I'd thought of things being absurd, but not *this* absurd.
Looking at the paper crane that had landed on his hand, Bai Luan was at a loss for words.
Ruan Mei created life, researching this and that for it, while he did it with just a piece of paper.
This was truly too absurd.
Aha, who was peeking at him, must be exclaiming 'magnificent!' right now.
Looking at the paper crane in his hand, Bai Luan scratched his head, a hint of distress flashing across his face.
How should he deal with this little guy?
He couldn't exactly say he'd created a life, could he?
His creation of life was different from Ruan Mei's. Ruan Mei had gone through extensive scientific research to create life.
So she could create life herself and knew how she created it.
He, on the other hand, had simply and unknowingly created a new life due to the abilities granted by the System.
This meant that he was extremely prone to being exposed.
If Herta were to question him, and he stammered, unable to explain, it would be very hard to avoid suspicion that he wasn't a product of Abundance.
It seemed he couldn't let Herta know about the existence of this paper crane for now, otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to convince Herta not to dissect him.
During this time, he needed to find a way to subtly hint to the Herta Puppets that he was studying drone and biomimicry technology.
That way, the paper crane's appearance would seem more reasonable in Ms. Herta's eyes…
But what if Ms. Herta used some inspection instrument and found no mechanical structure inside? Wouldn't that expose him?
Bai Luan looked helpless, staring at the paper crane in his palm.
What should I do with you?
Perhaps it's better to just ask Herta herself.
In a flash, Bai Luan arrived in the Little Black Room.
Herta first closed Bai Luan's Botanical Garden notes, then observed the surroundings, realizing it was Bai Luan's room.
"It's already evening," she said.
Herta quickly analyzed the current situation, then, with a clear objective, walked straight to Bai Luan's slightly messy bed and sat down unceremoniously, her skirt pressing into a neat crease, as if the bed was a throne prepared just for her.
"Ms. Herta, I have a question for you. If I suddenly created life in front of you, what would you think of me?"
Herta first shot Bai Luan a look that screamed "Are you crazy?", then continued to read Bai Luan's Botanical Garden notes.
Although Bai Luan had only written one day's worth of content, due to the time difference in the Little Black Room, she hadn't finished reading it.
Originally, she didn't want to read it, but the Q-version Herta that Bai Luan drew was very appealing to her.
She hadn't wanted to read it in front of Bai Luan, but whenever Bai Luan left, she'd pick up the book, only for Bai Luan to immediately reappear, leaving her no chance to secretly finish it.
Eventually, she just gave up.
As a genius, why should I care about others' opinions?
Bai Luan, on the other hand, was a bit speechless.
Why was Herta always holding that notebook every time he came in? It was almost her idle animation.
Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing to have his casually drawn childish pictures being seriously looked at by someone else…
She was the one who said his drawings were childish, and now she was the one enjoying them so much.
"Didn't you say it was childish?"
Herta turned a page expressionlessly and said,
"This is inspecting your work."
"Alright, you always have a point, but my question just now wasn't nonsense."
"Oh?"
Herta closed the Botanical Garden notes and looked at Bai Luan with interest.
"You mean, you actually created life?"
"Yes, I folded a paper crane from a piece of paper, and then the paper crane came to life."
"Just one piece of paper?"
"Yes."
"Folded into a paper crane?"
"Exactly."
"And then it came to life?"
"Mhm."
Herta rolled her eyes at Bai Luan, then reopened the Botanical Garden notes.
"Hey! Don't you believe me! It's an ability the System gave me!"
"Next time, get to the point sooner."
She closed the notes again and looked at Bai Luan.
"You really created life?"
"Of course, look, I don't even have the paper crane in my hand. If it hadn't succeeded, the paper crane should still be in this Little Black Room."
"So what?"
Herta tilted her head, her tone so flat it had no ripple.
"Are you telling me this because you want me to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate? You know that's not very likely, right?"
A faint, playful curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
"No, I just want to know what Ms. Herta would do to me if she found out about this.
After all, when I was created by the System, you almost dissected me…"
"I told you then I was just teasing you. How could a genius like me be so cruel? Did that scare you so badly?"
Bai Luan's eyes lit up and he said,
"So, even if Ms. Herta saw that paper crane that turned into a living thing, she wouldn't dissect me?"
Herta's expression was calm. She thought about it seriously, then said,
"Hard to say."
Bai Luan's joyful expression immediately fell.
