Why am I the one being won over?

Asta received a message from Arlan right after the meeting, and upon learning of the incident, she felt as if the sky was about to fall.

"Arlan, why is Peppy in the Seclusion Zone?" Asta asked quickly, without turning her head.

"Peppy ran off to find the frisbee the young lady gave her, and before she knew it, she was surrounded by monsters from the Fragmentum."

Arlan, carrying Peppy, followed behind Asta, and took out a frisbee that Peppy had retrieved from near the Seclusion Zone, explaining as he did so.

"Ugh... Peppy, you idiot! I'll settle the score with you later!"

Fortunately, there were no casualties in this incident, which can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"I am truly sorry that this incident occurred so soon after the guests arrived at the space station. It was all due to my poor planning as the station commander. Please allow me to apologize to you on behalf of all the staff of the space station!"

After rushing to the medical ward, Asta immediately bowed to Bai Jun, who was sitting on the hospital bed, to express her sincere apologies.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Herta's guest. It's all my fault for not arranging the time to welcome you properly, which led to this accident. And thankfully, you saved Peppy. I will forever remember this kindness. I will repay you in any way I can, no matter what!"

Arlan, holding Peppy, stood behind Asta and bowed gratefully to Bai Jun. Judging from Arlan's serious expression, his words came from the bottom of his heart.

"I don't have any other complaints, but... could you please stop using that testing device on me? I'm really not injured!"

Sitting on the hospital bed, Bai Jun glanced at the three doctors in white coats still glaring at him and muttered helplessly.

He hadn't wanted to come, but Arlan insisted on bringing him for a checkup. As soon as they entered the medical ward, the three female doctors, like predators smelling blood, swarmed around him, insisting on examining him. Fine, they'd examine him, but the problem was, how could an examination take half an hour to finish?!

Seeing this, Asta quickly dismissed the medical staff in the room. They smacked their lips and left the medical pod with lingering reluctance.

After they all left, only three people remained in the medical bay. Asta hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been bothering her, "Guest, could you briefly describe what happened during that time?"

"Station Director Asta, you don't need to keep calling me 'guest,' just call me Bai Jun."

Bai Jun stood up from the hospital bed, stretched his limbs a little, and slowly recounted the whole story, starting from when he saw the monster that looked like Peppy on the platform.

After hearing this, Asta frowned thoughtfully and muttered to herself, "Exactly the same as Peppy? How could those Fragmentum creatures possibly..."

Creatures from the Fragmentum generally exist in the form of erosion. Although they retain the Remembrance and habits of their original form, their outward appearance is quite different from the original. They often express strong exclusivity and will also have unique patterns and auras of the Fragmentum. This is one of the reasons why the researchers can distinguish creations from the Fragmentum.

But now it's Fragmentum creation that behaves exactly like the original... Could it be a mutation caused by the recent activity of the Stellaron?

Asta had many thoughts and speculations flashing through her mind, but no matter what, if this was the case, the danger of the Fragmentum would probably increase several times over. In addition, the Fragmentum inside the Seclusion Zone would remain for at least several months before slowly disappearing, during which time the safety of the crew would be greatly threatened.

As the stationmaster, Asta had a duty to be responsible for the lives of all the staff members, so she immediately instructed Arlan beside her:

"Arlan, please go to the Seclusion Zone to collect samples. After processing, promptly hand the samples over to Ms. Herta. Any subsequent changes should be determined by Ms. Herta herself."

Arlan nodded, put Peppy on the ground, and quickly left the medical pod.

Peppy circled around on the ground a few times, finally coming to Bai Jun's feet. She nudged his trouser leg with her little head and let out a few ingratiating barks.

"Peppy is thanking Mr. Bai Jun."

"Really... It's so cute." Hearing Asta's translation, Bai Jun bent down and rubbed the puppy's head before getting to the point. "Station Director Asta, when can I meet Ms. Herta?"

"It should be nothing... I'll take Mr. Bai Jun to Ms. Herta's office in a bit, but I'm not sure if she'll be available."

Asta didn't answer immediately, but hesitated for a moment, a hint of embarrassment showing in her azure eyes. In fact, she wasn't sure when Ms. Herta would come out of the office, especially since she was engrossed in her research; she might not come out for a week or two.

There had been instances before where guests invited by the Ms. Herta stayed on the space station for seven or eight days before she herself came out of the laboratory, so Asta had no choice but to explain the situation to Bai Jun in a tactful way.

"I see. It's alright, I can wait a week or two."

