Looking at the trait on the light screen, Ron wasn't overjoyed. Instead, he fell into deep thought.
"Wait a minute... why did Herta give me so much knowledge directly?"
Ron and Herta's deal definitely did not include this much knowledge, and Ron himself didn't have such a great need—
To put it bluntly, as an Emanator of [The Erudition], the knowledge Herta possessed was a treasure coveted even by the Interastral Peace Corporation.
What she often did was, when the mood struck, casually pick up a blank sheet of paper, write down some esoteric knowledge that was difficult for ordinary people to comprehend, and then casually toss aside the finished or half-finished manuscript, which would then be found by a researcher in some nook or cranny of the space station and treated as a top-priority project.
A manuscript like that could be considered a rare secret treasure in the entire sea of stars, and the knowledge in Herta's mind was as vast as the ocean. A manuscript that the IPC would secretly transport to the Intelligentsia Guild for research was just an ordinary piece of her collection.
Ron wanted a technological explosion for Jarilo-VI, to advance directly to an interstellar society, but that didn't mean he wanted to advance Jarilo-VI to one of the most advanced civilizations in the entire sea of stars... Jarilo-VI wasn't qualified for that yet.
In this sea of stars, knowledge and resources are the most important things.
As the saying goes, "a commoner is guiltless, but possessing a treasure is a crime." This knowledge, being a priceless treasure in the entire sea of stars, would inevitably attract other powers who would greedily sniff out its scent and swarm in like bloodthirsty hyenas.
Jarilo-VI was powerless even against the remnants of the Legion; how could it defend against the covetous eyes of countless civilizations in the sea of stars?
Ron himself shouldn't have received this knowledge either... Generally, those who received this knowledge had already become Emanators of [The Erudition], possessing combat power in a class of its own in this sea of stars, enough to protect everything they owned.
But Ron only had knowledge without power... What was the meaning of this "half an Emanator"?
With Herta's wisdom, it was impossible for her not to know what all this she was giving represented... but she still did it.
Yet, she clearly held no malice towards Jarilo-VI... She said she wanted to visit Jarilo-VI in a while. Was this her way of protecting Jarilo-VI?
Ron thoughtfully stroked his chin. Looking back at the entire situation and adding the treatment he had received, a guess suddenly surfaced in his mind:
"Why does it feel like... I was supposed to become a true Emanator of [The Erudition] in the first place?"
One must know that Ron had already visited [The Erudition] Nous once.
Moreover, [The Erudition] Nous had been looking after him, resolving the influence of that History Fictionologist for him, protecting him and the miracles he researched.
Although so much time had passed and Ron's memory was a bit fuzzy, if he remembered correctly, when he played the game Honkai: Star Rail in his past life, he had once noticed the description of [The Erudition] Nous—
The text in the original work described Him as a mechanical life form that only pursued the ultimate answer to the universe. All those fortunate enough to visit Nous in person were geniuses in this sea of stars whom Nous had taken a fancy to, researchers who could help Him study and solve the ultimate answer.
He would send a message to every genius He took a fancy to. This message was the invitation to the Genius Society, and also the gift to cross the boundary between mortal and extraordinary, to step into the realm of an [Emanator].
It's just that many people did not realize Nous's invitation, merely treating the message from the Aeon as a form of favor and affirmation, continuing to devote their energy to their research;
There were also some who rejoiced, believing they had already achieved great accomplishments, condensing their diligence and wisdom into priceless assets for civilization, convinced that their life's work was enough to gain Nous's approval.
Little did they know that the research they conducted had been solved in the calculations of Nous's cold mechanical core millions of years ago. This group of geniuses longed for a response, but Nous had no time to appreciate the meager achievements of mortals. His silence was deafening.
Only by understanding the conclusion that "the answer to the universe transcends the limits of mortal wisdom" and humbly asking Nous a question, accepting the message bestowed by [The Erudition] Nous, could one enter the Genius Society and become an Emanator under [The Erudition] Nous.
Ron was undoubtedly a genius of this level, but he was also sure that he had not received any message—during the simulation's visit to Nous, it was actually the first time the History Fictionologist attempted to modify the miracle he had created.
Ron was not arrogant in the slightest; he had not a shred of pride in his achievements, and he had no objection to the fact that the endless mysteries in the universe were difficult to solve...
If [The Erudition] Nous had really sent Ron that message to enter the Genius Society, Ron would have immediately sought advice from Nous and then joined the Genius Society to fleece those geniuses for all they were worth.
If Nous simply wasn't planning to pull Ron into the Genius Society, thinking he was far from qualified, Ron probably wouldn't have thought much of it.
But after Herta gave him these gifts... it became somewhat thought-provoking.
One must know that although Herta, as an Emanator of [The Erudition], had never shown much respect for the Aeons and even wanted to build the Simulated Universe to explore their secrets—
This did not mean she did not carry out the will of [The Erudition] Nous. As an Emanator of [The Erudition] who had visited the Aeon twice and truly possessed Nous's gift, Herta's actions sometimes represented the choice of [The Erudition] Nous, just as that History Fictionologist represented the choice of [The Enigmata] Mythus.
Connecting all these strange situations, a conclusion must be drawn—
In this simulation, Ron seemed to have been destined to become an Emanator of [The Erudition]. Nous had not overlooked his talent, but for some reason, had given up on bestowing His gift upon him.
Furthermore, Ron's special nature was enough for Nous to pay constant attention, and if necessary, even have His Emanator grant Ron Emanator-level knowledge, but without bestowing the corresponding power. He himself hid in the dark, as if having no connection with Ron...
Thinking of it this way, although it was hard to believe, Nous was actually plotting against Ron... Was the crisis behind it so great that it could even make an Aeon plot against a mortal to achieve His goals?
