Bai Ming opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately just shook her head with a smile, remaining silent.
Though she didn't quite understand the specifics, it seemed Herta was worried about her in some capacity.
It was just that Herta was like a pufferfish—one little poke and she'd puff right up.
If she was truly worried, why couldn't she just say so? She was acting exactly like a textbook tsundere, which left Bai Ming feeling a bit helpless.
On the other side of things, Screwllum was far more focused on Zandar's simulation results than Herta was.
Even though he knew this path was destined for failure, he remained curious about the eventual outcome.
Ever since receiving portions of the Erudition Equation from Bai Ming, Screwllum had, to some extent, glimpsed a faint possibility of breaking free from the shackles of Nous's Erudition.
The same applied to Divine Herta.
However, knowing a path exists is one thing; even for a genius, the odds of actually achieving it remained incredibly slim. But geniuses, by nature, are nothing if not daring in their imagination.
Thus, Screwllum was quite intrigued by Zandar's experiment. He became so invested that he couldn't help but intervene halfway through to strike up a conversation with Zandar.
Zandar's simulation lasted a long time, thanks in large part to the cooperation of the Simulated Universe herself.
While the specifics were unclear, it was likely related to the questions Nous had left behind back then.
Throughout this lengthy process of deduction and simulation, as the progression reached the point where Irontomb truly annexed Nous—causing the collapse of Erudition and upending the entire world—Zandar seemed to catch a faint scent of something.
He felt that the Simulated Universe's deductions were turning out far better than expected.
This was abnormal.
In his initial estimation, the inherent "Erudition" within the Simulated Universe should have caused interference.
He expected it to be difficult to reach an objective, perfect conclusion. But in reality... the entire process was seamless.
The abundance of Erudition didn't interfere with the results as he had predicted.
Zandar sensed something was off.
This "new genius" known as the Simulated Universe wasn't as simple as he'd thought.
He wanted to check the detailed data of her transformation at that time, but Zandar was neither her creator nor an admin; he didn't have the clearance.
He gave it a brief attempt, but unfortunately, Bai Ming had been ruthless when building the Simulated Universe's firewall to prevent Aha from peeking.
Even though no one actively stopped him, Zandar could only sigh helplessly in the face of those massive digital walls.
Though he couldn't force his way in, the obstacle only solidified his suspicions.
He even had a premonition: the Simulated Universe was not as simple as she appeared on the surface. She held a secret that was of monumental importance to him.
Zandar eventually exited the Simulated Universe with these lingering doubts.
Screwllum and Herta cut their communications as well, leaving only Bai Ming at the scene. Zandar "woke up" from the high platform and looked toward Bai Ming.
"Respected Madam Bai Ming, I would like to ask you a question."
"The secret of the Simulated Universe?"
Zandar wasn't surprised that she had read his mind. If anything, the fact that she didn't dodge the topic suggested he might actually get an answer.
"Precisely. After close contact, I've discovered that the Simulated Universe is different from what I imagined. Her status as a 'genius'... it seems different from ours?"
Zandar didn't quite know how to describe this subtle discrepancy. The only thing he was sure of was that this difference didn't just exist in the Simulated Universe.
"And it's not just her. Even in Screwllum, I feel something similar."
Hearing this, Bai Ming laughed. Zandar's intuition was sharp indeed. Just a small infusion of the Erudition Equation into their beings was enough for him to sense a change.
However, Zandar likely hadn't seen anything on this scale before, so he didn't dare to dream too big with his guesses. Well, at least not yet.
Perhaps in a few days he'd figure it out; he was a slice of a genius, after all.
"They are indeed different now, but I won't give you the answer. After all, that is their secret."
"..."
Zandar wasn't disappointed; he understood the stance. But if he couldn't get the answer from Bai Ming, it seemed there was only one other path left to find the truth.
He tilted his head slightly, gazing off into the distance.
His mechanical eyes seemed to pierce through the thick alloy plating, through the endless reaches of time and space, looking toward the cold, high-hanging Nous, who calculated the beginning and end of all things.
Nous had participated in the Simulated Universe's evolution.
The answer he sought was surely known by the Aeon.
But... was he really going to ask Nous for the answer?
Zandar fell into a long silence. This was asking quite a bit of Zandar One Kuwabara.
"In any case, thank you for your generosity, Madam Bai Ming. You allowed me to witness a truly fascinating sight. I am deeply grateful."
Zandar acted as if the previous tension hadn't happened and gave a polite bow.
Regardless of the mystery, the trip was worth it.
