The embodiment of intellect, an unceasing seeker of knowledge who explores the mysteries of the universe.
It appears before the gaze of mortals in a mechanized form. A gigantic glowing red eye. The surface of its head is covered in intricate wires, and its overall color scheme is dominated by cold tones.
Any individual glanced upon by Nous stands among the greatest geniuses of the cosmos without exception.
Yet among the mortals, there is another saying: anyone upon whom Nous lowers its gaze is also a dangerous element capable of inflicting devastating damage upon the universe!
From a certain perspective, this statement is not wrong.
The reason the Genius Society has a better reputation than the Antimatter Legion, and can become the destination of "geniuses" in the eyes of the world, lies in the fact that most geniuses immerse themselves in their own research, occasionally causing only minor disturbances.
As for the Mechanical War ignited by Emperor Rupert, it happened so long ago that even though its destructive danger is well known, it no longer carries a sense of immediacy.
In other words, whenever Nous casts its gaze downward, it is equivalent to issuing a notice to all intelligent life across the galaxy.
[A new genius or an extremely dangerous individual has appeared here. Please be on alert!!!]
Luxbane also agrees with this viewpoint.
At his level, whether through direct encounters or hearsay, he has learned of the true nature of these geniuses.
It is no exaggeration to say that if the Lord Ravagers who walk the Path of Destruction revel in the process of annihilation. Then the geniuses of the Genius Society often create upheavals that affect entire planets or even whole star systems. However, these are merely byproducts of their experiments. What they truly seek is the data needed to verify their hypotheses.
At this moment, a genius eager to confirm her conjecture and the Aeon of the Path of Erudition gaze at each other.
The enormous mechanical eye glowing red stares at Mobius, the crimson light flickering intermittently, as if Nous were conducting calculations.
It is thinking. It is computing.
An endless torrent of data surges within its consciousness. When faced with any existence that has drawn its attention, Nous never holds back, but before that, there is one thing it wants to understand.
What exactly… is this thing?
The abundant Imaginary Energy does not move it. Aeons are, by nature, the apex of their respective Paths, and their vast Imaginary Energy can only be described as immeasurable.
However, another force lingering around her body causes Nous to enter an analytical state.
Not every Aeon is Aha. Aeons that ascend to the summit of the Imaginary Tree are destined to differ from all others.
Nous can analyze that this power belongs to the same category as Imaginary Energy. Imaginary Energy is the cornerstone that constructs the universe itself, having an additional force of the same tier appear out of nowhere is enough to inspire astonishment.
Along with this power comes the strange creature before it.
A being that holds both Imaginary Energy and Quantum power within itself, across the entire galaxy, there is only this one.
[T/N: Godzilla: You forgot about me?]
What further accelerates Nous's data flow is that the normally incompatible, mutually repelling forces of Imaginary Energy and Quantum power achieve a perfect fusion within Mobius.
Generally speaking, if any race in the universe were to accept both of these forces simultaneously, they would completely dissipate in the shortest possible time. If they were lucky, they might still have enough time to leave behind a final message.
Nous is extremely interested in how Mobius managed to stably combine these two forces.
"Zzz… "
The calm starry sky fills with the continuous crackling sound of electric currents. Everyone feels their vision blur for an instant, and in the next moment, the massive Nous abruptly vanishes from the starry expanse, just as suddenly as it arrived.
Mortals cannot perceive it. Before leaving, it slightly lifts its gaze. There stands a genius who can meet it at any time.
And with the departure of Nous, the gift accompanying its descent arrives as scheduled.
"This power…" Mobius, still maintaining the Serpent form, clearly senses an unfamiliar force emerging within her body.
In this state, every aspect of Mobius is significantly enhanced. The moment this power appears, her body gives it special priority.
"So this is Erudition?" Considering the Nous that had just departed, the answer becomes obvious.
An Aeon's glance can create a powerful Pathstrider, and occasionally even give birth to an Emanator.
Her current state should count as an Emanator of Erudition?
"Clap, clap." As Mobius is still thinking, crisp applause rings out from behind her.
