At this moment, Bai Luan's mind was racing.
He was trying to find a plausible explanation for his unreasonable appearance.
The young girl in front of him was none other than the famous Ms. Herta, the 83rd member of the Genius Society, who had met the Aeons twice, saved the Azure Star from nineteen crises, and was a magical girl genius who even padded her chest.
Weaving an airtight lie in front of her…
This was truly too difficult.
Hmm…
I've got it! I can use the information asymmetry of a Transmigrator to pretend to be a prophet…
I know the future plot developments of Honkai: Star Rail!
This is my biggest advantage!
So then…
"To be frank, Ms. Herta."
Bai Luan slowly stood up from the ground, patting the dust off his body. Although this body looked quite young, he displayed a composure, calmness, and maturity completely at odds with his appearance.
"You must have heard of Elio."
"Oh? You actually know that fellow who calls himself a slave of destiny?"
"Elio and I are very similar."
"Are you saying you can also see destiny and predict the future?"
"Precisely."
Bai Luan stood in place, looked up at Herta, nodded, and said:
"Even though this is our first meeting, I know you are Ms. Herta, the 83rd member of the Genius Society, who has met the Aeons twice and saved her homeworld 19 times.
Furthermore, you are also the developer of the simulated universe and the owner of the Herta Space Station."
Herta looked at Bai Luan confidently stating these things, a slight smile appearing on her face, and said:
"While you certainly know a lot, there are a few points you got wrong. I only saved my homeworld 15 or 16 times, I believe?
As for the simulated universe and the Space Station, I have never heard of them."
Upon hearing this, Bai Luan remained outwardly calm, adopting the contemplative expression of a wise man.
In reality, he was completely panicked inside.
Oh no, I didn't consider the timeline! I've actually arrived at a point before Herta built the Space Station.
Herta Space Station…
It's been around for at least 700 years, right?
Why did I come so early?
Forget it, I'll deal with it later!
The important thing now is how to smooth over this lie…
I've got it!
"It seems… I've revealed many things I shouldn't have. It's time for me to be more cautious with my words, lest others who can glimpse destiny become displeased with me."
"Are you saying that the 19th rescue of the Azure Star, and that Space Station and the simulated universe, are all things that will happen in the future?"
"Exactly."
"If I don't do those things, will I be able to change destiny?"
"Destiny is revered precisely because when you deliberately turn your back on it, every step you take will precisely become its winding path forward."
"Heh… space charlatans, this genius doesn't believe in your kind of talk."
"That is your will."
Bai Luan spread his hands.
"I cannot change it."
Herta looked at Bai Luan, unable to discern truth from falsehood for a moment, so Herta decided…
To use technology!
She clapped her hands twice, and several Herta Puppets appeared out of nowhere.
Some brought heavy leather armchairs and mahogany coffee tables, others carried steaming bone china teapots and exquisite desserts, and even more were cooperatively assembling a complex, blinking, sensor-covered, and cable-laden… metal chair.
Soon, a device that looked very much like an electric chair was assembled by the Herta Puppets.
Bai Luan's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the newly assembled "electric chair," then rigidly returned to Herta.
At this moment, Herta was sitting in a leather armchair, enjoying the hot tea brewed by the Herta Puppets.
The Herta Puppets stood in a line behind Herta.
Noticing Bai Luan's gaze, Herta put down her teacup and began to select a dessert to eat, saying as she chose:
"What are you afraid of? That's just a lie detector. Sit on it, and it will distinguish truth from falsehood in an instant, very convenient."
"…"
Can a person deceive a machine?
Especially a machine invented by one of the universe's rare geniuses.
Bai Luan felt as if he was somewhat doomed.
『Sit on it, I'll protect you』
Hearing the System's voice, the panic in Bai Luan's heart dissipated considerably, and he sat down with peace of mind.
After Bai Luan sat down, a Herta Puppet walked over and placed a helmet on him.
"Is everything you said true?"
"All true."
Herta glanced at the helmet on Bai Luan's head.
No alarm.
Could it be that this little fellow in front of her could truly foresee the future?
Although Herta thought the veracity of this matter was very low, she trusted her invention would not make a mistake.
"How did you come here?"
Finally, questions about my background?
Origin… origin…
I can't just say the System sent me.
How can I concoct a plausible and reasonable origin in such a short time?
Ah! I've got it!
"I was living an anonymous life, but for some reason, Aha took an interest in me and sent me to this place. Even my body… for some reason, transformed into its current appearance."
