With the coordinates of " Amphoreus " locked, a corner of the cosmic veil was lifted at this moment.
The colorful nebula resembles an overturned palette or flowing iridescent silk, with halos of blue, purple, pink, and orange swirling and blending against a deep black background.
Like crushed aurora borealis sinking into the abyss of stars, or like paint casually splashed by a god, spreading across the boundless darkness.
A nearly pure white light burst forth from the center of the nebula, the dazzling line tearing through the hazy, colorful mist in the starry sky, flowing outwards with fine stardust, outlining a gentle arc.
The arc of light resembled a ring formed by solidified light, or a ribbon fluttering in the breath of the universe, making the entire nebula even more magnificent.
"Wow... that's Amphoreus?"
A clear female voice, tinged with a hint of casual surprise, mingled with the soft rustling of stardust and fell into the silence.
Herta's gaze fell on the center of the light and mist, his tone tinged with amusement. "Its shape is truly unique."
Fragments of light were carried in the starlight, and an iridescent halo gently rippled in her voice, as if even this ancient nebula had come alive because of her exclamation.
The Iridescent Number 8... that's definitely in that guy's style.
" Second Mirror, prepare for ' Thought Refraction' —send me in!"
"Okay--Please, please read the security agreement carefully..."
"Could you be a little faster?"
"Yes, yes!"
Before the words were finished, the Herta felt a violent tremor and was suddenly thrust into the interior of Amphoreus.
"Ouch... I didn't expect it to be this bumpy. I should have had the Second Mirror's power turned down."
The Herta looked up. "Wow, what a magnificent sight! Is this the entrance to Amphoreus?"
At this moment, the Herta is located inside the " Vortex of Genesis," but it is not the Vortex of Genesis that Xing and others are familiar with. All the Core Flame above it are extinguished, and not a single one has been lit.
"Let me see, maybe I can find some connections?"
She first arrived at the petrified " Heavenly Punishment Legion," and her face instantly fell:
"What is this, a statue? It's ugly, I don't like it."
Herta was always straightforward, and then she discovered the key figures in this operation— the Astral Express " Trailblaze " team.
"Oh, I've found your shadow... Who could possibly make the Herta personally intervene? Get ready, the three of you will be free labor for the Simulated Universe for the rest of your lives."
At this moment, Herta felt an invisible pressure coming from behind her. When she turned around, the phantom of a black-robed swordsman appeared in her field of vision.
"What is this?" Herta walked forward with interest. "It looks rather eerie."
"... Oh, it can move? Who are you trying to scare?" Herta tapped the black-robed swordsman with his staff. "It's either a projection or a dummy; there's nothing to pay attention to..."
"No." Herta stopped and looked at the black-robed swordsman again. "There seems to be something very strange about you."
With a deft flick of his finger, Herta brought a cup of milk tea to life.
"Ha~ Case solved, it really is ' Eternity '."
"Hmm... this thing shouldn't be poisonous, right?"
Without hesitation, Herta immediately decided to send the cup of milk tea back to the Space Station as valuable research material for the Aeon.
"Forget it, let's think about how to get inside Amphoreus first..."
As the genius spoke, she paused again as she prepared to think.
"... That's still not right. If He's here, why didn't He see the ' Church of Eternity '?"
The fact that the Herta didn't see the two most loyal " Eternity " Emanator is the most suspicious thing.
She strolled to the " Tides in the Basin," when suddenly a cold, Intellitron voice reached her ears:
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, you may not be able to continue."
' Lygus ' appeared beside the Herta and bowed slightly to her.
"Who?"
Your presence was unexpected, yet it was a delightful surprise. It's a pity I wasn't prepared to treat you with the utmost courtesy befitting your status.
Aren't you going to answer my question? Who are you?
"I've had many identities, and I'll have many more in the future. But if you just need a name, feel free to use my usual pseudonym."
" Lycurgus, Lygus."
' Lygus ' looked at Herta with sincere eyes. Although his face was obscured by his helmet, that didn't matter. What mattered was his attitude.
"Alright, Lygus —you don't think I'm asking for a name, do you?"
"I'm sorry, I don't have the authority to explain further to you."
"But standards are always flexible. Without violating the Ultimate Protocol, I can reveal one piece of information: as you might expect, this is the entrance to ' Amphoreus '."
"And now—please return, madam. Unfortunately, Amphoreus is not a world you should be in."
Facing the Herta, ' Lygus ' issued an order to leave, "No matter how many great achievements you have made, this place will not easily open its doors."
"You seem to know me very well. Then you should know why I should listen to you?" Herta asked.
"Your reaction was exactly as I predicted. It seems that even after such a long wait, my assessment of human nature remains accurate. A beautiful thirst for knowledge resides within you."
"But my answer remains unchanged. Madam, I suggest you return the way you came in the best of my ability."
"Let's suppose, Mr. Lygus —if I didn't have such a good temper, if I insisted on seeing the secrets behind you—"
"--How do you plan to dissuade me from this impulsive idea?"
' Lygus ' remained silent, but picked up the milk tea that had been scattered on the ground and handed it to Herta.
"Madam, within the scope defined by the Ultimate Protocol, I have 178,244 logical chains that can be used to persuade you."
"After filtering, I believe that just three of these criteria will achieve the result I want."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
Lygus listed them one by one. "Firstly, for reasons that cannot be explained, Amphoreus is an 'absolutely closed' celestial body."
"There is no other way to help you get in besides me."
Secondly: If you plan—as you just implied—to coerce me into coercing you into cooperating under the pretext of declaring war, please be aware...
"Like you, I too have been subjected to the glimpses of ' Erudition,' and I assure you with dignity that, in extreme circumstances, our Destruction is mutually assured."
"No wonder I couldn't find the backdoor after scanning the whole place. Your security protocols are about as robust as Screwllum. Interesting."
"I suppose you'd like to hear about the third logical chain?"
Herta gestured for Lygus ' to speak quickly, "Of course, why not?"
Thirdly: Even if you manage to use every means possible to find a way to overcome my obstacles...
"But once you learn the inevitable consequences of this action, you will also give up trying it."
"After all, in your long life—even if you may not admit it—conscience has played an extremely important role."