Thinking’
“Talking”
“Attack”
[ Location: Genius Society Meeting Dimension ]
[ POV : Kiana Kaslana ]
I looked at Herta with a flicker of amusement dancing in my eyes.
“What is my angle?
It’s very simple: to push cosmic civilization forward and prevent this universe from triggering a complete pruning from the Imaginary Tree.”
Screwllum tilted his head, his mechanical eye whirring softly as he processed my response.
“Why are you so confident that you are the entity destined to drive the universe forward, rather than any among us?”
I met Screwllum’s artificial gaze head-on.
“Because when it comes to Finality, the only variables capable of rewriting Finality’s past and our future are Akivili the Aeon of Trailblaze, the inheritance of the Will of Trailblaze…
and me the true absolute unknown in this universe.”
Herta’s eyebrows twitched at my blunt assertion.
“The Trailblaze and an ‘unknown variable’…
care to explain those details?”
Ruan Mei, Stephen, and Screwllum all nodded in unison, silently agreeing with her demand.
My expression turned serious.
“Let me ask you all a fundamental question: what represents the prime mover of life?”
Ruan Mei was the first to speak.
“Based on your earlier statements…
it should be the Trailblaze.
To move forward into the dark and explore the unknown.”
Stephen added timidly, his hands fidgeting in his lap, “If my hypothesis is correct…
Trailblaze represents the twin concepts of Origin and Journey.
‘Origin’ is the starting point of life, while ‘Journey’ is the act of stepping forward through the passage of time without looking back.”
“A sound analysis,” Screwllum chimed in.
“Given the information you shared regarding Finality, the Trailblaze is its natural polar opposite.
Thus, the Trailblaze possesses the inherent property to alter the cosmic trajectory.
With Akivili gone, only those carrying the Will of Trailblaze remain as viable wild cards.
Yet, Miss Kiana…
how does that make you an unknown variable?”
I looked at the four of them, my voice dropping an octave.
“Why am I the unknown variable?
Because I am effectively one of the highest Arbiters of the Imaginary Tree itself.
I am part of the cosmic pruning mechanism and defense force known as the Honkai bearing the title of the Herrscher of—”
Bzzzt—
A sharp, static hum cut through the air.
To the four geniuses, the last part of my sentence dissolved into incomprehensible cosmic noise, utterly unparseable by their minds.
I took a slow, relaxed sip of my wine, watching their bewildered faces.
“The reason you couldn’t hear or comprehend that title is simple: your cognitive boundaries are not yet strong or qualified enough to process it.
To anyone uninitiated, it simply renders as gibberish.
Any further detail on that specific title would be useless to share.”
A heavy silence descended upon the meeting table.
Herta and Ruan Mei both raised their glasses and drained their wine in a single, uncharacteristic gulp.
Screwllum’s internal processors whirred erratically, and Stephen looked visibly shaken.
Herta broke the silence, her tone dropping into an intensely serious register.
“Can you explain what ‘Herrscher’ and ‘Honkai’ actually mean?”
“The Honkai is one of the few phenomena originating from the fundamental forces structuring the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta,” I explained calmly.
“Entities that operate on this scale can be counted on one hand.
Explaining the Honkai in its entirety would take hours, and you still wouldn’t fully grasp it.
In layman’s terms: it is a cosmic law governing universal creation, trial, and destruction.”
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hands.
“Herrschers are both an evolved state and a title attached directly to those universal laws.
A Herrscher commands partial access to the omnipotence and omniscience of the Honkai’s fundamental laws much like how an Aeon commands a Path. The source of this chapter is g.com.
A Herrscher governs a core cosmic law: Reason, Gravity, Electromagnetism, the Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces.
In simple terms, to the Imaginary Tree, a Herrscher operates on a scale equivalent to an Aeon.
It all depends on how much Honkai energy the Herrscher can wield.”
Another heavy beat of silence gripped the room.
Stephen swallowed hard and raised a hand timidly.
“C-Can…
can anyone become a Herrscher?”
“Yes,” I replied softly.
“Humans, Intelitrons, Foxians, memetic entities any conscious form can undergo the transformation.
Becoming a Herrscher is an extreme process of ascension, not entirely unlike the birth of an Aeon.”
Screwllum’s optical core narrowed with calculated precision.
“Is it possible to analyze and synthesize countermeasures against these forces of the Honkai?”
A faint smile touched my lips.
“‘Thinking of ways to counter them already?’ I like how your minds work.
If you didn’t think like that, I wouldn’t have bothered sharing this information in the first place.”
Ignoring their startled glances, I continued laying out the framework.
“At the absolute apex sits the Will of Honkai also known as the Cocoon of Finality.
Below that are the Herrschers.
Next are the Honkai Beasts silicon based lifeforms constructed purely of Honkai energy, categorized into strict classifications.
At the bottom are Honkai Zombies, the baseline infantry.
Both Herrschers and Honkai Beasts maintain their own internal hierarchy.”
Ruan Mei’s cool eyes locked onto mine.
