In geostationary orbit above the Blue — the Herta Space Station.
While invisible, Nolan wandered quietly through the main control sector. From overhearing the conversations of nearby staff, he managed to learn where Lady Herta's office was located.
He figured that was where Screwllum had gone, so naturally, his curiosity led him there as well.
The entrance was a large, secure chamber door — one that normally required identity verification to open, and would make quite a noise in doing so.
But for Nolan, that posed no obstacle. He spread the Void Starsea, merging his presence into it and using its properties to transfer himself directly through.
There was no spatial fluctuation, no sound, and no trace — absolutely undetectable.
As the invisible void expanded into Herta's office, Nolan slipped through effortlessly.
The interior was spacious, with holographic portraits projected along both walls.
He glanced at them — men, women, even elders — though he couldn't discern any particular pattern or meaning.
One of the portraits, however, caught his eye: a golden mechanical being radiating an unmistakable aura of command. It looked quite similar to Screwllum — perhaps a relative, or perhaps even another of his bodies.
After all, for a mechanical lifeform, possessing multiple bodies wasn't unusual at all.
At the center of the room stood a triangular device. Beneath it stood Screwllum himself.
Beside him was a girl with long, silver-gray hair wearing a black-and-white dress. Her slender hands rested on her hips, and when Nolan looked closer, he noticed that her knees were joined like a doll's — unmistakably an artificial being rather than a human.
Indeed, this star-filled sea was full of infinite possibilities. Nolan hadn't been here long, yet he'd already encountered mechanical life and doll-like beings.
He couldn't help but wonder — how different was this doll girl from the Shogun back in Inazuma?
Curious, he glanced at the top of her head.
[Level: 65]
So this was Lady Herta? Nolan was mildly surprised. Screwllum had mentioned he was going to meet the "owner of the space station," which surely meant this girl.
But… wasn't her level a bit low for someone of such prestige? Perhaps this was just a projection or a puppet body — the real Herta might not even be here.
Nolan himself could create countless sword avatars through condensed intent, so he was no stranger to this kind of ability.
Then he turned his gaze to Screwllum — and froze.
[Level: 160]
"…"
He'd known Screwllum was strong, but this was absurd.
That gigantic planetary creature, the Giant True Stringer — over a thousand kilometers long — had only been Level 130.
And even that level of power was already beyond comprehension.
Yet Screwllum had reached 160!
Every level at such heights represented a qualitative leap in life's very essence. A being at Level 120 was already within the ranks of top-tier Archons or gods.
Even those not specialized in combat could easily crush lower-level opponents — unless, of course, the opponent was like Nolan himself, possessing countless strange powers, buffs, and debuffs… or extremely rare world-class talents.
Otherwise, once life reached such advanced tiers, it became nearly impossible to defeat a being of higher rank.
A being like Screwllum — even if only thirty levels above the Stringer — could probably destroy it with a breath.
No wonder Lady Herta had requested his presence aboard the warship. Whatever unexpected situation arose, he could handle it effortlessly.
Nolan quietly exhaled in relief.
Thankfully, such a powerhouse wasn't his enemy.
"Lady Herta, the simulated universe is nearing completion," Screwllum said.
Listening to them discuss something called a "simulated universe," Nolan realized this must be the collaborative project Screwllum had mentioned earlier — an attempt, judging by the name, to replicate the cosmos itself through simulation.
He wanted to eavesdrop further, but suddenly, his Sword God of Lumine back in the dorm sensed someone approaching his room.
Without hesitation, Nolan withdrew from the scene, using the Void Starsea to teleport straight back.
He dismissed the sword avatar just as a knock sounded at the door — accompanied by two cheerful barks. It had to be Asta, with her little dog.
"Coming," Nolan called, hurrying to open the door.
Sure enough, standing outside was the smiling station master herself.
"So Arlan put you in this room after all. I see Peppy's nose hasn't lost its edge. Here — this is your phone."
Asta handed him a white box.
"Thank you, Miss Asta," Nolan said gratefully, accepting the brand-new packaged phone with excitement.
"No need to thank me. Consider it part of your welcome package for joining the station."
Then she paused — realizing she hadn't yet mentioned anything about his salary.
After all, recruiting someone this powerful into the station deserved proper compensation.
The Herta Space Station was a dream destination for scholars across the galaxy — and for good reason. It was the personal domain of Herta herself, a member of the Genius Society.
Many scientists believed that even breathing the same air as her could flood one's mind with inspiration.
To see her in person? That was enlightenment itself.
Thus, countless people competed fiercely to join the station, and only the most exceptional were accepted.
As a result, salaries were generous — even an ordinary staff researcher earned over half a million credits per month.
Nolan might not be a scholar, but his unmatched strength made him the space station's strongest protector. Logically, his pay should be at least ten times that amount.
After a moment's thought, Asta brought up the topic of his compensation.
"Oh?" Nolan blinked. Truth be told, in his excitement over everything, he hadn't even considered that he'd be getting paid.
Then again, that was probably a habit carried over from his adventurer life — ever since arriving in Teyvat, he'd only ever earned rewards from commissions.
He really had never held a proper job before.
So when Asta offered him a starting salary of five million credits, Nolan naturally had no objections.
[Asta Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (20/400)]
"With that, you're officially part of the station now," Asta said with a bright smile. Then she turned to him and added, "Come, I'll show you how to use your phone."
"Sure," Nolan nodded, inviting her inside.
They sat together on the living room sofa, with the little white dog Peppy hopping up beside them to watch curiously. Asta carefully opened the white box and took out a sleek, white phone.
