A member of the Genius Society was equivalent to an existence recognized by Nous, the Aeon of Erudition.
Unlike the Emanators of other Aeons, members of the Genius Society, regardless of whether they had directly received Emanator-level power from Nous, were granted Emanator-level treatment.
Even a hegemonic power like the Interastral Peace Corporation treated these geniuses with the utmost respect.
Because these epoch-making geniuses were truly capable of creating weapons comparable to, or even surpassing, the power of an Emanator, all with their mortal bodies.
Just like Genius Society Member #79, Calderon Chadwick. Though his individual combat strength was weak, the Imaginary Annihilation Pulse weapon he invented was powerful enough to destroy a large star system.
For these geniuses, the power of intellect far surpassed that of simple violence.
From the perspective of advancing civilization, the value of these geniuses even surpassed that of ordinary Emanators.
The IPC even abandoned its plan to exterminate the entire Intellitron race simply because Screwllum was chosen by Nous and became a member of the Genius Society.
It was because she knew all these stories that Asta deeply understood just how earth-shattering it was for Nous to extend invitations to two individuals at the same time.
To put it bluntly, this was an event that could change the cosmic landscape far more than the previously evolved Ex-Machina legion.
"Wow, a member of the Genius Society! That sounds so cool!" March 7th looked at Su Mo with eyes full of admiration.
Although she didn't quite understand how amazing it was, seeing Asta's reaction was enough to know that it was something worth being amazed by.
After her initial awe, she looked curiously at Holou, who was standing blankly behind Su Mo.
"I know Lord Su Mo is incredible, but is Holou that strong too? She actually got an invitation as well?"
In her eyes, Holou was just a little girl full of questions, like a child.
Looking at her dazed and cute appearance, shouldn't she be as clueless as herself?
How did she suddenly receive an invitation from Nous and become one of the geniuses?
Before Su Mo could even begin to explain, Himeko couldn't help but facepalm.
"Little March, did you forget that this child is the creator of the Ex-Machina?"
Although Holou always seemed out of it, they never dared to underestimate the master of the Ex-Machina.
How could an existence that created such a precise and constantly evolving species be simple?
"Ah? Oh, right!"
March 7th glanced at the Ex-Machina legion above and finally remembered.
"So, Holou was actually amazing from the start?" she asked, her tone still tinged with surprise.
"Of course." Su Mo patted Holou's head and nodded. "Although she has been dormant for many years, in terms of pursuing her Divine Core's purpose, her talent is by no means inferior to the Artosh you once met."
As the oldest Old Deus in the world of No Game No Life, Holou's actual combat power was probably only at the level of the Forest God, Kainasu.
However, that didn't mean she was weak.
Kainasu and the Forging God, Okane, were upper-tier Old Deus because their talent had peaked at that level. Holou was still an upper-tier Old Deus because even after her self-inflicted suicide and countless years of slumber, she woke up just as strong.
Holou's purpose in creating the Ex-Machina was simply to answer her own questions; combat had always been a secondary function.
Yet, it was this race, not born for battle, that was one of only two races in the original story to achieve the miracle of deicide during the Great War. And the target they challenged was a bug-like existence on the level of Artosh.
With the Ex-Machina's talent for continuous learning and evolution, if they had truly intended to increase their strength, they would have likely evolved to an extremely powerful level long ago.
As the God of Doubt, Holou had no desire to become stronger. That was the real reason she hadn't displayed extraordinary power.
Su Mo was certain that if she truly dedicated herself to researching Imaginary Energy, her results would undoubtedly surpass those of the former God of War, Artosh.
"As for why Nous invited her, besides her talent, it might also be because of her Divine Core," Su Mo analyzed.
"Divine Core?" March 7th tilted her head, not quite understanding.
"A Divine Core is a god's core concept, similar to a Path for an Aeon," Su Mo patiently explained. "Holou's Divine Core is a concept that combines doubt and inquiry. You can think of it as a paradoxical spiral of belief and skepticism. That's why, despite her brilliant mind, she rarely finds answers and only ever raises more questions."
A side effect of being too intelligent is the tendency to doubt everything, even one's own existence.
Half a step ahead of the curve is a genius; a full step ahead is a madman. That's why Holou was capable of doing something like piercing her own Divine Core.
The reason the child wasn't mad now was firstly because the experience of suicide had confirmed her own existence, and secondly because Su Mo, as her Master God, had taken on the role of the one who answers.
This had completely stabilized her.
"Abba abba abba... I don't get it."
March 7th's eyes swirled as she felt her head spin.
The others, however, were listening intently.
After some thought, Dan Heng showed a flicker of understanding.
"According to the records in the data bank, Nous doesn't give answers, only questions. This seems somewhat similar to Miss Holou's situation."
