"[Nihility] IX has seen me…"
A sense of gravity settled over Ron. According to his original plan, [Nihility] IX should have only noticed him when he truly began his large-scale operation—or at the very least, when he started to damage the boundary between the Tree of Existence and the Sea of Quanta.
But he never expected that [Nihility] IX would have already locked onto him. He had merely taken a ride on the Astral Express, the legacy of [The Trailblaze] Akivili, and in that single instant of passing through the Imaginary Space, he was spotted by [Nihility] IX. It was clear that the main body of [Nihility] IX had likely already spread throughout the entire Sea of Quanta; its gaze and consciousness were omnipresent.
Ron felt a touch of helplessness—as expected, none of these Aeons were fools.
Every being who could rise to prominence in this sea of stars, becoming the protagonist in countless epics beyond mortal imagination and ascending to the divine throne as an Aeon, was not to be underestimated.
---o---
Theoretically, [Nihility] IX shouldn't know what Ron truly intended to do. After all, It existed within the Sea of Quanta. Separated by the boundary of the Tree of Existence, there was simply no way for It to see Ron's plans.
Even if It possessed some ability that allowed It to breach the boundary of the Tree of Existence and cast its gaze into the Tree, [The Enigmata] Mythus was also providing cover for Ron. [Nihility] IX absolutely should not have been able to see anything.
And yet… the simple act of Ron boarding the Astral Express and traversing the Imaginary Space had allowed [Nihility] IX to discover the anomaly.
It didn't need to know what Ron was planning at all. It only needed to see what Ron was doing, and from that single point, It could extrapolate his entire intention.
After all… according to the guidance of the Life Simulation Game, Ron should be conducting another simulation right now, attempting to become the Aeon of [The End] within that "simulation" and replacing the current Terminus, the Finality, to become the new ending for this sea of stars.
But Ron hadn't done that. Instead, he had boarded the train of Akivili, the one who had once most wanted to overthrow the entire existing order of the galaxy, to connect the sea of stars, and to eliminate the barriers between the worlds of the Tree of Existence…
Thinking it through, the small act of rebellion in Ron's heart wasn't so difficult to deduce.
Realizing this, Ron couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh.
It was a minor slip-up, being discovered by [Nihility] IX earlier than anticipated—but that was all it was.
In Ron's projections, the obstruction from [Nihility] IX was an unavoidable obstacle from the start.
Regardless of when this obstruction arrived, the actual impact wouldn't be too significant.
---o---
The body of [Nihility] IX existed beyond the world. For this entity from the Sea of Quanta to influence the living beings within the Tree of Existence was, upon careful consideration, not so simple. It would likely be weakened to some extent by the existence of the Tree itself.
Furthermore, the amount of power [Nihility] IX could manifest in the world was probably not that great.
Up to this point, [Nihility] IX had guided Ron quite a few times, but each time was through the guidance of the Path of [Nihility]. The most direct influence It had ever exerted on Ron was forcing him onto the Path of [Nihility]. The level of power It displayed then was, at most, comparable to an Emanator, not even reaching the echelon of an Aeon.
While this was certainly some trouble, it was nothing more than that.
For now, Ron had no good way of dealing with this Aeon. He could only face whatever came his way.
In any case, before [Nihility] IX found a way to truly and physically descend into the Tree of Existence and enter this sea of stars, Ron would, at most, encounter some thorny but not overly significant trouble.
But the moment [Nihility] IX truly found a way to descend in person and attack with its full power… Ron's plan would be utterly ruined.
After all, no matter what, Ron was absolutely no match for this Aeon.
The only thing that constrained It was the existence of the Tree of Existence, a far cry from the myriad shackles that bound Terminus, the Finality.
Before Ron could obtain the power that [Nihility] IX itself possessed—the power representing the endless Sea of Quanta—it was absolutely impossible for him to face this entity.
If they were to truly clash, the outcome would likely not differ much from what happened in the Life Simulation Game. He would be swallowed by the chaotic dark tide in an instant, utterly erased in a single moment, with the very concept of his "self" ceasing to "exist."
