"Is that so..."
Herta nodded slightly and didn't say anything more.
Although Ron's words sounded genuinely cold and ruthless, Herta knew he was only saying these harsh things to convince himself, to steel his own resolve.
In truth, judging from the moment Ron became the Aeon of [Salvation], he had responded to the hopes of all saviors in this sea of stars, ascending to the divine throne of [Salvation] and wearing the crown of an Aeon precisely to end all calamities.
In this entire cosmos, who could possibly care more than Ron for the intelligent life that prayed for light under the threat of disaster?
Herta knew that Imaginary energy was indeed gentle enough. The most likely scenario was that everyone would become an "Aeon."
While it was not impossible for those who couldn't adapt to be infected and assimilated by the Imaginary energy, turning into mindless creatures like the Fragmentum's monsters, this possibility was small to begin with and shouldn't be used as a reason not to resist [The End].
Moreover... if Herta were the one making this decision, even if the most likely outcome was that the vast majority of those who couldn't adapt would die, her heart would not be stirred in the slightest.
After all, Herta's world, while large, was not large enough to encompass this entire sea of stars.
A few good friends, her dearest loved ones, and a single azure-blue planet... that was everything Herta cared about.
Although Azure-Blue would certainly be affected, to Herta, it was merely her "homeland." Its people had changed from generation to generation over the long years; she could no longer find any friends she once knew, or even those she had some connection with.
Therefore, while Herta didn't mind protecting Azure-Blue, when it came time to make such a choice, she wouldn't mind letting them face this trial.
Although it sounded incredibly cold-blooded, this was the way of the world. There was always a price to pay, some heavier than others.
If they didn't use Ron's plan to resist [The End], then this sea of stars would just continue to be reset over and over again.
Who knew after which ending the Tree of Existence would cease to sprout, and the King of [The End] would not be destroyed at the moment of its birth but would instead take complete and utter control, no longer resetting anything?
Even if that didn't happen, if Ron chose not to resist [The End], he would never just let things be. He would truly gamble everything he was to become the new, forever-unattainable [The End], writing a new chapter for this sea of stars.
So, when choosing between Ron and all the beings in this sea of stars who couldn't adapt to Imaginary energy, even if the latter's numbers were an astronomical figure beyond comprehension, Herta would not hesitate for a second.
Herta's world was large, but it was nowhere near large enough to hold so many people.
On the contrary, without Ron, this world would be missing an indispensable piece.
She would choose Ron, without a doubt.
As for Ron, although he cared about everything in this sea of stars, he no longer had a more perfect solution.
To overturn the current state of this cosmos, to break the stalemate and deal with the King of [The End], this slightly insane method was all he could think of for the time being.
There would be consequences, but that was a necessary price to pay.
Even if there was a chance that countless beings unable to adapt to Imaginary energy would die because of it, Ron would not hesitate for a moment.
He was a man of action, not a self-righteous saint who only engaged in empty talk and daydreams.
If no other way could be found to save this sea of stars, then this price had to be paid.
Otherwise, not paying this price wouldn't mean saving those who couldn't adapt; it would mean handing over everything in this sea of stars to [The End], allowing It to reset everything endlessly until, at some unknown point, it all came to a halt and was completely turned to dust.
Even if making this choice and burning down the Tree of Existence truly caused the deaths of many who couldn't adapt, Ron wouldn't try to defend himself. He would rather bear this sin and let posterity judge his merits and demerits.
...However, these were all things to consider after the plan succeeded. Right now, it was all just a rough plan and an idea in his mind. He was still an unknown distance from success, not yet at the point where he needed to think about the aftermath.
With these thoughts in mind, Ron pondered the hazy, rough plan in his head. Beside him, Herta was curious. She wondered how exactly Ron intended to burn down the Tree of Existence and resolve the barrier between the observable universe and the Sea of Nihility.
Although Ron had described his vision, thinking about it and actually doing it were two very difficult things...
Herta knew that the sacred fire of [Salvation] had the potential to burn the Tree of Existence—after all, at the end of the last simulation, the light from the Guiding Spirit Lantern was enough to burn through the Veil of Fate that enveloped the Tree. It stood to reason that burning the Tree's physical form was also possible.
But that was just a small area... The full size of the Tree of Existence was currently impossible for anyone to determine. After all, the colossal tree was constantly and ceaselessly sprouting, growing new branches, on which countless leaves flourished. Each leaf was a star system.
To burn down a Tree of such incomprehensible size... Herta had no idea how Ron was planning to do it.
With this curiosity in her heart, Herta poked the thoughtful Ron beside her.
"So, how are you actually going to do it? Igniting the Tree of Existence can't be done just by talking about it... Is there anything I need to do?"
Hearing Herta's question, Ron stroked his chin and mused aloud.
"I do have an idea, otherwise I wouldn't have called out Mythus of [The Enigmata]..."
"But this idea still needs some practical investigation—" Ron said, his tone suddenly shifting, "Herta, when is the Astral Express scheduled to arrive at the Herta Space Station?"
Hearing Ron's somewhat out-of-the-blue question, Herta was momentarily stunned before she immediately understood what he was getting at.
The late Akivili of [The Trailblaze] had died at the top of the Tree of Existence in his quest to connect countless star systems and explore all that was unknown...
Regarding the cosmic structure of the "Tree of Existence," Akivili of [The Trailblaze] surely possessed information that ordinary people did not.
It was normal for Ron to want to find the Astral Express to unearth this secret. Who knew, it might provide significant help for their plan to burn the Tree...
After thinking for a moment, Herta said thoughtfully.
"If I remember correctly... in the previous simulations, the Astral Express always arrived at the Herta Space Station about two days from now."
"At the same time, the minions of [The Destruction] will also invade the space station, and the Stellaron Hunters will make an appearance—though I've run too few simulations to have had time to deal with them, so I don't know what they want."
"Is that so..."
Ron nodded thoughtfully. After this reset, not much actual time had passed. There were still two days before the original plot of Honkai: Star Rail was set to begin.
It was hard to imagine what this transmigrator was even doing... Ron always felt that if his life were a novel, it would be an unparalleled work of abstract art among its peers.
After all... the original plot hadn't even reached its starting point yet, and he was already contemplating how to ignite the Tree of Existence and make all beings in the cosmos stand at the pinnacle of divinity. Could any other novel's protagonist do that?
Ron entertained this thought with great interest but didn't dwell on it.
His life had always been firmly in his own hands. His existence was unique. There was no "novel" or "not a novel" to speak of.
The fact that the original plot hadn't started yet was actually a good thing. It meant Ron could insert himself into the Astral Express at the perfect moment and travel with the crew for a while.
The reason he wanted to do this was that he needed to figure out where exactly the trunk of the Tree of Existence was located...
He needed to know the location of the trunk because, in his plan, only by burning the trunk of the Tree of Existence could his plan succeed.
After all... even if the sacred fire of [Salvation] could truly ignite upon the Tree, if it only burned the branches and leaves, it would be no different from merely pruning it, and the Tree could easily survive...
But if the sacred fire of [Salvation] were to ignite on the trunk of the Tree of Existence... the King of [The End] would have no chance to sacrifice a part to save the whole.
When the trunk of a giant tree is engulfed in a raging fire, if you are powerless to extinguish it, you can only let it burn completely, turning to charcoal and then to cold ash...
Although the cosmic structure of the Tree of Existence was extremely special, and in Zandar One Kuwabara's theory, countless star systems were like leaves on its branches, relying on them for existence, and countless branches represented countless worlds, the theory never mentioned what the trunk of the Tree represented.
It seemed to imply that the trunk represented nothing, that it was merely a conduit for the Tree to draw from the Sea of Nihility. But Ron felt this theory wasn't entirely correct.
Because the Imaginary Tree had to sprout. At the moment of sprouting, it was already nurturing a world upon itself...
Even as the Imaginary Tree gradually grew, as the tender sprout became a massive trunk, constantly sprouting new star systems, the original world likely wouldn't just vanish into oblivion.
Come to think of it, the trunk of the Tree of Existence also represented a star system, an important world, the very starting point of the Tree...
Ron had actually considered looking for this world at the end of the last simulation. But when he tore through the barrier between reality and the void with the light of the Guiding Spirit Lantern and saw the true form of the Tree, he was completely unable to tell what its trunk was.
It had been completely enveloped by the Tree's transparent, seven-colored, flowing bark, making it impossible to know what kind of star system was hidden within.
Ron knew that this was something even Mythus of [The Enigmata] couldn't possibly know... As the starting point of the Tree of Existence and the most vulnerable phase of [The End]'s birth, it was probably protected extremely well by the King of [The End]. Almost no one knew where it was.
However... Akivili of [The Trailblaze] definitely knew.
He had connected almost every star system in this sea of stars. His Trailblaze path began from the isolated world of Penacony, constantly exploring unknown frontiers, traveling toward the final destination at the top of the Tree of Existence.
The moment the Tree of Existence stopped sprouting, its top would be the end of its trunk.
If he had been aware of all this, he would have definitely searched for the starting point of the Tree. This was a necessary step to connect all worlds.
After all... only by using the trunk of the Tree as a starting point and its branches as the Astral Express's tracks could one explore all the unknown in the most relaxed and possibly most comprehensive way, thoroughly connecting every world.
Akivili of [The Trailblaze] had been traveling across the sea of stars for so many years, pioneering countless worlds with the Astral Express. He had probably discovered this information long ago, but to avoid retaliation from [The End], he had hidden it somewhere on the Express, or perhaps as a hint in the train's route.
Although he died because of it later, the Astral Express is still able to travel to this day. That information was clearly never discovered and erased by [The End]. Otherwise, the Express wouldn't have been allowed to survive to this day, even leaving behind a suspected avatar of Akivili in the form of little Pom-Pom...
No matter what, Ron had to get on the Astral Express and look for this information.
With this thought in mind, Ron started walking.
"Let's go, Herta."
"While the Astral Express hasn't arrived yet, let's head back to the space station and greet our friends..."
Meanwhile, on the other side...
Staring at the jade abacus in her hand, waiting for a reply from Herta and Ron, Fu Xuan couldn't help but fall into deep thought.