Bai Jun suddenly understood why Old Master Huai Yan had specifically mentioned in his letter that Ms. Herta was a genius with an eccentric personality but excellent character. Her personality was indeed quite eccentric, but he didn't know whether her character was good or not.

Anyway, Bai Jun had no expectations for this plan. He only came because of the old man's influence. So even if he didn't get to see the Herta in the end, Bai Jun wouldn't feel any regret. He could just treat it as a paid vacation.

"It's wonderful that Mr. Bai Jun is so understanding. If you don't mind, please allow me to show you around the various facilities and features of the space station."

Asta smiled and offered to take Bai Jun on a tour of the space station, and also arrange a place for him to stay.

Bai Jun had no reason to refuse and soon followed Asta out of the medical bay, starting their tour of the space station from the Base Zone.

"Mr. Bai Jun, as you can see, the lobby on the first floor below the medical module is the space station's reception center, where people from all over the world visit the space station..."

Asta, who was a body length ahead of him, proudly introduced him to the various aspects of the space station. Bai Jun listened silently behind him, memorizing the information. The next second, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a small figure standing on the ground floor.

She was a beautiful young woman with long, gray hair flowing down her back like a veil. Her features were exquisite, and she possessed an air of noble transcendence. Standing downstairs with her hands on her hips, she resembled a perfect doll.

Wait... that looks like a doll?

Although he was reluctant to admit it, Bai Jun's first reaction as a craftsman was amazement when he saw her. He had also worked with Flamecourt Lord to create similar bionic dolls during the Zhuming period, but later found it less fun than sword forging and did not pursue further studies.

Seeing such a perfect doll, Bai Jun's curiosity was gently scratched by the cat's claws, prompting him to stop in front of the doll.

"Keep walking forward and you'll reach the Master Control Zone. Ms. Herta's office is there, but it's in a rather secluded location. You'll need to leave the deck with many staff members, turn onto a staircase with a noticeable drop, turn left at the third waste collection station, and walk straight past a row of control center machines to find Ms. Herta's office. Don't worry if Mr. Bai Jun can't remember it; you'll get the hang of it after a few tries..."

Asta spoke as if introducing her most precious treasure, her words brimming with pride for the space station. But when she turned around to see Bai Jun's reaction, she found that he had already fallen far behind.

"My God, what kind of technology is this? Not only does it feel like skin, but it even has the same body temperature as a normal person!?"

Bai Jun nudged the little Herta figure's arm, then curiously pried open her lips slightly, continuing his academic research, "Moreover, her oral temperature is normal, and there is saliva distributed. Could it be that she can maintain basic physiological functions on her own?"

The more Bai Jun observed, the more surprised he became. This was the first time he had ever seen a doll of this caliber. Apart from the joints of its limbs, which showed differences from ordinary people, the rest of its parts were almost indistinguishable from normal people. Even the bionic dolls made by Flamecourt Lord could not reach this level.

The puppet-like body of Xue Yi was worlds apart from that of the human doll. If she could learn this technique, perhaps she could truly experience the life of a normal person...

"Mr. Bai Jun, what are you doing... Ah!? Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai Jun, please stop!"

Upon seeing the scene in the distance, Asta's face turned deathly pale. Bai Jun muttered to himself that he hadn't noticed, but in Asta's vision, the Herta Puppet's previously lifeless eyes gradually regained their light, which meant...

"Don't stare at my doll, and it's even more inappropriate for you to touch it. Or do you want me to throw you out of the space station?"

Herta shoved Bai Jun's hand away from his arm, looking up at him coldly. An ordinary person would have been scared away by Herta's imposing aura, but Bai Jun seemed even more agitated by this.

"My goodness, it can even talk! Is it equipped with artificial intelligence? Can I ask you a few questions? Does your doll-like body fully possess all five senses? Can you teach me this technology...?"

"What... what are you trying to do? Get away from me!"

Chapter 84: Wavering Between Loneliness and Yearning (5k)

Herta is a genius, an absolute genius.

She twice visited the Nous, whom countless people sought but could not see. He was not only one of the few geniuses in the galaxy who could achieve immortality through his own power, but also a hero who single-handedly saved planets from the clutches of the Emanator of Destruction.

The ideas and inspirations that Herta put forward in his leisurely notes after tea represent a peak that countless junior staff members could not reach even after decades, or even a lifetime.

Even the Herta Space Station, which is famous far and wide and attracts countless people who would do anything to get in, is nothing more than a storage room for the Stellaron she has captured and various collections.

