My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena Chapter 3

At this moment, the young female researcher did not know whether she should say that Hua Yi was well-connected, capable, and eager to absorb the wisdom of Herta Space Station, or marvel at the achievements he had made in such a short time.

Why did it feel like he would be promoted before long and become her superior?

Emily thought back carefully. Based solely on what she had learned of Hua Yi from her own perspective—his bearing and manner of speech when dealing with people—she felt that he was anything but ordinary. From his interpersonal skills and professional ability to his seemingly terrifying learning speed, everything about him was nearly perfect. Someone like that would soon make a name for himself at Herta Space Station.

In fact, he already had.

"Which planet are you from? It can't be some unknown backwater, right? It must be a famous planetary civilization in the Cosmic Expanse, right?"

"Sorry to disappoint you. It's just an obscure, remote planet in the Universe. In terms of appearance, it looks quite similar to Azure Planet, which Herta Space Station orbits."

"Is that so... It's fine. You've already entered Herta Space Station. One of the most watched stages in the universe has long opened its arms to you."

"You're already so good at encouraging people. Not bad, Emily."

"Um..."

"Meal delivery successful. Grand Cosmos Fried Rice and Kali White Soda have been issued. Enjoy your meal."

Should the Ordering Robot be called considerate, or utterly unromantic? It returned after leaving, controlling the food cart as it served up golden fried rice that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, along with the soda that had swept across the universe.

The girl quietly shifted her hips. She moved from the angled seat she had taken earlier to keep Hua Yi from affecting the coin toss, returning to a face-to-face position.

It was only a simple movement, yet she did it furtively and cautiously.

After succeeding, an inexplicable joy rippled through her heart.

For some reason, this Grand Cosmos Fried Rice tasted much better than usual. Could the space station have changed chefs?

It must have been that the fried-rice robot's programming had been optimized.

Huh, what was going on with this bottle of Kali White? It tasted especially good too! Had the Interastral Peace Corporation improved its production line?

Aeon Lore

"Phew... I'm full~"

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Emily contentedly narrowed her eyes and let out a blissful sigh. She stretched lazily in her seat, then finally remembered that someone was sitting across from her.

"I-I'll head back to my workstation now!"

Hua Yi smiled as he watched the young researcher shoot to her feet and hurriedly leave in slight embarrassment. He then headed toward his own office as well.

Herta Space Station was enormous. The Control Zone, which belonged to the core area, was actually a large cosmic vessel capable of independent interstellar navigation. It was normally connected to the base as one whole, serving as the station's control center.

There were multiple compartment structures like this, encompassing the Control Zone, base, containment, support, and other areas. As one of the Five Research Departments of the space station, the Department of Light Abyss Archives naturally occupied far more than one or two rooms.

When he arrived at his workstation, Hua Yi saw top-tier computers supplied by the Interastral Peace Corporation and various precision instruments neatly arranged on the rectangular desk. Before him stood high-performance quartz glass manufactured through chemical vapor deposition, serving as the floor-to-ceiling window of this office area.

Outside the window, giant pillars formed from aerospace materials whose value and performance far surpassed the imagination of ordinary people and even many planetary civilizations supported the station's main framework. Even though he could see only the tip of the iceberg that was this crystallization of scientific wisdom, it was impossible not to be awed by the station's grandeur—and by his own insignificance as an ordinary researcher.

Beyond the station, the starlight that knew neither day, night, nor seasons, along with the cosmic canopy that bore countless stars and stretched to unknowable heights and widths, made even the space station seem like a drifting speck of dust.

When people gazed up at the stars, would they be dazzled by the endless mysteries and beauty of the Universe, or would they feel an inexplicable fear, believing that the dark edges beyond mortal sight concealed terrifying monsters waiting to devour them?

Hua Yi clearly belonged to neither category.

He watched the Cosmic Expanse for a moment before turning his attention to the electronic devices before him and skillfully retrieving internal files.

The Department of Secret Scrolls currently possessed 101 Aeon Secret Rituals. Though numerous, their effects were limited. Some rituals even required the beards of the space station's old guard, casting a veil of mysticism over scientific research.

