My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena Chapter 11

Having completely brought the situation under her control, Genius watched the ensuing developments at her leisure.

She saw flames ignite across Outworld Blaze's body. It was a self-enhancement mechanism known as [Meltdown]. If the Void creature were regarded as a computing chip, then it had entered an overclocked state.

In this state, Outworld Blaze needed only two minutes to blast a gap through the isolation chamber's superalloy walls.

Without relying on any equipment, the data on the Fragmentum lifeform and the strength of the Space Station's facilities were all in her mind. Even though such trivial knowledge was usually tossed into the depths of her thoughts, with a little consideration, Herta reached her conclusion.

And then—[Draw Blazing Essence]?

Now, it only needed thirty seconds.

Outworld Blaze, lacking much combat intelligence, simply vented its energy. Following its Destructive Instinct, it sought to destroy the cage imprisoning it in a single stroke.

Twisted energies tangled through the air, tearing out piercing roars. The flames burning over the bizarre lifeform from beyond this world had reached an intensity that even many conventional technological weapons could not match.

It was about time for him to admit defeat, wasn't it?

That was what Herta thought.

For an unarmed research staff member to remain calm before an Outworld Blaze firing at full power, without fleeing in panic or even showing fear on his face, was truly rare courage. Later, I'll be merciful and refrain from mocking him.

As Genius thought this, she prepared to activate the isolation chamber's hidden attack modules.

Yet the strange scene that unfolded next exceeded her expectations.

"Hm?"

Hua Yi's Talent for Imaginary

Hua Yi raised his hand, and another kind of ripple spread through the space that Outworld Blaze had filled with violent energy.

A drop of water falling into the sea might not stir towering waves, but it could still send rings of ripples outward.

Unfortunately, Outworld Blaze was nowhere near the scale of an ocean, while the power Hua Yi wielded was far more than a mere drop of water.

Its name was [Imaginary]. It had nothing to do with outward physical traits such as flames. It was a more fundamental power, once believed by the wise across the universe to be the sole component of this world.

It could be the most important parameter in an instrument embodying the pinnacle of intelligence; it could be the true form of the surging tides upon a Path; it could also be the greatest possibility behind the authority of Aeons.

It worked wonders, ever-changing and unfathomable.

The Rain of Pure Flame that burned everything nearly filled his entire vision. It came with overwhelming force, yet it could not break through the Imaginary barrier raised around Hua Yi's palm.

That "shield," far from thick or heavy, simply stood there and blocked countless dazzling flames.

When energy clashed with energy, even if one side held the advantage and the other was at a disadvantage, it should not have looked like this.

The meteor-like rain of fire did not explode upon striking the obstacle before its target, unleashing all the might contained within. Instead, after a strange shriek, it extinguished for no reason at all.

This was no longer an exchange of offense and defense between Outworld Blaze and Hua Yi. The former's attacks had been nullified.

That Imaginary shield seemed alive, dynamically dismantling the Void construct's flames.

At a level beyond the naked eye's perception, the seemingly flat Imaginary Energy transformed into countless sharp blades. The twisted monster's attacks appeared to possess only an extremely fragile balance. Once Cut Off by those Imaginary edges that touched upon their essence, they became like bombs with their fuses severed, no longer capable of exploding.

Even the "bombs" themselves collapsed.

Clusters of blazing fire struck the Imaginary barrier. Dozens of attacks came in the span of a few breaths, yet the monster that heralded doom now seemed so weak. It was as if its days imprisoned in the Space Station had stripped away its claws and fangs, erased its wildness, and left it incapable of harming anyone.

But it was clearly not a beast!

Every attack from Outworld Blaze carried normal strength, enough to scorch the earth and dye the sky an ominous color. Unfortunately, Hua Yi had observed for too long, seeing this twisted lifeform's flames with complete clarity.

He had become like a master butcher dissecting an ox, seeing through the essence of the energy beneath the blaze. With Imaginary blades, he easily caused each formed attack to collapse with a bang.

This was not an advantage born from sheer scale, but an extreme technique involving control over Imaginary Energy. Even Herta, who had read all manner of detailed parameters through the Puppet's Eye, was surprised.

The specialty he had written in his personal file had not been an empty boast. He truly had "some understanding in fields such as Imaginary Energy."

Nor had he merely been standing there. His silent observation earlier had already completed his analysis of Outworld Blaze from the outside in, locating fatal weaknesses in its energy structure and the critical nodes that could easily shatter its balance.

The illusory Imaginary barrier seemed to acquire a degree of substance. As Hua Yi extended his hand and gently pushed forward, it began sliding toward Outworld Blaze.

Such a twisted Void creature possessed neither fear nor any intention of fleeing. Even as the fiery rain it had gathered was swallowed completely by that strange wall of Imaginary, and as the indestructible wall continued to approach, it still cast down roaring flames that scorched space, attempting to steer everything toward the apocalypse represented by the Cancer of All Worlds.

Then, Herta Automaton's eyes—eyes that were not flesh and blood, fitted with who knew how many precision components and containing top-tier intelligence—captured the instant the Imaginary barrier came into contact with Outworld Blaze.