Even if she herself had no intention of doing so, her talent and achievements still attracted countless admirers who wanted to follow in her footsteps and pursue knowledge. They both revered the wisdom of the Herta and held her in fervent respect, eager to gain even the slightest inspiration or guidance from her.

Geniuses stroll among the stars, while mediocre ones cannot even leave a single footprint.

As for Herta herself, she didn't like this group of fanatical mediocre people, but she didn't hate them either. As mentioned before, the storage room always needed someone to manage it, so Herta always had an indifferent attitude towards these clerks.

Who can come and who can't come—these matters are entirely managed by the station manager Asta, whom she has designated.

Just like she treats cute ants, she doesn't look down on the ordinary, nor does she have any interest in them. She is only interested in those exceptional beings. Fortunately, the staff on the space station are also sensible and don't bother her.

However, this has changed. Now, someone has dared to desecrate her dolls!

"My God, it can actually talk? Does it contain a soul? Or is it equipped with Intellitron? Can I ask you a few questions? Does your doll-like body fully possess the five senses?"

A fire of curiosity shone in Bai Jun's eyes as he excitedly stepped forward to ask questions.

"What... what are you trying to do? Get away from me!"

Herta tried to push away the decent-looking lecher in front of him, but found that he couldn't budge the man's body at all with the puppet's power. He then put on a disgusted face and prepared to pull out a hammer from behind his back and suddenly hit the guy in the face.

However, Bai Jun's next words dispelled her idea.

"Beautiful, this doll is absolutely stunning. I've never seen such ingenious bionic doll technology before. If possible, could I learn more about this technique from you?"

"Does it look good? Compared to me when I was a child, it's only about 70% similar."

Herta put his hands on his hips, accepting the compliment as a matter of course, and reluctantly showed interest in answering his question:

"Want to learn my puppetry skills? Interesting. You're far better than most people I've met who only ask stupid questions. I don't dislike people with a strong thirst for knowledge... but I refuse."

One second I thought Herta would agree, but the next second the conversation took a sharp turn.

She certainly doesn't dislike people with a strong thirst for knowledge, but that doesn't mean she'll share her knowledge for free.

"Ah... okay, I'm sorry to have interrupted your mood. I wish you all the best."

Bai Jun's expectant smile vanished abruptly.

Having finally encountered such an interesting technology, only to be turned away, Bai Jun hung his head in discouragement at the unattainable distance. He couldn't force the issue, so he had no choice but to give up on the plan in disappointment.

"Don't leave yet, I have a question—are you from the Xianzhou native?"

Just as Bai Jun was about to leave, Herta suddenly stopped him, asking a rather strange question. He then scrutinized Bai Jun's entire body with the eyes of someone observing a lab rat, his delicate nose twitching slightly as he asked, "Your scent... it's a bit odd?"

"He shouldn't be from the Xianzhou native; the Yaoshi's aura is too strong... Could he be from the Denizens of Abundance? No, no, no, if that's the case, the Yaoshi's aura would be too weak, and besides, he doesn't look like Denizens of Abundance..."

Bai Jun's expression gradually stiffened. Before he could answer, Herta herself overturned her previous point of view. She fell into a state of deep thought, analyzing the situation single-mindedly and trying to draw a conclusion on her own.

"I am indeed Xianzhou native, there is no mistake about that..."

"No, I'm not referring to your affiliation, but to your race," Herta retorted immediately, as if seeing through his hesitation.

As expected... Ms. Herta had no idea that this was the guest she had invited.

Although Asta had already guessed this fact, she couldn't help but sigh and rub her forehead. Her lips trembled slightly, wanting to quickly explain the man's identity to Ms. Herta, but the conversation between the two left her no chance to speak.

"You're just a Xianzhou native, so why does your aura as a Yaoshi feel so strange? It's like a creamy chocolate filling."

Herta walked straight up, completely ignoring Asta's surprised look beside him, grabbed Bai Jun's collar, and stood on tiptoe to sniff his scent.

The Aeon of Abundance is Aeon who never refuses prayers and cannot bear to see decay and sickness. He wanders throughout the universe, tirelessly guiding beings suffering from calamities and hardships. Those races blessed by the Yaoshi will gradually have their bodies and souls transformed under the power of "Abundance".

The most typical groups are divided into two factions: the Xianzhou native and the Denizens of Abundance, both blessed by the Yaoshi and destined for Long-lived species.

Although the Xianzhou Alliance later submitted to the "The Hunt" Lan's Path, there is not much difference between the two in terms of race. Both benefited from the power of "Abundance", and they inevitably became tainted with the aura of "Abundance", that is, the Yaoshi.