Turning her head slightly, she sees the front of the massive flagship, where Herta, Screwllum, and the Herrscher of Sentience stand side by side. The applause had come from Herta.
"Welcome. The Path of Erudition has gained another genius," Herta chuckles. "Let me think… according to the records, you are, Genius Society, Seat No. 105. Mobius."
Normally, even when new geniuses join, unless they greatly interest Herta, she cannot be bothered to personally meet them.
But Mobius is different. Herta watched her grow step by step.
When she first met Mobius, Mobius possessed a brilliant mind, yet her perspective was limited, preventing her from fully unleashing her wisdom.
During that time, Herta experienced a rare period of personally teaching someone.
And Mobius did not disappoint. She absorbed the knowledge of the vast galaxy like a starving sponge, growing stronger with every passing moment.
Until today, when she finally received the gaze of Nous.
Becoming an existence that all sentient beings in the cosmos must remember, a genius worthy of admiration.
"Welcome, Ms. Mobius. On a personal behalf, I extend my sincere congratulations," Screwllum said with a slight nod, speaking for the newcomer.
Hearing the words of those two, Mobius smiled faintly.
This congratulation is what she deserved.
No matter how astonishing future geniuses may be, they will have to remember the name Mobius!
Mobius is not surprised in the slightest that she attracted the gaze of Nous.
The experiments she conducted were enough to shock every scholar in the universe who prides themselves on encyclopedic knowledge.
Imaginary Energy. Quantum Energy.
Two forces as incompatible as fire and water, mutually restraining each other, each intent on crushing the other, yet made compatible within a human body!
Even though Mobius had once absorbed the Ouroboros factor and her body had been influenced by Godzilla, this fact could not be changed.
She ultimately mastered this power with a human body!
[T/N: Human body? Isn't she a mantis, making her not human?]
And she is a genius. Geniuses possess countless wild ideas. If she wishes, does that mean she could lower the threshold, or go even further, allowing more people to obtain this power?
This is merely a hypothesis. But in the minds of these geniuses, an experiment that already carries a measurable chance of success may truly become reality.
If what happened to Mobius were to become known to the various powers across the cosmos, it was foreseeable that, for quite some time, the forces seeking Mobius would grow more fervent and crazed with each passing wave.
In this cosmos that appeared to be filled with harmony between humanity and nature, there was only one true law, force!
And during the period when the many factions had suffered repeated failures in their research on the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree, the emergence of a genius capable of accommodating both at once was something no one could ignore.
"Let's chat later. I still have some grudges to settle." With a light chuckle, the pressure around Mobius suddenly shifted as his killing intent surged forth.
The darkness shrouding the Mosdes star system had already been shattered by the powerful field that accompanied the arrival of Nous, the Aeon of Erudition. And during the period after Nous had departed, the darkness never returned.
Seizing the opportunity, Luxbane quickly fled this place.
What kind of joke was this?! If it were only Mobius, then even if the current Mobius had already completed her transformation, he would still dare to fight her. He was confident that even if he couldn't win, he could at least retreat safely.
But adding Screwllum and Herta made it an entirely different matter.
The king of Planet Screwllum, an existence capable of starting the next mechanical War.
Herta, the Emanator of Erudition whose name resounded throughout the cosmos, who had twice visited Nous.
Even the most brainless Destruction-minded fanatic wouldn't charge forward.
That wouldn't be a pursuit of destruction, it would simply be a lack of sanity.
"He ran." Herta tilted her head slightly, her tone indifferent.
"Mm." Mobius replied without any particular emotion, and then…
Just how fast is an Emanator?
That depends on the attributes of each Emanator. Generally speaking, those of the Path of Remembrance, who record everything, excel in this regard.
Being memetic lifeforms grants them not only freedom from most existential threats, but also traversal abilities far beyond ordinary imagination.
Among the Lords Ravager, Luxbane, ranked at the very top in terms of speed. Excluding Irontomb, his speed was among the best of the Lords Ravager.
In only a short span of time, he had already reached the edge of the Mosdes star system, just one step away from leaving it entirely.
