Star Rail Impostor! - 371
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Breaking into Herta City’s defense system went fairly smoothly for Bai Ming.
Of course, in terms of pure technical skill, Herta was still a bit stronger, but with the boost from that stolen power, Bai Ming resorted to a bit of “I reckon this’ll work” improvisation, and managed to crack it open anyway.
And she did the entire process completely out in the open.
In other words, no matter how slow Herta’s reaction might be, she would absolutely notice that Bai Ming was attacking the firewall she had set up.
Yet even after a breach large enough to pass through had been opened—
No counterattack or interference from Herta appeared.
What that meant was obvious.
A confident smile hung on Bai Ming’s face as she floated into Herta City.
Mm, Herta didn’t block my intrusion. So she really does still have me in her heart.
Thinking that, Bai Ming casually added her own access permissions again.
She entered Herta City smoothly.
The puppets scattered everywhere should have long been used to Bai Ming’s arrival, but this time, for some reason, when they spotted her, they gathered in small groups and whispered among themselves, exchanging who-knows-what.
Passing through the central courtyard, Bai Ming greeted Noa, who was, as usual, sleeping the day away.
Only afterward did she spot Madam Herta, busy with something, in a garden with good lighting.
Normally, Bai Ming would walk over, sit beside Madam Herta, quietly say hello, and wait for her to finish before speaking, but today, just as Bai Ming walked over and was about to sit, Herta snapped—without even lifting her head—and pulled the chair away.
Bai Ming didn’t feel discouraged. It wasn’t like there was only one empty chair.
So she happily dragged another chair over, and before Herta could reach out again, she plopped down.
Right next to her.
As a result, the arm that had been about to wave the chair away instead landed squarely on Bai Ming’s chest.
Her palm brushed across the exposed skin. The warm, soft, delicate touch made Herta freeze for a moment.
Bai Ming froze too.
Even knowing it was an accident, Bai Ming still found it a little ridiculous. The scene looked exactly like Herta was taking advantage of the chance to cop a feel.
Bai Ming grabbed the hand that was about to pull back.
She pressed it down and held it in her palm.
“Still angry?”
“If you stay this close, I can’t even work up the anger.”
Herta tried to pull away, realized Bai Ming’s grip was tight, and sighed, giving up on retrieving her left hand.
She shot Bai Ming a rather impolite glare.
“Because of Celenova?”
“Hoh, so our Aeon knows, huh. Letting someone that dangerous near the Simulated Universe’s mainframe—I’d say you’ve really gotten carried away.”
Herta snorted softly, choosing the moral high ground and pointing fingers at Bai Ming.
But Bai Ming clearly showed no remorse.
“And?”
“Hah?”
Herta frowned and glared, but that instead gave Bai Ming the chance to look directly into her eyes.
Holding Herta’s hand, Bai Ming leaned forward, smiling yet serious, meeting her gaze.
“I’m asking—Herta, if you’re this angry, there must be another, more personal reason. After all, you’re Herta. If it were only that, there’s no way it’d make you this mad.”
For a moment, Herta didn’t know whether to be pleased or annoyed. Pleased that this person understood her—but annoyed that she understood her and still brought Celenova there, and even wore a maid outfit!
“Was it Screwllum who told you? I don’t believe you’d be watching us in real time.”
Herta didn’t answer directly, instead bringing up Screwllum, clearly trying to dodge the point.
Bai Ming didn’t deny it, smiling and nodding.
“Yeah. I didn’t expect our Madam Herta to get jealous one day.”
“Use a different word. I don’t like that one.”
Herta didn’t deny her emotions were close to jealousy, but she disliked the term.
Facing her stubbornness, Bai Ming smiled brightly, but she chose to skip the point and continue.
“I’m honored to leave such an important impression in Herta’s heart. As for Celenova, those were just jokes.”
Herta pressed her lips together. She didn’t dislike this unspoken understanding, and the fact that Bai Ming came back to find her so quickly had already eased most of her anger.
But as for whether to pierce that thin layer between them, Herta didn’t have much inclination.
Her personality was somewhat awkward. At least for her, a clearly defined special relationship confirmed through words didn’t mean much.
Or rather, for someone like Bai Ming, such worldly agreements were far too fragile.
Compared to words, actions and perception more clearly told her how close the other person really was.
Herta stared straight at Bai Ming, her gaze slightly aggressive.
“The way you look like this… it always makes me forget you’ve become something completely different from me.”
“That doesn’t sound like something Madam Herta would say.”
Bai Ming shook her head with a smile.
“I don’t think we’re different. I don’t walk a Path, so I can’t be called an Aeon. I’m just a powerful mortal.”
Since the mood had reached this point, even though she’d never said it before, Bai Ming couldn’t help emphasizing it.
She neither followed a Path nor believed in one. She was merely a mortal who borrowed external power to steal strength from Paths.
If it was Herta, she shouldn’t be fooled by surface-level power.
Herta ground her molars.
“So you’re complaining about my silence?”
“In that regard, aren’t we the same?”
Looking at Bai Ming’s smile, impulses rose in Herta’s heart.
Some were intimate, some tinged with irritation.
Seeing that face, she found it hard to truly be angry.
It felt more like habitual complaining and capriciousness.
Herta sighed silently.
Then she grabbed the back of Bai Ming’s neck with her other hand. As the distance between them rapidly shrank, she bit down on Bai Ming’s lips.
Almost like she was deliberately being mischievous.
Mixed into the closeness was a hint of retaliation. After leaving two rows of teeth marks between Bai Ming’s lips, Herta released her, her face faintly flushed.
Forcing herself to ignore the embarrassment, she said bluntly,
“Sorry. I’m in a bad mood right now. Not really interested in being ‘the same’ with you.”
Looking at Herta’s bright eyes and blushing cheeks, Bai Ming touched the bite marks on her lips, a bit helpless.
“You don’t look like you’re in a bad mood.”
“That’s because I transferred it onto you.”
Seeing the two rows of teeth marks, Herta’s lips curled slightly.
Honestly, Bai Ming looked kind of funny. Even though she was the culprit, it didn’t stop Herta from laughing at her without guilt.
“Alright, alright, you’re right.”
Bai Ming raised her hands in surrender. For Madam Herta to kiss her first—she really must’ve pushed her too far this time. But Bai Ming’s compliance instead made Herta feel unsatisfied.
“Tch. Why didn’t you resist? No good, let’s redo it.”
Bai Ming’s pupils shook. She stared in disbelief at Herta saying something like that.
Herta, however, saw no issue.
Since they met, their interactions had never been this compliant.
Weren’t they always sparring with each other?
Herta had even prepared a bunch of countermeasures—only for Bai Ming to surrender immediately.
Wasn’t that preparation wasted?
“What? When I’m up against you, if I don’t fight back a bit, it just feels wrong.”
“Are you some kind of pervert?”
“What nonsense. I’m Herta. My preferences are the truth—everyone else is the pervert!”
How could someone be so shameless?
It was an old joke, but Bai Ming couldn’t help thinking it.
Does this girl really have no sense of embarrassment?
“You sure you want me to attack you?”
“What, you dared to bring random women back, and now you’re saying you don’t dare?”
Herta looked at Bai Ming with a provocative gaze.
Bai Ming felt this girl probably didn’t mean it that way, but honestly, right now she really resembled a domineering succubus.
In the past—and even now—within Bai Ming and Herta’s relationship, Bai Ming usually seemed the weaker one.
Partly because she’d been the one to provoke Herta first, and partly because early on she’d lacked strength, while Herta was outrageously willful.
Over time, that dynamic became fixed.
Even now, though Bai Ming’s strength far surpassed Herta’s, she’d grown used to it.
It wasn’t that she’d never considered changing it—just that it wasn’t necessary. Both of them found this dynamic comfortable.
But now—looking at Herta, who seemed to have transformed into a domineering succubus—Bai Ming felt, for the first time in a while, the urge to properly “return the favor.”
Mm, doing it once in a while didn’t seem bad.
With that thought—Bai Ming raised the hand she was holding, yanked hard, and kicked the chair aside.
Herta followed the pull, falling straight into Bai Ming’s arms.
The wide witch hat slipped onto the table beside them.
Caught off guard, Herta ended up straddling Bai Ming’s lap, slightly frowning as she stared at her.
Just as she was about to speak, another hand climbed up her back.
Her outfit already exposed her back; the sudden touch made her shiver. Force traveled along her spine, pressing her upper body down, and she was pulled into a kiss with Bai Ming.
This time, Bai Ming took the initiative, and she was extremely aggressive.
Herta tried to reclaim control, but with just a little force, Bai Ming rendered the proud shut-in powerless.
Even her left hand was tightly interlocked with Bai Ming’s fingers, impossible to pull free.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 372
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Herta struggled hard for a moment, but whether it was the palm pressing against her back, or the fingers interlocked tightly with hers, in terms of pure strength, there was no way she could shake them off.
Even more irritating was that, just to restrain her, this person had somehow disabled every gadget and special function on her body and clothes.
While Herta was still stunned and struggling, Bai Ming pressed closer.
Her body was tightly against Bai Ming’s, and even through the soft fabric, she could clearly feel the other’s body heat and heartbeat.
Especially for Herta—
That full chest pressed against her made Bai Ming’s particular softness painfully obvious.
Even if this hadn’t been Herta’s intention, facing Bai Ming’s burning gaze, warm breath, and completely unreserved invasion, her heart still skipped a beat.
Herta had always acknowledged Bai Ming’s beauty, so when that beauty was right in front of her, completely defenseless, it was hard not to feel the impulse to claim it as her own.
Though this time there had been a slight deviation—the docile little white rabbit had suddenly bared its teeth and bitten back, trying to attack her other line of defense.
But without a doubt, that too was a sign of choosing her.
After a long while, Bai Ming finally released Herta.
The intense kissing left Herta’s lips and cheeks flushed red.
She panted lightly, raised a hand to wipe the corner of her mouth, and glared at Bai Ming with a shy yet slightly complaining look.
“Ha… ha… Is this what I meant by attacking?!”
Though she was still talking tough, Herta remained straddling Bai Ming, with no intention of getting off.
As if… she had tacitly accepted the ambiguous atmosphere.
Bai Ming’s hand slid down from Herta’s back and finally wrapped around her soft waist.
“But you didn’t say it wasn’t. And besides, you started it, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, yeah, twist my words, why don’t you. Also, how long are you planning to hold my hand?”
Herta used her free hand to pinch Bai Ming’s cheek hard, her eyes flashing with mock ferocity.
Bai Ming didn’t mind at all, just smiling as she met Herta’s gaze.
Her other hand lifted their joined hands slightly. They were still interlocked finger to finger, and although Herta complained, she hadn’t loosened her grip.
It was hard to tell whether she’d given up resisting or simply didn’t want to let go.
“Looks like you’re gripping pretty tight too.”
Herta tried to pull away, but unfortunately Bai Ming’s hand didn’t budge, no matter how much she struggled.
