The set of numbers. They were not binary at all. They were door numbers!
"An intruder?!" Herta looked utterly speechless.
First the Memokeeper.
And now these two again. The audience with the system was at a critical moment.
She absolutely could not give up so easily. Just as Herta was thinking about how to deal with this, she heard those two start talking again.
"She fainted?"
"Should we rouse her, Mr. Yang?"
"No wonder we didn't see anyone in the entire space station. It was probably attacked! Anyway, let's wake Madam Herta first. I'll leave it to you then, Mr. Sunday."
"Leave it to me." The conversation ended.
A ripple appeared once more within the Audience System.
The power of Harmony was continuously attacking the protective wall from the outside, trying to break into this place, the original domain of Hatred.
Meanwhile, Herta pressed a hand to her forehead.
She had completely lost it. She could tell, one of the voices outside, slightly more mature, belonged to that Nameless.
For some reason, these two had barged in here. They happened to see her body in a dazed state while her mind was connected to the audience system and mistakenly thought she had fainted.
To prevent the Audience System from affecting ordinary people, Herta had evacuated everyone else beforehand, an action that only deepened the misunderstanding of those two.
"...Forget it, mirror. Let's just leave." A trace of helplessness flashed through Herta's eyes as she waved her hand, letting the puppets continue their routine work.
The next moment, the screen went dark, then began to simulate the act of opening eyes, flickering little by little.
Within that field of vision appeared two faces filled with concern.
Sunday and Welt. One on each side, both staring at Herta without blinking.
The scene was absurdly funny.
"...Madam Herta? You're finally awake."
"My plan is ruined! And it's all thanks to you!"
Herta rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.
She didn't curse. That alone showed her good upbringing.
"...You two..."
"My plan is ruined! And it's all thanks to you!"
At the last sentence, Herta's tone suddenly shot up.
At this point, the audience was already laughing nonstop.
...
: Herta is really too well-mannered!
: Hahahaha, she rolled her eyes in anger, somehow that just makes her cuter!
: Welt and Sunday looked so worried, but they ended up ruining everything.
: That moment when Herta opened her eyes and saw their faces, I completely lost it.
: And Sunday and Welt too, who knew they had the potential to be comedy stars?
: Amazing!
...
The comments flooded past.
On the screen, Sunday and Welt looked at each other, then turned back to stare at Herta in unison.
"My sincerest apologies, Madam Herta... We weren't aware this was a part of your plan."
But Herta had no intention of explaining. She simply waved her hand.
"Alright, fine... I am a person of reason, after all. You're not to blame for this."
"I am familiar with Mr. Yang of the Astral Express, but the one next to you..."
In her emotional state, Herta's words became sharp and aggressive, her lips pressed tight.
Welt glanced at Sunday.
He remembered that when things ended in Penacony, this kid had been on the headlines for several days straight.
"...Looks like Madam Herta doesn't pay much attention to cosmic news."
Welt muttered a quiet complaint to Sunday.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Herta crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and stared at them with killing intent.
"Please pardon my manners. It is unbecoming of me to forget the most basic of courtesies amid all that has happened... My name's Sunday, and I'm just a passenger of the Express."
Sunday hurriedly introduced himself to Herta.
After learning his identity,
Herta snorted.
"And this unremarkable passenger... happens to be a Harmony Pathstrider? Hmph, do you take me for a child?"
"In any case, I don't suppose you came all the way here just to check on how the space station is doing?"
Welt pushed up his glasses and said directly, "We're here because of Amphoreus, Madam Herta."
"Hm. Why does that not surprise me?" Herta replied calmly.
"We're here to ask for your help." Welt gave a slight nod, apologizing, "The situation is urgent, so we had no choice but to barge in."
"Unfortunately, I have nothing I can share with you."
Herta spread her hands and said indifferently, "No, I've told Himeko everything I know. Nothing about the world sounds right. Droidhead has cast THEIR gaze upon numerous worlds in the past... and every one of them is etched in my mind. So how could I possibly not know about it?"
