"Oh? So there's no issue on Ruan Mei's side either," Herta said. "Then Stephen…"
"…" After a brief silence, another communication signal connected.
"It's not related to me… I… I've been monitoring the stability of data flow and device readings the whole time. I didn't have time to do anything else."
"Mm, I know," Herta replied. "So what we're asking is whether there's any problem with the device readings."
"Uh… although there are some fluctuations in the readings, they're all within the normal controllable range. The device has no problems," Stephen answered.
"Alright, I got it." Herta nodded, then said to Screwllum, "So, Screwllum, what exactly happened? If there were no issues, you wouldn't suddenly bring this up."
"Affirmative: while guiding and monitoring Mr. Nero's exploration of the Simulated Universe, some surprising phenomena occurred."
Screwllum nodded, then spoke in an unhurried tone, "Based on the fact that the monitoring from the three of you shows no issues, I am certain that Mr. Nero is a very interesting individual, and one whose value exceeds previous impressions."
"Logic: during his exploration of the Simulated Universe, Mr. Nero triggered developments that do not conform to the slice design."
"Go into detail," Herta said.
Screwllum nodded again and began to recount what had happened during the process of guiding and monitoring Nero…
Nero sat on Silver Branch's spacecraft, a comfortable expression on his face.
He hadn't expected the Simulated Universe could be played like this. This was basically cheating on top of cheating.
The only downside was that there wasn't anything good to eat.
For the sake of portability and storage, the only food on Silver Branch's side was long bread that was both smelly and hard.
It wasn't that Nero had a strong obsession with eating, but having good food would definitely make things more enjoyable.
On the other hand, although the Simulated Universe wouldn't let someone starve to death, it did simulate the feeling of hunger.
Of course, Nero wouldn't complain about the environment, and it wasn't like he couldn't eat the long bread.
But what Silver Branch did was really… shocking.
Because the purpose of placing the Pure Beauty Knight slice into the Simulated Universe was to assist explorers, according to the geniuses' design, Silver Branch could directly take out blessings and give them to the explorer.
And at this moment, Silver Branch had sorted out a large number of items from the ship's storage and placed them beside Nero.
His handsome face carried a sincere expression as he said earnestly, "Lady Idrila, these are the blessings I have collected. In your current state, you must be in great need of this help. Please accept them!"
Even taking ten thousand steps back, the scene was undeniably strange.
And the most crucial point was that after Silver Branch gave those items (which might be food, ornaments, or decorations) to Nero, even if Nero didn't accept them or touch them, the information that made up the Simulated Universe model still changed.
Nero could clearly feel that a large number of blessings had been transferred onto him…
Of course, that part could still be explained. What was truly surprising was what happened next.
Silver Branch's spacecraft passed through the vast curtain of snow. Even in such immense and violent blizzards, the ship could still travel normally, even preventing the terrifying snowstorm from obscuring the surrounding environment.
The reason for this was naturally the one locked inside the fuel tank. Our friend from the Fragmentum was working hard to release its energy, shining and heating within this complex yet complete, delicate yet massive system, fulfilling its role.
This was what you'd call doing grunt work in a high-end place.
Even so, our Fragmentum friend didn't voice any complaints. It clearly loved this job.
It really was a kind and warm-hearted good monster.
With the help of the flame from the outer universe, the spacecraft gained incredibly abundant power, speeding through the snow curtain, crossing the snowy mountains, and quickly entering a new area.
A place that looked extremely hot.
Everything here appeared gray and dull, with thick black smoke rising everywhere. Mountains and land were cracked open, with scorching lava flowing through them.
And at the boundary between this fiery place and the snowy mountains, as the spacecraft passed overhead, the Dice of Audience here was triggered.
Along with the same brief strange light and the overlay and interference of a beautiful starry sky, a Joy-themed die appeared above the pillar.
First extreme cold, then extreme heat. The two places Nero passed through were both excessively extreme.
Perhaps because the kid was a conservative type, the Simulated Universe system kept assigning him extreme environments.
Looking out through the spacecraft window at the boiling environment, the scorching canyons, and the roasting basins, Nero even thought he had been sent to the Flaming Mountains.
At this moment, Silver Branch suddenly slowed the spacecraft and descended in that direction.
Nero quickly locked onto a moving target on the scorching land. That person, like Silver Branch, wore magnificent armor.
Even while walking through such a terrifying environment, there wasn't the slightest trace of disgust on his face. His eyes were even filled with appreciation for the place.
The spacecraft soon landed, and the hatch opened.
The wandering knight didn't hide or retreat. Instead, he stood in place and waited, until he saw Silver Branch through the hatch.
The two knights exchanged a glance, then nodded. Not a single word was spoken, yet it felt as if all communication had already been completed.
Pure Beauty Knights... these drifters wandering the universe rarely met each other. Even when they did, it seemed they didn't need many words to communicate.
After the two knights finished their "brief yet long" exchange, the knight wandering in the hot land slightly turned his body and leaned toward the interior of the spacecraft, just in time to see a small figure walking over.
Snow-white long hair, eyelashes like ice crystals entered his sight in an instant. The young man blinked, his gray eyes reflecting light, as if a spring breeze had turned into sprites dancing gently.
Nero tilted his head slightly, looking at this unfamiliar face with some confusion, while Silver Branch standing nearby showed a smile.
As a fellow knight, he naturally knew what his colleague was thinking. Just like when he had encountered this person in the snow, that thought instantly filled his mind, 'She is walking toward me!'
In the next moment, the knight below the spacecraft raised his hand to his chest, then knelt on one knee and bowed to Nero.
In an extremely sincere tone, he softly said, "Idrila, All-Seeing Knight of Pure Beauty, pays you homage."
All-Seeing called out to Idrila with deep emotion, his voice filled with devotion.
And Nero responded to his call.