Only after Herta shot her a vicious glare did Bai Ming laugh and release her, but before Herta could speak, the freed hand climbed back to her back.
Now both arms wrapped around her, locking her completely in Bai Ming’s embrace.
Herta’s temper flared.
Bai Ming’s smug expression was irritating enough, and those hands hugging her weren’t exactly behaving either.
So this time, Herta pressed one hand against the back of Bai Ming’s head, poked at her collarbone with the other, and leaned in to kiss her first.
Of course, Bai Ming didn’t back down.
Since Herta had complained about her lack of aggression, she naturally had to retaliate hard, and with Herta’s personality, the more the other resisted, the more excited she got.
That stubborn, unwilling-to-lose streak… hard to evaluate.
For example, when Bai Ming’s fingers fiddled with the zipper at the hem of the backless dress, Herta immediately reached for the fabric at Bai Ming’s collar.
If someone was going to lose out, she wasn’t doing it alone.
The previously warm atmosphere gradually turned heated, and by the end, it felt more like a competitive struggle.
Of course, that mainly applied to Madam Herta.
As for Bai Ming, she was simply following Herta’s request and continuing her offensive, but Herta was the type who loved to play despite being outmatched.
When Bai Ming obediently listened earlier, she wasn’t satisfied.
Now that Bai Ming attacked fiercely, she still wasn’t satisfied.
Stubborn, competitive, and mouthy.
Her only redeeming quality was probably that she never got lazy.
So—
Because Madam Herta kept talking tough, the two gradually fought from the garden to the bedroom.
Madam Herta retreated step by step as her stamina failed, losing ground repeatedly.
Bai Ming even showed mercy a few times, but Herta, still talking tough, kept trying to counterattack.
Unfortunately, a research-obsessed homebody versus someone with enhanced physical strength—she never stood a chance.
Her physical stamina was weak, but her spirit was resilient.
In the end, they battled until dawn! Until the world’s edge!
Herta fought until she was completely exhausted, her body limp and powerless, unable to resist at all.
Only then did the battle finally end.
With a wave, Bai Ming tidied the bed, but the warm, ambiguous atmosphere was intentionally left behind.
Lying on her side, propping up her head, Bai Ming smiled and gently pinched Herta’s soft cheek. Exhausted, Madam Herta was extremely dissatisfied, yet she didn’t even have the strength to argue.
She looked like a stunningly beautiful dead fish, able only to glare.
Even so, after that whole night of intense “battle,” her eyes were red—as if… no, she had cried.
Combined with her flushed cheeks, her glare looked more pitiful than threatening.
“When it comes to talking tough, you really take the crown, Herta.”
Bai Ming traced her fingertip across Herta’s lips and teased her. Herta still couldn’t speak. She opened her mouth to bite, but it ended up more like a weak nibble.
“But thankfully, even the toughest mouth is soft when kissed. I don’t mind at all.”
As she spoke, a bit of Abundance energy flowed from her fingertip into Herta’s body, restoring some strength.
At least enough for her to talk.
“Pah! Shut up!”
The moment she could speak, Herta spat out her finger and told her to shut up fiercely.
She admitted defeat this round, but that didn’t mean she’d tolerate a victory speech.
“Hey, you won’t even let me say it. You’re the one who asked for more aggression.”
“Is that what I meant?!”
Herta wished she could jump up and smack Bai Ming with her staff.
“But you didn’t refuse. You were even more into it than me.”
Herta fell silent.
She couldn’t refute that. Bai Ming’s relentless offense had triggered her competitive streak.
Strictly speaking, she’d been immersed in the desire to win, but saying that now would sound like more stubborn excuses.
Originally Bai Ming hadn’t planned to go that far. Seeing Herta too exhausted to even speak made her feel bad, but Herta’s competitiveness and willpower were undeniable.
No wonder she could withstand pressure and temporarily act as Nous’s proxy.
And since Bai Ming wanted to go all-out this time, seeing Herta stubbornly refuse to give up only made her continue.
Even now, Herta acknowledged defeat but hadn’t conceded.
Bai Ming had nothing to say.
Then again, that was part of Herta’s charm.
The room fell quiet.
Only their alternating breaths and the soft rustle of skin against sheets remained.
Bai Ming lay down again, moving close so their bodies pressed together.
Herta wriggled weakly like a dehydrated fish, then stopped moving.
She had recovered a little strength, but she was still exhausted.
At this point, she didn’t even want to move. After the night’s exertion, once things calmed down, she quickly fell asleep against Bai Ming.
About a day later—
Herta, having tidied herself up, returned to her usual elegance.
The only change was that she seemed bolder and more relaxed around Bai Ming.
At the moment, she was holding a Light Cone, studying it with interest. The image on it was from yesterday—her pitiful expression while talking to Bai Ming afterward.
The frame cut off at the collarbone, but the pale, delicate skin still left much to the imagination.
Bai Ming had originally created it just to tease her, but instead of embarrassment, Herta fell into self-admiration.
“You’re pretty good. I don’t really like this expression, but there’s no denying that the moment I glared at you with reddened eyes… I’m so beautiful I’d fall for myself.”
She disliked looking teary-eyed—it made her seem weak, but she had to admit the fragile beauty in that moment was stunning.
So she unapologetically indulged in narcissism.
Completely absorbed.
Bai Ming was speechless.
She knew Herta was narcissistic, but not to this extent.
Admiring her own beauty before feeling shy?
Herta, you really are…
Bai Ming shook her head helplessly.
“Heh~ so possessive.”
Herta smirked teasingly, but Bai Ming only looked at her with exasperation.
“You’re not planning to frame that and display it, are you?”
“Tch. What a boring woman.”
Herta rolled her eyes at her.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 373
--+--
Herta looked at the Light Cone in her hand, feeling very satisfied. But after putting it away, she extended her hand toward Bai Ming again.
Bai Ming looked at the outstretched palm, glanced at the hand, then at Herta in confusion. Then she tried placing her own hand on top of it, only for Herta to flick it away.
Even more puzzled, Bai Ming scratched her head and thought carefully for a moment.
As if she’d realized something, she bent down slightly, cheeks faintly red, and rested her chin in Herta’s palm.
That move stunned Herta as well.
She had only wanted another one or two Light Cones that recorded yesterday’s events as keepsakes.
Of course, they had to include scenes of Bai Ming.
Her own was covered with the one she’d just made, but Herta still wanted Bai Ming’s. After all, in her memories, she’d been captivated by many different expressions of Bai Ming.
Since Bai Ming had taken the initiative to compress those memories into Light Cones, Herta naturally wanted to take advantage and ask for a few more souvenirs.
She’d assumed Bai Ming would realize she meant the Light Cones. Even if she didn’t, watching Bai Ming think it over would’ve been entertaining enough.
But no matter how much Herta calculated—
She never expected Bai Ming’s conclusion would be to place herself there.
Looking at Bai Ming with her chin resting in her palm, smiling foolishly at her—Herta pressed her lips together, but in the end couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
Her fingers curled, scratching under Bai Ming’s chin, lifting it like teasing a cat, pulling her closer before leaning in and planting a quick kiss with a grin.
“Are you an idiot? I was asking for another Light Cone. Why did you put yourself here?”
“Huh??”
Bai Ming froze, then her face flushed bright red.
She straightened up abruptly, heat rising all over her.
“What—if you wanted a Light Cone, why didn’t you just say it? What’s with just sticking your hand out?!”
Herta tried to suppress the corners of her mouth, but laughter still slipped out.
How should she put it… she’d thought Bai Ming had changed.
After all, she’d been aggressively attacked all night yesterday—but apparently it was just this idiot’s brute force.
Today, one poke and she was back to normal.
“I only meant to tease you. Who knew you’d actually put yourself there?”
“…Fine, fine. You did that on purpose, didn’t you? I shouldn’t have helped you recover! I should’ve left you lying in bed all day!”
Bai Ming’s face grew even redder.
It wasn’t clear whether it was embarrassment or anger.
Herta reached out, laughing as she kneaded Bai Ming’s cheeks.
Then she cupped her face and pulled her closer.
“Alright, be good. I want your Light Cone. Last night’s you is worth keeping too.”
“You want to collect me too??”
Bai Ming’s pupils trembled.
Wait—she really wanted to save those things from last night and revisit them anytime??
“Of course. I like this face of yours.”
Herta’s fingertips brushed across Bai Ming’s cheek as she spoke in a calm tone, sounding suspiciously like a playgirl.
Bai Ming blushed, but still extracted yesterday’s memories and shaped them into a complete Light Cone.
The image on it showed Bai Ming and Herta facing each other, holding onto one another, gazing from inches away.
“You’ve got good taste.”
Herta snapped her fingers and took the Light Cone. Although her own expression in the image looked more affectionate than she’d expected, Bai Ming’s gaze toward her was equally worth savoring.
As for the memory inside…
Herta glanced at it once and immediately flushed.
Was she really that undone last night?
This was… a bit too much.
Even though she’d mentally prepared herself, seeing what had happened from a third-person perspective still brought a novel sense of embarrassment.
Bai Ming looked beautiful and captivating; those expressions under the ambiguous atmosphere, those emotional eyes, radiated charm, but on the other hand… seeing herself as the counterpart from a third-person angle was way too embarrassing.
Especially since she’d been the one on the receiving end yesterday.
Looking at those awkward moments, Herta’s face heated up, and every time she saw Bai Ming’s face she remembered her own expressions back then.
Her body even began instinctively recalling those sensations and emotions.
That made Herta avert her gaze, forcing herself not to look at Bai Ming for now.
Otherwise… if she kept watching this, she might end up completely conditioned into being the passive one.
Forbidden object!
Herta mentally labeled the Light Cone as such.
In the future, it would be sealed in her bedroom, never to see the light of day.
At most, she’d pick out a few favorite frames to recreate separately.
As for the original, it was better to look at it less.
To shift her attention, Herta quietly tucked the Light Cone away and asked, “What are you planning to do next?”
During yesterday’s indulgence, neither of them had spoken the words to formally define their relationship. Because to them, compared to thin words, the intertwining of emotions was far more real.
As for Celenova, Herta had already moved on.
And for Herta, deepening the relationship didn’t mean she’d demand Bai Ming stay for some time-wasting honeymoon.
In the end, emotional joy was just a delicious seasoning in Herta’s life. She wouldn’t allow it to interfere with her research and pursuits.
And she expected Bai Ming to do the same.
“I’ve already solved the Permanence Equation, but since Permanence itself has split, this Path isn’t suitable for further study right now. So I plan to research Nihility next—”
Before she could finish, Herta slammed her cup onto the table with a bang, staring seriously at Bai Ming.
“Are you crazy? Even if Nihility doesn’t affect you, there’s no need to rush into studying it!”
“I’m not crazy. I don’t expect to fully master Nihility. I just want to do something—to let those Self-Annihilators be saved, and free Acheron from that endless responsibility.”
Herta silently locked eyes with Bai Ming for a long while.
Then she sat back down.
