Ai Yue wore it on his hand. When he bent his finger down, he triggered Spacetime Fracture.
In an instant, his entire body seemed to enter the gap between moments. Everything around him was coated in an ambiguous hue. This lasted for roughly three seconds before things returned to normal.
"Three seconds. That should barely be enough." Ai Yue nodded. "There's still plenty of room for improvement."
The Spacetime Distortion Generator required Honkai Energy as a power source. However, Ai Yue was neither a Herrscher nor a Fused Warrior, and thus possessed no Honkai Energy himself. As a result, the generator came with its own energy source, which had to be replaced after every ten uses.
Fortunately, he had a way to obtain Honkai Energy.
After playing around with Spacetime Fracture twice more, Ai Yue finally put it out of his mind and shifted his attention back to the system.
The construction system wasn't limited to producing prototypes. As long as Ai Yue gathered all the materials needed to make a Spacetime Distortion Generator, he could use the construction system to convert them directly into one. The entire process required no equipment, which was why Ai Yue called it alchemy.
"Please select a new research project."
After Ai Yue closed the construction system, the system's prompt sounded in his mind. Immediately afterward, the light around him suddenly dimmed.
It was coming.
That thought flashed through Ai Yue's mind. Then he watched as a galaxy slowly unfolded before his eyes.
The light around him hadn't actually dimmed. It had merely been overwhelmed by an even more dazzling radiance.
This galaxy, formed from countless stars, was the technology tree displayed by the system. Among the stars filling the sky, only a scant few shone especially brightly.
Those were the research projects Ai Yue had completed.
And at the very top of this galaxy...
Ai Yue raised his head and looked toward the highest point. The image there gradually enlarged in his vision, finally focusing on a solitary star.
The name of that star was "Plasma Spark Tower."
Ai Yue could still remember the feeling of having found this project—the sensation of suddenly seeing a way out.
As a transmigrator, he was very familiar with the future course of this world. Compared with the next civilization that would emerge tens of thousands of years later, the era before him was destined to end in destruction. Even knowing the future, it would be difficult to change anything.
But as it turned out, as long as the cheat was powerful enough, none of those difficulties mattered.
What level of technology was the Plasma Spark Tower? It was an energy system capable of creating the ultimate lifeforms of the Land of Light. With something of that caliber, why should he worry about a mere Herrscher of the End?
Of course, that was all on the condition that Ai Yue could complete this project and all its prerequisite technologies before the End arrived.
Ai Yue's gaze drifted downward again. As a project that could only be researched after technological development reached its peak, the Plasma Spark Tower naturally had an absurd number of prerequisites. Energy, materials, structure... Every aspect involved would have to be solved by Ai Yue.
The distance between him and that goal was no exaggeration to describe as spanning an entire galaxy.
Still, Ai Yue remained quite optimistic. After all, solving the crisis of the Herrscher of the End might not necessarily require a method on the level of the Plasma Spark Tower. Perhaps he could climb halfway up the technology tree and already find a solution to the problem.
After all, the technology tree provided by the system still contained all sorts of bizarre projects, such as "Body Modification (Shocker Company Edition)," "Soul Core Contract Technology (Incubator Civilization Edition)," "Mazinger Z Blueprints," and "Mutant Serum." They looked terrifyingly powerful at a glance.
To be honest, Ai Yue even wondered whether the system had come to the wrong place. Did he really need all this just to deal with the Herrscher of the End? Everything here looked more suited for dealing with some multiversal empire whose territory spanned countless universes and which possessed the ultimate secrets of all things.
After reining in his chaotic thoughts, Ai Yue returned to reality and began selecting his next research target.
The system was crude and mindless when it came to research, but it was extremely rigorous about lighting up the technology tree. Without unlocking the prerequisite technology or possessing the relevant item, he couldn't open the corresponding research project.
Under normal circumstances, Ai Yue wouldn't have been able to unlock the "Spacetime Fracture Technology" project yet, because it was theoretically developed based on the abilities possessed by the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of Void.
However, he had accidentally obtained a special Honkai Energy Sample through a stroke of luck earlier, allowing him to skip several prerequisites. Luck like that obviously wouldn't come around every time.
So this time, he obediently selected "Anti-Honkai Energy Special Alloy Gen III" to lay the foundation for his other projects.
Compared with "Spacetime Fracture Technology," the special alloy was far less difficult, and it required fewer materials as well. Ai Yue therefore planned to stay up late and finish it that very night.
But at that moment, Pardofelis's hurried voice came from outside the door. "Brother Yue, Brother Yue, are you asleep? I've got something good!"
"You restocked pretty quickly today." Ai Yue walked out of the room, not paying much attention to the girl's words. "What is it this time?"
Whatever Pardofelis stole, she always called it something good. At first, Ai Yue would feel a little anticipation, but by now he had learned to manage his expectations so he wouldn't be too disappointed.
However, when Pardofelis placed the metal case in her hands on the coffee table, Ai Yue's expression instantly froze.
A somewhat familiar emblem was printed on the surface of the metal case. It was a moth with its wings spread, flame-like patterns lining the tips of its wings.
