"Is something like this…really possible? And in such a short time?"
She wasn't clear on the specific rules, but judging by how often Celenova switched identities, it seemed she couldn't maintain a single one for very long.
"It is quite difficult, true. That's why I left a clone outside to contact Lady Herta."
Celenova smiled confidently.
If it was just about creating a single individual, or even a single race, 'Celenova' felt Ruan Mei could probably handle it.
But 'Celenova's' ambitions stretched far beyond that.
What she wanted…
Was a world where even a cry for help couldn't escape.
As long as there was the slightest crack where light could reach, a light of hope would answer them.
A miracle would descend, scattering that immense despair.
Yes, what came to mind after her contemplation was the Giant of Light.
Moreover, beings of light were highly adaptable and boasted strong compatibility.
If she could fuse a light-being with her own soul…
Even if it wasn't a perfect 100% match, she could use the transformed giant's body to better understand the state of her own soul.
That was her private reason.
But because 'Celenova' also wanted to adhere to the guiding principle of 'stirring up something big', just a Land of Light felt somewhat insufficient.
Before their evolution, the Land of Light was already a developed civilization, and even they went through years of chaos.
Creating an entire race in one leap—it was hard to guarantee how they'd turn out.
Besides, the universe is just too vast.
Whether it's a few million, or a few billion Giants of Light, it still wouldn't be enough to fill the holes these maniacs are tearing open.
So what she wanted was an effect similar to that of a Path.
A level where pure wishes and will alone could summon miracles.
And this vision was simply too grand.
Trying to reach such heights…Even 'Celenova' felt a little uncertain in her heart.
But difficult as it may be, she still had to try. If she didn't set such a challenging problem, how could it be worthy of Ruan Mei's stature, and how could it attract Lady Herta to join in?
Anyway, her life crisis had been temporarily postponed.
Might as well create something greater, more enduring, a truly massive event that could keep her fed for a lifetime.
Celenova glanced at her panel:
--+--
[Role-Playing System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Celenova)]
[Lifespan: 100 Years (Paused) + 3 Days (Role-Playing)]
[Transformable Roles: Big Herta (Charge: 79.2%), Acheron (Charge: 46.3%), Celenova (Currently Playing), Ruan Mei]
[Available Draws: 0 (35.2%)]
--+--
Only a few days left in this role-play.
The overall collection of emotional energy was still going quite smoothly.
Although, after learning about the legion of lunatics out there in the universe, "Celenova" no longer believed this could truly last a lifetime. But it should still provide a decent, steady income for a while.
That part was manageable.
The key issue was the upcoming invitation.
She wondered what Lady Herta would think.
Also, 'Celenova' really wanted to invite Ruan Mei herself. But compared to Herta, she was operating alone, making it hard to track people down.
It would be great if Herta could help extend the invitation.
On one hand, 'Celenova' worried if Ruan Mei alone had the capability to complete this… assignment.
Making it even more daunting was the mere thirty-day timeframe.
If Lady Herta wasn't willing to help, then she'd have to settle for the next best thing:
First create a race of Giants of Light.
More ambitious plans could wait for later.
Fortunately, the clone she'd left outside brought 'Celenova' good news.
"Great luck! Lady Herta agreed to chat about my far-fetched idea." 'Celenova' shared the good news with Acheron.
But Acheron seemed a bit worried for her personal safety. "…Will you really not get captured when you go over there?"
"Probably not. And if things get bad, I can always run to you for shelter, right? Herta shouldn't know I have that ability." 'Celenova' rubbed her chin.
She didn't doubt that if Lady Herta did find out about her ability, she'd cook up some kind of containment device.
But she didn't know yet, did she?
It was all about that first-strike advantage.
As for what to do after actually escaping once… she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
"…"
Acheron watched 'Celenova's' 'play-it-by-ear' attitude, the corner of her mouth twitching into a subtle smile.
"Anyway, I'm off. If I can successfully secure this cooperation, well… this universe might just get a lot more lively."
"Safe journey." Acheron reached out and ruffled 'Celenova's' hair again.
An Emanator of Destruction she might be, but this white-haired woman's appearance certainly had a unique charm.
Acheron quite liked it.
She hoped that if Bai Ming ever got a body of her own, it would grow in this direction. But these were thoughts she'd only keep to herself, never letting the person in question hear them.
After saying her goodbyes to Acheron, Celenova returned to a remote star sector.
The clone merged back into her body, bringing the phone with it.
Celenova looked at the chat window with Lady Herta.
The last message was Lady Herta telling her to come to the station for detailed discussions.
[Nameless: Okay, on my way.]
Message sent.
Celenova touched the ring on her left hand. Phase flames crept over her, instantly transporting her to the star system containing The Blue.
Compared to last time, with the space station suddenly standing up, this time, the station seemed much better behaved.
At least it wasn't spinning in circles.
However, sections of it had still morphed into mechanical hands, continuously moving packages from cargo ships into its… belly.
Inside the station, many transformed robots could be seen waiting around, being directed by the staff to perform tasks.
It seemed the Herta Space Station had already gotten used to a life full of shape-shifting machines.
The moment Celenova approached, a communication signal patched into the silver ring.
"Welcome back to Herta Space Station, my creator—although you've changed your appearance, AI Herta recognized you immediately!"
The silver ring transformed into a little snake, projecting a light screen in front of Celenova.
On the screen was a chibi version of AI Herta.
Celenova's eyebrow twitched. "AI Herta, you didn't get scrapped by Lady Herta?"
"Heheh~ Of course not! Although Lady Herta did look me over inside and out…"
"Heh~" Celenova laughed.
She entered the station, landing lightly on the polished floor.
She looked at the familiar cabin, and the Herta puppet walking towards her.
"Hah. This time it's not me, but pretending to be an Emanator of Destruction, huh? A fake one, but your guts are certainly real enough."
Right from the start, Herta went on the offensive.
No intention of pleasantries.
"It seems the battle leading the Galaxy Rangers against Zulo the other day was your doing too."
Herta walked up close, gave Celenova's right arm a once-over, then fixed her gaze on her face:
"Since you've at least got some skill, I won't pursue the matter of you impersonating me and stealing my face anymore."
"…Are you telling me to keep playing you, or not to play you?"
Listening to Herta's words, which felt like a battle between her left and right brain, all the question marks in 'Celenova's' mind turned into an urge to snark.
"Hah. You counterfeiting my face made me unhappy. But you stopping halfway to impersonate someone else and stir up trouble makes me even more unhappy. What, you think partnering with Herta couldn't have handled those two Emanators?"
The Herta puppet raised her hand and poked her finger sharply into 'Celenova's' cheek.
Her words even carried a hint of gritted teeth.
She looked genuinely displeased.
--+--