ALL NOVEL Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Meeting Herta
A slight expression appeared on Stelle's usually blank face. Looking carefully, Gu Fan could barely make out a faint blush on her cheeks. Stelle held a pickaxe in her hands - its design was indescribable, bearing a distinctly "old rice" style.
Gu Fan didn't know what this pickaxe was, but it felt like an exclusive weapon bestowed upon awakening Path powers.
Wait...
Could it be that she wasn't spacing out earlier, but actually awakening her Path power?
Then I...
This is awkward...
The space around them completed its mission, and before Gu Fan could fully shake off his embarrassment, they had returned to that room.
The Destruction Beast's head lay on the ground, shattering into fragments.
Kafka and Silver Wolf were nowhere to be seen.
A tall figure in full silver armor stood in the center of the room.
Sampo! Gu Fan's heart leaped with joy. His biggest curiosity about the game right now was whether Firefly was actually Sampo. He had almost seen her true form at the end of version 2.0.
But why did Sampo stay behind when Kafka and Silver Wolf had left?
With a mix of excitement and nervousness, Gu Fan approached Sampo step by step.
"Intruders, drop your weapons!" A young woman with medium-short hair, wearing a white off-shoulder top and black miniskirt, walked in.
Gu Fan knew her well - she was the acting director of this Herta Space Station beneath his feet, the universe-class little rich lady — Asta. Right now, she was glaring at Gu Fan, her eyes clearly marking them as enemies.
"Young miss, please stay behind me." Another young man followed closely behind.
...Who was he again?
Oh right, Gu Fan smacked his forehead - Asta's bodyguard and the head of security for the Herta Station.
"Miss, we're not enemies," Gu Fan said.
Stelle and Sampo remained silent, leaving Gu Fan to do the talking. Asta clearly didn't believe him, her eyes full of wariness. With all this chaos, a huge hole in the wall, and the room's most crucial treasure - the Stellaron - missing.
One of them was even a Stellaron Hunter - if Gu Fan were in her shoes, he wouldn't trust himself either.
Gu Fan held his head, ready to uninstall the system and go home.
Another heavyweight figure walked in — Welt Yang.
This uncle was a character from Honkai Impact 3rd. Gu Fan knew a bit about him - the Former Herrscher of Reason, leader of Anti-Entropy, an unfathomable individual.
Welt Yang was staring at Stelle with piercing eyes.
Could he have seen through the true identity of the little gray-haired Stellaron spirit at first glance? Gu Fan couldn't help but wonder.
With so many people suddenly flooding in, this room meant for hiding the Stellaron felt somewhat cramped. The two groups stared at each other, with Stelle now fully considering herself Gu Fan and Sampo's companion. The hostile gazes from Asta and Alan sparked her animosity. The scene felt like a storm about to break.
Even though Gu Fan knew this was all a misunderstanding, he didn't know how to explain it. In an instant, Gu Fan felt time slow down, as a destructive, violent energy spread across his heart.
Welt Yang rushed outside, with Gu Fan and the others following.
Through the Herta Space Station's glass walls, they could see the vast cosmic space outside, countless stars twinkling, adorning the lonely universe. Among those stars, a pair of golden eyes hung like the sun and moon, watching the Herta Station.
Just this gaze alone created enormous pressure, causing the station's outer walls to gradually crack.
Asta and Alan crouched down in pain at the sight of these eyes. Sampo knelt on one knee; even as a Stellaron Hunter, he didn't look comfortable. Even the unfathomable Welt Yang avoided its edge, his face showing slight discomfort as he turned away, warning everyone not to look directly into the Aeon's eyes.
Was that an Aeon? Gu Fan looked at those golden-pupiled eyes. For some reason, he felt no pressure at all.
Those eyes, to Gu Fan as a game player, felt somewhat familiar, especially their color.
The eyes closed before destroying everyone's foothold - the Herta Station - leaving only twinkling stars in their original position.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the system's effect suppressing Gu Fan's wounds expired. The injuries on his back flared up doubly, and a wave of intense pain struck. Gu Fan cursed silently before passing out from the pain.
Stelle caught him before he could fall to the ground.
...
The Herta Space Station was a gathering place for intelligent people, including those skilled in medicine. Gu Fan received treatment in the medical department and was quickly discharged.
The station's acting director Asta didn't give Gu Fan much time to recover, taking him to the station's central area to meet the station's true owner, Herta, for her judgment on Gu Fan's group.
As expected of the Herta Station - after treatment, Gu Fan could barely feel the pain in his back. Instead, there was a kind of tingling pleasure writhing on his back.
Herta — the true owner of the space station. She wore a white dress with a black cape-like outer garment. From her exposed skin - shoulders, legs, hands, etc. - one could clearly see some inhuman features. The visible joint lines and spherical parts at the joints all indicated that the Herta before them was a puppet.
