My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

The calm on the Space Station was certainly not because Afrit had suddenly become benevolent. There was only one possibility—

Hua Yi had seen through Grand Duke Inferno's scheme and thwarted all his plans.

"A Level IV Researcher position at Herta Space Station does not match your wisdom and talent."

Meeting Hua Yi's gaze, Doctor Ratio's expression and tone were both exceptionally serious.

"You should head toward a broader world."

Doctor Ratio's Olive Branch

At its core, this Starry Sky Museum, which possessed considerable prestige and status in the universe, was merely the domain of one Genius Club Member—and one on the level of a toy box or collection room. It would not receive a Genius's serious attention.

The other scholars in the various departments could not offer Hua Yi better prospects. His future should not be confined to a tiny Space Station.

The Aeon of Erudition, Nous, had not cast his gaze upon him?

That made sense. If he had earned Nous's favor, Hua Yi should have become another Genius, rather than merely a so-called researcher.

In a daze, Ratio saw his former self in the other man. Even the hard lines of his face softened somewhat.

"Elementary school, middle school, university—from childhood onward, the process of acquiring knowledge can broadly be described as traveling from one educational institution to another. During middle school, I received Professor Rohde's guidance, learned much knowledge that was difficult to access at that stage, and earned his recommendation to study at First University of Truth."

"I have heard of it. Mr. Ratio proved the Rohde Conjecture while still in middle school, astonishing that professor. He guaranteed your reputation and recommended you to the renowned First University of Truth. After that, you earned eight doctoral degrees, as well as a first-class honorary degree that had remained vacant for two Amber Eras."

Doctor Ratio was sharing his past, and Hua Yi listened attentively with a friendly smile.

"At First University of Truth, Mr. Ratio was directly qualified to teach. You offered fifty-two courses, and your teaching style became known for being strict and difficult. The course completion rate never exceeded three percent. Every student who persevered to the end became an expert scholar in some field. You were both a strict teacher and an excellent one."

"It seems you know me well."

Though that information was public to begin with, Hua Yi was at Herta Space Station yet knew details from the other side of the galaxy by heart. Ratio's evaluation of him rose several notches.

"At the time, everything went smoothly for me. I encountered very few difficulties, and without realizing it, I became arrogant. I even began imagining the day I would gain Nous's favor and join the Genius Club—yet the Aeon never responded. What I received instead was an invitation from the Interastral Peace Corporation. I locked myself in my room alone, sighing and mocking myself. It was then that I fully understood I was not a Genius, but an ordinary man."

Previously, Ratio had never shared this part of his journey with anyone. Now, he was not complaining. He hoped to tell this talent, who should not be confined to Herta Space Station, the lesson he had drawn from it.

"Geniuses who receive Nous's gaze can advance by leaps and bounds on the academic path, while ordinary people who receive no such gaze can only stumble forward, unable to take even a single step. That is unfair."

"There are many cold and unfair realities in the universe, but Mr. Ratio is clearly someone striving to change them."

I'm explaining a principle to you, not seeking comfort.

Doctor Ratio paused, yet he understood the goodwill in Hua Yi's words.

He gave the other man a slight nod before continuing.

"Herta is the most typical kind of Genius—extraordinarily gifted and utterly disdainful of others. I do not doubt her intellect, but I doubt that her intellect is of any help to anyone else. You work on the Space Station and seem to be close to Herta, but in truth, you have gained nothing from that Genius. Isn't that so?"

Hearing this, Hua Yi thought carefully.

The Simulated Universe jointly created by Herta and the other Geniuses had given him a safer, more reliable, more flexible, and freer channel for analyzing Paths. He could even come into contact with Aeon simulacrums and obtain some precious answers.

Some elders in Asta's family had been eyeing the resources held by her branch, hoping to claim them for themselves. Herta had also agreed to send a letter and personally warn them, making that group completely behave themselves.

The Space Station's defense project was the same. Herta had personally raised its priority and, as he had hoped, added emergency response programs to the puppets to protect the Safe Zones in every section. Before the Legion Attack, she had told him to remain in his office, and during the attack, the entrance to the Safe Zone had indeed been secured.

There was also visiting No Heavens Left Unspoken, allowing him to make requests, maintaining the Simulated Universe multiple times, and so on.

Thinking it over, Herta had done so much for him. He had publicly given Asta a Key of Enlightenment but had not prepared any gift for Genius Miss. It seemed he had treated her somewhat unfairly.

Later, he would activate the rite again and condense another key.

"No. Herta has helped me quite a lot."

"?"

The unexpected answer made Ratio's expression freeze.

"There is no need to put up a front. Geniuses stand above everyone else, so it is normal for them to ignore people. I doubt Herta even knows who I am."

"I'm telling the truth."

