My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena Chapter 5

Wen Huairen, a believer in open-source thrift, leisurely left the premium lounge and planned to continue scouring the Interastral Peace Corporation for antiques. If he could acquire one or two Curios, he could bring more revenue to the Department of Applied Materials.

Hidden Ritual

"How is this data optimization? It should further reduce your workload. You can submit it as an optimization proposal to the Department of Applied Materials. Once the technicians verify the software's security, they might even praise you."

"Of course Brother Hua Yi's program is amazing! But Shiling would never submit it under her own name. Wouldn't that be stealing your credit? I'm going to tell everyone that this is a detailed optimization plan Brother Hua Yi specifically wrote based on the Department of Applied Materials' actual circumstances!"

As she spoke, Wen Shiling, delighted by the gift, hurried off with quick steps, impatient to show off her idol's latest achievement to the Department of Universal Matter.

If there had been security issues with the software itself, or if it had merely been something designed to amuse children with limited practical effect, she would inevitably have been stopped. However, Hua Yi had confidence in the program he had written.

That did not mean he would immediately conclude that a newcomer who had just arrived possessed technical skills surpassing everyone on the Space Station, including Herta, the Genius Club Member.

Herta rarely concerned herself with the Space Station's operations, much less with how a backend program in some department was running. The other senior technicians each had their own projects and traveled to alien worlds for field studies. None of them could possibly spend their energy gathering user needs and understanding the practical circumstances for an ordinary work program.

Hua Yi was someone capable, and willing to listen to what the Space Station staff needed.

He had already read through most of the internal materials accessible with Level II Permission. Next, he needed to produce some results aligned with the Department of Light Abyss Archives' research directions and earn a promotion.

There was no need to apply for Curios yet. Level II Researchers only theoretically had the right to apply, but the Department of Universal Matter would never actually approve it. Besides, someone of that rank could not obtain genuinely valuable Curios for research. Hua Yi chose to focus on the Department of Light Abyss Archives' two major research directions: Aeon lore and Hidden Rituals.

Gathering tales of Aeons often required traveling to distant planets in search of divine traces. Even vague legends ought to have accurate investigation times, locations, and people involved.

Hua Yi had no plans to leave the immensely important stage that was Herta Space Station ahead of time.

That left Hidden Rituals. By using particular materials and carrying out a series of complicated ceremonies, one could achieve specific desired outcomes.

Naturally, there were no rituals capable of directly communicating with an Aeon. Otherwise, the Department of Light Abyss Archives would have long since punched the Department of Applied Materials and kicked the Department of Boundary Seeds aside, becoming the sole dominant force at Herta Space Station.

However, setting aside those rudimentary rituals limited to producing fleeting sensory experiences or momentary mysterious scenes, the Department of Secret Scrolls possessed High-level Rites. Rumor had it that once successfully performed, they could draw a splash from the surging Path and condense it into physical form.

Arranging a High-level Rite not only required all kinds of precious materials, but also imposed strict requirements on the experimenter. Its success rate was pitifully low. In truth, any member of the Department of Light Abyss Archives who successfully performed a mid-level ritual would attain enormous academic and professional success.

Through the department's internal academic papers, Hua Yi could see through the essence of some ritual requirements—the experimenter's temperament had to align with the Path toward which the ritual pointed.

At the very least, there could be no fundamental contradiction.

If one intended to use a Hidden Ritual to call upon mighty power from the Path of Preservation and catch a tiny droplet splashed from the insignificant corner stirred by the ritual, the experimenter had to possess at least a trace of Preservation in their heart. The more steadfast that thought was, the more likely the ritual would succeed. In contrast, someone utterly devoid of a heart of Preservation would struggle to escape failure no matter how many rare materials they expended.

Level II Researchers could not access the detailed information or past data of the Department of Secret Scrolls' High-level Rites, but to Hua Yi, that was actually unimportant.

Aeons, Emissaries, Pathstriders... Those beings walked upon Paths, and the exceptional among them could already draw power on their own. The Department of Light Abyss Archives' rituals merely created favorable external conditions as much as possible, achieving wishes far shallower than those of true Pathstriders.

Fortunately, Hua Yi had some talent with Imaginary Energy.

