MEI left the isolation chamber, which was temporarily being used to confine Dr. Einstein and completely block all incoming and outgoing communication signals.
After she departed, Sim Kevin remained stationed outside the chamber.
As for Sim Elysia...
She was also capable of using the Key of Blankness. After taking the Herrscher of the Void's Core from MEI, she returned to her post on the Mu Continent.
MEI, meanwhile, went to find Kevin, the Returnee.
The two spoke privately for a while about several matters, including Dr. Einstein's current situation.
Should they prioritize the new Project ARK, or ensure the operation of the Sea of Quanta Portal?
MEI understood perfectly well that her disagreement with Dr. Einstein did not stem from either of them being stubborn.
Their priorities were simply different.
"Group Survival Rate" versus "Project Success Rate."
Dr. Einstein was guided more strongly by compassion. In the original timeline, she had even fought for the rights and freedom of the ELF units. Naturally, she chose the former.
MEI chose the latter.
In her view, the future Dr. Einstein envisioned was far too idealistic.
Both the World Bubble route and the Sea of Stars route were fraught with uncertainty.
If humans were the only intelligent beings left on Earth, the third planet of this Solar System, then both plans might have been worth attempting.
But Herrschers still existed on Earth.
MEI had no choice but to account for them.
Rebuild the Sea of Quanta Portal and transfer all of humanity away in batches?
Even setting aside the possibility of a surprise attack from the Herrscher of Thunder, what if one of the Herrscher of Blood's spawn slipped through the portal?
Or worse, what if the enemy turned the Sea of Quanta Portal itself into a weapon?
In the original timeline, even an emergency activation of the portal had directly carved away part of the Mu Continent.
It already possessed every basic requirement needed to become a weapon.
And it would be an immensely powerful, wide-area weapon, far more terrifying than any nuclear bomb.
That was the fundamental reason MEI refused to rush the reconstruction of the Sea of Quanta Portal.
In fact, it was precisely because the Herrschers still existed that she had chosen the slower-to-launch option of interstellar migration, the new Project ARK.
That was also the root of the need to abandon part of the population.
There was no point in debating the matter any further.
The divide between them lay in their most fundamental beliefs.
For now, temporarily confining Dr. Einstein was the only way to safeguard the future of human civilization.
If she were allowed to leave, she would undoubtedly use the ELF network to notify every ELF and initiate an operation whose consequences no one could predict.
MEI believed that Dr. Einstein would never overturn the entire table in a fit of spite.
Just as MEI herself would never do such a thing.
To be honest, while speaking with her earlier, MEI really had considered killing Dr. Einstein on the spot.
Well, terminating her life functions.
It would have been much like the methods used by those who could not tolerate Dr. Einstein's existence in the original timeline and had sent "Forget-Me-Not" to assassinate her.
But MEI knew that Dr. Einstein remained indispensable.
As she had said before, the two of them were only competing over which project should receive priority.
Once the outcome was decided, the "loser" would have no choice but to submit to the "winner."
And when that happened, the "winner" would still need the "loser's" technical expertise.
It was a deadlock.
Dr. Einstein understood that as well.
That was why, if she remained free to act, then even if she did not "overturn the table," she would most likely resort to other methods to pressure the rest of them into compromising, just as she had done today.
Worse still, some people might agree with her approach.
If that happened, the Newborn World Serpent really would split into two factions, just as MEI had predicted.
Once factions formed, their active forces would be divided as well.
And all the while, the threat of the Herrschers continued to lurk in the shadows.
Recently, MEI had developed a hypothesis concerning the Herrscher of Thunder's seemingly "prophetic" behavior on the Mu Continent.
An insider?
Aponia had already investigated that possibility. There was no insider.
Which meant...
"The Herrscher of Thunder can remotely read the thoughts of a designated target within a certain range."
"Unlike the Herrscher of Blood's genetic Authority, she most likely accomplishes this by sensing brainwaves."
MEI had already deduced as much.
Today, the Herrscher of Thunder had taken advantage of the brief window in which Sim Elysia did not possess the Herrscher of the Void's Core and destroyed the only completed Sea of Quanta Portal.
That timing had indirectly confirmed MEI's hypothesis.
Therefore, to counter that possibility...
Swoosh.
After her brief discussion with Kevin, the Sovereign, MEI traveled to another designated area within the headquarters.
It was called the "Helix Workshop."
Or, more plainly, Vill-V's laboratory.
At that moment...
"Vill-V."
"Hmm?"
Six voices answered at once.
The six Vill-Vs within MEI's field of vision simultaneously stopped what they were doing.
Clearly, Vill-V was using her Path Ability, "Avatar," to accelerate her experiments by working through several manifestations at once.
It was worth noting that Sim Vill-V was not at Headquarters.
She was permanently stationed on the Mu Continent. Whether intentionally or not, Kevin had arranged matters so that she and the original Vill-V remained separated.
It could not be helped.
After the sudden incident in which Sim Mobius killed the original Mobius, everyone had become wary of similar hidden dangers.
The others were one thing.
But Vill-V possessed a personality known as "Pure Evil."
The potential for something to go wrong was undoubtedly greatest with her.
Their only option was to keep the Sim and the original body apart as a precaution.
Right now...
"Do you need something?"
One of the six Vill-Vs spoke.
Judging by her tone, this was "The Expert."
"I do have a request for you," MEI said directly. "I want you to create a device capable of efficiently preventing brainwaves from leaking outward."
"Something like a tactical helmet, for example."
After hearing that...
"Is this meant to counter the Herrscher of Thunder?"
"Yes."
MEI nodded.
It seemed Vill-V had considered the same possibility.
"Very well."
This time, the Vill-V who spoke was "The Conductor."
"I've already finished it."
She pointed toward a storage cabinet nearby.
"A brainwave-shielding device... A tactical helmet like the one you suggested was simply too tacky."
"So I made them into earrings instead."
"Uh... That works."
Vill-V's way of thinking was as unconventional as ever.
This time, however, MEI had nothing to criticize.
From a practical standpoint, compact, lightweight earrings were indeed far easier to carry than a bulky helmet.
Even so...
"Why did you think to make something like this in advance?" MEI asked.
"Because I don't want anyone casually peeking into my thoughts."
As she spoke, all six Vill-Vs tilted their heads and pointed toward their left ears.
Every one of them was already wearing an earring.
Clearly, they had been designed as protection against psychic-type MANTISes such as Aponia and Su.
MEI's eyes flickered.
In the end, however, she said nothing more.
Instead, she changed the subject.
"You didn't hide any 'little surprises' inside them, did you?"
MEI still sounded somewhat uneasy.
"Aha... Of course not."
The one who answered so quickly was "The Great Magician."
"..."
MEI fell silent.
She walked over to the storage cabinet, opened it, and removed a jewelry box from inside.
The Key of Blankness armor covering her body switched operating modes, its color scheme changing to blue and white.
She was now using the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason.
Before long...
"A brilliant design."
After analyzing the structure of the accessories and confirming that they contained no "little surprises" while still possessing sufficient practical value, MEI offered what sounded like a casual compliment.
She was already capable of reproducing Vill-V's "Brainwave-Shielding Earrings" by hand and mass-producing them herself.
To be honest, if Ling Ke had been there, he definitely would have complained:
"Yo~ You even made an earring version of Magneto's helmet?"