My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Silver Wolf saw the universe as a massive immersive simulation game, enjoying herself within it while still following the basic rules.

Even so, Hua Yi's lavish offer still startled the girl.

"This is only the deposit?"

"Mm. Once the firewall reconstruction is complete, I'll give you twice as many Credits afterward. So, are you taking this commission? If not, remember to return the deposit."

"I'll take it!"

The girl sprang upright from the bed and rapidly operated the Projection Touchscreen.

"Then follow the normal procedure and grant me access permissions. Let me first get a complete understanding of Herta Space Station's system logic."

"You've already been granted system administrator privileges. I don't need to spell out the precautions, do I?"

"Of course."

Nothing more than not leaving behind any Backdoor Programs, electronic graffiti, or other Traces that could be linked to the Stellaron Hunters.

Checking her wallet balance again, the long string of numbers filled Silver Wolf with endless confidence. Wouldn't this mean she could whale out in games and enter full-on shopping mode?

She could not help wanting to share this joy.

"Kafka, which coat were you looking at before? I'll clear out your cart for you! Sam, what do you want to eat? Order whatever you like, it's on me~"

The system administrator identity Hua Yi had given Silver Wolf was not something a Level IV Researcher could operate.

More precisely, even ordinary Level IV Researchers did not possess such high-level permissions.

However, ever since their bond had been completely forged, Asta had used the Station Master account to raise all of Hua Yi's permissions to the highest level. There was now another user with superuser privileges on the Space Station.

On the way to Herta's Office with the Key of Enlightenment, Hua Yi explained the circumstances behind commissioning Silver Wolf to strengthen network security to Asta.

The girl had given her whole heart to him, so naturally she did not oppose an arrangement beneficial to the Space Station. Still, she pointed out another issue.

"You always say I pay out of pocket, but did you follow the Department of Applied Materials' procedures this time?"

"This is a special situation. I can't exactly tell the Department of Applied Materials that I hired a Stellaron Hunter for help. Even if everyone trusted me and kept it secret from the Interastral Peace Corporation, it would still be a psychological burden."

"I'll reimburse you. How much did you spend?"

"Not much. Why does it feel like you and Silver Wolf are treating me differently? One seems to be keeping me, while the other wants to carry a girl in ranked matches. Is it possible that I'm actually quite rich and pretty good at games?"

"Is that so? I happened to order a lot of physical collector's edition games online. Once they arrive, you can try them properly~"

A girl going out of her way to cater to a boy's interests was charming in itself, not to mention that Asta was such a beautiful and adorable girl.

Hua Yi could not stop the smile on his face.

"So, is there anything you want to buy? I'll get it for you."

"No, I don't think I'm lacking anything."

"What about pretty clothes? The fuller a beautiful girl's wardrobe is, the better."

"Mm... If you see any clothes that match your taste, send me the link. I'll buy them myself, then wear them for you to see!"

Asta said she could let her beloved dress her however he wanted, while she paid for it herself.

Ever since falling in love, the young lady seemed to shine from head to toe. Her heart-stirring virtues were too numerous to count.

Hua Yi had already received the girl's feelings.

Likewise, Asta had received her lover's feelings as well.

Using her arms folded on the desk as a pillow, the young lady tilted her head as she exchanged messages with Hua Yi, letting out sweet little "Ehehe" giggles from time to time.

Why commission a Stellaron Hunter to handle things? Wasn't it to strengthen the Space Station's security and give her, the Station Master, less to worry about?

Madam Herta was unwilling to waste energy on trivial matters, while the engineers within the Space Station had already done the best they could. The gap in capability was like an uncrossable chasm.

Compared to spending a fortune asking the Interastral Peace Corporation for help, owing them a favor, and becoming passive in future cooperation, the Stellaron Hunters were indeed the better choice.

As for Silver Wolf's identity as a wanted criminal—

Since she could become friends with Hua Yi, she definitely was not a bad person. Asta knew that the Corporation was not the absolute righteous side of the universe. Given enough benefits, countless Corporation employees might take desperate risks.

Right, the various departments needed to be informed about the system firewall upgrade to avoid confusion.

Before Hua Yi had even had time to publish an announcement on the internal network, he had told her the full details first. Didn't that mean she was more important in his heart?

Ehehe.