"I only need to find useful patterns among a large number of low-level rituals, compare them with a small number of mid-level rituals, then make adjustments bit by bit based on my keen perception and control over Imaginary Energy. Then I can try creating a high-level ritual."

In truth, high-level rituals were the ones that genuinely involved Paths. The Department of Light Abyss Archives' low-level rituals leaned more toward ethereal mysticism and lacked reference value.

Entering a laboratory that could only be used temporarily with Level II Permission, Hua Yi activated a professional recorder bearing the Space Station watermark. From then on, the images, sounds, and detectable energy fluctuations within the laboratory would all be recorded in the Database.

"First, I'll attempt the low-level ritual commonly known as 'a flash of inspiration.' Successfully completing the ritual will produce a thumb-sized burst of light for an instant. The Department of Secret Scrolls believes this ritual is related to the [Wisdom] Path."

Recording the process according to the experimenter's procedures, Hua Yi gave a basic introduction before beginning the ritual, then methodically started using the required materials.

A moment later, an instant flash too brief for the naked eye to catch was recorded by the Space Station's finest equipment.

"The expected result has been achieved. Beginning an attempt at the mid-level ritual 'Flower of Another World.' The sign of success is a floral phantom that continuously imitates and pieces together something. This phantom lasts for a relatively long time and can be captured by the naked eye and technological equipment. It resembles the Simulated Calyx produced by spatial distortions in the universe."

After a period slightly longer than the previous experiment, though not excessively long, the flower phantom appeared as well.

Hua Yi did not rush to upload the experimental data. Even after successfully completing a mid-level ritual, his career as a Space Station staff member was already destined to proceed smoothly.

"Next, I'll try creating a new ritual based on the data records from these two rituals."

After those words fell, the laboratory sank into prolonged silence. Only the barely perceptible noise of the various technological devices operating, along with the faint sounds Hua Yi made while using rare materials, remained.

The Imaginary Energy detection devices, which ninety-nine percent of known Planetary Civilizations could not manufacture, flashed wildly as they recorded, archived, and remotely backed up the ever-changing parameters.

From beginning to end, Hua Yi never glanced at the equipment displays. His perception of Imaginary Energy was sharper than instruments that were fundamentally unsuitable for observation and reference while running.

Since he possessed such talent, wouldn't failing to make good use of it make him the biggest fool among fools?

A long time passed.

As overtime after completing his regular work, it was quite a long span of time. Yet as the germination of an entirely new High-level Rite, it seemed exceedingly brief.

So brief that calling it a tribute before the birth of a High-level Rite would still make it seem too swift.

The monitoring equipment screens, which had been flashing with immense quantities of data, abruptly froze. The Imaginary activity within the laboratory ceased.

A dim, mysterious key appeared out of thin air and lay quietly at the center of the ritual platform.

"The experiment succeeded. I shall name this ritual—Simulated Calyx: Seed of Erudition."

The Justice of the Department of Legal Affairs

Legend had it that the wise ones of countless worlds possessed a Phantom Key that could open the locks of riddles imprisoning truth and discover revelations beyond human understanding.

Unfortunately, no matter how its holders demonstrated and proved its existence, those around them could not see the key. Some believed it was heaven's favor, while others considered it a sign of mental disorder.

What had appeared now was not a Phantom Key, but a true physical object containing a trace of power from the Path of Wisdom: the [Key of Inspiration].

It could unlock inspiration sealed deep within consciousness. To grasp the key was to grasp the Spark darting through one's thoughts and illuminate the road ahead.

Of course, that applied to ordinary Scholars. For Geniuses like Herta, capable of receiving Nous's gaze, or travelers who had already journeyed upon the [Wisdom] Path for a long time, a Key of Inspiration could not bring earth-shaking changes.

But it was enough already.

Following the Space Station's rules, Hua Yi sealed away the experimental product, the Key of Inspiration. He packaged the entire ritual process and all related data, then uploaded them internally according to the Department of Light Abyss Archives' procedures. By then, it was already late at night. Most Scholars had gone to rest, and the new experimental report from the Space Station would likely not be reviewed until tomorrow.

Hua Yi had no intention of using the Key of Inspiration to explore the Path of Wisdom.

