‘Thinking’
“Talking”
[Attack]
Act 5 (Part 8) — Digital Souls, Heavy Silence, and Lost Echoes
[ Location: Blue Star System – Herta Space Station: Primary Meeting Room ]
[ POV: Kiana Kaslana ]
We all settled back into our seats.
Raising my hand, I invoked the [ Truth ], instantly reversing entropy to restore the shattered conference table to its pristine, polished state.
Kyubey rested quietly on my lap, its ruby eyes glowing faintly as it continuously monitored my emotional baseline to prevent another memory episode.
Nearby, Void Archives collapsed his holographic projection, returning to her gold-and-silver cube form resting quietly on the tabletop.
Screwllum adjusted his mechanical monocle, speaking first.
“Miss Kiana…
can Intelitrons utilize the Soul Gems?
As non-organic, synthetic beings, we do not possess a conventional organic soul.”
“Not in their current state,” I admitted, running a hand over Kyubey’s soft fur.
“To make that work, I need to encode a structural framework that transcribes raw digital data matrices into functional Digital Souls.
It’s a project I’ve been mapping out.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly, looking directly into Screwllum’s mechanical lens.
“However, for that system to hold, you must first find a way to permanently purge the lingering influence of the Anti-Organic Logic Virus from all Intelitrons otherwise, Emperor Rupert’s corrupted legacy will taint the artificial afterlife.”
Screwllum tilted his head, his internal processors whirring.
“What core prerequisites are required to construct such a framework?”
“First, the Star Rail network must finish connecting to all known outer galaxies as an initial data conduit,” I explained, counting on my fingers.
“Second, we need a Digital Seed of the World to serve as the structural anchor for the afterlife space.
Third, a universal data network linking every Intelitron in existence.
Fourth, a localized pocket dimension.
And finally…
an Administrator a pure Digital Being to oversee the network and ensure the digital and physical realms never spiral into war.”
The room went dead silent.
The list sounded deceptively simple on paper, yet every single step required feats bordering on the impossible.
“What precisely defines a ‘Digital Being’ in this context?” Screwllum asked, fascinated.
“An artificial intelligence, or something akin to our Intelitron architecture?”
“Neither,” I replied.
“A Digital Being will be synthesized directly from digital data an artificial soul matrix serving as the ultimate access nexus for all digital life.
It won’t be strictly classified as an Intelitron; it will possess the capacity to evolve continuously, much like organic life.”
Mei leaned forward, her analytical interest sparked.
“Would such a lifeform be capable of mimicking organic behavioral patterns and emotional nuance?”
“Completely,” I nodded.
Herta folded her arms, tapping her chin.
“So…
essentially an expanded, localized variation of the Simulated Universe?”
I shook my head.
“No.
It won’t be a simulation.
It will exist as a genuine parallel universe attached to this leaf of the Imaginary Tree a symbiotic link.
If one Leaf collapses, the other will fall alongside it.”
Stephen processing the scale.
“So, in short…
a parallel cosmos where digital data and synthetic lifeforms replace organic matter and biological beings?”
“That covers one half of the system,” I confirmed.
“The physical counterpart will exist in tandem.”
Screwllum leaned back, his mechanical tone unusually grim.
“Hypothetically…
if corruption were to breach the digital afterlife, how severe would the resulting catastrophe be?”
My expression turned cold and sharp.
“A war of that magnitude would make every historical conflict in the cosmos combined look like a minor skirmish.
Once the afterlife system completes its initialization, its supreme ruler will inevitably ascend either becoming an Aeon in their own right, or a candidate for Fuli, a pure Child of Anasarava.
Do you really want to gamble the universe on whether that entity chooses to preserve organic life, or initiates a divine war of extinction?”
Screwllum’s mechanical optics flickered.
“That is an outcome we cannot afford to gamble on.
How long would it take you to deploy such a framework?”
“If I focused entirely on it, I could construct the parallel dimension and plant the World Tree seed today,” I said casually, resting my chin in my hand.
“It would anchor to the Imaginary Tree and establish a permanent symbiotic bridge between this leaf and the new one.
But…
due to certain pressing complications, I have far more critical matters to handle first.”
Everyone sat frozen, completely stunned by my casual attitude toward creating a literal universe in a single afternoon.
Then, the memory of my sudden rage and absolute dread at the mention of the ‘Author’ flashed through their minds.
A collective shudder ran through the room.
For the first time, the members of the Genius Society beings who viewed the secrets of the cosmos as mere puzzles felt a cold, suffocating weight press down on them.
They were facing an threat so far beyond their pay grade that their immense intellects felt entirely powerless against it.
A heavy, oppressive silence settled over the meeting room.
Mei stared down at her hands, her eyes burning with quiet resolve.
‘Project God-Tree and the Ascension protocols must be accelerated immediately.
I will finish Skaracabaz by tomorrow evening, no matter what.’
