"Eh?! You asked Takagi that question? When was that?" Paimon asked in surprise.
"Just a little while ago." Venti smiled and looked at Lumine meaningfully.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lumine asked.
Venti: "Because Takagi told me at the time that as a Traveler, you have a certain possibility of stepping onto a second Path."
Paimon: "What?! Lumine has such a possibility?!"
Lumine also looked at Venti in surprise.
"At least that's what Takagi said. As for whether you, Traveler, can step onto a second Path, that depends on yourself," Venti said with a smile.
"That's great, Traveler. This way, you'll be able to gain power more quickly," Paimon said excitedly.
"That's true, but first, we need to get a ticket from Takagi. Sigh, if only Takagi would let me ride the Astral Express for free again," Lumine sighed and said.
"Yeah, it would be great if we could go to the Universe again. What kind of place is Herta Space Station? I really want to see it clearly with my own eyes," Paimon said.
...
Sumeru. Akademiya.
"It seems you miscalculated, Grand Sage. Lesser Lord Kusanali not only stepped onto a Path, but she was also the first person in the second batch of Travelers to do so. In addition, she has the special identity of being a branch of the World Tree." The Doctor turned his head and looked at Azar, who was covered in sweat, with interest.
"H-how could this be? Why would she be a branch of the World Tree? If it weren't for that, how could she, in her foolishness, step onto a Path!" Azar leaned weakly against the wall, his face full of disbelief.
"But that's the truth. No matter how unwilling you are to believe it, there's nothing you can do. Her identity is already special, and her power will only be stronger after obtaining a Path. With her like this, she should be able to do many things after returning to Teyvat. For example, destroying the Akademiya or something," The Doctor said with a smile.
After he finished speaking, Grand Sage Azar could no longer support himself and collapsed to the ground.
"How could this be? Is the Akademiya going to end in my hands?" Azar thought of the scene of Nahida possibly retaliating against the Akademiya, and he was on the verge of collapse.
But soon, he raised his head and looked at The Doctor, asking as if grasping at a last straw: "You must have a way, right? Since Lesser Lord Kusanali has obtained a Path, you over there must also be able to step onto a Path. By then, we will also be able to create a god stronger than her, right?"
Hearing this, The Doctor smiled. "Not bad, it seems you haven't been defeated by the facts yet. In that case, you are still worth cooperating with. Speaking of which, Grand Sage, you should have noticed the state of the Akasha."
Hearing this, the Grand Sage's spirits lifted slightly. "The Akasha... didn't lose its function because Lesser Lord Kusanali went to the Universe. This means that she may have left the Gnosis in Sumeru. You want to say this, right?" Azar said.
"As expected of the Grand Sage, that's exactly what I was thinking. Although it's just a possibility, I believe it's necessary for us to thoroughly search in Sumeru, don't you agree?" The Doctor said with a smile.
"Indeed, if she truly left the Gnosis behind, this would be our opportunity. I will arrange for people to search with all their might immediately," The Grand Sage said, then used the Akasha Terminal to contact trustworthy individuals.
Meanwhile, The Doctor looked up at the palace where Nahida was originally imprisoned.
The most dangerous place is the safest place. If you truly left the Gnosis in Sumeru, would you leave it here? The Doctor murmured in his heart.
...
(Tartaglia: I wonder if Herta Space Station has a battlefield like Belobog's Everwinter Hill. If it does, it would be perfect to see how powerful Nahida is now.)
(Kaveh: Although I also want to study the combat power of Nahida, who is a clone of the World Tree, after combining with a Path... But a place like Herta Space Station, no matter how you think about it, wouldn't have a place like a battlefield, right?)
(Tighnari: Since it's a gathering place for researchers, it should be in a relatively safe location. After all, only then can researchers focus on their research without worrying about other things.)
(Arataki Itto: Then won't this trip have no battles to see? If not through battle, how can others step onto a Path?)
(Thoma: Yes, Takagi mentioned that battle helps one step onto a Path. If there's no battle, won't others have no chance?)
(Alhaitham: Although Nahida's way of stepping onto a Path is somewhat special, this at least shows that the method of stepping onto a Path is not limited to battle. Perhaps at Herta Space Station, the second batch of passengers can step onto a Path without going through battle.)