He had already stirred a splash upon the Path. Why would he abandon the root for the branch and fixate on the splash itself?

Without even coming into contact with a Pathstrider, Hua Yi had already found the Path of Wisdom through ritual.

What he needed to do next was not step into it, but use the Imaginary as an oar and try to create ripples within it, perhaps even raise waves.

There was no need to repeat the ritual again and again. Hua Yi himself was the ferryman.

Beside a giant porthole that formed part of the Space Station's outer protective shield and allowed starlight to spill in all directions, an elderly staff member stood gazing at the stars, coughing from time to time.

He tried hard to suppress the noise he made and did not disturb the Space Station workers who had already gone to rest. Only a newcomer who had worked overtime to complete a ritual approached upon hearing him.

"Even if the Medical Department hasn't found any serious illness, an old man like you should carry a water cup to soothe your throat and take good care of yourself."

"That's just how it is when you're old. This body of mine no longer cooperates."

Taking out a drink he had bought from a vending machine, Hua Yi handed it to the old man he had met a few days ago. He did not rush to speak, allowing the elder to unscrew the cap and take a big gulp of cool honey water that soothed his throat.

"Hah... Much better. Thank you."

"You're up this late instead of sleeping. Staying awake to look at the stars?"

"Something like that. It seems I've become an old child in your eyes without realizing it. Speaking of which, as far as I know, you've been at the Space Station for some time now. You must have observed the stars more than once. Standing in planetary orbit always lets you see more cosmic wonders than being on a planet—when you look at the stars, what do you think about?"

"I think they're beautiful."

The old man had held a similar conversation with Hua Yi during their previous meeting. He knew that this young man before him was unlike many others.

"What is beautiful about them?"

"Across distances measured in light-years, starlight crosses space and time, sketching magnificent scenes. Standing on the Space Station, I can see in every direction, the vast primordial universe, as though I could gather the stars into my embrace. It's romantic, isn't it?"

"It truly is romantic. And poetic as well."

This was not the first time the old man had noticed Hua Yi's talent, but he still could not help glancing sideways at the young man beside him, whose temperament, appearance, words, and mannerisms were all so likable and charming.

"You... I don't wish to discourage you, but I still want to remind you of something. The starry sky is not as beautiful as it appears. The Swarm, Abundance Followers, and the Antimatter Legion have destroyed far too many star systems. Star systems, not planets. Can you imagine it? Wars that burn through the universe, destruction that ruins everything. The stars we see may have died long ago, and what we call starlight may merely be the afterglow they left behind for the universe."

"Yes, I can imagine it."

"One of the Space Station's Five Research Departments, the Department of Legal Affairs, strongly opposed the theory that might makes right in its early days. The lofty Aeons command the Paths, and countless people, countless mediocrities and Geniuses, desperately pursue them, doing things beneficial to the Aeons before obtaining power from the Paths. The value of people themselves has long been trampled beneath their feet."

The elderly staff member, Gunn, founder of Herta Space Station's Galaxy Ward Department, spoke in a calm tone.

He was neither lost and helpless nor bitterly resentful. It was the stillness of a heart weathered by countless storms.

"Most stories in the universe are nothing more than Aeons and the believers gathered around them acting as they please upon the stage, while those who do not wish to follow the Aeons have no power to resist at all."

Gunn stared at the stars, his eyes like stagnant water.

"Justice is an extravagantly luxurious word for those without power. They cannot stop the strong who treat human lives as worthless grass, nor can they save the weak who perish in the wind, even when the ones about to perish are themselves."

Hua Yi's gaze fell upon the old staff member. He could sense the other man's frailty and the heavy air of twilight around him.

Ordinary expressions of concern were meaningless at this moment. Like the old man, he looked toward the boundless sea of stars.

"What is a Path?"

"The road an Aeon walks is a Path. As for whether the Path chooses the Aeon or the Aeon creates the Path, academia cannot truly reach a conclusion. Aeons stand too high and alone; mortals have nowhere to pursue them."

"Aeons seem to have become highly condensed embodiments of philosophy. Though the universe is vast and contains countless beings, being glanced at from afar by an Aeon is already considered the greatest honor. How different is worshipping unreachable Sentient Celestial Bodies from worshipping an idea?"

