Herta Space Station. All staff mbers.
Right now, none of them were in the mood to continue watching the story.
They had gathered together, anxiously awaiting Asta’s return.
Who wouldn’t be on edge after learning that beneath the area they lived in lay a buried [Propagation] Emanator? Forget playing gas or watching the story—even breathing beca an exercise in caution!
The usually lively Master Control Zone today seed as if it had been collectively hit with a [Silence] debuff.
The staff mbers were afraid that speaking too loudly might attract that Starcrusher Swarm King.
It was already hard enough to fight in the ga—if it were released in reality, all the staff combined probably wouldn’t even amount to a single bite for the Insect King!
"In the ga’s story, it self-destructed 56 seconds after birth, but in reality... what if the research breakthrough fails?"
"Miss Asta... we’re counting on you...!"
"Shh! Keep it down—what if you attract the Starcrusher Swarm King?!"
"Theoretically speaking, if the Swarm King beneath our feet really wakes up, staying silent won’t hide us from its detection."
"That’s [Starcrusher Swarm King, Skaracabaz]—the one that used shattered stars as a breeding ground for its offspring, one of the nightmares of the Cosmic Locust Plague! Our space station wouldn’t even be enough to whet its teeth."
"At this point, we might as well just carry on as usual..."
The staff whispered among themselves.
Finally—
Asta’s figure appeared before everyone.
All the staff mbers looked at her as if she were their savior, yet they feared she might bring bad news.
Under their collective gaze, Asta spoke calmly:
"Everyone, you can relax for now."
"I’ve just contacted Madam Herta, and Ruan i has also sent relevant information."
"According to reconnaissance drones and video surveillance..."
"...the threat in the sealed compartnt has been personally dealt with by Ruan i. All that remains now are harmless little creatures resembling ’shooting stars.’"
"Next, I’ll dispatch the Security Departnt to conduct further cleanup and inspections."
Hearing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
So staff mbers even felt as if they had just taken a stroll past the gates of hell.
A few even collapsed to the ground as if their strength had drained away.
Asta could only smile wryly.
This part of the story had indeed been a bit too "stimulating" for the space station’s players.
As for their impression of Ruan i... only one word remained—
—Madness!
Asta glanced at her phone and said,
"Everyone, let’s continue watching the story together."
"The quest has concluded, and [Ruan i] has been confird as a limited 5-star character."
"Additionally, a short film related to Ruan i has been unlocked."
"Perhaps this short film will shed so light on why Ruan i acted the way she did."
The staff mbers nodded and returned to the large screen.
Asta pulled up the relevant short film.
This character short film for Ruan i was special—its title was a line of poetry:
"The lody of Ruan Fades Like Falling Robes, the Bloom of i Erges Like a Light Touch of Makeup."
"On the surface, she’s a gentle and generous older sister who loves music and sweets—almost makes you forget that none of the Genius Society mbers are normal."
"Honestly, I feel like even Madam Herta is more human than Ruan i...!"
"I get the feeling Ruan i’s ambitions are... enormous."
Before the video began, the staff mbers continued exchanging their thoughts.
But once the visuals and audio started, everyone fell silent.
After this part of the story, everyone had gained a deeper understanding of Ruan i.
It felt like they had gotten one step closer to comprehending what a "genius" truly was—
But the closer they got, the more they realized just how vast the gap was between "genius" and ordinary people.
And this video—
Perhaps it could better explain just what kind of person Ruan i really was.
The first thing that ca into view was a Xianzhou-style lattice window.
Through the window, one could see the distant erald-green sky and plum blossoms.
Ruan i’s voice also sounded in the background:
"Dear Mother, I hope this letter finds you well."
"The plum blossoms bloom and wither, and occasionally, I catch a whiff of loneliness in their fragrance."
"It reminds of my childhood with you."
"Our research in the ’Land of No One.’"