"You could say that," Su Mo nodded. "Most of the time, the way people frame their questions is itself flawed. A flawed question will naturally not yield a correct answer. But when people have the ability to ask the right questions, the answers often become self-evident."
In the field of science, asking the right question is itself a skill, sometimes even more important than verifying the answer.
Although Holou hadn't directly displayed any particular talent, on the fundamental level of thought, she might be standing on the same plane as Nous.
Based on Nous's past selections, talent has never been the sole criterion for genius. There have been many individuals with talent rivaling geniuses who were not selected.
After all, with Nous's power, the inventions of most geniuses are nothing more than information that has been stored in its database for ages. Nous has already traversed all possibilities; it simply hasn't disseminated them.
Hearing Su Mo's explanation, the others had an expression that said, "I don't get it, but it sounds impressive."
Asta, on the other hand, was used to these brain-twisting conclusions. She simply tossed it aside and said, "Lord Su, would you be willing to stay at the space station for a while?"
"You and the Astral Express crew saved our station in its time of crisis and greatly reduced our losses. It is only right that we host you properly."
"Besides that, since both you and Miss Holou have received invitations from Nous, you might be able to get some information about having an audience with Nous from Madam Herta. As a fellow member of the Genius Society, Madam Herta should have a lot of data that might interest you."
Asta's attitude was extremely warm and sincere.
Both for public and private reasons, keeping Su Mo here was a good thing.
Not only could they build a good relationship with Su Mo and Holou, but it would also be beneficial for Herta. Herta's Simulated Universe project already involved four geniuses. Adding two more would certainly lead to even greater results.
Furthermore, regarding the debt of saving her life, Asta had thought it over and concluded that only Herta, the owner of the space station, could offer a reward of equal value. Even just to express their gratitude, there was no reason to let him go.
Hearing Asta's words, Su Mo shook his head slightly.
"There's something I didn't get a chance to say before, but it's not too late to correct it now."
"I will not be joining the Genius Society."
At these words, everyone present froze. The researchers' jaws dropped in disbelief.
He received an invitation but said he wouldn't become a member of the Genius Society. What did that even mean?
In this scene that defied all common sense, it was March 7th who reacted first.
"Lord Su Mo, are you saying you're refusing to join the Genius Society?" she asked, easily saying the words that others wouldn't dare to even think.
For most people, receiving a personal invitation from Nous was a joyous event beyond their wildest dreams. If it actually happened, no amount of celebration would be enough.
Power, status, recognition... a seat among the geniuses represented all of that and more.
Someone would refuse such a good thing? How could anyone refuse?
They couldn't believe it, nor could they understand it.
Everyone stared intently at Su Mo, waiting for his answer.
"You could say that," Su Mo's tone remained calm. "If Nous's only purpose is to invite me to join the Genius Society, I'm not interested. However, I doubt its objective is that simple."
Although a personal invitation from Nous was widely regarded as an invitation to the Genius Society, Su Mo didn't see it that way.
"He... he really refused!"
Hearing Su Mo's answer, everyone present was shaken.
They had all met Herta and knew that geniuses had their quirks and were too proud to lie.
That meant the man before them, Su Mo, truly disdained a position in the Genius Society.
They had heard of many who desperately wanted to join the Genius Society but couldn't. This was the first time they had ever seen someone refuse after being given the chance.
As everyone struggled to digest this explosive, logic-defying news, the seemingly least intelligent one, March 7th, was the first to understand Su Mo's meaning. She asked without any baggage, "Why would you refuse, Lord Su Mo? Isn't it a great position?"
To the girl's innocent and genuinely concerned question, Su Mo gave an equally simple and clear answer.
"There's no need to serve under someone else for such meager benefits."
Becoming a member of the Genius Society was equivalent to joining Nous's ranks, becoming its retainer—an Emanator at best.
If the price were right, it might be negotiable, but Nous seemed to be the stingiest of the Aeons when it came to bestowing power. Its sharing with its Emanators wasn't even half as generous as Lan the Hunt's.
Su Mo would naturally not make such an unbalanced trade.
"That's true!"
Thinking of Su Mo's identity as the One True God, only March 7th in the entire crowd accepted and agreed with his reasoning without any hesitation.
"Lord Su Mo has always been the strongest, after all!"
No, wait. There was one other person—or god—who agreed.
"Affirmative. Holou agrees. Master God is the strongest."
The young goddess raised her hand with a serious expression, seconding March 7th's statement.
Watching the two girls' almost make-believe conversation, the others fell silent, wondering if they were dreaming.
Even if they woke up in the middle of the night, they would probably have to look in the mirror and ask themselves:
Why would anyone refuse a seat in the Genius Society?