"Even with her heart and brain completely destroyed, she can actually regenerate. This proves your theory was correct! A Herrscher does have a core—and that core lies within the Imaginary Singularity!" The red-framed glasses bounced up and down as she sprinted.
"Ha... ha... I already knew that... Dr. Tesla..." Dr. Einstein panted. "Now isn't the time to discuss this. We have to stop the First Herrscher's revival. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise we'll be drinking seawater at the bottom of the ocean until we're full."
Originally, Tesla had believed that Planck had perished in the first Honkai Eruption, sacrificed to the gaping maw of a Honkai Beast in order to protect them.
Who would have thought that had merely been false information released by MOTH? Professor Planck was actually the host of the First Herrscher!
At last, Dr. Tesla pieced together the scattered clues from the past, fragments like shattered glass.
No wonder Professor Planck's expression had been so strange back then. No wonder she had insisted on staying behind to cover their retreat.
She must have already sensed something wrong with herself at the time. That was why she deliberately distanced herself from everyone.
"That old woman... she really doesn't know how to cherish herself. She should've talked it over with us back then. Maybe we could've helped her stabilize her mental state."
In response to Tesla's hindsight lament, Dr. Einstein reminded her, "Don't forget—we were in the middle of a crisis just like now, being chased by a Knight-class Honkai Beast.
Professor Planck chose to stay behind to cover our retreat."
"Hmph. Just a mere Knight-class Honkai Beast..."
"That's right. A mere Knight-class that almost sent Tesla and Einstein back to Great Britain as wandering souls." The naturally curly-haired girl teased helplessly.
The two of them worked together to pull open the harbor gate, boarded a hovercraft, and surfaced to escape.
At that moment, B-2 Laboratory's emergency defense protocol had been fully activated. Countless autocannons were bombarding the First Herrscher within the crystal coffin, attempting to eliminate her before she could fully awaken.
Because the observation monitor Dr. Tesla had connected to was destroyed by the shockwaves of the barrage, Tesla and Einstein could no longer observe the specific condition of the Herrscher of Reason.
Among the weapons deployed were even nuclear arms. The entire Herrscher laboratory had transformed into a nuclear reactor furnace. Even from far outside the laboratory, Tesla and Einstein could feel the scorching heat.
"That old woman... she won't melt, will she?"
Tesla actually still had the spare attention to worry about the Herrscher of Reason's condition...
After all, that was Dr. Tesla's most beloved teacher.
Hearing Tesla's concern, Dr. Einstein shook her head. "An attack of this level isn't enough to destroy an Imaginary Core. The consciousness of the Herrscher of Reason is hiding within the Imaginary Core..."
"What Herrscher of Reason? She's Planck!" Tesla corrected her sharply.
Just moments ago, Tesla had been calling her "that thing," "that woman," and "old lady." Yet now, she reverted to addressing her as Professor Planck.
Of course, Dr. Einstein also wanted to call the Herrscher of Reason Planck. She wanted the Herrscher of Reason to still be Planck.
But Einstein understood the reality all too clearly. The current Planck was no longer the Planck of the past.
Even if her genes still carried Planck's information, at most her body could be considered Planck's body. Professor Planck's consciousness had already dissipated.
If the two of them appeared before her now, the Herrscher of Reason would show absolutely no mercy.
The reason Einstein insisted on calling her the Herrscher of Reason was to help Tesla distinguish between the Herrscher and Professor Planck.
Because soon... they would have to take action against the Herrscher of Reason.
Or were they supposed to become sinners of humanity and allow the Herrscher of Reason to leave?
If that happened, forget humanity. The first to die would be Einstein and Tesla inside the laboratory.
The dead were gone. Dr. Einstein cared more about the living. Compared to the "deceased" Professor Planck, she valued far more the foul-mouthed Dr. Tesla at her side.
She had to kill the revived Professor Planck in order to protect Dr. Tesla.
Dr. Einstein sighed inwardly. Sigh... I only wanted Tesla to participate in the research, to break the obsession she had carried for so long. I never expected it would lead to such severe consequences.
Perhaps I never should have told her about this.
Even so, Einstein did not regret it. The meaning of life had never been merely about survival. To help Dr. Tesla rediscover her sense of purpose, she had to do this. She had no other choice.
But... Professor Planck, you've already passed on. Please don't join the commotion now. We weren't prepared for your revival.
Secondary soulium walls firmly sealed the Herrscher laboratory, which had already turned into molten magma. Even at temperatures high enough to melt diamonds, the secondary soulium continued to block the terrifying lava through self-repair.
Yet within that rampaging ocean of magma, a crystal-like mech suddenly appeared, dazzling and translucent.
Inside the radiant mech, a beautiful girl slowly opened her bright golden eyes.
Because she had died too early, the girl was about the same age as Einstein and the others now—perhaps even younger.
"Ace On Block..."
An atomic model projection formed in the girl's slender hand. It rapidly expanded, like a magnificent blooming flower, enveloping the entire Herrscher laboratory.
The lava-submerged laboratory underwent a dramatic transformation. The once crimson, searing space instantly became serene and azure. The surging magma fell silent as if commanded, parting to either side to create a private domain for the girl at the center.
Her mech dissolved into countless motes of light. She gently descended to the ground. The moment her bare toes touched the floor, she was already dressed in an elegant black-and-gray formal gown.
With a light wave of her hand, a massive steel gate reconstructed itself along the laboratory wall.
The gate slowly opened, revealing a bright underwater vista beyond.
"Tesla, Einstein, Edison..."
With slightly unsteady steps, the girl walked out of the laboratory.
This B-2 Laboratory was composed of several massive floating islands linked together. Its exterior adopted a biomimetic design, shaped like a colossal seashell, dynamic and powerful.
Such a design allowed the laboratory to withstand extreme tsunamis with waves as high as twenty meters.
The spacious observation corridor resembled a grand oil painting, displaying the magnificent scenery of the ocean in full view, allowing one to feel the endless allure hidden in its depths.
Countless enchanting sea creatures danced outside the windows, weaving together with vibrant corals into a dazzling underwater world.
However, at this moment, the Herrscher of Reason had no heart to appreciate the scenery outside, no matter how captivating it was.
Because before her stood countless torpedoes and cannons—like the scythes of death—all aimed at her heart.
"Fire!"
"...Fire." The Herrscher of Reason repeated it like a broken record.