Her face was exquisitely crafted, indistinguishable from a human's. She wore a brown beret on her head, with a bellflower pinned to one side.
She was the famous member #83 of the Genius Society, who had independently solved many problems that had troubled the universe for years.
This space station was built by the universe-spanning, currency system-defining super corporation - the Interastral Peace Corporation - to win over Herta.
"You're saying the Stellaron wasn't stolen by the Stellaron Hunters, but turned into this kid?" Herta said, looking at Stelle.
"You can test little gray-hair. We Stellaron Hunters don't take by force," Gu Fan said.
"No need, I have enough discernment for this," Herta said. "By the way, are you with the Stellaron Hunters?"
Gu Fan couldn't exactly say he'd sprung from a rock, and when Herta asked how he got in, he wouldn't be able to explain. Currently, being a member of the Stellaron Hunters was the most suitable identity.
"New recruit, new recruit," Gu Fan said.
Herta quickly turned her attention to Stelle, showing no interest in Gu Fan, even though he was a new member of the famous Stellaron Hunters. She said, "I built an entire space station to protect the Azure Planet from Stellaron disasters, while the Stellaron Hunters achieved it with just one body... Interesting. I need to do some research on her body, see if the Stellaron Hunters' technology has really reached this level."
"Are you going to keep her here?" Asta asked from the side.
"Do you have objections?" Herta glanced at Asta.
Asta quickly shook her head. She felt uneasy about keeping people associated with the Stellaron Hunters, but didn't dare oppose Herta's wishes.
"The rest of you, go back where you came from," Herta said. "This is a space station, not a shelter."
She gave Gu Fan and Sampo their marching orders. Gu Fan stroked his chin. Sampo's over two-meter-tall figure stood nearby like a divine giant, even making the 1.9-meter-tall Welt Yang look short. Gu Fan didn't know why Kafka and Silver Wolf hadn't taken Sampo with them, or why Sampo had chosen to stay.
[Host has reached target location]
[Current mission target character: Herta]
[Time limit: 72 system hours]
[Target emotion value: 400]
Gu Fan couldn't just leave like this. Going back to the Stellaron Hunters' base with Sampo to see Arlan's true form would be nice, and he could find chances to get close to Mama Kafka and little Silver Wolf. He could also try to glimpse Sampo's true form - if not for the mission here, just thinking about it would be exciting.
Before Gu Fan could speak, Stelle pointed at him and said, "Wherever he goes, I go."
So the little gray-hair wasn't mute, Gu Fan thought to himself. He didn't know what state Stelle was in now - the usual humor from the game was gone, her signature early-game baseball bat was missing, and she seemed somewhat dazed.
Could it be because he had pressed the Stellaron into her chest? Was that why Arlan said the gender decision had to be made by Kafka? Gu Fan couldn't figure it out.
Wait, what did little gray-hair's words mean?
Herta was direct, "Then you stay too, no going anywhere!"
This situation was naturally what Gu Fan wanted - he breathed a sigh of relief. The target emotion value wasn't high, and the time was quite generous. But winning over Herta would need careful planning; after all, she was a universe-class genius. His only advantage was knowing some information.
Just as Gu Fan was about to leave, Welt Yang interjected: "While the method of stabilizing the Stellaron is fascinating, I suggest you study him as well."
Welt Yang was a middle-aged man. He had a tall, slender build, probably around 1.8 meters, wearing a scarf and coat, carrying a cane - every bit the English gentleman.
Welt Yang's cane pointed at Gu Fan, "Those eyes belonged to the Destruction Aeon. He was watching us, but neither of them showed any signs of feeling pressure. Moreover, the Aeon's appearance might..."
Towards the end, probably not entirely confident in his judgment, Welt Yang left his sentence unfinished.
The appearance of this Destruction Aeon was indeed strange - in the game, an Aeon's true form had never appeared in the real universe.
Gu Fan pondered silently. Little gray-hair hadn't awakened the Path of Destruction either, holding a pickaxe instead - which Aeon did the pickaxe represent? What Path had she awakened?
Herta murmured, "You come assist with my research as well."
Well... alright, at least he had an entry point for winning over Herta.
"You all go rest first. Stelle, come to my room in 12 system hours. You, come in 16 system hours."
Playing favorites, is she? Am I that casual a man? "Okay," he said. Who could refuse little Herta? Staking his pride as a Star Rail player, he'd definitely figure out her true form, see whether she was a little loli or a mature beauty.
With Herta's decision made, everyone gradually dispersed. Asta looked somewhat unwilling - Gu Fan and little gray-hair were thieves who had snuck into her home. Not only were they staying, but from Herta's tone, they would be well taken care of.
"What about him?" Asta glanced at Sampo.
Sampo took a step forward. His tall figure stood out in the center of the space station, completely out of place.
Gu Fan said: "Wherever he goes, I go."
Chapter End