Even so, La Signora, one of the second batch of passengers, was clearly still a bit worried. She walked up to Takagi and asked somewhat eagerly: "Takagi, in Herta Space Station, there really won't be a place where we can battle, right?"
Takagi: "You want to battle that much?"
La Signora: "Mm! I want to step onto a Path."
If she hadn't thought it would be bad to say something like making Herta Space Station's Stellaron erupt, she would have even wanted to ask Takagi if he could make it happen and create some Fragmentum Monsters to fight.
"I did say that battle helps in stepping onto a Path, but that doesn't mean that only through battle can one step onto a Path," Takagi smiled and continued meaningfully. "A Path is both a power and the core motivation of an Aeon, the way an Aeon walks. In this Universe, mortals whose actions align with the core motivation of an Aeon have the possibility of stepping onto a Path."
"Of course, the mortal's actions need to reach a certain degree. My 'Blessing' can reduce the required degree of a mortal's actions, making it easier for people of Teyvat to step onto a Path. For Paths like Preservation, Destruction, and Abundance, mortals can step onto the corresponding Path through actions such as protecting others, slaying others, or healing others. These actions are naturally quite easy to demonstrate in battle."
"But if not in battle, actions like healing others can also be demonstrated. In addition, there are naturally some Paths that can be stepped onto through non-combat methods. For example, the Path of Erudition might be obtained through the act of research. La Signora, how about you find a topic to research later? Maybe you'll accidentally step onto the Path of Erudition, which symbolizes 'wisdom'."
Upon hearing this, La Signora's brows furrowed slightly. "Research... what a distant word."
Although Takagi had provided a method to step onto a Path, La Signora couldn't really feel happy in her heart. Although she was once a genius who studied in Sumeru, that was many years ago. She hadn't done experiments for a long time now. For her to step onto a Path through research, it truly made her feel somewhat at a loss.
On the contrary, The Doctor, Lisa, and Cloud Retainer, who were beside her, all showed smiles on their faces.
The Doctor: "Stepping onto a Path through research... that's truly a pleasant plan."
Lisa: "It seems I need to be a little serious."
Cloud Retainer: "Research... I suppose devising contraptions also counts as research."
(Kaveh: There really is a way to step onto a Path through other means instead of battle. That guy Alhaitham actually guessed correctly.)
(Alhaitham: I wasn't guessing; I was simply analyzing!)
(Grand Sage Azar: Stepping onto a Path through research! I actually missed such an opportunity!)
(Venti: You don't need to be so disappointed; Takagi just said that it's possible to step onto the Path of Erudition through research. It doesn't mean you'll definitely step onto the Path.)
(Zhongli: By universal rationality, Venti is correct!)
(Tighnari: The Path of Erudition... the Aeon of Erudition, I wonder what kind of Star God it will be.)
(Mona: Once someone steps onto the Path of Erudition and meets the Aeon of Erudition, Takagi should mention it, right?)
...
"However, if you truly want to step onto a Path through battle, it's not impossible. Herta Space Station has the Simulated Universe developed by four geniuses. In there, you can utilize your strengths in battle. Nahida can also test the extent of her power after stepping onto the Path of Memory in the Simulated Universe."
"Oh, these four geniuses are truly Universe-level geniuses. Although a few of the passengers are high-achievers, it's best not to compare yourselves to them," Takagi reminded with a kind expression.
The Doctor: "True geniuses, interesting."
Lisa: "Since Takagi said so, I naturally believe it."
Cloud Retainer: "I wonder how much of a gap there is between me and such beings."
Nahida: "The Simulated Universe developed by geniuses... I wonder what it will be like."
"As long as I can battle, the gap doesn't matter," La Signora let out a sigh of relief, murmuring.
"It seems you're determined to step onto a Path through battle, La Signora. In that case, let's shift our attention back to the Space Station here. Because of Nahida stepping onto the Path of Memory, we've stayed here for too long." Takagi smiled and turned to look out the window behind him.
Upon receiving Takagi's reminder, Cloud Retainer immediately came over and aimed the camera forward. La Signora, The Doctor, Nahida, and Lisa also looked out the window in front of Takagi.
In the endless starry sky, a blue planet was suspended close to the Astral Express. And in the orbit of that blue planet, a Space Station, which looked incredibly advanced no matter how you viewed it, was slowly gliding.