However, the instant his face dropped, he clearly caught it—Herta's lips, incredibly swiftly and subtly, curved upwards!
A tiny, almost illusory, yet absolutely real arc, filled with the pleasure of a successful prank!
He said, displeased,
"Are you making fun of me?"
Exposed, Herta showed no embarrassment. Instead, she met his gaze calmly, even lifting her chin slightly, as if admiring her masterpiece.
Herta concluded with interest,
"This genius has to admit, it's quite fun."
"So, what's the serious answer?"
"The serious answer is, don't worry so much. Ms. Herta won't pay too much attention to you; she's a very busy person. Of course, if you jump out and make yourself conspicuous, then pretend I didn't say anything."
Herta had a teasing smile on her face as she said,
"If you're willing to spill all your secrets, then I'd be very willing to spend energy studying you."
"…I really don't want to be studied by you."
"So, just keep it hidden.
Unless one day you can't hide it anymore, and this genius finds you, then you should worry.
No, you should worry now, after all, this genius has a pair of eyes skilled at discovery."
"Then at least until I can stand on my own two feet, I need to hide myself well. Hmm, just be an ordinary genius."
"You, you won't be able to hide for long."
"Are you that confident in yourself?"
"Of course, I am Herta."
Heh!
I'll hide it just to show you!
Bai Luan secretly made up his mind, starting an unspoken competition.
Act like a genius, but also act like not *too much* of a genius.
He might be a genius,
but it's unlikely he's *that* much of a genius.
Bai Luan seamlessly returned from the Little Black Room to reality, the paper crane in his palm energetically flapping its wings.
Knowing there was no immediate danger, Bai Luan felt much more at ease. He extended his index finger and gently stroked the paper crane's head.
"I'll find a chance to take you to the Botanical Garden. You can move around there from now on."
The paper crane looked at Bai Luan and nodded.
Bai Luan thought for a moment, then added,
"When you see other people, you have to pretend to be a normal paper crane, okay?"
The paper crane nodded again.
It felt like keeping a little Chizuru wasn't a bad idea.
"You'll be called Chizuru."
He just didn't know if it needed to eat…
What would paper eat? Paper?
Never mind, he'd think about it tomorrow.
Bai Luan stretched, ready for bed.
But as he stretched, his gaze fell upon the paper airplane oddity he had created earlier.
Bai Luan's eyes scanned back and forth between the paper crane and the paper airplane, and a bold idea suddenly emerged.
The ability of this paper airplane would make him win any competition, no matter who he was up against. So what if he made this paper airplane compete against the paper crane?
"Chizuru, come and race this paper airplane."
Chizuru immediately flew up at his words, looking determined.
Bai Luan picked up the paper airplane and began to count down.
When Bai Luan finished counting from three to one, Chizuru instantly darted forward, while Bai Luan merely gave the paper airplane a gentle toss.
Then, a magical scene unfolded.
After the paper airplane left his hand, it didn't follow any physical parabolic trajectory. Instead, it was like a white lightning bolt "catapulted" by space itself, tearing through the air with a "whoosh," instantly catching up to the white blur sprinting ahead!
It hovered precisely in front of Chizuru, no more, no less, exactly one sharp nose-cone length ahead.
After that, no matter how Chizuru accelerated, turned, or tried to shake off the paper airplane, it never succeeded.
"Hoh, it's even a conceptual god."
Bai Luan began to ponder the uses of this oddity.
If he didn't have other means of communication, having Chizuru stay by his side and giving the paper airplane to someone else would mean that no matter where he was, a simple toss of the paper airplane would bring it to him.
However…
Bai Luan's gaze went to his phone.
The entire universe was connected to the internet now; worlds without internet were, after all, a minority…
It could only serve as a backup, just in case.
Bai Luan briefly comforted Chizuru, who was disheartened by losing to the paper airplane, and lay back on his bed.
Bai Luan stared at the ceiling, his eyes somewhat unfocused.
Not long ago, he had been staring at the pale, cold, despair-filled ceiling of a hospital room, reeking of disinfectant…
A satisfied, almost ethereal smile, crept quietly onto his lips.
His second day in the Honkai: Star Rail world had been quite good.
He slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into dreams. What he thought about during the day, he dreamt about at night. The memories before sleep led him to dream of the past.
The city's neon lights, cold instruments…
The familiar smell of disinfectant seemed to stubbornly pierce his nostrils once more…