Her silver-bell laughter rang out again and again as Asta excitedly drafted a system maintenance notice, asking all departments to minimize operations involving the security firewall.

Falling in love had not made her neglect her responsibilities as Station Master. Though, upon closer examination, the time the girl devoted to work had indeed decreased. But with the Love Buff, being full of energy meant achieving twice the results with half the effort.

Herta Space Station was flourishing.

That's right, that's right. Thinking about it that way gave her even more reason to cling to Hua Yi after work, hehe..

Theft of the Key of Enlightenment

The moment Hua Yi arrived outside Herta's Office, the heavy hatch automatically opened.

The Space Station's facilities all shared the same system logic, and Genius Miss could not possibly have timed the door's opening so precisely. Judging by the mechanical response time, Herta had clearly granted him permission to enter and leave her office whenever he wished.

Upon entering, he found exactly what he expected. The puppet girl was in standby mode, with only the Simulated Universe Machine continuing to operate and emit an unfathomable glow.

The Genius did not spend every day here debugging the Simulated Universe. She presumably had other matters to attend to.

Just as Hua Yi considered whether to place the Key of Enlightenment directly on the desk, leave a message, and depart, or wait a little and chat with Asta, the Station Master, in front of the Space Station's true owner, Herta connected to the puppet after discovering the office's access record.

"What, are you here to test the Simulated Universe? Don't tell me you want to question the simulated Aeon of Elation again. I told you, you can't trust Aha too much."

"I just came to deliver a small gift. Here."

Seeing the Path Product Hua Yi offered, Herta naturally knew what it was.

She ignored the Space Station's major and minor affairs, but that did not mean she ignored Hua Yi. Genius Miss knew about most of the attention he had attracted at the Space Station.

"Being so attentive for no reason is pretty suspicious."

Last time, he had used Simulated Universe testing as an excuse to make her say "meow" as a catgirl. Now he had specially brought her a gift. Whatever he was plotting had to be even worse.

Herta became wary and swiftly glanced over Hua Yi's hands. Only after confirming he was not holding accessories such as cat ears or a cat tail did she continue.

"Say what you want. Do you want me to cause trouble for the Antimatter Legion and launch a real counterattack, or do you have some other plan?—Wait, let me check the Space Station's data records."

In the past, the Space Station's major events were nothing more than some scholar achieving new results or a department launching a new project. Overall, things had been peaceful and uneventful.

Yet after the Antimatter Legion's attack, one wave had barely subsided before another arose. Now Nanook's followers were stirring up trouble as well.

"Tch, the Annihilation Gang is looking for trouble too."

"When I board the Astral Express in the future, if the Annihilation Gang or other criminal forces take the opportunity to cause unrest at the Space Station, Madam Herta will indeed need to keep an eye on things. Genius Miss doesn't want others to use her as a stepping stone to promote Destruction, does she?"

"The Simulated Universe Machine is here, so naturally I won't let others do whatever they want. Stop thinking about all that nonsense. If you have the time, you might as well give me more test feedback."

Searching the Database using Hua Yi as the Keywords, Herta, who possessed the highest permissions, could not only review the full details of the Theft of the Key of Enlightenment, but also see in the meeting room surveillance footage that some stranger had invited her tester to join the Erudition Society before leaving the Space Station.

"Who's this guy? He's poaching people right under my nose!"

"Doctor Ratio, a well-known scholar of the Erudition Society."

"You even added him as a friend. What are you planning? Are you really considering running off to the Erudition Society?"

When Doctor Ratio extended an olive branch to Hua Yi, he had also expressed negative views about Geniuses. Herta could not be bothered to care about that.

From beginning to end, the only thing she cared about was the preference of the Simulated Universe's best tester.

"Boarding the Astral Express has already become part of your future plans. Now some random person appears and turns your attention toward the Erudition Society too. What, can those ordinary mortals offer benefits that I can't?"

"One more friend is better than one more enemy. I'm only expanding my social circle normally. In my heart, Herta Space Station will always rank above the Erudition Society."

"Tch, that's more like it."

Though she said that was more like it, Herta's emotions still fluctuated.

Every force wanted to steal her person away. First the Astral Express, and now the Erudition Society. At this rate, would even more competitors trying to snatch Hua Yi away appear in the future?

Did they have a major project like the Simulated Universe? What gave them the right to make such invitations?