As the scene progressed, the audio layered Ruan i’s gentle voice with the soft lodies of Pingtan and ambient sounds.
If one listened carefully, they could hear the babbling of a stream and the chirping of birds.
Up to this point, the tone of the video was still perfectly normal.
Anyone watching without context might have mistaken it for a biographical record of so wealthy young lady—
A docuntation of an elegant, leisurely life.
Had they not seen the earlier part of the story, the staff mbers might have believed it too.
But now, they knew better.
This was just a single fragnt of Ruan i’s life.
A trivial mont of relaxation.
This genius—
Was absolutely not the type to settle for stability and enjoy a peaceful life!
Sure enough—
As the footage in the archives advanced, the scene shifted to a snowy mountain.
The ambient sound changed, replaced by the howling of icy winds, while the Pingtan lody was overlaid with a mysterious symphonic composition.
"A warm little cabin."
"Boundless, thriving lifeforms."
"Those days are unforgettable to ."
"I understood the vastness of the universe far too early..."
On one of the glaciers, a frozen monster suddenly opened its eyes.
Its body resembled a giant octopus, covered in countless eyes.
As its eyes opened, the ice encasing it rapidly cracked.
A little girl being led by the hand—young Ruan i—looked on in shock.
At this mont, no one was marveling at how adorable young Ruan i was or how different she seed from her present self.
Because, judging by the background sounds—
This was clearly a disaster in the making.
People wearing transparent spherical helts scattered in panic, shouting:
"Quick! Get out of here!"
"It’s waking up!!"
Yet—
Unlike the terrified crowd, little Ruan i not only didn’t flee but instead stood curiously before the monster, observing it intently.
There was no trace of fear or panic—only pure fascination at the sight of such a vibrant, extraordinary lifeform.
Paired with Ruan i’s calm, intellectual voice in the background—
This mont felt profoundly surreal.
"Birth, growth, decay..."
"The cycle of life."
"This was the origin of my contemplation."
"I began to realize."
"That I longed for sothing... ’pure.’"
The scene shifted again, returning to the garden.
By now, that ancient god-like creature had been reduced to a re puzzle piece in Ruan i’s research materials.
Watching this, the staff mbers were stunned:
"So Ruan i was this extraordinary even as a child?"
"Facing a monster, she wasn’t afraid—just curious?"
"Is this how a genius sees the world?"
"She literally faced an eldritch horror head-on!"
"Not just faced it—didn’t you see? That planet’s ancient god ended up as her research material!"
"Has she already discarded basic human emotions?"
"When observing life, Ruan i doesn’t focus on its beauty or traits—she imdiately visualizes the chemical formulas composing it."
However—
The next segnt left everyone even more flabbergasted.
Inside a laboratory, Ruan i gazed out the window.
Her voice narrated:
"’Attachnt’... is governed by the insular cortex, which processes anxiety and pain."
"And the nucleus accumbens, which generates desire."
"The laws of ’emotion’ can be pitifully easy to dissect."
"Children beco more... ’obedient’... when given ’random’ rewards."
The view outside the window was fully revealed—
A colorful planet.
Surrounding it was not an asteroid belt, but a ribbon-like band of hues.
Then—
A pair of eyes and a mouth appeared on the planet’s surface.
A small hand waved at Ruan i.
"(◕‿◕) Hi!"
The space station staff collectively froze.
And players watching this video—
Were equally stunned.
"???"
"Where is this planet? I want to go there!"
"Don’t be fooled by how cute it looks in the video—that’s a living planet!"
"Kinda reminds of Black Grandeur..."
"...Typical Ruan i behavior."
"Creating life, animating planets—this is forbidden knowledge in many worlds!"
"The craziest part is how Ruan i treats all this as completely normal..."
"Aside from that first mont of curiosity when she saw the monster, her emotions have been scarily stable ever since."
"Ruan i is ascending to godhood!"
To be continued...
Reviews
All reviews (0)