“You’re bringing up another woman right in front of me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kick you out right now?”
“Then I’ll shamelessly come back and apologize until you forgive me.”
“…How do you say something that cowardly with such a straight face?”
Herta rubbed her forehead and sighed.
Sometimes she really felt powerless against Bai Ming’s total lack of self-awareness.
Did this person even realize she was an Aeon?
To go this far over something like this—and not even for fun like Aha—but genuinely lowering herself just to gain forgiveness.
To be honest, if it were Herta ascending to godhood, she’d probably become like the other Aeons, distancing herself from the mortal world to pursue her ideals.
So precisely because she couldn’t do it, and Bai Ming could—and had even left a portion of that gentleness for her—that was why Herta’s heart fluttered so strongly.
“Fine. Go wherever you want. But I only have one requirement—succeed, and come back whole.”
Bai Ming smiled, warmly and gently.
“Okay. I promise.”
Bai Ming didn’t leave immediately.
She first greeted Screwllum and the others.
For the first time, Screwllum showed a hint of gossip, asking about her progress with Herta.
Bai Ming felt too embarrassed to share details, only saying she’d already soothed Herta and their relationship had grown closer.
She also thanked Screwllum for the earlier heads-up.
Even though most details were omitted, Screwllum seemed to be in a very good mood judging by his tone.
Bai Ming didn’t think much of it, assuming he was simply happy the genius group’s relationship had stabilized again.
As for Ruan Mei…
She was at a critical stage of pushing forward a new project, so immersed in research she seemed oblivious to everything else.
It was said she’d already achieved preliminary results and was now cultivating a complete form.
Who knew what she’d end up creating.
Ruan Mei didn’t intend to explain, and Bai Ming didn’t press further.
They chatted briefly about professional matters; Bai Ming answered some questions related to Immortality and Propagation, then ended the exchange.
As for Divine Herta…
Bai Ming chatted a bit more, though she still skipped most details.
Even so, the perceptive Divine Herta guessed it.
[Divine Herta: Interesting. So even I can fall in love. Though if it’s you, it’s not surprising—but still a little unbelievable.]
[Divine Herta: Is Herta still in Herta City? Mind if I drop by?]
[Nameless: …]
[Nameless: That curious, huh?]
[Divine Herta: That’s Herta! Another me. Of course I’m interested.]
[Divine Herta: Oh, Herta replied. She said it’s fine. Interesting. I’ll arrange some work for Asta and then come over.]
[Nameless: That’s rare. You personally arranging work for Asta? Wouldn’t you normally just leave and become unreachable?]
[Divine Herta: Asta’s too young, she needs guidance. And besides… maybe I’ve been influenced by those people from the Land of Light.]
[Nameless: …the Light again?]
[Divine Herta: Who’s to say.]
Bai Ming raised an eyebrow at the reply.
The Land of Light didn’t even have a Plasma Spark Tower—how would outsiders get influenced… oh right, her main body was the light-corrupted Irontomb.
Then being influenced by the attribute of Light wasn’t strange.
Bai Ming quickly accepted that logic.
Divine Herta arrived pretty quickly, but Bai Ming didn’t participate in the conversation between the two Hertas and instead returned to the space station.
Mainly because Divine Herta kept looking at her like she was some rare specimen, which made her uncomfortable.
Whispering to Herta while studying her with that gaze—it felt too strange, so she simply left early.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 374
--+--
Bai Ming’s original plan was to head back to the Space Station, give Celenova a quick heads-up, and then strike out to find Acheron.
But to her surprise, Reveria suddenly reached out.
She mentioned she had a favor to ask and wanted to meet in person. So, Bai Ming, who had been ready to vanish into the stars, ended up lingering a while longer.
As for Celenova? She was the same as ever—quietly staying put on the Space Station, scrolling through data and flicking through documents.
She wasn't much for conversation.
Aside from the maid outfit she still wore, there wasn't a single thing about her that actually suggested "maid." Eventually, Bai Ming just started giving her little tasks—fetching tea or pouring water—mostly just for the aesthetic pleasure of having her around.
After idling on the Space Station for about half a day, Bai Ming took the opportunity to run a few brief tests on the Simulated Universe.
Through her current eyes, there were plenty of areas in the Simulated Universe ripe for optimization. But if she pushed it any further, she feared the entities within might actually find a way to crawl out into reality, which would undoubtedly invite a mountain of unnecessary trouble.
So, she simply logged these flaws and her theories into the archives.
She didn't overstep.
It wasn't until Reveria arrived that Bai Ming finally logged out of the simulation.
"Madam... Bai Ming?"
At the thought that her savior had now become a high-and-mighty Aeon, Reveria truly didn't know how to address her anymore.
"Just Bai Ming is fine. Now, tell me what’s on your mind—you look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."
After wandering the cosmos for a while, Reveria’s mental state was much better than when she had left, but there was a distinct shadow of worry etched between her brows.
Bai Ming wondered what could have happened.
Reveria nodded at her words, then cast a wary glance toward Celenova, who was standing off to the side.
"To put it simply... I received some news regarding Glamoth. I can't stop worrying about it. I was thinking... maybe I should go back and do my part."
Has something happened to Glamoth lately?
Bai Ming instinctively checked in on the state of the Glamoth Empire. On the whole, things seemed alright.
The pressure was high, certainly; the Republic was clearly unhappy seeing the Empire's engine—the Land of Light—developing at such high speeds, especially since they were close to solving the short-lifespan issue of all the Iron Cavalry.
Previously, the Republic couldn't spare the manpower due to the pressure from the Swarm.
But recently... why on earth had a batch of Antimatter Legion troops with Swarm characteristics meddled in the Glamoth theater?
Even Bai Ming blinked in confusion at the sight.
Those traits were definitely the handiwork of the Eighth Lord Ravager, and the Eighth was supposed to be working under Celenova, right?
Why were they preying on the Swarm now?
Was devouring the Abundance Abominations not enough? Now they were moving on to the bugs?
Bai Ming’s lip twitched slightly as she looked at those "Destruction Swarms," which combined the traits of the Swarm with the signature of Celenova’s legion.
While it might look like they were doing a good deed, anyone who believed these creatures were merely "cleaning up" the remaining Swarm was being hopelessly naive.
I’ll have to grill Celenova about this later, she thought.
Regardless, the entry of this third party allowed the Republic to pull its forces back from the front lines early. They had begun targeting the Empire and Queen Titania, leading to a series of rapid imperial retreats.
That was likely the reason Reveria wanted to return.
"But if you go back, won't the Queen sense your return to the swarm immediately?"
"That’s exactly it. I’m a deserter. If I go back as I am, I probably won't be able to do anything except interfere with the Iron Cavalry's operations. Besides, my strength is limited... I was wondering if I could ask the Swarm if they’d be willing to expand."
Reveria’s original desertion had been a heat-of-the-moment decision, driven by pure impulse.
But Glamoth’s military laws were ironclad.
If she stayed away, the Iron Cavalry might turn a blind eye, but if she actually showed her face, the Queen would be forced to order her execution just to maintain military discipline.
Still, that was an easy fix.
A bit of remodeling on her armor—change the silhouette, add a few modules, and make sure Reveria never stepped out of the suit.
As for the "expansion" of the Swarm?
That group of Memory Swarm had been getting a bit restless lately. If Reveria wanted to borrow their strength, there was no harm in it.
"Do you mind if I modify your armor?"
"Bai Ming... you’re willing to help me?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I was the one who saved you in the first place; I'm not about to let you go off and die. Hand over your transformation device."
Bai Ming reached out and took the device from Reveria’s hand.
To be fair, Glamoth’s technological prowess wasn't weak. Powerful, energy-producing individual combat suits like the Iron Cavalry weren't something just any world could produce.
Of course, since she was going to mod it, she might as well give it a massive power creep.
As for the appearance, she’d just reference some classic designs from her memory—things like Unit-01 or the Unicorn Gundam.
She casually handed the Memory Bubble world where the Swarm resided to Reveria.
"You can talk to the Swarm yourself; you're old friends by now. As for the modifications... Reveria, do you prefer a purple paint job or a white one?"
"Huh? I get to choose? Then... let's go with white?"
Reveria cradled the tiny world in her hands, thinking for a moment before choosing the safer white. It was closer to the silver of the SAM series.
As for purple... she wasn't sure if it would turn into something overly flashy or "extra," and it felt a bit too loud. Plus, the signature color of the Swarm often had that purple glow, so it was better to avoid it.
"Got it."
Bai Ming nodded. The RX-0 Unicorn—it really was a perfect fit for a silver-haired beauty.
Time to get to work.
The power of Permanence surged under Bai Ming’s control, flooding into the transformation device.
The original SAM armor, barely over two meters tall, began a frantic process of expansion and growth.
Its silhouette shifted rapidly, bleaching out the Glamoth style and transitioning into the likeness of the Unicorn Gundam.
The machine grew to nearly twenty meters in height. It had a pristine white frame and a slender, holy horn.
Overall, it looked like a machine that hadn't yet been "painted."
But once it entered Destory Mode—once the armor shifted to reveal that red glow and the horn split down the middle—this "pure machine" would become something else entirely.
She was certain that if Mr. Yang ever saw this thing in the future, he’d lose his mind on the spot.
Oh, and as a side note, Bai Ming left a program to modify the light effects. If Reveria didn't like the color, she could even make it rainbow-colored.
Bai Ming’s impression of Gundams mostly came from model kits and video clips; she hadn't actually watched much of the anime. She didn't have a deep memory of the specific armaments or technical specs, so she just winged it based on the visual weapons.
At the same time, she retained all the original weapon systems of the SAM armor.
More features, same price.
After using the power of Permanence to shape the machine and boost its durability, Bai Ming thought for a moment and tucked in a bit of the Abundance’s power, giving both the machine and the pilot a touch of self-healing.
She even did a simple integration of Permanence, Abundance, and Propagation within the unit.
This allowed it to display a faint, crude glimmer of the "Complete Permanence." This would help suppress the traits unique to Propagation, allowing Reveria to achieve the identity concealment she wanted.
Finally...
Bai Ming added the power of Elation to the Destruction Mode.
This ensured that when the machine entered its "second stage," there would be a genuine explosion of power, rather than just looking pretty.
When she was finished, even the transformation device had turned a themed, pure white.
Bai Ming wiped away a bead of non-existent sweat and sighed, "Man, I really outdid myself."
Beside her, Celenova looked at Bai Ming with dead, unimpressed eyes. She had no idea what part of this was "hard work."
The whole thing hadn't even taken five minutes.
Ignoring Celenova’s look, Bai Ming turned to Reveria and caught her eye.
"That's great! They agreed to go with me. They said things are too comfortable here with you and that they're at the age where they should be out exploring the world."
"Well, then."
Bai Ming scratched her head.
Since when were they such warmongers?
Whatever. She’d leave them to Reveria; she trusted her to keep an eye on them.
"Here, your unit is ready. I made it a bit bigger and gave the performance a slight boost."
"Oh... can I try it?"