Fortunately, Madam Herta rarely assigned work to the space station directly, and Miss Asta, the Station Master, was not the type to mistreat her subordinates. The station members' work was relatively relaxed. Researchers whose workstations were next to one another could even chat during working hours. At desks on the far side of the office, several female researchers had moved their Office Chairs and were talking sideways to each other.

Many seats were still empty. It was not because the space station had failed to recruit enough personnel, but because many researchers from the Department of Secret Scrolls were traveling throughout the universe to explore Aeon Mysteries and were currently away on field investigations.

The Department of Light Abyss Archives had even left its footprints in the Propagation Sector. Herta Space Station provided its researchers with stable financial support, and once they produced outstanding results, they could easily become famous across the entire universe.

Hua Yi's workstation stood alone, separated from the others by large equipment. Perhaps the space station believed newcomers should hold themselves to strict standards and had eliminated the possibility of chatting or slacking off during work hours through the arrangement of the environment. Or perhaps the chatty seniors had picked all the good spots first, leaving him with the one workstation isolated from the world.

Perfect. Hua Yi could focus on reading Aeon lore.

After selecting talents from various planets, Herta Space Station did not immediately assign newcomers excessive workloads. At first, they remained in the stage of familiarizing themselves with their duties. Some planetary civilizations did not prioritize scientific and technological development, and for the selected researchers who had just boarded the station, merely learning to use all kinds of advanced equipment took a considerable amount of time.

Hua Yi completely skipped the process of learning how to operate the equipment. He quickly familiarized himself with the environment and the station's rules and was already able to begin working normally.

The practice project assigned to him by the Department of Light Abyss Archives had long been completed. Thanks to that, he could use his remaining work hours to further study Aeon lore.

[Preservation] Qlipoth, [The Path of Exploration] Akivili, [Destruction] Nanook, [Wisdom] Nous, [Propagation] Tayzzyronth...

Though those Sentient Celestial Bodies were unfathomable and impossible for mortals to find, the stars still contained traces left behind by Aeons, as well as legends that had shocked the Universe.

Aeons were supreme and immensely powerful, yet they were not invincible, nor were they incapable of dying.

Conflicts had broken out among them as well.

If a black shadow appeared on the horizon at noon, lock your doors tight. It was not night arriving early, but the ravenous Swarm—the Aeon of Propagation Tayzzyronth, who had once created the Cosmic Plague and brought incalculable losses to the universe, was rumored to have fallen during the War of the Gods.

Based on limited intelligence and records, the Department of Light Abyss Archives speculated that the Aeon of Propagation, who ascended amid hatred and solitude, endlessly replicated himself. After forming a Swarm that blotted out the sky, he not only harmed all living beings in the Universe but also adversely affected other Paths: destroying the universe's [Order], threatening the world's [Equilibrium], blocking the road of [The Path of Exploration], and so on.

The gods besieged [Propagation]. The Swarm gradually declined after Tayzzyronth's death and lost its former glory, but remnants of the Swarm still ravaged the universe to this day. It was one of the universe's three great disasters.

Rumor had it that every insect in the Swarm was a replica of Tayzzyronth. So long as the Swarm remained in the universe, [Propagation] Tayzzyronth would eventually return.

Could this be used to infer that Aeons were actually immortal and indestructible?

Hua Yi stared at the Aeon lore displayed on the screen and silently pondered when a question came from behind him.

"Since you've already read the materials on the Aeon of Propagation, you probably didn't miss Nous, the God of Knowledge whom Madam Herta once met, did you?"

"Yes. He is the Aeon who governs the [Wisdom] Path. Originally a celestial computer designed to solve all things, he ascended from a machine. The Genius Club that Madam Herta belongs to is composed of geniuses favored by Nous."

"Then—"

Mei'er, one of the Department of Light Abyss Archives' old guard, looked only a little older than Emily. Though she had already heard of Hua Yi's excellence, she could not help being surprised by the accuracy and speed of his answers.

"Have you learned about [Preservation], which the Interastral Peace Corporation worships?"

"Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, the Amber Lord who has always forged stellar barriers. The Interastral Peace Corporation initially purchased construction materials from various planets to offer to the Aeon of Preservation. Later, they found barter inconvenient and gradually introduced the Credits system. Even today, despite growing into a colossal force in the universe and controlling the economic lifelines of countless planets, the Interastral Peace Corporation still retains a fanatical faith in the Amber Lord."

