Herta carefully examined the final fragment of consciousness Dr. Chadwick had left behind.
Within the memories he entrusted to her was one final message.
Simply put, Chadwick had already realized before his death that, although he had protected the secret throughout his lifetime, the Interastral Peace Corporation possessed resources so vast that recreating the Imaginary Implosion Pulse was only a matter of time.
Ever since the technology first appeared, no force in the universe would willingly abandon it.
He knew he could never turn back time or erase the mistake born from his own stubbornness.
So instead...
He chose to entrust everything to someone worthy.
Herta.
For one reason alone.
To establish a deterrent powerful enough to balance the overwhelming might of the IPC.
A sword left unused...
...is completely different from having no sword at all.
"From this day onward..."
"I wish to become a blade forever suspended above tyrants and villains."
Evan quietly repeated those words to himself, falling into deep thought.
He had to admit—
The IPC had become far too dominant.
From the perspective of Equilibrium, such overwhelming supremacy was anything but balanced.
Perhaps...
That was precisely why Chadwick had been discovered on Penacony.
Why the Imaginary Implosion Pulse had resurfaced now.
Why it had ultimately been entrusted to Herta.
Herta was still young by the standards of the Genius Society.
More importantly...
She was an Emanator.
Even if she was already several centuries old, compared to a short-lived species like Chadwick...
She was still in the prime of her life.
...
Wait.
The IPC imprisoned Chadwick on Penacony for two entire Amber Eras.
Then, at precisely this moment...
Kafka arranged for the information to reach him.
He personally retrieved Chadwick's memories together with Screwllum.
Those memories were then passed on to Herta.
The more Evan thought about it...
The more he sensed another force quietly guiding events behind the scenes.
Equilibrium.
One of the oldest Aeons in existence.
Equilibrium permeated all things.
If he remembered correctly...
The Aeon sought to maintain the universe in its ideal state of balance, weaving Its will directly into the logic governing the cosmos itself.
The cause-and-effect mortals spoke of...
Were merely crude summaries of infinitely more complex structures.
Its will flowed through every law governing the universe.
Maintaining balance.
Maintaining stability.
Always.
Everywhere.
As long as one existed within this universe...
There was no escaping Its observation.
No one even knew when the Aeon of Equilibrium had first come into being.
Yet once one looked carefully...
A pattern became impossible to ignore.
Every major Path seemed to possess its natural counterbalance.
Erudition opposed Enigmata.
Nous sought answers to every mystery.
Mythus shrouded those answers beneath endless riddles and illusions.
Qlipoth stood against Oroboros.
Lan opposed Yaoshi.
Even Existence and Nihility formed another balance.
Every time a Path flourished...
Another Path inevitably emerged to restrain it.
The realization sent chills down Evan's spine.
Could it be...
Even the fall of Tayzzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation...
Had been part of Equilibrium's design?
Propagation had once expanded unchecked.
No opposing Path had arisen to counter it.
Although history recorded that multiple Aeons had united to bring down Tayzzyronth...
No one knew every participant.
Only a handful were confirmed.
Qlipoth.
Ena.
Akivili.
Terminus.
The identities of the others remained unknown.
"Hey, Evan."
"What are you thinking about?"
Herta had yet to fully digest Chadwick's inheritance.
The theoretical foundation behind the Imaginary Implosion Pulse was no less groundbreaking than Evan's Plasma Spark theory.
Yet there was one major difference.
Something still seemed incomplete about Evan's work.
An infinite energy source?
No...
That wasn't it.
As someone who had personally participated in constructing the Plasma Spark Tower, Herta could clearly tell that Evan had deliberately concealed a crucial component.
A missing piece.
Technology originating from the Baltan civilization.
If incorporated...
It would allow ordinary humans to transform into giants.
But according to the principles of Equilibrium...
If such power existed...
Then somewhere in the universe...
A force capable of countering it must also exist.
Darkness.
"It's nothing."
"I just remembered something."
"At least..."
"Dr. Chadwick can finally rest in peace."
Evan narrowed his eyes.
Even his words became noticeably more cautious.
So Equilibrium truly watches over the entire universe...
What an unsettling existence.
"I never imagined..."
"...that he'd entrust all of his life's work to me."
"Doesn't he realize this space station still cooperates with the IPC?"
Herta sighed.
"But..."
"If this was his final wish..."
"Then I have to respect it."
"I'll simply find a way around the IPC's eyes."
"I swear upon the name of a Genius..."
"I will fulfill Dr. Calderon Chadwick's wish."
"Oh, right!"
Just as Evan was surprised by Herta's sudden change in attitude—
She abruptly clapped her hands.
"Hey!"
"Screwllum's here."
"Ruan Mei's downstairs in her lab."
"Stephen can join remotely anytime."
"Since everyone's already gathered..."
"How about helping me with something?"
"What kind of help?"
"Help me test the Simulated Universe!"
"It's a pretty good deal, isn't it?"
Evan looked at the excited little Herta with a strange expression.
Millions upon millions of new theories were flooding into her mind.
She had only just experienced Chadwick's farewell.
Shouldn't she still be feeling down?
How had she bounced back so quickly?
"..."
"Then beg me."
Herta raised her head.
Looking at Evan towering several heads above her puppet body...
Her first instinct was to swing the enormous hammer in her hand straight at him.
Unfortunately...
The upcoming test required someone with the strength of an Emanator.
Otherwise...
Whatever they were about to simulate might very well kill the tester.
"..."
"...Please?"
"Great Genius Evan..."
"Please help me test the Simulated Universe..."
"I'll agree to anything you ask."
Evan's expression grew even stranger.
"Hmm..."
"What if..."
"I ask you for one of your puppets?"
"...???"
The moment those words left his mouth—
Herta instantly jumped backward several steps.
"W-What are you, some kind of pervert?!"
"You even want one of my puppets?!"
"What exactly are you planning to do?!"
Evan rolled his eyes.
"Shorty..."
"What kind of weird things are you imagining?"
"I have zero interest in little girls."
"Besides..."
"I helped you recover Dr. Chadwick's memories."
"And this is how you treat me?"
"Oh well."
"If you won't give me one, forget it."
"Not like I'm particularly interested in a shorty anyway."
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