"Be my guest."
Bai Ming gestured toward the room. The Master Control Zone was spacious; a fifty-meter giant could stand here without hitting the ceiling. A mere twenty-meter Unicorn Gundam was a drop in the bucket.
Reveria smiled and nodded, then held the transformation device high.
Transparent white cicada wings unfurled, followed by white flames that swallowed Reveria whole, rapidly expanding into a massive fire tornado over twenty meters tall.
And emerging from the flames...
Was that massive white machine—the Unicorn Gundam!
Celenova’s eyes narrowed sharply. Her instincts were screaming that the machine in front of her was a genuine threat.
After a brief silence, a startled cry echoed from inside the Unicorn:
"It’s huge?! Why did it turn into a giant mech?? Is this design even practical for combat...?"
The two-meter-tall SAM armor was life-sized, built for agility. But a twenty-meter mech... logically speaking, it wasn't as efficient as a flight vehicle of the same size.
However, if the design isn't logical, you just make up for it with raw power.
"Wait... what is with these systems?? And this power?! Lady Bai Ming, is this what you meant by 'a slight boost'??"
"Yeah, it’s not that much. You’re still a long way off from being an Emanator."
"..."
Reveria fell into an eerie silence.
So your standard for reinforcement is based on Emanators as the unit of measurement?
Wait!
If it was already like this, then what on earth was this "Destory Mode" option sitting off to the side?
"Hold on! Why do I see a Destory Mode option here? Tell me honestly—is this for style, or is it the real deal?"
"It’s real, of course. Though, it is very stylish. Why don't you switch it on and see?"
"...I don't think I dare."
For the first time, Reveria felt a pang of genuine fear.
Because she walked the Path of Elation, she could feel a dormant spark of that power coiled within the machine, linked directly to that switch.
If that power were released, pushing the machine's performance even higher...
Reveria didn't even want to imagine what would happen.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 375
--+--
Reveria didn’t show her Destruction mode, which left Bai Ming a little disappointed.
What a pity. It looked like the Unicorn’s first full-power outburst could only be reserved for those bugs who didn’t know how to appreciate it.
But while Bai Ming was disappointed, Reveria was already getting nervous.
“Th-this kind of powerful machine… is it really okay to give it to someone like me…?”
Right now, Reveria felt like she could pilot this mech straight into the Glamoth Republic, pull off a surprise raid on the capital world, and retreat safely afterward.
If its mobility wasn’t exaggerated, it was even more terrifying than she had imagined.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Besides, if its performance were the same as the SAM mech, then what would be the point of disguising it?”
“Is that so…”
Reveria scratched her head.
She felt like that was just an excuse Bai Ming casually came up with, but at this point, she couldn’t exactly ask Bai Ming to change it back.
“Alright, that’s it. This unit’s called Unicorn. Don’t call it the wrong name when you get there.”
“Thank you, Bai Ming. I’ll make Unicorn show the elegance it deserves.”
Reveria quickly checked all of Unicorn’s capabilities. Most of the systems were upgraded versions of SAM’s, with a small portion of newly added ones.
The control scheme was exactly the same as her previous mech, so she adapted quickly.
If there was anything she wasn’t used to, it was probably the handheld weaponry.
Daggers, beam swords, machine-gun shields—things like that. The Glamoth Iron Cavalry didn’t use equipment like this, at least not the handheld type.
As for that, Reveria would just have to get used to it slowly.
Soon, Reveria piloted Unicorn away from the space station, bringing the swarm with her.
Watching Unicorn depart, Bai Ming turned her head toward Celenova.
“There’s a Destruction-aligned swarm eating away at the bugs on Glamoth’s battlefield. Your doing?”
“You noticed that too? Unfortunately, it’s not my legion. It belongs to a new user. As for what he wants, I have no idea.”
Celenova spread her hands, claiming ignorance.
“Really don’t know, or just pretending? Isn’t that guy acting alongside you?”
“Heh. Even if he’s using the Eighth Lord Ravager like me, he’s still an independent Lord Ravager. Naturally, he has his own will.”
Celenova’s attitude was completely open and honest.
Still, Bai Ming quietly used the power of Remembrance to probe her impressions, and discovered that Celenova genuinely didn’t know.
Though she couldn’t tell whether the memories had been burned in advance, or if they simply hadn’t communicated.
“Alright then. We’ll find out what he wants sooner or later.”
Bai Ming nodded and didn’t press further.
Since the other party wanted to expand, Reveria bringing the Memory Swarm over was actually the right move.
They’d just see how things developed.
“I’ll be leaving again for a while. You do as usual.”
“Sure, sure… I’m yours now anyway. Trading one main combat clone to keep you from acting personally? I’m profiting.”
Bai Ming waved her hand, then found a Herta puppet on the space station and snapped a mask onto its face.
She temporarily requisitioned the puppet’s usage rights.
Mainly because if she went to the Boundary of Nihility, external communication would be cut off. Leaving a contact window meant she wouldn’t miss anything important.
After finishing all that, Bai Ming left the space station and sank into the Boundary of Nihility.
The desolate Boundary of Nihility was the same as always.
Even quieter than usual, because Acheron hadn’t returned yet.
Last time she left to fulfill the final wish of a Sin Thirster—it seemed the place had been truly remote.
Not sensing Acheron’s presence, Bai Ming decided to check Hysilens’ character card first, to see if it would really give her a Nihility Equation.
Compared to other Paths, Nihility was genuinely ruthless.
Because Nihility represented the opposite of existence, and without a doubt, all other Paths, the entire world, and even the Path of Nihility and the Aeon of Nihility themselves all represented meaning through existence.
Nihility stood in opposition to all of that.
Conceptually, calling Nihility the most powerful Path and Aeon actually made sense.
Of course, since the Nihility Aeon never acts and might not even possess self-awareness, it’s usually treated as background scenery and not compared.
If Hysilens’ character card really came with a Nihility Equation, then the difficulty of that equation would definitely be far greater than the two she had previously deciphered.
The gap in difficulty might even be an order-of-magnitude difference.
Fortunately, the system had previously rewarded her with improved comprehension of Paths.
That might ease some of the pressure.
Besides, Bai Ming’s goal wasn’t to completely unravel the essence of Nihility.
She only wanted to grasp part of it, then handcraft a program that wouldn’t require Acheron to personally stand guard—something that could work in her place.
Later, she could just pass along those with lingering wishes, or those needing to deliver relics, back into Acheron’s hands.
At least that would free Acheron from this endless, lonely vigil.
And afterward, she could gradually share the Nihility equation with Acheron too, so she wouldn’t have to shoulder it alone.
Thinking this, Bai Ming slowly walked to the shore of the pitch-black ocean.
Looking at the calm black sea, she opened her panel, selected Hysilens’ character card, and chose to use it.
--+--
[Roleplay System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Hysilens)]
[Lifespan: ∞ + 30 (Roleplay)]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta, Acheron, Celenova, Jingliu, Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Hertatomb, Lord Ravager - Jingliu, Young Herta, ‘Robin’, Artoria, Cipher, Georios, Cyrene - Fuli (Charge: 25.5%), General of the Yuque - Qingque (Charge: 61.4%), Huohuo (Charge: 54.2%), Silver Wolf (Charge: 22.5%), Hysilens (Currently Acting)]
--+--
[Available Draws: 4 (53.5%)]
--+--
Her figure shrank slightly, and the rise and fall of her chest diminished noticeably.
The main color scheme on her body shifted from silver-white to darker tones.
Leather boots paired with slightly torn thigh-high stockings clung faintly to her flesh—looking soft to the touch.
Of course, those were minor details. What interested Bai Ming most was the transparent region from her lower abdomen to her chest.
She reached out and touched it. There was a clear membrane separating inside and outside. The sensation felt close to skin, yet subtly different.
Moreover, pressing a bit harder, 'Hysilens' could feel her fingers pass through the abdominal membrane and touch the liquid inside.
If her senses were correct, this body was molded from spirit water.
It only looked human; internally, it had nothing resembling a human structure.
Only simulated bones supported it—otherwise, it would just be a pure water person.
“Though that was the original Amphoreus's Hysilens. Now it’s just the manifestation of data life.”
'Hysilens' shook her head slightly.
Even her voice had turned into that beautiful tone.
‘Hysilens’, blessed with a good singing voice, couldn’t drink alcohol at all—she’d collapse at the slightest touch.
Not that it mattered. There was no alcohol in this ghostly place anyway.
Temporarily shifting her attention away from the body, 'Hysilens' tried to understand its composition.
This time, she sensed an equation far more complex than Permanence or Elation.
That eerie, cold, precise equation operated within the data body, maintaining the authority of the Ocean Titan.
Good news—just as she guessed, there really was a Nihility Equation.
Bad news—the difficulty matched her expectations too. It was ridiculously hard.
Not only that, through Hysilens’ body, she felt a closer connection and understanding of this Nihility world.
This was completely different from before.
Previously, the system isolated her from Nihility’s intrusion—she had been entirely separate from this world.
But now, appearing as ‘Hysilens’, the Nihility Equation within this data body ran coldly, representing an astonishing compatibility between the body and Nihility.
So the system even weakened its protective function.
Allowing “Hysilens,” in her current state, to superficially touch the power of Nihility.
Thanks to the two fate equations she had studied before, and the system’s reward enhancing her comprehension, after brief contact, 'Hysilens' gained a preliminary understanding of a tiny portion of Nihility.
“…Not exactly a pleasant Path. I’m probably the only one rushing to learn it. Sigh, Acheron, you might as well marry me~”
'Hysilens' walked along the shore, stepping into the ebbing and flowing black seawater, strolling along the coastline.
Though her rational mind told her this water was anything but normal, this body itself represented a manifestation of Nihility.
So it adapted extremely well to the environment—stepping into the sea even brought an urge to dive in and splash around.
Even the real Hysilens probably couldn’t do that.
But—huh?
'Hysilens' suddenly remembered something.
“Wait, hold on. Hysilens represents the Path of Nihility. Does that mean she’s already on the Path of Nihility? But during previous encounters, I never felt anything similar to Acheron’s aura from her.”
‘Hysilens’ rubbed her chin, puzzled.
Because outwardly, Hysilens showed none of the traits of a Self-Annihilator, Bai Ming had overlooked it.
So how did she manage that?
Could something have happened when she became a Digimon?
Or perhaps someone secretly helped.
After all, once tainted by Nihility it’s hard to escape—but if it’s isolated from the start, it’s much easier to prevent.
She’d ask later.
Just as ‘Hysilens’ sank into thought, a figure suddenly shot through the air.
Acheron, who had returned at some unknown time, crossed the long distance like a meteor and arrived before her.
Acheron reached out, grabbed ‘Hysilens’’ left hand, and pulled her out of the water without a word.
But soon her gaze fell on the silver ring on the hand she held.
The lecture she had prepared stopped at her lips, and in the end, it turned into a helpless sigh.
“You really gave me a fright.”