(Lumine: It's a Space Station! That's amazing; I actually saw a real Space Station!)
(Paimon: You're so excited, Traveler.)
(Lumine: What do you know? I've only ever seen advanced things like Space Stations in storybooks.)
(Paimon: Just like a Star Destroyer!)
(Alice: No wonder Lumine is excited. Seeing such an advanced product makes me excited too.)
(Ningguang: A Space Station suspended above a world? My Jade Chamber is far inferior! I really want to own a Space Station like this. I wonder how much Mora it would cost.)
(Beidou: Your idea is as absurd as me wanting to buy Takagi's Astral Express.)
(Ningguang: I know, I'm just saying.)
(Charlotte: These mechanical lines, this indescribable appearance... you can tell it's the crystallization of technology at a glance.)
(Alhaitham: Indeed. Just looking at the exterior, not the interior, you know that this Herta Space Station has far surpassed the most cutting-edge knowledge possessed by Sumeru.)
(Navia: Such a mechanical structure... I wonder if Fontaine can build such artifacts in the future.)
(Furina: But... it must be possible.)
(Neuvillette: Difficult.)
(Furina: Don't undermine me!)
"What an advanced product. I don't know how humans created artifacts like this," Cloud Retainer said with great emotion.
Lisa: "Suspended outside the world... unbelievable."
The Doctor: "Such an advanced product must also contain many advanced technologies and knowledge internally."
Nahida: "Can I learn the knowledge here? Is this knowledge really suitable for Teyvat?"
While everyone was talking, Takagi had already piloted the Astral Express to the entrance of the Herta Space Station.
"The Herta Space Station has received my information and has agreed for the Astral Express to dock at the platform within the Space Station. Let's go, everyone. Want to know how advanced the Herta Space Station is inside? Then let's go in and have a good look." Takagi smiled and piloted the Astral Express into the Space Station.
Everyone watched as the train penetrated a layer of energy, like a barrier, on the exterior of the Herta Space Station, and finally docked on a platform. When Takagi opened the door, The Doctor and the others quickly followed Takagi out of the Astral Express.
As soon as they stepped off the train, everyone was stunned by the advanced things around them. Fast-moving manned vehicles, automatic cleaning robots, drones flying everywhere, and so on. These things, let alone seeing them, would be hard for people in Teyvat to even dream or imagine. For a moment, even The Doctor fell silent.
"Welcome, Lord Takagi. I presume these are the tourists from Teyvat you mentioned?" Asta, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward and said with a smile.
Takagi: "That's right. I'll be troubling you this time, Asta."
Asta: "It's no trouble, this is what I should do. I should also thank you for selling me that deluxe Star Destroyer."
The Doctor: "Star Destroyer? Is it the ship Takagi mentioned that can destroy worlds?"
Asta: "That's right, but I didn't use it to destroy worlds or anything, hehe."
Takagi: "So, you just kept it as a collector's item?"
Asta shook her head and said with a smile: "Lord Takagi may not know, but ever since I placed the Star Destroyer next to the Herta Space Station, the number of people and organizations who had ideas about Ms. Herta's collection has significantly decreased. Although I haven't fired the Star Destroyer yet, it has indeed served its purpose. Look, the Star Destroyer is over there."
As Asta spoke, she raised her hand and pointed in one direction on the Space Station platform. Takagi, La Signora, and the others turned their heads and indeed saw the deluxe version of the Star Destroyer suspended on the other side of the Herta Space Station.
(Lumine: A real Star Destroyer! That's amazing! Damn it, I wish I could go to the Space Station and then visit that Star Destroyer.)
(Kaeya: Indeed, both the Space Station and the Star Destroyer are so romantic!)
(Ningguang: I'm starting to feel more and more like my Jade Chamber isn't that great.)
(Beidou: I'm starting to feel more and more like my ship isn't that great.)
(Lyney: Those muzzles are truly terrifying. Are those the cannons that can destroy worlds?)
(Albert: Destroying worlds... it... it must be a joke, right? Right!)
(Thoma: Who knows? It's not like Ms. Asta would really fire a cannon at a world.)
(Scaramouche: I'd like to see if it can actually destroy a world, heh heh.)