"Miss Lumina, you're being too modest. Your status far surpasses that of any Genius Society member."
"Is that so?" Lumina chuckled softly at Ruan Mei's words, offering no further comment.
Lumina was well aware of her own standing and chose neither to affirm nor deny the statement. In her eyes, the question of hierarchical status between individuals was irrelevant.
Anyone who contributed to the advancement of the Cosmos and its life forms deserved respect. There was no notion that greater contributions should automatically grant higher status or position.
This was Lumina's philosophy. However, she recognized that she couldn't control how others perceived things.
"Miss Lumina, are you familiar with my research?" Ruan Mei asked, sensing Lumina's reserved demeanor.
"Cultivating life and understanding life, correct?" Though Lumina wasn't deeply familiar with Ruan Mei's work, she had a general understanding of its scope.
"Yes, you're right." Ruan Mei nodded. Her expression turned earnest and sincere as she looked directly at Lumina. "Miss Lumina, I need your help."
"Miss Ruan Mei, I'm no genius. I can't possibly help you." Lumina's lips curled upward for a fleeting moment before she quickly suppressed the smile, so swiftly that Ruan Mei didn't even notice.
Lumina feigned confusion, shaking her head to indicate she didn't understand what Ruan Mei meant.
Lumina's response was clearly expected by Ruan Mei, as her earnest and sincere expression remained unchanged.
"I conducted an experiment at the Space Station—an experiment involving Emanators..." Ruan Mei revealed her experiment without hesitation.
"Oh?" Lumina raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
Ruan Mei shouldn't have told anyone about this highly dangerous experiment... Yet she had told Lumina herself. This meant...
Lumina wasn't naive. With a moment's thought, she immediately understood Ruan Mei's true intentions.
Seeing that Lumina, though surprised, showed no further reaction, Ruan Mei continued, "Although the experiment went smoothly, I can't shake the feeling that something is missing."
"Although the experiment still achieved its basic goals, the results fell far short of my expectations. Hmm... In fact, they provided virtually no assistance in achieving the outcome I sought."
"So, you approached me as an Emanator, correct?" Though Lumina already knew Ruan Mei's intentions, she feigned ignorance and asked the question.
"Correct," Ruan Mei nodded.
"Then why didn't you approach Herta?"
"Because she would never agree," Ruan Mei replied, shaking her head with an air of deep understanding of Herta.
"I see." Lumina nodded slightly, pretending to ponder the matter. After a moment of feigned contemplation, she countered, "Then why do you think I would agree?"
"Intuition."
Ruan Mei offered no serious explanation, simply smiled at Lumina and spoke the word.
"Ah, I understand now," Lumina said, feigning realization. "Then congratulations, your intuition is correct."
"Thank you." Ruan Mei showed no visible surprise. The genius lowered her head slightly, expressing her deepest gratitude to Lumina.
Seeing this, Lumina's face curled into a faint, enigmatic smile.
"But in return, you must provide a suitable reward."
-
Herta Space Station, Containment Zone
"This is the Containment Zone of the Herta Space Station, where Herta hosts guests from across the Galaxy and members of the Genius Society."
"But due to the Legion's invasion, it's no longer open to the public."
"Herta entrusted me with the control directives for this zone, so I've turned it into an experimental base."
Ruan Mei led Lumina through the eerily deserted containment zone, explaining as they walked.
"So, does Herta know you're conducting an Emanator-level experiment here?" Lumina asked, gazing at the perfect setting for a rule-based horror scenario.
Ruan Mei paused, thought for a moment, and shook her head.
"Hmm... probably not. Herta trusts me implicitly and doesn't pry. When I mentioned needing a space, she simply handed this place over to me."
"Is Herta just too trusting, or does she have too much faith in you...?" Lumina murmured, impressed.
An Emanator-level experiment was no small matter. A single misstep by Ruan Mei could obliterate the entire space station in an instant.
"She must trust me," Ruan Mei said quietly, leading the way in silence. Her two ribbons swayed gently with each step, a sight that Lumina found somewhat pleasing.
"Hmm..."
Before long, Ruan Mei seemed to spot something and abruptly stopped.
"This... a bug?" Lumina asked, her voice tinged with surprise as she gazed at the insect that had appeared in the Space Station. "So, your experiments are related to the Emanator of Propagation?"
"Yes," Ruan Mei nodded, making no attempt to conceal the truth from Lumina.
Her gaze fixed on the insect, which had already noticed them and was slowly approaching, Ruan Mei murmured, "It seems the power of Propagation is truly terrifying."
Even a simulated Swarm King could hatch living insects, a development that had taken her by surprise.
"Let's keep moving."
Without dwelling further on the matter, Ruan Mei extended her hand and gently extinguished the light for the insect pod before continuing to lead the way...