Within Herta's Stigmata Space, Herman chatted at length with the many Hertas, learning about one fascinating experience after another that each of them had gone through across the universe's countless worlds.
A faint smile involuntarily appeared at the corners of Herman's lips. He raised his head and looked at the many Hertas before him. "The fact that you're all doing well is the best news I could receive. From now on, you may visit Herta's Stigmata Space every so often, chat with me, and share all the interesting events you've encountered throughout the universe."
One Herta after another happily agreed.
Afterward, Herman bid farewell to the Hertas. His consciousness returned to reality, and he walked onto the balcony. Gazing up at the stars in the sky, he silently thought.
Through the Hertas, I have learned just how fascinating this universe truly is.
Before long, I will also board Herta Xiandan and travel throughout the universe, experiencing even more wonderful things.
But before that, I must first complete the IPC's commission to forge a new colony planet in The Blue's star system and earn more Credits.
With that thought, Herman closed his eyes and contacted The Herta in the Simulated Laboratory through his mind, asking whether she had any specific ideas regarding the construction of a Gaia planet.
The Herta, who was immersed in experimentation within the Simulated Laboratory, heard Herman's words. After thinking for a moment, she raised her head and said, "Constructing a planet is no longer difficult for me. Even building a Gaia planet capable of supporting tens or even hundreds of billions of interastral immigrants would be effortless."
"—After all, I have already created an astral computer and even an enormous megastructure such as Herta Xiandan."
"However, creating an enormous Gaia planet would still be far too easy. Besides, I have something more important to do right now, which is developing the Plasma Spark Tower research project within the Warp."
"So I think the task of creating an enormous Gaia planet to serve as a place where the universe's countless beings can immigrate and live should be left to you."
"Me?"
Herman's mental voice was filled with astonishment. "I'm your Research System. Since when does the host assign tasks to the system?!"
Hearing this, The Herta rolled her eyes inwardly. "You said before that you were my man. You also demonstrated the ability to teach the Hertas knowledge within Herta's Stigmata Space. That proves you can understand the technological blueprints I develop."
"More importantly, you now possess complete control over my body. That means you can perfectly use my abilities as an Emanator of Erudition. You can also freely wield psychic energy, Honkai energy, and all my other powers."
"Given that, you can naturally construct a super Gaia planet."
Hearing this, Herman lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
That's right. Herta is correct.
As the master of the Research System, I can indeed understand Herta's design blueprints.
Moreover, I truly do control The Herta's body and can perfectly use all the extraordinary abilities contained within it.—That was precisely why so many Aeons had mistaken me for a personality split off from Herta in the past.
Most importantly of all, Herta's current priority is researching a method to construct the Plasma Spark Tower.
Therefore, I really am the most suitable person to handle the construction of the Gaia planet.
After thinking it through, Herman extended a hand toward The Herta. "You will need to provide the Gaia planet's construction blueprints and a detailed list of required materials."
"I have actually already completed them in the Simulated Laboratory. You can come here and collect them."
"All right."
Herman's consciousness entered the Simulated Laboratory, where he immediately saw mountains of blueprints. Upon examining them carefully, he discovered that they described every technical detail involved in constructing a Gaia planet.
Atmospheric construction technology, a chaos-theory-based Gaia planetary weather cycle system, a water-resource circulation system, the planetary surface, mantle, outer core, inner core, planetary core... and technologies for completing the star system's gravitational framework.
An entire theoretical system for constructing a habitable planet had been transformed into blueprints and piled before Herman. After looking through them briefly, he raised his head and asked The Herta in surprise, "Did you research all of this during this period?"
"Yes and no." The Herta answered frankly, "I only devoted a small portion of my attention to researching the Gaia planet. You could say that this project was merely something I completed along the way. The project I truly wish to research is the Plasma Spark Tower, and the vast majority of my attention has been devoted to it."
"Of course, even though I only devoted a small portion of my attention to the Gaia planet, I still believe this technology is unique throughout the entire universe and capable of constructing the most perfect habitable planet."
"After all, I currently possess a full 4,500 research points. In purely numerical terms, that is four and a half times greater than what I originally possessed."
"Moreover, through long-term research, I have come to understand that the enhancement research points provide to a person's research intelligence is neither linear nor a simple matter of addition. It follows a far more complex algorithm."
Hearing this, Herman nodded in understanding. He then used the Research System's power to scan and compile statistics on every Gaia planet construction blueprint and material list present.
In the blink of an eye, Herman had completely mastered the mountain of technology before him. He then said to Herta, "Continue researching the Plasma Spark Tower project. I will return to The Blue's star system first, construct the planet, and complete the IPC's commission."
The instant he finished speaking, Herman's consciousness returned to his body in the real world. He immediately took out his phone, contacted Jade of the IPC's Strategic Investment Department, and sent her the material list prepared by The Herta.
Jade briefly scanned the list and immediately understood that The Herta intended to fulfill the IPC's commission by constructing a Gaia planet within The Blue's star system.
However, Madam Herta required rather a great deal of materials this time. Added together, they would be enough to construct a sun-class star.
Even so, Jade did not reply that Herta was asking for too many materials.
After all, this was a commission issued by the IPC. More importantly, this was the request of a genius. Since the genius required so many materials, the IPC would naturally provide Madam Herta with all of them.
The IPC might lack many things, but construction materials were not among them. It had already filled countless planetary warehouses with such supplies.
With this thought, Jade continued scrolling downward and soon saw the concept image of the Gaia planet Herta intended to forge. It was a Gaia planet whose volume rivaled that of a star.
More importantly, the planet was not spherical. Instead, it took the form of an ultramodern celestial city in a cyberpunk style. Jade needed only one glance before her heart trembled and a phrase surfaced in her mind:
Build a city into a world, merge a world into a city.
Living in a city like this would undoubtedly offer an extraordinarily comfortable life.
However, if such an unusually shaped, high-mass celestial city were truly constructed, it would inevitably have an enormous impact on the gravitational environment of The Blue's star system.
Still, Herta had surely already considered that issue and possessed a way to resolve it.
After all, she was Herta.
Reaching this conclusion, Jade replied without hesitation, "Madam Herta, all the materials you require will be delivered within twenty-four system hours. Please wait a short while."
"All right."
Once the exchange ended, the IPC's Strategic Investment Department and Building Material Logistics Department began operating at lightning speed. Warship after warship loaded with vast quantities of supplies entered the star rail and rapidly sailed toward The Blue's star system.
This shipment required only five or six system hours to arrive, several times faster than Jade's estimate of twenty-four system hours.
Naturally, one reason for such rapid transportation was that Herta had already become an important partner of the IPC.
An even greater reason, however, was that the Gaia planet Herta planned to construct would determine whether the IPC's immigrants settling in The Blue's star system could obtain a more comfortable living environment.
It could be said that Herta's Gaia planet project had attracted close attention from many of the IPC's senior executives.
...
Ten thousand enormous spacecraft belonging to the IPC's Building Material Logistics Department passed through the star rail opened by Akivili, Aeon of Trailblaze, arrived in The Blue's star system, and stopped above The Blue's spaceport.
Such a spectacle naturally attracted countless people's attention. Across The Blue's internal network, innumerable people began discussing it:
"It's here! It's here again! Those are ships from the IPC's Building Material Logistics Department. They must be delivering materials to Madam Herta."
"Madam Herta must have achieved another scientific breakthrough."
"It hasn't even been a week since Madam Herta created the Herta Xiandan megastructure, and she already has another new inspiration? What is her brain even made of?"
"The structure of a genius' mind is beyond mortal imagination."
"I suspect that before long, Madam Herta may even complete her final self-coronation and become an Aeon."
"Her research efficiency is simply too fast. More importantly, every technology she develops is unbelievably advanced. Without exception, all of them are super black technologies."
"Madam Herta, you are my god."
"I wonder whether the adorable Herta Puppets will participate in the construction this time."
The internet erupted into an uproar. Meanwhile, Ruan Mei and Screwllum arrived aboard Herta Xiandan in person.
They found The Herta, who had already moved into Herta Xiandan, and asked what this research project was about.
"I'm not conducting research or manufacturing another megastructure this time. I am constructing a habitable Gaia planet." Herman's voice was exceptionally calm. "As you both know, far too many residents have migrated from across the universe to The Blue's star system recently. Their numbers are already approaching the trillion mark."
"Under these circumstances, even if the IPC uses technology to transform Mars, Venus, and the Moon into habitable planets, they still cannot accommodate that many people."
"Therefore, the IPC issued me a special commission to construct a Gaia planet."
"And I accepted that commission."
Hearing this, Ruan Mei and Screwllum exchanged glances before nodding in understanding.
Ruan Mei then stepped forward in her high heels and said seriously to Herman, "Herta, as you know, I once enlightened numerous planets within the Plumchant star system. I understand planetary structures better than anyone. Therefore, I can share my knowledge of planetary internal structures with you and help you create an even more perfect Gaia planet."
Screwllum adjusted the monocle at the corner of his eye and spoke as well. "Although I have no experience enlightening planets, I do possess experience in transforming them. Planet Screwllum, for instance, was converted into a mechanical planet by my own hands. I can share that planetary transformation experience with you."
Herman did not refuse. Instead, he gladly accepted their offer.
Seeing this, Ruan Mei did not hesitate. Through the resonance between Ruan Mei's Stigmata Space and Herta's Stigmata Space, she directly transmitted the structural diagrams of stellar life that she had learned through enlightening planets and even stars.
As for Screwllum, although he did not possess a Stigmata Space, he was an Intellitron life-form and could rapidly upload all the planetary engineering knowledge he had mastered into the Super Herta Astral Computer.
In this way, Herman obtained planetary construction and planetary transformation plans provided by two members of the Genius Society.
Without hesitation, Herman closed his eyes, awakened The Herta's consciousness as she conducted research in the Simulated Laboratory, and provided her with the planetary transformation knowledge supplied by Screwllum and the knowledge of activated planetary internal structures supplied by Ruan Mei.
Herman seriously asked The Herta whether the Gaia planet's design blueprints could be further optimized now that they had acquired the knowledge of two geniuses.
The Herta used her extraordinary intelligence, supported by 4,500 research points, to think. She quickly reached a conclusion:
"The construction cycle of the super Gaia planet can be optimized even further. Give me ten."
"Ten minutes? Okay."
"Nine, eight, seven... zero... The super Gaia planet's construction blueprints have already been optimized. You can begin construction whenever you like." After saying this within Herman's mind, The Herta let out a soft humph.
"You assumed I would need ten minutes to revise the blueprints. You truly underestimated me. I am now a genius among geniuses. Even if Zandar One Kuwabara were resurrected, his intelligence might not surpass mine."
Hearing this, Herman laughed inwardly in surprise. "Your confidence truly hasn't changed at all."
"Hmph."
The Herta gave another soft humph, then immersed herself once more in the tense and exhilarating research taking place within the Simulated Laboratory.
Herman's consciousness withdrew from the Simulated Laboratory. After returning to reality, he looked toward Ruan Mei and Screwllum and said with a smile, "The technologies you provided were extremely useful. I can now design and construct an even more perfect super Gaia planet. Watch closely. The construction of the Gaia planet is about to officially begin!!"