Can't a person just peacefully complete commissions?

"As long as it works."

Herta waved a hand and said casually, "Call it the Simulated Universe, Virtual Universe, or my world—whatever you like."

"You really aren't afraid of copyright infringement."

"Are you testing it or not?"

"Beg me."

"Please! Come test it!"

"Good! That's the spirit! I'll test it hard!"

Why wouldn't he participate when he could get two Cosmic Curios for free? He was currently planning to use items from the "Original Universe" as indexes and use Nen to trace the coordinates of new worlds. Herta's Collection Room had already confirmed to contain items from at least two worlds: "Honkai Impact 3rd" and "Genshin Impact."

Those two worlds were already the closest to the True World of Star Rail. If he could not trace even those two worlds, then other worlds were out of the question.

In the game, the Simulated Universe was basically a weekly dungeon that had to be cleared. Things that appeared later, such as the Great Cosmic Calamity and Differential Universe, were led by different researchers, but they were fundamentally the same sort of thing. The only difference was the simulated time period.

Overall, it could basically be called a little simulation game for meeting Aeons.

On his side, he had already greeted Aha, so there was naturally no need to care about a virtual little game.

Besides,

most importantly,

he had triggered a commission.

It was even the first Long-term Commission he had received so far...

You have received a new commission!

Simulated Universe Test (Client: Herta): Assist Herta with Simulated Universe testing and collect Simulated Universe data.

Reward: 100–400 points

Difficulty: 1–3 stars

Note: This is a Long-term Commission. Rewards will be determined based on Herta's data collection gains.

Additional note: Mission rewards operate on a system-week cycle. Rewards cannot be obtained again during the cooldown period.

A long-term meal ticket!

He had never had such a generous employer before!

Mr. Emiya suddenly found Miss Herta, who acted so arrogantly like a bratty little girl, much more pleasing to the eye. With a sponsor like this, what did a few minor personality flaws matter?

"Had I been heading in the wrong direction before?"

If he could get more Long-term Commissions like this, would he not be guaranteed at least one ten-pull a week, perhaps even several? But thinking about it seriously, he really had not encountered many commissions that served as long-term meal tickets before. His previous clients probably had never considered keeping him on as a long-term worker.

That would not do...

A diligent worker like him could not be satisfied with just one job.

He had to expand his income streams hard!

"I wonder if I can mooch a few more long-term meal tickets from the other members of the Genius Society. Belobog might also have some Long-term Commissions like this that I can grind."

"Very good. I like your decisive style. Since time is of the essence, what about the rest of you?"

Herta's gaze turned toward the other members of the Express crew, especially Himeko and the Little Star Core Spirit. One was the Navigator of the Trailblaze Path, while the other was a vessel capable of sealing a Stellaron. Compared to everyone else present, those two were of extraordinary research value to her. As for the others, she did not particularly care.

"I won't participate. Let the young people have their fun."

The Navigator smiled softly. Since she had accepted Aevium's legacy and restarted the Astral Express, she had traveled across dozens of inhabited planets. Though she had not reached an age that could be called old, her mindset and experiences far surpassed those of ordinary people. A project like the Simulated Universe held far less appeal to her than the real universe.

"...I'll participate too."

Now that she had confirmed she would board the train, Little Grey Hair had no choice but to consider travel expenses. She could not really expect others to keep covering her costs forever. Besides travel expenses, once she set foot on other planets in the future, there would definitely be plenty of places where she needed Credits. She could take this chance to save some up, so she would not have to beg someone whenever she wanted to buy something...

Wait,

Little Grey Hair's gaze paused slightly on Mr. Emiya.

That's not right. Shirou has a billion. Why do I still have to work hard?

As though he had seen through Little Grey Hair's thoughts, Mr. Emiya narrowed his eyes and suddenly smiled.

"Kafka said you need to support yourself and told me not to spoil you too much."

"Damn it! That bad woman!"

Little Grey Hair grumbled a few words, then followed Shirou Emiya and Herta to the Simulated Universe facility with her head hanging slightly. When they emerged from the equipment room two or three hours later, even Mr. Emiya felt lightheaded.

The Aeons in the Simulated Universe might have been fake, but the pressure they emanated felt far too real. He had experienced meeting Joy, yet facing an existence like Nanook still placed terrifying strain on his mind. If it had not merely been something within the Simulated Universe, then simply standing before Nanook would likely have made him lose all confidence in opposing him.

