"Please exit in an orderly fashion! No trampling, no crowding, and no littering... I specifically asked Nous to take all the trash from this venue, so if any of you dare to throw trash, I curse you to spend the rest of your lives unable to figure out if 1+1 is greater than 1×1!" Chen Li shouted viciously at the audience below, holding the microphone that was still attached to the stand in Robin's hands.
To be fair, this was probably the most malicious curse these audience members had ever heard.
It was unclear whether it was due to the threat of the curse or the effect of the Curio, but in any case, the audience departed in a very peaceful and loving manner... quietly.
Only after every last audience member had left did Chen Li take off his Disguise Glasses.
"Phew... they're finally gone," Chen Li sighed in relief.
The [Cleaning Master] Miracle Card quietly materialized, granting Chen Li his reward for cleansing the filth.
[All-Around Cheers]: You can spark a new trend or cause a group within a certain area to enter a state of carnival.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this... wait, could this be considered a type of meme?"
Chen Li began to speculate... If he were to spark a wave of belief in the Aeon of Abundance on the Xianzhou, wouldn't that be a massive recruitment drive for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
Beyond that, he could also promote a wave of admiration for the Fusion Warriors in the world of the Flame-Chasers.
That way, the Fusion Warriors, who were originally ostracized by humanity for the mutations caused by fusing with Honkai Beast genes, could instead be revered.
Damn, I'm a freaking genius!
No wonder Nous glanced my way.
It's all based on facts!
It's definitely not because my arrival was outside of its calculations and could affect the cosmic constants, thus potentially leading to the world's destruction or something.
Besides, if Chen Li wanted to destroy the world, would he really need the word "potentially"?
Chen Li put away the random reward he received for the cleanup operation, which had been successfully completed with the help of Nous.
This reward made him think that the magnitude of the reward for cleansing filth wasn't just related to the filth itself, but perhaps also to who was doing the cleaning.
Using a cleaning robot to clean filth yielded coordinates.
Using the Aeon of Erudition to clean filth yielded a cultural wave...
In addition to this reward, Chen Li also pocketed a new Miracle Card that had appeared beside him.
[Then I Ask You] (Miracle Card): The god who answers all never answers a question directly, but only uses a question to reply.
Effect 1: Once every 24 hours, you may ask any target one question. They will be compelled to answer your question. (Uses can be accumulated. Current uses: 1)
Effect 2: When you refuse to answer another's question or answer with a question of your own, you gain an Erudition Value buff, increasing your learning speed, reading speed, etc., for a period of time. (The more [Valuable] the question you refuse to answer, the better the effect.) This effect can be stacked.
Effect 3: Can be used to forge a Curio.
Chen Li had never actually known if a Miracle Card would disappear after being forged into a Curio.
Maybe... only a blank Miracle Card would be left behind?
"Mr. Chen Li, did you go to have an audience with the Aeon of Erudition?" Robin asked, her heart pounding with excitement after everyone had left and she had set the microphone Curio aside.
"Then I ask you, what do you think?"
"..." Chen Li's single sentence left Robin completely dumbfounded.
"Ah, my apologies, I retorted out of instinct. For certain special reasons, I cannot answer your question directly. I can only tell you... Nous's red light is truly blinding," Chen Li said.
"Oh." Chen Li's retort made Robin subconsciously wonder if she had done something wrong.
In the span of two short seconds, Robin reflected on her entire life.
"But... is there really any difference between your answer and a direct answer?" Robin asked cautiously.
"Never mind if there's a difference. Just tell me, did I answer you directly?"
"No."
"Well, there you have it," Chen Li said. He felt incredibly smart right now; even his learning speed had quickened.
At this moment, Chen Li desperately wanted to learn something.
Robin found it strange at first, but then she remembered that this was a person who had been granted an audience with Nous, and it didn't seem so strange anymore.
The thought processes of a genius were often peculiar. It was perfectly logical.
"Why does it feel like you're not very excited, Mr. Chen Li?"
"Who says? I'm ecstatic, okay?"
Chen Li had just received 25 crystals and 250 Stellar Jades from that Miracle Card.
Emmm... speaking of which, was the Aeon of Erudition insulting me?
Chen Li also wondered why the Aeon of The Hunt hadn't generated a Miracle Card when he'd sent him a rocket gift.
Was it because he didn't spam "Bro, 666"?
"It just feels... different." Robin felt that Chen Li's current emotion was surprise, not excitement.
The two were not the same.
"Let's not talk about me; I'm fine. You, on the other hand, have become so formal for some reason. Just call me Chen Li is fine," he said.
"Oh, in that case, Chen Li, could you first explain the effects of this Curio?" Robin asked, holding the microphone.
Robin had indeed become a bit more reserved.
