Bai Ming set out to manifest a warship with her bare hands right then and there.
Cerydra didn't try to talk her out of it. Honestly, she was curious to see what kind of vessel Bai Ming was talking about. As long as it wasn't some mechanical dragon, she was fine with it.
Cerydra followed Bai Ming to the Express windows. Seeing this, the others looked toward Hysilens, wondering what was happening.
Once Hysilens explained the situation, the rest of the crew gathered by the glass, their curiosity piqued.
Void Archives was particularly intrigued.
He was dying to know how Bai Ming planned to construct a spacecraft out of thin air. Could such complex systems and designs really be brought to life so effortlessly?
Before long, a kaleidoscopic radiance erupted outside the train, coalescing into a warship nearly ten thousand meters long.
The light first solidified into the general silhouette of the craft before the finer details began to take shape.
With Bai Ming's ever-growing reservoir of knowledge, her talent for constructing massive machinery had become increasingly refined.
The massive mothership gradually came into being. Its wide launch tracks were clearly designed for deploying smaller units. In fact, Bai Ming had indeed tucked several small craft—ranging from ten to a hundred meters in size—inside it.
Around a dozen fan-like structures were distributed along the sides of the mothership.
Of course, these weren't just for show. What those humming "fans" took in and spat out were vortices of Imaginary Energy.
These swirling vortices were channeled at specific frequencies; a portion powered the ship, while the rest formed a swirling Imaginary barrier that enveloped the entire vessel. By directly manipulating Imaginary Energy in this way, she had essentially turned "wild" energy into a natural shield.
It could block out interference from the most extreme environments in the cosmos while granting the ship the ability to sail freely through the Imaginary depths of deep space.
For the engines, Bai Ming had designed an improved warp drive based on the research of Herta and Screwllum. It didn't have any flashy gimmicks; it was built for stability, efficiency, and pure, raw power.
As for the weapons and defense systems, it went without saying—everything that should be there was there, and plenty that shouldn't be there was included too.
Once the fundamental hardware was complete, Bai Ming turned to the interior decor, drawing inspiration from both the Express and Amphoreus. After all, this ship was meant for Cerydra and Hysilens.
By now, Cerydra was staring, completely dazed. She had only wanted a ship that she and Hysilens could use. But this massive mothership, kilometers in length, looked like the flagship of a grand fleet.
This thing would be more than enough to serve as the trump card flagship for all of Amphoreus.
And it was just for the two of them?
Cerydra imagined the scenario.
What kind of excuse could she possibly use in the future to allow this clearly overpowered flagship to approach the territory of other galactic powers? Wouldn't they be met with immediate warnings and a barrage of fire the moment they got close?
This was clearly making things way more conspicuous... It wasn't like she was planning to lead Amphoreus on a cosmic crusade!
Bai Ming gave Cerydra's shoulder a firm, proud slap, pointing at the massive warship shimmering with iridescent light.
"So! Pretty great ship, right? I call it the Ursarctic Big Dipper."
"Have you forgotten that this ship is for me and the Hysilens alone? It's not meant for an Amphoreus expedition..."
Hearing this, Bai Ming pursed her lips. "Maybe it's a bit on the large side, but it's spacious! Plus, it's equipped with plenty of specialized smaller vessels. There's even a massive ecological garden inside."
"The problem is, if I actually pilot this thing, how am I supposed to make the worlds I pass by believe I'm there for an adventure and not to conquer them?"
Cerydra looked up, crossing her arms. She stared straight at Bai Ming with an expression that was hard to read—somewhere between teasing and dead serious—as she asked the question.
"Yikes... Maybe I should retract all the exposed weapons? And add a cover layer over the deck?"
Bai Ming started scratching her head. Oops. She really hadn't considered that part. Now that she thought about it, it was a bit over the top.
So, she raised her hand and hid all the obvious cannon systems before adding covers to the two launch tracks, obscuring their original purpose.
Cerydra let out a helpless sigh. Why did the Savior of Amphoreus, this god of the universe, always prioritize looking cool over everything else?
"I suppose that works... at least it looks less aggressive now."
If the Imperator were still the same man who once sought to conquer the stars, she might have accepted it gladly. But she had stepped down years ago. Naturally, she no longer wished to conquer through such blunt, crude methods.
"Then it's settled! I guarantee you'll love the interior~"
Bai Ming gave Cerydra a playful wink.
"Do you mind if Hysilens and I go up and have a look?"
"Of course not! It was made for the two of you in the first place."
"Thank you."
Cerydra offered her thanks, then led Hysilens toward the giant warship nearby.
Shortly after they left, Kiana approached with a beaming smile. She giggled as she nudged up to Bai Ming, her eyes wide with admiration.