A faint glimmer of energy brutally stirred into the monster's body, disrupting its life cycle.

Even a twisted thing born from the Fragmentum, capable of entering the real world and maintaining a relatively fixed form, existed in a state of balance. Imaginary Energy shattered that balance.

What would happen if a human's cells underwent massive collapse?

Metabolic disorders, tissue necrosis, loss of control over bodily functions.

Outworld Blaze's physical balance had been destroyed by Imaginary Energy. It was no longer "healthy." The flames blazing across its armor went out, and numerous cracks appeared across its hard body out of nowhere.

The monster, which had remained floating in midair even while bound by an energy field, entered a state of severe injury and unconsciousness—common enough among humans, but something that should never have appeared on it under normal circumstances—the moment it touched the Imaginary barrier. It crashed to the ground and fell completely still.

Only the dull thud echoing through the isolation chamber proved that the monster possessed mass befitting its appearance and was not merely a paper tiger.

Hua Yi dispersed the Imaginary wall, which retained a relatively abundant scale because it had never engaged in an energy clash, lest the Department of Astral Boundary and Flora lose one of its contained specimens. Then he turned to look at the observing Genius.

"Does that count as defeating it?"

"Of course."

Herta Automaton entered the isolation chamber and casually kicked the paralyzed Outworld Blaze, scanning its detailed life data. Then she spoke to Hua Yi in a voice brimming with curiosity.

"Are you a Pathstrider?"

The moment the question left her mouth, Herta felt there was no need to receive an answer.

Hua Yi's ability to precisely manipulate Imaginary Energy was a fact that had happened right before her eyes. It was like "Herta paid homage to Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, twice." If someone asked why she could meet an Aeon, the answer was nothing more than, "Because I am Herta."

The ways in which the countless living beings of the universe set foot upon Paths could not be replicated. Hua Yi's talent, aptitude, abilities, and every answer related to them were simply because "he was Hua Yi."

More than those matters, Herta was deeply interested in a certain attitude he had displayed.

"You seem to trust me quite a bit? Generally speaking, wealth should not be flaunted. Replacing 'wealth' with 'talent' works just as well. This is your first time meeting me, yet you directly displayed excellent control over Imaginary Energy and defeated Outworld Blaze through a method combining power and skill—"

Herta Automaton took several more steps forward. At close range, her purple eyes carefully studied that handsome face, which knew exactly when to advance and retreat. Her tone turned teasing.

"Tell me, could it be that you're trying hard to suppress your overwhelming excitement? Did you actually become ecstatic the instant you saw me? Delighted to have met the idol you admire most? Otherwise, why weren't you more cautious? Aren't you afraid I might become wary of your combat strength, restrict you, or treat you as an experimental subject?"

Herta's Office

"Because Madam Herta has long since transcended such lowly interests and possesses loftier pursuits."

Outworld Blaze lay there silently, without the slightest movement.

It looked as though it had fallen asleep, sleeping soundly.

There was no need to concern themselves with the conventions of the ordinary universe. Outworld Blaze had been born from the Fragmentum and should have belonged to the Fragmentum. The monster that heralded doom had been easily defeated by an unarmed man, crushed head-on, as though it had all been a dream.

A cause for celebration: the Space Station's Department of Boundary Seeds could next conduct deeper research on Fragmentum lifeforms, attempt to influence their vital signs through external means, or record the entire process of this Void creature's decline from severe injury to death.

It slept peacefully and would not be awakened by Hua Yi and Herta Automaton's conversation, even though neither of them deliberately lowered their voices.

"Empty flattery won't work at a time like this. Be more specific. Let me hear what you consider lowly interests and lofty pursuits."

"Aeons are the main theme of the universe. Madam Herta said earlier that some of those Exalted Beings were once ordinary people, until they obtained a certain opportunity, met certain conditions, ascended to godhood, and took command of Paths. Compared to that, this little Imaginary technique I displayed is not all that special, is it?"

Hua Yi's utterly rational response made the interest in Herta's eyes grow deeper.

"You should have other thoughts too, right? For example, further demonstrating your abilities so that you can have a higher level of authority in the project I mentioned earlier, rather than merely being an ordinary participant."

"When it concerns the secrets of Aeons, isn't this approach more suited to Madam Herta's needs than constantly emphasizing how urgently I wish to understand Aeons and begging for opportunities to improve?"

"Yes, you've achieved your goal. Asta really did recommend a good one to me."

"Then I ask Madam Herta to send an internal commendation for Station Master. She has put considerable effort into maintaining the Space Station's operations, yet most people here know very little about it."

Was Hua Yi's purpose merely to make the Space Station's staff respect Asta more?

No, Genius knew it was far more than that.

Had this fellow heard of Asta's circumstances from the Space Station's veterans and wanted to reduce the pressure The Family placed on her, preventing those people from thinking, "Madam Herta has already lost interest in Asta"?

