The Gaze of Lord of Wisdom

[First meeting, family. I, who had wandered all the way here, made my debut.]

When reading a novel, everyone, don't think too hard. Just leave your brains here for a better reading experience.

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This was the world of Honkai: Star Rail, and also a world overrun by Path madmen.

At that moment, a massive starship in a frontier star system silently hovered beyond the devouring pull of a black hole.

Through the starship's porthole, the outline of the event horizon looked as though a Starry Sky Behemoth had taken a huge bite out of it. Hermes casually adjusted the silver hair over his forehead, and faint blue light once again fell across his irises.

The laboratory's cold light outlined the youth's figure. White hair, like refined moonlight, hung over his brow, while jade-green eyes, like cracked emeralds, brimmed with nebulae.

"How many years had I been in this world?"

Looking at his appearance in this life, a trace of long-forgotten sorrow surfaced in his heart. "I still remember how Mother used to tease me, saying that when I grew up, I would surely set foot upon the Path of Beauty. Who would have thought that I would first walk Trailblaze, then turn to the Path of Erudition?"

The Path of Beauty carried his mother's beautiful hopes for his character, appearance, and virtues once he grew up.

After reincarnating into this world, he had shared a deep bond with his mother in this life.

Yet even though he had developed more than a dozen technologies for extending life and restoring youth, his mother had still passed away at the age of 150.

Immortality was not something every short-lived species could bear.

Even Xianzhou people, who were born with long lifespans and lived at such a leisurely pace, generally only possessed mental lifespans of a little over eight hundred years, did they not?

Shaking his head, he swept away his melancholy and immersed himself in his research once more.

The artificial intelligence [Alpha] was operating at full power.

With [Alpha]'s formidable computational power supporting him, Hermes's deep green eyes reflected data models that continuously collapsed inward.

"The Imaginary Torrent has begun exceeding the safety threshold."

[Alpha]'s voice carried the calm of electronic synthesis. "Ix's shadow is about to spread. The protective barrier's fluctuations are accelerating. Evacuation preparations are recommended."

Hermes ignored [Alpha]'s warning. Rapidly flashing numbers leaped through his gaze, while new books formed at high speed within his palace of thought.

They were precious pieces of information he had gathered by forcibly enduring the pressure of the Aeon of Nihility.

Had he not traveled far enough upon the paths of Trailblaze and Erudition, Ix's shadow would have engulfed him long ago, and he would have entered the irreversible Abyss of Self-destruction.

Hermes's eyes darkened. The power of Trailblaze had opened a higher road to Wisdom for him, while Wisdom's inspiration had also guided Trailblaze's direction.

The two complemented each other, forming a mutual tai chi.

After transmigrating into Honkai: Star Rail, his innate talent—Heaven rewards diligence—had taken effect...

Although Hermes had set foot upon both the paths of Trailblaze and Erudition and walked far enough along them, he was still not an Emanator.

If any other top-tier Pathwalker had reached this stage and wished to advance further, there were only two methods.

One was naturally to pray for an Aeon's favor and be granted an Emanator's Authority.

Otherwise, they could only continue walking their Path as Yomotsu had, becoming an Emanator crowned by themselves.

But both roads were exceedingly difficult.

Especially the second. Across the entire Universal Galaxy, such beings were so few that many people believed they did not exist at all.

But Hermes was different. He possessed the talent Heaven rewards diligence. As long as he worked hard, he could continue breaking through without bottlenecks.

Back when Hermes had first transmigrated, his intelligence had been quite good. On his home planet, he had even been praised as a genius seen only once in a century.

But across the boundless Universe, that level of talent was as common as crucian carp crossing a river—utterly unremarkable.

It was even less worthy of comparison with the renowned geniuses of the Genius Club.

But now, Hermes was confident that his talent was no inferior to members of the Genius Club such as Herta.

That was the terrifying aspect of Heaven rewards diligence. As long as one worked hard, there would definitely be gains.

And this was still far from Hermes's limit!

At that moment, the alarm abruptly grew shrill, and red warning lights flashed incessantly throughout the cabin.

"The Imaginary overflow phenomenon is spreading. The protective barrier is about to shatter!"

[Alpha]'s calm synthesized electronic voice sounded again. "Activating the Mobius Ring."

And at that very moment.

Hermes's consciousness seemed to be pulled into an unknown fold of spacetime, where he glimpsed the collision between the Imaginary flow and the Quantum Tide.

A thread of joy rose in Hermes's heart. After researching for so many years, he had finally glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of the Sea of Trees' Multiversal Truth!

Seizing the opportunity, the power of his Paths suddenly boiled over, and he intercepted a wisp of power even more fundamental than Imaginary and Quantum.

The data in his eyes rapidly collapsed, then rebuilt itself...

Finally.

He constructed a complete formula, [Jade Record], and used it to refine a fist-sized [Philosopher's Stone]!

At that very instant, an incomparably vast mechanical phantom descended above the starship.

The electronic eye of the Aeon of Erudition, Lord of Wisdom, quietly gazed upon Hermes through the starship.

An hour later, Hermes finally completed his Emanator transition and condensed his own Envoy Authority, [Alchemy], beginning to answer Lord of Wisdom's gaze.

Lord of Wisdom looked at Hermes, and a mechanical voice rang out. "Question: What is the substance you have created?"

Hermes replied, "This is the Philosopher's Stone. It can exchange all things in the world at equal value."

The red light flickered.

Then the great machine head spoke again.

"Are you willing to become an Emanator who walks the path of [Path of Erudition]?"

Wasn't I already an Emanator?

Hermes had just wanted to say that, but then he fell silent.

He began to think.

So self-crowned Emanators and Aeon-certified Emanators were different?

Could it be that I could get another Envoy Authority for free?

"Fine. I also want to see what an Emanator produced through the standard process is like."

Hermes nodded and accepted Lord of Wisdom's invitation.

The Aeons in the Honkai: Star Rail setting were not conspiracy theorists.

As the pioneers of their Paths, every Aeon was a steadfast believer walking the road they had opened.

Their path would not shift, and their will would not change.

Naturally, he would not worry needlessly about whether Lord of Wisdom had some sort of scheme.

As a beam of red light entered Hermes's body, Lord of Wisdom vanished and departed.

At the same time, a strange ticket fell before him.

Curio: Genius Club Invitation Letter!

This Invitation Letter was bound to every member of the Genius Club.

Just like the [Tavern] of the Masked Fools, the doctor faction had a similar place, a venue where members of the Genius Club gathered with one another.

Hermes was slightly stunned, an exceptionally strange feeling rising in his heart.

A Path that seemed endless became clearer before his eyes than ever before.

His capacity seemed to begin rising without end!

And along with it came the Authority of Erudition—[Astrology].