---o---
Although Ron wasn't clear on exactly how long it would take [Nihility] IX to break into reality, a careful thought suggested It rarely manifested in the world, and even in the simulations, It almost never interfered with the development of reality. The only time It had acted personally was during the final simulation, when Ron had shattered the boundary between the Tree of Existence and the Sea of Quanta, broken the Veil of Fate, and arrived at the apex of the Tree. Given this, the situation might not be so bad.
The obstacles [Nihility] IX faced were not insignificant. Perhaps the Veil of Fate and Terminus, the Finality, were also preventing Its descent. Those two Aeons were likely in a state of delicate and subtle opposition.
After all, the Tree of Existence was the foundation of Terminus's being. It would never allow [Nihility] IX to descend so easily. Moreover, It could not be certain that [Nihility] IX harbored no malicious intent, no thoughts of erasing It as well.
Terminus, the Finality, would never place its life in the hands of [Nihility] IX. They were likely filled with mutual suspicion.
So… even if IX's descent was inevitable, the time it would take to break into reality probably wouldn't be too short.
The countdown to the plan's failure—to everything returning to nothingness—could likely be estimated to be a bit longer.
At the very least… it should be a matter of several months.
Mulling it over in his mind, Ron stopped focusing on [Nihility] IX. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the route map of the Astral Express that he had just retrieved from the train's data bank.
---o---
Although his deduction suggested the timeframe wasn't too short, Ron didn't dare to be the least bit careless.
Now was not the time to be wasting. A few months wasn't a long time, nor was it short. He had no way of knowing if [Nihility] IX would reach some consensus with Terminus, or if It would find some clever way to break into reality.
Ron had to race against the clock, pinpointing the starting point of the Tree of Existence's trunk with the utmost speed, making all necessary preparations, and then executing everything in one fell swoop.
By then, even if [Nihility] IX came to stop him, the die would already be cast. The Tree of Existence would have been thoroughly ignited, and It would be powerless to reverse the situation.
And at that point, Ron might be able to rely on his preparations to withstand the death throes of [Nihility] IX, avoiding a scenario where he died at the final moment before victory was achieved.
With this in mind, Ron looked at the phone in his hand, which he had scrounged from the space station. It was now connected to the Astral Express's intranet, displaying the route map Dan Heng had helped him find.
This densely packed route map traversed countless worlds. Across this sea of stars, one could only guess how many leaf-tips of the Tree of Existence were connected by a slender Astral Express rail, on which an Aeon once navigated, piloting the train forward.
Gazing at this massive and intricate route map, a trace of complexity inevitably flickered in Ron's eyes.
[The Trailblaze] Akivili had once been one of the most powerful Aeons in this sea of stars.
One must remember, when [The Trailblaze] Akivili participated in the hunt for Tayzzyronth, [The Propagation], he was a genuine main force.
His power might not have been as immense as [The Preservation] Qlipoth's, nor as elusive as [The Elation] Aha's, but he was certainly on a level comparable to [The Harmony] Xipe and [The Equilibrium] HooH, if not stronger.
After all, at that time, [The Trailblaze] Akivili had already blazed a trail across the sea of stars, opening up countless worlds. The feedback he received from his Path was enviable, and that endless power became the foundation for him to explore the unknown and for the Astral Express to journey through myriad realms.
One could glimpse his power just by looking at the enormous, dense, and almost tree-shaped route map on the phone.
And yet, even an Aeon as mighty as him had been unable to complete this "tree-like" route map.
The top of the tree on the map was still blank. Although several destinations had been marked out, there were no Astral Express railways connecting them to other worlds, proving that even [The Trailblaze] Akivili had not truly been able to lead the Astral Express to those places.
Thinking of this, Ron couldn't help but sigh softly.
---o---
To be honest… comparing his power to Akivili's, perhaps [The Trailblaze] Akivili was the stronger one.
This senior, who was stronger than him and had prepared for much longer, had already fallen. Did he truly have a chance to overturn this sea of stars and burn the Tree of Existence to ash?
A hint of anxiety surfaced in Ron's heart… but that was all.
