"I wonder if Herta has any handy invention for finding objects."
"I'll head to Herta Space Station first and get the weekly boss done."
Having returned from the ninja world to the Star Rail universe once again, the Aurora Curtain's destination this time was Herta Space Station. The moment he appeared on the station platform, a message arrived on his phone.
Herta: Get over here and test it, now!
I really can pole vault: Don't rush me. I'll be right there to test it hard.
Herta: Forget it, there's no rush now. Screwllum from No. 76 and Ruan Mei from No. 81 will also be arriving at the station today. As one of the main testers for the Simulated Universe, they're somewhat interested in your situation too.
I really can pole vault: Two members of the Genius Society? Perfect. I have a few things I'd like your help with too.
Herta: Then come over first. I'll be waiting in my office.
Seeing the "Do Not Disturb" bubble pop up over Herta's little doll avatar, Shirou put away his phone, rubbed his chin slightly, and murmured,
25
"Ruan Mei came to Herta Space Station early?"
"I wonder whether that little fox from the Sparkle Merchant Group has been picked up yet."
Once the Trailblaze Journey on the ninja world's side came to an end, the original plan was for the Star Rail universe side to begin preparing for Penacony over the next few days.
Of course,
the Stellaron Hunters would definitely appear on the train and do everything they could to get them to visit the Luofu Xianzhou first.
And if nothing unexpected happened,
then the little fox from the Sparkle Merchant Group on the Luofu Xianzhou had probably already been replaced by Phantom.
"Ruan Mei picked up the little fox, and she knows Jingliu and Luocha's objective. She may even be the one pushing their plan forward."
"Through Ruan Mei, I might be able to get in touch with those people ahead of time."
If he could receive a commission to form an alliance and kill Abundance...
That would be a huge job.
"The Xianzhou map is huge, and there are plenty of important plot characters. Especially since they're long-lived species, nearly every major character carries some kind of tragic baggage and special storyline."
There was no need to mention the tangled love and hatred among the Cloud-Piercer Five.
Yukong and Caiyi,
Fu Xuan and the Jade Bureau Divination,
and also...
that absurd Special Commissioner Scott. Well, he wasn't a local of the Xianzhou.
"I'll go see Herta first."
After entering the station, he greeted several familiar staff members. When he ran into Alan, he even took Peipei from his arms and gave her a good petting. The little fellow was remarkably perceptive, and petting her felt great. As he petted her, Mr. Emiya suddenly recalled that there seemed to be several little creatures in his inventory that could serve as pets, ones he had never taken out. After thinking it over, he simply pulled out the Bangboo he had won from a previous draw.
"Woof woof! (What kind of weird thing is that?)"
Peipei looked at the chubby unknown creature, moved a little closer, and sniffed it.
"Mm-hm, mm-hm! (Where is this place?)"
The white little chubby fellow, freshly powered on for the first time, blinked its big eyes and swayed its bouncy body as it looked around. When it saw Shirou, its big eyes immediately turned into a (???`) expression.
"Mm-hm, mm-hm! (It's the parent...)"
"This little thing is pretty cute."
Seeing the expression on its face and its soft, bouncy doll-like body, Shirou could not resist reaching out and rubbing the little thing's forehead.
The little thing did not mind in the slightest and responded happily, even taking the initiative to nuzzle against Shirou's palm.
Alan fell silent as he watched the master and servant interact. After a while, he suddenly stared at Peipei, who stared right back at Alan and barked twice.
"Woof woof woof! (It's an act! This kind of relationship is all an act!)"
"I don't think it looks that way."
"Alan, take this little fellow and Peipei to play together for a while. I'm heading to Herta's office."
"No problem. Leave it to me."
"If you see Asta, say hello for me. We can have a meal together when we're free later."
"I'll inform Miss Asta."
After wandering around the space station for a while, greeting familiar staff members here and there and chatting briefly with them, Shirou finally made his way leisurely to Herta's office, now carrying quite a few curious snacks gifted by the staff.
The moment he entered Herta's office, Herta's little doll took the initiative to greet him. She did not bother with small talk and asked directly,
"How is that ability you developed earlier coming along?"
