Chapter 269

A glimmer of light appeared from his fingertip and then drifted toward Vita.

This light, which appears even fainter than a candle flame, is actually a source of power meticulously woven by Ai Yue, and it is called the "Seed of Light".

Of course, although they are both called Seed of Light, considering that everyone has a different upper limit of power they can withstand, the power of Vita's Seed of Light is obviously not comparable to the power that Kevin possesses. Moreover, considering Vita's situation, the authority contained in this Seed of Light also has a different focus.

The moment the light entered Vita's body, her body trembled violently, and scorching energy emanated from her, almost causing the pale green liquid used to heal her injuries to boil.

Vita felt every corner of her body expanding. In a daze, she felt as if she had transformed into a giant, able to touch the sky with her hand and shake the earth with a gentle stomp of her foot.

But in the next instant, she felt her soul shrinking, as if it were about to condense into an imperceptible atom and fall into the gaps in her body. The sounds of blood flowing, bones rubbing, and tendons contracting and expanding gradually amplified in her ears, eventually turning into a deafening thunderclap.

Before Vita could adjust to the deafening noise, everything suddenly went quiet again, as if her soul had finally fallen into an unknowable microscopic world, completely lost in that mysterious realm.

But gradually, she seemed to hear whispers, as if someone was speaking in her ear, describing a glorious and splendid scene...

However, with a violent tremor, everything fell silent again. Vita finally opened her eyes and found herself still in the hibernation pod, but the scenery around her had changed drastically.

Her own hibernation pod had exploded, with transparent fragments scattered in the freely flowing pale green liquid, making it look as if Vita had blown it open from the inside.

Moreover, not only her hibernation pod, but all the hibernation pods in the entire control room exploded at the same moment, creating an extremely tragic scene, resembling a major accident.

If Ai Yue hadn't been standing there watching her, Vita would have thought some long-suffering enemy had attacked.

Before she could even ponder why this had happened, she was completely enveloped by a warmth that seemed to spread from her very bones. All her scattered thoughts vanished in that instant, leaving only a soft, melodious murmur that revealed just how blissful Vita was.

But Vita felt ten or even a hundred times more comfortable than the feeling conveyed by that low murmur, because at this moment, she could feel just how powerful her body was.

The traces left by the previous modifications, the hidden ailments that had not fully healed, and even the meager power she originally possessed, all vanished without a trace at this moment, leaving only a warm and powerful force surging within her body.

Is this the power that Ai Yue bestowed upon me?

Vita reluctantly opened her eyes, forcing herself to snap out of her reverie. After all, Ai Yue was still there, and she couldn't get too carried away.

"Looks like the renovation was a success."

Vita lightly leaped off the metal base, but instead of stepping on the ground, she floated slightly. "This power is unexpectedly strong. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Ai Yue responded calmly, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow, "Because the modification failed."

Vita: "Huh?"

Vita initially thought she had misheard, but how could such a problem occur with her current physical condition?

"So, it failed?"

Vita looked at her hands, then at Ai Yue, "But, this power?"

If this kind of power is only the result of failure, then what kind of transformative change would true success bring?

Vita couldn't even imagine it.

"This only enhances your physical functions. You can think of it as having the blessing of the Power of Light, but being unable to actively use this energy."

Seeing Vita's bewildered expression, Ai Yue couldn't help but explain, "While this level is enough for you to adapt to being Star-Crosser Rider, it's still a bit lacking."

"Being able to control Star-Crosser is enough, right? At worst, I'll just be more cautious when I go out; there shouldn't be any major problems."

Seeing Ai Yue's furrowed brows, Vita comforted him instead, "Well, in the end, this is my own choice. Just because I don't have your protection, does that mean I shouldn't go out?"

"Now that you are working for me, I will naturally protect you. This has nothing to do with your personal thoughts."

Ai Yue glanced at her and then said, "Besides, do you think you can come back easily after you go out? I'm afraid that for a long time, you will have to face the complex situation of the outside world alone."

Vita frowned as well. "What do you mean?"

"The Solar System is sealed off by the Imaginary Energy Tidal Belt, making it impossible to leave by conventional means. This is the information you have."

Ai Yue then said, "But do you know just how closed it is?"

With Ai Yue, Vita felt the surrounding environment suddenly change, and the originally messy control room instantly transformed into a vast expanse of stars and sea.

In the past, she might have thought that Ai Yue had used his spatial powers to transfer them outside, but now Vita could keenly perceive that it was just a kind of illusion.

Even if she could realize it was an illusion, with Vita's current abilities, she still couldn't find a single flaw. Such an exaggerated method was just a PowerPoint presentation used by the other party to provide supplementary explanations.

Vita quickly focused her attention on the starry sea itself. She noticed that countless galaxies were gathered in this dazzling sea of stars. Although there were some barriers between them, they were all operating at the same speed and frequency, and they looked quite harmonious.

