Starting from scratch to research Honkai energy.
With the assistance of the materials Ruan had left behind, Herta spent only a few days reviewing everything, forming a preliminary understanding of this energy and of Kiana herself.
Once she had a basic grasp of it, Herta began experimenting with the Stigmata on her puppets.
She wasn't troubled for long before successfully linking that badge to the Stigmata, allowing the badge's effects to be controlled through the Stigmata.
"Impressive!"
After watching Herta's series of manipulations, Kiana suddenly felt enlightened. After observing it once, she replicated the process herself.
Although it was still rather crude.
She had already managed to connect two completely unrelated things together. Achieving her goal now seemed within reach.
"Only natural." Herta smiled, looking extremely proud. "Nothing is beyond me."
What arrogance.
But Herta had every right to be arrogant.
When someone truly capable says the same words as someone incompetent, the impression it leaves is entirely different.
After spending some time with Herta,
Kiana had no choice but to admire her mind.
She had always known Herta was a genius among geniuses, but she had never felt it so directly. After interacting with her, Kiana could only say that the rumors outside were still too conservative.
Breaking through from zero to one.
Kiana began to develop some ideas of her own. As she tinkered with it, she improved it bit by bit, trying to bypass the system and directly achieve the desired effect through the Stigmata.
"Speaking of which, they haven't sent any updates for several days. Wasn't Welt planning to ask you to help seal off this world?"
"Something that lacks any technical depth can be handled by one of my other puppets," Herta said casually as she observed Kiana's movements. "It's not worth my personal involvement."
"Huh? You have other puppets here?"
"Why are you so surprised?" Herta sounded speechless. "When you were at the space station, didn't you see all my puppets?"
"That's true, but I didn't expect you to send several of them to this world."
"Backup units," Herta replied offhandedly.
After watching Kiana for a while, Herta suddenly raised a new question. "You want to connect all Stigmata to the power of the badge, right?"
"That's right!" Kiana nodded. Speaking of this made her visibly more excited. "The power of Stigmata alone is still too conservative. I plan to incorporate the badge's power as well. Developing a Stigmata to its limit involves several stages. I've decided that at each stage, the Stigmata bearer will be granted one opportunity to choose a badge."
She explained her idea of upgrading Stigmata and offering a three-option selection each time. With this setup, even an ordinary Stigmata bearer would gain considerable combat strength.
Herta couldn't be bothered to evaluate whether this approach was good or bad.
That wasn't important.
She simply found Kiana's idea interesting. After all, she had only implemented similar blessings and equations within the Simulated Universe.
"If you want to do that, you'll first need a terminal capable of connecting all Stigmata, won't you?" Herta pointed out directly. "And that terminal must not only connect to and manage all Stigmata, but also possess the same power you have to manufacture badges."
"A Stigmata terminal..."
Kiana scratched her head. To manage Stigmata, there would definitely need to be a terminal connecting them all.
And the best candidate for that terminal.
Was herself.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Now that she had managed to fuse the two things together—even if only at an initial stage, with further optimization required—she could begin thinking about the next step.
Or rather, the most crucial first step.
Constructing the Stigmata terminal.
"Ideas?" Kiana's mind blanked for a second. Thinking of the setting from Houkai Gakuen, she blurted out instinctively, "It seems like I'm the only one who can act as the Stigmata terminal."
Although Jyahnar was her companion Honkai Beast, she couldn't bear the power required to manufacture badges. Her immense Honkai energy could only sustain the terminal's operation, not become the terminal itself.
Even Jyahnar wouldn't work.
So the only one who could serve as the terminal.
Seemed to be herself.
Herta froze on the spot, staring at her as if she were some rare specimen. In a strange tone, she asked, "Are you serious?"
"...Thinking about it carefully, there really doesn't seem to be a better solution." After giving it some genuine thought, Kiana stopped joking. Her brows furrowed.
Constructing a Stigmata terminal was far more difficult than she had imagined.
She had initially thought it would be simple.
But relying on Honkai's connections to link and manage all Stigmata, while distributing the badge's power among them.
To accomplish that.
Was extremely difficult.
The carrier was the hardest part.
