Noa and the Amber King?
In a certain sense, these two were quite similar. Both were gods on the side of order, both had existed since some unknown point in antiquity, and both were the first to discover the threat of the Gray Mist.
Similarly, they both bestowed blessings and power upon Stelle—the Amber King's Flame Lance, and Noa's Light.
With such similar actions, it was no wonder Noa wanted to get to know the Amber King.
Across the infinite dimensions, countless viewers watched the interaction between Ultraman Noa and Ultraman King, and they all began to discuss it.
Detective Conan: "I'm quite curious what would happen if the Amber King and Noa were to meet. After all, both are peak existences in their respective universes."
The Uchiha Dancer: "If they fought, would the two universes be directly destroyed as a result?"
Kurumi Tokisaki: "A fight? Wouldn't that become a divine war? It might even drag down the Land of Light and the other factions of the Star Rail universe. If both sides suffer heavy losses, I'm afraid someone with ill intentions might take advantage of the situation."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Ultraman Noa... do you really think a fight is possible? The Amber King isn't an unreasonable person with a problematic worldview like the Aeon of Destruction. There's a high probability their exchange would be quite harmonious..."
No matter how you looked at it, it was impossible for an Ultraman to come into conflict with the Path of Preservation. Even if the Amber King built a wall to defend against the Ultra Warriors, the Ultramen probably wouldn't have any complaints.
Just think about how many times humanity had betrayed the Ultramen. Even after all that, the Ultramen never gave up on humanity, let alone anyone else.
---o---
[On the light curtain, the Star Rail Universe.]
[Following the Amber King's revelation, the Interastral Peace Corporation, which had been silent for an unknown amount of time, began to operate at high speed.]
[When the Corporation entered a state of full-speed operation, the entire Star Rail universe was shaken.]
[What in the world was the Corporation doing? When did these profit-chasing merchants become like this?]
[As if seeing the Corporation in a new light for the first time, the expressions of countless cosmic factions changed.]
"What? The edge of the cosmos, the end of the sea of stars? Are you sure that's what the Amber King said?"
A young girl's voice, tinged with a hint of surprise in its laziness, echoed in the ears of the viewers across the infinite dimensions.
As the image appeared, a small, doll-like girl materialized before the audience outside the screen.
No, she wasn't doll-like; she was a doll. The joints on her body, her exquisite face, and the several identical figures standing beside her all confirmed her identity.
Genius Society, Member #83, Herta!
The most intelligent human on Planet Blue, a renowned genius throughout the cosmos. She had saved her home planet from crises of destruction nineteen times and had met with Aeons twice.
In recent Amber Eras, Herta's interactions with other worlds had become increasingly frequent. She had established collaborations with the "Corporation," assisted the "Xianzhou" in battling Abominations, acquired many collectibles from the "Astral Express," and even had a few minor skirmishes with the "Garden of Recollection."
It could be said that even within the Genius Society, Herta was among the most outstanding. Those in the cosmos whose intelligence surpassed hers could be counted on one hand.
And now, what the Corporation needed to do was to ask for this genius's help in finding the "end of the sea of stars" mentioned by the Amber King.
"That's right, Ms. Herta. The Corporation has searched its entire data bank and couldn't find the specific coordinates, so we can only seek the help of a genius."
The person speaking to the doll before her was Asta, the nominal Station Master of the space station and, for all intents and purposes, Herta's student.
Her family had deep and intricate ties with the Interastral Peace Corporation, and Herta herself already had a collaborative relationship with them, which was why the Corporation had sought out Herta personally.
"Interesting. It's been so long since the Amber King's last revelation. Now one finally appears, and the Corporation can't even find the location."
Herta's tone was sharp, as if she didn't hold the Corporation in any regard. One had to know... the Interastral Peace Corporation was currently the strongest faction in the cosmos. There was almost no one who would dare to disrespect them, even if that person was a member of the Genius Society.
"Ms. Herta, the Corporation is in a real bind right now. Please don't make sarcastic remarks. If you're not satisfied with the previous terms, the Corporation can continue to raise them."
Standing beside Asta was Topaz, a Senior Manager of the Interastral Peace Corporation's "Strategic Investment Department" and one of the "Ten Stonehearts."
This task was originally meant for someone more suitable. After all, the person they were trying to persuade was the legendary genius, Ms. Herta of the Genius Society. A simple communication call would not be enough to move her.
Given the urgency, and since Topaz was the closest high-ranking Corporation executive to the space station, Diamond had unhesitatingly entrusted the task to her.
To become one of the "Ten Stonehearts" of the Interastral Peace Corporation at such a young age, Topaz's talent was undeniable. She had almost never failed in any business she undertook.
And this time was no exception. The Board of Directors stood behind Topaz. As long as Herta could do it, the Board would agree to any terms she proposed without hesitation.
Since her debut, this was the first time Topaz had fought a battle with such abundant resources.
Herta tossed her hair and casually said to Asta, "How much is the Corporation's reward this time?"
A reward? That was something Herta never cared about. Although the space station was hers, its management was left to Asta. Therefore, the person negotiating terms with the Corporation was naturally Asta herself.
Hearing Herta's question, Asta fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and said slowly, "The reward offered by the Corporation is enough to keep the space station from worrying about funding for the next several hundred Amber Eras. Furthermore, they heard that Ms. Herta is very interested in Curios, so they've taken out half of the Curios from the Corporation's resource bank for you to choose from..."
Even Asta, who came from a wealthy family, was shocked by the Corporation's remuneration the first time she heard it.
And even with these terms, there was still room for negotiation. Sure enough, for the Corporation, money was the least valuable thing.
"That's fine, then. We'll talk about the Curios later. I'll go do some research first. Once the Corporation's credits are in the account, I should be able to lock down the location."
Herta was completely indifferent to the reward offered by the Corporation. In truth, this time, regardless of what the Corporation offered, Herta would have agreed to help.
She was also very curious about the connection between the Amber King's revelation and the darkness that had been causing trouble in the cosmos earlier, as well as what the end of the sea of stars and the edge of the cosmos symbolized. A genius's intuition told her that this involved many things and could bring her unprecedented surprises.
As for whether she would fail?
Herta had never considered that question. If even she couldn't find it, then no one else in the cosmos could, aside from the Aeons.
And if it came to that, she could always consult Nous. She had that right. ]
---o---
[Light Curtain Barrage]
The Genius Society's Herta, one of the most brilliant geniuses in the cosmos.
As the broadcast continued, countless viewers outside the screen were, frankly, shocked by Herta's past achievements.
Just what kind of being could save their own planet a full nineteen times in a row?
And she was a member of the Genius Society, a group the Corporation didn't even dare to offend, someone who had the right to consult Nous.
Detective Conan: "So this is a genius? This standing, this power... the Star Rail universe is really on another level!"
"The Genius Society? It seems to be an organization that only those with astonishing talent can join. I wonder if I have what it takes. I'd really like to have a chat with this genius."
In the Land of Light's Technology Bureau, Hikari mused. He was fairly confident in his own abilities, but Herta's past was truly stunning. His technology was powerful, but he had yet to save the Land of Light nineteen times...
Ace Pilot of the Death Squad: "Even the Corporation is so deferential towards her, not even daring to show the slightest hint of a bad attitude. Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"
Jing Yuan of the Luofu: "Exaggerated...? No, this is perfectly normal. After the Second Ruperland Insurrection, the Interastral Peace Corporation once planned to exterminate all mechanical life, but the news that Screwllum had joined the Genius Society made them change their decision. In the end, the Corporation presented Screwllum with a 'Mechanical Clock' as a gift of goodwill."
The symbolic meaning of the Genius Society was obvious. If those geniuses were to join forces and create a faction, they could build a power several times larger than the Corporation in a matter of minutes.
Fortunately, those geniuses generally didn't get along...
---o---
[On the light curtain, just as Herta herself had said, as long as she wanted to, no matter how difficult the puzzle, she could solve it.]
[Although it took quite a bit of effort, Herta did indeed succeed. She successfully found the end of the sea of stars mentioned by the Amber King.]
"Is this a member of the Genius Society? No wonder Ms. Herta is held in such high regard by Nous. Even the Intelligentsia Guild is still holding meetings to discuss and analyze it, but Herta has already solved it..."
Topaz looked at the mountain of data in her hands and couldn't help but gulp. Seeing Herta solve it so quickly, she had initially suspected that Herta's reputation was undeserved. Now it seemed she had greatly underestimated a genius.
Sure enough, the members of the Genius Society were all monsters. Even though she was a high-ranking executive of the Corporation, in their eyes, she was just an ordinary person.
"Was it difficult? We all know that those dark creatures are related to the Amber King's revelation. So, if we figure out where they came from, won't we know the location of the Amber King's revelation?"
For the past few days, Herta hadn't even been very interested in Curios. She had thrown her entire being into researching the various monsters and dark forces, and had already guessed their origins. So this time, she had only needed to confirm the specific coordinates.
It wasn't just her. Any genius from the Corporation could probably analyze it in a short amount of time. Even the Intelligentsia Guild was likely only a bit slower than a genius; the final result would be more or less the same.
"Whew~ Thank you very much, Ms. Herta. Regarding the reward for the Curios, someone from the Corporation will come to discuss it with you soon. Since the mission is complete, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to stay any longer..."
Topaz quickly reported the data and results整理 compiled by Herta to the Board of Directors. After receiving a definite reply, she prepared to leave the space station.
Because of the Amber King's revelation, the entire Corporation was now busy to the point of death. Even she, one of the "Ten Stonehearts," had to work several extra hours every day.
The corporate employees below them had it even worse. One person had to do the work of two. This wasn't a 996 schedule; it was 007.
Although the Corporation was usually fond of squeezing its employees, it had never been this crazy.
But the good news was that this would only last for a while. If it went on like this, the employees would sooner or later go on strike and rebel. Although it would be useless, the Board of Directors generally didn't pay attention to the demands of ordinary employees.
"Wait a moment."
Just as Topaz was about to leave the space station, Herta spoke up to stop her.
"Is there something you need, Ms. Herta?" Topaz was a little puzzled, not understanding what this genius wanted.
"I'm going too."
"What?"
"To the end of the sea of stars, I'm going too. My intuition tells me that I'll find something incredible there. The Corporation shouldn't mind one extra person, right?"
Herta's voice was lazy as always, but this time, there was a hint of seriousness to it. Her intuition was rarely wrong.
"This..." Topaz hesitated for a moment, then looked at Herta and said, "I might need to report this to the Board of Directors."
A genius's request, under normal circumstances, the Corporation would not refuse. Everyone understood the price of provoking a genius.
Emperor Rubert, Polka Kakamond—these geniuses possessed abilities that could easily subvert the current state of the cosmos.
But this time was different. The revelation of [Preservation] was too important to the Corporation. Logically speaking, the Corporation would absolutely not allow any other faction to interfere in this matter, including members of the Genius Society.
But Herta was, after all, the genius who had cracked the location of the end of the sea of stars, and also one of the most influential geniuses in the cosmos today. Her every request was not something the Topaz before her could refuse.
"Alright... I understand." Topaz used a communicator to confer with the Board of Directors, relaying Herta's request.
"Ms. Herta, the Board of Directors has agreed to your request. However, the Corporation's fleet will be departing soon, so if you want to make it, you'd best be quick."
Topaz said to the Herta puppet in front of her, but the puppet just stood there呆呆地, as if it had lost consciousness.
"Ms. Herta?" Topaz's heart skipped a beat, not knowing what had happened.
Asta, standing to the side, had long expected this. She sighed and said, "Ms. Herta anticipated that the Board would agree, so when you were contacting them, she already transferred her consciousness to another puppet. She should be arriving at the Corporation's headquarters soon..."
"Ah... what? That fast? Wait... I have to get on board too!"
Topaz was first surprised by Herta's speed, then suddenly remembered that she hadn't boarded the ship yet. She then hurriedly boarded the Corporation's ship and left the space station... ]
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