After Tesla explained that she wanted to create a being capable of controlling the Honkai ICHOR Factor, Dr. Einstein's head was buzzing. A strange, unsettling feeling welled up inside her. She felt that Tesla had crossed a line, entering a realm that was no longer human.
"The [Honkai ICHOR Factor] is the key to building genes for Honkai resistance, controlling Honkai Energy, creating hereditary Stigmata, and even constructing a genetic information structure similar to the Schariac holy blood."
"Einstein, if we can create a being that controls the Honkai ICHOR Factor, then theoretically, all Herrschers and Honkai Beasts will bow down before it. Based on the changes we've seen on both the spiritual and material levels, these things all revolve around the power behind the Imaginary Space. They're like two sides of the same coin. This new life form we can build won't have Honkai Energy as its fundamental power, yet it will be able to control it. It's exactly the new life structure we need."
"In the past, we understood the transformation of humans into the Deadwalkers to be irreversible. But during that transformation process, something like a 'channel' is naturally constructed. It's a bit like a symmetry-breaking event... Have you ever studied the Herrscher Cores inside the Divine Keys?"
Einstein recalled her research on the Divine Keys. She had indeed studied them.
"You mean the Star of Eden? There is indeed something like a high-density Honkai Energy core inside it. But without a control group for comparison, I wasn't sure if that was unique to that one core or if all Divine Key cores were like that. Besides, our equipment is still far too primitive compared to the Previous Era's."
Einstein shook her head as she finished, feeling it was a pity that this research had been left behind.
A rare, smug smile appeared on Tesla's face. "Funnily enough, my ability allows me to penetrate the Divine Keys and study their structure. And I even found another Divine Key to use as a control group."
She tilted her head back and shouted towards the second floor, "Hey, let me borrow that greatsword!"
A tentacle swooped down from upstairs, carrying a massive greatsword. With a loud clang, it dropped the weapon at Tesla's feet as if tossing out the trash.
The sacred weapon that had fought the Honkai for generations was carelessly discarded on the floor like a piece of firewood.
Einstein's eyebrow twitched, speechless at this blatant display of power. No wonder Tesla had become like this; it was clear she'd been spending too much time with such a person.
Tesla lifted the heavy greatsword with one hand. She swung it a couple of times and said, "See? This is another Divine Key. I've already examined its core structure. It's exactly the same as the Star of Eden we observed back then—both are in a state resembling a highly compressed singularity. But in fact..."
Tesla's expression turned serious. "The structure of the Herrscher Core inside my body is completely different from this big thing. Noldrei didn't tamper with these cores he picked up; he just casually embedded them in my body. It mainly relies on the living Stigmata he created, which eliminates the erosion of the core's Honkai Energy on my flesh."
"The internal structure of a modern Herrscher Core is a ring-like formation with molecular motion. Although it looks like a gemstone on the outside, its interior is fundamentally different from the cores inside the old Divine Keys. It's like the difference between a diamond and graphite."
"A Herrscher Core can even exist as a fluid within the human body, or like Joyce's, be evenly distributed across every molecular structure in the body."
"In other words, the Herrscher Cores of this era possess far greater morphological versatility."
Tesla's analysis didn't stop there, and Einstein waited for her next discovery. The details about these Herrscher Cores were undoubtedly tied to the path they would choose to defeat the Honkai.
"So..." Tesla handed the greatsword back to the tentacle and said seriously, "Einstein, have you ever thought about it? They are all material structures created through the materialization of Honkai, so why is it that some are like metal, some like stone, some like rubber, and some can even form organic plants and animals?"
"In reality, they are all the same thing: the [Honkai ICHOR Factor]. Among these, the things that have undergone organic transformation are what we call the [Activated ICHOR], which is what's used in the anti-Honkai disease serums."
Einstein now understood what Tesla was truly getting at.
If Kiana, the mother of the Stigma Space created by Noldrei, was the supreme will and unifier, that Stigma Space could only exist hidden behind the Imaginary Space, manifesting as humanity's dreams.
Then what Tesla was planning was...
She was going to artificially create another being with the authority of the Will of the Honkai. This being would be, for all intents and purposes, the legendary [Will of the Honkai].
So, you call yourself a god in the minds of the Herrschers?
Fine! No problem!
I'll just create a few more beings with the same status as you, give the Herrschers a direct line to them, and establish a new Will of the Honkai. Let the three of you form a tri-polar standoff!
Let your different ideologies and consciousnesses create internal conflict within your own class.
Tesla's idea was both arrogant and audacious.
It was like a plan to reverse-invade the Honkai itself. If they could create a sufficient number of co-existing Wills of the Honkai, then by the same logic, the finite resource of Honkai Energy would be divided among them, preventing any single will from unifying it all.
This, in turn, would weaken the original Will of the Honkai.
"Hiss... you really are..."
Einstein's heart pounded in her chest. She never could have imagined that in just a few short months, Dr. Tesla had become so heaven-defyingly audacious.
"Tesla, what turned you into this? The friend and colleague I've known for decades has become so... radical and insane. I almost don't recognize you anymore."
She looked at Tesla, her expression complex. "Have you been corrupted by the Honkai? Turned into a Herrscher's consciousness? The way you're talking is starting to scare me."
"Hmm?" Tesla tilted her head, looking at her friend. She thought Einstein had become a bit timid.
"Einstein, we're both scientists. We believe in seeking truth from facts. Since I've done the experiments and proven this is possible, of course I have to see if it can succeed. Otherwise, what's the point of being scientists? Do you think there's a problem with my theory?"
Einstein shook her head. "No, I believe the direction of your theory is correct. At least, it's more correct than any other known path. But we believe in 'boldly hypothesizing, cautiously verifying,' not 'boldly hypothesizing, and then blindly verifying.'"
Tesla got a little agitated and retorted, "What do you mean, blindly verifying? At worst, I'm just boldly verifying! How can you slander your best friend?!"
Einstein looked at her speechlessly. Best friend? She was on the verge of cutting off all ties with Tesla for good.
So the "child" you're planning to have isn't a normal child at all, but a backup candidate for the Will of the Honkai.