"I've already obtained several new coordinates. Himeko and the others are exploring a new world over there."
"Not bad. If you come across anything interesting, remember to bring some back for me to study. You'll be well rewarded."
"I actually do have something, but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. I need to see whether a genius like you has any way to help me."
"What is it?"
Herta became somewhat interested. This man probably would not make empty claims or try to brush her off with something boring.
Shirou narrowed his eyes and smiled before saying,
"A new cosmic species. They resemble the offspring of Propagation, constantly invading one planet after another. Through some kind of technology, they alter the 'genes' of an entire planet's biological populations to produce specific energy. In the end... they drain all the life energy, spiritual energy, and even the planet's natural energy from every living population on that planet, eventually cultivating a fruit."
"That sounds like some ancient pirate organization... But I'm not interested in that species. The cosmic species you mentioned, however, might interest Ruan Mei."
"Of course I know you aren't interested in unusual biological populations, but that species developed a special spacetime interference Noble Phantasm. It can be used to travel through 'past' time. Although temporal paradoxes mean the past cannot be changed carelessly, as long as the course of normal history does not deviate, you can fool history itself. No one cares whether a few individuals live or die."
"Interesting."
Herta raised an eyebrow slightly. Quite a few Genius Society members were indeed studying the field of time. Although devices capable of observing the past and even predicting the future had been successfully developed, the presence of Aeons within the Imaginary Domain meant those devices were affected to varying degrees. Especially with complete bastards like "riddle-speakers" and "Fabricator Historians" in the universe.
"What do you need my help with?"
"I only know that thing is on a certain planet, and I know its approximate appearance and true name, but I can't determine its exact location. Hertaemon, do you have some magical gadget that can help your brother out?"
"...Do you really take me for Riel?"
Miss Herta raised her eyebrows, but after thinking for a moment, she suddenly gave Shirou a strange look.
"Now that you mention it, I actually have something that can help you. It just depends on whether you dare to use it."
"What invention?"
"The contact information of a Memory User from the Memory of the Past. Want it?"
"Yes! Why wouldn't I? It'd be even better if she were a purple-haired fortune teller in stockings dressed like she was wearing sexy lingerie!"
Genius Society Meeting. (5/5)
"Question: if a set of behavioral instructions for a body, woven from nothing more than simple strings of characters, could be classified as a sincere response to human emotions?"
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Shirou Emiya. Though we have never truly met face-to-face in reality, I have seen many of your choices in the Simulated Universe. You are an excellent collaborator, and I look forward to deeper cooperation with you."
"I am deeply honored to be so highly regarded by the ruler of Screwllum's Planet, Mr. Screwllum."
The mechanical being radiated gentlemanly grace from within and without. Shirou took in the full bearing of this mechanical leader, one of the rare members of the Genius Society who possessed both "divinity" and "humanity," perfectly fused together.
Unlike those Genius Society members who were reclusive, withdrawn, arrogant, and self-important, this mechanical king possessed both the majesty and wisdom of No. 27 Emperor Ruppert and the intellect and kindness of No. 22 Riel.
Among the four Genius Society members who created the Simulated Universe, Stephen was an introverted little boy with social anxiety, Herta was a dictator with an exceptionally forceful sense of self, and Ruan Mei was a self-willed woman who did not care for others' feelings. Yet the mechanical king, who should have possessed the least emotion, had instead become the most human of them all.
Even when dealing with members of the Scholarly Society, he maintained a friendly and refined manner in response. Many called him the perfect fusion of reason and emotion.
"Enough pointless pleasantries. Has Ruan Mei not arrived yet?"
"Answer: she should have already entered the space station. However, Miss Ruan Mei has always acted as she pleased. She is likely elsewhere in the station, searching for inspiration or resting."
"That woman is as troublesome as ever. She left me quite a few problems in the sealed compartment below last time. I hope she causes me less trouble this time."
"Compared with the other members of the Genius Society, Miss Ruan Mei could already be considered approachable."
"I wish they were all like you and Stephen... Forget it, Stephen's social anxiety is troublesome too. Can't Fuli pick a few people capable of communicating normally?"