"Perhaps those Garden folks lied to you. Anyhow, I've looked up the name Amphoreus in the Simulated Universe. Though clearly irrelevant results have already been filtered out..."
"There's still an unbelievably long list of generated results. Something about how the Divine Amphoreus team will swap out their current crest emblem for one in King Baviru's likeness in the next season. I hope that can be of some help to you."
Words from a genius carried great weight.
On this matter, Herta clearly stood above the so-called deceivers.
As a result, the doubt in Welt's eyes deepened. And so did his concern for the safety of Stelle and Dan Heng.
After that, he briefly told Herta about how the train had jumped toward Amphoreus.
"Oh?" After hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in Herta's pupils.
Two Nameless had vanished without a trace after entering Amphoreus.
Another had merely approached Amphoreus and already developed serious and inexplicable affliction that they knew nothing about.
All of this had been witnessed firsthand by the Nameless. And yet, before hearing this, she had searched the entire universe and truly found no trace of Amphoreus at all.
A genius's curiosity immediately surged.
"So it really is that mysterious?"
"Hmm… Since the Audience System has already been suspended and won't recover anytime soon…"
"Then during this period, I'll help you do some calculations."
The corner of Herta's mouth lifted into a faint, expectant smile.
A trace of joy flashed through the eyes of Sunday and Welt.
Without a doubt, the addition of am Emanator of Erudition, made resolving this crisis far more certain.
...
: It's a bit strange. On the inside, Stelle's adventure is blazing and straightforward, no matter how you look at it, it's a classic, orthodox story. But on the outside, even geniuses can't find Amphoreus.
: Heh, the more mysterious Amphoreus is, the more it just feels like it's being deliberately compressed and simplified.
: That's true, but I really can't imagine what kind of story lies behind the form Amphoreus presents to us.
: Why can't it be found, and what's the reason behind that? I think those two points are the biggest mysteries right now.
: Agreed. Compared to that, the manifestations of Paths and Emanators feel secondary instead.
: But there are simply too few clues.
: The information about the Amphoreus Squad, was that the only related lead Miss Herta managed to find?
: And there's also the "season" thing… It somehow feels like playing a game.
: Maybe the universe is so vast that someone just happened to use the exact same name?
: If this were another series, I might think that way. But this is Honkai: Star Rail. Instead, I feel that this seemingly joke-like information might be leaked because of its cause.
: That's possible. There might even be someone deliberately covering things up.
: But whatever! The great Herta has already joined the battle!
: Who dares provoke a genius! Herta will end his life! (Nous Emanator runes equipped, 100% win rate!)
: Exactly, exactly! No matter how mysterious you try to be, that's all it amounts to. Amphoreus, once Herta sets her sights on you, you won't be enjoying any good fruit!
...
The comments scrolled past.
As the episode had already entered its final moments. The audience had gathered enough information to sift through and reflect on.
For them. The story was very full, and the characters that had been shaped were all appealing.
But the question that kept troubling everyone was still Amphoreus itself. The strongest impression was that Amphoreus and the universe seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier.
The power, culture, and civilization inside Amphoreus all appeared to have no connection whatsoever to the most fundamental force of the universe, the Paths.
What they used was a power called "Titans." There were no Pathstriders, no Aeon-based systems. This was the strangest part of all.
Even if Amphoreus as a whole were isolated from universal civilization, and the Sky Titan had sealed off the entire sky, making Amphoreus like a isolated world.
What level of existence is the Sky Titan, really? Blocking mortals might make sense, but could it also block the Paths?
Unless Amphoreus isn't in this universe at all, how could it be possible not to find the existence of the universe's most fundamental law, the Paths?
And on the other side. Within the universe.
Even Herta, an Emanator-level existence, couldn't locate Amphoreus.
The Nameless were likewise helpless in the face of the current predicament.
