"I think I've seen these people somewhere before... Right, on the Interastral Peace Corporation's wanted list—the Stellaron Hunters."
In that instant, Silver Wolf's vigilance shot to its peak. She gripped her cartridge tightly in her palm, ready at any moment to use her Aether-editing ability to escape. At the same time, she said to Herta, "Miss Herta, we're in serious trouble. Maybe even all of Punklorde is in serious trouble."
"If the Stellaron Hunters have appeared, that means Punklorde has produced the cancer of all worlds—the Stellaron. A massive disaster is coming. How about we join forces?"
"Join forces? Little wolf cub, you underestimate a genius." Herta lifted her chin. "In fact, the reason I came to Punklorde this time was to find one of them."
"You want to join the Stellaron Hunters?" Silver Wolf looked up at Herta in shock.
"As expected, little wolf cub. Ever since you received Aha's blessing, you've become better and better at telling jokes."
"What's so funny about that?"
As Silver Wolf retorted angrily, she also realized that Herta had not come to seek out the Stellaron Hunters in order to join them. She had another purpose...
At that very moment, Kafka—who had already arrived on the scene, a perpetual smile hanging at the corner of her lips—fixed her gaze on Herta and spoke.
"Actually, if it's Miss Herta, I'd warmly welcome you into the Hunters."
As her words fell, Kafka's phone began to vibrate. She took it out of her pocket and glanced at it. The smile at her lips deepened as she turned the screen toward Herta.
"Miss Herta, look. Even Elio thinks you're perfectly suited to join the Stellaron Hunters."
"I'll pass. I have no such intention. I will not become a destiny's slave, nor will I work for Terminus."
Herta spoke seriously. "I came to Punklorde for only one reason—the Blood of Abundance, to complete my experiment."
"Do you intend to resurrect a being? Or to obtain immortality?" Blade, who had remained silent behind Kafka, finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Herta.
"Resurrection? Immortality?" Herta shook her head. "What would I want those for? I already said—I only wish to complete an experiment. An experiment to create a new dimension of life."
"A new dimension? You want to create a new world? Or perhaps revive a dead planet, turning it into a new Gaia-like world?" Blade said.
"More or less. For you to understand this much with your intellect is already commendable."
"..."
Blade was rendered speechless. After a long moment, he said slowly, "If that is the case, I cannot give you the blood. If you were truly to scatter the Blood of Abundance across a newborn world, that world might give birth to an Emanator of Abundance."
"That will not happen. I am Herta. I have sufficient confidence in my experiment."
"Experiments are prone to error." As Blade said this, he recalled the time on the Xianzhou Luofu when he and Dan Feng had attempted to resurrect Baiheng through the secret art of draconic transmutation. A trace of pain surfaced on his face.
"The wisdom of mortals."
Herta let out a light snort, folding her arms across her chest. "You underestimate a genius far too much. I am Herta. If I wish it, I can make my experiment have zero margin of error. If you doubt me, log into the interastral network and take a look—since the day I was born, I have never failed."
"I—Herta—am the mother of success!"
Her voice echoed across the scene.
Everyone present was stunned—whether members of the Stellaron Hunters or Silver Wolf, who had yet to join them. None of them had expected Herta to be so confident—so confident it bordered on arrogance.
"Even so, I still will not—"
Blade was preparing to refuse once more.
At that moment, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate violently. He answered the call and heard a series of meowing sounds—it was Elio's voice. Through the conversion of the Synesthesia Beacon, the repeated meows were swiftly understood by Blade:
"Blade, agree to Herta. Give her the Blood of Abundance. She herself represents a certain special future of the cosmos—just as unique as Stelle."
"Additionally, you may continue to invite her to join the Path of Finality. If she is willing, Finality can grant her the power of Rubert III—Herta LV.999 · Dual Emanator of Erudition and Destruction."
Blade fell silent for a long while after hearing this. Then he drew his sword and, without hesitation, thrust it straight through his own heart, forcing out a single drop of blood from his core.
It was the Blood of Abundance.
The moment that drop of blood appeared upon Mount Scrap, the entire environment underwent a drastic transformation.
From the heaps of ever-present garbage, flowers began to bloom—one after another, dazzling and vibrant.
The entire landfill seemed to become a cradle of life, forming a vast sea of blossoms.
And this was merely the passive effect of the Blood of Abundance. If an Elixir Seeker were to obtain it, they would gain immortality on the spot, possess the physique of a celestial elixir-born being, and living for centuries would be trivial.
Of course, after those centuries, they could continue living still—though when mara eventually erupted, the Emanator of Abundance would likely return in full.
"This drop of blood is yours."
Blade grasped the red-green, life-filled blood flowing from his heart and handed it over.
Herta accepted it without hesitation. In her heart, she thought:
The Mask of the Masked Fool and the Blood of Abundance are now in my hands. As for the Blood of a Genius—I possess that myself.
