When Herta 30 heard Herman's words, she beamed happily. "Then I'll remain in Belobog with the Stellaron and await Madam Herta's arrival."
"Mm."
Herman nodded, then turned his gaze toward the other Hertas. "You should tell me about your circumstances as well."
"All right."
A Herta quickly responded. It was Herta 66, who had recently appeared on the Keeping Up With Star Rail livestream.
"Madam Herta, I am currently devoting all my efforts to streaming. I have only one objective, and that is to gather enough wish power to create an Imaginary Construct Herta."
Create an Imaginary Construct Herta? What an interesting idea.
Herman raised an eyebrow. "Did you succeed?"
"No." Herta 66 scratched her head. "I haven't gathered enough wish power yet."
Herman said, "Then you can keep trying. I'm looking forward to it... By the way, when will the next Phantasmoon Games be held in Planarcadia?"
Herta 66 was surprised. "The Phantasmoon Games? Madam Herta, are you planning to participate?"
Herman nodded again. "I've considered it... After all, the winner of the Phantasmoon Games can use the divine power of Elation to fulfill a wish."
"The contents of the wish itself do not matter. The key is that the winner of the Phantasmoon Games can wield Aha's power for one minute."
"If a genius like me were to experience one minute of godhood, it would grant me a deeper understanding of an Aeon's essence. I might even dissect the complete mysteries of Aeons and uncover the path by which mortals can ascend to Aeonhood..."
That was what Herman said, and it was also what he truly believed.
He genuinely believed that if The Herta, who already possessed 4,500 research points, participated in the Phantasmoon Games, emerged victorious, and gained control of an Aeon's power, she could truly decipher the mysteries of Aeons within that single minute.
"The next Phantasmoon Games will be held five years from now. Madam Herta can attend then." Herta 66 paused before continuing.
"But I also believe what Madam Herta just said. As long as you participate, you will undoubtedly win the game and completely unravel the mysteries of Aeons!"
"Of course." Herman's voice overflowed with confidence. He firmly believed that the Herta he had nurtured would never disappoint his expectations and would continue creating new miracles.
"By the way, Madam Herta, I have made another discovery in Planarcadia." Herta 66 seemed to remember something and spoke seriously. "It is a crashed Astral Express."
"It is already covered in rust, moss, and weeds. It has clearly been lying there for a very long time."
"I contacted Stigmata Herta and even the Super Herta Astral Computer in an attempt to repair it, but we were unsuccessful."
A trace of surprise flashed through Herman's eyes. "Finding the Express is certainly good news, but it is perfectly normal that you were unable to repair or activate it."
"Activating the Express requires an intense desire to Trailblaze. Only a sufficiently pure wish can ignite its engine and allow it to race across the sea of stars once more, blazing new trails without end."
"Still, it doesn't matter if you cannot activate it. Photograph the entire internal structure of the train's carriages and send the images to the Super Herta Astral Computer. They will be useful for my upcoming research."
"Yes."
Herta 66 agreed solemnly.
"Aside from that, you must try to locate a certain tree in Planarcadia. It is the Ambrosial Arbor, a true miracle of Abundance. Collect some materials containing the power of Abundance from it."
Herman said seriously, "Should I obtain and research a genuine miracle of Abundance, I may be able to advance botanical technologies such as the God Tree and Devil Tree even further!"
"Yes. I, Herta 66, will do everything in my power to complete the task you have assigned me." Herta 66 raised her hand in a salute and solemnly accepted the mission.
Herman nodded slightly, then swept an encouraging gaze across the other Hertas. His expression undoubtedly said:
What unusual experiences have you had? Hurry up and tell me. Share them with me.
One of the Hertas quickly understood. She immediately stepped forward and excitedly said to Herman, "Madam Herta, I am currently in the world of Amphoreus. I am Herta 100."
"Several thousand years have passed since I arrived in Amphoreus. I have experienced multiple recreations of the world, so I suppose I am now the longest-lived Herta Puppet."