Modifying a single Stigmata was relatively simple. But integrating all Stigmata and realizing her concept required an appropriate carrier. It was indispensable.
Everything she had thought of over the past few days.
She had already tried.
None of it was suitable.
"You're not seriously planning to use yourself as the carrier, are you?"
Herta considered it seriously for a moment as well, temporarily setting aside Ruan and the troublesome Acheron. She had always been curious about Kiana. This opportunity was rare.
"Of course not!"
Kiana shook her head repeatedly. Her feelings for Belobog weren't that deep—not to the point of self-sacrifice.
Besides, the Stigmata project had been something she came up with on a whim. She only wanted to use it as a way to improve her control over the system's power.
The trouble on Jarilo-VI alone.
How could it possibly require her to sacrifice herself?
It wasn't like back in Izumo. If it had been then—when facing Nihility and the imminent destruction of Izumo—
She might have considered it.
But now?
What a joke.
Still, after dragging Herta into intensive research for so many days and finally making progress, only to get stuck at the carrier stage.
Kiana felt unwilling to give up.
"What if we use my genes to cultivate a clone, and then have the clone serve as the Stigmata terminal? Do you think that would work?"
She proposed an idea.
"A clone?"
Herta hesitated.
She didn't know whether it would work. But the idea didn't quite match Kiana's usual style. Although she was indeed the most suitable carrier, Herta hadn't initially considered that direction.
Yet Kiana had directly brought herself into the equation.
In her eyes, she was the most suitable.
Was there something she hadn't made clear?
"Yes, a clone." Kiana thought for a moment before adding, "It shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"
"Ruan is better at this sort of thing," Herta replied instead of agreeing, mentioning Ruan at that moment.
"Uh..."
Kiana's expression stiffened. The thought of asking Ruan to cultivate a clone of her instinctively felt wrong.
"She's very busy."
The unspoken meaning was clear: don't tell Ruan.
Herta narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked, "She's busy, so that means I'm idle? What benefit do I gain from doing this?"
Kiana was special. Although she had proposed it herself, researching her clone was an extremely risky endeavor.
Not to mention her own unique nature—there was no telling whether something unexpected might occur during the cultivation process.
Even others wouldn't be easy to deceive.
For example, Acheron, who visited the laboratory every day.
And Ruan, whose current activities were unknown.
"Haven't you always wanted to study my condition? I agree. You even said before that if I let you research me, you'd do anything I asked."
Cultivating her clone was, in essence, another form of studying her.
But whether it would actually work.
Even Kiana wasn't certain.
Although this was something Herta had long wanted to do, she felt there were still things she needed to consider.
For example...
Ruan.
How was she supposed to explain it to Ruan?
She and Ruan were partners now. Snatching a research project—especially one within Ruan's field of expertise.
How should she put it?
Even though she had just been thinking it didn't matter and that she could deal with it later, now that it came to actually doing it, she couldn't help but wonder whether it would cause other consequences.
"You and Ruan have some kind of agreement, don't you?" Herta couldn't help pointing it out. In matters of life sciences, Ruan was undeniably more authoritative. "She's more experienced than I am in this field. If you're deliberately keeping it from her and coming to me instead, did you two have a falling-out?"
"Why would you think that? Of course not!"
"Then bring her in to help." Herta came up with what she thought was a good solution. "She's excellent at cultivating life. With her assistance, we could avoid a lot of trouble."
Kiana's expression turned hesitant again.
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'll go find her myself," Herta said impatiently.
What was there to hesitate about?
She didn't understand.
It wasn't like Ruan would necessarily refuse.
And even if she did, so what?
Wasn't she still here?
She hadn't said she would refuse.
Kiana opened her mouth, then stopped. She scratched her head awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "I just feel like asking Ruan to research my clone or something... isn't very appropriate."
"What's inappropriate about it? She's cultivated plenty of lifeforms. Who knows what she's researching all day? Cultivating a clone wouldn't be difficult for her. She'd probably be interested."
"That's not what I mean!" Kiana pressed her lips together, looking embarrassed. "Given my relationship with Ruan, asking her to research my clone... it just doesn't feel right."
If their relationship were ordinary—just acquaintances or friends—then it would be one thing.
But her relationship with Ruan was much more intimate.