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 376
--+--
Acheron studied the figure before her, who had somehow shifted into her own monochromatic palette.
Her gaze eventually drifted to the girl's translucent midsection. "I thought some mindless wanderer had strayed in here to splash around in the waters. It gave me such a fright I practically flew over."
'Hysilens' chuckled at the remark. "Flew? I’d love to see what you look like when you're actually startled."
"..."
Acheron stared back, speechless, before raising a finger to give 'Hysilens' a gentle flick on the forehead. "What identity are you wearing this time? And what brings you here?"
"Hysilens, the Ocean Chrysos Heir... and she represents the Path of Nihility."
Acheron’s pupils contracted slightly. "And the original?"
"Perfectly fine, though even I’m not entirely sure what happened there."
"Is there actually something you don’t know?"
"...I’m not a voyeur," 'Hysilens' grumbled helplessly. She had encountered the real Hysilens many times before. "Besides, I wasn’t an Aeon back then. How was I supposed to remember every little detail?"
No one had ever mentioned it, and Hysilens herself had never shown any signs of becoming a Self-Annihilator. Since she wasn't some creep who spent her days spying on people, she saw no reason to go poking around.
Acheron was momentarily stifled by the sheer logic of the answer, but on second thought, it tracked. "Still, we should probably check in. Where is Madam Hysilens now?"
"The Astral Express. She and Cerydra of Amphoreus joined the crew a while back. They’re Nameless now."
Of all the groups to join, it had to be the one that spent its time wandering across the universe. Acheron shook her head with a sigh; she wasn't particularly close with the Express crew. That matter could wait.
More importantly, she had a feeling the person standing in front of her wasn't here for anything "proper." This individual had already used their identities on Amphoreus to decode two different Paths. Now here they were again, wearing the guise of a Nihility representative.
Acheron had a hunch—though it remained unsaid—that this person had likely already figured out how to parse Nihility as well. And they had just been caught wading in the sea.
"Let’s talk about you first. You didn't come here... intending to research Nihility, did you?"
"Spot on." 'Hysilens' gave Acheron a cheeky thumbs-up.
However, that thumb was promptly and firmly pressed down by Acheron.
"No. Even if you aren't affected by Nihility’s influence, that doesn't mean you can just dive headfirst into its depths unscathed." Acheron felt a headache coming on.
Just what gave this person such reckless courage? Even an Aeon shouldn't be playing such a dangerous game. "Aren't there enough other Paths for you to mess around with?"
"Don't worry, I’ll be careful. If things look south, I’ll pull back immediately."
"...I don't believe you."
Acheron half-wanted to just chase her away—get her as far from this place as possible. But as things stood, she couldn't win a physical confrontation.
The power gap between them was no longer something that could be bridged by mere effort.
Fortunately, when force failed, there were other ways.
Before 'Hysilens' could react, Acheron reached out and scooped her up into her arms. She locked her grip tight, effectively pinning 'Hysilens' and restricting her movement.
"I won't accept you being this reckless. Until you drop this idea, I'm taking you away from here. I’ll be watching you constantly unless you decide to knock me down to get away."
"..."
The corner of 'Hysilens's’ eye twitched. She tilted her head to look at Acheron in disbelief. "Are you serious? You're playing dirty now?"
The corners of Acheron’s mouth curled slightly—a hint of happiness tinged with a flicker of guilt.
"I’m sorry for taking advantage of your feelings for me, but I have no choice. It’s fine if you don't forgive me. After all, I’m just someone who could disappear at any moment."
"...Acheron, you're being really mean right now!" 'Hysilens' ground her teeth, shooting Acheron a "fierce" glare.
Acheron simply met the gaze with a tender smile, offering no further rebuttal.
After indulging in the warmth of Acheron’s embrace for a moment, 'Hysilens' let out a defeated sigh.
Even if Acheron tried to stop her like this, she could still find ways to study Nihility, but doing so wouldn't actually solve the underlying problem.
Using a bit of technique to slip out of the hold, she turned around and took Acheron’s hands in hers.
"Listen to me, Acheron. The reason I’m targeting Nihility is because I want to resolve the issue of the Self-Annihilators and the Sin Thirsters. To put it boldly... I’m probably the only one who can do this."
"I will handle it. No matter how many years it takes, it doesn't have to be you." Acheron’s voice was a bit stiff; she knew her words sounded more like stubbornness than a logical counter-argument.
"I won't accept you spending countless years on this. You were meant to live out your life in a better world."
"A better world..." Acheron’s smile turned a bit lonely.
There were many beautiful worlds out there, but which one was truly her home?
"If there isn't one you like, then we’ll create one. Even if you want a world of beautiful dreams, I can turn those dreams into reality. You know I can."
Acheron could feel the sheer resolve radiating from 'Hysilens.' It was a familiar feeling. Just as she didn't want 'Hysilens' risking herself for Nihility, the other woman clearly didn't want her trapped here by this duty forever.
And yet... when two immovable resolves clash, one side has to give.
Acheron looked down at her hands, held firmly in the other's grasp. It seemed increasingly likely that she would be the one to yield.
"I’m going to free you from Nihility, Acheron. I won't let you stay here forever."
'Hysilens'’s tone was just as firm, and arguably more practical. Rationally, Acheron felt she was being the temperamental one, as she couldn't offer a better alternative.
In the past, when others chose to approach Nihility, Acheron would offer a word of caution and then step aside, respecting their choice. But 'Hysilens' was different. She wasn't just "anyone."
She was the one who had saved her, pulled her from a state of mindless drifting, and even suppressed the Nihility within her, allowing her to think and act like a normal person again.
"Besides~ Acheron, you're the one who started playing dirty first. So now, I’m not letting you say no. Even if I have to knock you out and carry you away, I’m pulling you out of this mire."
'Hysilens' raised their joined hands, almost as if flaunting a strength that Acheron couldn't resist.
"Hah... It seems I don't have the power to refuse you." Acheron sighed.
Just as 'Hysilens' couldn't bring herself to actually hurt her, Acheron felt the same. "But if you start throwing your safety away, I will stop you—even if it costs me my life."
She spoke with such gravity that the smile faded from 'Hysilens'’s face. Whatever Acheron intended to do in that scenario, it was clearly an ending she couldn't accept.
Since Acheron had yielded, she would meet her halfway. "I promise. I won't be reckless."
Even though Acheron had stepped back, she wasn't entirely at ease. She remained glued to 'Hysilens'’s side, watching her every move as she quietly researched the Path of Nihility.
While 'Hysilens' enjoyed the closeness, being stared at so intensely was getting a bit uncomfortable.
Sitting on a jagged reef right next to Acheron, 'Hysilens' momentarily withdrew her consciousness from her research and turned her head with a sigh. She immediately met Acheron’s watchful, sentry-like gaze.
"...Look, I get it, but do you really have to watch me this closely?"
"If I don't, you'll definitely look for a loophole."
"You really don't trust me? I'm going to cry."
"Stop being cheeky."
Watching the girl try to act cute, Acheron reached out and pressed a finger against her forehead, blocking her vision so she wouldn't spot any cracks in Acheron’s own expression.
Though she hated to admit it, Acheron felt like she was being completely handled.
If 'Hysilens' got serious, she’d give in; if 'Hysilens' acted cute or pouted, she’d still give in.
She had almost blurted out that she did trust her just now.
Thankfully, she’d held her tongue. But 'Hysilens' wouldn't let her off that easily, pulling Acheron’s hand down.
"Oh, just take a break. We’re only at the beginning; it’s not dangerous yet. If you burn all your energy now, you won't be able to stop me later when it counts."
"..."
The girl always had a "correct theory" to win her over.
Acheron had been reflecting lately on whether the other woman was just that logical, or if she herself was just too easy to persuade. Clearly, her self-reflection hadn't yielded much result.
Without her hand blocking the view, Acheron locked eyes with 'Hysilens' for a few seconds before she finally broke.
"Fine. I’ll take scheduled breaks."
"That’s more like it! If you stay wound up like a spring, you'll snap at the critical moment."
"..."
Acheron didn't reply. She simply looked away, finally relaxing her vigil.
'Hysilens' breathed a sigh of relief. Being stared at like that was high pressure.
Submerging herself back into the Nihility Equation, 'Hysilens' proceeded with extreme caution. She wasn't being nearly as casual as she had been with the other two Paths.
To understand and master Nihility, one had to touch the very concept of "nothingness"—and simply trying to perceive such negative concepts was enough to warp one's psyche.
Because she was actively learning Nihility, the system couldn't provide the same total isolation and protection it usually did. After all, decoding a Path Equation required a unique way of perceiving and understanding the Path itself.
It wasn't like being a standard Pathstrider, but if the system blocked every single influence, she wouldn't be able to learn a thing.
With the system’s defenses lowered, 'Hysilens' naturally began to feel the physical and mental strain. She didn't have a shortcut for this; she just had to take it one step at a time.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 377
--+--
The unchanging scenery at the edge of IX's domain has a way of blurring one's perception of time.
Coupled with Acheron and 'Hysilens' falling into silence, it felt as if the world here had ground to a complete halt.
However, after some time, 'Hysilens,' who had been deeply immersed in her analysis, was forced to stop.
It wasn't because she had hit a wall. In fact, after receiving the talent rewarded by the system earlier, her progress on the Nihility Equation—though not fast—had been advancing steadily.
The only issue was that she had absorbed too much intel and information regarding Nihility in too short a window.
'Hysilens' felt her mental fortitude starting to buckle.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness about it. It was only at times like this that she truly realized the biggest difference between herself and a legitimate Aeon: a lack of spiritual depth.
Pathstriders carry out their will, and Aeons, at the moment of their ascension, open a Path through extreme emotion and willpower.
In that regard, 'Hysilens'—who relied on equations to master a Path—simply couldn't compare, no matter what.
Even when she obtained power in the past, it wasn't her own will that attracted the Aeons, but rather the singularity of her existence that drew their gaze.
Although 'Hysilens' had developed a will that wasn't inferior to most Pathstriders after all she had been through, she was still clearly lagging behind a true Aeon.
If any other Aeon were here doing what 'Hysilens' was doing, they certainly wouldn't be held back by this. But 'Hysilens' couldn't manage it; compared to those who ascended through traditional means, her spirit and will were still lacking.
Yet, she didn't dwell on this fact too much.
She had reached this level through a "speed-run" approach, after all. She couldn't expect to be perfect in every category like some kind of "hexagon warrior." She wasn't that greedy.
In short, while her "play-acting" duration was still active, 'Hysilens' decided to take a break and continue later due to her agreement with Acheron. She didn't push herself.
Once the session ended, she could just recharge and use it again later. She wasn't in that much of a rush.
'Hysilens' opened her eyes and gave Acheron's palm a little tug. Seeing the other look toward her, she spoke with a smile:
"I’ve hit my limit for now. I’m going to take a break, digest all this, and then keep going."
"Are you sure it’s just for now?"
"You don't believe me?"
