Fu Xuan's presence here was, without a doubt, connected to Izumo's intent to seek cooperation with the Luofu.
"Eh, Master Diviner, pay attention to the question," Jing Yuan said lightly.
Though he was also somewhat surprised, he didn't find the matter particularly pressing. "The Xianzhou's understanding of Nihility is shallow. Perhaps what they received was not the same blessing as ours—but another form of 'blessing' entirely."
"General!"
Fu Xuan frowned, clearly displeased. Even if their understanding of Nihility was limited, who among people like them didn't know what such an existence represented?
To walk out of Nihility alive—
That alone was already a miracle.
"Humanity's view of the Aeons is far too one-sided," Jing Yuan said simply.
At that, Fu Xuan could only bite back her words. Though she still disagreed in her heart, this was ultimately not an important debate.
"General, we were discussing another matter just now," Yukong interjected at the right moment.
"Oh, yes, yes."
Jing Yuan smiled and redirected the conversation. "Since we've reached a conclusion, we should find a proper time to report the matter to the Marshal for final judgment."
...
"Now can you explain what that 'trial' is about?"
Without getting to the bottom of it, Kiana didn't even have the mood to go sightseeing. As soon as they were free to move about, she grabbed Sirin by the collar and began questioning her insistently.
The final trial of the Stigmata?
Could it be related to the Stigmata realm Mei had once sensed?
That was the only connection Kiana could think of.
"Let me go first! I'm not going to run off anywhere."
Dragged into the room by Kiana, Sirin shot her an exasperated look.
"Sorry, I got a little too excited."
Kiana quickly let go of Sirin's collar, awkwardly folding her hands behind her back.
"Grabbing me by the hand would've worked fine—why my collar, honestly. Who taught you that?"
Sirin grumbled as she adjusted her clothes.
"Come on, just tell me already. What's going on?"
"Don't rush me. Let me think where to start," Sirin said, scanning the group. She had known this matter was unusual, but she hadn't expected to be the only one aware of it.
Time to call out Kiana by name.
The Stigmata were her creation, yet somehow, Kiana herself knew absolutely nothing.
"The final trial... When a Stigmata reaches its ultimate limit, it becomes linked to a unique dimension. Yes, the Stigmata realm you're thinking of."
Sirin began recalling her experience.
"My situation was different from Yae Sakura's. I think that's the reason she died and I didn't."
"In short, the Stigmata's linked space is an unfamiliar world—one that feels like it's suffered a massive Honkai Eruption. There's a towering spire that stretches into the heavens. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to climb it, but I did anyway."
"There were no instructions—just swarms of Honkai creatures appearing as soon as I stepped in. I figured the goal was to fight and ascend, but at the time, I had no idea what was happening. After defeating the first layer, I realized I could return, so I did."
"Unfortunately, it only allows entry once. I'd actually like to know what happens at the top."
A tower?
Kiana's expression turned odd.
That was not at all what she'd expected, but somehow, the moment Sirin mentioned climbing a tower, the image appeared vividly in her mind.
"Do you get rewards for clearing it?" she asked curiously.
"Uh... I can open imaginary space without the Edict Edge now—does that count?"
Kiana blinked in surprise, then studied Sirin closely from head to toe, before lowering her gaze in thought.
"Like me?"
"Not exactly," Sirin explained. "It's not as flexible as your Phase Shuttle ability. I can only open an imaginary-space gate—it takes time and isn't nearly as convenient as using the Edict Edge."
Kiana looked between Acheron and Bronya, thinking for a moment before turning to Bronya. "How about I replace your Stigmata with another one? What do you think?"
"Kiana, if you really want to understand, I can show you," Acheron suddenly said.
"Wait—you can switch Stigmata?"
Bronya raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then thought for a moment and shook her head. "Once a Stigmata has been fully developed, it becomes imprinted with one's will and memories. It likely can't be replaced."
"Wait a bit, Mei."
Kiana didn't want Acheron to test it just yet. She turned to Bronya and said, "Let's try it and see what happens."
"Then go ahead," Bronya replied, rolling up her sleeve. For those who had come later, Kiana had applied each one of their Stigmata personally—every single one placed upon their hands.
The template Stigmata named Unfinished Road no longer looked like its original form. Countless additional lines and markings now wove across it.
Though the name remained the same, its appearance was completely different.
Its description was still as generic and unremarkable as ever, except that now the name Bronya was appended to the end.