"Are you saying it was all The Aeon of Elation's doing?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Bai Luan nodded with utmost certainty.
A big black pot was directly placed on the head of The Aeon of Elation.
Aha, the most useful excuse in the world; anything outrageous can be blamed on him.
I truly am a genius.
Herta glanced at the helmet on Bai Luan's head again.
Still no reaction.
"The Aeon of Elation's handiwork, huh…"
"Ms. Herta, I can understand your confusion. Before he sent me here, I didn't believe he would do such a thing.
Now it seems I still underestimated The Aeon of Elation.
He's Aha!
What can't he do?!"
Seeing Bai Luan's expression, clearly exasperated by The Aeon of Elation, Herta also chuckled.
She had to admit, randomly picking a lucky audience member to prank like this was quite amusing.
Though a bit hellish.
"Why were you living anonymously?"
"Of course, because I didn't want to be caught by the Company. Thanks to Elio, people like me are highly sought after now. Who knows what I'd become if I were caught."
"You can foresee destiny, can't you? Can't that ability help you evade capture?"
Bai Luan shrugged and said:
"That ability didn't help me evade Aha either."
"It seems that ability isn't as powerful as rumored."
"Even Aeons aren't omniscient and omnipotent, let alone a mortal like me?"
"At least you have self-awareness, knowing that this ability brings a lot of trouble and wanting to hide. That's much better than some fools who, upon gaining a bit of ability, rush out to seek death.
But… why are you willing to explain the situation to me?"
"You were going to dissect me for research; if I didn't speak, was I just supposed to wait to be sliced up?"
It seemed even more hellish.
Herta chuckled again, a brief, light laugh, then said:
"You actually believed that? I was just trying to scare you."
"After being messed with by Aha, I finally understood that hiding and evading won't work. Any random accident can make me lose everything. It's safer to become strong myself."
"You're right about that."
Bai Luan looked at Herta and tried to say:
"So, Ms. Herta, can you take me in? I think there's no safer place in the entire universe than with you. Don't you want to know if what I'm saying is true?
Given time, you will eventually know the answer.
And if you take me in, if I lied to you, you'd save yourself the trouble of searching the entire universe for a liar who dared to deceive you."
"Those reasons are not enough for me to take you in."
"Destiny tells me that with you, I will be useful.
Although destiny hasn't told me when I will be useful, I will be useful eventually.
So, Ms. Herta, do you believe in destiny? Or rather, are you interested in spending time to verify whether destiny exists?"
Herta glanced at the lie detector again. Since Bai Luan put it on, it hadn't shown any alarm.
This proved that everything Bai Luan said was true.
From hiding and evading to being pranked by Aha and wanting to stay and become stronger, it was all true.
Herta trusted her invention.
"Then… I'll keep you for a long-term experiment."
Herta stretched in her chair, stood up, and said to the Herta Puppets behind her:
"You few, take him away, prepare clothes, find him a place to stay, and then assign him some random tasks."
It seemed he would be allowed to stay.
Bai Luan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
From the moment he sat on that "electric chair," everything had been improvised. Weaving a logically sound lie in front of a member of the Genius Society was truly challenging.
His desire to stay with Herta was just a small attempt, and he hadn't expected it to succeed; it was a pleasant surprise.
Thank God…
No, to hell with God.
Thank Herta and the System,
You two are my true gods.
While Bai Luan was inwardly thanking the System and Herta, the helmet on his head was taken off.
Was it a Herta Puppet who took it off?
Thinking this, Bai Luan looked up and saw Herta's face. One of her hands reached out and pinched Bai Luan's cheek.
"People who can see destiny don't look particularly special on the outside, do they?"
Her fingers pressed slightly, deforming Bai Luan's cheek a little as she examined him from side to side.
Then Herta stared at Bai Luan's face for a while, revealing a slight smile, and commented:
"You are quite pleasing to the eye; you have a pair of very beautiful eyes."
Herta withdrew her hand and straightened up.
"I don't keep idlers here. You'd best prove your usefulness quickly."
Bai Luan rubbed his face and stood up from the chair.
"Understood, Ms. Herta, I will become useful to you as soon as possible."
"Then I shall look forward to it."
Herta turned and left, casually waving her hand.
As she departed, the silent and efficient puppets began to move again.
The lie detector was quickly disassembled, and the exquisite tables, chairs, and tea sets were magically cleared away.
Soon, the corridor returned to its previous emptiness and coldness.
One of the Herta Puppets walked towards Bai Luan.
"Bai Luan, right? Follow me."