Now, to formally forge a Warp, only one final material remains—the Gilded Blood of Extinction.
That blood must be obtained from Nanook or from a Lord Ravager...
As Herta contemplated this, she heard Blade speak again.
"Just now, it was Elio who persuaded me to give you the blood. Likewise, he asks me to extend an invitation: join the Stellaron Hunters. Swear loyalty to Terminus. Terminus will bestow Their blessing upon you."
"At that time, you will possess power far beyond what you have now—the pinnacle of Emanators. Rubert III... who once ignited an Emperor's War."
Herta paused slightly at those words.
Rubert III.
That name sounded so familiar.
Wait... Herman once mentioned my future. Without his interference, there was a high probability that I would fuse with Irontomb and become Rubert III, igniting the Third Emperor's War.
And now the Stellaron Hunters say that if I join them, I can obtain the power of Rubert III.
That means Elio—or rather, the Destiny's Slave—possesses the ability to bring future power into the present.
After sorting through her thoughts, Herta asked Herman internally whether the Stellaron Hunters could "take a loan" on future power.
"Of course."
Herman gave his confirmation and spoke seriously. "But the one who borrowed from the future—Rubert III—has already gone mad. If you join the Hunters and attempt to use that power, you will most likely be affected as well."
"Hmph. I never once considered joining the Stellaron Hunters to take a loan on the future. After all, in the original future, you didn't even exist."
After saying this inwardly, Herta lifted her head and looked at Blade. "Elio's invitation? Please tell him for me—I refuse."
"A mere Rubert III, power standing at the pinnacle of Emanators? If I apply myself, sooner or later I will reach it myself. And I believe the power at the pinnacle of Emanators is far from my limit. After all, I am Herta."
Her voice was as confident as ever. Everyone present understood from her words that Herta—who had never known failure—did not set her goal at the peak of Emanators, but at standing above them: Aeonhood itself.
"Since you've refused, there's nothing more to say. I will not take back the golden blood I gave you. I only hope you will make good use of it," Blade said.
"Naturally. A genius makes perfect use of every material," Herta replied lightly, placing the mask and the red-green Blood of Abundance into a special container.
Meanwhile, at the Stellaron Hunters' headquarters, the black cat Elio revealed a trace of regret upon learning that Herta had refused to join.
This invitation had ultimately failed.
Still, worthy of being one of the variables. Setting her sights on becoming an Aeon is no bad thing.
Like Stelle, she is an existence capable of altering the direction of the cosmos' fate. Perhaps in the future, she truly will create a miracle—amid a universe already crowded with Aeons, carving out a newborn Path, completing her own sublimation, and becoming a new Aeon.
At this thought, a glimmer of anticipation flashed through Elio's feline eyes.
...
At that same moment, on Punklorde, amid the flower-covered Mount Scrap, Kafka turned her gaze toward Silver Wolf and spoke slowly.
"Since Herta refuses to join, what about you—the αWolf of Punklorde?"
"Stellaron Hunter Kafka, are you inviting me to join the Hunters?" A strange light flickered in Silver Wolf's eyes. "And you're far more polite than Herta. She keeps calling me little wolf cub... but you call me the αWolf of Punklorde."
Silver Wolf placed her hands on her hips. "αWolf... I've decided. When I reach the summit of Punklorde and become a legendary hacker, I'll use αWolf as my title."
Kafka smiled. "So—are you willing to join the Stellaron Hunters?"
"What are the benefits of joining?" Silver Wolf pouted. "From what I can see, it's all downsides. For example, being wanted by the Interastral Peace Corporation and living on the run."
Kafka thought for a moment before replying, "It can grant you the opportunity to break past even higher level caps."
"Aha already gave me that opportunity."
"No." Kafka shook her head. "Aha only gave you a possibility. You still need to rely on your own effort to break the limit. In the future, there will come a moment when you hit a level cap. But joining the Stellaron Hunters is different. We can grant you the power of an invincible player—and even power beyond that."
"Invincible player?" Silver Wolf froze, staring at Kafka in confusion. "You mean that if I join the Stellaron Hunters, I'll immediately become invincible?"
"More or less."
Kafka's lips curved into a smile.
"Why does this sound like a scam...?" Silver Wolf muttered.
"It isn't." At that moment, Herta spoke calmly. "An envoy of Finality truly can take a loan on future power."
A loan on the future?
That means that in some possible future, I really do become an invincible player?
At that thought, Silver Wolf felt an intense surge of excitement.
Herta turned to Kafka. "If I'm not mistaken, the power of Rubert III you just promised was also a loan from some future—power that belongs to me."
"As expected of a genius. Quick-thinking indeed," Kafka applauded lightly.
At that moment, Silver Wolf lifted her head with unprecedented seriousness and asked, "You said that by joining the Stellaron Hunters, I'd gain the power of an invincible player. Then what level is this invincible player?"