Kiana felt an uneasy chill rise in her chest as she tried to remove the Stigmata from Bronya's hand.
But the system displayed a new line of text before her eyes—
[Do you wish to revoke this individual's Stigmata?]
Revoke…
Kiana had no choice but to abandon the attempt. Once again, she gained a new understanding of the Stigmata's nature.
Maybe she really should talk to Ruan Mei about this.
Ruan Mei had been able to bypass the system entirely, creating Stigmata on her own. Perhaps Kiana should ask her what these Stigmata truly were.
"They can't be replaced, can they?"
Bronya lowered her sleeve and said calmly, "Blank Stigmata have their advantages. They can be freely inscribed with one's own essence."
"...I'll talk to Ruan Mei," Kiana said at last, now taking the matter far more seriously than before. Suddenly, everything else seemed unimportant.
"Oh, and Mei—don't rush to try anything yet. Wait until I understand more about this."
Acheron, who had been lost in thought, came back to herself and nodded slightly. "Alright."
Kiana took a moment to gather her thoughts, noting down all the current questions she had, then picked a time when Ruan Mei would likely be resting. From memory, this was the hour she took her longest break.
Timing it perfectly, Kiana sent a communication request.
At that moment, Ruan Mei had just finished a brief meeting. With most of the Simulated Universe matters handled, she was about to experiment on her latest inspiration.
Just as she was about to begin, Kiana's unexpected call came through.
That caught Ruan Mei by surprise.
Kiana? What could she want?
Her gaze drifted to the flasks and vials before her. Could it be that Kiana had somehow sensed what she was about to do?
The thought flickered through her mind.
She accepted the transmission.
"Ruan!"
The moment the holographic projection appeared, Kiana's bright, energetic voice filled the air. It had been a while since Ruan Mei last heard her voice—and upon hearing it again, she found her mood lifting more than she'd expected.
"Kiana," she said softly, her lips curving into a small smile. "Did you run into some kind of problem you couldn't solve?"
Kiana, meanwhile, looked around at the unfamiliar laboratory projected behind Ruan Mei and asked with a hint of concern, "Were you working just now? I didn't interrupt, did I?"
Ruan Mei shook her head lightly. "Not yet."
Not yet?
So she was about to start working.
Kiana realized she might've called at the wrong time.
"Then maybe I should wait until you're done before I bother you?"
"It's not about the Simulated Universe," Ruan Mei explained casually, then asked again, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I do have something."
Seeing that she wasn't occupied with Simulated Universe work, Kiana's curiosity piqued—what exactly had she been planning to do? Still, she decided to focus on the main issue first.
"It's about the Stigmata."
"Stigmata?"
Ruan Mei nodded slightly, indicating she understood. "Go on."
"Here's the thing—"
Kiana spoke quickly, afraid of taking up too much of Ruan Mei's limited free time. While she had her attention, she explained everything that had just happened, along with all her doubts and confusion.
"Trial?"
The more Ruan Mei listened, the deeper her frown became.
The samples she had studied were taken from Kiana—the one Kiana had called Unfinished Road.
Her understanding of Stigmata largely came from that sample.
To her, a Stigmata was like a seed. Once implanted, it would grow and bloom differently depending on the bearer's will and life experiences.
Ruan Mei knew they had such potential. But a so-called trial? That was new to her.
She had also examined the Stigmata Kiana had brought back from Yae Sakura—but within that Stigmata's world existed only the consciousness of Kiana's friend.
The Stigmata world revolved entirely around her, which was very different from what Kiana described as a "trial."
Was it because the Stigmata hadn't matured yet?
Or perhaps because of death's interference?
Could it be that the so-called trial Kiana mentioned began the moment the Stigmata was imprinted?
Countless theories and questions collided within Ruan Mei's mind. Some aligned with her previous research, while others defied any reasonable explanation.
"Think of a Stigmata as a living seed. The kind of flower it blooms into, or what fruit it bears, depends entirely on how its bearer nurtures it," Ruan Mei said, using language Kiana would understand. "I know that much. But this 'trial' you mentioned… I'm sorry, I've never observed anything like it."
"And the phenomenon you described—well, I haven't paid much attention to that aspect."
While Ruan Mei could create fully functional Stigmata, the kind Kiana spoke of—capable of evolving and granting new abilities—was something she hadn't studied in depth.
She hadn't performed live experiments either. The only Stigmata bearer she'd met was the quiet, withdrawn Acheron, who clearly preferred to avoid her.
