That tiny flicker of consciousness instinctively clung to the simulated original body of Nous.
The act itself was a complete accident.
After all, this consciousness—born from simplified equations—was intended to be the overseer of the entire Simulated Universe.
If it were allowed to grow naturally upon the Aeon's simulated form, it would end up interfering with its own future potential.
Moreover, it didn't align with what Nous desired.
What the Erudition sought was sothing independent of the system, a being that relied on pure intellect to master the variables of the world—not another "Nous" shackled within a simulation.
If it were the latter, the Aeon could simply look at THEMSELF; why bother paying attention to the Simulated Universe at all?
The reason Nous cast THEIR gaze here was specifically to verify where the world would lead when influenced by a force from outside the system.
And so, Nous did not hesitate.
THEY did not allow the simulated Aeon's body to grow stronger. Instead, It extracted that consciousness.
Right before 'Calypso', Nous fixed that consciousness into the very operating core of the Simulated Universe.
As the Aeon intervened, the power of the Path of Erudition surged forth, condensing within that naless spark of mind.
Coalescing alongside that power was a single question left by Nous for this newborn fledgling.
With that finished, Nous looked toward 'Calypso'.
With a nod—a friendly greeting in the manner of Aeons—It slowly departed.
However.
By now, Amphoreus was no longer the desolate, backwater world it once was.
Relying purely on its vast wealth, the Interastral Peace Corporation had reorganized the surrounding star system, transforming it into a bustling hub of prosperity. Factions of all sizes and various comrcial planets had cropped up like bamboo shoots after rain, all orbiting Amphoreus.
Consequently, the sudden arrival of Nous imdiately alerted almost everyone keeping an eye on the world. Furthermore, the incredibly distinct tide of Imaginary Energy converging on the Simulated Universe's space station was clearly detected by every major power.
Amidst the shock, a wave of confusion followed.
What exactly was Nous doing?
If the Aeon had co for that specific Aeon or one of the Geniuses, it would be understandable. But why bestow a blessing upon a re space station?
While there was no shortage of chanical lifeforms among the Geniuses, the problem was that this space station wasn't a machine lifeform.
Wasn't this place just a site used by a few Geniuses for their Simulated Universe project?
If one had to be pedantic, Herta Space Station over at The Blue looked far more like a chanical being. For Nous to bless a space station... wasn't that a bit too abstract?
Or had this space station sohow co to life without anyone noticing?
-- --
When that theory surfaced, the people at the IPC were the most shaken.
This was because the IPC had footed nearly the entire bill and provided the labor to build the station.
The Corporation even kept the full set of blueprints in their archives.
Even though the station's owner had patched and modified it later, the engineering teams used were mostly from the IPC; they knew exactly what had been changed and moved.
That was precisely why the IPC was so baffled. They knew better than anyone that this place wasn't built to study chanical life. How could it just wake up out of the blue?
It was beyond ridiculous... what on earth had those big shots added to the interior?
And why did it have to be at Amphoreus?
Not long ago, they had dealt with Irontomb's chanical crisis, and now here was another one... Jade was honestly worried that this birth would result in an Irontomb 2.0 or an Emperor Rubert III.
Jade truly didn't know how to handle this. A space station recognized by Nous as a Genius?
How was she supposed to communicate with it? Was she ant to say, "I helped design and build your fra, so you should call Mom"? Just thinking about it felt utterly absurd.
Of course, as abstract as it was, the universe was full of bizarre chanical beings; it wasn't as if they couldn't find a protocol for it. The real headache for Jade was sothing else.
This place was originally a research site for the Geniuses and a spot where that certain Aeon would occasionally stay. Now that the place had co to life, what would happen?
The Geniuses all had massive personalities—wouldn't they end up fighting? And would that Aeon still choose to stay here?
In the past, the IPC viewed Amphoreus as a vital transit point where they could easily contact a deity. They had poured imnse resources into it, even stationing Jade here personally with Topaz.
If this connection vanished, the Strategic Investnt Departnt was going to take a massive loss. That would be disastrous for Diamond's upcoming promotion.
After her initial daze, Jade quickly calculated the pros and cons. She decided she had to get first-hand intelligence as soon as possible. At the very least, she had to know what was happening!
-- --
anwhile, 'Calypso' had no ti to worry about the IPC's thoughts.