Hearing this, Herman could not help sighing. "Amphoreus is an electronic world. The passage of time there is completely different from reality. And Herta 100, you possess the Ruan Mei Magic Wand. Have you already carried out the Magical Girl Causal Reincarnation Plan?"
Herta 100 nodded seriously. "Naturally, I carried out Madam Herta's mission exactly as instructed. Moreover, I have a companion in Amphoreus. Her name is Kaslana."
Herman's brows twitched violently when he heard the name Kaslana.
Kaslana? What is going on?
Shouldn't the Amphoreus only have Khaslana? Could some unforeseen change have occurred in Amphoreus?!
With that thought, Herman immediately asked the Herta before him what exactly was going on with Kaslana.
"Kaslana is Phainon. More precisely, she is the female version of Khaslana."
A swarm of question marks seemed to appear above Herman's head.
Seeing Herman's confusion, Herta 100 hurriedly explained, "This is all the result of the grand plan you assigned me—the Magical Girl Plan."
"According to the information Madam Herta originally provided, only women could properly utilize a Soul Gem and draw out more of its potential. During the earliest cycle, I told the Flame Reaver this."
"Thus, during the first recreation, the Flame Reaver altered the version of herself preserved within her memories."
"After that recreation, the person who awakened amid Aedes Elysiae's golden fields of wheat was no longer a young man named Khaslana, but a white-haired girl named Kaslana."
Herman's eyelid twitched when he heard this, and he secretly thought:
Was this all part of my plan? Was my plan really supposed to work like this???
At that moment, Herta 100 continued speaking:
"In truth, doing so proved extremely effective. As Kaslana wore the Soul Gem and experienced one recreation after another, the causality accumulated around her grew increasingly profound. With every lifetime, she became more powerful whenever she transformed into a magical girl."
"More importantly, during every recreation, even though the Flame Reaver was still the one who carried the twelve Coreflames, Kaslana could preserve her own memories within the Soul Gem."
"As a result, Kaslana never lost her memories during each recreation. Instead, she continuously inherited them."
"In fact, Kaslana is not the only one. The other Chrysos Heirs who obtained Soul Gems also stored their souls and memories within the gems. After every recreation, their newly born selves would recover their Soul Gems and reawaken the memories of the previous age."
"The first demigod, Tribios, and the three individuals split from her—Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon—did the same."
"The Weaver of Romance Aglaea did the same."
"So did Hyacine, Cerydra, Hysilens, Cipher, Castorice..."
"One Chrysos Heir after another inherited the memories of their previous selves through their Soul Gems. This allowed them to understand the crisis facing Amphoreus and steadfastly continue along the road toward saving it."
"At this very moment, the many Chrysos Heirs of Amphoreus are considering methods of saving the world. Every one of them is utterly certain that as long as they continue advancing along the path of salvation, they will eventually accumulate enough power to overturn the schemes and conspiracies of the mastermind behind everything."
"—And all of this was part of your plan, Madam Herta." As Herta 100 finished speaking, she raised her head and gazed at Herman with fanatical devotion.
Herman trembled when he saw this. "Yes. This was my plan. Everything is proceeding according to plan!"
"Ahem... As long as a magical girl accumulates enough causality through one recreation after another, she can amass limitless power."
"—Furthermore, I will personally travel to Amphoreus in the near future. I will meet that genius senior's segment once more and determine which of us is superior."
Herman spoke with extreme seriousness. He was also certain that The Herta longed to clash with the segment of the Genius Society's first member once again, though she first needed to accumulate sufficient strength.
After all, neither Herman nor Herta wanted to fight Lygus again only to suffer another retreat.
"Then I will look forward to Madam Herta's arrival." Herta 100 paused before continuing.
"After I return, I will share this good news with Kaslana, Aglaea, Cerydra, Tribbie, and the others... I am certain they will be delighted as well."
"Good."
Herman nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward the other Hertas.
Another Herta soon stepped forward and began recounting her experiences.
...
Time continued to pass. More and more Hertas stepped forward to describe everything they had experienced over the past month or two.
As Herman listened, he could not help sighing inwardly:
The Honkai: Star Rail universe truly has an absurd number of Path-crazed lunatics.
First, there was Phainon of Amphoreus, who had actually changed his own sex in order to save the world.
Then there was an industrial world visited by one of the Hertas. There, a person named Far Left believed that the world had fallen ill.
Due to industrial development, the sky had become shrouded in grayish-black smog. The air had grown so polluted that it was no longer fit for human survival. Anyone who went outside without a mask would inhale toxic fumes. Industrial development had also exhausted countless natural resources, including petroleum, forests, and coal.
In any case, the person named Far Left had become convinced that the world was gravely ill and required treatment. More accurately, every pathogen affecting the world itself had to be removed. Only then could the world survive.
Crucially, in the eyes of this Path-crazed lunatic named Far Left, the so-called pathogens were the planet's tens of billions of humans, whose numbers rivaled a swarm of locusts.
—Only by eradicating every last one of them could the world's safety be guaranteed.
Without the slightest hesitation, this Path-crazed lunatic took action and began slaughtering everyone in sight.
This act of seeking salvation through slaughter perfectly aligned with the driving force of the Path of Destruction, causing him to race forward along Destruction and rapidly increase in strength.
In a single night, a martial artist who had originally been capable of defeating only three to five people became a high-ranking Pathstrider of Destruction whom even a nuclear weapon could not kill.
Ultimately, the high-ranking Path-crazed lunatic's frenzied slaughter attracted the IPC's attention. To preserve the market on that planet, the IPC showed no hesitation and directly fired a Peace Munition at him.
Under the power of a single Peace Munition, the planet's continent was torn apart. The high-ranking Pathstrider of Destruction who had been massacring everyone was also killed.
Where there was a Far Left, there was naturally also a Far Right. Under the observation of another Herta, a Pathstrider named Far Right appeared on a highly advanced technological planet resembling Punklorde, where cyborgs could be found everywhere.
This Path-crazed lunatic named Far Right was a human supremacist.
Of course, in Far Right's view, only beings who had undergone absolutely no technological modification qualified as human. Anyone with implanted cybernetic eyes, Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, or other prosthetics was no longer human in his eyes. They were mutants.
And mutants were outsiders.
Those who were not of his kind were certain to harbor different intentions and deserved to be killed.
Far Right thus developed the desire to end the chaotic age in which every street was filled with cyborgs and restore the world to the rule of pure-blooded humans.
Then, seized by a sudden impulse, Far Right took action.
His actions were undoubtedly insane, and they embodied the Path of Destruction.
As a result, he began growing stronger at a terrifying rate. The more he killed, the more powerful he became.
Cyborgs and cyberpunks alike could not withstand even a single blow from him.
—After all, in the Honkai: Star Rail universe, those who stepped upon a Path and devoted themselves wholly to embodying it were the true powerhouses.
Far Right's frenzied slaughter naturally attracted the attention of the IPC, which prepared to dispatch a fleet to preserve the market.
However, before the fleet arrived at the planet, Far Right discovered a despairing truth.
A full 99.99 percent of the humans on that planet had undergone genetic modification, including Far Right himself.
This meant that no true humans existed anywhere in that world.
Since no true humans existed, was there any need for the world to continue existing?
Of course not.
With that thought, Far Right chose self-destruction as the IPC fleet approached.
At the cost of his life, he transmitted a set of coordinates to the Antimatter Legion. "Come, purifiers of the Antimatter Legion! Come purify this planet! Kill every heretic, outsider, and monster on this world! I welcome your arrival!!"
Not long afterward, the Antimatter Legion descended and began annihilating every living thing on the planet with overwhelming force. They destroyed everything in that world, every inhuman entity, and every living being.
As for the IPC, once its fleet saw the Antimatter Legion arrive, it hurriedly collected the planet's leadership and rapidly fled the scene.
...
Far Left and Far Right were not isolated examples. Similar incidents were common across the various galaxies visited by the Hertas.
On many worlds, there was always someone possessed by a deranged conviction. They acted upon the insane and fanatical belief in their heart, stepped onto the corresponding Path, and transformed into a Path-crazed lunatic who began wantonly twisting that world's politics, laws, and society.