He felt anxious, restless, irritated, and fearful… but he had no intention of giving up.
The greater the pressure, the more resolute his will became.
He looked at the route map on his phone, not caring about Pegana, the desolate world that was [The Trailblaze] Akivili's "homeworld" at the start of his journey.
Theoretically, that was the starting point of Akivili's trailblazing—but it was not the starting point of the Tree of Existence's trunk.
Although it was isolated, it could still find some connections on the Tree of Existence's route map. Railways linked to it from all directions; it was clearly just an ordinary world.
Only a terminus with no railway connections, but with countless railways extending out in one direction, could be considered an endpoint of the Imaginary Tree.
One of these endpoints was the crown of the Imaginary Tree, and the other…
Ron's gaze fell upon several worlds clustered closely together on the dense map.
"Azure Star… Jarilo-VI… Ha."
Ron casually put the route map aside, his heart completely calm, his face revealing an expression that said he had expected this all along.
He had deduced it long ago—in his view, since the Tree of Existence had to grow into this entire sea of stars, then its starting point must be the place that Terminus, the Finality, valued the most.
---o---
So… where did the story of "Honkai: Star Rail" begin its voyage?
No matter where Himeko found the Astral Express or how she repaired it to set sail again, the actual beginning of the "Honkai: Star Rail" story was at the Herta Space Station.
The starting point of this "story" was the Herta Space Station. And since this story was anchored to a future that was bound to happen, it had to be one of the things Terminus cared about most.
Ron had realized long ago that he was merely a contingency plan laid down by Terminus, who never truly expected him to take its place.
Instead, it was the newly rebooted Astral Express that held the potential to become the new [The End].
Stelle, as a person whose fate had been manipulated by who knows how many beings, had probably had her life completely planned out from the very beginning, to embark on a journey as the new [The End].
The fact that she was destined to first encounter [The Destruction] Nanook and receive his favor with a single glance was proof enough of how much Terminus cared about this.
Perhaps Terminus's plan was to have Stelle experience the path of the Tree of Existence from seed to maturity, starting from the trunk of the Tree and journeying to its crown, before finally ascending to the throne of [The End].
…What a dull answer.
No wonder he had transmigrated to Jarilo-VI… It was simply because that, too, was a starting point on the trunk of the Tree of Existence, and he had likely been arranged to walk the path of becoming [The End].
But… which Aeons were behind these arrangements?
Was it really just [The End]? Could one Aeon truly arrange everything?
---o---
Although Ron felt his deduction was perfectly sound, he also felt it wasn't so simple. Perhaps he wasn't placed here by Terminus, but by some other existence who had arranged for him to be on Jarilo-VI…
But the moment he thought of the Life Simulation Game and its power of fate, which was nearly indistinguishable from that of Terminus, Ron dismissed the idea. He felt there was nothing wrong with his deduction and saw no need to think further.
If a power so similar did not originate from Terminus, then from whom could it originate?
Ron couldn't find any such being.
So there was no need to search any further.
However… while Ron had long predicted where the starting point of the Tree of Existence's trunk was, it didn't mean the Astral Express's route map was merely a tool for confirmation.
In fact… on the route map, an existence he had never anticipated appeared.
"The Solar System…?"
Ron looked at the star system on the map. It was located extremely close to the Azure Star and Jarilo-VI, even closer to the starting point. It was only marked with the three words "Solar System," with no other information.
It had no connections to any Astral Express railways, looking like an isolated, lonely "seed."
"The Solar System… is it really the Solar System I'm thinking of?"
Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The Solar System he was thinking of wasn't his old home, the real world he had transmigrated from, but the Solar System that was deeply connected to Honkai: Star Rail…
The world of Honkai Impact 3rd.
---o---
Honkai: Star Rail and Honkai Impact 3rd were not independent of each other. Although the two works were different, they had profound connections, clearly linking the two worlds.
Welt, currently on the Astral Express, was the very same one from Honkai Impact 3rd. After the St. Fontaine incident, he was forced to go to the Starry Gate—and through it, he arrived in the world of Honkai: Star Rail.
Thinking about it carefully, this was actually just a simple world-hop—though it sounded special, spanning two different works, if one simply viewed the world of Honkai Impact 3rd as a single leaf on the Tree of Existence in the Honkai: Star Rail universe, it became very easy to understand.
However, besides Welt and Void Archives coming to the grand universe of Honkai: Star Rail through the Starry Gate, it seemed no other beings had arrived here. Nor were there any known beings in the Star Rail universe who had traveled to the Solar System of Honkai Impact 3rd. The two were clearly connected, yet they had practically no interaction…
Moreover, the world of Honkai Impact 3rd had no influence from Paths or Aeons—which was extremely hard to imagine.
Ron hadn't paid much attention to these details before. After all, what happened in the world of Honkai was a matter for the world of Honkai. Although this place had become reality, it wasn't appropriate to project the elements of his past life's works onto it. He felt the works shouldn't have such a deep connection.
But now, it seemed his thinking might have been wrong. The location of the Honkai Impact 3rd Solar System was so important, yet it had no contact with the outside world. This was by no means a coincidence.
…Perhaps this was a protective measure taken by Terminus, the Finality, to safeguard the existence of the Tree of Existence, protecting the location that was practically its "seed."
Thinking it through, it made sense—although Honkai: Star Rail was a much vaster world, before Ron transmigrated, it was essentially a sequel to Honkai Impact 3rd, a new yet not entirely new continuation.
The Honkai series of works served as a seed. All the previous installments were seeds that ultimately gave rise to the great tree that is Honkai: Star Rail.
Translating this to reality, the Solar System of Honkai Impact 3rd was the very seed of the Tree of Existence, from which the current, lush and verdant Tree of Existence grew…
Thinking like this, Ron found the situation a bit abstract.
Was the world he had transmigrated into truly the real world of Honkai: Star Rail? Why did it feel like some immature fanfiction author had mashed the MiHoYo-verse together into some strange concoction…
If he looked through the route map made by [The Trailblaze] Akivili again, would he find Teyvat somewhere on it?
Forget it, forget it. He wasn't going to look anymore. There was no point.
Ron stuffed the phone back into his pocket, a rough plan already forming in his mind.
Now that the starting point of the Tree of Existence's trunk had been completely identified, there was actually only one thing left to do.
…And that was to await the right moment to burn the Tree of Existence.
---o---
Although this sounded abstract, it was indeed the most important matter at hand.
Ron absolutely could not rashly charge to the border of the Tree of Existence and the Sea of Quanta and just toss the Guiding Spirit Lantern in—that would be no different from suicide.
There was still plenty of time… he could not afford to be hasty.
The Solar System of Honkai Impact 3rd might be the location of the Tree's "seed," but it was well protected by Terminus. Even [The Trailblaze] Akivili had been unable to set foot in that world. Ron wasn't about to go looking for trouble.
[The Trailblaze] Aeon couldn't even pioneer that world; it was best for a [Salvation] like him not to get involved.
For now, igniting a fire on the Azure Star and Jarilo-VI was more than enough. The fire didn't need to be massive at the start; it just needed to burn at the origin point. Then, someone else would add fuel to the flames.
The Sea of Quanta itself was the best fuel. Tossing a spark into a pool of oil would not result in it fizzling out; it would erupt into a conflagration that would burn at an unstoppable speed.
Of course, this spark couldn't be too small—it had to be a fire that neither [Nihility] IX nor Terminus, the Finality, could stop from the very beginning.
Therefore… Ron needed to prepare.
First, he would return to Belobog to make some arrangements. Then, he would wait for Herta to complete the tasks he had assigned her, securing a safety net for him. Once everything was ready, he could begin.
And before that… perhaps he should chat with the passengers of the Astral Express and try to get some unexpected information from Pom-Pom, the conductor.
---o---
Ron walked out of the guest car, leaving the temporary room the Express crew had arranged for him, and pushed open the door to the Parlor Car.
---o---
Author PS: This chapter is over 6,000 characters, a bonus of 2,000, but that's not all for today. There might be a huge chapter update later… probably around 20,000 characters.