After all, the person before her was a genius who had forged a Curio and, as a result, been granted an audience by the Aeon of Erudition.
If he later received an invitation to the Genius Society, then the person who created her Curio would be a member of that society—a group of which there were fewer than 90 individuals in the entire world.
And that was counting from ancient times to the present.
If you told her you were a Curio Forger, Robin wouldn't have a concrete sense of what that meant. But if you said you were a member of the Genius Society, that was a whole other matter.
"This is an exceptional Curio. I hope you can put its power to good use..."
With that, Chen Li began to explain its effects.
[Gently Knocking on a Sleeping Heart]: Awaken hope with your voice, dispel despair with your song, and rouse sleeping souls with your melody. With this microphone in hand, you are the most brilliant star on stage.
Inspiration: Your singing or speeches can touch souls and penetrate hearts, making it easier to stir the audience's emotions. It can also dispel negative status effects for those listening to some extent.
Words of Power: You can control others through the power of language and even use your song to resonate with the heavens and earth, producing incredible power. The stronger your will, the more potent the effect.
Stage: When your song begins, the entire venue will enter an "Audience" state, and you cannot be targeted by attacks.
A Rude Awakening, A Forced Confession: You can use the microphone to deliver a heavy blow. While inflicting massive physical damage on an enemy, you can also convey your feelings, forcing them to submit. (As an idol, the more fans and fame you have, the better the effect.)
PS: If my song can't move you, I also know a little "physics." This... is the power of an idol!
(Miracle: Come, let's begin today's Miracle Mini-Lesson. The terms I will teach you today are [White Hair], [Red Eyes], [Beast Ears], [Loli], and [Virtual Idol]. Alright, once you've learned these, you can make your grand debut on your social media feed as a virtual idol with the appearance of a white-haired, red-eyed, beast-eared loli! Master, on the path to becoming an idol, don't you dare lose to a mere Robin!)
"I understand the other effects, but the last one... what does it mean? Or rather, where did it come from?" Robin was thoroughly confused.
"It's likely the product of a delicate fusion between a portion of the [Dispel] Entry and a portion of the [Idol] Entry. Besides, didn't you want to use this Curio for self-defense? It's perfect," Chen Li said.
He thought the Curio's effects were quite good. It offered buffs, control, and self-preservation, and could even deal massive damage to enemies.
Plus, he couldn't even use that last effect himself, since he didn't have any fans.
"I doubt I'll ever have a use for that function."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Chen Li shook his head.
Because you could use the "Rude Awakening" effect on your brother, Sunday.
The Dream of Order... just the name sounds illegal.
"Then what does the 'resonate with the heavens and earth' part of the Words of Power function mean?"
"Robin, have you ever seen the phantom plays on the Xianzhou? They often depict masters of music who can attract countless rare and exotic beasts just by playing a zither or a flute. This should be similar. Why don't you give it a try now?" Chen Li suggested.
Even though he was the one who forged it, the specific effects of different Curios often took him by complete surprise.
"Then... I'll give it a try?" Robin was tempted.
She was intensely curious about the upper limits of a Curio that could attract a Gaze from the Aeon of Erudition.
"What song are you thinking of singing?" Chen Li asked.
"'Sleepless Night'... how does that sound?"
"Go for it."
"I'm ready." Robin took a deep breath and raised the microphone.
Although singing a cappella was a true test of a singer's skill, Robin would not be outdone by anyone in her lifetime!
And then...
Upon hearing the song, Chen Li, who had been on the verge of sleep from the exhaustion of forging, was instantly wide awake.
The planet, upon hearing the song, was also instantly wide awake. The most tangible sign of this was... the sky across the entire world lit up as if it were day.
The entire world, from its people to the planet itself... was now suffering from insomnia.
And Robin, having sung the song, promptly fainted.
Finally... half of the thousand-plus Merit Coins that Chen Li had brought out just in case were instantly consumed.
After all, waking people up right after they've fallen asleep to party is a rather shameless act.
Furthermore, the sudden shift to daytime could lead to some unfortunate incidents, like blinding drivers on the road at night.
However, the fact that some, but not all, of the Merit Coins had vanished meant that the situation had been stabilized.
When it came to averting disaster, the Merit Coins were true professionals.
"...I thought at most it would cause a bit of mass insomnia. Who could have possibly imagined this? The entire world can't sleep," Chen Li muttered to himself, holding the unconscious Robin as he sank deep into thought.
Of course. "Sleepless Night"...
It meant no one gets to sleep!
Sleep? Screw that, get up and rave!
Still, Chen Li felt it could have been worse. He was just thankful she hadn't sung "Lonely Swing in the Galaxy."
Who swings in the galaxy? And who in the galaxy could truly be considered lonely?
A planet, of course!
God only knows what would happen if the entire planet started to swing.