Herta has studied relevant topics of the Abundance faction and has some understanding of the relationship between the Xianzhou native and the Denizens of Abundance. For example, the secret to the Xianzhou native's longevity lies in the third organ in the chest cavity - the Cinnabar Organ. It allows the cells of the Xianzhou native's whole body to transform into each other according to their needs and in accordance with the "standards" that were predetermined at birth, keeping the human body characteristics constant within the original "standards".

Therefore, they exude a faint, yet not overpowering, aura of Yaoshi.

The Bai Jun in front of them was strange. He did exude the aura of Yaoshi, but this aura seemed to emanate from the outside. To be more precise, there was no Yaoshi aura inside his body. After the Herta got closer, this guess was confirmed.

"While you do indeed possess the aura of Yaoshi... you're actually not from the Xianzhou native at all, are you? Oh, I remember now, you seemed to have agreed to a request from 'Zhuyuan' some time ago, saying you'd examine someone's health and extend their lifespan as repayment for a favor. That person must be you, right?"

Herta smiled faintly at Bai Jun, as if waiting for him to confirm his deduction.

Bai Jun's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and his expression changed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, a bitter smile appeared on his face, and he slowly revealed the long-hidden truth:

"That's right, I'm just an ordinary human being with a lifespan of only a hundred years."

Humans? Haha, I've never heard of any humans who could receive this level of "Abundance" while remaining unchanged.

A slight smile suddenly appeared on Herta's lips. As the stationmaster, Asta knew exactly what she was about to say—

"Very good, I had almost forgotten about this, but you've successfully piqued my interest. Asta, bring him to my office—this is Herta, very busy right now. This is remote doll auto-responding mode: Hello, hello, everyone, have a nice day, goodbye."

Herta stared directly at Bai Jun, and after uttering those words without permission, the doll's clear eyes quickly lost their focus, activating its remote doll automatic response mode.

"Mr. Bai Jun is actually a normal human being just like me. I originally thought you were from the Xianzhou native. But that's good, it makes me feel closer to you... Mr. Bai Jun?"

When Asta saw that Bai Jun beside her did not react for a long time, she thought he was shocked by the Ms. Herta's personality and wanted to make a few jokes to ease his embarrassment. However, he lowered his eyes and seemed to be thinking about something.

"Mr. Bai Jun, are you alright?"

It wasn't until Asta gently patted his shoulder and gave him a concerned look that Bai Jun snapped out of his reverie.

"Oh, it's nothing. Station Director Asta, could you please show me the way?"

"It's nothing. You saved Peppy's life. This small favor is nothing to mention. If you need anything on the space station in the future, just let me know."

Watching Asta lead the way, Bai Jun, who was following behind, couldn't help but feel his thoughts race again. His breathing became rapid, his heart pounded, and his hands and feet trembled.

What the Herta said was almost identical to his own situation. The only difference was that a human body alone could hardly withstand the power of the Flint Emperor. His own life force had probably already been almost completely worn away in the struggle against this great god. He probably only had twenty or thirty years left at most.

He had tried countless times to reach a symbiotic agreement with Suiyang, just like Old Master Huai Yan had done, but Flint Emperor, who resided deep within his soul, never paid any attention to him, as if silently watching a slowly burning candle, waiting for the Finality of his life.

He had tried other methods, but the methods to prolong life were closely related to his genetic characteristics—cannibalism, infusion of alien blood, becoming a nest for swarms of creatures, or repairing his body through hibernation and molting... While gaining immortality, he often lost his mind and became like a ferocious beast.

Bai Jun was disappointed, even desperate, by this.

Only the Old Master Huai Yan and Flamecourt Lord, who saved him back then, know this fact. Yaoqing's two foxes and Jing Yuan of Luofu should also be able to guess it, but ultimately, very few people can perceive it.

The fact that this Herta could discover this in less than a few minutes of contact was enough to startle Bai Jun, and at the same time, an unavoidable sense of anticipation arose deep within him...

Perhaps when he first arrived in this cold and cruel world, he was indifferent to death. But now he doesn't want to die. He has people he respects, people he admires, and people he doesn't want to let down... He wants to live and spend time with those who are so precious and important to him.

Not as a human being, that would be far too short a time.

"Pets only live for eleven or twelve years at most. A few years of companionship will make me inseparable from it, but in the end, it's destined to leave us soon anyway. Don't you think that's cruel?"