"Naturally, level 999. That is the highest tier of Emanator-level power," Kafka replied.
Inwardly, she added:
According to Elio, in that future, Silver Wolf will stand at the very peak of Elation—an Emanator of the highest order, capable of defeating even Polka Kakamond, the Lord of Silence who commands the Knowable Domain.
Level 999?
So that is the strength of an invincible player. Truly formidable.
Even a genius like Herta is only level 420. Doubling that would merely reach 840—still far from 999.
In other words, if I join the Stellaron Hunters, I'll gain power surpassing Herta?
The more Silver Wolf thought about it, the more excited she became. Yet she did not immediately agree.
For one simple reason—she had never experienced a level cap. And she had also been influenced by Herta's confidence.
According to Herta, she, a genius, has no limits.
In that case, Silver Wolf—blessed by Aha, walking the Path of Elation, capable of limitless level growth—should also have no limits.
Level 999 is not my limit. I'll break past one thousand. Ten thousand. Even higher.
After envisioning the future, Silver Wolf spoke seriously to Kafka. "I'll pass on joining the Stellaron Hunters. I'll rely on my own strength to grow stronger."
After saying that, she even imitated Herta. "Silver Wolf has no limits either!"
"No. You do have limits. And don't assume you and Herta are the same type of person. There is a vast difference between you," Kafka said firmly.
"Less than a month ago, before Herta became a genius, according to our intelligence, she was merely an ordinary Pathstrider of Erudition. Converted into Punklorde levels, she was roughly level 42."
!!
Silver Wolf was stunned.
A month ago, Herta was only around level 42?
And in just one month, her level had soared to 420.
Tenfold growth in a single month. How did she do that?
Silver Wolf understood the difficulty of leveling up all too well. A month ago, she had been around level 30—slightly below Herta.
After obtaining the Soul Gem—a special game item—her combat power had far surpassed her level. Challenging monsters and analyzing Aether-editing techniques became faster, and her leveling speed accelerated dramatically.
Even so, in that month, she had only gained fifty levels.
Compared to Herta's leap of several hundred levels, it was nothing.
Is this what it means to be a genius?
That's absurd!!
Kafka's voice continued.
"From my observation, Herta is only one step away from becoming an Emanator. She came to Punklorde to seek Blade and obtain the Blood of Abundance precisely to conduct the experiment necessary for ascension. Miss Herta, am I correct?"
Herta nodded slightly. "Most of the materials for the experiment have already been gathered. Only one material remains uncollected. But I can already see the moment of success—perhaps next month, or even sooner..."
"Did you hear that, Silver Wolf? Next month, Herta will become an Emanator. And once she ascends, her level will rise to at least 500—perhaps even skyrocket to 600," Kafka said.
"..."
Silver Wolf fell silent.
One month—an increase of two hundred levels?
Is she even human?
Damn it, I'm only level 80 right now. I'm still far from breaking Punklorde's level cap!
Wait... her insane leveling speed can't possibly continue forever, right? If it does, next month she'll hit 500 or 600.
The month after that—700 or 800.
The month after that—900, maybe even 1000.
By then, Herta might possess power equal to—or even surpassing—Silver Wolf LV.999!
After thinking this far, Silver Wolf felt it couldn't be possible. A genius' inspiration comes in waves. Once Herta's inspiration runs dry, her research will stagnate, and her power growth will slow...
But even if it slows, she'll still surpass me.
After a long pause, Silver Wolf asked Kafka a crucial question.
"If I join the Stellaron Hunters, can I continue leveling? Can I still possess infinite possibilities—like breaking past level 999 and reaching level 1000?"
Seeing that her words had finally swayed Silver Wolf, Kafka's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Of course you can."
"As long as you possess that cartridge—your primal impetus—you can break through even higher level caps. And beyond 999 lies the domain of gods."
"By joining Finality, by joining the Stellaron Hunters, you will gain the possibility of reaching the divine domain."
"In that case, I agree to join the Stellaron Hunters," Silver Wolf said, extending her hand. "So, Kafka—when do I receive the invincible player's cartridge?"
"Right now. But if you want it, you'll have to take it yourself."
As Kafka's words fell, from a distant place, Elio let out a soft meow.
The divine body of Finality stirred. The power of the Path of Finality began to surge.
The great hand of Finality exerted force.
Across the Honkai universe, time and causality twisted violently. The concepts of past and future reversed in an instant—until at last, one possible future version of Silver Wolf was drawn into this era.
She stood at the pinnacle of the Path of Elation—the highest-tier Emanator of Elation. She had long forgotten the taste of defeat. She had established the Dark Zone Empire, crushed the Interastral Peace Corporation beneath her feet, unified the Galaxy Rangers and hackers, subjugated the Tavern with ease, and finally breached Device IX, supplanting Polka Kakamond.
Silver Wolf LV.999 had descended.
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