"This," she explained, "is the 'Harmony' series smartphone by the Galactic Peace Corporation. It's one of the most popular models. As long as you're not in an unexplored star sector, it can easily connect to the Galactic Peace Network.
"Also, it comes with a built-in Synesthesia Beacon, so you don't have to worry about not understanding foreign languages — it automatically translates everything you see and hear."
After that, Asta patiently taught him how to power it on, complete the initial setup, and most importantly, how to log into the Galactic Peace Network.
The process was surprisingly similar to how phones worked on Earth — Nolan only needed to watch once to grasp it all.
About ten minutes later, seeing him operate the phone with practiced ease, Asta yawned softly. Her work for the day was done; it was time to take Peppy home and rest.
But before she could leave, Nolan said quickly, "Wait a moment, Miss Asta. You gave me this phone and even taught me how to use it — I'd feel bad not showing any appreciation. Hmm… let me think… here, take this."
He extended his palm, where thick, harmonized energy began to gather, condensing into a small, white pearl.
"This is formed from a special kind of energy," he explained. "When held, it slowly releases its essence through the skin. It can relieve fatigue, accelerate healing — even rejuvenate the body."
"Oh? That amazing?" Asta asked curiously, taking the pearl into her hand. Immediately, she could feel warm, gentle energy flowing from it, seeping into her skin and spreading through her body.
Every cell seemed to come alive, nourished by that soothing warmth. Her lingering fatigue melted away, replaced by a renewed sense of vitality — as if she'd just woken from the perfect sleep.
"In that case, I'll gladly accept it," Asta said with a delighted smile, holding the pearl carefully.
The gift was clearly useful to her, and because of it, her affection for Nolan grew a little more:
[Asta Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (380/400)]
Seeing the affection notification appear on his panel, Nolan smiled.
"No need to be polite. When you use it up, just come to me anytime for more."
After all, creating such pearls was nothing difficult for him — he simply condensed harmonized energy into solid form.
"Alright then, I'll be going," Asta said, standing up with Peppy in her arms.
Nolan walked her to the door. Soon, the room was quiet again — just him and the soft hum of the station's air system.
Eagerly, he powered on the new phone and logged into the Galactic Peace Network, ready to finally look into this galaxy's mysteries.
Terms like "Galaxy," "Genius Society," and "Synesthesia Beacon" had piqued his curiosity for a while — now he could finally find out what they meant.
Sitting back on the sofa, Nolan opened the sleek white device and entered the network.
He started by searching "Galaxy."
Within seconds, the screen filled with results — articles, forum threads, videos, and more.
Thanks to the Synesthesia Beacon, he could instantly understand every word and meaning without any translation barrier.
The top result was from the Galactic Encyclopedia, which sounded exactly like what he needed.
He opened it and began reading.
To his surprise, it differed slightly from what he'd imagined.
On Earth, the "Milky Way" referred to a single galaxy roughly 100,000 to 180,000 light-years across.
But here, the term "Galaxy" actually referred to the entire universe itself.
To them, "the Galaxy" was the cosmos.
Having learned that, he moved on to his next search — "Genius Society."
After all, Screwllum — that Level 160 powerhouse — was a member. It would've been impossible not to be curious.
The explanation appeared quickly:
> The Genius Society is a faction that follows the Aeon "Nous (The Erudition)".
> Only those who have earned the favor of the Aeon of Knowledge are qualified to join the Society.
> Every individual blessed by Nous is, without exception, among the greatest geniuses in the entire cosmos.
> Since its founding, the Genius Society has had a total of eighty-four members.
Nolan frowned slightly.
Aeons? Factions? What exactly were those?
Well — he had just arrived in a completely new universe. Being confused was natural.
Time passed quickly. In what felt like a blink, three days had gone by.
Those three days were quite leisurely for Nolan, thanks to the Defense Division's director, Arlan, who had assigned him the position of "External Invasion Prevention Specialist."
The title sounded impressive, but the work itself was… extremely easy.
His only duty was to repel invaders — which meant, unless someone actually attacked the station, he had nothing to do.
Officially, his role was to "inspect and ensure the security of the station against potential incursions."
But in truth, with Lady Herta's presence here, no sane being in the galaxy would dare to attack.
So Nolan's job was essentially to relax.
He spent those days "fishing for information," using his phone to learn everything he could about interstellar civilization.
He discovered that in this universe — the "Galaxy" — there existed beings called Aeons, embodiments of pure, philosophical concepts.
Each Aeon represented and was the very essence of an idea — like Nous, the Aeon of Knowledge, whom the Genius Society worshiped.
So far, eighteen Aeons were known to exist.
They also governed the power known as Paths, which were the routes or philosophies they had forged.
By following an Aeon's Path, mortals could draw upon that Aeon's power and attain extraordinary strength.
Such individuals were called Pathstriders — people who walked the Paths, growing stronger by embodying the principles of their chosen Aeon.
Factions, therefore, were simply organizations built around the worship or pursuit of a particular Aeon's philosophy.
For example, the Galactic Peace Corporation, the same company that made his phone, was a faction devoted to the Aeon of Preservation.
After several days of study, Nolan now had a decent grasp of the galaxy's social structure — no longer completely in the dark.
Still, he couldn't help being astonished.
To think that even abstract concepts like knowledge or preservation could take form as divine beings… how unimaginably powerful must they be?
A quiet thought lingered in his mind: Could I ever grow strong enough to reach such heights myself?
In the meantime, when he wasn't browsing the network, he often left behind sword avatar to guard his quarters while he returned to Teyvat to accompany Lumine on her adventures in Fontaine.
That morning, the two of them had gone to the Adventurers' Guild to pick up new commissions — only to receive a message from Katheryne waiting for them.
(End of Chapter)
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