"Sales are booming. All major factions are scrambling to place orders," Jade quickly typed in reply to Herta. "After all, the Interastral Peace Entertainment ran advertisements, and the Xianzhou Alliance cooperated as well... As for the Family, although they were somewhat reluctant to promote the company's campaign, they ultimately compromised and carried out some publicity."
"In short, the Soul Gem has become the top trending headline on the interastral network recently."
"Even I purchased a Soul Gem and performed a blood-binding ritual with it."
"It's quite marvelous. Carrying it on me actually amplifies my power along the Path of Preservation. From that perspective alone, it's already no weaker than a Light Cone from the Garden of Recollection."
Jade added with a sigh, "And more importantly, the Soul Gems you manufacture, Miss Herta, are technological products—they can be mass-produced. Light Cones from the Garden of Recollection are different. They require specialized techniques and a one-of-a-kind memory."
"And every Memokeeper treasures their precious memories and refuses to share them."
"This directly results in extremely low Light Cone production across the cosmos. Their manufacturing efficiency simply cannot compare to that of Soul Gems."
Herman replied, "That's not entirely accurate. The Garden of Recollection also possesses exceptionally powerful Light Cones. For example, one that records the destruction of an Aeon—that's a legendary mythic Light Cone. It documents the fall of an Aeon and contains countless profound mysteries. It far surpasses the current version of the Soul Gem."
"The current version of the Soul Gem... Miss Herta, are you saying you're going to upgrade it further?!"
Recalling how Herta had been obsessively researching upgrades for the Soul Gem within the Simulated Laboratory, Herman spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Of course. A Soul Gem that can't let a girl transform wouldn't satisfy me."
Jade responded, "I eagerly anticipate your next round of research results, Miss Herta. If a Soul Gem 2.0 version goes on sale, no matter the price, I will purchase it!"
"Oh, and Miss Jade, let me remind you of something. The more luxurious the outfit you wear, the greater the amplification."
"Understood, Miss Herta. When the Soul Gems are sold, we'll make sure to inform buyers of that detail."
"Good."
Herman nodded, about to end the chat, when a new notification popped up on his phone.
It was a photograph of Jade wearing a beach straw hat adorned with a purple rose, dressed in an elegant outfit that exuded danger and pride.
At the same time, she sent another message: "After changing into this outfit, I can clearly feel the Soul Gem's amplification of my Path power increasing. Miss Herta, do you see any areas that could be improved?"
"Not bad."
After glancing over it a few times, Herman offered his evaluation, then closed the chat interface and opened the interastral network. It didn't take long to confirm that Soul Gems had indeed dominated the trending charts.
Some users had already uploaded selfies wearing ornate outfits, Soul Gems in hand, posing as magical girls.
Herman scrolled carefully and soon spotted a few familiar faces.
A gray-haired girl wearing a raccoon mask, holding a wooden stick high, dressed in shorts that revealed a pair of slender legs, striking an over-the-top pose.
The moment Herman saw the photo, he immediately made a judgment.
If nothing unexpected had occurred, that person was most likely the future Trailblazer, Stelle.
At present, however, Stelle had not yet lost her memory and still belonged to the Stellaron Hunters. Yet judging by her appearance, she looked just as "spirited" as she would after amnesia.
Herman continued browsing and discovered that Stelle, still wearing the raccoon mask, had also uploaded a photo of herself inside a medical facility alongside a white-haired girl lying in a recovery pod. The two of them were holding a pair of Soul Gems together.
The caption read:
"This world holds miracles and magic. One day in the future, my friend will definitely overcome her illness!"
After reading the post, Herman immediately confirmed that the girl lying in the recovery pod—cared for by Stelle—was Firefly. The joy on Firefly's face beside Stelle could not be faked.
Seeing this, Herman thought to himself.
Miracles and magic did not exist in the past. They do not exist now.
But in the future, the estranged Pathstrider of Propagation suffering from Entropy Loss Syndrome may not be beyond saving.
After all, this vast universe contains Herta—bound to the Research System. As long as she continues her research, continues earning research points, increases her research levels, and completes Legendary Achievements...
One day, her accumulated research points will break through the Knowable Domain delineated by Nous, surpass boundaries, surpass barriers.
At that time, the magical girl Soul Gem she researches will inevitably undergo its final sublimation—and it will certainly be able to cure Firefly's Entropy Loss Syndrome.
After all, magical girls are synonymous with the beauty of the world.
After finishing that train of thought, Herman searched further but found no photos of Silver Wolf. This led him to speculate that at this point in time, Silver Wolf had either not yet debuted as Punklorde's legendary hacker—or perhaps she was still underage.
Which was it? Herman did not know.
...
On the planet Punklorde—a cyberpunk metropolis—every person born into that star system was a natural hacker, equipped with a cartridge.
More importantly, every cartridge had a fixed level. The hierarchy and class divisions of Punklorde were unmistakably rigid.
And yet, in this neon-drenched, emotionally frigid city, there existed a little girl born without a cartridge.
Her name was Silver Wolf.
She had always wandered alone, surviving in the scrapyard mountains, barely clothed and barely fed. In her eyes, the reality of Punklorde was nothing more than a garbage-tier game.
Not long ago, however, she had dug up a peculiar blank cartridge.
Whether due to talent—or some other reason—she managed to activate that blank cartridge, gaining a level display: LV: 0.
She regarded it as her cheat as a player—a plug-in.
Thus began her solitary journey of leveling up.
She fought Punklorde's stray dogs and black wolves.
After some time, everything unfolded exactly as she had imagined. Her in-game level on the cartridge truly increased. She even unlocked the profession of Punklorde Hacker.
