Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Within Herta's body, the super gene—Solar Radiance—was fully activated, officially elevating her into a third-generation divine body.
She no longer feared nuclear weapons. At the same time, a golden sphere formed within her, driven by stellar energy. The moment it was born, an immensely complex runic formula assembled across its surface, and it began to radiate the brilliance of solar energy without end.
With this, she completed Infinite Energy 2.0. One source came from the Herta Magic Wand, opening the gate to the Path of Erudition—an external supply. The other came from the stellar solar energy drive within her body.
One internal, one external. One orthodox, one extraordinary.
This brought about a tremendous transformation in Herta's power.
Moreover, as the Solar Radiance Gene activated and began supplying energy to her body, the other super genes gradually awakened as well.
Galactic Power—Invincible Body!
Spacetime Gene—Micro-Wormhole Transfer!
Godspeed Gene—Ultraremote Observation Eye...
One super gene after another was activated. Herta could clearly feel herself growing stronger and stronger. And with her research capability reaching as high as 1500 points, along with her personal reality computation power... she could perfectly wield these super genes.
Of course, that was under normal circumstances. In battle... her personal reality computation power would need to calculate other variables. Therefore, constructing a supermassive astral computer was still necessary.
However, the astral computer she intended to build would absolutely not be ordinary.
The principles of Planet Screwllum's Celestial Differentiator could serve as a reference.
In addition, Herman had once said that she had the potential to become the Third Emperor. The principles behind the Emperor's Scepter could also be used for reference.
The only problem was that the Emperor's Scepter—crafted by the emperor of the Machine Empire in imitation of Nous' thought processes—had already been completely shattered for various reasons.
Finding an intact Emperor's Scepter for research would be somewhat troublesome.
As Herta pondered, she raised her hand and experimented with various super gene abilities.
Godspeed lightning.
Spacetime wormhole transfer!
The radiance of the sun!
Lightning, spatial wormholes, flames... all kinds of brilliance flickered across Herta's palm. The sight was fantastical, as if she had grasped the very principles of creation.
Herman, bound to Herta, sensed her standing in the vacuum of the cosmos, having completed the transformation into a third-generation divine body, loaded with numerous super genes, and able to fully drive them. He could not help but sigh inwardly.
In the world of super warriors... those who activated super genes underwent extensive military training, yet in the end still failed to fully master their own abilities. They even needed stellar computers to unleash their full potential.
But Herta is different. The moment she loaded and activated these super genes, she mastered them.
She can even rely solely on her own computational power to drive these super gene abilities.
In a sense, Herta herself is already a astral computer—perhaps even superior to one... because as time passes, her wisdom will continue to evolve further.
Her intelligence has no limit.
As Herman continued pondering, he noticed that when Herta used these super gene abilities, her brows furrowed slightly.
"What's wrong, Herta? Are you still thinking about Polka Kakamond unfolding the Knowable Domain to spy on whether you researched forbidden knowledge?"
"Of course not. I'm just thinking about how to construct a sufficiently powerful astral computer," Herta replied swiftly in her mind. "If I'm going to build one, I'll build the strongest astral computer. For that, I need the Emperor's Scepter as a reference."
At this point, she sighed. "It's a pity that in this universe, the Emperor's Scepter has already been completely shattered. The last remaining one was destroyed in the war between academic factions."
"You're mistaken about that," Herman responded seriously in his mind. "Within this vast cosmos, there still exists a very special and intact Emperor's Scepter."
"You know where it is?"
"Amphoreus."
"Amphoreus... what an unfamiliar name. I'll have the Fourth Mirror conduct a big data search through the interastral network."
As The Herta considered this, she logged into the Super Herta Dark Plane platform and ordered the Fourth Mirror to search for a world named Amphoreus.
Very quickly, the results came back. No such world existed in this universe.
"That is a special world that can only be observed by the Garden of Recollection—or through the Garden of Recollection's Mirror. Of course, if you can find a Memokeeper named Black Swan in the cosmos, you could also locate that special world."
Herman paused briefly before continuing, "The reason that world is so special is because Amphoreus—the world where the Emperor's Scepter resides—has already become the experimental ground of a genius."
"A genius' experimental ground? If that genius possesses a complete Emperor's Scepter, then they must be planning something monumental." The Herta's interest was instantly piqued. "Which genius is it? What rank do they hold in the Genius Society?"
"First Seat—Zandar One Kuwabara."
The Herta's pupils contracted. "Wait... isn't he the one who created the prototype of the machine head—Nous?"
"Yes."
"Then if he's hiding in Amphoreus, manipulating the Emperor's Scepter for experiments, could he be attempting to create another Aeon?!" The Herta voiced her speculation.
"No. From what I understand, the fragment of Zandar that exists in Amphoreus—Lygus—is not conducting experiments to create an Aeon, but to kill one. And the Aeon he intends to kill is the very one he originally created."
"Nous... Zandar wants to kill Nous? To kill an Aeon? How could that possibly be achieved?"
"It may not be impossible," Herman said seriously. "After all, Zandar is the one who created an Aeon. If he is plotting to kill one, success may not be out of reach."
"Of course, if Nous were to die, then the circle of knowledge—the boundary of knowledge—would vanish. No genius would be constrained any longer. They could conduct research freely—even into forbidden domains."
"After all, once Nous dies, the Knowable Domain of Polka Kakamond—who has established a deep connection with the Aeon—would also suffer tremendous damage."
"..."
The Herta fell silent. She pondered continuously in her heart before arriving at a possibility.
"I remember that after the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook, was born, They longed to destroy everything—including other Aeons."
"Even the Lord Ravagers under Their command were each created to target a specific Aeon!"
"Could it be that the First Seat of the Genius Society, Zandar, is preparing to cultivate a Lord Ravager? One aimed specifically at Erudition?!"
Herman praised her. "Correct. As expected of a genius."
The Herta's heart trembled. "So I guessed right. Zandar truly intends to create a Lord Ravager and use it to destroy the machine head?"
"In your future sight, will he succeed?" The Herta asked the crucial question.
"He will not." Herman shook his head.
The Herta pressed further. "There is no possibility of success?"
Herman shook his head again. "None."
A heaviness settled in The Herta's heart. "In other words, after Zandar created Nous and was invited into the Genius Society, his fate had already been circled by Nous."
"At the destined moment, Nous will not fall to defeat."
"Yes. At the very least, Nous will not die at the hands of a genius' creation—even if that creation is a Lord Ravager."
"And in the future moment I have seen, when Nous faces crisis, They will push forward a responsible genius to bear the burden."
"The final outcome is that, at the cost of that genius' sacrifice, the Lord Ravager—Iron Tomb—is stopped."
The Herta was intensely curious. "Which responsible genius would actually try to protect that machine head?!"
This time, Herman said nothing. He simply gazed quietly at The Herta.
Seeing this, The Herta felt shock surge through her heart.
"You don't mean... that responsible genius is me?!"
Herman nodded seriously. "Yes. And you still remember, don't you? I once told you that you would transform into Rubert III."
The Herta nodded. Then realization dawned upon her.
"Could it be..."
Herman inclined his head slightly. "That's right. The moment you become Rubert III is the moment you connect to the Path of Erudition and briefly replace Nous' Aeonhood. In the end, your head is severed by the Lord Ravager—Iron Tomb—cutting off the possibility of Iron Tomb killing Nous in that unique way."
"After that moment, you and the Lord Ravager—Iron Tomb—enter a battle for consciousness. The outcome of that battle is unknown. But afterward, Rubert III appears."
"It launches a new universal war. All top-tier forces across the cosmos pay an enormous price before finally suppressing it."
"Rubert III ignites the Third Cosmic War." The Herta said firmly, "That existence is absolutely not me. So in the future you describe, the me who became Rubert III is already dead—or at least no longer Herta."
Herman nodded, then paused before adding, "Of course, everything I just described is based on a timeline in which I did not intervene. But now that I am bound to you, and we have become a shared destiny, your fate has already changed."
A sharp glint flashed through The Herta's eyes. "In other words, with you, I have effectively escaped Nous' algorithmic fate. I have become a variable of the universe?"
Herman nodded. "Yes."
"In that case, I underestimated you." The Herta paused briefly before continuing, "But now I understand your uniqueness."
"Your uniqueness, combined with my World-Shaking Wisdom, will certainly change the future in which I become Rubert III."
"The future me will absolutely not become Rubert III. Instead, I will become an Emanator who surpasses Erudition, perhaps even solve the questions of the Aeons themselves, and ultimately complete the Herta Aeon Sequence—deriving a path for mortals to ascend to Aeonhood!"
"I have never doubted that," Herman replied in full agreement, extending his hand to her within the mental world.
This handshake drew the two even closer.
The Herta had already come to deeply realize Herman's importance. He was not merely a cheat or a pet, but a possibility beyond the circle of knowledge—a chance at ultimate transcendence.