This time, it really was something good—this was a Moth to Fire mission equipment case!
The Pink-Haired Beauty, But There Are Two of Them
As the organization that truly governed civilization and fought the Honkai in this world, Moth to Fire was practically equivalent to the United Earth Government.
Twilight Street appeared to be an ordinary human settlement on the surface, so it theoretically had no way of coming into contact with an organization like Moth to Fire—unless something happened there that drew Moth to Fire's attention.
In the original story, Twilight Street's connection with Moth to Fire came about because the Honkai Energy infection at the sanatorium spread on a massive scale, infecting most of Twilight Street's residents. Combined with a metaphorical ballad, this ultimately led to the destruction of all of Twilight Street.
Although Ai Yue had taken certain measures to try to change the future, it seemed that Moth to Fire would take notice of Twilight Street no matter what.
That meant there was absolutely no way to cover up what had happened at the sanatorium.
All he could say was that what was meant to come would come eventually.
Ai Yue shook his head slightly. He didn't try to dismantle the case by force, either. "I can't use this. If you want to sell it, you'll have to go next door."
That was actually a lie. The metal used for the case alone was something Ai Yue had never used before. It was easy to imagine that whatever was inside would be very useful to him as well.
But the situation was still unclear, so Ai Yue decided to have Pardofelis follow the original story and hide at the neighboring settlement for a while. In the original story, that was how she escaped the disaster.
By "next door," Ai Yue meant another settlement separated from Twilight Street by a stretch of uninhabited land. If Pardofelis sold the things she stole in Twilight Street, it would be easy for others to trace them back to her. That was why she always sold valuable goods in other settlements.
She would get lowballed, but it was ultimately much safer.
"Oh, I see. Then there's nothing I can do." Pardofelis glanced at Ai Yue without seeming to notice anything unusual, then nodded. "Looks like I'll have to wait until I get back for my Canned Food."
Pardofelis clearly planned to leave right away. This thing looked like a hot potato, after all. The sooner she got rid of it, the better, so she wouldn't give trouble a chance to brew.
After seeing Pardofelis off, Ai Yue didn't idle around either. He went back inside, dug out a handbag, grabbed a box of Canned Food, and left home as well.
The sanatorium stood in the center of Twilight Street. It had originally been a church, but by now, very few people could maintain the faith they had once held.
Ai Yue arrived at the church's backyard with practiced ease. He dug a spare key out of a corner, unlocked the courtyard gate, and walked in.
He had barely taken a few steps when he felt a fierce gaze suddenly fall upon him.
Ai Yue turned his head and saw a masked man leaning on a broom and staring at him. He had clearly been sweeping the backyard just now.
"Yo, Master Qian." Ai Yue greeted him casually. "Still cleaning this late at night?"
The man before him was named Kalpas. He was a helper at the sanatorium, responsible for cleaning, moving things, and other odd jobs. He was usually taciturn, only showing his irritable side when facing the sanatorium's owner.
Of course, at present, only Ai Yue knew just how dangerous the man before him truly was.
"I was punished." Kalpas gave a simple reply. "Why are you here at this hour?"
"Someone troublesome has come to Twilight Street. They're probably headed here." Ai Yue handed the Canned Food to Kalpas. "Is Aponia here?"
Kalpas being punished didn't surprise Ai Yue in the slightest. If Kalpas ever went a day without being punished, that would be the real surprise.
"She's telling the children bedtime stories." Kalpas took the Canned Food and turned toward the warehouse. "Go in yourself. Just looking at her annoys me."
Ai Yue didn't take it to heart. He turned and walked inside.
The current owner of the sanatorium, Aponia, had originally been a nun at the church. She was a naturally gifted superhuman with extraordinary abilities, as well as someone who often managed to turn good intentions into disasters.
For example, in the original story, Twilight Street was destroyed because she couldn't bear to watch people suffering from Honkai corruption die in agony, so she tried to gather and treat them in one place.
This approach did reduce the chance of Honkai Energy infection spreading through Twilight Street at first. However, the infected people gathered together instead became an even larger source of infection. Eventually, the Honkai erupted all at once, nearly turning Twilight Street into a dead zone.
Of course, that was the ending that would have occurred in the original story—at least for now, Ai Yue had nipped that possibility in the bud.
Ai Yue easily found the room where the children lived. After knocking on the door, he walked inside.
There were roughly a dozen children in the room. The oldest was only thirteen or fourteen, while the youngest was no more than five or six. They sat around a woman with flaxen hair, concentrating on a story they had heard her tell countless times before.
"It's Brother Ai Yue!"
When someone entered, the children froze for a moment before excitedly running over and surrounding Ai Yue. "Brother Ai Yue is here! Did you bring new toys again?"
In the children's hearts, Ai Yue was an incredibly kind man who brought them fun toys every time he visited. He was therefore extremely popular here.
"Of course I did." Ai Yue smiled and raised the handbag in his hand so everyone could see it. "But before that, I need to check whether everyone has been wearing what Brother gave you."
"We~have~!"
Everyone answered in unison, raising the objects hanging around their necks to show Ai Yue.