"You're quite considerate of others, but I can't be bothered to send any internal message. Go tell Asta to figure out how she should praise herself, then send me the draft. Preferably two copies: one for an internal Space Station announcement, and another to put her relatives in their place."

Even if The Family Asta belonged to possessed considerable influence, it was utterly irrelevant to Genius Miss.

Herta casually made the decision and took the lead out of the Department of Boundary Seeds' isolation chamber.

"Follow me. I'll only lead the way once. I left plenty of automatons around the Space Station, and normally I could just connect to one in the relevant area. Now I have to run around just to show you the way."

"Is Madam Herta not worried that a Hacker might suddenly appear and seize control of your automatons?"

"Who? Are you talking about yourself? If you think you can break through the Firewall I specifically set up, feel free to try. It's fine. If you succeed, I'll even praise you a couple of times."

Herta Automaton's data security level was stronger than that of the entire Space Station.

Because the former had been personally completed by Herta herself, whereas the latter had merely been jointly refined by Space Station personnel and technicians sent by the Interastral Peace Corporation.

Following the automaton, Hua Yi arrived at one of the most mysterious places in the entire Space Station: Herta's office.

On the left was a row of Holographic Projections, all portraits of famous Genius Club members, accompanied by brief voice introductions personally recorded by Herta. On the right was only a specially styled projection: Herta's own portrait.

[This is Madam Herta, or by the title many of you know better: the eighty-third member of the Genius Club.

In her youth, she solved the Lone Wave Algorithm problem and the Spark Model Conjecture; in adulthood, she discovered the conversion method for Sigma Baryons; in middle age, she proposed the Herta Sequence and published a paper on rejuvenation; in old age, she rejuvenated herself; in her youth once again, she unraveled the mysteries of the Imaginary Overflow Phenomenon, captured an Extraterrestrial Nucleus, and sealed it away; she saved her planet from destruction nineteen times and paid homage to an Aeon twice.

This Space Station is her property.]

Herta, who had been constantly talking about how "boring" and "troublesome" things were, seemed exceptionally patient now as she waited for Hua Yi to finish listening to the voice introduction triggered when he approached the projection.

"What do you think? My portrait."

"It looks very good."

Hearing Hua Yi's praise, Herta nodded and motioned for him to walk deeper into the office, toward the dazzling triangular device.

"The Geniuses of the club worked together to write a program. They spent over a hundred System Time units, the resources of an entire planet, and the most advanced technology in the universe to create this machine. There's a universe inside it, like the world we live in, only more streamlined and customized. You can call it the Simulated Universe."

Standing beside the device, which could no longer be defined by ordinary wisdom or value, Hua Yi looked at the mysterious colors swirling over it like a starry sky.

"The resources of an entire planet? You mean a planet rich in resources but without any civilization?"

"Of course. Do you think I would destroy innocent people's home? That's what the Antimatter Legion does. I'm the savior of Azure Planet."

Herta Automaton raised her chin, signaling him to focus on the machine itself.

"The current Simulated Universe is still only a prototype, so it needs testers other than its creators to experience it from another perspective. I'll guide you inside the Simulated Universe and ensure that you suffer no losses."

"I'm ready."

Oh? He agreed so readily. Genius Miss had thought Hua Yi would ask more questions, make more preparations, or even use the excuse that it was late and return to his dormitory to sleep before he agreed to experience the Simulated Universe.

After all, the more capable a person was, the more pronounced their personality often became.

But Genius had no patience to wait for him to sleep, and the automaton's scan showed that Hua Yi's physical strength and mental energy were both abundant.

Seeing him cooperate so readily, Herta was even more satisfied.

"Just stand there. The machine will read your brainwaves and automatically match you with the immersive simulation system."

A Brief Simulated Universe Experience

A low rumble came from the amber sky. Hua Yi looked up. This was dusk.

Countless copper ores, amber, and opals fell before him, becoming a mineral rain that drew the attention of the world.

Amid the steaming molten flow, a colossal being stretched its spine from the mantle. Its broad hand tightly gripped a massive hammer.

"Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation! I was planning to find a way for you to meet an Aeon in the Simulated Universe anyway, but why did you encounter one so soon? Are you all right, Hua Yi?"

"I'm fine."

"What you're seeing is a simulated Aeon. The real Aeons wouldn't pay attention to us. Simulated Aeons should have been the same—but why did you encounter an Aeon the moment you entered the Simulated Universe?"

"Maybe it's fate."

Hua Yi gazed at the imposing form of the Aeon of Preservation, and Qlipoth was looking at him as well.

If this scene had occurred in the real world, even a single glance from an Aeon would send ripples across a Path. With such a prolonged gaze, it was impossible to imagine what Surging Waves Qlipoth would stir upon the Path of Preservation.

Boom!

The giant hammer in the simulated Aeon's hand fell. Copper ore, amber, opals... countless minerals melted and forged beneath that single strike.

God's Hammer erupted with radiance capable of sweeping through endless seas of stars. Qlipoth was not attacking Hua Yi, yet the sparks struck from the massive hammer filled the entire Simulated Universe and enveloped Hua Yi within them.