Aeons.

Those monsters standing at the apex of the Star Rail world were absolutely incomparable to the "native gods" of ordinary planets that had attained divinity through concepts of nature.

Their births all possessed an utterly irreplicable uniqueness.

Klippers, born from the concept of "Preservation" during the Twilight War, represented what trillions upon trillions of living beings had wished for amid that endless war that had lasted who knew how many years.

At the end of the Great Cosmic Calamity, "Destruction" was born from the war between mechanical intelligences and the swarm. It represented the fury of the innocent people from countless planets caught up in it.

Such one-sided descriptions might make the Paths seem small, but whether it was "Hunt," which stood against Abundance's blessings, or "Abundance," which granted eternal life to short-lived species that craved longevity, the foundation of these Aeons' existence was the ascension of collective desires.

Of course,

"Nihility" walked a path entirely opposed to those Aeons.

It denied the meaning of existence and regarded everything in the world worth pursuing as valueless.

Among all Aeons, this Aeon jokingly called "Great Marshal Black" was actually the most dangerous existence. If one was truly drawn in by it, they would be like someone sinking into a swamp, gradually heading down the path of self-destruction.

"Walking a known Path, the endpoint is no more than becoming an Emanator. If I want to become, or even surpass, those existences... perhaps I should start considering a new track early."

The Technological Sophistication of the Great Shocker Organization

Kafka: How has that child been lately?

I really can pole vault: Fine, though it seems like some stuff from her factory settings wasn't completely deleted.

Kafka: It is not easy to erase memories completely. They were merely hidden in the deepest part of a dried sponge. Soak and knead it with water enough times, and they will still emerge.

I really can pole vault: I never said it was dirty stuff. When Little Grey Hair comes looking for trouble, don't let her snot get on me.

Kafka: It seems you are doing quite well on the train. However, you have spent too long at the space station. You need to reach the set for the next script as soon as possible.

I really can pole vault: There is nothing in Belobog that needs your involvement, right?

Kafka: Relax. This time, we will not interfere with any of that child's choices. Still, you should not spoil her too much. In the coming "Finale," that child will be key to facing "Destruction."

Shirou Emiya put down his phone and slowly fell into thought. There were many mysteries surrounding Stelle, this Trailblazer. Even the Stellaron Hunters did not possess complete information on her. The only one who truly knew all her secrets was Acheron.

Where had she come from? Why could she seal Stellarons? Why did she have to embark on a journey? Why did so many Aeons cast their eyes upon her? Neither he nor Kafka or Silver Wolf understood these mysteries completely.

"Leaving the space station? It really is about time."

They had stayed at the space station for too long and become a little too comfortable. Asta had truly begun treating them as honored guests, so they did not need to worry about food, drink, or daily expenses at all. That young lady had even planned to clear March 7th's shopping cart for her. Little Pink Hair had been deeply moved, but ultimately declined despite being touched.

After all, having someone else pay for your personal hobbies was a little excessive, even if they were friends.

"With Herta's brain helping develop my Nen, there has also been quite a bit of progress. Next, I only need to receive the first feedback to know whether the development direction is correct."

He would treat items from the original spacetime like message bottles, sending them drifting back to the "Original Universe" through the Aurora Curtain. The specialized aura left on them would eventually become the bridge connecting Shirou Emiya to the other side. By deepening that connection, he could ultimately transmit a portion of his consciousness—creating the Mist Space he had imagined.

This method could also anchor the coordinates of the other world, allowing him to use the Aurora Curtain to travel directly there in the end.

Of course, he had also sent out a large number of ordinary "message bottles." The idea was to cast a wide net; as long as he caught even one response from a beacon, it would not be a loss.

Traveling solely through the Aurora Curtain involved too many uncertainties. In the two or three years since Shirou Emiya had obtained it, aside from a few worthless everyday worlds and some parallel worlds, he had encountered almost no worlds worth exploring.

Arriving in this world could only be called an incredible stroke of luck.

Thinking carefully, he really did lack a method like Tsukasa Kadoya's for confirming anchors. Decade had been cultivated as a secret weapon meant to destroy Riders, and he basically transferred himself by using Kamen Riders as anchors.

But his Aurora Curtain did not have that mechanism, which was why it was so random.

