Why am I the one being won over?

"Bai Jun, you can go in by yourself. I... I won't go. After all, I'm just a lowly section chief; I can't compare to Station Director Asta."

Bai Jun could tell that Arlan seemed to have some fear of the Herta, but he didn't say anything and went in alone.

The purpose of this room is unclear, and the interior is unusually empty. The only thing that can be called equipment is the display case in the center of the room, which should be filled with Curio collected from all over the Herta. However, when Bai Jun saw the Stellaron containing terrifying energy on the display case, his eyes widened instantly.

Something deep within his soul seemed to tremble incessantly at the aura of the Stellaron; that being was not the Flint Emperor, but something far deeper within...

A surge of heat flowed through my limbs from nowhere, my heartbeat quickened, and a familiar power began to spread throughout my body in a completely new form, about to expand exponentially.

This impulse is not drawn to the Stellaron itself, nor is it born of desire... but rather it is completely opposed to the Stellaron's very nature, a kind of arrogance that transcends it?

As he carefully sensed this unknown power, an unnamed rage rose within him, causing Bai Jun to forget to breathe.

"What are you standing there for? Come here right now."

Herta slightly furrowed her cute eyebrows, impatiently urging Bai Jun, who was standing dumbfounded at the door.

When he came to his senses, the power that had been gradually channeled into his body had vanished without a trace, and even the nameless anger had disappeared into thin air, as if it had all been an illusion. Bai Jun was stunned for a full moment before he finally recovered from his previous state.

When Herta saw Bai Jun approaching, he patted the sample record in his hand and stared at him with the same look he would give a lab rat:

"Hmph, truly astounding. To contain this unactivated Stellaron and save Azure Planet from disaster, I built an entire space station... and someone actually managed to return to basics and solve it with just a gun—seriously, how did you do that?"

The records on the sample indicate that the energy was accidentally leaked from the Stellaron two months ago, that the energy from the Stellaron caused Fragmentum to form in the Seclusion Zone a month ago, and that the activity of the Fragmentum reached its peak a few days ago.

According to the Herta's reasonable and never-failed judgment, the remaining Stellaron energy should have been enough to sustain the Fragmentum for several months.

The latest page records that after the Fragmentum completely disappeared yesterday, the remaining energy of the Stellaron in the Seclusion Zone was reduced to zero. The culprit behind all this was the man in front of them who seemed to be good for nothing except for his good looks.

"How did you do it? Just 'bang bang bang,' bang bang—bang! That's how you do it."

"Be more careful with your wording, and where did you learn that way of speaking from...? It just doesn't feel right."

Herta clicked its tongue in extreme displeasure. Bai Jun's way of speaking reminded her of a very annoying, childish hacker. If Bai Jun didn't seem like someone who would associate with hackers, Herta would definitely have reason to suspect that there was some kind of connection between him and that hacker.

Below the record of the Fragmentum sample, there is also a record of information about the Fragmentum creations. These things record the etheric information of things that the Fragmentum comes into contact with, and mix it with the data stored in the Fragmentum itself to produce a grafted Fragmentum creation.

Monsters created by the Fragmentum and the assimilation of collected biological data retain the original biological form but also exhibit mutations.

However, she heard Arlan report yesterday that some kind of Fragmentum creature that could completely transform into the same appearance had recently appeared, which aroused Herta's great curiosity. Unfortunately, the Fragmentum has now been destroyed, and it is no longer possible to capture those alien Fragmentum creatures.

"By the way, Ms. Herta, have my physical examination results come out yet?"

"No, I was too lazy to investigate yesterday, so let's just attribute it to your special constitution for now."

Bai Jun asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time. Herta raised her head and answered crisply. Looking at her, she was no different from a college student who just picked a topic and handed it in to get by for the final exam.

"You're drawing conclusions without even looking at it? That's incredibly irresponsible of you..."

"Otherwise, do you think your life is more meaningful than the very act of destroying the Fragmentum?"

Herta stated matter-of-factly, "Collectibles aren't a matter of liking or disliking, but rather of whether they interest people. It all depends on their research value. I don't need your willingness; I'm very interested in your ability to destroy the Fragmentum, and that's enough."