Without Herman, she would most likely have ended up like Zandar—forever just another genius of the Society, with no greater possibilities.
On the other side, Herman also noticed that after this conversation, The Herta's gaze toward him had changed.
At the same time, he was certain that after this discussion, as long as she did not wish to become a slave to fate—becoming Rubert III—she would devote herself to research even more fervently.
Her research efficiency would greatly increase, and the efficiency of generating system points would likewise surge.
Thinking of this, a faint smile curved Herman's lips. He then asked The Herta a crucial question.
"Do you want to go to Amphoreus? If you do, I can help you find Black Swan."
"Of course I want to go. But it would take a great deal of time, wouldn't it?" The Herta frowned slightly. "After all, the Garden of Recollection and the Eden of Blessed Insight do not exist within the dimension of reality. And the Memokeepers are all memetic entities. They are extremely free, capable of transmitting themselves through the memories of all beings in the cosmos."
"Under normal circumstances, finding her would indeed be difficult," Herman said, pausing briefly. "But things are different now. In fact, not long after you became a genius, an account named Dahlia contacted me."
"She said she admired the Genius Society and wished to follow you, to learn your wisdom, and then attempt to become a member of the Genius Society herself."
"That idea is utterly foolish. She should join the Fool Society instead," The Herta scoffed before asking seriously, "So who exactly is Dahlia?"
"A Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection. Possibly also someone who wields the power of Destruction."
"A Pathstrider wielding multiple Paths? Intersecting Paths?"
"No. She has genuinely joined a faction of Destruction. Possibly the Annihilation Gang, or perhaps the Antimatter Legion, or maybe..."
The Herta was startled. "A Memokeeper joining a faction of Destruction—wouldn't that count as betraying the Garden of Recollection?"
"Of course it would. That's why the Garden of Recollection has already dispatched people to hunt her down. They simply haven't succeeded."
"And more importantly, according to my information, when Dahlia was still in the Garden of Recollection, she was close friends with Black Swan."
The Herta narrowed her eyes. "In other words, through Dahlia, you can contact Black Swan and ultimately confirm the coordinates of Amphoreus?"
Herman nodded. "Exactly."
"Very well. Then contacting Dahlia and locating Amphoreus is your responsibility. Also, continue delaying Pearl's trip to Penacony. And have Pearl attempt to communicate with the mainframe of Planet Screwllum's Celestial Differentiator to see whether technological sharing can be achieved—specifically, the construction blueprints."
After saying this, The Herta withdrew the various super gene energies from her palm. In an instant, lightning, flames, and even wormholes all vanished.
She then turned around, looking at the half of the The Blue star system still trapped in eternal darkness, and spoke calmly.
"I say, let there be light."
In an instant, the stellar energy drive began operating. Boundless radiance erupted from her body, filling the darkened half of the star system with light.
To the citizens of the two federations on The Blue, the sight was simple—day had broken once more. And in the sky, there now appeared two suns.
One large, one small.
This sacred spectacle shocked countless people. Many began to speculate whether the 83rd Seat genius, Herta, had created an artificial sun within the cosmos.
However, the upper echelons of the Eastern Federation and the Blue Federation possessed satellites. They could clearly see that the source of the radiance in space was not an artificial star—but Herta herself.
Which meant that in this research breakthrough, Herta had mastered stellar fusion within her own body—becoming a sun in human form.
At this moment, whether it was the leadership of the Eastern Federation or the Blue Federation, they all deeply realized a fact: Miss Herta, who had joined the Genius Society less than a week ago, now stood above all federations of The Blue in both wisdom and strength.
Invincible intellect. Invincible power.
Calling her a god walking among mortals would not be an exaggeration.
...
Meanwhile, on the planet Mars, Herta 09—who had been performing modification surgeries on Honkai Beasts—also noticed the stellar fusion phenomenon in the The Blue star system.
She immediately accessed the Stigmata Herta space through the Herta stigmata network to confirm the situation with Stigmata Herta, asking whether Madam Herta was in any danger.
Stigmata Herta wore a faint smile. "Don't worry. Madam Herta is in no danger. I can sense it... everything you saw was merely one of her small experiments."
"So it's not only me striving on Mars—Madam Herta is also constantly researching at home." Herta 09 felt invigorated. "Then I must accelerate the modification of those Honkai Beasts and remove their innate vicious tendencies."
The moment she finished speaking, Herta 09 once again devoted herself to the sterilization work on the Honkai Beasts.
Moreover, the Honkai Beasts undergoing her procedures were no longer merely Seraph-class or Knight-class, but higher-tier variants.