After reaching this conclusion, Ron's thinking gradually became smoother.
The puzzles that had troubled him before gradually shed their camouflage, seemingly revealing a trace of the truth to him.
"If I think of it this way, then that History Fictionologist wasn't lying to me at all... In the future, this miracle research will inevitably attract a crisis, and the level of this crisis is enough to affect an Aeon. Otherwise, Nous would not have reacted this way."
"It's just that, for Nous, perhaps I, in this simulation, have something that can satisfy His needs. Otherwise, He wouldn't have gone through such a roundabout way to bestow upon me, in this simulation, so much knowledge..."
Ron thoughtfully stroked his chin, and a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him. A slightly terrifying thought emerged in his mind.
As a cold and ruthless mechanical life form, Nous had no needs. As the Aeon of [The Erudition], He only cared about how to solve the universe and obtain the answer that could solve the mystery of all things.
What He wanted to get from all Emanators of [The Erudition] was assistance in helping Him solve these questions... and it was obviously the same for Ron.
He wanted to see Ron solve the mystery of all things, to seek the ultimate answer to the universe.
The reason... was probably because Ron could rely on the legendary trait "The Existence of 'I'" to break through the impossible and trigger Miracle Events that were not supposed to be triggered.
Perhaps, after obtaining this knowledge and relying on this trait, it was really possible to research the ultimate answer to the universe...?
"No, no, don't overthink it. Let's solve the current troubles first before talking about these ethereal things..."
Ron shook his head, throwing the possibility he had just deduced out of his mind—before solving the crisis Jarilo-VI was currently facing, all of this was just empty talk. It was impossible for Ron to immediately go and research the ultimate answer to the universe, to pursue something that only Aeons dared to pursue.
In fact, Ron didn't even want to use this Emanator-level knowledge—after realizing that Nous wanted to use him to get an answer but was unwilling to give him the power to protect himself, and even wanted to distance Himself, Ron didn't want to fall into this scheme.
He just wanted to save Jarilo-VI, not to fall into a crisis that would even make an Aeon shy away.
He had no pursuit for the ultimate answer to the universe. He wasn't some research maniac. Who would offer everything for such an ethereal thing?
Just this research vessel and the assistants from Herta Space Station were already enough for Ron to achieve his goal... He wasn't planning to do more.
Ron thought thoughtfully and finally made a decision in his heart.
Unless it was a critical moment, Ron would not use the Emanator-level knowledge gift that Herta had given him.
He tapped the light screen in front of him and let the simulation continue.
The option on the light screen faded, and new text appeared on it:
[You relied on the credit points Cocolia gave you to exchange for some Herta Coins at Herta Space Station. You purchased the latest model personal terminal and a Synesthesia Beacon, and asked a researcher from the medical department to perform a simple implantation surgery for you.]
[Now, you can understand all the languages in the sea of stars. The thoughts of all people can be communicated with you, and there will be no jokes caused by misunderstanding language.]
[Due to post-operative reactions, you rested in the space station for a few days, waiting for your body to recover.]
[The Train Crew sent you a few text messages to say goodbye. They told you that due to the train's schedule, they couldn't wait any longer and have already left the space station, flying into the sea of stars.]
[Stelle vented her troubles to you, saying that not long after the train left, she met a person who was very important to her.]
[But she is an inter-astral wanted criminal, and everyone on the Astral Express is a bit hostile towards her. Stelle doesn't know how to treat her now and is very troubled by it.]
So it's this close to the Xianzhou plot? Kafka is already on the train... Is Phantylia already on the Xianzhou Luofu, preparing to subvert it?
But these things probably won't affect Jarilo-VI much. No need to worry too much for now...
Ron didn't pay much attention and continued to read:
[You didn't have much of a solution for the girl's troubles either. You could only comfort her with a few simple words and encourage her to face the problem directly and not avoid her own heart.]
[Afterwards, you took stock of the gifts Herta gave you and properly secured the Stellaron you had contained.]
[With the help of the former space station researchers, now your research ship's crew, you started the spaceship, navigated the star rail once opened up by [The Trailblaze] Akivili, passed the shining stars, and warped to the Jarilo system.]
[You stood inside the spaceship, looking through the transparent porthole at the cold, pale planet outside. The entire Jarilo-VI was in full view.]
The text on the light screen faded, and a new option box floated up on it:
[You have led the research ship back to Jarilo-VI. How do you decide on your next itinerary?]
[1. Homecoming.]
[The prodigal son returns laden with treasures. It's time to return home in glory.]
[You decide to park the spaceship in Jarilo-VI's orbit and return to Belobog yourself.]
[2. Work.]
[Too much time has been delayed; things won't get done... You still have a lot of research work, and not a moment can be wasted.]
[You decide not to return to Jarilo-VI for the time being, but to start research immediately. You will return to Belobog only after completing the technology needed to elevate Jarilo-VI to an interstellar civilization.]
Looking at the options on the light screen, Ron didn't hesitate much and immediately chose the first option.
Time wasn't that tight. Although it was unlikely that anything would happen in Belobog, he still had to go back and take a look, just in case something major had happened that he wasn't aware of...
The option box on the light screen faded, and a new note popped up on it:
[You decide to go home and take a look first.]
[You assigned tasks to the crew, requiring them to set up the research site according to your requirements before you return, and to use the instruments to make simple calculations of the Stellaron's data.]
[After arranging the crew's work, you used a small spacecraft from the research ship's hangar to land in the outskirts of Belobog, and then walked back to the city.]
[But as soon as you entered the city, you saw countless warriors with red armbands tied to their arms pouring out of the Underworld's cable car station. They charged into the Belobog Administrative District, swarming towards Qlipoth Fort...]