My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena Chapter 35

"Oh! My Akivili! Look what you've shown me! Nanook's power is pulsing, Qlipoth's spark is shining brilliantly, so he's the one Fu Li recorded! Those bad guys found a treasure and didn't even tell their good friend. Hiding it away like that is so stingy."

Seeing Aha stride toward him, stirring up waves of joy and sending Silver Wolf's irrelevant projection flying away before he could speak, Hua Yi considered how he should react in that instant.

He understood what the Aeon simulacrum meant. The power of Destruction still lingered around the Godfall Sword, while the spark of Preservation came from the Amber Lord's hammer strike last time.

If he wanted to remain cautious, he could have stopped sending ripples through the Path of Destruction long ago. He could also have asked Herta to erase the Preservation marks left on him in the Simulated Universe's data, minimizing his abnormality as much as possible.

But this was the Simulated Universe, an experimental ground for bold attempts.

Hua Yi let Aha draw close and inspect him from head to toe while observing the headless Aeon holding a mask in its arms.

If one had to draw a scale between divinity and mortality in the way Aeons operated, then Aha was surely an Aeon quite close to the mortal side.

Its rich emotions and highly individualistic words and actions proved it.

But treating him as nothing more than a clown among gods would be the height of foolishness.

Hua Yi knew something about the Honkai Star Rail Universe and had read extensively through the Department of Light Abyss Archives' materials. He knew that although the Aeon of Elation had not left behind universe-shaking miracles like Hunt or Preservation, he still manipulated the fates of all living things through invisible means, displaying an extraordinary and subtle control over reality.

Aha and his followers had left their traces in many universe-level events, including the Swarm Disaster and The War of the Mechanical Imperium.

He toyed with the joys, sorrows, loves, and hatreds of intelligent lifeforms, bringing about reversals and turns of fate until insignificant ripples ultimately grew into earth-shaking tsunamis.

"Oh, don't be so formal. What's your name? Let me check the system logs in the computer—oh, Hua Yi! Want to try [Elation]? Give it a try, you really must!"

Aha circled Hua Yi, waving his arms around excitedly.

"Think about it. You've drawn the attention of that fool Preservation, or that lunatic Destruction wants you to acknowledge him. Just when my good friends are eagerly preparing to do something, I could step in for you. Maybe they wouldn't react in time, and I could even get myself an Emissary position. Then we'd start a tug-of-war in the Path, heave-ho, heave-ho, and see whose strength is greater!"

Could an Aeon who had already taken control of one Path become an Emissary of another?

No one could give a definite answer, but Aha was painting a terrifying future. If he truly held a "tug-of-war" with other Aeons in some Path, the surging tide eroding reality's shores would undoubtedly be a disaster.

"My understanding of Paths has only just begun. I don't want to be branded by any Aeon in reality."

There was no point reasoning with Aha. Elation would not be convinced by worldly theories.

"If you truly seek amusement, then my hide-and-seek with the Aeons should serve as temporary entertainment."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Hua Yi extended his hand and stopped it before the mask of the Aeon of Elation simulacrum. The virtual Path of Memory rippled as he tried to share part of his memories with Aha.

It was the experience that had truly occurred at the Space Station: Nanook of [Destruction] lowering his gaze, only for Hua Yi to evade him in advance.

"...It really happened! Hua Yi, you've surprised me so much that I can't help wanting to hug you. Look at that lunatic's stupid face. I bet Nanook is nearsighted, hahaha. He should wear glasses~"

"May I ask, if I continue using the power of [Destruction] and attract an Aeon's attention again, can I still hide like this?"

"No, Nanook's a lunatic, not an idiot. If something similar happens twice in a row, he'll definitely get that brain he never uses working and think about why. At the very least, he'll conduct a little search—so simply erasing the traces of Destruction on yourself won't be enough. You need to hide within another Path. Is there a better choice than [Elation]? Come on, come on, join [Elation]! Let's sprinkle gasoline together over the universe that's about to catch fire!"

"Hide within another Path... If it truly comes to that, I'll find a way to temporarily conceal my existence without entering a specific Path and becoming a Walker. For example, I could wrap myself in the Path's surface."

Headless Aha nodded repeatedly.

"Mm-hm, wrap yourself up in [Elation]. I guarantee the other Aeons won't be able to steal you away."

And then get bound to the real Aha?

Across the endless sea of stars, there probably were not many things more delightful than playing hide-and-seek with an Aeon.

Pretending not to notice the trap Aha had not even bothered to conceal, Hua Yi offered his respects to the virtual Aha who had answered his questions.

"Thank you for the information."

The Aeon of Elation returned the gesture with equal seriousness.

"Thank you for sharing the fun."

Silver Wolf Suffers a Crushing Defeat

Aha of Elation skipped away with light steps.

He did not unleash the Path's great power and cause the Simulated Universe to collapse again. Though he demonstrated the ability to browse backend data, he did not deliberately sever Silver Wolf's remote connection or interfere with Herta's secret observation.