"The reason I called you here today is simple: I need to collect the power you used to destroy the Fragmentum, and then—"

Herta turned around, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the strange change occurring in the Stellaron contained in the display case. He was so surprised that he froze on the spot.

The once frenzied and turbulent Stellaron now seemed to be hiding innocently in the corner of the display case, like a child who had seen something frightening. It had completely abandoned its arrogant and domineering attitude and listlessly restrained all the violent energy it had been radiating.

Herta stared blankly at the Stellaron, then changed her gaze to the bewildered Bai Jun, then looked back at the Stellaron, then back at Bai Jun. After a brief mental whirlwind, a terrifying thought surfaced in her mind.

Could it be that the power that destroyed the Fragmentum wasn't the power Bai Jun used, but rather Bai Jun himself!?

"Ahem, plans have changed. I think we both have more important things to do right now. How about this, come to my office and I'll show you some fun things to test."

"Want to test some fun things?"

Although Bai Jun didn't say anything, his face clearly showed his distrust.

"You little brat, you're quite suspicious. Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt in the slightest. With my skills, I can't even damage your veins while drawing blood. After this test, I'll check your physical condition, and we'll start your treatment process tomorrow, okay? Hmph, I'm only still somewhat interested in you now. Once I lose interest, I won't even bother to investigate you, even if you beg me."

Herta snorted, and after agreeing to fulfill Bai Jun's goal first, the gleam in his eyes quickly faded, leaving only the doll in automatic response mode.

A woman who comes and goes like the wind—that's probably what they mean by someone like this...

Bai Jun wanted to ask her what she meant, but given how things had developed, he had to swallow his question. After all, he couldn't just ask an empty doll all sorts of questions... a doll?

Realizing this, Bai Jun's eyes immediately lit up with excitement. He first looked around to check the surroundings, then approached the empty doll of the Herta with anticipation.

He had long been interested in the structure and details of the doll, and while she was away, he wanted to see if he could figure something out. After all, Bai Jun was a Hundred Refinements Master, and he wouldn't be reduced to the point of not being able to learn it properly even by stealing it.

"The cheeks are soft, the muscle density is close to that of a normal girl, the fat density is just right, and the subtle body temperature is the finishing touch. But the most crucial thing is the internal neural structure. How exactly does this doll allow the doll to experience the five senses...?"

While Bai Jun was engrossed in his research, he was completely unaware that the Herta's eyes were gradually regaining their luster.

"Oh right, kid, I forgot to tell you, remember to bring me the sample record from the doll's hand... Also, what are you doing to my doll?"

Noticing the strange sensation on his face and neck, and Bai Jun's restless little hands, Herta's eyes immediately turned dangerous.

"Ah, uh... um, Xi, can you let me explain?"

Bai Jun stiffly withdrew his hand, silently taking a few steps back, sweating profusely as he tried to explain, but the hammer the other party had pulled out seemed to have no intention of accepting his explanation.

"Damn it! Arlan, save me--!"

"I'm here! Bai Jun, are you okay? Waaah!"

Upon hearing Bai Jun's cry for help, Arlan immediately rushed into the room. Before he could even see what was happening, he collided heavily with Bai Jun, who had been thrown overboard.

Chapter 86 A Confused Transformation (5k1)

"You're so slow! You've been following me for so long, don't you know my time is precious—I'm referring to the one standing outside the door!"

Herta, who had been waiting impatiently in the office, let out a dissatisfied grumble the moment Bai Jun opened the door and entered. His gaze and voice passed by Bai Jun's side, making Arlan, who was standing at the door, shiver.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Herta, this is my problem..."

To make things easier for Bai Jun, Arlan spent a lot of time on the way to introduce him to Ms. Herta's character, hobbies, habits, and things she disliked. So much so that when Arlan was a little late, she was as nervous as a bewildered child, and walked in tremblingly.

"Why are you so scared? I'm not going to eat you. Never mind, I'm in a good mood today, I won't argue with you. Go out."

Seeing that he was back to his usual cowardly demeanor, like a mouse facing a big cat, Herta immediately lost all interest and didn't bother to argue with him anymore. After waving Arlan out, Herta threw a physical examination report at Bai Jun.

"As you wish, take it. Didn't you want the body data?"