"(′???`)"
An exaggerated expression abruptly appeared on one of the office's display screens. The moment Screwllum noticed the change, he said,
"Our little friend seems to have heard your evaluation of him, Herta."
"So what if he heard it? Stephen, go outside more often and practice speaking normally with other people. The Synesthesia Beacon I put with you isn't just decoration."
"(ˉ―ˉ)"
"Enough fooling around. We have a meeting next. Shirou... go bring Ruan Mei over for me. The way she dresses is completely out of place with everyone else on the station. You should have seen her in the Simulated Universe."
"Fine."
After slipping out of Herta's office, Shirou quickly pulled out his phone and began chatting in group messages. He asked around in gossip groups across the station's departments whether anyone had seen a black-haired beauty in a cheongsam wandering about. Sure enough, someone in one of the groups soon replied that they had seen someone fitting that description in a support compartment.
Following the clues provided by the people in the group, Shirou quickly found the elegant Eastern woman dressed in an ink-colored modified cheongsam.
Judging purely from her outward appearance, she was a flawless traditional Chinese beauty. Her lightly pinned black hair gave her the refined air of a widowed woman. In a more classically styled setting, she would probably have been beautiful enough to be painted into a scene.
Perhaps sensing Shirou's arrival, she turned her head slightly. Her jet-black eyes reflected his figure, and then the corners of her lips rose faintly into a small smile.
"I did not expect you to be at the space station today as well."
"I came here today to seek help from the minds of geniuses like you, Miss Ruan Mei."
"You are interesting, just like that Stellaron test subject."
"I'm honored by the compliment. Actually, I have a few questions I'd like you to answer."
"...If you want something, you must offer something in return. Do a small favor for me, and afterward, I will answer your questions as a 'reward.'"
"A special cosmic species' 'genes.' Their race possesses traits close to 'Propagation' and 'Permanence.' Every one of them is a natural Pathstrider."
"That sounds good. Ask your questions."
"First question: is Tingyun, the Foxian envoy of the Sparkle Merchant Group, in your hands? Second question: have the blond Cosmic Merchant Luocha and Jingliu, the Sword Master of the Luofu Xianzhou from seven hundred years ago, made some sort of plan with you?"
The envoy of the Sparkle Merchant Group,
the blond Cosmic Merchant,
the Luofu Sword Master...
A trace of surprise appeared in Ruan Mei's beautiful eyes. She was a person who rarely left seclusion and seldom moved about in the outside world. Apart from these few members of the Genius Society, she did not even have many other contact numbers in her address book.
Her private information was actually kept highly confidential, yet she had never expected this man, who should have known nothing about her, to know so many things related to her recent activities.
She did indeed know Luocha and Jingliu. Because of Jingliu's mara-struck condition, she had even performed a simple operation on her.
The same was true of Tingyun. Other than Ruan Mei herself, even the beings she had created should not have known of Tingyun's existence.
"The answer to both questions is yes."
"I discovered the Sparkle Merchant Group's star skiff while traveling toward a certain planet. Inside the wreckage, I did find a severely injured Foxian woman."
"Luocha and Jingliu have indeed entered a cooperative relationship with me. Through them, I will also establish another collaboration with that marshal of the Xianzhou Alliance."
"Kill the Lord of Disease."
When Shirou uttered those words, even someone as emotionally detached as Ruan Mei changed expression slightly. Yet it was in her nature, and this Genius Society member merely nodded calmly.
"You already know this. Why did you need to obtain the answer from me?"
"Because it is important to my next course of action."
Shirou narrowed his eyes. He had not received a major commission in years. If he could get a share of such a major event, it would at least be a four-star or even five-star commission.
"This is a degraded 'gene' product left behind by that cosmic species on a certain planet."
He took a bottle of dark green nutrient solution from his inventory. Floating within it was a pair of eyeballs: Uchiha Hikari's Mangekyō Sharingan. He was very curious what sparks would fly after this biological genius, whose talent had already surpassed human limits, got her hands on such a thing.
"These eyes can evolve several further forms. It is considered this race's most outstanding innate ability."
"I look forward to seeing you unravel its secrets."
Before you continue