Herta

Inside the medical room of the Herta Space Station, Xiao Xi had returned to her normal state, and the previously unconscious Stelle had also woken up.

"Dan Heng, March, how is the situation on the station? Is everyone alright?" Xiao Xi asked with a hint of worry.

"Rest assured, the situation on the station has basically stabilized. Station Master Asta is a very capable person," Dan Heng replied.

"That's good..."

Just as we were chatting amongst ourselves, Ms. Himeko walked in, accompanied by a young girl with black hair and purple eyes.

Xiao Xi looked at the joints on the girl's hands with curiosity. Given that structure, was the girl in front of her a puppet?

"Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Herta, the true owner of the space station and the 83rd member of the Genius Society."

Stelle and I exchanged a glance and greeted her politely, "It is a pleasure to meet you here, Ms. Herta."

"A very boring, official tone, though I don't really care about such things."

Hearing Herta's words, Xiao Xi blinked gently, "Ms. Herta is a person with quite a distinct personality."

Herta, who was shorter than Stelle, looked up at us, "In any case, the reason I've come here is that I want you to cooperate with me on some research."

"Research?" Although she was a bit puzzled, as a researcher of the Herta Space Station who had been helped previously, Xiao Xi didn't hesitate long before agreeing to Herta's request. "I have no problem with that."

"Excellent, I like people who are as straightforward as you. Go to my office in a while, and we'll run some tests." Seeing that I had agreed, Herta nodded with satisfaction. "Stelle, what about you?"

"I..." Stelle was still hesitant. She turned to look at Xiao Xi, her gaze filled with inquiry.

"As for Stelle, you don't need to consider my choice. I am a researcher of the Herta Space Station, which is why I agreed so quickly. This is something you have to decide for yourself."

"Is that so? Then... Ms. Herta, I may need to think about this a bit more," Stelle replied hesitantly.

"Understood. If you change your mind, remember to contact me at any time."

Having received her answer, Ms. Herta did not linger. Instead, Ms. Himeko smiled and extended an invitation to us, "Xiao Xi, Stelle, I wonder if you have any thoughts about boarding the Astral Express and trailblazing with us."

"That's right! Xiao Xi, Stelle, you two can come aboard with us, and then we can continue our adventures!" No sooner had Himeko finished speaking than March 7th chimed in, unable to contain her excitement.

"There is no need to rush your decision. There is still plenty of time before the train sets sail again. I hope that you will choose to walk this path with us from the bottom of your hearts," Himeko said, her eyes carrying a hint of a smile as she looked at the excited March.

"As for Xiao Xi, Station Master Asta has told me about some of your potential concerns. Hmm, why don't you come with me first?"

Himeko led Xiao Xi to the station's observation deck. Through the glass, one could see the magnificent galaxy, which looked like a shimmering ribbon winding through the endless universe.

Beautiful scenery is a panacea for relaxing the body and mind. "Asta told me about your situation, Xiao Xi. It was her request that the Express take you along this time, but based on my observations over this period, I think you have the desire to do so yourself, don't you?" Himeko said softly, looking at Xiao Xi.

Hearing Himeko's words, Xiao Xi was silent for a moment before saying softly, "Yes, but I'm afraid I'll bring you trouble. After all, I..."

"The Astral Express welcomes every companion who possesses the will to trailblaze. As for trouble, to put it in one sentence: who doesn't have a few secrets? Believe me, everyone on the train is someone who carries their own secrets."

"Looking at it from another angle, perhaps you aren't so special in that regard. We can all work together to solve external troubles. What matters is your own heart—why not follow where it leads?"

Ms. Himeko's gentle words smoothed away the hesitation in Xiao Xi's heart. "Alright, I agree. Ms. Himeko, from this moment on, I am a member of the Nameless."

"The Astral Express welcomes you as well."

Herta's Office

After discussing joining the train with Himeko, Xiao Xi did not forget that she needed to go to the office to assist with Herta's research.

"Ah, you're here. Come, stand in the middle and wait a moment. The project you are about to test is called the [Simulated Universe], a major project created by us geniuses working together."

Herta adjusted the data for the [Simulated Universe] to its optimal state.

"Alright, debugging complete. Experiment start. Xiao Xi, go to the entrance and enter."

Placing her hand on the device, Xiao Xi felt a wave of dizziness. When she opened her eyes again, she was already in the Storage Zone of the space station.

"Good luck, Xiao Xi. I look forward to your performance," Herta's voice came through like an announcer. "Do you see the Voidrangers ahead? It's just like fighting monsters in a game; you should know what to do, right?"

"Don't worry," Xiao Xi replied, though she didn't know if Herta could hear her.

The golden power of the Path crushed the enemies blocking her way without question. Passing through a blue data vortex, a new scene unfolded before her.

"It's an event," Herta's voice came again. "Just touch it with your hand."

Xiao Xi placed her hand on it, but at that moment, an accident occurred. A burst of manic laughter echoed from the darkness.

"Hahaha! Come and see what Aha has found! What a magnificent piece of fun!"

"How can this be? There is no data for this encounter in the [Simulated Universe], and judging by the energy signature..." Herta fell silent for a moment before exclaiming, "This is a sliver of a true Aeon's consciousness!"

Unfortunately, Xiao Xi, who was face-to-face with Aha, had no time to concern herself with Herta's words. To Xiao Xi, the Aeon before her seemed like a madman.

"You've gone too far, actually calling Aha a madman in your heart! [Hope] is bullying Aha, haha, Aha has no face left."

Faced with such an Aeon of [Elation], Xiao Xi was nearly at a loss for what to do. At that moment, her eyes gradually began to glow with a golden hue.

"[Elation], you still haven't changed your habit of wanting to tease people at any time and any place."

"Don't say it like that. It's not something [Hope] can help, is it? Who told you that your human side is just so interesting? Hahaha, no, I really can't help but tease it."

"And for an Aeon to go so far as to split off their own humanity just to preserve past memories and emotions—this is the greatest piece of fun since the birth of the universe. How could Aha not come to join in the excitement? Hahahaha! The newly born Aeons are truly becoming more and more creative." The corners of the many masks on Aha's body seemed to split from laughter.

Even with an Aeon's eternal and unchanging state of mind, [Hope] could not help but feel annoyed by Aha's laughter. Thus, Xiao Xi directly manipulated the power of the Path to shatter the space. As the space fractured, the annoying laughter finally ceased.

Outside, the Herta robot that had heard the entire dialogue between the two Aeons had completely short-circuited. In this short span of time, nearly two dozen Herta puppets were already lying on the ground.

Seeing that the conversation in the [Simulated Universe] had ended, the only remaining Herta robot spoke with a trembling voice, "Your Excellency, Aeon of [Hope], it is an honor to meet you."