Bai Jun took the medical report. The white paper was filled with many incomprehensible medical terms, but that didn't matter, because at the bottom line was Herta's conclusion. "Under normal circumstances, he will not live past fourteen years."

So cold, and so cruel...

Although Bai Jun had been mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel down after seeing the conclusion that he would not live for more than fourteen years.

"To put it simply, because your body suffered extremely severe injuries in the past, the Power of Abundance, while healing you, also overdrawn your cellular activity, like taking out a loan from a bank. Once your cells completely lose their activity, that will be your death. However..."

Herta looked at Bai Jun with great interest.

"Even Long-lived species being would be in a bad way after absorbing such a high concentration of Power of Abundance, and would even be very likely to fall into a frenzied beast-like state. But you, with the body of an ordinary human, not only did you not burst like a balloon from the Power of Abundance, but you were also able to maintain your human form. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that your data shows you are indeed human, I would have thought you were Denizens of Abundance from somewhere."

"Wait... you mean, the cause of all this is actually Abundance!?"

Upon hearing that the culprit causing his life force to drain away was not Flint Emperor but Abundance, Bai Jun asked somewhat inappropriately.

Herta remained silent; her expressionless face had already answered Bai Jun's question.

It seems Tail was right when he said the Flint Emperor wouldn't be interested in his life or emotions. He's been misunderstanding the Flint Emperor all along. But it's still strange; why does he feel odd every time he uses the Flint Emperor's power? There must be other reasons...

Bai Jun composed himself and tentatively asked, "... Can Ms. Herta cure this?"

"Have no idea."

Herta, who always prides himself on being a genius, surprisingly gave an ambiguous answer.

"Even if I hate to admit it, I have to say your situation is too special—the fact that a human body can withstand high concentrations of Abundance energy and possesses the ability to destroy Fragmentum and suppress Stellaron is enough for me to study for a long time. But you have both of these, so I can't say whether I can cure you or not. I'll leave it to fate and see if I can come up with a solution before you die."

Hearing his life being treated like a toy in her mouth, Bai Jun's lips twitched involuntarily, eventually turning into a sigh that melted into the cold air of the office.

"I understand. Then I'll leave it to you, Ms. Herta. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now..."

"Wait a moment."

Just as Bai Jun turned to leave, Herta suddenly stopped him. Under his puzzled gaze, she slowly turned on the huge screen behind her.

The giant, lit screen instantly bathed the office in a deep blue light. Bai Jun instinctively squinted against the glaring glare, only to see Herta, with his back to the screen, extend his hand to him, offering a sincere invitation:

"I'm not going to beat around the bush with you, Bai Jun —a few colleagues and I are working on a big project. If it succeeds, we can finally crack the ultimate mystery that has plagued us for thousands of Amber Era: the secret of the 'Aeon'."

"Aeon?"

After a period of adjustment, Bai Jun finally saw the content on the screen, but upon seeing a large number of Aeon, he shook his head without hesitation and refused the invitation.

That thing sounds incredibly dangerous. "The Hunt" Lan is the best example. Even if it had no intention of doing so, every move it made while the Hunt Yaoshi was enough to cause Destruction damage to civilization. Not to mention actively studying those great gods, it might not even know how it died.

Bai Jun's reaction was not unexpected; Herta had anticipated this, but she believed she had the leverage to get the other party to join.

"Aeon"—just think about it, haha, what amazing beings! Some of these Aeon were once just ordinary humans like you and me, but somehow they gained power beyond our imagination!

"Mysterious, powerful, silent, and terrifying! The mysteries surrounding them cannot be explained in a few words. How were they born? Why were they born? What was their purpose?... Bai Jun, I ask you, have you ever thought about these questions?"

"I don't know. I've never thought about it, and I'm not interested."

Bai Jun wasn't interested in what Herta had to say at all. He just wanted to live his peaceful life and didn't want to get involved in any troublesome events.

Herta simply gazed at him silently with her beautiful, amethyst-like eyes, then slowly spoke, "If I told you that there are ways to heal you in the Simulated Universe, would you still maintain your original answer?"

"... Why?"

After Herta uttered those words, Bai Jun's expression froze instantly, followed by an incomprehensible confusion that filled his heart.