Seeing Hua Yi insist on it, even willing to lie to him for that sake, Doctor Ratio, who was usually severe, did not find it foolish. He did not feel like throwing a piece of chalk at Hua Yi's head to teach him a strict lesson, either. Instead, he felt an oddly amused sensation. So he cares quite a bit about saving face.

"As long as you are happy. Back to the earlier topic—just as Professor Rohde once recommended me into a higher hall of academia, I now wish to recommend you."

"Recommend me to First University of Truth?"

"No. Although Herta Space Station lacks the Genius's own wisdom, I do not deny its academic standing in the universe. By comparison, First University of Truth is still far inferior. I mean the Hall of the Mediocre of the Erudition Society. Hua Yi, you can leave with me."

Knowing that this olive branch had been offered too simply, Doctor Ratio continued.

"Knowledge circulates widely within the Society, and the academic resources you can obtain will only exceed those of Herta Space Station. Different people may give different answers as to whether the Erudition Society or the Genius Club holds greater influence, but Herta Space Station is far from representing the Genius Club. We ordinary people who have never received Nous's favor can still exhaust truth and eradicate falsehood in our own way."

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Ratio, but I currently have no plans to join the Erudition Society."

"You may think it over before making a decision."

"I do have another thought, though. Perhaps we can become friends. If I encounter academic questions in the future, I hope you will offer me some guidance."

"...It seems you are like my former self as well. You wish to join the Genius Club."

Putting himself in Hua Yi's shoes, Doctor Ratio understood that such a thought could not be changed overnight.

After exchanging contact information with Hua Yi, he stood up with no intention of lingering further.

"There is something dangerous in the Seclusion Zone. It is proof of why Geniuses are Geniuses, and the best example of their reckless behavior. If you cannot handle it, or if you change your mind, contact me anytime."

Silver Wolf: I Play Games Every Day and Don't Think I'm Addicted

Hua Yi knew what was hidden in the Seclusion Zone, and he also understood why Doctor Ratio would rather make another trip later if necessary than take action now.

Because it was not time yet.

The reckless behavior of Geniuses...

He had long understood the personalities of Geniuses. He would not conclude from this that Herta and the other Genius Club Members were full of flaws while the Erudition Society was radiant and flawless.

They simply each had their own characteristics.

Using the meeting room as an experimental site, Hua Yi began the Seed of Erudition Rite for the third time, creating a Key of Enlightenment as a small gift for Herta.

The Imaginary Oar stirred ripples across the Path of Erudition.

This was already the third time he had repeated a similar process. Reading a book a hundred times revealed its meaning naturally, and the same applied to exploring a Path. Each repetition deepened his understanding. He no longer even needed material assistance; with his own strength alone, he could gradually condense the object he sought.

No researchers would barge in halfway through. Level IV Researcher was Hua Yi's nominal identity, but the authority he actually possessed had long surpassed that of every department head. Whenever he focused on work, the room he occupied became forbidden ground for idle personnel on the Space Station.

It was just that people outside the Space Station did not know Hua Yi was busy.

The Smart Terminal in his pocket buzzed once. Even in Do Not Disturb Mode, it made little noise, but a sudden disturbance on his person during such delicate Path-related work was undoubtedly a hidden danger.

To ferry across a Path without setting foot upon it required techniques unimaginable even on a universal scale. For an accident to occur at such a crucial moment—

Of course, it caused no negative effect whatsoever.

If reproducing the Seed of Erudition Rite carried risks, how could someone as meticulous as Hua Yi have made no preparations regarding a Smart Terminal he carried close to his body, one that could make noise at any moment?

One hand continued guiding the power of Erudition, steadily outlining the key's shape. With the other, he pulled the terminal from his pocket and glanced at it.

It was not Doctor Ratio, whom he had just added as a friend, extending another olive branch. Nor was there any work within the Space Station that required the attention of a hero. It was Silver Wolf, the Stellaron Hunter.

The simplified notification bar displayed a long string of polite phrases that could not fully fit on the screen. Hua Yi did not even need to look at the sender to know Hacker Miss had copied another set of formal pleasantries from the internet, asking him to lift her account's security mode.

Looking over their chat history, she had started with the brief and direct, "Help me lift security mode." Then she had added "please," and now she wrote lengthy, courteous messages, afraid of offending him. Silver Wolf's growth was obvious.

As though life had worn down her edges, the fearless girl had developed attachments and weaknesses for the sake of her beloved accounts.

At first, whenever he replied that it was done, she would send a thank-you. Now, she thanked him in advance.

Hua Yi could guess Silver Wolf's reasoning. It was nothing more than saving herself the trouble of replying afterward, allowing her to plunge back into her games the instant security mode was lifted.

That was what a game-addicted girl was like—calculating every detail.

