qingtu..."
"Mm."
"Ruan Mei, the Starcrusher Swarm King..."
"Oh."
Yet even topics that once would have captured her full attention now received only simple replies. And she showed no desire to initiate conversation herself.
Herta clenched her teeth and tried changing the subject.
"Oh, right, Ruan Mei. I banned seventy-six game accounts belonging to some Stellaron Hunter a while back. She probably threw a whole tantrum, didn't she?"
Ruan Mei paused, turning to look at Herta.
"Silver Wolf?"
Seeing that Ruan Mei had actually responded, Herta crossed her arms and praised herself with satisfaction.
"Ah, who else but me, the all-powerful Madam Herta? A mere Silver Wolf dares to provoke me. I barely lifted a finger, and she could only go crying to Kafka."
"Speaking of which, why don't you visit the space station and see that little Stellaron? I mean, outside the Simulated Universe. Last time, she said she really wanted to meet you."
"I will meet with her."
"Just don't go around using truth serum on her or anything. That would be quite rude, even for a little Stellaron."
Ruan Mei did not reply. She simply stopped before the medical bay where Tingyun was being treated.
And suddenly, in her ears, a flawless girl's voice rang out.
[Hi, nice to meet you. It's been such a long time.] ♪