---
Livestream
Guinaifen was controlling Stelle, advancing through the dimly lit corridors of the sealed sector.
The only illumination came from the emergency lights on the floor, while sparks occasionally rained down from the pipes overhead.
Licking her lips, Guinaifen felt a thrill of excitement.
"I thought all areas of Herta Space Station were advanced and efficient... I never expected there'd be abandoned places like this."
"Huh?"
"Why is there smoke in the air?"
Thinking it might be an interactive element, Guinaifen approached it—only for a massive, pitch-black shadow to suddenly burst from the smoke!
Flapping its wings, the creature let out a screech and lunged at her!
"AHHHHH!!!"
Guinaifen was completely caught off guard, screaming in shock. She nearly flung her controller across the room!
[Combat Engaged]
Wiping cold sweat from her brow, Guinaifen muttered:
"I didn't expect real Voidranger Reavers!"
"What a thrilling ambush..."
"I remember a horror flick where the crew on a space station ran into parasitic monsters..."
She fought through the encounter—though the enemies were weak, the surprise attack made it heart-pounding.
After the battle, Guinaifen immediately swapped to Fu Xuan.
"Please, Lady Fu Xuan!"
Activating Fu Xuan's skill, the protective barrier finally let her relax.
"Folks, be extra careful when exploring this map..."
Even around corners and behind doors, Voidranger Reavers lay in ambush, ready to startle the unprepared.
"But why are there so many bugs here?!"
"Something's not right!"
---
Deeper Exploration
As Guinaifen ventured further, she found more of the [Melted Cheese] creatures—along with Ruan Mei's recorded logs.
Through these logs, Ruan Mei's experiment gradually unfolded before Guinaifen and all viewers.
On-screen, Ruan Mei's gaze was cold and detached as she noted results in her journal. A red glow enveloped her, while strange, twisted limbs floated in the cultivation pod behind her.
Before Guinaifen could process it, Ruan Mei's voice sent chills down her spine:
"I've conceived of a 'form of life' elusive enough to earn my acknowledgment."
"That is... an 'Emanator'."
"What exactly is an Emanator? I have no definitive answer."
"Scholars regard them as avatars of Aeonic power. But at what point do they transcend ordinary life and become closer to an Aeon?"
"Initially, I sought to cultivate a genius. I failed. The puzzle remains unsolved—the road ahead is long."
"Yet the universe's Paths are not limited to 'Erudition.' If we discard rationality, might there exist a more primordial, purer Emanator on another Path?"
"————Of course there is."
"Tayzzyronth. Through the Simulated Universe, I witnessed the Swarm Disaster's genesis, extracted data on the Swarm King and its progeny, replicated them, and opened a new branch of research."
"A logical conclusion. I will succeed. The entity I recreate shall blossom into unprecedented life."
"Will Herta and Screwllum approve? Unlikely. So before they notice... I must accelerate my work and find a suitable 'assistant.'"
---
Guinaifen's jaw dropped.
When she heard Ruan Mei was cultivating an Emanator of Propagation (Tayzzyronth), she gasped audibly.
"So... THAT'S what's in the cultivation pod—Swarm limbs and carapaces!"
"No wonder there are so many larvae in this sector!"
"It all makes sense now!"
"HOLY—WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?! An EMANATOR?!"
"You were supposed to cultivate life, but you chose to cultivate an EMANATOR?!"
"And not just any Emanator—the most dangerous, uncontrollable one: Propagation!"
"Ruan Mei is INSANE!"
"She just gifted the space station a ticking time bomb!"
"Space station folks... y'all okay over there?"
---
The researchers, who'd been excitedly planning an expedition to the sealed sector to find Ruan Mei's creatures, fell dead silent.
Asta crossed her arms and eyed the crowd.
"So... who still wants to go exploring down there?"
"You?"
The most enthusiastic researcher turned pale.
"Lady Asta, spare me!"
"Voidrangers are one thing, but Ruan Mei is literally cultivating a Swarm Emanator down there!"
"I'd be swarmed the second I stepped in!"
Another researcher fretted:
"If she succeeds, it'll rip the space station apart like a tin can and turn every organic thing inside into nests and food."
Asta sighed.
"Yeah. We're in deep trouble."
"Let's just hope Ruan Mei hasn't succeeded yet... or the station could be doomed."
The moment she said it, nervous gulps echoed through the room.
Watching a game plot suddenly turned into a life-or-death crisis!
Some researchers began praying that the next story beats wouldn't confirm the Emanator's completion.
---
Following the clues, Stelle took the elevator back to Sealed Sector – Level 3.
As soon as she arrived, she spotted a strange figure sitting at the bridge, playing chess against himself.
A man with a plaster head muttered:
"Behold—"
"A move of genius!"
"How will you counter it?"
Suddenly, he shifted positions, answering himself:
"Oh, only a fool would ask that."
"Simply place it here—"
His monologue cut off as he noticed Stelle.
Closing the chessboard, he pulled out a book and approached her, flipping pages as he spoke:
"You seem troubled."
"A problem you can't solve?"
"In that case..."
"Figure it out yourself."
---
Scratching her head, Guinaifen stared at the screen.
"Weird stuff happens every day, but today's extra wild!"
"This guy showed up in the preview livestream, but we still don't know who he is or what he does..."
"But he's got major presence—must be someone important!"
"Anyone in chat know his deal?"
She glanced at the live comments—and chaos erupted.
"HOLY CRAP! THAT'S MY PROF!!"
"I'm a philosophy major at Primus Academia—that's 100% 'Dr. Primus' Veritas Ratio!"
"A scholar from the Intelligentsia Guild—Ratio?! So it's him!"
"Ohhh, 'Dr. Primus'—now I recognize him! He was at that research conference last month!"
"WAIT, wasn't there a top donor in chat earlier with that exact username?!"
"NO WAY! IS IT REALLY HIM?!"
"@[Dr. Primus] Professor Ratio, is that you?!"
"@[Dr. Primus] TEACHER! I'M THE STUDENT YOU SCORCHED LAST LECTURE!"
[Dr. Primus]: "Silence. Stop spamming."
"Now—focus on the plot."
The moment he spoke, students in chat cheered.
That tone—unmistakable!
It WAS Veritas Ratio—in the flesh!
Not even hiding, using his real title.
And he was following the story too!
To be continued…
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