However, when Vita painstakingly searched for the inconspicuous Solar System in the corner among these dazzling galaxies, she discovered that it was not only far away from the other galaxies, but also had a completely different operating frequency and speed.

Strangely, when Vita observes the Solar System alone, she finds its operation to be quite regular. However, once she compares the Solar System with other star systems, she is surprised to find that the Solar System exhibits an indescribable disorder in comparison.

If we use a spinning top as an analogy, the Solar System at this time would be rotating clockwise, counterclockwise, and even upside down. Sometimes, each part would even spin on its own, and the speed would vary, making people dizzy.

"What, what's going on?"

Upon realizing this, Vita looked at Ai Yue with astonishment.

She used to pride herself on having seen countless things in the world, and thought she had seen everything. But after meeting Ai Yue, she was constantly shocked by her own shallow knowledge.

Everything else is negotiable, but she had never seen or even imagined such a scene before!

In Vita's original vision, the Solar System might just be a bit far from other star systems, but now it seems that the two are not even in the same league.

"Simply put, this is all due to the influence of the Cocoon of Finality."

Ai Yue was slightly surprised by Vita's keen insight, and then began to explain, "Under the interference of the Cocoon of Finality, the already isolated and closed Solar System has become even more closed off. This isolation at the underlying level has even changed its properties within the 'Sea of Trees System'."

"The Tree Sea System?"

Vita blinked, looking puzzled. "Are you referring to the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quantum?"

She had often heard Suo mention "tree" and "sea" before, but this was the first time she had ever heard of Ai Yue connecting them into a system.

"You can understand it as the underlying logic of this universe, just like heaven and earth."

Ai Yue gave a brief explanation, then said, "However, these are not the main points. The main point is that, due to the operation of the Cocoon of Finality, the rules of the Solar System itself are now actually maintained by it."

"This change at the level of rules caused the Solar System to break free from its original position in a bizarre way and reposition itself with the help of the 'cocoon'."

Vita blinked, then shook her head. "I don't understand."

"To put it simply, the Solar System is no longer a leaf connected to the Imaginary Tree, hanging high above the Sea of Quantum, but has become an independent root."

Vita's eyes widened at what Ai Yue said, "It is now centered on itself, and simultaneously linked to the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quantum."

Vita opened her mouth, and after a moment, finally uttered a sound, "Huh?"

She finally understood a little this time, but seemed even more confused.

"Doesn't this mean that the rules governing the Solar System today are independent of the underlying logic of the universe?"

After calming down, Vita said, "The Solar System has its own rules. Reconnecting the Tree Sea with itself as the center is equivalent to—forming a universe on its own?"

No, this actually works?

"More or less, but not quite to that extent."

Ai Yue nodded, then shook his head slightly. "But at least, the rules within the Solar System are actually under the control of the cocoon. Now you know why that situation happened, right?"

"Because the cocoon runs rampant within the Solar System, the Solar System appears as a chaotic black box to outside observers?"

Vita reasoned for a moment and came to her own conclusion. "And the reverse is also true, so before both sides truly establish an observable link, neither can actually be sure what the other is like right now?"

Although it might not be obvious, she is actually quite knowledgeable, but these things are almost useless when facing Ai Yue.

"Yes, so you can't come back after you leave here, because the Solar System doesn't exist in the eyes of the outside universe at this time."

Ai Yue nodded. "By the time we establish a stable connection, a long period of time may have passed in the outside world."

"And during this time, you will have to act alone."

It was precisely because there was no guarantee when Vita would receive support from the Solar System that Ai Yue wanted to enhance her strength as much as possible before she left, in order to ensure her safety in the outer universe.

After all, in his understanding, if the worldview of Honkai Impact 3rd really connects with the Starry Sky Railway, then the outside world can probably be described as "a chaotic mess of gods and demons".

"I see."

After hearing this explanation, Vita breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I can understand."

This time it was Ai Yue's turn to look puzzled.

"Oh dear, how should I put it? Because you're so enthusiastic, it makes people feel quite embarrassed."

Vita suddenly said in a coy tone, "I thought you had ulterior motives towards me. I'm sorry, I've been suspicious of you all along."

Ai Yue blinked, then shook his head slightly. "So that's why you've been subtly trying to find out why I'm so good to you, right?"

His good intentions were met with such suspicion from the other party, which suddenly gave him the urge to "just throw her into the tide zone and be done with it."

"Oh dear, it's my fault. I shouldn't have doubted the great savior, the god of the Solar System, the radiant incarnation of Lord Ai Yue!"

Seeing the change in Ai Yue's expression, Vita quickly moved closer and flashed a fawning smile, "Well, as kind as you are, you certainly wouldn't let a weak woman like me go out and explore the outside world like this, would you?"

At this point, Vita winked at Ai Yue again.

The gist of it is, "There must be other solutions, so stop hiding them."

Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, then suddenly revealed a strange smile.