"I asked Himeko—did you make that ultimate weapon on the train, too?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh, nothing. I just think you're incredible, being able to create something with that much technical complexity."
"...With your Authority, couldn't you make something similar if you wanted to?" Bai Ming looked at Kiana, puzzled. The power of Finality was so comprehensive; building a ship shouldn't be hard.
"No, no, no, it's not the same at all! I'm still developing my own powers. I can't just manifest things out of thin air like you do."
"Are you sure you aren't just being lazy?"
"Hehe~ Well, that's just who I am!"
Kiana genuinely thought Bai Ming was amazing. The Herrscher of Finality's abilities were vast, but it all came down to how they were used.
If you wanted Kiana to apply raw force—like sniping Sa in one shot—she was your girl. But if you asked her to build a spaceship from scratch, it was a real headache.
It wasn't that she couldn't learn. She was the Herrscher of Finality, after all; her aptitude was top-tier. But getting Kiana to sit down and study diligently was the real challenge.
Looking at Kiana scratching her head and giggling, Bai Ming suddenly said, "Actually... I thought you'd be mad at me."
"Hmph, don't even get me started! It really was you who put those in there, wasn't it?"
Kiana bared her teeth in a cute, mock-menacing way, though she didn't seem truly angry. "But I'll forgive you this once. It was embarrassing, but messing around with Bronya after all this time was actually pretty fun."
"Oh? Sounds like something interesting happened."
"I'm not telling!"
Kiana turned away with a laugh, leaving only a flutter of silver hair in her wake. She seemed to be in a great mood. Though it wasn't quite the reaction Bai Ming had expected, she was undeniably adorable.
With that thought, Bai Ming turned her gaze toward Welt.
She had managed to project a core for the Herrscher of Reason. Replacing the power source was a bit of a hassle, but nothing a little research couldn't solve.
So.
"Mr. Yang."
"..."
Being addressed as "Mr. Yang" by an Aeon—even if it wasn't the first time—still made Welt feel a bit overwhelmed.
"Is there something I can help you with, Madam Bai Ming?"
"I have a gift for you."
As she spoke, Bai Ming raised her palm. A blue, gem-like crystal materialized and drifted toward Welt. He reached out instinctively to catch it. The moment he did, a familiar sense of control flooded through him.
His pupils dilated in shock. "This is—"
"A Herrscher of Reason core. An improved version, of course. It's controlled directly through Imaginary Energy."
"..."
Welt didn't know what to say. What did she mean by "improved version"? Was a Herrscher Core something you could just improve on a whim and pull out of your pocket?
He would have sooner believed she had ripped it out of Void Archives' chest.
Even for someone as composed as Welt, he was at a loss for words. First Kiana shows up, and now a Herrscher Core follows. Welt's heart skipped a beat. It felt like Honkai had finally tracked him down across the stars.
Beside him, Void Archives' eyes lit up at the sight of the core. But Bai Ming ignored him. Like Himeko, Bai Ming wasn't a fan of Void Archives' attitude.
He was quite the handful; she really wondered how Mr. Yang put up with the guy.
Welt watched as the gem merged into his body, feeling that familiar authority return to him. Before this, he could still manifest certain objects, but his efficiency and precision were nowhere near what they once were.
It was a struggle just to create a manga, let alone use the ability in combat.
But now, with this core, the authority to construct all things was back in his grasp. Welt felt as though he had suddenly returned to his prime.
But before anything else, Welt looked at Bai Ming. "Why do you have a Herrscher Core? Logically, such a thing shouldn't exist here."
"Well, let's just call it one of my little tricks."
Bai Ming didn't elaborate. She simply waved with a smile and turned to walk away, heading off to find Acheron.
She left Welt staring at his palm and then at her retreating back, lost in thought. Void Archives suspected that Bai Ming could probably produce even more Herrscher Cores if she wanted to.
Unfortunately, he was certain she wouldn't be giving one to him. He was truly envious of Mr. Yang—after everything, the man had actually stumbled into a free Herrscher Core.
--+--
Acheron watched as Bai Ming practically squeezed into her lap to sit down. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Bai Ming's waist.
Handing her a drink, Acheron asked curiously, "What use is that Herrscher Core? Is it like an Authority?"
"Yeah, it's somewhat similar to those blades from Izumo."
"As I thought. The world Kiana comes from bears a striking resemblance to Izumo."
Acheron hadn't known a companion named Kiana, but from their conversations, she recognized many familiar names.
There were so many parallels. The biggest difference was that Kiana had surpassed the final trial, while Acheron had failed to overcome the Nihility.
If possible, she really did want to go and see that world for herself.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL