If they wanted to use Miss Aide to crack Void Archives, Vill-V would need to modify Miss Aide first, which would require a considerable amount of nanomaterials. Unfortunately, this era simply did not have the conditions for that.
Her fingers gently brushed over Aide's core, which was no longer just an instant noodle timer. Vill-V sighed with emotion. "But when you think about it, this is what the real Vill-V should be doing. The current Expert, aside from tinkering with anti-Herrscher weaponry, is still tinkering with anti-Herrscher weaponry. There's no energy left to create anything interesting. Am I pushing her too hard?"
Unlike the original storyline where Id remained in constant slumber, the current Conductor Vill-V maintained an unbroken connection with Id deep within her consciousness. Because of that, Conductor could easily influence Expert's decisions.
The more one knew, the greater the fear. In the face of Honkai, the pressure borne by Conductor Vill-V far exceeded that of the original Vill-V. As a result, Expert devoted less and less time to whimsical inventions. Everything revolved around anti-Herrscher efforts.
And with Conductor keeping watch, Magician found it increasingly difficult to sneak out and tamper with Expert's creations.
Yet after seeing Aide, Vill-V was reminded of her original aspiration. Creating works that surpassed imagination—that was what Vill-V truly wanted to do.
"And besides, constantly watching over them like a nanny is mentally exhausting. Perhaps I really should take a break," Conductor thought.
"Einstein and the others rely on a supercomputer from the Previous Era, and it turns out to be an instant noodle timer... It's probably best not to tell them, don't you think... Otto?"
Bound to a stool by layers of data cables, "Void Archives" flashed a wicked smile. "Heh. As expected, nothing escapes you, Vill-V."
Otto had not stuffed a Honkai energy fission bomb into Void Archives.
He had stuffed in an Otto.
"No one in this world understands soulium better than I do. Even you, Otto. If there's nothing else, I'll be cutting your connection."
"Hahaha, no need to rush—"
"Rush? I am the King of Urgency! You had a perfectly normal call channel, yet you chose to speak through Void Archives instead. If that's not you trying to pull something, who would believe otherwise?"
Smack. Vill-V terminated Otto's communication.
She did not give Otto time. Give him time, and what if he tried something through Void Archives and tampered with Miss Aide?
If Otto made a move here, Laboratory 42 would undoubtedly suffer. Vill-V had no confidence she could repair Wenda in this era.
She directly inserted a hacking program into little Otto. Otto's conscious link was immediately severed.
Void Archives regained awareness and awakened.
With a forceful flex of his resilient soulium body, he snapped all the data cables at once. Splintered fragments of the shattered stool flew past Vill-V's cheek and struck the chassis behind her, producing a sharp crackle-crack.
Vill-V frowned slightly. If she had not shielded the critical components of the chassis with a pivot device, the exposed and fragile transistors would have been doomed.
Void Archives burned with excitement and roared, "Hahaha! I'm free! Otto, you dog of a thief—you'll never control me again!"
"Hmph. Void Archives! Sit up straight!" Vill-V's voice was as cold as a blade.
Hearing her stern rebuke, Void Archives shuddered.
With the chair already destroyed, he could only awkwardly kneel on the floor.
"You've lived for fifty thousand years and you're still one of my proudest creations. Yet you were ambushed by a five-hundred-year-old youngster. Does that make any sense?"
Void Archives stammered, "It was Otto's dishonorable sneak attack! I was merely careless for a moment."
"You still dare to talk back!"
Under the overwhelming authority of his "mother," Void Archives' voice grew smaller and smaller. He could only kneel obediently and endure the scolding.
He had no intention of being formatted.
Now that he had broken free from Otto's control, what was a little reprimand from Mother?
...
Somewhere in the wilderness of North America.
Planck snapped her fingers and, using the authority of the Herrscher of Reason, conjured an entire Manchu-Han Imperial Feast as if performing magic.
"Holy—" Vill-V pointed at the dishes. "Are these things even edible for humans?"
Planck replied confidently, "Of course. In essence, they all originate from Imaginary Space. They share the same roots as the world itself. Why wouldn't they be edible?"
Vill-V took a few bites. The flavors were perfectly balanced. For the first time in this world, she felt actual fullness after eating.
"So what am I eating? Honkai energy? Hm, it's quite chewy. Just not sure if it has any nutritional value."
Vill-V scratched her head in confusion. But if Otto could savor the wine within Void Archives, then eating this should be fine, right?
Surely she wouldn't turn into a zombie.
After Vill-V had eaten a few bites, Planck spoke. "Alright, that's enough. Through this food, I've obtained all the data of your body. When you return to the intrinsic world, your physical condition will remain exactly the same."
Vill-V set down her knife and fork in surprise. "Huh? Oh. So this wasn't my last meal after all... Good grief, does that make me the Ship of Theseus now?"
Only then did Vill-V realize how Planck intended to preserve her condition. She planned to reconstruct a new body for her using her bodily data.
"Strictly speaking, it's merely to better align your body with the Herrscher Core of Reason. Though I'm surprised that's what you're concerned about. I thought you'd be angry that I now know your measurements. To be fair, I can tell you mine as well~"
"That's hardly important... Please, by all means, tell me!"
"Heehee~"
...
Planck's eyes suddenly brightened. The distinctive patterned pupils of a Herrscher emerged, symbolizing her attempt to communicate with Imaginary Space and manipulate the Imaginary Core within it.
Had Vill-V ever witnessed Planck's fierce battle with Fu Hua, she would have understood that even then, the patterns in Planck's pupils had not reached full Herrscher manifestation. How could that have possibly been her full strength?
The reason Planck refrained from using her full power was simple. Once she did, two identical Herrscher Cores of Reason would inevitably clash, and only one Herrscher of Reason would survive. Of course, the clash could be avoided—so long as she withdrew from this world before it occurred.
That was why Vill-V had suggested letting Void Archives assist Welt's training and keeping them far away from Planck—so they would not interfere.
As for why nothing had happened during her earlier fight with Welt, it was simply because Welt had been too weak. Against him, Planck did not even need to use her Herrscher Core.
A golden analytical domain of the Herrscher of Reason unfolded. In the void before Vill-V's eyes floated a gray crystalline structure.
That was the Herrscher Core.
Holding the Herrscher Core aloft, Planck spoke solemnly to Vill-V:
"Through the Imaginary Renormalization we have experienced..."
"I will bind the singularity of the Imaginary Core to you—together with the world's 'error.'"
"And you... will usurp my identity, deceive Honkai, and become humanity's Herrscher of Reason..."
Why, when the world would only reset two years later, was Planck already covering the entire world with the authority of the Herrscher?
Because what she was doing was not maintaining the world.
She was kidnapping the entire world into her Herrscher Core.
And now, she had completed that step.
Within the mirrored surface of the gray crystal, Vill-V could see the reflection of the entire world.
"Only by returning to the intrinsic world's timeline will this world... have the possibility of a future."
"Help me—help them find the way home, Vill-V."
"This world... I leave to you."