Facing 'Hysilens' pouting interrogation, Acheron felt that if she insisted, the other might actually get angry. She helplessly raised her hands in surrender.
"Alright, I take it back."
"That’s more like it. We have a promise, so how could I lie to you?"
'Hysilens' nodded with satisfaction, then gave a long, hard stretch before standing up from the reef. "I’m planning to head out for a bit. Want to come?"
"Where to?"
"The Astral Express. We were talking about Hysilens and Nihility earlier, weren't we? Might as well head over during my break to check things out and clear my head before coming back."
And to earn some Emotion Points while she was at it. Staying at the edge of Nihility during this session meant there were zero points coming in. It was better to go take a stroll around the real person.
Acheron thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "I'll pass. I'm not familiar with them. I'll wait until your issue is resolved, then I'll follow you to make friends."
"...Fine."
'Hysilens' knew Acheron was worried that the Nihility within her might risk infecting others, which made her reluctant to wander around. She didn't force the issue and left the boundary alone.
Returning to the material world, 'Hysilens' sent a message to Himeko, asking where the Express was currently located.
[Himeko: The Express is currently refitting at Penacony. We’re also visiting two seniors. Is something the matter?]
[Nameless: I’m looking for Hysilens and Cerydra. Are they still on the train?]
[Himeko: They are. The Express has been busy putting out fires everywhere lately and we’re short-handed. The two of them decided to postpone their departure until this busy period is over.]
[Nameless: Oh? You're not trying to ask the seniors to come out of retirement, are you?]
[Himeko: We do have that in mind, but it’ll depend on what they say.]
[Nameless: That works out. I'll head over there.]
[Himeko: We'll be waiting.]
--+--
Penacony.
Himeko looked at the message on her screen, wondering what exactly "worked out." Perhaps the other person had business to attend to in Penacony.
After Himeko notified everyone, Hysilens and Cerydra decided they might as well go out to meet the guest themselves.
Of course, part of the reason was that Cerydra was fed up with Mikhail's "great ambition but poor execution" style. The guy had zero management skills yet was forced into a high position.
If it weren't for Tiernan and Gopher Wood helping him out, he would have been scammed into oblivion by now. Cerydra got annoyed just looking at him, so she grabbed Hysilens and left first.
Watching the two ladies leave Dreamflux Reef, Mikhail let out an awkward laugh.
"I’m really being looked down on by my juniors, haha..."
Tiernan nodded seriously, ruthlessly mocking his old friend.
"If you had even half of Miss Cerydra’s methods back then, I wouldn't have had to come in and save your skin. Now I wouldn't have to worry about what would happen to a guy like you if I left."
Himeko, standing nearby, could only offer an awkward but polite smile. What could she even say? When two legendary seniors were teasing each other, it was best to keep her mouth shut.
In the lobby of the Reverie Hotel in the real world of Penacony, 'Hysilens' had just arrived. Gopher Wood was nowhere to be seen, but she did spot those two kids, Robin and Sunday, wandering about.
She didn't go over to tease the children; she was still feeling a bit "gloomy" and didn't want to dampen their spirits. After waiting in the lobby for a while, she saw Cerydra and the real Hysilens walking toward her in a hurry.
At first, the two were searching for a white-haired figure. But soon, Cerydra spotted the traces of the "other" Hysilens.
The little Imperator's eyes widened momentarily before she regained her composure, pulling Hysilens along with her as she walked over.
"Madam Bai Ming?"
"Oh? You actually recognized me. Not bad, not bad at all."
Hysilens looked at her other self, noting the rich expressions on her face, her thoughts unreadable.
"It has been a long time, Madam Bai Ming. It is an honor to be one of the subjects of your play-acting. Though personally, I feel there is nothing about me worth mimicking. I would recommend you choose the Imperator instead; she is clearly more excellent and far greater."
"...I've told you already, all of that is in the past. Now, I am just Cerydra. Nothing more." The small Imperator helplessly corrected the hierarchical tone in the knight's voice.
Their daily interactions had improved so much; why was she reverting now? Who reset her save file!
However, while Cerydra felt helpless, in the eyes of 'Hysilens,' she felt that this "Amphoreus Girl-Lover" Hysilens probably just wanted two Cerydras to appear so she could have double the joy.
"Well, Cerydra, try to be understanding. I think Hysilens just simply wants two Imperators."
"Huh?"
Confusion flitted across Cerydra's face, while a mischievous, wicked grin appeared on 'Hysilens' face. Hysilens suddenly had a very bad feeling. But how could the taciturn woman ever predict what the woman in front of her was about to do?
'Hysilens' suddenly placed one hand over her heart and raised the other, pointing toward Cerydra.
Her expression turned abruptly sorrowful yet calm, like the silent, pitch-black depths of the sea.
"Oh, Imperator... my light, my sun, my law, my King—"
"Wait, Excellency—?!"
Hysilens completely lost her composure. Usually as cold as freezing seawater, she couldn't keep her straight face anymore.
Those were the words in her heart from the past—the words she had never spoken aloud!!
How did she know... No, if she were a god, it would be normal to know, but don't say them in front of the Imperator!! Hysilens felt as if her entire world was collapsing.
Meanwhile, 'Hysilens' was struggling to hold back her laughter.
In the span of that single sentence, the Emotion Point bar on her panel had shot up significantly. It was clear that Hysilens was profoundly shaken.
But...
'Hysilens' looked at their reactions and realized something.
They had already inherited the recorded data of thirty million cycles. Why hadn't these two broken through that "paper-thin" barrier yet? How could they bear not being in a relationship after all that...
'Hysilens' had assumed they were already in that blatant "ambiguous phase," which is why she had come to earn some quick Emotion Points.
Looking at their reactions, that wasn't the case at all. It was ridiculous.
By now, Hysilens was spiraling into a state of anxiety. She felt that if Cerydra knew about these petty thoughts of hers, she would surely be loathed as some "heavy-hearted, obsessive woman."
The mere thought of Cerydra looking at her with such an expression made Hysilens feel like she might faint.
As for Cerydra, she tilted her head, looking at the 'Hysilens' in front of her and then at the clearly flustered Hysilens beside her. She wore a contemplative expression but didn't stop anyone.
To 'Hysilens,' Hysilens' feeble attempts to stop her were useless—not to mention her voice couldn't even drown out her own.
Besides, these two had been "star-crossed lovers" for thirty million lifetimes, and they were still being this wishy-washy? It was frustrating to watch.
Even the Lady Goldweaver over there knew how to catch the little "thief cat" and handle her. How was there no progress on this side? 'Hysilens' felt anxious just looking at them.
And she hadn't expected that the Ocean Titan could actually make such a face. In the old game plot, she always had that frigid, stoic look.
Seeing her like this while earning Emotion Points on the side?
Talk about a win-win!
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 378
--+--
And so, the imitation by 'Hysilens' continued:
"Imperator, don't you understand yet? I have no lingering attachment to the deep seas of my homeland, nor do I yearn for the vast oceans beyond the stars. A fish is a fish, after all; how could she ever truly leave the waters she calls home..."
She wasn't just mimicking; to ensure the performance was authentic and brimming with genuine emotion, 'Hysilens' even tapped into the power of Elation to better inhabit the role.
Cerydra knew perfectly well that the person standing before her wasn't the Hysilens she knew so intimately.
Yet, the raw emotion, the specific cadence of the voice, and lingering sense of Nihility made Cerydra realize that this was an expression the Hysilens she knew would truly wear.
Except...
Cerydra turned her head to look at the actual Hysilens, who had already covered her face with her hands, appearing quite ready to socially withdraw into herself.
"Hysilens, is what you want... truly not the sea beyond the stars?"
"Imperator, I..."
Hysilens found herself momentarily speechless, her voice trembling as she struggled to find the words.
"..."
Seeing her in such a state, a ripple of emotion stirred in Cerydra's heart.
Ever since boarding the Astral Express, Cerydra had only ever asked one thing of Himeko: to take them to see the oceans beyond the stars.
Thus, the Express had journeyed to the oceanic world of Lushaka—a world almost entirely submerged in seawater.
There, Cerydra had fulfilled her promise to Hysilens, bringing the celestial sea to her loyal subject. Cerydra could have sworn that Hysilens was truly satisfied and happy then.
That feeling and that smile—they certainly weren't faked. With the data from thirty million cycles of reincarnation, Cerydra was certain of it.
That was why, when 'Hysilens' stood before her and delivered those lines with such perfect acting, and when Hysilens reacted with more bashfulness than denial, Cerydra realized things weren't quite as she had imagined.
But clearly, our soft-spoken Hysilens was at a complete loss for words. Thoughts and rebuttals flashed through her mind at lightning speed, cycling through countless versions in an instant.
Yet, in reality, all she could manage was a few hesitant stammers, unable to string a coherent sentence together.
It’s fair to say that if she actually had the courage to speak her mind, things wouldn't have been dragged out this long, leaving 'Hysilens' to finally poke a hole through the paper window of their secrets.
Naturally, 'Hysilens' was having a grand time. On one hand, Hysilens' shy reaction was adorable; on the other, the rising emotional value on the display panel was cause for celebration.
Beyond that, 'Hysilens' suddenly understood why Hysilens—an Ocean Titan representing Nihility—had never actually fallen into the abyss of Nihility in reality.
Speaking of the woman herself, the first half of her life was hollow, and the second half was equally void.
But there was that middle period—the time she spent following Cerydra—where her heart had a goal, a yearning.
Or rather, outside of Nihility, Hysilens had an anchor: Cerydra, the one who had picked her up. Because of Cerydra's existence, Hysilens was able to temporarily escape Nihility during those cycles of reincarnation, chasing after her sun and her King in search of meaning.
But after Cerydra died—especially after being killed by Hysilens' own hands—Hysilens would sink into an even purer state of Nihility.
Empty, meaningless, worthless—that was the state of a Hysilens who had lost Cerydra.
Conversely, once Amphoreus became reality and the data from thirty million lifetimes returned, Cerydra stood before her in the flesh. She reached out her hand to Hysilens to fulfill their promise.
To Hysilens, that steadfast anchor truly existed right here; naturally, she lost any fundamental possibility of falling into Nihility.
Nihility is a sluggish thing by nature. If you don't provoke it, it won't go out of its way to provoke you.
As an Ocean Titan, Hysilens represented Nihility, but she carried a spark of light within herself, so she remained untouched by the void. That was how she maintained her normal state.
Still... to think the reason for staying away from Nihility was something like this. It really did have the flavor of an adult fairy tale.
While 'Hysilens' was lost in thought, Hysilens was being pushed to her limit by Cerydra.
Not that Cerydra was actually pressuring her; she understood most of it just by looking at her expression, so she wasn't demanding an answer.
It was simply that Hysilens was overthinking things so much she looked ready to faint.
"Hmm?"
Realizing that Hysilens might actually pass out from the mental strain, 'Hysilens' snapped back to attention. She decided to seize the moment to earn a bit more emotional value.
Once these couple of days passed and the secret was out in the open, earning points just by reciting lines would be nothing more than a dream.
