The space station above Teyvat finally welcomed its owner back after a long absence.
After Ningguang's careful management, it had reached the point where it could operate on its own.
Its only weakness was a shortage of supplies.
Unlike Herta Space Station, it couldn't yet provide resources to others.
Its manpower and material reserves were still relatively limited.
Still, Ningguang was already very satisfied with what had been achieved.
As for Su Ran...he had even less to complain about.
He practically treated Herta's Space Station as if it were his own.
"...Didn't you say we were going out to look for inspiration?"
Chiyo looked around at the place where she had once been revived.
Could inspiration really be found here?
"I've already found the inspiration."
"So, Chiyo..."
"Do you also want to become a Destruction hypercarry?"
Ningguang and Tingyun: "..."
Wasn't the Lord Ravager's power divided into only two portions?
How many more pieces was he planning to split it into?
If he kept dividing it like this...how much would they even have left?
"...What's a Destruction hypercarry?"
Chiyo's understanding of the universe was limited to what she'd personally witnessed.
She knew almost nothing about its various factions.
Things like the Genius Society, the Xianzhou Luofu, or the Lord Ravagers—she had only picked up fragments of information from their casual conversations.
"It's a being stronger than Ei."
Ordinary Pathstriders walking the Path of Destruction weren't necessarily stronger than the Seven Archons.
Take Arlan from Herta Space Station, for example.
He had some strength, but not that much.
However, a Destruction hypercarry created by dividing Phantylia's power through Su Ran's hands...
would absolutely be ten thousand times stronger than Ei.
At that point, there would be no opponent anywhere in Teyvat.
...Except perhaps Ningguang.
"...Really?"
Chiyo's eyes immediately lit up.
As Ei's former subordinate, she naturally ranked among Inazuma's strongest.
But she also knew better than anyone just how terrifying Ei's strength truly was.
Even Orobashi had fallen to a single slash.
If Su Ran could simply grant her power surpassing Ei...
wouldn't that be ascending to the heavens in a single step?
"So..."
"I'll use this power to defeat Kamisato Ayaka?"
"...No."
Chiyo: "???"
Then what had all that explanation been for?
"Ahem."
"Those are two separate matters."
"Giving you a cheat and making you a Destruction hypercarry aren't the same thing."
Even if Chiyo were destined to become a Destruction hypercarry, that would only happen after the competition.
He had no desire to let Ayaka face an opponent who inspired nothing but absolute despair.
"...Then what about the cheat?"
"Naturally..."
"It'll be a custom-made Simulated Universe."
After giving it some thought, Su Ran had finally settled on the idea.
Since what she needed to learn was Jingliu's swordsmanship, the Simulated Universe would naturally have to be specially customized.
He intended to use it as the perfect training environment.
"...The Simulated Universe?"
"I've heard that's a research project created by Lady Herta and several other geniuses."
It wasn't exactly a secret.
Back at Herta Space Station, word had spread everywhere.
Although Tingyun had never personally visited, she knew quite a bit about it.
"But..."
"Would they really be willing to lend it to Benefactor?"
As far as she knew, geniuses treasured their research projects immensely.
They surely wouldn't lend them out so casually.
Unless...
Benefactor really did have an excellent relationship with Herta.
"...Is that difficult?"
"Even I've experienced it before."
Ningguang herself had already entered the Simulated Universe while visiting Herta Space Station.
To be honest, the experience had been rather unpleasant.
But she couldn't deny...it had felt astonishingly real.
Besides,
judging by Su Ran's relationship with Herta and Ruan Mei, it hardly seemed like borrowing access would be an issue.
Tingyun stared at Ningguang in surprise.
Wasn't the Simulated Universe supposed to be the geniuses' private research project?
"Herta listens to me."
"Screwllum is easy to talk to."
"As for Ruan Mei..."
"She won't care."
"And Stephen?"
"He cares even less."
Listening to him,
it all sounded absurdly simple.
So...
one vote in favor, three abstentions?
How exactly was that supposed to work?
"And more importantly..."
"Over ninety percent of the current Simulated Universe was built by me."
Tingyun: "..."
At this point, he might as well just say the Simulated Universe belonged to him.
There was no need to specifically mention that "over ninety percent."
"And Herta even installed a Simulated Universe terminal here at my station."
"I still haven't turned it on until today."
Su Ran had simply been too busy with other matters.
He'd almost forgotten that Herta had delivered the terminal.
"...Benefactor could've simply said he was one of the project's creators."
The terminal was already here.
Why bother asking to borrow it?
He could simply use it.
Tingyun increasingly felt
that Su Ran was even more remarkable than she'd imagined.
An Emanator of Erudition.
A member of the Genius Society.
Herta's collaborator.
No matter how she looked at it, he was extraordinary.
Despite staying by his side, she realized she hardly knew anything about him.
The Simulated Universe powered on once again.
Its sudden activation immediately caught Herta's attention.
Among all the geniuses, she cared the most about the Simulated Universe.
After all, she was its creator.
This connection request came from Su Ran's space station.
Without hesitation, she activated the Herta puppet stationed there.
"So..."
"Who's this supposed to be this time?"
"A newcomer?"
She merely glanced at Chiyo once—and instantly lost interest.
Her attention span lasted even less than three minutes.
Chiyo, however, was rather curious about the tiny doll.
"I'm here to give her a cheat."
Su Ran had no intention of wasting time explaining things to Herta.
"...Oh."
Standing quietly behind him, Herta secretly began charging up.
Then—she suddenly leaped into the air and launched a flying kick straight at him.
"...What are you doing?"
"The Leo Flying Kick?"
Sensing the movement behind him, Su Ran turned around, effortlessly neutralized her attack, and casually pulled her into his arms.
"Where is it?"
"Let me see that Light Cone!"
Herta hadn't forgotten about that matter at all.
"...You're that interested?"
As for the puppet left behind on the Luofu...
he could simply leave it there.
It wasn't as though he lacked spare puppets.
Finding Su Ran was the important part.
"Of course I am!"
"What on earth did you do?"
"How did you manage to get Fuli to personally appear?"
If news of that ever spread, every Memokeeper, Masked Fool, and journalist in the universe would come running to investigate.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer