Herman was slightly taken aback when he heard The Herta's thoughts from within the Simulated Laboratory. He immediately closed his eyes and began communicating with her through their minds.
'I created this super Gaia planet, World City, less than forty-eight system hours ago, yet you've already completely mastered the Plasma Spark Tower technology?!'
Inside the Simulated Laboratory, The Herta rose from her chair, adjusted the pointed hat atop her head, and replied, 'Isn't that only natural?'
'After all, with your enhancement, my current research ability has reached a full four thousand five hundred points.'
'More importantly, I figured out the Plasma Spark Tower technology a long time ago. The reason I've spent the past few days reviewing and researching it in the Simulated Laboratory was to use World-Shaking Wisdom to upgrade and iterate upon the technology.'
Hearing this, curiosity welled up within Herman. 'Then did you succeed?'
'Of course I succeeded. After all, I am Herta. In the field of scientific research, as long as I want to accomplish something, there is nothing I cannot do.' The Herta's voice was as confident as ever.
'As expected of you.'
Herman sent wave after wave of praise through his mind.
Hmph.
The Herta let out a quiet huff, then pointed toward the technical blueprints that filled the entire Simulated Laboratory. 'These blueprints contain the upgraded Plasma Spark Tower. The technology has already been verified within the Simulated Laboratory and confirmed to be operational.'
'Most importantly, once the upgraded Plasma Spark Tower is constructed in reality, the light it emits will no longer possess the fatal flaw of killing people.'
Hearing this, astonishment surfaced within Herman. 'So, The Herta, are you saying that even a villain or an elderly Pathstrider could become a Giant of Light after being exposed to the Plasma Spark Tower?!'
'Of course not.' The Herta gently shook her head inside the Simulated Laboratory. 'Villains exposed to the Plasma Spark Tower will transform into black giants. They could be called Giants of Darkness.'
'The upgraded Plasma Spark Tower can create both Giants of Light and Giants of Darkness.'
At this point, Herman understood that The Herta had indeed performed a technological iteration and upgrade upon the Plasma Spark Tower. After all, the original Plasma Spark Tower could only create Giants of Light from those who possessed righteous hearts.
If a villain were exposed to the original Plasma Spark Tower's radiance, they would be reduced to ashes by its intense light and heat. Not even their atoms would remain. Only in this way could it create the Land of Light, the nation of Ultramen who maintained peace throughout the universe.
The Plasma Spark Tower upgraded by Herta was different. It could now create Giants of Darkness.
This meant that whether someone was good or evil, as long as they were illuminated by the Plasma Spark Tower, they could transform into a giant.
It also meant that, should Herta desire it, she could bestow a blessing like an Aeon and transform an entire civilization into a nation of giants.
Such a method was no different from when Yaoshi of Abundance bestowed a blessing upon the Xianzhou Alliance and granted them the miracle of the Ambrosial Arbor, ultimately transforming the humans of the entire Xianzhou civilization into Xiandan celestials.
More importantly, Herta's Plasma Spark Tower technology for transforming people into giants could also grant others power and longevity.
Ultramen who transformed into Giants of Light would not even become afflicted by the curse of longevity known as mara.
After thinking this through, Herman solemnly warned The Herta, 'This technology must be used with caution because it already qualifies as dangerous technology.'
'Once this technology is deployed and activated, it can mass-produce planet-destroying combatants.'
'The method of creating planet-destroying combatants is also extremely simple. Anyone illuminated by the Plasma Spark Tower can be transformed into a Giant of Light or a Giant of Darkness. Every one of those giants possesses planet-destroying combat power!'
'With your current strength as an Emanator, Herta, you could travel among multiple civilizations in a single day and create tens or even hundreds of billions of planet-destroying combatants.'
'However, should you actually do so, the entire universe would descend into terrible chaos.'
After listening to this, The Herta felt Herman was right and replied solemnly, 'I understand everything you've said. I will treat the Plasma Spark Tower's giant-creation technology with due caution.'
'However, before worrying about giants running rampant in the future, we should first construct the Plasma Spark Tower and bring this technology into reality.'
Herman replied seriously, 'All right. I'll contact Jade and have her provide the materials required to construct the Plasma Spark Tower as an IPC representative.'
The Herta nodded. 'Good. Go ahead.'
After speaking, The Herta turned her gaze toward a corner of the Simulated Laboratory. 'While you're gathering the materials, I'll begin researching the technology required to create a world for the dead within the Warp. In other words, the Soul Society.'
