My days as a Simulation Herrscher since the Honkai Impact

"Is that all?" Bai Chen didn't know what kind of precepts Aponia had left behind. He only required that the Lawgivers of Knowledge not easily betray humanity and would develop a trusting and favorable impression of him, so that he could educate Xiao Shi in the days to come, let her attend classes, and complete social practice.

"It's a very simple commandment, and she'll never discover its existence unless someone points it out to her. The effect of the commandment is to ask her to keep a close eye on you."

A strange smile appeared on Aponia's face, as if she had thought of something amusing. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, pressing them tightly against her majestic breasts.

She bowed deeply to Bai Chen to thank him for summoning her to this distant yet beautiful era.

“I should leave now. If she wakes up and finds out, things will be hard to explain. Besides, Dr. Mei probably has a lot of things to do. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to call me.”

Bai Chen expressed his gratitude to the gentle and kind nun and used the Book of Akasha again to send Dr. Mei back to Valhalla on the distant continent of Teyvat.

Although Aponia has left, she left Bai Chen with a very precious gift. At this moment, in Bai Chen's spiritual world, a beautiful imprint, like a butterfly, is shining brightly.

That was a special power commandment belonging to Aponia, containing all the components and knowledge of this power, which she now left to Bai Chen as a gift.

This was the first time Bai Chen had obtained a secret technique related to the mind. He briefly peeked into the knowledge within and was immediately attracted by the vast amount of information contained therein.

But he still has unfinished business and it is not yet time for him to learn the precepts.

When he returned to the rest room where Xiaoshi was, the Herrscher of Knowledge had already continued her game journey, seemingly unaware that she had taken a short break and that she now carried a precept left by an old acquaintance.

This is the power unleashed by the combined Herrscher powers of Aponia. The Heroes, empowered by Herrscher powers, display a strength far beyond that of Kiana and Mei. Moreover, Xiao Shi's body still contains a backdoor she left behind; with a calculated attack, there's no way she can escape.

Bai Chen knew that the precepts only interfered with Xiao Shi's subconscious thoughts. Unless the precepts were touched, they would not have any effect. Therefore, he never thought that Xiao Shi's attitude towards him would change immediately.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down next to the Herrscher of Knowledge, Xiao Shi picked up a grape from the fruit plate and held it to Bai Chen's lips!

"Hey, want some grapes?" It was still that slightly arrogant tone, but it always sounded a bit haughty.

"...?" Bai Chen couldn't help but be stunned. Fortunately, he reacted in time and did not stare at Xiao Shi with wide eyes. Instead, he cast his blank gaze at the ceiling.

He tentatively opened his mouth, but to his surprise, Xiao Shi actually stuffed the grapes in his hand into his mouth.

He recalled the words Aponia had left before she departed: the commandment was for her to keep a close eye on Bai Chen. It was a somewhat vague commandment, without a clear target, and its binding power wasn't very strong. Therefore, it wouldn't be used too deliberately and wouldn't be easily detected.

But the effect of this precept seems a bit too good, doesn't it? And the direction of the lock's action is different from what he expected... Where exactly did things go wrong? Was it Abunia's deliberate act, or did Xiao Shi already have some ideas in his mind?

This question remained unanswered even after Bai Chen left the Honkai world for Teyvat. He merely maintained a seemingly indifferent and unsurprised expression as he watched Xiao Shi shatter the barrier surrounding the Teyvat world before his eyes, telling him that this barrier possessed spiritual qualities, not only having two-way selectivity but also being able to distinguish whether the creatures passing through it were beings from the Teyvat world itself based on their spiritual qualities.

Only when the spatial vortex finally stabilized and a stable spatial gate was successfully established between the Honkai world and the Teyvat world, did Bai Chen stand in the blizzard of Dragonspine Snow Mountain, hand in hand with Xiao Shi.

"Indeed, we've had a very fruitful experience."