He remembered that, in the middle of the night a few days ago, those accounts had triggered security mode. Hua Yi had casually removed it, and the next moment, he received a message from Silver Wolf.

"Why are you still awake this late?" "I'm not asleep. It looks like you're playing games. Why didn't you notify me immediately when security mode activated?" "What if you were already asleep? Messaging you would have been useless. If I forcibly woke you up and made you angry, then you stopped taking care of my accounts, what would I do?"

Congratulations. The reckless girl who had repeatedly provoked Herta not long ago had unconsciously learned to consider others and plan before acting.

Though the real reason was simply that she feared Hua Yi would never lift security mode for her again.

"Done."

Holding the terminal in one hand, he used fingerprint and facial recognition to perform actions that could not be completed through programs alone, remotely lifting security mode. Hua Yi sent the message. He had not expected Silver Wolf, who had already sent, "Thank you, may good people live peaceful lives," to reply again, but new chat content popped up on the terminal.

"Ahem... You've helped me so many times. If you want to play games later, I'll carry you. I'm a super skilled gamer, the kind who ranks on the leaderboards. Whether it's a high-difficulty BOSS or an achievement with harsh requirements, I can help you clear it."

"Understood."

"I'm serious, I'm not joking! Do you know how many people want me to carry them? I can't be bothered with them. It's the same for competitive games. We can queue as a duo, and you can just play support for me. Ladder rankings, Hunters, Supreme King—I can handle them all easily~"

"So you're carrying a girl to rank up? I'm the girl now?"

"Normally, I only carry Kafka and Sam at most. Do you understand the value of a god-tier player in the gaming world?"

Looking at that message, Hua Yi could imagine how smug Silver Wolf was on the other side.

"Maybe next time."

"Wait, are you busy right now?"

"I'm reproducing a High-level Rite to create a Path Product. It's not that busy. I can complete the process and chat with you at the same time."

"Is there really that much work at Herta Space Station? That's labor exploitation. Are all forces that cooperate with the Corporation like this?"

"I'm doing it voluntarily."

"Voluntary overtime. I get it, I get it."

On another planet, in a secret base belonging to the Stellaron Hunters, Silver Wolf was dressed casually at home, lying on her stomach on the bed in her room while operating her terminal. Several projection screens were also running game footage.

She swung her pale little feet, using one hand to control a game character through daily tasks while typing to Hua Yi with the other.

"By the way, how is Star doing over there? Has she caused any trouble? Just so we're clear, if she causes serious financial losses, the Stellaron Hunters can't afford to compensate you. We're all poor, one worse than the next. We can only find other ways to make it up to you. Pick a few games, and I'll give you some valuable items."

"She is trying to create wealth with her own hands. She seems more sensible than a certain game-addicted girl."

"Who's a game-addicted girl? Definitely not me. I only play games thirty days a month. My daily game time never exceeds twenty-four hours. I've never felt addicted."

The ripples on the Path subsided. Hua Yi stored a new Key of Enlightenment in a box. Seeing Silver Wolf's reply, he curled his lips but did not expose her, smoothly bringing up something he had planned long ago.

"Interested in reinforcing Herta Space Station's Firewall? The compensation will definitely be generous."

"You want me, a Stellaron Hunter who hacked into the Space Station, to help? Seriously?"

Assigning a Weakness, Issuing a Commission, Falling in Love

"Aren't you worried I'll leave another Backdoor Program, or that news of Herta Space Station hiring a Stellaron Hunter will get out and affect your cooperation with the Corporation?"

"That means I'm taking a certain risk too. If you really take the chance to do something bad, I can only vent my anger on those accounts—you wouldn't want your accounts to become a thing of the past, would you?"

Hua Yi had assigned Silver Wolf a weakness!

"Hey, don't use that to threaten me! You're awful."

Hacker Miss angrily typed those words. Even her little feet lost the interest to sway back and forth as before, drooping weakly before falling onto the bed with a smack.

"Fine, fine, fine, I surrender. I shouldn't have joked around so casually. So how generous exactly is this generous compensation?"

"I'll transfer you a deposit first."

Hua Yi was highly efficient. Before the girl had waited long, she received a transfer notification and discovered that the number in her personal wallet had grown by several digits.

One digit, two digits... it was now an eight-digit number!

Credits were not omnipotent. They could not buy many things.

And although the Interastral Peace Corporation offered high rewards for the Stellaron Hunters, Kafka and the others had never considered betraying a companion.

These wanted criminals had their own code of conduct and followed their own principles. Otherwise, Silver Wolf could have solved many problems with her hacking abilities.

She could casually hack into ordinary people's electronic wallets and transfer their money into her own account, or find game exploits and modify her characters' data. By trampling order, she could gain all kinds of conveniences.

But she did not.