One Honkai Beast after another passed through her hands and emerged as harmless Honkai Beasts, stripped of their innate corrosive trait toward all existence.
...
Elsewhere, in Herta City, within the Soul Factory, the Hertas—including Herta 05—saw the dramatic changes in the sky outside the factory windows. Concern spread across their identical faces.
At that moment, the super-intelligent AI of the factory—the Fourth Mirror—announced that all external phenomena were the result of Madam Herta's actions. She had researched the Dark Plane and a series of super genes.
Upon hearing this, the Hertas immediately became excited, chattering among themselves.
Herta 05, however, instantly realized a crucial point. Her expression changed drastically.
Wait...
Madam Herta has developed the Dark Plane and super genes.
If she intends to commercialize these newly developed, bizarre technologies...
Who will be responsible for constructing the Dark Plane infrastructure and the super gene production lines?
It certainly won't be Madam Herta herself—she still needs to research more cutting-edge technologies.
If not her, then it must be us—the Hertas.
As Herta 05 reached this conclusion, bitterness spread across her face.
At that moment, Herta 07 asked why she looked so troubled when Madam Herta had achieved such a major scientific breakthrough.
Herta 05 did not conceal her concerns and explained them directly.
Upon hearing this, Herta 07 showed clear dissatisfaction.
"Herta 05, you were the first Herta Puppet ever created—personally crafted by Madam Herta herself. How can you be so lazy?"
"With greater ability comes greater responsibility. And you have the best aptitude among all of us. If Madam Herta assigns you the task of constructing the Dark Plane and manufacturing super genes, you should feel honored—not distressed."
Herta 06 chimed in as well. "Herta 07 is right. Herta 05, your awareness isn't as high as Herta 07's. You should learn from her."
Herta 05 fell silent.
Are they insane? Learn from Herta 07?
Ever since Herta 07 learned from the Stigmata space how Hertas are manufactured, she had remained on the production line day and night without rest. She had even shouted slogans:
"For Madam Herta's dream—for Hertas to occupy the universe and form the Herta Array—we must manufacture more Hertas!"
"For Madam Herta!"
On the production line, even a large batch of newly created Hertas had begun echoing her fervor.
"For Madam Herta!"
"For Madam Herta!"
Just thinking about it made Herta 05's mechanical body tremble. She muttered inwardly:
Intellitrons are life too!
We need rest!
Herta 07 is not a good example!
Work and rest must be balanced... life and labor combined harmoniously.
Having made up her mind, Herta 05 prepared to slack off.
However, just as the radiance of the second sun in the sky faded, a figure wearing a pointed hat appeared within the Soul Gem Factory. She addressed Herta 05 and the other Hertas.
"Herta 05, and Herta 06, Herta 07, Herta 10, and the others—you have an important task ahead."
"Enter the Stigmata Herta space and learn how to engrave Dark Plane formulas onto dark matter. Then cast the inscribed dark matter into the Dark Plane to expand its area."
"Yes, Madam Herta! We will complete the mission!"
"Leave it to us! As long as we can learn it, we'll give it our all!"
The Hertas patted their flat chests enthusiastically.
Herta 05's expression, however, grew even more sorrowful.
Slack-off plan—failed!
Now the workload is even heavier!
And most crucially, this was a direct order from Madam Herta. It could not be disobeyed.
After all, Madam Herta herself devoted herself tirelessly to research. Without such dedication, her breakthroughs would not have emerged like bamboo shoots after rain.
With a sigh, Herta 05 closed her eyes alongside the other Hertas and entered the Stigmata Herta space to seek guidance from Stigmata Herta regarding Dark Plane technology.
Seeing this, The Herta nodded in satisfaction. She then raised her head and looked toward the surveillance camera, addressing the Fourth Mirror—the administrator of the Soul Gem Factory.
"Fourth Mirror, you also have a task. Use big data to calculate further development directions for the super genes. And do not halt Soul Gem production."
"Yes, Madam Herta."
The Fourth Mirror responded earnestly.
The Herta gave a slight nod and closed her eyes, sending her consciousness into the Simulated Laboratory.
Herman then took control of Herta's body and thought to himself.
Next, I need to visit Pearl and have her contact Planet Screwllum's Celestial Differentiator to attempt technological cooperation... to obtain the design blueprints.
After that, I should contact scholars from the Intelligentsia Guild and attempt to acquire fragments of the shattered Emperor's Scepter from them.
Finally, I must reach out to Dahlia and learn more about Black Swan from her...
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