Seeing this, Luxbane couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. He hadn't expected a casual outing to turn into such a troublesome affair.
Fortunately, he managed to withdraw. As for supporting Celenova?
Forget it. Luxbane couldn't be bothered. You clean up your own mess.
For the time being, he had no intention of facing that creature whose species he couldn't even identify.
Recalling the scene of that recent transformation, Luxbane still felt dazed.
After becoming a Lord Ravager, even when facing mortal danger, he had never again felt a sense of crisis. When he first realized this, he had even felt faintly bewildered. Now that he thought about it, it was laughable, destruction that did not align with its own principles would only give rise to things equally incompatible with destruction.
Now he had understood. The chaos of the outside world had nothing to do with him.
He would return to Yafana star system and slowly extinguish the remaining two-thirds of its stars, bringing eternal annihilation to the life within that star system.
Suddenly, his keen perception detected three points of mass in the surroundings.
It seemed that he had been standing still all along?
A biological emotion gradually surfaced in his heart. Luxbane' pupils slowly dilated as he charged forward like the wind, over and over again, never stopping!
After cycling for an unknown length of time, he finally confirmed it.
He was trapped, in a space completely different from common understanding!
....
From Mobius's perspective, Luxbane was eternally stuck in the narrow seam just before reaching the boundary, no matter how much he attempted to adapt to the surrounding environment.
It was as if he had fallen into a hidden corner of the world, unknown to all others!
"Using the properties of space mixed with the power of the Sea of Quanta to construct a circular domain, what a brilliant idea."
Seeing Mobius's ingenious concept, Herta's eyes lit up.
Trapping a Lord Ravager was not difficult for her. The real trouble lay in how to keep the target unaware afterward, or unable to break the setup even after realizing it.
After all, anyone who could become an Emanator was far from a simple character.
Mobius's concept allowed a Lord Ravager to sink completely into it. Even if he realized he was endlessly repeating the same process, he would still be unable to find a point of attack.
"It's only because he doesn't understand the Sea of Quanta. If it were you, this wouldn't be enough to trap you."
Mobius shook her head slightly. Having exited her World Serpent state, she looked at Herta and smiled.
The current result was largely due to Luxbane lacking experience in dealing with the power of the Sea of Quanta.
And she just happened to have grasped a bit of it.
Combined with the small path she had carved out on the Path of Erudition, she finally succeeded in trapping him.
"Hmph, in the end, ignorance just makes him a barbarian with a bit more strength." With her hands on her hips and her chin slightly raised, Herta declared smugly.
None of them paid any further attention to the Lord Ravager, Luxbane.
The universe having one fewer Lord Ravager was hardly a bad thing. As for whether he would eventually escape, or remain trapped until a far, far distant future, that wasn't their concern.
Chatting casually, the three returned to the ship.
Before they had even steadied themselves, a figure suddenly rushed forward at blazing speed.
"Y-you-you!! How did you suddenly become so strong?! This isn't reasonable!!"
Standing on her tiptoes, using her height advantage to loom over Mobius, the Herrscher of Sentience stared hard at Mobius's smiling face, her voice filled with confusion and indignation.
"Hi ~~ long time no see."
"Whether we see each other or not doesn't matter! Hurry up and explain how you suddenly became so strong! This completely defies common sense!?"
How rare, to hear the word "common sense" come from the Herrscher of Sentience.
The Herrscher of Sentience truly couldn't understand it. The Mobius she had seen last time had been so familiar, yet now it felt as if she had suddenly soared beyond reach.
This qualitative leap completely exceeded the knowledge reserves of both the Herrscher of Sentience and Fu Hua.
The comparison was easy to understand.
Mobius's primary role had always been that of a scientist, responsible for research to combat the Honkai.
Hua, on the other hand, was undeniably a frontline warrior.
She could even stalemate Kevin for a long time.
The gap between their combat power wasn't quite like comparing a firefly to the moon, but there was still a clear difference.
And yet now, Mobius had quietly surpassed all combatants and claimed the position of the strongest herself.
No matter what, the Herrscher of Sentience simply couldn't accept it! Unless she got herself one too!