"Then, let's sign a contract and become a magical girl!"

Chapter Thirty-Two: Tonight I will set sail.

How different are technology and magic?

In Ai Yue's view now, these are just two similar paths.

Having ascended to his current state and taken control of the Cocoon of Finality, Ai Yue has become increasingly aware that technology and magic ultimately point to the same source.

After all, even the Cocoon of Finality itself is just a tool created by a more advanced civilization— the Cocoon of Finality, which seems terrifying to humans and controls the entire Solar System, may just be a petri dish in the hands of that civilization.

It is precisely because of this that, as Ai Yue's exploration of the Cocoon of Finality deepened, his mastery of power became more and more adept. The laws of the universe, which were originally unfathomable, gradually became clear in his eyes, and even transformed from abstract concepts that were originally difficult to express into knowledge that could be easily understood and mastered.

It can be said that in the short period of less than a month of researching the Cocoon of Finality, Ai Yue gained more knowledge than he had ever acquired since transmigrating to this world.

Driven by this terrifying accumulation of knowledge, various technologies within the system are being broken down at an unprecedented speed, one of which is the "Soul Core Contract Technology" mastered by the Incubator Civilization.

The original version of this technology involved creating crystals called "Soul Gem" from human souls, allowing their emotions to be converted into energy through a special mechanism. People with strong enough emotions could even surpass the cognition of the person who created this technology and obtain terrifying energy that could override the underlying logic of the universe.

However, although this technology sounds impressive, it has a major flaw: it causes irreversible pollution to the soul. Although this pollution can be temporarily removed, once the technology is used, the pollution cannot be stopped until it completely takes over the user's soul.

Such a flaw means that those who use the Soul Core Contract Technology are destined to be expendable, and even after the pollution accumulates to the limit, a terrifying mutation will occur, turning them into horrific monsters.

If someone with normal values invented such technology, they would not abuse it for any purpose—unfortunately, the civilizations that mastered this technology were basically all at the beginner level, which led to very serious consequences.

To be honest, if given the chance, Ai Yue really wanted to find the Incubator Civilization and have a "friendly" exchange with them.

Of course, these things have nothing to do with Ai Yue at the moment—after figuring out the specific principles of the "Soul Core Contract Technology," he directly improved it. It can be said that the "Soul Core Contract Technology" that Ai Yue now possesses is completely different from the original version.

To ensure there would be no side effects, Ai Yue didn't even leave behind the mechanism of "converting emotions into energy." Instead, he simply rewrote a completely new system based on the relevant rules involved in this conversion technique.

In this system, although the user's soul is compressed and condensed into crystals, it does not consume emotions to be converted into energy. Instead, it resonates with the power left by Ai Yue in the crystals according to the fluctuation of will, thereby releasing even more powerful energy.

As a tribute to the original version, this energy will be transformed into the user's weapons and equipment through Ai Yue's pre-editing and setting of the soul crystal, providing them with sufficient combat power.

In this way, a bit of the original flavor is preserved, thus satisfying Ai Yue's insignificant personal hobby.

Of course, the most crucial aspect of this technology is not just this. The mechanism by which the user's will resonates with the crystal is essentially the process by which her soul gradually adapts to the Power of Light. This means that every time the user activates this power, she is strengthening her will and simultaneously sensing the influence of the Power of Light on herself.

As you can see, this effect is actually the side effect of the "Soul Core Contract Technology" that pollutes the soul. However, Ai Yue's improvements have turned this side effect into an enhancement effect.

Through this gradual process, much like "boiling a frog in lukewarm water," even those who initially cannot withstand the Power of Light gradually grow to the point where they can truly master it. At that time, the Soul Crystal will dissipate during the most crucial resonance, allowing the user's soul and the Power of Light to truly merge into one.

In a sense, this technology should be called the "Seed of Light," but since it has already been used, it can only be called the "Core of Light."

"I understand the logic, and I don't need to worry about the parts I don't understand."

After listening to Ai Yue's explanation, Vita still had that somewhat subtle expression on her face. "I just want to know, what did you mean by that magical girl you mentioned at the beginning?"

"Well, it just slipped out. It doesn't mean anything, don't worry about it."

Ai Yue turned his head slightly and said, "If you don't like this title, just change it to something else."

Vita stared silently at Ai Yue's face, but suddenly smiled.

She didn't actually care about such things, but the fact that the word suddenly came out of Ai Yue's mouth, who had always acted very seriously, was inexplicably funny and made Ai Yue's image in her mind a little more concrete.

After all, the other party is only someone who has recently become a god. When they were sightseeing on Earth, Elysia told her that Ai Yue used to enthusiastically give each piece of armor he created a unique name.

Before this, Vita had a hard time imagining the scene, but now she seemed to have a vague outline in her mind.

Of course, most importantly, Ai Yue looks very interesting now—making you want to tease him a bit.

"Hmm, let me think about it..."