“Within that hierarchy…
where do you rank?”
“You wouldn’t be able to process it,” I warned seriously.
When all four gave me resolute, unyielding looks, I sighed and gave in.
“As the Herrscher of—”
Gzzzt—!
Once again, a harsh audio glitch silenced my voice, masking the absolute title.
“See?” I shook my head playfully.
“Let’s drop that specific topic.”
Stephen, emboldened by curiosity, leaned over the table.
“What about the other entities outside the boundary of the Imaginary Tree?
Tell us more about them!”
I stared at him, momentarily speechless at his sheer academic recklessness.
“Seriously?
You couldn’t even process my basic title, and now you want to ask about entities that even I actively avoid triggering?” My voice turned razor-sharp, laced with a stern warning.
“Consider this both advice and a threat: do not speak of them casually.
At that level, conceptual awareness is a two-way street if you discuss them, they will notice you.”
I let the weight of my words settle over the room.
“They could erase this universe without making an effort.
Even if every Aeon in existence united to fight a single one of them, they would be systematically wiped out.
And yes they have their own hierarchy too.”
Color completely drained from all four faces.
Stephen looked like he was about to faint, and even Herta’s usual defiance gave way to sheer, unadulterated awe.
“Why…” Herta’s voice rasped slightly as she forced the question out.
“Why would beings like that ever interfere with our universes?
To them, we must be nothing more than ants.”
“To some, it’s entertainment.
To others, total indifference,” I replied quietly.
“Think of how you view a movie, a stage play, or a video game.
From their perspective outside our dimensional structure, our entire reality is akin to a film, a game, or a self-insert story.
Their idea of ‘entertainment’ makes Aha’s chaotic antics look like a toddler playing in a sandbox.
Welcome to true Cosmic Horror the more you think about it, the more horrified you become. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.”
Seeing them frozen in absolute terror, I let out a light chuckle to break the tension.
“Hey, pull yourselves together.
We don’t want four of the universe’s greatest geniuses becoming Self-Annihilators right here at the dinner table, do we?”
They nodded awkwardly, slowly forcing their composure back into place.
“That concludes the briefing on that topic,” I said, leaning back.
“Does anyone have anything else to raise?
If not, we can officially conclude this meeting.”
Ruan Mei narrowed her eyes, studying me with an unreadable expression.
“I have one final question.
How do you know all of this?
You told me previously that you lost your memories…
was that a lie?”
The other three snapped their heads toward Ruan Mei, surprised by her sudden confrontation, remembering she had mentioned knowing me prior to the meeting.
I met Ruan Mei’s gaze calmly.
“My memory loss is completely real.
I lost all personal memories regarding my parents, my friends, and my past life before you found me.
However, my analytical knowledge, research data, my standing, and the core mechanics of my abilities remained intact.
Even with my personal computer, my past self applied a master security lock over all personal logs.
I can currently only access research notes and weapon schematics I can’t even override the logs inside Void Archives.
So no, I didn’t lie to you.
My missing memories are only gradually recovering while I sleep.”
Ruan Mei’s posture visibly relaxed, and she let out a quiet, soft sigh of relief.
I blinked, genuinely stunned by her reaction.
“I apologize for doubting you,” Ruan Mei said, her voice carrying a rare, raw warmth that stunned everyone in the room.
“We have only known each other for a short time, yet you never treated me like a monster or a subject.
You simply offered me your friendship, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
So this time, I will ask: Kiana Kaslana…
will you become my partner?”
Silence instantly smothered the room.
Herta looked as if she were checking her internal sensors to confirm whether the universe was undergoing an immediate localized collapse.
Screwllum’s mechanical processing unit literally let out a faint pop as it short-circuited.
Stephen’s jaw hit the floor, staring at Ruan Mei as if the sun had just risen from the west.
My heart skipped a violent beat.
‘Damn it, Mei…
is this some kind of passive Kaslana-attraction curse?!’ I screamed internally.
Flustered, I quickly forced my voice to remain steady.
“Ruan Mei…
are you proposing to me as a romantic partner, or are you asking me to be your friend and lab collaborator?”
Herta threw her hands up, staring between the two of us with an expression that explicitly read: What in the name of Nous is wrong with both of you?!
Ruan Mei looked directly into my eyes, completely unbothered by the audience.
“What if I mean both?
I do not understand emotions well…
so please, teach me about them.
Teach me through you, and let me explore them by your side.”
My face flushed bright crimson.
My heart was hammering against my ribs like I had just sprinted a marathon.
I coughed into my hand, frantically composing myself.
“I…
I would be glad to teach you about emotions.
As for being a couple…
let’s start as close friends first, and let fate decide where our future selves land.”
Ruan Mei smiled a genuine, dazzlingly sincere smile that completely transformed her usually distant face.
Seeing that smile, my face heated up all over again.
Beside us, Screwllum’s processors short-circuited a second time, Stephen sat completely paralyzed in utter shock, and Herta just massaged her temples in pure, unadulterated confusion.