"An idea..."

"Justice is not extravagant. We can always find moving stories on those planets where civilizations are born. In contrast, Aeons are what seem extravagant. I believe there must be more people who wish to understand justice than people who wish to understand Aeons."

Leaning against the railing, Hua Yi took the stars filling the heavens into his eyes.

"When did civilization begin?"

"Are you asking about Azure Planet's civilization, or the first civilization in the universe? I cannot answer the latter question."

"Let me make an irresponsible guess—on some ancient night, a primitive human, or perhaps an intelligent being that was not human, happened to raise its head and gaze at the sky. It saw the stars, and some emotion arose within it."

"Fear, perhaps. Unknown Fear. Standing on a planet, the universe visible to the naked eye is limited. Most of the night sky is pitch-black. The stars are too few and too dim."

"I don't know. But if it was fear, then that would be even more remarkable."

Hearing Hua Yi's answer, Gunn could not help narrowing his aged eyes as he examined the young man from the side. Hua Yi gazed at the stars while bathed in their light.

"Why?"

"Because the place where we stand now is already among the stars."

Gold That Shines

"The first being to raise its head felt the desire to explore the starry sky, and thus civilization was born. If what it felt was not desire but fear, then that would be even more remarkable, because it planted a seed concerning the stars while carrying fear. And later generations truly did produce a group of people who flew into the heavens and embraced the universe."

"!!"

Gunn's eyes trembled violently, and the stagnant stillness from before had vanished.

"The flame of civilization has not yet gone out. The weak still make up the overwhelming majority of the universe. We are still stubbornly alive, so why be so despondent?"

"You, you!..."

"All right, late-night chats should end in moderation. It's time to sleep. Good night."

Hua Yi waved, turned, and left. Gunn remained behind, staring fixedly at him as he tremblingly yet forcefully raised an arm, trying to seize that receding figure.

A Level II Researcher in the Department of Light Abyss Archives?

What a waste! A pearl covered in dust!

He should join the Galaxy Ward Department. He would change the Department of Legal Affairs!

Suppressing the astonishing vitality erupting within his aged body, Gunn restrained the urge to rush over, stop Hua Yi, drag him into the closed archives, summon the workers who had long since gone to bed, and have them process the department transfer paperwork.

He repeatedly warned himself in his heart—

A young man like this had to be properly cherished. He absolutely could not act recklessly. It was indeed too late now; the young man should get a good night's sleep.

What if Hua Yi fell ill from lack of sleep?

Gunn had already begun doubting the Space Station Medical Department's professionalism. If the hope of the Department of Legal Affairs truly fell ill, could the Medical Department, which claimed it could save anyone as long as they still had a breath left, be trusted?

What a wonderful child. He had traveled through space alone and come to the Space Station. Who knew whether he had struggled to adapt to the environment, whether he had eaten enough these past few days, or whether he had slept warmly enough.

The treatment for a Level II Researcher was far too poor. The Department of Light Abyss Archives truly had no eye for talent. Someone like him should be promoted beyond the usual rules.

It didn't matter. If the Department of Secret Scrolls couldn't hold onto him, then I would! Once Hua Yi joined the Department of Legal Affairs, everything would get better.

Gunn drained the honey water in one gulp and felt healthier than ever before. He was no longer coughing as he strode down the corridor.

Elsewhere, although it was already deep into the night, Wen Huairen, the former Department Head of the Department of Universal Matter, was still browsing the Interastral Peace Network for valuable goods that could generate additional revenue for the department and even the entire Space Station.

"This one won't do. It's also space survival equipment, but it costs far more than the Galactic Survival Blanket I bought back then. This one won't do either. Its expected return rate is even lower than that compound eye that only earned four thousand Credits..."

Wen Huairen shook his head in dissatisfaction. It was not easy to sift through the company's shopping website and find goods with special value.

Herta Space Station was, after all, a genuine Starry Sky Museum. It bore the name of a Genius Club Member, housed countless Scholars, collected all kinds of Curios, and received all manner of support from the Interastral Peace Corporation. Ordinary items—even treasures that could drive a Planetary Civilization or some so-called mighty kingdom into a frenzy—usually failed to catch Wen Huairen's eye and could not bring much economic or research value.