At most, he had blown Silver Wolf's projection, which relied on a Backdoor Program and had low stability, far away halfway through. Herta and Star had listened in on Hua Yi's conversation with the Aeon simulacrum from start to finish.

Star did not really understand. Other than knowing that Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, had originally intended to direct his gaze at Hua Yi during the battle with the Doomsday Beast, the rest of the conversation sounded rather joyful at first but seemed to carry deeper meanings upon reflection.

She could not be bothered to dwell on it too much. It was enough that Hua Yi had gotten the answers he wanted.

The Galaxy Bat Hero would keep the secret!

Combining the Space Station's data with Hua Yi's words, Herta almost reconstructed the entire picture. She understood that this young man, who possessed extraordinary talent in using Imaginary Energy, had already played hide-and-seek with Nanook of [Destruction], escaped his notice, and intended to perform similar actions in the future.

The implications were enough to send ripples through the universe. There really was someone in this world who did not want an Aeon's attention, and the Aeons might truly compete over the same person.

Moreover, Hua Yi knew she was still observing the Simulated Universe, yet he had still said so much to Aha. Aside from wanting answers from the Aeon simulacrum, he was clearly cooperating with her research into Aeon Mysteries.

He trusts me.

After sorting out the implications hidden in virtual Aha's words and Hua Yi's attitude, Herta let out a soft breath. The irritation Silver Wolf had stirred in her had unknowingly turned into something else.

Inside the Simulated Universe, the Hacker girl had not heard the later conversation, but she saw the Aeon simulacrum run excitedly toward Hua Yi and watched the god and human converse happily.

Even if it was Aha, the most mortal of the Aeons, even if he was a Virtual Aeon within a Miniature Universe, after personally experiencing her emotions being uncontrollably stirred by his emotions, Silver Wolf understood that the false Aeons here absolutely had divinity mappings to the real Aeons. And Aha's willingness to say so much to Hua Yi was enough to prove that the latter was extraordinary.

Uh, good thing we didn't fight back in No Heavens Left Unspoken.

Though suddenly facing a high-difficulty challenge in the middle of a game universe would have been pretty exciting too.

Once she confirmed that Hua Yi and Star were heading this way, Silver Wolf, filled with emotional fluctuations, could not resist mocking the Genius Club members and continued pretending to talk to the air.

"Speaking of which, Herta setting up a separate portrait projection in her office is seriously narcissistic. I was going to add a little mustache to her face, but it wouldn't spray on—completely ridiculous. The electronic Firewall for the entire Space Station probably isn't as secure as her photo."

"To be fair, that's true. Herta doesn't care much about the Space Station and dumps all the work on Asta. She really is exploiting a beautiful girl's labor."

Hua Yi casually joined Silver Wolf's complaint with an unchanged expression, as if his conversation with the Aeon simulacrum had merely been an ordinary part of the test.

Considering that, during his previous two entries into the Simulated Universe, he had first witnessed the blaze from Qlipoth swinging his massive hammer, followed by Fu Li whispering a long sentence, and now Aha was appearing after two Aeons had already wielded their Paths, it was not that strange...

Except it totally was!

Silver Wolf did not know what Hua Yi had experienced during his earlier Simulated Universe tests. Those were data personally encrypted by Herta, and Hacker Miss could not crack them in the brief time since infiltrating the Space Station.

Whether she knew or not, she was nearly unable to keep up the act, and Hua Yi saw it too.

"Calling Herta. How far are we from the Aetherium War Silver Wolf mentioned?"

"Right ahead. It's all set."

This time, their communication was public. Having experienced unimaginable twists during this Simulated Universe journey and been made to cry one moment and laugh the next by Aha, Silver Wolf was finally about to receive the reward she deserved.

She ran straight ahead.

As long as she obtained the Aetherium War and used Aether Edit on it for two-way positioning, then even with a Genius Firewall in the Simulated Universe isolating the inside from the outside, after several rounds of data offense and defense, the Hacker could teleport out the Curios she had long dreamed of once she successfully opened a vulnerability.

Closer, closer!

A dim glow flickered in the room ahead. It was the light belonging to [Punklorde Spirit].

To the hackers of the cyber world Punklorde, life was merely a game.

They roamed cyberspace and used a technique called Aether Edit to rewrite reality, turning their lives into grand games. Occasionally, a genius among geniuses would travel beyond the planet and make the vast galaxy into a second stage beyond the beginner's village.

The cartridge recorded the story of one legendary hacker. It began in Punklorde's underground reservoirs and ended amid the Sea Rangers' embrace. It was said that the funeral had been quiet and soundless, with only a game cartridge resting upon the coffin, marking a hacker's ending with the note of a completed game.

It was bound to have been an incredibly wonderful game.

"Ha, I won this virtual universe adventure!"

Grabbing the Aetherium War in her hand, Silver Wolf finally relaxed and revealed a delighted smile.