Astral Express Family

Himeko: Everyone, the Conductor has finished inventorying the train's supplies, and the repairs are wrapping up. We are preparing to leave Herta Space Station.

March 7th: That was sudden, but we really have stayed at the space station for a long time this time. This lady can't wait to begin the next adventure.

Conductor: The train will depart in three system hours. All passengers, please return to the train promptly.

March 7th: That soon? I haven't even had time to properly say goodbye to Asta and the others.

Welt: March 7th, that is the life of a Nameless. Just like farewells, reunions can sometimes come very suddenly as well. There is no need to take every parting too seriously. With the Star Rail, returning to the space station later will be very convenient.

Shirou Emiya: Is there a possibility that... I mean, we can actually come back anytime?

Stelle: What do you mean?

Shirou Emiya: I have a spatial ability. I mentioned it to Welt before. As long as it is somewhere I have been, I can return anytime after anchoring the coordinates.

March 7th: Got it. No need to say goodbye. We can come back tomorrow for the space station's morning tea.

Stelle: March 7th, I saw you secretly weighing yourself last night.

March 7th: Aaaaaaaaaah!!!

Welt: Your ability can transfer you anywhere at any time? Then can you also return to your own planet whenever you wish?

Shirou Emiya: Yes. Welt, are you interested in my hometown?

Himeko: I am quite interested as well. It may be an unexplored region, and perhaps it could provide fuel for the train.

Seeing that message, Shirou Emiya smiled. In truth, he had also hoped to bring the Express crew to new worlds. First, the train needed the energy generated by opening up new regions to operate. Second... exploring a dungeon as a group was much more interesting than starting from scratch alone.

Once the Sword of Fallen Gods floated back to the Honkai Impact 3rd world, he could bring Welt home in triumph. If Himeko, that capable general who could utterly crush the Main Trio, was missing then, would he not lose out on a great deal of emotional value?

Shirou Emiya: We can arrange it when we have time. My little sister isn't home right now. When she is on vacation, I'll invite everyone over.

March 7th: Shirou's little sister? I'm curious. She isn't the soft, cute type with short orange hair and light golden eyes, right? Waku waku.jpg

Welt: March 7th, put the chatting aside for now. Briefly explain things to the people at the space station, then return early with Stelle.

March 7th: Roger.

The group chat fell silent. After casually sending farewell messages to Asta and several other acquaintances at the space station, Shirou Emiya opened the Aurora Curtain and transferred directly to the entrance of the train.

Welt and Dan Heng were inside the train car at that moment. When they saw Shirou Emiya suddenly appear outside, they instinctively prepared to draw their weapons. Only after recognizing him did they relax. Welt stepped forward, looked at the Aurora Curtain behind Shirou Emiya, and could not help raising an eyebrow.

"This thing... doesn't feel like a mere energy construct."

"It is a device developed by an organization called Great Shocker. Everyone from the leader to the lower-ranking officers gets one as standard equipment."

"Can I borrow it for research?"

"This thing isn't that easy to reproduce. Otherwise, I would be handing them out to you all like red envelopes by now."

Whether it was because it was a system reward or because the Aurora Curtain's technological level was absurdly high, the analysis progress was extremely slow. Even he, the current Herrscher of Reason, could not figure it out, so it was even less realistic for this former old man to do so.

"By the way, do you still have any items you brought from that world? I can try using this to send the item back to its original world. After that, we can slowly establish contact."

A flicker of delight passed through Welt's eyes. He immediately removed the glasses from his nose and handed them to Shirou Emiya without hesitation.

"This is the only item that has been preserved. Almost everything else has been reconstructed. These glasses also contain a transmitter in their memory storage. If they can return to that world, Mandate of Heaven will definitely be able to track its signal."

"If, and I mean if... Theresa really revived someone, and Mandate of Heaven receives the signal, and the person we eventually contact responds like this..."

Mr. Emiya coughed twice, then spoke as if deliberately lowering his voice.

"It has been a long time, old friend."

"...May I greet the top of your skull with my fist?"

P.S. If you have flowers or recommendation tickets, please vote. Thanks.

It Was Perfectly Normal for Children to Imitate Others!

Saying goodbye to the space station did not take too long.

As March 7th and Stelle returned to the train, the final round of pre-departure inspections was completely finished.