There were many aspects of the completed Stigmata she still hadn't explored—mainly due to limited time.
She hadn't invested much focus on Stigmata research overall. Per Kiana's request, most of her work had centered on Honkai resistance.
"Let's call it a complete Stigmata for now," Ruan Mei continued. "Once a Stigmata reaches completion, it allows its bearer to achieve an evolution at the very core of life itself…"
A Stigmata could grant exceptional resistance to Honkai energy—and even let someone harness that energy without harm.
"What's the Stigmata's ultimate form?"
After a moment of silent thought, Ruan Mei suddenly looked up at Kiana's projection.
If Honkai were to be seen as a Path—
Then the bearers of Stigmata could be likened to Pathstriders walking that Path.
It actually made a strange kind of sense.
"The ultimate… form?"
Kiana froze for a moment, thinking aloud uncertainly. "A powerful Stigmata bearer? Or… maybe a Herrscher?"
"The Herrscher of Finality?"
Of course Ruan Mei knew what that was—Kiana herself was one. Kiana had told her before that she was the Herrscher of Finality.
So the end of the Stigmata's path… was a Herrscher?
A being like Kiana?
"Of course not," Kiana said quickly, shaking her head. "I told you, I—or rather, the Herrscher of Finality—is a special case."
"Path, Pathstrider, Emanator…"
"Honkai isn't a Path… but I guess explaining it that way makes it easier for people in this world to understand."
Kiana finally grasped Ruan Mei's meaning. She knew that Honkai wasn't one of the Paths—but describing it like one did make the concept far easier for the Xianzhou's scholars to comprehend.
"Do you know what the trial actually consists of?"
Ruan Mei suddenly asked.
"It seems to be climbing a tower."
Kiana recalled what Sirin had said earlier, rubbing her chin as she shared her guess.
"Climbing a tower?"
Ruan Mei couldn't quite grasp what she meant. Why would a trial involve climbing a tower? What tower, exactly?
"Uh, Ruan, you know those tower-climbing games on phones, right? You beat one floor, then move to the next, and keep going like that."
"I see."
Ruan Mei didn't really understand what kind of game she was talking about, but she caught the gist—beating one level after another.
So the so-called trial was… endless combat?
But what was the point?
What meaning was there in designing such a sequence of battles?
"You said Sirin gained a new ability, didn't you?" Ruan Mei asked. "Then what would happen if someone kept climbing to the very end? What would they gain? Would they… become a Herrscher?"
Become a Herrscher?
Kiana froze slightly, her expression stiff as she replied awkwardly, "…It's not impossible, but I'd rather believe it just awakens a stronger Stigmata ability."
She preferred to think of it in a more positive light.
Even though becoming a Herrscher wasn't necessarily a bad thing—this wasn't the same as the Honkai world she'd come from—
Still, if the reward for clearing a tower was turning someone into a Herrscher… that was a little awkward.
Ruan Mei nodded slowly. This was all speculation, with no concrete basis. Kiana's words had merely piqued her curiosity—particularly about how much a complete Stigmata could enhance one's overall being.
What changes occurred at the genetic level?
"I'll need to see this Stigmata for myself before I can determine what's really going on," Ruan Mei said. "Once I've finished my current work, I'll come to see you."
Kiana had once said she'd visit the Space Station instead, but given the situation, it would be better for Ruan Mei to come to the Ark herself.
Seeing it firsthand would give her peace of mind.
Come to think of it… would Jyahnar know something about this?
Jyahnar's image flashed briefly in Kiana's mind. She decided to ask her about it later.
For now, though…
"By the way, Ruan, since you're not busy with the Simulated Universe right now, what are you working on?"
Kiana's casual question made the faint smile on Ruan Mei's lips fade. She looked at Kiana silently for a few moments.
"...Is it classified?"
Seeing her expression, Kiana blinked in surprise, then realized that might be the case.
Ruan Mei shook her head—but what she said next left Kiana uncertain. "Do you really want to know?"
She wasn't going to lie to Kiana.
She knew that if she told her the truth, Kiana would almost certainly disapprove of her experiment. But as long as Kiana dared to ask, Ruan Mei would dare to answer.
That honesty—calm and unflinching—was something Kiana had never seen from her before.
It made her hesitate. "Should I know?"
"Do you want to know?"
Ruan Mei didn't say whether she should or shouldn't. She simply looked at her quietly and asked whether she truly wanted to know.