The only thing that frustrated her was that hacker knowledge had to be learned manually. It could not be obtained through killing monsters and leveling up.
That only reinforced her belief: Reality was a trash game.
The one saving grace was her exceptional talent in hacking. In a short span of time, she had already honed her skills to considerable depth.
And on this particular day, she infiltrated the internal network of Punklorde's Scrapyard Gang leadership—and obtained a piece of special intelligence:
The 83rd Seat of the Genius Society, Herta, had developed a Soul Gem capable of creating miracles. It was said that the Soul Gem was related to magical girls—and the Scrapyard Gang's leadership had purchased one.
Silver Wolf blinked.
Then she immediately realized that the Soul Gem was highly likely to become her second cheat.
Without hesitation, she sprang into action to seize the Soul Gem.
Hacker · Silver Wolf, commencing operation.
In the field of Aether Editing, she completely crushed the Scrapyard Gang.
Silver Wolf successfully completed the mission—seizing the Soul Gem purchased by the gang's leadership—and performed her quest settlement.
As a result, her player cartridge level rose to 50.
At the same time, she received a special system prompt:
Soul Gem—A super game item crafted by the super-super genius, the 83rd Seat of the Genius Society, Miss Herta. After blood-binding, it provides a comprehensive 10% amplification to the player's power!
"Just as I thought. A cheat-level game item. A ten percent boost—not bad at all."
Delighted, Silver Wolf equipped the Soul Gem.
Soon, she discovered the item possessed a hidden function.
The more magical-girl-themed the outfit, the greater the item's amplification strength.
After reading that, she took a deep breath and thought to herself.
For higher-level amplification, it looks like I'll have to change my daily wardrobe...
Several days later, Silver Wolf appeared on missions dressed in elaborate attire, hood drawn over her head—an eccentric sight if ever there was one.
Thus, Punklorde gained a new legend: the Miracle Magical Girl Hacker, Silver Wolf.
As the first person to dress as a magical girl while going out on missions, her legend rating rose quickly.
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Xianzhou Yuque, General Yao Guang also donned a Soul Gem to enhance herself.
Combining it with the Solitary Waves Theory that had already been integrated into her Fortune Hexagram calculations, she performed a divination.
Very soon, she arrived at a shocking result.
Within one to two Amber Eras in the future, the Xianzhou Alliance would face a catastrophic calamity.
The Xianzhou Fanghu, Xianzhou Yaoqing, Xianzhou Luofu, Xianzhou Yuque—and many other Xianzhou ships—would all face the danger of destruction.
The outcome caused Yao Guang's expression to grow incomparably grave.
The shadow of war is approaching once again. But will it be the allied armies of the Abominations of Abundance? A Lord Ravager of Destruction? Or perhaps a war among Aeons...
No. This must be reported to Marshal Hua. The highest authorities of the Alliance must treat this with utmost seriousness.
After all, one or two Amber Eras amounted to little more than a hundred or two hundred years in the Star Calendar.
That was far too short.
Roughly the span of time it took an ordinary Xianzhou native to grow from birth to adulthood...
With that thought, Yao Guang reported the matter to Marshal Hua.
Marshal Hua treated the report with extreme seriousness.
She immediately convened a high-level meeting and, during the session, asked Yao Guang how she had managed to foresee events more than a hundred Star Calendar years into the future.
"It was all thanks to Miss Herta's assistance," Yao Guang replied without hesitation, revealing the truth within the conference chamber. "All of you know that not long ago, I steered the Xianzhou Yuque to The Blue. It was during that visit that I reached a cooperation agreement with the 83rd Seat of the Genius Society, Miss Herta."
"In exchange, I obtained the Solitary Waves Theory. By integrating it into my Fortune Hexagram calculations, and with the amplification of the Soul Gem—along with the divine authority of the Reignbow Arbiter, the Eye of Īśvara—I succeeded in glimpsing the crisis more than a century into the future."
Upon hearing this, the assembled Xianzhou generals—and even the Marshal—found Yao Guang's explanation astonishing, even bordering on unbelievable.
Seeing their expressions, Yao Guang calmly continued her explanation.
"The Solitary Waves Theory is known throughout the cosmos as the Fourth Cosmic Conundrum. But it is more than merely a difficult problem. When integrated into Fortune Hexagram calculations, it elevates the precision of my divination and allows me to forecast more accurate futures."
"As for the Soul Gem, its effects are extraordinary. It can even provide a slight enhancement to an Emanator."
The room fell silent.
Originally seated with his eyes half-closed as though dozing, General Jing Yuan of the Xianzhou Luofu now opened them fully, his expression turning serious.
General Huaiyan of the Xianzhou Zhuming lifted the brim of his bamboo hat, revealing a solemn gaze.
The Vanquishing General of the Xianzhou Yaoqing likewise wore a grave expression.
Even Marshal Hua of the Alliance was no exception—her face tightening.
A moment later, Marshal Hua spoke.
"Yao Guang, are you certain? That genius' research—the Soul Gem and the Solitary Waves Theory—can truly amplify a Xianzhou general's Path output capability and divination ability?"
"It's true. I, Yao Guang, do not lie," she answered. Then she clapped her hands lightly. "Furthermore, I have already purchased six Soul Gems. You may warp here personally and experience their effects for yourselves."
In the next instant, the generals and the Marshal—who had been attending the meeting remotely—each invoked their Emanator-level authority and divine might.
In a flash, the Xianzhou generals crossed the sea of stars and descended into the conference chamber.
Around each of them lingered the divine manifestation of the Reignbow Arbiter's Hunt.
Their presence was terrifyingly imposing.
Even the air within the chamber seemed to fall silent.
—
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