"The principle of Simulated Universe is to connect virtual Aeon with the Path of reality, thereby simulating virtual Aeon whose divinity and wisdom come from real Aeon, and asking them questions, asking the omniscient and omnipotent Aeon —I don't need to elaborate on the significance of this, do I?"

If he could really get the chance to ask the Aeon a question... no, perhaps by the time he gets the chance to ask a question, he would already be the Aeon's Emanator? And even Emanator might not have the right to ask the Aeon a question. Bai Jun had to admit that this was a crazy but rational plan.

Seeing that his expression was gradually calming down, Herta smiled and continued to explain:

"But since the Aeon have no free will and think nothing but their Path, they simply ignore questions from ordinary test subjects. However, that only applies to ordinary people. But you are different, Bai Jun."

Herta walked to Bai Jun's side, his smile now tinged with a hint of fervor.

"But as I just said, you possess two qualities that ordinary people cannot have, which means you have a more likely aptitude to be recognized by the Aeon! Come and take the test! As long as you can attract the 'Yaoshi's' attention, all your worries will disappear!"

Now I understand. The Herta was using healing as a pretext to trick him into becoming a guinea pig. No wonder they were talking so mysteriously earlier; they were probably just setting up this invitation.

"Go experience it now! I'll guide you in the 'Simulated Universe,' and I guarantee you won't lose anything! I'll even pay you a hefty reward!"

After some hesitation, Bai Jun agreed to Herta's offer. He had originally intended to refuse, but the reason he finally agreed was simple: it seemed that there was no other option at the moment.

Herta led him to a corner under a huge screen, took out a helmet-shaped device from the machine's central hub, and handed it to Bai Jun.

"Yes, just put it on and stand there. The machine will read your brainwaves and automatically match you to the immersion simulation system..."

Herta walked to the control panel and started a countdown for Bai Jun, watching the simulation information on the screen.

"10,9,8,7...3,2,1--!"

As the countdown ended, Bai Jun's consciousness instantly plunged into a void of darkness.

Unable to move, unable to speak, even thinking itself becomes a luxury.

In the blankness of his senses, his body and consciousness lost all concept of time. After an unknown amount of time, Bai Jun finally heard the voice of the Herta: "Can you hear me? This is Simulated Universe generated based on Remembrance, an Alpha test suit, with simplified functions. Now, try walking around."

"Cough cough... I feel like I'm going to die. Are you sure this reaction is normal?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Jun regained control of his body and took a deep breath, as if he had just escaped from a water prison. His vision gradually cleared from a void.

"I don't know, I've never tried it either. You're the first one, and we'll be recording information based on your personal experience from now on."

Hearing Herta's matter-of-fact tone, Bai Jun had only one thought in his mind: I was fooled after all...

Looking up, Bai Jun realized that the surrounding environment was the same as the streets of Exalting Sanctum in Luofu, the only difference being that there were no pedestrians on the streets.

Seemingly sensing Bai Jun's confusion, Herta proactively explained, "Don't worry about it. For your safety, I need to make sure the scenery you see is familiar and controllable. I don't want you to go crazy from a virtual device!"

"I see... But I don't remember having such monstrous creatures on the streets of Exalting Sanctum!?"

Bai Jun loudly complained as he saw the Abominations of Abundance surging towards him from all sides.

"You can't expect to get the attention of Aeon by doing nothing, can you? Go find some monsters to fight first, and see which simulated Aeon will notice you first."

"Wait a minute!"

After explaining, Herta ignored Bai Jun's complaints, decisively cut off the communication, sat down in the chair in front of the control panel, yawning as he casually observed the changes inside the Simulated Universe.

The time flow in the Simulated Universe differs from that in the outside world. The battle within it lasted for an unknown period of time, and the data terminal ultimately failed to transmit any data related to the Aeon. This disappointed Herta, but after all, this was the first test of the Simulated Universe, and one couldn't expect too much.

Frankly, the fact that it was functioning normally was already beyond Herta's expectations. She meticulously recorded all the data, intending to distribute it to other members of the "Genius Society" for reference.

The data terminal suddenly started operating at high speed, and at the same time, the figure of an Aeon appeared on the control panel.