So, this time, 'Hysilens' shifted her tone to something resembling a narrator. Clearing her throat, she began to recite a certain mission description with a mischievous grin:
"Having conquered the sea at the boundary of heaven and earth, they sleep forever amidst the sound of the waves. Sleeping amidst the waves, having conquered the sea at the boundary of heaven and earth. They never feared the prophecy; in fact, they even looked forward to it a little."
"But she does not know that the sea of her dreams is no mere pond. She does not know that the sea of her desires is no deserted shore."
"She does not know that she has no heart for eternal sleep. She does not know that she has no love for conquest—"
Just as 'Hysilens' was getting into the rhythm, Cerydra couldn't help but interrupt.
"Wait—! Madam Bai Ming, this is getting a bit theatrical."
Cerydra glanced at Hysilens and saw the other woman looking back at her. She gave a dry cough.
"Ahem! Madam Bai Ming, your narration is getting more and more convoluted. Let her catch her breath, or she really might faint."
Of course, if one ignored Hysilens' trembling pupils, Cerydra’s words might have carried some weight.
"Imperator... do you really have no love for conquest?"
Until now, Hysilens had assumed that Cerydra hadn't begun a campaign beyond Amphoreus only because she was gathering strength and waiting for the right moment.
As it turned out, it was the complete opposite of what she had thought!
Faced with this question, Cerydra was the one who suddenly found herself speechless. She couldn't help but glare at ‘Hysilens’, who was standing nearby with a beaming smile.
Could this deity act with a bit more dignity?
Was teasing the two of them such a high-class form of entertainment that an Aeon would make a special trip for it?
Cerydra was utterly exasperated. How could there be such a bored Aeon in this world?
However, facing the searching gaze of her subject, Cerydra ultimately sighed and nodded.
As for the reason, she didn't elaborate. With the memories of thirty million lifetimes, there were far too many reasons to count.
Hysilens wanted to delve deeper into the conversation, but Cerydra reached out and covered her mouth.
"Let's find a quiet place to talk in detail. Hysilens, unless you want to stay and hear our Aeon continue her speech for us?"
"..."
The girl, whose actual age was anyone's guess, blushed again.
In truth, Hysilens kind of wanted to keep listening. 'Hysilens' wasn't just exposing her secrets; she was exposing Cerydra’s as well.
If it were just her, it would be the ultimate social death, but if Imperator’s secrets were involved, it was almost like a mutual baring of souls.
While having a third person present made her shame almost unbearable, there was something meaningful about having an Aeon witness it all.
On the other hand, the wicked glint in ‘Hysilens'’ smile was truly unsettling.
Though she had no proof, she had a strong hunch that if the three of them stayed together, the focus would shift back to her.
Then all her little hidden feelings would be laid bare before Cerydra, stripped down to the bone.
She was terrified the other would say something about her inner thoughts that would actually make her faint on the spot. Out of respect, Hysilens didn't dare to argue loudly or cover the Aeon's mouth.
So, after weighing her options, she decided to agree with Cerydra’s decision.
Even if she might find it hard to speak when facing the Imperator alone, she would figure something out then. Anything was better than having her soul bared in public.
'Hysilens' watched as the lord and vassal prepared to sneak off for some private bonding. Although she was curious, she decided to give Hysilens a pass since the harvest had already been so bountiful.
Mostly, it was because Hysilens clearly wasn't used to this sort of thing. Emotional value was tempting, but one had to be careful not to overdo it.
If she actually talked her into a faint, Cerydra would likely lose her temper.
She’d just ask Hysilens for the gossip after they finished their talk. Besides, she hadn't come to Penacony just for this one thing.
"Hysilens, chat later?"
Cerydra pulled on Hysilens' arm, looking over with a wary, protective gaze, as if she were afraid 'Hysilens' might tease her Knight Commander again.
Hysilens, however, nodded in agreement.
"Is Your Excellency going to see Miss Himeko next?"
"No, I have some other business to attend to. I’ll check in on the others later. You two go ahead."
The two nodded and didn't pry further. They turned and left, carrying an atmosphere that was both awkward and strangely intimate.
As for "Hysilens," she found a quiet corner and began to stir the ripples of the Sea of Memory.
Years ago, the surveyor Razalina had merged her life into the Memory Zone to provide the foundation for Penacony's prosperity. One could say Razalina’s death was as final as it gets.
On the other hand, within the Dreamscape, faint traces of her could still be found.
So, there was a possibility. Perhaps the consciousness of Razalina Jane Estella still existed.
Previously, her own power hadn't been enough. But now, with the power of Elation, she could amplify her memory abilities to a considerable degree.
It was time to try and find out.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 379
--+--
For the answer to this question, 'Hysilens' could only search within the confines of a dream.
The ocean of the Memory Zone was a chaotic mess. This was the territory of Remembrance, where only Memory itself could act with such wanton abandon.
Although the character card for the Aeon Fuli hadn't finished recharging yet, it wasn't a major issue. The system reward she’d received back then carried a trace of Fuli’s essence.
When it came to the domain of Remembrance, she lacked the raw scale of an Aeon, but her power was comparable in sheer quality.
Previously, she had struggled with her output, unable to perform a more detailed or thorough scan. But things were different now, bolstered by the empowerment of Elation. She wouldn't go so far as to say she was Fuli’s equal, but she could at least manage ten or twenty percent of THEIR level.
It was precisely because of this that 'Hysilens' had the confidence to go fishing for Razalina’s existence within this turbulent sea of memories.
As her consciousness sank into the Memory Zone, she felt its vastness and disorder. For a moment, she didn't even know where to begin.
"...Now that I think about it, I could have brought Demiurge and Evernight along."
She could have shared some of Elation’s power with them, letting them help search within the Asdana star system. With those two assisting, her workload would have been cut in half.
"But then again, where did those two run off to? I haven't heard a peep from them lately."
If 'Hysilens' didn't know how capable they were, she might have actually worried that something had happened to them. On the flip side, she was now a bit concerned they might be out there causing trouble.
After all, Evernight wasn't exactly known for being polite when she got her hands dirty, and Demiurge was still a young girl with very little world experience.
She truly feared that the day she finally got news of them, it would be accompanied by some massive catastrophe.
'Hysilens' shook her head with a smile and began to wildly expand her perception.
Soon, the memories of the entire Asdana system were enveloped within her senses. Once she moved past Asdana, the density of Memoria plummeted.
The difference in the environment was like stepping from heaven straight into hell. Having reached this limit, 'Hysilens' stopped expanding.
Instead, she took out that mask she rarely used and placed it over her face, releasing the power of Elation to buff herself.
The feedback was almost instantaneous. 'Hysilens' could feel her own power over Remembrance surging rapidly. The energy she had released across Asdana began to penetrate the entire Memory Zone with frantic, exaggerated intensity.
Normally, when power spiked like this, it would cause a Pathstrider to lose control to some degree.
After all, this wasn't her own strength; it was a forced amplification through Elation. In fact, 'Hysilens' felt a flicker of that instability herself.
Fortunately, she was not only a flawless being but also an Aeon of Elation recognized by Aha. Though she didn't walk the Path of Remembrance, she had already experienced power at the Aeon level.
Combined with the stabilizing influence of Equilibrium, she quickly steadied the exaggerated surge after that initial moment of turbulence.
As her power delved deeper into the Memory Zone, 'Hysilens' felt it.
Beneath the chaotic environment, there were many subtle discrepancies.
These weren't variations caused by the environment itself, but something more unique and orderly, hidden within the jumbled mess.
As 'Hysilens' pushed further, she slowly realized what was happening. These things were forming a massive, unstable network along the channels that connected the Sweet Dreams.
Under her probing, these unique, orderly "things" fed back fragments of garbled information.
"...Hmm, why does this massive, strange network feel so bizarre to me?"
'Hysilens' had a faint suspicion in her heart. She didn't dare jump to conclusions, choosing instead to continue her cautious probing.
The power of Remembrance seeped into this special "mechanism" that blanketed Penacony.
While it caused some temporary glitches in the Family's Dreampool functions, the deeper she went, the clearer the picture became. Those jumbled bits of information were pieced together into a whole.
When her power reached a certain depth, 'Hysilens' finally understood the meaning of those messages.
It was a very simple greeting:
'I wish you a pleasant dream.'
Beyond that single sentence, there was nothing else.
'Hysilens'’ first thought was: Razalina can still speak?
Her second thought was: How on earth did that woman pull this off back then, turning herself into... this?
From 'Hysilens'’ perspective, it was as if Razalina had become the very law of guidance itself.
Since this law covered the entire Asdana system, one could say Razalina had merged herself into the star system’s sea of memoria. This entire complex set of rules was her very existence.
'Hysilens' couldn't even say for sure if she still counted as a living being in the broad sense of the word. And considering the extreme chaos of the Memoria ocean, the chances of her being "savable" weren't zero—but they weren't far from it. Still, a search was a search.
At the very least, she didn't have to dredge the entire ocean for a consciousness aimlessly anymore, though it wasn't much better.
'Hysilens' very carefully tried to touch that layer of rules with her power, attempting to analyze and learn from it. In the process, she did find traces of Razalina.
However, because her presence was practically everywhere, the process of locating her actual consciousness became incredibly difficult.
It was possible that the fragile consciousness was hidden within some unremarkable memory shard. Because of that, 'Hysilens' couldn't just sweep through with her power; if she did, any existing consciousness would likely be snuffed out.
Unless she turned into the real Fuli right now, finding Razalina directly would be a monumental task.
'Hysilens' did a rough calculation of the time required and realized this project would take at least a hundred system days.
And then...
"Whew, no, this is taking too long. I really need to call in some help. I can't pour all my remaining time into this during this roleplay cycle."
With her 'Hysilens' character card active, it was obviously easier to understand the Nihility Equation.
Coming out like this to ease her mental stress was one thing, but dumping all her time into this would be a waste.
So, 'Hysilens' chose to suspend the task for now, though she didn't plan to withdraw her power.
Instead, she condensed a mask that looked like it was made of colored glass. The smooth, mirrored surface reflected a seven-colored glow—a crystallization of the power of Remembrance.
'Hysilens' poured the powers of Remembrance and Elation into the mask, tethering the energy she had already spread out to it. This maintained her perception and control over the entire Asdana system.
After all, she had relied on the amplification of Elation to find these secrets hidden beneath the chaos. If she didn't leave behind a medium, Demiurge and Evernight would have nowhere to start when they arrived.
With that finished, 'Hysilens' withdrew her consciousness from the Memory Zone. She then sent messages to both Demiurge and Evernight, asking if they were free.
If she couldn't find them, she’d just have to come back after her character card duration expired.
She had no idea what those two were up to. While their accounts weren't exactly "out of service," they weren't replying either.
So, 'Hysilens' decided to wander around Penacony for a bit and visit some old friends. Since she had come out specifically to dispel the side effects of Nihility, she wasn't in a rush to head back.
