Just as Herman fell silent, the phone in his pocket began to ring:
Ring, ring, ring.
Herman took out his phone and saw that Screwllum had sent him a message.
The message described what had happened. Screwllum had completed his recent laboratory research, and upon leaving the laboratory, he had seen the celestial megastructure lingering in the starry expanse of The Blue star system, a vessel even larger than its sun.
While astonished, he had quickly accessed The Blue star system's network and learned that the Xianzhou was a new technological creation Madam Herta had built while he was conducting his closed-door research.
In his message to Herta, Screwllum also explained that his technological scans had already revealed the Xianzhou to be alive.
He could sense an incomparably vigorous life force within the Xianzhou itself. However, that life force was completely different from that of the Ruanruan, which Madam Ruan Mei had awakened. Thus, he asked in the message whether Herta had developed some new technology.
Herman quickly replied, "Screwllum, your observations are very meticulous. The Herta Xianzhou is indeed alive. Through my technology, I gave her self-awareness from the moment she was born."
"This is truly remarkable," Screwllum said earnestly. "After all, according to my perceptions, Madam Herta, the life force of the Xianzhou you created surpasses that of nearly every Intellitron life-form on Planet Screwllum. ...May I log into this new Xianzhou and communicate with the immensely powerful Intellitron consciousness born within its true body?"
A smile tugged at Herman's lips as he quickly typed his reply. "That will not be necessary. More importantly, the consciousness of the Herta Xianzhou is not currently located within the Xianzhou's true body."
Upon hearing this, Screwllum felt as though his CPU had overheated. Only after a long while did he send The Herta another message. "Madam Herta, if the Herta Xianzhou's consciousness is not within the Xianzhou itself, then where is it?"
From the other end of the call, Herman quickly replied, "You can obtain the answer to that question by coming to the entrance of the Soul Gem Factory."
Screwllum immediately understood. "Madam Herta, do you mean that the Intellitron will of the Herta Xianzhou is currently accompanying you?"
"Yes."
After sending the message, Herman raised his head and looked at Ruan Mei. "Let's go outside together. Screwllum has finished his experiment, and he wants to ask me about Shipgirl Herta."
After saying this, Herman took Shipgirl Herta's hand and extended his other hand toward Ruan Mei.
Ruan Mei showed no resistance whatsoever. She naturally took Herman's hand, and the three of them, two adults and one child, walked out through the gates of the Soul Gem Factory together.
After the three of them waited silently at the entrance for a while, they saw an elegant Intellitron wearing a hat and a monocle arrive.
Then they noticed that the instant Screwllum looked at the three of them, he froze. More precisely, his machinery crashed the moment he saw Shipgirl Herta.
There was no other reason. In Screwllum's field of vision, the person before him was a Herta Puppet. ...Yet his perception as an Intellitron sovereign was clearly informing him that this being, despite possessing the appearance of a puppet, was an enormous anomaly.
Screwllum's voice trembled. "Herta, just what kind of existence have you created?"
"According to my perceptions, she is not an Intellitron, but an existence even more extraordinary and inconceivable than one. She herself represents the concept of the Xianzhou. It is as though this tiny humanoid figure before me is the true Herta Xianzhou, while the Xianzhou in space is merely her outer shell."
"Your judgment is correct. Her current form is the Herta Xianzhou's true appearance. Her name is Shipgirl Herta, a shipgirl I created by combining several highly advanced technologies."
Screwllum murmured, "Not an Intellitron, but a shipgirl?"
"Correct."
Herman nodded faintly.
"Herta, please permit me to ask this question. How exactly did you create a shipgirl, a unique life-form whose humanoid state serves as its primary form while its battleship state is merely secondary?"
"With a Wisdom Cube."
"A Wisdom Cube... An unfamiliar term. Is this your new invention?"
"That's right."
"Does that not mean that as long as you authorize its sale through the Interastral Peace Corporation's online commercial platform, more and more shipgirls will appear throughout the universe?"
"That is correct, but I have no plans to sell it for the time being."
Herman said this calmly.
"Wh..."
Screwllum had just been about to ask why when he looked at Shipgirl Herta's appearance, which was completely identical to that of a Herta Puppet, and immediately understood.
Of course. Shipgirl Herta currently looks like a Herta Puppet. This is a hidden trump card. If Herta encounters a powerful enemy in the future, Shipgirl Herta can strike brutally while the enemy mistakes her for an ordinary Herta Puppet, inflicting devastating damage.
At that moment, Ruan Mei also joined the conversation and said seriously to Screwllum, "In fact, the species Herta created through this research project was not limited to the Galactic Shipgirl Herta. She also created numerous machine spirits."
Upon hearing this, a trace of confusion flashed through Screwllum's mind:
Machine spirits? What are those?!
Herman noticed Screwllum's confusion and immediately explained what machine spirits were:
"Souls that reside within machines. They can assist with a machine's operation and even help the machine's owner in battle."
As soon as he finished speaking, Herman flipped his hand and produced a pistol. He removed its magazine, displayed it to Screwllum, and said, "Look. This gun is not loaded with bullets, correct?"
"Correct."
"Then watch closely. The machine spirit is about to exert its power." After saying this, Herman inserted the magazine into the pistol and pulled back the slide.
At that instant, the machine spirit within the pistol erupted with excitement:
"Ho, ho, ho... The great Creator has shoved something inside me!"
"The Creator's enormous hand feels wonderful!"
"In that case, I must give it everything I have."
The pistol's machine spirit began exerting its power. It reached directly into the Warp and fashioned psionic bullets within it. The next moment, Herta pulled the trigger, and countless bullets shot forth, forming a metallic storm that blasted a cluster of bullet holes into the ground.
Screwllum's eyes widened. "A pistol without ammunition unleashed a storm of metal bullets. Inconceivable. Is this a method of creating something from nothing?!"
"...Furthermore, I truly did sense a life activity resembling that of an Intellitron within this pistol just now."
The next moment, Herman explained, "It is not quite creation from nothing. The machine spirit within the firearm was exerting its power. It fashioned a large number of bullets from the Warp."
"One could even say that the machine-spirit life-form itself was something I created by combining Warp psionics with a mechanical vessel."
Upon hearing this, Screwllum understood something:
Machine spirits are the souls of machines, assisting machinery so that it can operate more perfectly!
In that case, machine spirits are also a branch of Intellitron life!
As for the will of the Herta battleship, although The Herta calls her a shipgirl, her essence was also born from the battleship's mechanical structure. She can therefore also be considered a branch of Intellitron life.
Herta has created two new branches of Intellitron life in succession. This is wonderful news!
After Screwllum's CPU reached this conclusion, the gaze he directed toward Herta became even warmer and friendlier.
At that moment, Herman's phone rang once again. He picked it up and saw a formal electronic invitation jointly sent by Marshal Hua of the Xianzhou Alliance and its six Arbiter-Generals, inviting Herta to join the Xianzhou Alliance. The official document even bore their seals.
The Xianzhou Alliance's leaders solemnly stated that as long as Herta had time to visit the Alliance headquarters, the Xianzhou Alliance would officially hold a grand press conference jointly endorsed by all its Arbiter-Generals, announcing to the entire galaxy that Herta had joined the Alliance.
After reading it, Herman quickly added his electronic signature and replied, "Everyone in the Xianzhou Alliance, I accept your invitation. As for when I will visit the Xianzhou headquarters, that may have to be postponed. After all, I have quite a few things to research in the near future."
When Marshal Hua saw the immediate reply, she could not help sighing inwardly:
Herta's inspiration truly is inexhaustible. Even today, three months after becoming a genius, that still has not changed.
Marshal Hua thought for a moment, then quickly typed, "Indeed, a genius' time should be devoted to scientific research rather than wasted attending press conferences. ...Therefore, I have decided that in the near future, the Xianzhou Alliance's generals, including myself, will travel together to The Blue star system. In this way, we will announce to the entire universe that you have joined the Alliance and personally deliver the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath to you!"
"...Do not refuse. After all, inviting a new member into the Alliance is an event of tremendous importance!"
After reading the message, Herman replied, "Very well. I will await your arrival!"
"Please look forward to it. I will contact the other Xianzhou generals now." After Marshal Hua sent this message, her profile icon went dark.
Several dozen seconds later, Marshal Hua convened an online meeting, and the many Xianzhou generals logged in immediately.
Marshal Hua quickly explained during the meeting that the Xianzhou Alliance would send all seven Arbiter-Generals, including herself, to The Blue in order to personally invite Herta into the Alliance and have the worldship she created, the Herta Xianzhou, become the Alliance's seventh Xianzhou.
General Fubo, leader of the Fanghu, was the first to raise an objection. "Marshal, if every fleet travels openly to The Blue star system, it may trigger a massive upheaval throughout the universe. It may even cause our enemies to join forces against the Xianzhou Alliance."