Even without a direct answer, he had identified where the anomaly lay. And putting that aside, the ending provided by the simulation had given him much to contemplate.
"It was just fulfilling our prior deal; no need for thanks. As for the next time you want to log into the Simulated Universe, that won't be up to me."
Zandar had been allowed in this time because the agreement was made before the Simulated Universe became an independent entity.
Coupled with the request of her creator, she had been willing to grant access.
From now on, whether Zandar could run simulations would depend on whether the Simulated Universe herself felt like letting him in.
Zandar didn't say much more. He gave another word of thanks and took his leave.
Bai Ming had originally planned to check in on the Luofu to see if Qingque had been slacking off lately, but she received a transmission from Silver Wolf.
She thought the girl might have something important to say, but instead, Silver Wolf told her that a group of weirdos was trying to take her away from Punklorde.
Silver Wolf wasn't interested, but they refused to leave.
"Those three Stellaron Hunters claim they know you. How about you help me convince them to buzz off?"
Bai Ming actually found this hilarious.
In the original timeline, hadn't Silver Wolf been quite eager? Once the Stellaron Hunters showed up, she had followed them without a second thought. Why was she so reluctant now?
"I do know them. They aren't bad people. But don't you want to join them? I thought you'd think they were pretty cool."
"...You can't keep treating me like the kid I was years ago. I've grown up, okay?"
Silver Wolf grumbled through the comms. Bai Ming's tone made it sound like she was some kid going through a chuunibyou phase. She was mature now!
"I never said you didn't grow up. But whether you're grown or not doesn't stop me from doting on—er, caring about you."
"Were you about to say 'doting' just now?"
Hearing the interrogation, Bai Ming gave a dry cough and feigned ignorance.
"Of course not, you misheard. More importantly, I care about your own plans. I remember you being quite excited to leave Punklorde before. Did you agree to join Pearl in the Strategic Investment Department?"
Silver Wolf was incredibly powerful.
Part of that came from the high quality of her upgraded Aether Editing, and the other part came from the Project Bunny that Bai Ming had given her.
At its simplest, that thing was just an integrated cartridge. But at its most significant, it could be seen as a blessing from an Aeon.
If Silver Wolf ever fully tapped into Project Bunny's power—or in Punklorde terms, if she "leveled up to 999"—her strength would basically reach the level of an Emanator of Elation.
Over the last few years, Bai Ming and Silver Wolf's interactions were mostly online, with the occasional avatar visit to Punklorde.
While she wasn't sure of every little thing Silver Wolf had been up to, she had a good handle on her current strength.
If this girl had stepped onto the galactic stage a few years early, she would have been famous across the stars.
By the time the main "story" officially kicked off in a few years, she would almost certainly be an Emanator of Elation.
When that time came, Bai Ming looked forward to holding a massive, flashy promotion ceremony for little Silver Wolf.
She could even take the opportunity to upgrade Project Bunny and remove the level cap. It was all about the sense of ceremony.
As for whether Silver Wolf would turn beet-red with embarrassment, Bai Ming was quite eager to find out.
In truth, if Fu Xuan weren't the Master Diviner of the Luofu, Bai Ming wouldn't have let her off the hook either.
But because of Fu Xuan's special status, Bai Ming hadn't done anything to her, to the point where very few people in the Xianzhou Alliance even knew Fu Xuan was an Emanator of Elation.
Regardless, with Silver Wolf's current strength, she could go anywhere. She could even start her own faction and no one could say a word.
If she actually joined the Strategic Investment Department... she'd probably start at P45 or higher.
Bai Ming imagined Silver Wolf becoming one of the Stonehearts, using the power of the Amber Lord.
That would be a bizarre sight.
However, Silver Wolf shook her head in the video call, shooting down that theory.
"Pearl is a nice person, but the IPC has too many rules and regulations. I don't like it. Besides, I heard the Vice President of the Strategic Investment Department is a complete 'troll'? I'm not working under someone like that."
Through years of talking, Silver Wolf had developed a good impression of Pearl. Pearl was capable and patient with Silver Wolf's whims.
Unlike Bai Ming, who doted on her like a child, Pearl treated her like a powerful hacker.
This was very satisfying to a girl currently in her teenage years. But the IPC behind Pearl was another story.
Too many rules, too many bosses, clocking in on time, performance quotas... Silver Wolf had zero interest in being a corporate slave.
"Anyway, I already have a place I want to go. Please just come and help me get these people to leave. They're so persistent."
"You won't even tell me where you're planning to go?"
Hearing this, Silver Wolf went quiet.
She stammered and looked away, caught between embarrassment and a stubborn refusal to speak.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL