In the blink of an eye, the Little Cutie of yesteryear had grown up.
Although he always kept a wisp of his will on Little Ralts, he ultimately hadn't witnessed the little one's growth firsthand.
"How precious is Lord of Heavenly Principles's time."
Buyer, however, softly comforted him, saying, "This is not your fault."
Buyer had witnessed firsthand how busy Hermes, Lord of Heavenly Principles, truly was.
Since she first met him until now, Lord of Heavenly Principles had never truly rested.
The Star Crown Court could be said to be a great undertaking that Lord of Heavenly Principles had tirelessly built up, bit by bit.
From a small galaxy in the past to the embryonic form of the current Great Universe, she had seen his contributions.
"Forget it, I'll compensate this little one later."
Hermes shook his head helplessly, then pulled out two glowing orbs from his hand and handed them to Buyer, saying, "Give these two things to Ruan Mei and Screwllum, respectively."
"Tell them that I look forward to their future."
These two glowing orbs were the crystallization of Hermes' research into the digital technology tree.
Ruan Mei could observe the evolution of life from another perspective: digital life.
Screwllum, on the other hand, could gain immense benefits from this system, which was similar to but fundamentally different from mechanical automatons.
This was Hermes' investment in the two geniuses.
He still harbored a glimmer of hope.
He hoped that they too could transform into universal truths and become Pillars of Existence before the Great Universe fully formed.
If they could achieve this step, what would be the harm in giving them a share of the Great Universe's original stock?
"Two geniuses on par with Ms. Herta?"
Buyer recalled Herta's unfathomable wisdom and couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.
It was truly hard to imagine that there were still more than eighty other geniuses on par with her.
How terrifying was that?
Thinking of this, Buyer also admired the resilience of the Honkai: Star Rail Great Universe.
To be able to accommodate so many geniuses of this caliber and still continue to exist well to this day, Buyer felt a deep respect.
Perhaps, only with the numerous Aeons pressing down from above could the Honkai: Star Rail Great Universe be so inclusive and robust?
"Oh, and give this Star-Devouring Whale to Ruan Mei as well."
"Perhaps Ruan Mei can research something useful from it."
As if recalling something, Hermes finally remembered the little whale he had thrown into a corner of the warehouse.
"Is this the giant beast that devoured the waters of the Primordial Sea?"
Frowning slightly, Buyer looked at the small figure, like amber solidified, and nodded in affirmation.
Teyvat was ultimately a thing of the past... "With Ruan Mei and Screwllum, it really feels like a lot of work can be shared..."
Watching Buyer's departing back, Hermes murmured, "Perhaps it's time to poach more talent?"
"Perhaps Ms. Herta should approach Stephen Lloyd?"
"And Yu Qingtou could be tried, oh, right..."
"The unlucky fellow with only a wisp of an echo, sealed in Penacony, should I try to help him out?"
"Phanes, it seems, might also be worth rescuing?"
It could be said that the addition of Herta, Ruan Mei, and Screwllum truly gave Hermes a taste of success.
Figures of this caliber, even if one were to count through endless heavens and billions of dimensions, would still be renowned and distinguished individuals.
Once Herta evolves into the Super Herta, her talent will likely undergo another transformation, advancing even further.
At that time, even if she still doesn't reach the level of a conceptual species like the legendary Grey Wolf, she would probably be quite terrifying... Meanwhile, Ruan Mei and Screwllum respectively shared Hermes' work in the sublimation and research of the infinitely potential digital technology tree system.
They also have the opportunity to make further progress from this path, which is closely related to their research but also completely opposite... It can be said that every genius truly has infinite potential.
"Istaroth, tell me, if I were to bring Phanes back..."
Before today, Hermes had occasionally entertained this thought, but had never truly decided to act.
Simply because Phanes, the former master of Teyvat, was, to some extent... well, stubborn?
Upright?
Or abstract?
No choice.
Phanes' actions were indeed a bit baffling to Hermes.
But there was no helping it, the value of the famous Great King Fa, in a certain sense, was truly not much lower than that of a member of the Genius Society.
Her value could be seen just from the four reflections she split off.
The power of the human realm she wielded also had infinite potential.
Moreover, to be precise, Phanes, the former Heavenly Principles Maintainer of Teyvat, was not really a villain; she had practically toiled tirelessly for the continuation of the world.
"Lord of Heavenly Principles, do you truly intend to bring the main body back?"
The next moment, the ripples of time subtly fluctuated, and Istaroth appeared before Hermes, an incredibly excited expression surfacing in her eyes.
Phanes was the main body of the four of them.
She was also their origin.
With Phanes' demise, the four of them could be said to have lost the very foundation of their existence.
If Phanes hadn't left behind a contingency plan allowing them to achieve independence, they probably wouldn't be where they are today.
"Mm."
Looking at Istaroth's excited expression, Hermes pondered slightly.
Just by looking at these four former sustainers of heavenly principles, one could indirectly reflect the value of Phanes, Great King Fa.
How long had it been?
Istaroth's strength had actually soared to such a degree?
To be honest, Divine Guard General Jing Yuan might not even be a match for the current Istaroth.
"Alright, alright!"
"You four work some overtime first, finish the piled-up work, then wait for my command."
"I will try to make a move and bring Phanes back!"
The existence of Istaroth and the others made Hermes completely resolute.
Phanes indeed had the value for him to spare a little time and help her out.
The power of the human realm also perhaps had the potential to sublimate into another pillar of the Star Crown Court?
"Yes, Lord of Heavenly Principles, I will immediately inform Asmod and the others!"
As Istaroth's emotions surged, the radiant light of the sun and moon's rotation manifested a magnificent aura. The speed of this former Time Administrator's improvement was actually even greater than that of the naturally gifted Buyer!
This speed was simply like cheating!
Moreover, these Four Shadows of Heaven were born as one.
As Istaroth rapidly upgraded using the power of time, the other three shadows, who shared her origin, could also quickly improve their strength through this fundamental connection.
And the increase in strength of Asmod and the other two would in turn affect Istaroth's strength increase... Terrifying!
These four were simply natural cheating players!
Just by coming to a broader stage, these few individuals had such terrifying, cheat-like improvements... So, when Phanes, the core, returns... how terrifying would it be when this five-in-one complete circulatory system forms?
To some extent, the combined value of these five might even be equivalent to the addition of two geniuses!
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