That meant she had to consider some...
Other issues.
"Relationship? What does that have to do with anything?"
"...Our relationship is too good. No matter how you look at it, the topic of clones is a bit... Anyway, I still think it's more appropriate for you to handle it."
That their relationship was extremely close was obvious to anyone.
Herta didn't quite understand what she was thinking. In her view, if their relationship was good, wouldn't that make it even more reasonable to help?
"Oh? Then I still think it's more appropriate for her to join," Herta said stubbornly, suddenly wanting to see what was really going on. "Your body is special. Replicating your power would probably be about as difficult as replicating an Emanator."
"I've never conducted research in this area," Herta continued. "I can't guarantee I'll be able to cultivate a suitable carrier. Using your genes to grow a lifeform isn't hard. But reproducing your power involves many more factors."
"Can't we try first? If it doesn't work, then we can ask Ruan for help," Kiana compromised. "You're Herta, after all."
"How strange." Herta crossed her arms. Being praised didn't make her happy—it was only natural. Her expression turned suspicious. "Why are you being so stubborn? Did you really fall out with Ruan and feel too embarrassed to ask her for help?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could that be possible!"
Kiana immediately bristled.
Although Ruan had never said it directly, Kiana had learned indirectly how many projects she was currently handling.
During the Izumo trip,
Ruan had set aside her other work and stayed in Izumo for months trying to awaken her. That had already delayed Ruan's research progress.
And besides, researching the clone of one's lover...
Just hearing it sounded strange.
"Then you need to tell me why," Herta insisted. "Don't just say it's inappropriate. Ruan has done far more 'inappropriate' things than this. I don't believe she's never done anything to you."
"Do you have someone you like?"
Herta's puppet seemed to freeze for a moment. "Like? You mean that kind of like? Do you think anyone is worthy of a genius like me? How vulgar."
"Aren't you and Acheron in that kind of relationship? Why bring this up now? Don't tell me you're about to say Ruan likes you?"
Herta teased half-seriously.
Ruan appeared gentle and refined on the surface, but in truth her emotions were extremely faint. In a certain sense, Ruan had even less humanity left than Screwllum.
Compared to her, Herta felt she herself was more human.
As for love and romance—
For geniuses like them, such things were undoubtedly unimportant. One could even say they were a burden.
There were still so many unsolved problems in the universe.
"Mm. Ruan and I are also in a romantic relationship. That's why I didn't want her to help. Researching your lover's clone... I feel like that would have a negative psychological impact."
Ruan's humanity had always been somewhat faint. It was only after spending time with her that she had gradually become more warm and human.
Researching the clone of one's lover—
For a normal person, that would carry psychological pressure and emotional shock.
Kiana was worried it might affect her.
And Ruan truly did have a lot on her plate right now. Although she wasn't clear about what Herta had mentioned earlier regarding a Foxian from the Xianzhou, it was obvious Ruan had new ideas in mind.
"Wait. What do you mean 'also'?"
Kiana, who was technically standing with a foot in two boats, spoke awkwardly. "There's no need to explain that part in such detail, right?"
Herta first frowned, then stared at Kiana, her gaze sweeping over her again and again. Suddenly, she stepped forward and leaned close, startling Kiana into retreating several steps.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to see what about you would make Ruan fall for you," Herta said. "I already thought you two were close. I didn't expect it to be that kind of close."
She examined Kiana like she was evaluating a specimen, her gaze scrutinizing every inch. "Average intelligence. Decent looks..."
"Are we here to gossip?" Kiana's face flushed red as she glared at Herta, annoyed that the topic had gone completely off track.
"Oh. Right." Herta nodded. It didn't really concern her. She was just curious. Very few people caught her eye. Ruan was one of them.
It was precisely because she understood Ruan's character
That she was curious.
Just as she had said earlier, Ruan's emotions were faint. Deep down, very little humanity remained.
In that regard, the two of them were somewhat similar. Judging from herself, Herta found the situation rather strange. By now, Ruan might not even properly understand ordinary human emotions.
And yet someone like that would...
Could this little girl have been deceived?
Considering Kiana's uniqueness and strength, the suspicion couldn't help but surface in Herta's mind.