Personal Talents

"Also, the Amber Era actively promoted across the entire universe by the Interastral Peace Corporation and used by Herta Space Station takes the estimated birth of Qlipoth, the Amber Lord, as its epoch. Each swing of his hammer marks the beginning of a new era—that is, one Amber Era."

Hua Yi turned around. He was not surprised to find Mei'er standing behind him, as though he had noticed her arrival long ago.

"Under another calendar brought by the Trailblaze Aeon and used by many planets, the Trailblaze Calendar, the length of each Amber Era is actually different. Since the Aeon of Preservation's hammer swings occur at uncertain intervals, ranging from seventy-six to two hundred and forty years."

"For some reason, people from several other departments have been asking about you these past few days. It isn't just idle gossip either. They seem to be trying to poach you. I originally thought you..."

She had thought he lacked interest in the Department of Light Abyss Archives and was preparing to transfer to another department.

As one of the department's old guard, Mei'er naturally understood what it meant for Hua Yi to recite so much Aeon lore with ease.

It meant that this newcomer, who had only been at Herta Space Station for a few days, was deeply interested in Aeons. He had invested a great deal of effort into learning about them and systematically mastered the relevant framework of knowledge.

Otherwise, even if Hua Yi possessed a photographic memory and could organize complicated, scattered Aeon lore in his mind, he would not be able to answer every question about Aeons so fluently without sufficient passion driving him.

Members of the Department of Light Abyss Archives all had a deep understanding of the [Wisdom] and [Preservation] Aeons. But if they were asked to state the shortest and longest spans of an Amber Era accurately without hesitation, probably only a small portion of them could do so.

So what was going on with the Department of Astral Boundary and Flora saying that Hua Yi's simplified Database index was easy to use, the Galactic Law Department claiming that he was born to join them, the Department of Universal Geodesy receiving outside help with a project, and the youngsters from the Department of Universal Matter asking around about the newcomer's preferences?

He had only been at Herta Space Station for a few days!

"I'm full of curiosity about Sentient Celestial Bodies like Aeons and wish to learn more about them. That aligns with the research direction of the Department of Light Abyss Archives, so I won't transfer to another department."

"Mm—I didn't come here to test you. I was mainly sorting through Database files just now when I discovered that the home planet field in your profile had become a string of garbled characters. I couldn't restore it even by retrieving previous data. If you have time, please fill it out again."

"Do I have to fill it out again?"

"Not necessarily. You're an outstanding newcomer, and the Department Head won't make things difficult for you over something like this. Madam Herta certainly won't care about researchers' profile records. It's just that if you want to go home during a future vacation, the company might not be able to fully reimburse your travel expenses without a clear interstellar navigation destination."

"I understand."

If there was a problem with a researcher's already-entered profile information, then even if responsibility were pursued, it would be the fault of the relevant space station staff. Mei'er did not intend to demand too much from Hua Yi.

What she did not know was that the garbled text had not appeared by accident.

"Then there's my suggestion. In the personal talents section, you wrote, 'I have some understanding of areas such as Imaginary Energy.' That's a bit too broad and vague. Do you want to change it?"

"Change it to 'Imaginary Affinity'?"

"Eh, wouldn't that be even more hollow? Although many of the station's research projects involve the Imaginary field, and the Paths of Aeons also surge with this kind of Imaginary Energy, even Pathstriders wouldn't say they have Imaginary Affinity. They would say they walk a certain Path."

Although she had mentioned Pathstriders, Mei'er still did not consider Hua Yi someone who had already walked a specific Path.

Would a figure who wielded such great power need to follow the normal selection process and come to the Department of Light Abyss Archives at Herta Space Station to become an ordinary researcher?

Though he could no longer really be considered "ordinary."

"It should say, 'Photographic memory, capable of systematically integrating knowledge and applying it flexibly.' You could even add, 'Possesses exceptional social skills and enthusiastically assists numerous space station colleagues.'"

"If I deliberately embellish my talents, wouldn't that seem like self-promotion? I should stay humble."

"...Forget it."

Mei'er shook her head. A single profile had limited effect anyway. Hua Yi's abilities had already revealed themselves, so she did not need to fuss over such details.

There was no shortage of people at the station who extravagantly praised themselves in the personal talents and self-evaluation sections of their profiles, making both sections increasingly less useful as references.