They were crudely made pendants that looked like poorly manufactured products. They were also absurdly large, several times bigger than ordinary pendants, and looked somewhat comical hanging around the children's necks.
But they guaranteed that the children would live several years longer.
Ai Yue took the pendant handed to him by one of the children, and the system immediately displayed the item's information—
Honkai Energy Absorber (Common) Current Status: Good Core Load Rate: 67%
This was the third thing Ai Yue had made since arriving in this world, and also the most important.
The device he called a "Honkai Energy filter core" could not only suppress the corrosive reactions within Honkai Energy victims, but also absorb the Honkai Energy radiating from their bodies, effectively cutting off the spread of Honkai Energy infection.
With this device, combined with the large-scale absorbers he had placed throughout the sanatorium, he could basically prevent a Honkai Energy outbreak from occurring in Twilight Street.
Of course, this thing still required regular maintenance. It could only absorb Honkai Energy, not purify it. Once overloaded, the Honkai Energy stored inside would erupt, worsening the infection.
That was why Ai Yue visited the sanatorium every ten days to replace the cores.
The cores that had absorbed Honkai Energy were useful as well. Ai Yue could collect them and turn them into stable energy sources to power the various small devices on his person.
For example, the Spacetime Distortion Generator he was currently using.
After replacing everyone's core and taking out the toys he had prepared, Ai Yue finally escaped the children's encirclement.
"You're still as popular as ever, Mr. Ai Yue."
Aponia, who had been watching everything with a smile from the side, only came over now. She urged the children to go to sleep, then bowed to Ai Yue. "But it's so late. Is there something urgent that brought you here?"
Aponia was still wearing a very conservative nun's habit. Yet even clothing that wrapped her up like a sack couldn't completely conceal her exaggerated figure. Her movements would inadvertently outline her astonishing curves.
But Ai Yue had no time to admire the scenery now. As Aponia approached, he immediately backed away while fumbling through the handbag for something.
By the time Aponia began speaking, Ai Yue had finally pulled out a pair of fully enclosed earmuffs and put them on.
As a supposedly weak woman, Aponia had established a sanatorium in this chaotic world, protecting so many displaced people from harm and ensuring they had food and warmth. Naturally, she had abilities of her own.
She possessed an astonishing talent. She was a born master hypnotist who could issue commands carrying the nature of orders and restraints through her words, thereby restricting other people's actions.
Aponia called this ability "Discipline," while the earmuffs Ai Yue had put on were meant to resist it.
They were called "Anti-Aponia Earmuffs." Developed using her hair as a base material, they could theoretically filter the power of "Discipline" from her words and render the wearer immune to her hypnosis.
The reason it was only theoretical was that Aponia had never used Discipline on Ai Yue after he put them on.
"Mr. Ai Yue, you're always like this. Even I will get upset." Aponia walked out of the room with Ai Yue and closed the door, speaking in her usual calm tone. "I've repeatedly emphasized that I would never use Discipline on you except under special circumstances. Why are you unwilling to trust me?"
"I trust you very much. Really." Ai Yue nodded earnestly. "But some things have to be considered in advance—for example, what if you decide that this is a special circumstance? What would I do then?"
Aponia looked at him speechlessly and decided to change the subject. "So, you came to visit tonight because of some urgent matter? For example, do you have new goods that need buyers?"
Aponia possessed a special ability and was a native of Twilight Street. She also cared for so many patients, giving her a formidable reputation. Even the wealthy chose to build a relationship with her by donating supplies to the sanatorium, so she had extensive connections.
After producing the Honkai Energy Absorber, Ai Yue had become Aponia's most important customer. He had also gained her friendship, allowing him to use her connections to sell the things he made and exchange them for Canned Food to survive.
With Aponia as his guarantor, buyers were more willing to trust Ai Yue. At the same time, Ai Yue could sell his goods more easily, while the sanatorium received a cut and obtained supplies. It was a situation where everyone benefited.
"Not exactly. Rather..." Ai Yue tried to give her a rough explanation, but suddenly froze. A smile appeared on his face. "No, I suppose you could put it that way."
Aponia simply waited for him to continue without saying anything.
"The sanatorium will soon receive some special guests." Ai Yue changed his wording. "And I plan to sell you, me, this sanatorium, and oh, Master Qian too, for a good price."
"A deal this big isn't something just anyone can handle." Aponia wasn't angered by Ai Yue's flippant description. She merely continued asking, "May I ask who the other party is this time, Mr. Ai Yue?"
Ai Yue was just about to speak when a young nun came running over in a panic. "Lady Aponia, some unfamiliar guests have arrived... Huh, Mr. Ai Yue is here too?"
Ai Yue smiled at her. "Are they pink-haired ladies?"
The young nun shyly hid behind Aponia, exposing only half her body. Still, she nodded at Ai Yue's question. "Yes. Both ladies have beautiful pink hair."
Two pink-haired women? Other than Sakura, theoretically, the only one with pink hair should be...
Ai Yue thought for a moment, then let out a long breath. "Looks like this matter will end even better than I imagined."
With that thought, Ai Yue looked toward Aponia. "Let's go meet the new guests."
At that moment, the two uninvited guests were whispering to each other inside the church.
Before you continue