She found a spot and recorded several song tutorials and scores for little Robin, saving them into Light Cones to have Gopher Wood deliver them.
It was a way to make sure her singing voice didn't go to waste. Of course, unlike the "inappropriate" songs from last time, the ones she left for little Robin were perfectly fine in both lyrics and melody.
She left six songs in total, including Moon Halo, Rubia, and Da Capo.
It was a pity she didn't get to tease the kid in person, but that would have to wait until their next meeting. Though the influence of Nihility was minuscule, it was better to eradicate it completely.
By the time she finished recording the songs, the side effects had faded. She had originally thought about looking for Hysilens to tease the little Siren again, but since the side effects vanished earlier than expected, she decided to head back.
After confirming that continuing her research wouldn't affect her, 'Hysilens' said her goodbyes to the Express crew and Gopher Wood before leaving Penacony.
Yet, even by the time she returned to the borders of Nihility, Demiurge and Evernight still hadn't replied.
She really wondered what those two were doing.
Returning to the border of Nihility, she stepped back to Acheron's side.
Acheron stared directly into 'Hysilens'’ eyes, as if trying to find something hidden within them. After staring intently for quite a while, Acheron finally let her off the hook, though she sounded hesitant:
"Have you really... rested enough?"
'Hysilens' couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and gave Acheron's cheeks a firm squeeze.
"You've been staring for so long, and you're still not sure? If something was wrong, I wouldn't have come back."
Acheron didn't resist; she just smiled and nodded.
The two of them found a flat spot to sit down again. 'Hysilens' looked out at the calm, pitch-black sea and slowly began to settle back into her zone. As she did, she chatted with Acheron:
"Oh, right. I went to Penacony this time. Guess what I found."
"What?"
"A Nameless from the Astral Express who might actually still be savable. She’s practically fused with Penacony’s Memory Zone. I thought she was a goner for sure; it’s pretty wild."
'Hysilens' shared her experiences piece by piece with Acheron. Acheron listened quietly, the smile on her face filled with a sense of peace.
--+--
Star Rail Impostor! - 380
--+--
The reply from Demiurge arrived several days after 'Hysilens' had returned to the borders of Nihility.
Fortunately, she’d had the foresight to leave a mask draped over one of Herta’s puppets back at the Space Station, allowing her to reach the outside world through the power of Elation.
Had she missed Demiurge’s message this time, there was no telling when she’d manage to track them down again.
So, she shifted a fraction of her focus, tethering her consciousness to that specific puppet on the station.
The moment she synced up, however, 'Hysilens' felt something was off.
The little formal dress the puppet wore had been swapped for a light-colored outfit, and even the hair had turned snow-white. A quick flick through the puppet’s internal logs revealed the culprit.
After that woman Herta discovered 'Hysilens' had "requisitioned" this particular unit, she had personally come over to give it a makeover, remodeling it into a puppet of Bai Ming as a young girl.
Aside from the style being somewhat similar to the original, the entire palette had been shifted to lighter tones.
"...Talk about having too much time on her hands," 'Hysilens' muttered with a wry smile.
Then, without the slightest hint of politeness, she took full ownership of the puppet.
She pulled up a floating screen and logged into her account. Both Demiurge and Evernight had replied; they’d even started a three-person group chat.
[Demiurge: Looking for us for something~?]
[Evernight: Is it urgent?]
[Nameless: It’s alright. What were you two even doing? I sent those messages ages ago.]
[Evernight: Bad timing. We were at the Garden of Recollection back then.]
[Nameless: ??]
[Nameless: You two didn't tear the Garden of Recollection apart, did you...]
[Demiurge: Hehe~ You’re exaggerating. We don’t have that kind of patience.]
'Hysilens' let out a sigh of relief at Demiurge’s reply.
[Nameless: You scared me. So, what were you doing there?]
[Evernight: We gave everyone in the Garden a solid thrashing, their boss included. We just managed to shake off their pursuit, so now we have a moment to reply.]
[Nameless: ...]
[Nameless: ...]
[Demiurge: Oh, don't worry, Sister. We knew when to stop. Besides, it’s all their fault—they just wouldn't leave little Night-Night alone.]
[Evernight: ...I told you not to call me that.]
[Demiurge: What’s the harm~? It’s cute.]
Reading the shocking dialogue between the two, 'Hysilens' couldn't help but palm her face and sigh. Just what on earth could have happened to make these two single-handedly take on the entire Garden of Recollection?
[Nameless: So you guys... forget it, let’s talk details offline. When can you get back? I need a favor.]
[Demiurge: Soon! We’re already on our way back.]
[Evernight: Yeah. And as it happens, I have some things I want to ask you about.]
[Nameless: Fine. I’ll wait for you at the Space Station.]
'Hysilens' shook her head. As for the brawl with the Garden of Recollection, she’d have to wait until she saw them in person to ask what that was all about.
She didn't even know if they’d won or lost—and if they won, to what extent? Would the Garden come looking for revenge later?
After waiting at the station for about half a day, Demiurge and Evernight arrived. 'Hysilens' cast a glance behind them, but saw no signs of any pursuers.
Before she could even get a word out, Demiurge’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the pint-sized puppet. She lunged forward and scooped the puppet into a tight embrace.
"Tiny Sister is so cute~!"
'Hysilens' ignored the pink-haired menace and turned her gaze toward the more composed Evernight. Evernight merely smiled and shrugged.
"It wasn't much, really. We just found out the Garden of Recollection still hasn't given up their schemes, so we decided to teach them a lesson. With Demiurge and me working together, they couldn't do a thing to us."
"Besides, with you as our backing, they just have to swallow the loss."
"...They aren't stupid, are they? Or are you just using me as an excuse?"
'Hysilens' found the whole thing a bit absurd. First there was Noa’s grand manifestation, then her own public ascension to Aeonhood.
Most of the Pure Children, even if they weren't exactly slacking off, wouldn't be bold enough to move against Evernight while 'Hysilens' was at the height of her power.
It felt more like Evernight had simply seized an opportunity to settle a score.
Evernight let out a cold laugh.
"The ones who actually moved were the Memokeepers, but the rest of them aren't innocent. In the past, I lacked the power. Now that I have the toughest backer in the universe, isn't it only natural to return the favor?"
"......"
'Hysilens' shook her head helplessly. But since it was already done, it was time for business.
"Let’s focus on the task at hand. Demiurge, put me down first."
"Eh~? Isn't it nice sitting in your sister's arms? I love Sister’s new look."
Demiurge pouted, squinting as she nuzzled her face into the puppet’s hair a few times before reluctantly letting go. 'Hysilens' steadied the puppet and looked at the two Pure Children.
"Here’s the deal. This time, I need you two to help me find something within Penacony’s Memory Zone..."
She briefly explained the situation she’d discovered at Penacony, along with her recent findings and theories.
"In short, I want to ask you to help me search for any sign that Razalina might still exist. I’m too slow on my own, and I’ve been busy with other things lately, so I can't devote enough focus to this side."
Demiurge and Evernight exchanged a glance before turning back to 'Hysilens'.
"Since it’s Sister’s request, of course I’ll say yes~"
Evernight nodded in agreement. She had no objections to helping out.
"Since you’ve already arranged everything over there, Demiurge and I can head straight to Penacony in a bit."
"No rest for a couple of days?"
"No need. We can rest after we get there."
Seeing how proactive Evernight was, 'Hysilens' smiled and nodded. Then she asked, "By the way, Evernight, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
"There are a few things. I want to know more about 'March 7th.' Can you tell me about her?"
"Huh?"
'Hysilens' looked at Evernight in a daze.
How did March 7th even come up? She had assumed that this girl might never be born in this timeline.
After all, Evernight hadn't been backed into a corner or chased until she was weary of life.
Now, she was even out raiding the Garden of Recollection with Demiurge. How could the name "March 7th" still surface?
As if she had anticipated the confusion, Evernight said with a smile, "Actually, I just suddenly felt a bit... empty. While we were fighting our way into the Garden."
Evernight began to share her thoughts. Just as 'Hysilens' had guessed, once two Aeon-level entities appeared among the Pure Children, this unique "battle royale" lost all meaning.
In terms of status and identity, no one could compare to Madam Bai Ming, who created an Aeon and then became one herself.
In terms of character, no one could catch up to Noa, who carried hope itself. At first, Evernight didn't have many thoughts on the matter.
But when she and Demiurge broke into the Garden and she watched those people who used to target her turn hysterical... those loathsome, calculating figures were now driven to madness and despair because their hopes were shattered.
All their schemes, all the struggles she had endured—it all seemed to lose its meaning. And as that hatred reached its final conclusion, for some reason, Evernight felt a wave of boredom.
It was a sense of emptiness that comes at the end of chaos and struggle, a realization that everything felt hollow.
Looking back at her own past, Evernight suddenly became curious about one thing.
If those unpleasant base colors were erased, what kind of pattern would have grown on her original, blank canvas? What would that version of herself, the one named "March 7th," have been like?
March 7th. What a lovely name. How could one not be curious? So, Evernight chose to come and see 'Hysilens', the one who knew that future.
"...So, you’re curious about March 7th? Evernight, this nihilistic state you’re in is a bit dangerous."
"I know. That’s why I came to you."
Evernight was well aware her mindset was in a bad place. But more than that, she wanted answers.
"Alright. I can tell you everything I know. Afterwards, you can also go to the Land of Light and ask Divine Herta; she should know a few things too."
"Thank you for indulging me, Madam Bai Ming."
Evernight gave an elegant bow. Nearby, Demiurge had secured tea and snacks from Celenova, looking perfectly ready to settle in for a story.
"I’ll ask one thing first. If you like what you hear, will you let March 7th be born?"
"......"
Evernight fell into silence. She nodded, then shook her head. "I’m not sure. Maybe, maybe not."
Right now, Evernight was only curious. Whether she would actually go through with it was hard to say.
Hearing this, 'Hysilens' shrugged. She hadn't expected things to come full circle like this.
She had been thinking that if the Express crew didn't have March 7th to liven things up, they’d just be a bunch of sticks-in-the-mud.
"Fine then. I’ll tell you everything I remember about March 7th."
'Hysilens' began to recount the March 7th she remembered, starting from the adventures on the Space Station, including details from character stories and various snippets of text.
Everything she had seen and remembered, she told to Evernight.
Though she used to tease March for being a bit of a scatterbrain online, from another perspective, there was a lot to love about her. She was sunny, optimistic, and full of life.
Even with her memory loss and the mystery of her origins, she never made others worry about her.
While she often seemed airheaded, her virtues were too many to count in one breath. There was a reason people said March 7th felt like the perfect "girl next door." That was where her charm lay.
As 'Hysilens' spoke, there was no doubt that Evernight felt that charm as well. Even Demiurge was taken aback.
"Wow—that’s the first time I’ve seen little Night-Night give such a gentle smile. So cute~! Your smiles used to be scary enough to kill."
"...Stop calling me that!"
Evernight’s smile vanished instantly as she glared at Demiurge.
--+--