‘Thinking’
“Talking”
[Ability/Attack]
Act 4 — Meeting Between Geniuses
[ Location: Genius Society Meeting Dimension ]
[ POV: Kiana ]
I looked over at Ruan Mei as she activated her token.
I quietly instructed Void Archives to ensure no harm came to my physical body while I was away.
After waiting a few minutes, I activated my own token.
My consciousness was pulled through spatial folds and dropped into an unfamiliar realm.
I materialized at the far end of a vast grand hall.
The meeting space resembled a high-end palace, seamlessly blended with hyper-advanced laboratory equipment.
My first instinct was to scan the area for tracking protocols or spatial traps.
To my surprise, I found none.
It felt strange that no one had attempted to plant surveillance devices, but it made sense in a way geniuses rarely bothered to interfere with another’s research domain.
At the center of the hall, four figures stood gathered: Herta, Screwllum, Stephen, and Ruan Mei.
As I approached them, I overheard Herta asking about my arrival.
Before Ruan Mei could answer, I stepped into the light and interrupted.
“Hello, everyone,” I greeted with a cheerful voice.
All four turned toward me simultaneously.
“I am Kiana Kaslana, Member #85 of the Genius Society.”
Herta was the first to step forward.
“Hello, Kiana.
I am Herta, Member #83.
I have dozens of questions regarding the multiverse model you published.
Would you be interested in collaborating on a project?”
Before I could reply, Screwllum interjected smoothly.
“Madam Herta, please allow us to introduce ourselves properly before we proceed to academic matters.”
He turned toward me, tipping his hat and bowing like a classic aristocrat.
“Hello, Madam Kiana.
It is an absolute pleasure to meet you.
Welcome to the Genius Society.”
I returned the gesture with refined elegance.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mr.
Screwllum.
Thank you for the warm welcome unlike certain individuals who jump straight to interrogation.”
I glanced back at Herta, who looked thoroughly annoyed at my jab.
Stephen Lloyd shuffled forward next, greeting me with the awkward demeanor of an introvert whose friends had dragged him onto a public stage.
“Hello…
I’m Stephen Lloyd, Member #84.
Do you want to share toy designs with each other?”
‘Now I see why Herta calls Stephen a weirdo.
Who opens a conversation like that?’ I thought.
“What do you mean by sharing toy designs?” I asked aloud.
Herta answered on his behalf.
“He means inventions.
This introverted weirdo considers all his creations to be nothing more than ‘toys’ he builds in his spare time, and he wants to swap blueprints with yours.”
Ruan Mei glanced at Herta, her tone cool.
“Herta, that is hardly a polite way to introduce a colleague.” She then turned her attention to me.
“We already know one another, but for the sake of formality: I am Ruan Mei, Member #81.
I must congratulate you on your induction into the Genius Society.
You proved me wrong.”
I smiled back at her.
“Thank you all for the warm welcome.
Now, shall we move to the official meeting table?”
Everyone agreed.
We walked over to a round table equipped with five seats.
Tapping into [Gate of Finality], I summoned a lavish spread of gourmet dishes and vintage wines onto the table.
I then turned toward Screwllum.
“Do you require high-grade industrial lubricant?
I can provide some.”
Screwllum looked at the offering, pleasantly surprised.
“That would be wonderful.”
I opened a small golden portal above his side of the table and dropped a sealed barrel of premium lubricant beside his chair.
Herta stared at the feast, then looked up at me with keen interest.
“What a fascinating spatial ability!”
I took my seat and scanned the faces around the table.
“I know you all have numerous questions regarding my thesis.
Feel free to ask.”
Herta was the first to lean in.
“Can you brief us on the structural dynamics of the multiverse?”
“As you all know, Imaginary energy is the core source from which all Paths derive, correct?”
They all nodded, listening intently.
“The multiverse is comprised of two fundamental domains: the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta,” I explained.
“At the absolute bottom lies the Sea of Quanta, and rooted within it is the Imaginary Tree.”
I paused, letting them absorb the visualization before continuing.
“The Imaginary Tree is an ever-expanding structure that encompasses all space-time.
It is the origin of Imaginary energy and the framework from which all universes are born.
The main branches represent cluster timelines of connected universes, while sub branches represent individual universes lines.
Each leaf on a sub branch is a distinct universe.”
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hands.
“Leaves along the same sub-branch represent parallel possibilities.
For example…
in one possible universe on your branch, Herta becomes Rupert III and reignites the Mechanical Emperor’s War.”
Herta blinked, her expression instantly freezing.
“As a side note,” I added casually, “Elio of the Stellaron Hunters—the ‘Slave of Destiny’—can observe the leaves along that same sub-branch.
He uses that foresight to steer our specific universe away from dead-end outcomes.
But sorry for the tangent.”
I cleared my throat and resumed the explanation.
“Each leaf utilizes Imaginary energy in distinct ways whether through Path energy, magic, or Qi all originating from the same source.
The Imaginary Tree represents Order, Creation, and Space-Time as fundamental concepts.
If a world’s civilization reaches a complete developmental dead end, the Tree prunes that leaf from its branch, casting it into the Sea of Quanta below.
”
My tone grew slightly more serious.
“The Sea of Quanta represents Chaos, Destruction, and Nothingness.
Pruned leaves containing dead or dying worlds sink into its depths.
Without the protection of the Imaginary Tree, their world barriers dissolve, merging into a chaotic expanse where conventional space-time ceases to make sense.
Worlds with higher power thresholds sink deeper and take far longer for the Sea to break down.”
I continued smoothly: “The Sea of Quanta possesses its own energy: Quantum energy a raw, unstable mixture of all energies combined.
It is inherently chaotic and extremely difficult to control.
Yet, the Tree and the Sea exist in a perpetual cycle.
The Tree absorbs Quantum energy, breaks it down, and synthesizes it into Imaginary energy to sprout new worlds.
The Sea reclaims dead worlds, recycling their residual energy back into Quantum energy.
It is a continuous loop of cosmic conversion.”
I leaned against the table, looking at the four of them.
“However, the Tree doesn’t just wait for worlds to rot naturally.
The Imaginary Tree has its own active cleaning mechanism its natural immune system used to prune dead or failing leaves.”
Ruan Mei’s eyes glinted with sharp curiosity.
“An immune system for reality itself?”
“Precisely,” I replied.
“It manifests as a destructive phenomenon a series of trials designed to test a civilization’s potential to advance.
If a civilization fails to overcome the trial and reaches a dead end, the Tree’s mechanism severs that leaf from its branch, casting it down into the Sea of Quanta to be recycled.”
I smiled faintly.
“Tales of Aha ascending to the tiptop of the Imaginary Tree are already known to us.
Beyond that, there are entities that transcend both the Sea and the Tree…
but let’s leave them out of today’s discussion.
Any questions regarding my thesis?”
Silence fell across the dimension as the four geniuses sat rigid, processing the overwhelming influx of cosmological data.
It didn’t take them long to recover, but when they did
“What do you mean I become Rupert III?!” Herta demanded, slamming her hands onto the table.
“Explain!”
Screwllum leaned forward, his mechanical eye whirling rapidly.
“I also have pressing questions.
I am deeply concerned about the Rupert III scenario.
Could you elaborate on those specific details?”
Ruan Mei looked at Herta, her brow raised in rare amusement.
“Herta, is your impulsiveness so severe that you would accidentally start the Third Mechanical Emperor’s War?
Like Screwllum, I would also like more details on that event.”
Stephen nodded timidly from his seat.
“I…
I would like details about those events as well.”