Unlike the Society of Erudition,
every single member of the Genius Society was exceedingly precious.
The prerequisite for joining the Genius Society was to receive the gaze of the Erudition itself.
To be noticed by the Aeon of Erudition meant that one's wisdom had already surpassed the realm of mortals.
Every Genius was an invaluable rarity.
Any one of them would be a prize sought by the great powers of the cosmos.
Before long, factions across the universe began searching for this new member.
Unfortunately, the Genius Society's announcement contained only the barest details—
enough to reveal the existence of such a genius,
but not where he could be found.
On some remote planet?
The universe was vast, with countless worlds capable of sustaining life.
Which one could it be?
To meet this newcomer, everyone could only wait for him to appear on his own.
The curiosity was immense—not just among cosmic powers,
but even among the other members of the Genius Society.
Especially Seat #81.
As an expert in the field of life sciences, Ruan Mei was naturally intrigued by a scholar who had created a lifeform that even the Aeon of Erudition could not analyze.
A life that even a Star God could not decipher—that was enough to fill her with wonder.
Even someone as reserved as her felt the impulse to meet this new member.
Surely, between the two of them… there would be much to discuss.
"Hahaha~ this wave is pure profit."
Su Ran leaned back in satisfaction.
His luck was simply off the charts.
Just a simple imitation—
he didn't even know how close it was to the real thing.
And yet it had earned him the gaze of a Star God,
granting him the blessing of an Envoy.
Now he had both brains and brawn.
Even if he wasn't a combat-focused envoy of Erudition,
he was still envoy-level—
already far stronger than the vast majority of Pathstriders.
He was firmly Tier 1.
As for Tier 0—that was reserved for the Aeons themselves.
But that didn't matter.
To him, surpassing even a Star God was only a matter of time.
After all, he had the system and his "I think it'll work" wisdom.
There was almost no problem in existence that could stump him.
"But since this is the Star Rail universe… then which world is this?"
If Star Gods existed here, then without a doubt, this was one of the planets within the Star Rail setting.
The so-called "Plasma Spark" had fortified his body, granting him immense energy.
And the envoy's blessing ensured he had combat power to match.
It almost felt like… just starting a business,
and instantly achieving financial freedom.
Was it because he was simply too good?
The cave suddenly resounded with shattering noises,
interrupting his blissful mood.
Strangers broke into his dwelling.
"So this is the source of that power?"
"Who are you?" asked the one in front.
Su Ran frowned.
"This is my residence.
If anyone needs to explain themselves to the owner, it should be you."
On this planet, his strength should have placed him at the very top of the pyramid—
unless there were other envoys here,
or perhaps a Star God appeared out of nowhere.
Otherwise, he should be the one others yielded to,
not questioned.
The armored man at the lead stepped forward.
"This is the snowy plain of Snezhnaya, the land of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. You are the outsider!"
Snezhnaya?
The Tsaritsa?
So it wasn't just Star Rail?
There was also Teyvat?!
Now this was getting interesting!
Su Ran's eyes lit up.
In that case, their identities weren't hard to guess.
The armored man in the lead could only be a Harbinger of the Fatui—
the Captain.
That deep, severe voice wasn't something a mere grunt could possess.
"I see~"
Thanks to the Plasma Spark and the blessing of Erudition,
Su Ran's strength was now terrifying.
"Leave now, and no one gets hurt."
The Fatui soldiers looked bewildered.
Had the tables turned?
This was the Tsaritsa's territory—
yet this outsider was giving them orders?
"Otherwise… you will all die."
The Captain's face darkened.
Feeling the overwhelming battle intent radiating from Su Ran,
he raised his weapon and entered a fighting stance.
"In that case, there is nothing left to discuss.
I will take you down, and deliver you to Her Majesty for judgment!"
The blizzard raged across the snowfields.
Inside the cave, corpses of Fatui soldiers lay scattered.
Against overwhelming power, they had served no purpose but to make the battlefield bloodier.
They hadn't even qualified as cannon fodder.
Su Ran had the Captain pinned beneath his foot,
one hand gripping the Harbinger's helmeted head.
"Your strength is impressive. You almost made me get serious."
The Captain: "..."
The gap between them was undeniable.
At first, Su Ran had only been testing him.
But when he realized his experiments might be damaged,
his mood soured.
So he slaughtered the soldiers with ease,
then brutally suppressed the Captain,
leaving him no room to fight back.
"I'm rather curious… what face lies under this helmet of yours?"
The Captain grit his teeth.
"You would insult a warrior's honor!"
He valued honor above all else.
Even as a Harbinger of the Fatui,
he was the most upright and just among them.
And now—he was being humiliated.
"Oh? In that case, I'll do a good deed to the end—
and crush both your helmet and your head at once.
That way, no one will ever know what you looked like."
As Su Ran tightened his grip,
the refined ore of the Captain's helmet cracked under the pressure.
Fractures spread across the steel.
The Captain ceased his struggling.
"Please… stop, stranger from beyond the stars."
The sudden voice made Su Ran pause.
His eyes flickered.
The speaker wasn't here in the cave.
"Then beg me."
At those words, the Captain thrashed desperately in futile resistance.
"Please… don't harm him."
She really begged?
Su Ran loosened his grip,
and spared the Harbinger's life.