Nous had personally enlightened the consciousness of the Simulated Universe and inford her of what had just transpired.
In truth, 'Calypso' didn't particularly care if that consciousness had grown while attached to the simulated Nous; it could have been separated later anyway.
But since Nous had taken the initiative, 'Calypso' had no objections.
More than that, 'Calypso' was currently pondering sothing else.
What thod should she use to make the Simulated Universe "stand up"?
The Herta Space Station had used the AllSpark for its complex transformation. If she used the sa thing here, it would feel repetitive. It wouldn't have that sa "wow" factor when Herta saw it.
But soon, 'Calypso' didn't have to think anymore.
Bolstered by the power of Erudition, the blessed consciousness of the Simulated Universe had rapidly matured.
Although its personality wasn't yet fully ford, its cognitive abilities were running smoothly.
Adding to that, the data from the frequent interactions and thoughts shared by the Geniuses and 'Calypso' within the simulation served as the perfect nutrients for its learning.
Thus, before 'Calypso' could even decide how to make it "stand up," the consciousness chose its own form.
With a surge of Imaginary Energy mixed with the powers of Rembrance and Erudition, a small figure with long brown hair—appearing physical yet not—manifested before everyone.
The brown-haired figure had visible chanical structures on her body, suggesting she perceived herself as a machine rather than flesh and blood.
Her features held that distinct aura belonging to Madam Herta, yet her face also carried a hint of 'Calypso' herself.
As for her clothing style, she leaned toward Ruan i's aesthetic, constructing a light-colored qipao for herself.
Screwllum carefully observed the small chanical girl.
With a body structure of a machine, a look resembling 'Calypso' and Herta, and a style clearly influenced by Ruan i... she felt like an image forged by taking the appearances of her several creators as references.
'Calypso' also stared, stunned by the figure that shared fifty percent of Herta's spirit.
Though... why did she look so much like Herta? Was that even logical? Wasn't I the one usually stationed here?
Well, she supposed she hadn't actually visited much the past few years; it was mostly Herta and Screwllum doing the heavy lifting... Alright, she could accept why the girl didn't look like her.
Just as 'Calypso' ca to terms with it and prepared to test the new Simulated Universe, the "evolution" wasn't over yet. It seed the girl was only just confirming her personal image.
Seeing that no one had any objections, the entire space station began to tremble.
Then, the station began to restructure itself.
It wasn't a transformation into a giant robot like the AllSpark; it was a pure physical reorganization of the station's exterior.
As everyone knew, over 70% of the station consisted of the Simulated Universe's main body, with the remaining 30% being living and research quarters.
Now, that massive main body began a grand-scale reconstruction. What was once a simple, large machine was reshaped into a gargantuan chanical head.
Sheet-tal hair grew from the head, rapidly lengthening to define a hairstyle. Even without a paint job, anyone who knew Herta would recognize it at a glance: this was the image of Madam Herta.
The remaining 30% of the station used by staff was reshaped into several orbital rings surrounding the giant chanical head.
Every cabin, design, and internal structure was thoroughly iterated and optimized. No one on the station was injured—only frightened.
When the transformation finally finished, every mber of the station received a letter on their mobile devices from the Simulated Universe Space Station. Simultaneously, a purple glow ignited in the eyes of the chanical head.
The previously powered-down Simulated Universe rebooted.
The logic of its calculations was completely reshaped within its body. At that very mont, an invitation to the Genius Society was delivered right outside the station in front of countless watching eyes.
Of course, the most shocked person was 'Calypso'.
She had been wondering how to make the station "stand up," and the thing had gone and done a jaw-dropping transformation into a chanical head that looked like Herta.
Now, Herta could never call Nous "Droidhead" ever again. Because now there was a chanical head that looked just like her; if she called out that na, people would think she was talking about herself.
"Pfft..."
'Calypso' knew Herta would be furious when she saw this, but the thought of the expression Herta would make was simply too much to handle. She couldn't stop herself from laughing.
As for whose influence led to this image...
The expression on Divine Herta's face was extrely subtle.
After holding it in for a long ti, she finally couldn't help but complain:
"Can... can't Nous teach sothing better? Is turning into a giant head and hanging in the middle of space really such a great thing?!"
-- --
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL
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