All signs pointed to Amphoreus being a place that hid something enormous within.
The audience was itching with anticipation, desperate to know what ruthless truth lay behind all these oddities.
This sense of expectation was precisely the greatest anticipation audiences felt when watching Honkai: Star Rail.
And while the barrage continued to discuss. The story itself had reached its final scene.
When Welt and Sunday arrived at the space station.
Inside Amphoreus. The second day had already dawned.
Everyone was heading toward the Vortex of Genesis, to jointly witness Phainon becoming a demigod.
All participants had gathered. The calmest among them, Trinnon, stepped forward.
Under everyone's gaze, she slowly recited.
"Despite the myriad dark and endless nights that have gone by, the guidance of the prophecy is nevertheless as clear and bright as the first ray of dawn."
Trinnon said solemnly:
"Overthrow the gods, it declared."
"Restore the Coreflames, it declared."
"Bear the divine authority, it declared."
"Forge miracles, it declared."
"The seventh Coreflame needed for the miracle, that once belonged to the great Lance of Fury, Nikador, shall now be returned by an elected hero of the Chrysos Heirs: an upstanding citizen, a valiant warrior, and a noble soul."
"Please step forward, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae."
Accompanied by Trinnon's voice. Phainon slowly walked to the vortex, holding the Coreflame in both hands, his expression solemn and restrained.
Among the twelve radiant constellations ahead, the one belonging to Strife lit up in an instant.
As the stars twisted and shifted. A projection of the titan of strife appeared, and declared the next steps.
Phainon would have to face the deepest fear within his own heart. Only by shattering his greatest fear could he truly become a god that transcended the mortal world.
"Vanquish... the fears in my heart?" Phainon placed his right hand over his chest and murmured to himself.
Wheat fields, windmills, swings echoed through his mind. A flash of pain passed through his eyes, then they hardened with resolve.
"So be it. No matter what obstacles you plan to put in my way, I'm ready to overcome them."
"For our prophesied tomorrow, I will become the god Amphoreus needs."
Amid the chanting of the Titans. Phainon's figure vanished abruptly.
"He has stepped onto the battlefield to fight a campaign that can only be won by him alone.
"All we can do is wait... and have faith."
Aglaea said calmly.
At this point. Mydei, who had always traded barbs with Phainon, spoke in a low voice, laying bare Phainon's deepest pain.
"That guy... has always been tormented by his past."
As Mydei felt like he should not be the one to speak about it, Castorice softly spoke up and continued:
"Before he was chosen by the prophecy, Lord Phainon had everything taken away from him: his home, his family, his close friends... Everything he once swore to protect."
"He became a hollowed shell in his youth, and the blazing flames of vengeance were the only thing sustaining him."
"The prophecy gave him a new mission, granting him a new life as a Chrysos Heir. But which is more important to him: his new mission or his desire for revenge?"
Only now did the audience finally understand the true meaning of this demigod ritual.
To vanquish one's own fears meant that Phainon had to choose between the desire for revenge that sustained his existence, and the divine mission bestowed upon him.
And to shatter fear was to shatter his past.
Could he really do it? Between these two, which mattered more to Phainon?
If, within the illusion, Phainon were to encounter a chance to save the past, would he abandon the opportunity to become a Titan and instead choose to heal and cherish himself?
Savoring these tangled possibilities. The audience all felt a sense of torment.
"I believe in him." At that moment. Aglaea quietly said: "Every Chrysos Heirs here bears some kind of flaw."
"Mydei's curse of immortality, the constant erosion of his humanity, or Castorice's veil of death, or my loss of vision…"
"But Phainon is different. He is the only Chrysos Heirs without flaws, a perfect vessel of divinity."
"One day, he will surely lead everyone beneath him through that into the destined Genesis."
In Aglaea's pupils, there was nothing but unwavering belief in Phainon.
Yet to the audience these words suddenly made their hearts uneasy. Something about the atmosphere had begun to feel wrong.