"Change your network avatar. Use this watermarked one I'm sending you, so the Fool's Club idiots won't overestimate themselves and casually think they can oppose me."

"As long as you're happy."

"Also, I noticed Asta raised your system permissions. I'll raise them again. You're now a Station Master of the Space Station, and this will be announced publicly."

"Asta has done very well. She shouldn't be replaced by me like this..0"

"I never said I was removing her from her position. From now on, the Space Station will be jointly managed by two Station Masters. Is there a problem with that?"

If Hua Yi and Asta had merely been ordinary colleagues, there would have been a huge problem.

When an organization had two managers of equal rank at the same time, power would inevitably be divided and command would inevitably become confused. If there was also competition for power and scheming between them, Herta Space Station splitting into two would be an expected development.

Even during normal times, any conflicting orders issued by the two would confuse those below them and create a series of negative effects.

Herta displayed the willfulness of a Genius. Fortunately, Hua Yi and Asta were not ordinary colleagues. The intimate pair could exchange thoughts at any time and avoid issuing conflicting orders that would throw the departments into disarray.

Though having two Station Masters at one Space Station was still somewhat strange.

"No problem. It isn't the first time I've learned of Genius Miss's creative thinking."

"Then, about the so-called danger in the Seclusion Zone. I'll tell you in advance: they're insects cultivated by Ruan Mei. She wants to study Emissaries and even understand the essence of life. I can also collect [Propagation] data and add it to the Simulated Universe later. Aren't you able to explore Paths on your own and wield Path power in a way different from Walkers? In the future, [Propagation] can become another option for you."

"I heard Propagation Aeon Tayzzyronth caused the War of the Gods. Calling him a public enemy of the Aeons wouldn't be an exaggeration. As an ordinary human, stirring things up in the long-silent Path of The Hunt feels far riskier than it is rewarding."

Being noticed by an Aeon, even in a negative sense, was still an unattainable and unimaginable feat for all beings in The Universe.

Undying Abominations excluded.

Yet someone was doing everything possible to avoid it.

Herta, who had long understood Hua Yi's considerations, did not dwell on the matter.

"Ordinary human? Your self-positioning is quite casual. Anyway, the Simulated Universe won't affect the outside world. You can explore the Path of The Hunt within it when the time comes. As for the insects in the Seclusion Zone, it isn't time for them to mature yet. Just wait."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. As long as Genius Miss knows what she's doing."

"Mm.".

Beautiful and Splendid Things

Letting Hua Yi leave the office, Herta examined the Key of Enlightenment for a moment. She had no intention of using it as a consumable.

A gift, huh...

You're making it seem as though I'd sulk because you publicly gave Asta the Key of Enlightenment and I didn't receive one of my own.

Do you even know who the little one is?

Since Hua Yi had specifically spent the effort to complete the ritual, the puppet girl merely complained in her heart.

Using the materials already available in the office, Herta created a small Constraint Field and placed the Key of Enlightenment within it, ensuring that it would not leak energy even after the passage of time while maintaining its dynamic levitation for viewing from multiple angles. Looking around the room, she placed it beside her Projection Portrait.

Unlike the other Curio Collections on the Space Station, the Key of Enlightenment clearly received special treatment.

Just like Hua Yi, who had leapt from a Level IV Researcher to Station Master.

"Wow, Madam Herta is so nice!"

Upon receiving the latest news, Asta felt no melancholy at all over having her authority divided. Glancing at her terminal and noticing that it was almost time to get off work, she immediately found her lover in high spirits.

"Ehehe, now you're a Station Master too."

The girl hugged Hua Yi's arm. Her arm swayed along with her delighted mood, while her toes lightly tapped the ground and her steps were brisk.

"Do you have any important instructions to issue, my Station Master~?"

"At most, I'd follow procedure and make a statement to the departments, promising to uphold fairness and justice at the Space Station and create a better future together. What other plans could there be?—If there were truly something that required the Station Master's identity, even when I was only a Level IV Researcher, couldn't I have asked you for help?"

"That's right!"

Seeing the excitement on Asta's pretty face, Hua Yi lightly scratched her palm with his finger.

Soft and tender.

"I suspect that when Herta first took you away from The Family and made you Station Master of the Space Station, you weren't even this happy."