As soon as her words fell, The Herta urgently threw herself into a new round of research.
Meanwhile, Herman's consciousness stared at the absurd number of technical blueprints inside the Simulated Laboratory, enough to fill ten aircraft carriers, and sighed repeatedly within his mind:
'The upgraded Plasma Spark Tower technology is just as dangerous as the Warp. It is dangerous technology in its purest form.'
'According to The Herta's research, a Plasma Spark Tower can be created simply by transforming a star like the sun. Unfortunately, there are far too many stars throughout the universe.'
'In other words, should The Herta desire it, she could create billions of Plasma Spark Towers across billions of galaxies and transform the entire universe into a nation of Giants of Light and Darkness.'
'At that point, every species, without exception, would ultimately become giants.'
As Herman thought this through, he recalled the Slumbernana Monkey, a memetic virus developed by Dr. Primitive, which could cause the universe to regress.
The Slumbernana Monkey could devolve humans into monkeys, causing them to completely lose both their ability to speak and their intelligence.
The Plasma Spark Tower, by contrast, could shine its light upon humans, bringing them evolution and transforming them into giants. The two technologies were complete opposites.
More importantly, unlike Herta, who treated the Plasma Spark Tower technology with caution, Dr. Primitive believed the universe needed to regress and thus recklessly spread the dangerous Slumbernana Monkey throughout the cosmos.
Many civilizations throughout the universe had already suffered from it.
On a certain day in the future, countless victims at Paperfold University College on Penacony would become infected by the Slumbernana Monkey and transform from humans into monkeys. Without the Trailblazer, Penacony Paperfold University College would fall into an enormous crisis...
Herman thought about many things before finally hearing Ruan Mei and Screwllum calling to him in the real world. When he opened his eyes, he heard Screwllum asking:
"Madam Herta, what were you thinking about just now? You were remarkably focused."
Ruan Mei teased from beside him, "Could it be that you've already had another burst of inspiration, Herta?"
"Inspiration is something difficult to cap—" Screwllum's words were cut off halfway through by Herman. "I have indeed had another burst of inspiration. I can construct a new megastructure."
?!!
Both Ruan Mei and Screwllum froze upon hearing this.
She... already has another idea so quickly?!
Herta, just how absurdly efficient is your research?!!!
After Ruan Mei and Screwllum recovered from their astonishment, they asked Herta what her latest inspiration concerned.
"The conversion between the forms of life and light." Herman did not conceal anything and openly described the project The Herta intended to research next.
"Research into the conversion between flesh-and-blood life and energy life?" Screwllum turned his gaze toward Ruan Mei beside him. "That is a research field in which Madam Ruan Mei excels."
"Do you need me to provide you with some technical support?" Ruan Mei asked Herman with a faint smile.
"I do." Herman took Ruan Mei's hand. "With your technical support, I will undoubtedly be able to bring the inspiration within my mind into reality much more quickly."
"Mm." Ruan Mei smiled and nodded. "I will package the relevant technical information and send it to you through Stigmata Space. You can decode it when the time comes."
From the initial Genius Society conference room, to the Yongmei Star System, and now to The Blue's star system, Ruan Mei and Herta had already experienced many things and fought side by side.
At this moment, Ruan Mei already regarded The Herta as a friend from the bottom of her heart. Providing technical support to a friend was perfectly reasonable. More importantly, Herta had also provided Ruan Mei with tremendous assistance not long ago.
Examples included the Devil Fruit · Mythical Zoan, Swarm Emperor Form, as well as research related to Stigmata...
In short, Ruan Mei packaged a large quantity of technology concerning energy life and material life composed of flesh and blood, then sent it all to The Herta.
Herman immediately called out to The Herta and asked her to see whether the Plasma Spark Tower technology could be upgraded any further.
"All right. I think it should be possible... After all, Ruan Mei's degree of genius is no lower than mine was in the beginning."
The Herta murmured this within the Simulated Laboratory, then began carefully examining Ruan Mei's life-science technology to determine whether it could be used to upgrade the Plasma Spark Tower.
As for Herman, he had already taken out his phone and begun ordering the materials required to construct the Plasma Spark Tower from the IPC.
...
Meanwhile, throughout the eight planetary worlds of The Blue's star system, everyone could now see the super Gaia planet, World City, glowing brightly amid the stars.
World City shone so brightly that it nearly became a second sun within the entire star system. Together with the psychic hands that had quietly vanished from above the eight planets, its presence was sufficient proof that the enormous cosmic city-state constructed by Madam Herta had been completed.
Now, it was time to apply for immigration.
That day, the workload of the Blue Federation's Immigration Bureau soared. Countless people submitted applications to immigrate to the Gaia planet created by The Herta.
Many believed that World City, created by Madam Herta, undoubtedly possessed some sort of mysterious quality. After all, it was a city built by a genius. Perhaps living there for an extended period would even enhance their intelligence.
The director of the Blue Federation's Immigration Bureau was left rather bewildered by the explosive increase in applications to immigrate to the Gaia planet, World City.
Why are you applying through the Immigration Bureau?
The laws and regulations of the Blue Federation's Immigration Bureau had no authority over the super Gaia planet, World City, which Madam Herta had only just created.
At that moment, however, the computer screen on the director's desk lit up automatically. A highly distinctive hat appeared upon it. It was a pointed witch's hat.
The director immediately understood that an envoy of The Herta, the Fourth Mirror, was contacting him. After all, there had been a precedent for this before... Though at that time, the Fourth Mirror had contacted the Supreme Leader of the Blue Federation.
After his thoughts raced for a moment, the director took a deep breath and asked, "Madam Fourth Mirror, have you contacted me today because you detected that the Blue Federation's Immigration Bureau has received a large number of applications to immigrate to the city among the stars above?"
The Fourth Mirror: [Yes.]
"Please give me your instructions on how the immigration matter should be handled."
"Tell them that immigration to World City cannot begin until Pearl has signed a cooperation agreement with the IPC," the Fourth Mirror said. "Naturally, the immigration fees will increase."
So that supermassive object high above is called World City!!
After reaching this realization, the director replied solemnly:
"Understood. I will handle the matter according to your instructions. As for the price increase, I do not believe it will dampen people's enthusiasm for World City."
[Mm.]
After sending that message, the pointed hat on the screen quickly vanished.
Seeing this, the director immediately summoned his subordinates and began carrying out the Fourth Mirror's instructions, or more precisely, Madam Herta's instructions.
Soon, an announcement appeared on the Immigration Bureau's official website. The announcement revealed the full name of the enormous city high above the planet—World City!
The announcement also stated that immigration procedures for World City could only begin after Madam Herta's subordinate, Madam Pearl, formally signed a cooperation agreement with the IPC. It further clarified that the cost of immigrating to World City would increase.
Within one minute of these details being seen by the public, keywords such as "World City" and "The Herta's Great Creation" surged to the top of the interastral network's trending searches.
Countless users began discussing the matter online:
"World City, a city named after the world itself... According to the information in the Immigration Bureau's announcement, that supercity can accommodate a population of one trillion!"
"You have to understand that even after the Blue Federation rescued, or rather annexed, the Eastern Federation and conducted a population census, the federation's population only reached five billion. That's still an astronomical number of orders of magnitude away from one trillion."
"That city floating among the stars is unbelievably beautiful, and it was created by Madam Herta. I absolutely have to immigrate there."
"A city created by Madam Herta must possess some special effect. Perhaps children born in that city will be even more intelligent."
"I hope the IPC signs the agreement with Madam Pearl as soon as possible. I can hardly wait to immigrate to World City."
...
One system day later, Jade and Pearl held commercial negotiations at the Blue International Convention Center.
During the meeting, the two sides engaged in a fierce verbal battle before finally signing an immigration agreement concerning World City. Naturally, the terms of the agreement favored Herta.
The moment the agreement was signed, Jade made it public, immediately triggering an immigration frenzy.
The super Gaia planet, World City, finally began to show signs of living inhabitants.
As the work of settling immigrants in World City proceeded at full speed, Herta completely absorbed the biological knowledge provided by Ruan Mei and confirmed that the Plasma Spark Tower technology could be improved further into Version 3.0.
The light of this version of the Plasma Spark Tower did not merely possess the ability to transform other living beings into Giants of Light or Giants of Darkness. It could even bring inanimate objects to life and transform them into giants.
For example, should the light of the Version 3.0 Plasma Spark Tower illuminate The Blue, not only would the people living upon The Blue transform into giants, but The Blue itself would also become a giant... Gaia!
Similarly, should the light of the Version 3.0 Plasma Spark Tower illuminate other planets, those planets would also transform into powerful giants.
It could even illuminate itself with its own light, awakening self-awareness and becoming a living being.
Once the Plasma Spark Tower became a living being, it would possess the radiance of the Spark of Light, and its true body could transform into a giant.
The Spark Giant would possess pseudo-infinite energy, granting it Emanator-level combat power!