Star looked utterly confused.

"You were controlling that projection in real time?"

"Of course. I left a Backdoor Program in Herta's office. Once you entered the Simulated Universe, I could remotely hack in, then use your guidance to find the Aetherium War. That's the scheme of Silver Wolf the Great! Hua Yi came up with a pretty good title for me. When I get back, I'll create a new account named Silver Wolf the Great."

"You really do need to find a way to register a new account."

A Herta Automaton also entered the Simulated Universe and came to Hua Yi's side. She stared at him for a moment before casually shifting her gaze to the smug Silver Wolf.

"The Simulated Universe even contains Aeon simulacrums. Why would you think the Aetherium War is real? Let me tell you the truth: it's just an empty shell."

"Huh?"

The girl hurriedly checked the cartridge in her hand. Once she confirmed that Herta was not bluffing and that it was truly just a hollow shell with a convincing appearance, she immediately gritted her teeth.

"You went through all this trouble just to make me waste a trip? Tch, since things have reached this point, let's just fight. Hand over Punklorde Spirit! Otherwise, don't blame me for destroying the Simulated Universe."

"Quit bragging. Who was it that Aha sent running earlier?"

"I wasn't prepared!"

"Enough. I can't be bothered to waste any more words on you. During this time, I've already located all your Interastral Peace Network accounts: seventy-six in total. Their passwords, security details, and real-name registration information have all been transferred to Hua Yi. If any of that information is changed again, all data will be deleted immediately."

[Wisdom] Is Far More Reliable Than [Elation]

As soon as Herta finished speaking, she exited the Simulated Universe directly, unwilling to say another word. Silver Wolf's expression and tone immediately turned distinctly panicked.

"What? Hey, wait—"

The Genius had seized the Hacker's fatal weakness. Silver Wolf no longer had the leeway to launch data attacks or seize the Aetherium War, much less force herself to appear calm and composed to avoid revealing a flaw.

She quickly dismissed her projection and checked her precious assets.

The Aetherium War was someone else's game life, while Silver Wolf's online accounts were all her own hard work. If she truly had to compare them, the accounts were obviously more important. There was no need to think twice.

Seeing the girl who had pretended to be a historical projection record throughout the journey leave in a rush before even finishing a few opening lines, Star carried her Baseball Bat and looked around.

"Do we still need to continue testing? The Voidrangers seem to be cleared out."

"No need."

Hua Yi casually dismissed the Godfall Sword. This trip had already brought him abundant gains.

Trying to call upon the powers of [Memory] and [Destruction] in the Simulated Universe and compare them with reality, while also receiving some answers from virtual Aha—it would not be an exaggeration to say he had exceeded his objectives.

"Let's end the test here. How do you feel? The Aeon of Elation simulacrum can directly influence the emotions of people around it, and you also faced down a charging Trampler. It would be normal to feel physically and mentally exhausted."

Star had thought Hua Yi was asking how she felt because he wanted to further explain the Simulated Universe, how the Genius Club members could create such a virtual world and cultivate Aeon simulacrums, and how astonishingly talented they were.

But he was simply concerned about her.

The girl scratched her head. Her pretty face could look heroic and even somewhat aloof whenever she restrained her expression, but it was now full of a smile without the slightest sense of distance.

"Hehe, I'm the Galaxy Bat Hero. Of course I'm totally fine~ Forget a Trampler—even if you simulated a Doomsday Beast, I could try using the power of the Path of Destruction and fight it one-on-one~"

"The two of us against one Doomsday Beast?"

"That works too. A righteous beatdown!"

After exiting the Simulated Universe, the Herta Automaton had already been waiting for them. She glanced sideways at Star, who had the Baseball Bat over her shoulder and looked full of fighting spirit.

"If you think you haven't had enough and want to smash something, I can simulate ten Doomsday Beasts for you to fight alone."

"Huh? That won't be necessary! It wouldn't be good if I broke the Simulated Universe."

"Any other questions?"

"Nope, nope."

Seeing Star agree while dragging Hua Yi toward the office exit, Herta glared at her.

"Stellaron brat, if you want to leave, leave by yourself. Why are you dragging Hua Yi along? I still have something to say to him. You wouldn't understand it even if you stayed, so go find the Astral Express crew. I'm sure they'd be happy to chat with you."

"Oh..."

Thinking that she could find a chance to open the Fan Group and see whether any new novels had been uploaded or old books had updated chapters while acting alone, Star immediately accepted the Genius's suggestion and left excitedly.

Only the Herta Automaton and Hua Yi remained in the office. The automaton girl did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"Although Aeon simulacrums correspond to the divinities and Paths of real Aeons, you don't need to worry about them exchanging information with the actual Aeons. The conditions simply do not allow it, at least not yet. So if there are any attempts that are difficult to carry out in reality, you can experiment with them in the Simulated Universe."

"I understand."

"The next time you enter the Simulated Universe, do you intend to retain your identity as a [Memory] Walker?"