"Furthermore, the Fanghu Xianzhou suffered tremendous losses in the previous war. It still requires a great deal of time to recuperate."
Feixiao clenched her fist. "General Fubo, you are overthinking matters. If the Borisin, Wingweavers, and the Antimatter Legion of Destruction... truly join forces, then we will simply beat them until nothing remains. Besides, we have General Yaoguang of the Yuque with us. She can divine fortune and disaster."
Yaoguang shook her head faintly. "Whenever Madam Herta is involved, my six-line divinations frequently lose their effectiveness."
Jing Yuan of the Luofu said, "Whether all seven Arbiter-Generals leave the Xianzhou together or all six Xianzhou worldships mobilize at once, the target would be far too conspicuous."
"Once hostile forces discover that we generals have left the Xianzhou, they will most likely take immediate action. Likewise, if all six warships of the Xianzhou Alliance travel together, our enemies will inevitably observe them."
"At that point, they will most likely seize the opportunity to guide the Plague Authors behind them into personally entering the conflict and bringing absolute destruction upon the Xianzhou Alliance's six Xianzhou."
"Therefore, I believe that for the sake of caution, we should still..."
Ring, ring, ring.
At that moment, Marshal Hua looked at the projection from her phone in the online meeting room and suddenly said, "The Alliance must still take the Xianzhou to The Blue star system. Herta has just said that since the Alliance is treating her with complete sincerity, she can use her new invention to upgrade the Xianzhou Alliance and provide it with more high-level combatants."
Upon hearing this, Jing Yuan stopped speaking. Curiosity appeared in his slightly narrowed eyes.
Feixiao, however, seemed to think of something and spoke excitedly. "Marshal, does she mean more battle pets like the Honkai Beasts? To be honest, aboard the Yaoqing Xianzhou, the Honkai Beasts have played an enormous role as mounts for the Cloud Knights."
Huaiyan stroked the white beard on his chin. "General Merlin's Claw, do not become excited yet. According to the Marshal, Madam Herta's latest research project concerns the Xianzhou, so it most likely does not involve battle pets."
Marshal Hua nodded to Huaiyan, then turned her gaze toward the projections of the Xianzhou generals in the online meeting room and said:
"In her message, Herta said that after joining the Xianzhou Alliance, as long as we allow her to study the Reignbow Arbiter's spirituses, she can help upgrade all six of the Alliance's worldships, including the Yaoqing, Luofu, Zhuming... and the other Xianzhou. There is a chance that the Xianzhou themselves will become high-level combatants. ...Combatants equal to the Arbiter-Generals."
"What?!"
Every general present was stunned. Feixiao in particular reacted first and immediately said, "Marshal, is that true? The Yaoqing desperately needs another high-level combatant to continue creating new victories!"
"...As long as she can truly create one, I am entirely willing to let her study my spiritus."
Huaiyan did not speak, but intense astonishment filled his clouded eyes.
Jing Yuan also remained silent, though his eyes widened slightly.
Neither Huaiyan nor Jing Yuan believed Herta's message was empty boasting. After all, she was someone who had created countless miracles.
An eighteen-year-old genius who had completed her own coronation in two months and become an Emanator of Erudition.
Now, in the third month since Herta became a genius, the creation of artificial Emanators... upon careful consideration, was not truly so difficult to accept or understand.
Moreover, the many technologies Herta had developed in the past were indeed far too extraordinary.
The Solitary Wave Algorithm could calculate the future of the universe!
Soul Gems, those Path amplifiers, had originally been properties possessed only by Curios. They had been terrifyingly expensive, and only a tiny number of people owned them.
Yet after Herta developed them, countless Pathstriders throughout the universe now possessed one... provided that their planet was connected to the interastral network.
More importantly, ever since Herta became a genius, her research had never failed, nor had she ever boasted without cause. Her confidence, which had reached the level of arrogance, was the greatest proof of all.
At that moment, Marshal Hua glanced at Feixiao and said, "The Yaoqing is not the only Xianzhou that needs Emanator-level combat power. Every Xianzhou needs it... Therefore, we must make this journey to The Blue star system and obtain the new technology Herta described in her message to upgrade the Xianzhou themselves. If it succeeds, the Alliance will gain six Emanators in a single stroke."
As Marshal Hua finished speaking, her own heart was also trembling violently:
Artificially creating Emanators and elevating Xianzhou worldships into Emanators!
If something like that truly succeeds...
Would that not mean that Herta, a mortal genius, also possesses the power to bestow blessings and grant Emanatorhood to others... when such an ability originally belonged solely to the Aeons?!