"If you like literature related to Aeons, you can read the Lost Aeon Series and Galactic Mythology: Selected Examples. Aside from being rather long, they're both quite good."

"Is that so? I've firmly committed that to memory. Thank you for the recommendation."

"Then, all right... Keep busy. I won't disturb you."

As a transmigrator who had come to the Honkai Star Rail Universe, he was bound to possess some special ability or unusual talent.

As for me, I really do have some talent with Imaginary Energy. After repeated testing, I can use it with ease.

That should be more unusual than ordinary interpersonal skills or photographic memory.

Hua Yi ultimately did not deliberately explain that he had filled in the personal talents section seriously and had not written it at random.

But as for having stepped onto a certain Path and becoming a Pathstrider, that was not the case either.

The Department of Light Abyss Archives recorded a vast amount of Aeon lore and likewise lacked no materials related to Paths.

If the actions of mortals receiving an Aeon's guidance and wielding Path power were considered a shattered splash of spray, then the Aeons' feat of driving their Sweeping Power to command their Paths was like pushing a tsunami across mountain ranges.

A small number of mortals favored by an Aeon could also draw upon Path energy with the Aeon's permission and raise Giant Waves that eroded coasts. Such beings were called Emissaries.

Since Aeons could grant permission, they could naturally refuse it as well.

Even between Aeon and Aeon, if their concepts overlapped and their powers were similar, a narrow Path could be covered by a broader one.

Rather than seeking to step onto the Paths governed by those Aeons, Hua Yi hoped to follow the laws of the Universe and use his talent with Imaginary Energy to gradually explore Paths and Aeons.

Under high temperature and pressure, coal could become Diamond, because both were fundamentally composed of carbon atoms. Since Imaginary Energy surged within Paths, all Hua Yi, who possessed exceptional talent, needed to do was find the necessary conditions.

He had not spoken a single lie, whether it was the personal talents in his profile or the understanding of Imaginary Energy he had mentioned to Emily.

His preference for the Department of Light Abyss Archives was also genuine.

A Notice with a Story

"Is the tour already over? Sob... I'll never forget the space station for the rest of my life!"

"So amazing! Even the Space Elevator and Reception Hall are packed with all kinds of high technology. I can't understand any of it, but I'm still utterly blown away."

"Not just on my planet—even across the entire universe, Herta Space Station is a Land of Dreams coveted by countless top Scholars. If I could work at the station someday, I'd probably wake up laughing from my dreams every night."

"As long as you pass the selection process. Take the space station's test, defeat all the competitors on your planet, and prove that you're no worse than candidates from other planets, then you can become a station researcher and explore the truth of the Universe—sob, that's so hopeless! It's way too hard!"

The visitors in the Reception Hall rode the Space Elevator. Before leaving the station, they were reluctant to part with it and were already utterly captivated by the place.

In truth, they were already fortunate people envied by many. Not only had they passed the station's review and been permitted to visit, their family backgrounds were also quite extraordinary.

Ordinary people, and even wealthy and powerful people from many planetary civilizations, could not easily achieve interstellar navigation. Even after entering the Interstellar Era or receiving technological support from forces such as the Interastral Peace Corporation, they still had to pay a considerable sum to board a spacecraft.

If a planet itself had not embraced the universe, then even those who obtained permission to visit Herta Space Station could only stare at the stars and sigh. The station would not specially arrange spacecraft to pick up visitors from planets that had not entered the interstellar navigation network.

Those who had not been permitted to visit, or lacked the means for interstellar navigation, envied the visitors who had arrived at the station. The visitors envied the station researchers, and the researchers envied colleagues with outstanding abilities...

This was one of humanity's most ordinary emotions. It could be called an insatiable desire, but it was also an enterprising drive that urged people onward.

Among Herta's researchers, there were many who had never visited the space station before being selected. They had gathered the strength of their entire families, even many friends, just to scrape together the cost of interstellar navigation and board the station.

The visitors here, the researchers, and even those failures who had not passed the selection process—every one of them had a story.

Even Hua Yi, as he left the office area and strolled through the station, discovered a notice filled with stories through the isolation window of a plant cultivation room belonging to the Department of Boundary Seeds.

[Warning!!!