Herta’s gaze turned distant and sharp.
‘Even as an Emanator, my current output isn’t enough.
I need to force a fundamental rewrite of localized reality rules…
Aether Editing will be my baseline stepping stone.’
Stephen let out a quiet, internal sigh, clenching his fists under the table.
‘It really feels like a high-stakes training arc straight out of an anime from my world…
I need a massive power jump, and fast.’ He paused, recalling Kiana’s words from their previous discussion that all of them possessed exceptional compatibility with Honkai, capable of Herrscher ascension.
‘If worst comes to worst…
I’ll ask her to turn me into a Herrscher.’
Screwllum’s central processing unit ran at absolute overclocked capacity.
‘First, I must secure the foundational parameters for the digital world myself…
as a ruler of my people, I cannot simply ride on Miss Kiana’s generosity.
I will study the Soul Gem to establish a baseline link with Intelitron architecture.’ His mechanical gaze hardened.
‘It appears I must break my vow regarding self-imposed power limits.
To protect my friends and my people…
I will do whatever it takes.’
I leaned back in my chair, my thoughts drifting far beyond the room.
‘That blonde bastard thinks he can play puppet master and act cool behind the scenes…
I’m going to make him swallow his own script.
Time to officially jumpstart these projects.’
Stephen broke the heavy silence, a mixture of anxiety and hope in his voice.
“Kiana…
earlier, you mentioned that all of us are compatible with Honkai energy, and that we could ascend as Herrschers.
Can you…
turn us into Herrschers?”
I blinked, genuinely surprised by his directness.
Running an instant probability calculation on their baseline adaptability, the diagnostic returned a clean 3.14% seamless ascension threshold.
‘I definitely didn’t expect Stephen to be the first one to ask.
I figured it would be either Herta or Mei.
Guess you really can’t underestimate the quiet ones.’
“However, I strongly advise against rushing into it right now, for three specific reasons:”
I held up a single finger.
“First: Ascension connects your core identity directly to my authority on a conceptual level.
You become family and I do not tolerate betrayal from family.
It is not a choice to make lightly.”
I raised a second finger.
“Second: None of you are currently prepared to handle that level of sheer output.
You must first push your personal Path thresholds to their absolute limits; otherwise, your sense of self will be completely swallowed up by the concept of the Core.
I strongly recommend achieving personal Emanator level stability first to anchor your consciousness.”
Finally, I raised a third finger, my eyes locking onto theirs.
“Third: As a Herrscher, you become an arbiter of the Imaginary Tree.
That means taking on the duty of judging entire civilizations and purging dead, corrupted leaves, wiping out billions of lives in the process.”
I rested my hands on the table.
“Are you truly ready to carry that weight?
Because once you cross that threshold…
there is no turning back.”
Once again, a deep, heavy silence fell over the table as the gravity of my words set in.
[ Location: Xianzhou Yaoqing – Primary Ordnance Plaza ]
[ POV: A Wandering Galaxy Ranger ]
I stood near the central courtyard of the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
General Feixiao herself had personally escorted me here to express her gratitude after we successfully purged a massive hive of Abundance abominations along the border.
‘…Now, what was the name of that specific vanguard unit again?’
A tired sigh escaped my lips as I rubbed the back of my neck.
‘Guessed it wasn’t that important, or I’d actually remember it.’
Feixiao and I, along with a few high-ranking officers from the Artisanship Commission and Cloud Knights, were currently seated in a private dining hall overlooking the starry vista.
Suddenly, a high priority chime rang out from Feixiao’s central terminal.
She pulled up the encrypted transmission, her sharp, golden eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity.
Noticing her reaction, my curiosity got the better of me.
“Feixiao…
if it isn’t classified state business, mind sharing what caught your eye?”
Feixiao glanced up, dismissing the holographic window with a wave of her hand.
“No, it’s fine.
It’ll be broadcast across the entire cosmos soon enough anyway.
Member #85 has officially joined the Genius Society.”
I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my drink.
“Another Genius, huh?
What kind of unhinged, galaxy shaking construct did this one build?”
I leaned forward.
“What’s their name?”
Feixiao looked at me, speaking the name clearly: “Kiana Kaslana.”
THUMP—
The instant those words left her lips, a violent, phantom tremor slammed straight into my chest.
It was an overpowering, agonizing sensation a name that felt etched into the very core of my soul, yet my mind held nothing but a blank, frustrating void.
Feixiao’s sharp eyes caught the sudden shift in my posture, her gaze narrowing.
“Do you know her?”
I forced my expression into a stoic, unreadable mask, setting my glass down on the table without a sound.
“No.
Never heard of her.”
Feixiao stared at me for two long seconds, clearly not believing a single word, but she wisely chose not to press the matter further.
I looked out the window, staring into the infinite expanse of space as my jaw tightened.
‘Kiana Kaslana…
who in the world are you?’