My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

"That certainly makes things easier, but if we're being precise, you still went against the original purpose of our collaborative research. Not only did you hide a fragment in the Simulated Universe, you also acted as though nothing had happened despite knowing I'd carried out so much maintenance beforehand."

That was Herta—careless about many things, yet freely nitpicky whenever the mood struck her.

With a soft sigh, Ruan Mei chose to yield.

"Once the cultivation of the Aeon Progenitor is complete, I won't be able to exert much influence either."

"There's no need to involve an Aeon. You only need to help accelerate the completion of the Virtual Path."

"Actually, when I first discovered that the Simulated Universe had suffered an operational collapse, I began deepening the Paths within it."

As Ruan Mei finished speaking, Hua Yi noticed that she and Herta had both turned to look at him.

"I wasn't the one recklessly stirring up the Paths. The Aeon simulacrums did all of that."

"It was indeed them unleashing their sweeping power, but now it seems we may need to reassess the extent to which Virtual Aeons can invoke Paths."

"Besides, since Hua Yi is so unusual within the Simulated Universe, there should be some sign of it in reality as well. I wonder which Path he walks? On that point, the information circulating from the Interastral Peace Corporation and the Space Station is contradictory."

Herta said nothing.

Who told Hua Yi not to cooperate with her in teasing Ruan Mei just now? He could figure it out himself.

Of course, if he truly couldn't find a suitable excuse, he could ask her for help with a look or gesture. This Genius could mercifully help him change the subject.

The puppet girl waited leisurely, while Hua Yi noticed the Key of Enlightenment placed beside Herta's portrait.

Its security level far surpassed that of the Space Station's defense system, and it was kept in an obviously custom-made Small Curio Containment Unit.

She had taken its safekeeping quite seriously.

A Path Product of this caliber could captivate the experts and scholars of the Space Station, but it could not truly move Herta. Yet—

It instead revealed Genius Miss's attitude from another angle.

She still wasn't unrestrained enough. Tossing the Key of Enlightenment into some corner of her office would have been truly willful.

Hua Yi laughed soundlessly, then answered Ruan Mei's question.

"I haven't entered a Path yet. I'm still in the Understanding Phase."

"Is that so?"

There was no shortage in the universe of beings who had not entered a Path, yet could still wield powerful combat strength through their own wisdom and talent, or with the aid of external objects and forces.

There were many examples, but Ruan Mei felt Hua Yi's situation was not so simple.

He had not entered a Path, yet he had drawn the appearance of multiple Aeon simulacrums. Could it be that they were competing for him?

When valuable talent was involved, it was perfectly normal for factions to compete with one another and extend olive branches. Such scenes could unfold anywhere in the endless sea of stars.

But linking such a worldly situation to Sentient Celestial Bodies was truly subtle. Ruan Mei fell silent once more.

Compared with the emotional fluctuations she experienced while researching alone on ordinary days, even all of them combined paled in comparison to today.

Seeing that no one in the office was speaking for the moment, Star, who had spent half the day as a bystander, decided to display her wisdom and join this unusual conversation.

"Shouldn't we test the Simulated Universe next? I brought my Baseball Bat!"

"I never said that, little one."

"Huh?"

"Collecting data requires sorting and analysis, followed by results that can yield something useful. The later work naturally won't take much of my time, but if I want to deepen the research continuously, targeted adjustments are necessary. I need to discuss the Simulated Universe's future upgrades with Ruan Mei now. If you don't understand, go play."

The Unrestrained Genius Doesn't Think That Much

A meeting between Geniuses was a historic occasion, yet Star, who was deeply confident that she would earn Nous's attention, had actually been excluded.

Thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west. Never mock a poor young girl!

Tch, the Galaxy Bat Hero didn't care to join this kind of discussion anyway.

Star shot Herta a provocative look, then directly wrapped herself around Hua Yi's arm and dragged him out of the office.

At the sight, the puppet girl secretly gritted her teeth.

She did not care about Stellaron's attitude toward her. The problem was that this girl had taken Hua Yi away too. The Simulated Universe's future upgrades still required a tester's suggestions.

No matter how thoroughly she analyzed the data related to the Aeon simulacrums in her hands, Herta could only examine the most superficial parts and reach a few shallow conclusions.

She remained far from truly unraveling the Mystery of the Aeons.

Ruan Mei had encountered a similar predicament and decided to gradually attempt to create an Emissary of Creation. Herta had her own method.

How had Sentient Celestial Bodies ascended from Mortal Life into gods?

Even though the Aeons in the Simulated Universe were connected to real divinities and Paths, it was still difficult to directly reconstruct the extremely mysterious Historical Truth. However, one could glimpse the whole through major events that had spread far and wide.

Just like the brewing and rise of the Swarm Disaster.

Standing in a corner of the Rolling Tide of the Era would undoubtedly deepen one's understanding of Aeons.

Forget it. There was no need to ask Hua Yi specifically. Since he had participated in Ruan Mei's research, he clearly possessed a Heart of Exploration toward [Propagation]. The next stage's objective would be focused on recreating the Swarm Disaster.

Inside the office, the two Geniuses began to converse. Outside, Star, who had pulled Hua Yi out, gave a light cough.

"Did I disrupt your plans?"

"The Simulated Universe's future development doesn't necessarily require my suggestions. Every Path is worth exploring."

"Then—are we going to gather information about Propagation Bugs next?"

"I already gathered it."

As one of the Three Calamities of the Universe, Hua Yi had deliberately searched the Department of Light Abyss Archives' records on the Swarm Disaster before he had even become a Level IV Researcher.

Now that his authority had risen, he had not overlooked those great secrets of the universe either.

The fall of Propagation Aeon Tayzzyronth was an acknowledged fact. If he attempted to stir up trouble on the Path of The Hunt, he would not need to risk being watched by the corresponding Aeon.

There were still the reactions of other Aeons, as well as possibly surviving Swarm Emperor's kin, to consider. But the bugs Ruan Mei cultivated could serve as material for another attempt.

Just like those accounts that had originally belonged to Silver Wolf, whose core control rights were now in his hands.

The little experiences of daily life could always create unexpected sparks of inspiration.

Having already thought everything through, Hua Yi did not explain his considerations to Star, lest he leave her dizzy and confused.

Miss Galaxy Bat Hero clearly preferred simpler, purer joys.

"I know what to do about the two research projects Ruan Mei mentioned. You don't need to worry too much. Just prepare to fight the big bug in a couple of days."

"That Tayzzy-whatever?"

"I mean the bug Ruan Mei cultivated. I didn't expect Bat Hero to have already made Propagation Aeon her hypothetical enemy. Ambitious."

"Because not long after I woke up, you told me that Aeon of Destruction Nanook was the Great Demon King. In the Simulated Universe, you could even chat and laugh with the Aeon of Elation. It made my impression of Aeons pretty unusual."

Star recalled the scene when Nanook had cast his gaze across spacetime at her during the battle against the Doomsday Beast.

Sentient Celestial Bodies were mysterious and unfathomable, powerful beyond description, already set apart from all life in the universe.

That difference in status required no accumulation of knowledge. It was a sensation that affected the five senses while transcending them. Anyone who received an Aeon's gaze would instantly understand why they were called gods.

Supreme, magnificent, incomprehensible.

"They say Aeons govern Paths, but I feel that others don't need to believe in them to obtain the power of a Path. I already treated Nanook as a hypothetical enemy, but I could still use the Power of Destruction."

"Among the stars, there are supporters and opponents of Aeons who enter the same Path. Sometimes it's a fusion of ideals. Sometimes merely drawing near grants power passively, whether one wanted it from the beginning or not."

Any researcher here was the pride of their homeworld, even a Morning Star embraced by an entire planet. Yet they could not even make a name for themselves on Herta Space Station.

Even in a universe crowded with Aeons, Pathstriders were ultimately very few.

"That's true. I feel like Nous might notice me at any moment."

"To see what a Stellaron looks like?"

"Wow, why are you calling me Stellaron too?! Don't call me that. It doesn't sound good..."

Hua Yi had no intention of going to the Seclusion Zone in advance to inspect the situation or eliminate potential dangers.

Ruan Mei had already begun her cultivation there.

A Genius's ability was beyond question. Since she claimed she could control the overall situation, it would naturally be best if she followed through. But if something went wrong, it would serve as a warning.

He was still at the Space Station. Discovering problems now was better than having an accident after boarding the Astral Express.

Before that bug was born, Hua Yi actually hoped Ruan Mei would make a mistake in her other Cultivating Geniuses project. Learning a lesson now would make her more cautious in the future.

As it happened, Phase Flame was something that could easily lose control.

During their earlier frank conversation, Ruan Mei had mentioned the name of the Primordial Phase Spirit Fire's creator, Siskor.

She had focused on another Genius, hoping to understand the other's philosophical thought and find common traits among Geniuses, yet she had forgotten to pay attention to the characteristics of the Phase Flame itself.

This flame had almost no chance of causing explosions or fires, but the records clearly stated that at the moment the Primordial Phase Spirit Fire was created, it disregarded Siskor's will, shifted phases, and vanished without a trace.

The ball of fire kept in the Space Station could also teleport through space on its own, but Ruan Mei had overlooked something. Hua Yi had not seen her bring any device that could restrict spatial curvature or track spatial fluctuations.

Herta definitely knew the Phase Flame's characteristics. It was part of her collection. Yet judging from how the two Geniuses had communicated earlier, Herta was unlikely to kindly remind Ruan Mei on her own.

"Attention, relevant departments. Use Curios and energy fields to cover the Space Station's exterior zones, forming a spatial blockade and preventing the possibility of teleportation from inside to outside."

Hua Yi opened a communication channel and issued the order, receiving a response immediately afterward.

"Understood, Station Master—"

Even as the staff member on the other end used the new title of "Station Master," their heart could not help but surge with emotion.

"Is this a situation similar to the previous Theft of the Key of Enlightenment incident? If members of the Annihilation Gang are plotting something, we can deploy immediately. The Interastral Peace Corporation's mechs have arrived as well. The Defense Department will certainly be able to help you."

"I merely suspect that someone may be unable to keep the Phase Flame under control. Keep an eye out."

"Yes!"

An Expected Mistake

Cultivating life from nothing and creating a new species would be a miracle worthy of reverence as a creator god or maker on the overwhelming majority of Planetary Civilizations in the universe.

However, Ruan Mei had done it countless times already, and she had succeeded countless times.

After the Geniuses' exchange ended, she brought the Phase Flame borrowed from Herta to her laboratory in the Seclusion Zone.

It was quiet here. No researchers would disturb her, and all the required experimental equipment was available. It even included many devices that the Department of Astral Boundary and Flora did not possess, which Ruan Mei had made herself.

Anything produced by a Genius surpassed all manner of cutting-edge equipment launched by the great powers of the universe.

Life possessed a conceptual beauty, such as the symmetry of its genetic numbers and the structural beauty of spiral patterns.

Ruan Mei was intoxicated by such beauty. In the process of creating a lifeform born as a Genius, she used the Phase Flame as one of the supplementary materials and attempted to reproduce Siskor's wisdom.

The other party had been a Spider Genius, not a human. Therefore, Ruan Mei had never intended to cultivate a humanoid lifeform from the beginning.

The Essence of Life should not be limited by physical form. Just as the Genius Club had members like her and Herta, non-humans like spiders, and Inorganic Life such as Intelligent Machines.

Ruan Mei's goal was to reproduce a Genius's philosophical thought, not create a spider. On the contrary, she intended to extend the new life's lifespan as much as possible.

Siskor had lived for only twenty-nine days. That was truly too short.

If she truly succeeded in creating a Genius, then no matter how brilliant a meteor briefly streaking across the heavens might be, it could not compare to the light cast by something eternally hanging in the sky.

The slightly subtle part was that the cradle used to cultivate life looked like a rice cooker.

The size of a rice cooker, the lid of a rice cooker, and steam rising from it like a rice cooker at work.

When this Genius compared cultivating life to cooking pastries, it seemed she was not using a metaphor. She really did it that way.

Beep.

The timing was perfect. The cultivation was complete.

She opened the rice cooker—no, she opened the life cultivation chamber shaped like a rice cooker. Amid the rising heat, creations the size and shape of pastries opened their glittering eyes and looked toward their creator.

"Meow?"

"Woof!"

The "cat" that looked like a mung bean cake and the "dog" that looked like a shumai made sounds perfectly matching the traits of cats and dogs.