The moment I returned to the world of Teyvat, I received a teasing remark from Otto.

Chapter Thirty-Four: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

They might have been tricked by Aponia without anyone noticing.

When Bai Chen returned to the Hall of Heroes with Xiao Shi, he finally realized that the current situation was definitely within Aponia's plan.

After seeing Xiao Shi, who was close to Bai Chen, Dr. Mei muttered, "She still loves playing matchmaker so much."

The last thirteen heroes of the previous era each possessed their own unique personality and hobbies. This was the first time Bai Chen had learned that one of Aponia's hobbies was matchmaking. It was said that even in the final moments before the base's destruction, many people were still embracing each other, and Aponia was largely responsible for this. It seemed this former orphanage nun firmly believed that love between people could withstand all the suffering in the world, and therefore did her utmost to bring together every person she favored.

However, this was somewhat unexpected for Bai Chen, and even he needed some time to accept the current situation.

Fortunately, Xiao Shi only developed a considerable amount of goodwill towards Bai Chen without actually taking things further, otherwise it would have been really difficult to handle... It wasn't that Bai Chen didn't have those kinds of thoughts, but mainly because she was still a newborn child and didn't quite fit his taste. As a healthy young man of the new era, he felt too guilty about having a few-month-old loli!

Xiao Shi seemed very happy to see Dr. Mei. In her memory, she had a good relationship with Dr. Mei when she was still Hua. Although she didn't know how Dr. Mei had survived those long ten thousand years to this day, she was, after all, Dr. Mei, so it was normal for her to have some unknown backup plans.

After Mei comforted Xiao Shi for a while, Kevin took her to explore the Valhalla base and choose a room she liked. Bronya and Kiana, who had been hiding behind a door, didn't emerge until Xiao Shi disappeared into the long corridor.

"A new Herrscher has appeared so quickly, isn't that a bit too fast?"

Bronya asked worriedly, while letting Bai Chen lean against her, and regaining the simulated form of the Herrscher of Reason.

"Don't worry, we have a general plan regarding the Herrschers you've encountered." Dr. May smiled at Bronya, without explaining the meaning behind her words.

"Whether the Herrschers appear quickly or not is not important; what is more important is the order in which they appear. Excluding Bai Chen, a special interference from outside this world, everything is going according to plan."

After speaking, Dr. Mei picked up several bound booklets from the table. These were exercises she had designed specifically for Bronya, of course, after Bai Chen's repeated instructions. Otherwise, Dr. Mei, who was always engrossed in experiments, would not have taken the time to create these tests for the poor girl in front of her.

"Instead of worrying about the future that you shouldn't be concerned with, you should learn more. Go, now that Valhalla is no longer under your control, use this free time to do some practice problems."

Dr. Mei shoved the thick workbook into Bronya's hands, and a mask of pain gradually appeared on the Herrscher of Reason's face as she recalled the agony of being overwhelmed and dominated by exams and exercises in the past.

Regardless of Bronya's growing contemplation and memories, Bai Chen placed his hand on Kiana's head.

“Fu Hua, you can no longer hide inside Kiana’s body. In your current state, you can’t evade the Herrscher of Consciousness’s detection. If she finds out, it will only cause trouble.”

Bai Chen told Kiana's head that he had always known that Fu Hua's consciousness was hidden in Kiana's mental world, and that he had even gone through the learning assessment with Kiana during this period. One of the main reasons why Kiana's academic performance in the trio was not inferior was that Fu Hua had given her the questions.

Fu Hua also knew that she had been exposed long ago, and the reason she hadn't left Kiana was because she hadn't found the right opportunity.

A wisp of scorching heat rose from Kiana's crown. It should have looked extremely hot, but in reality, a warm red light, like a mother's amniotic fluid, emanated from Kiana's brow, transforming into a red feather that drifted down to an empty space.

A somewhat ethereal figure was projected out from the edge of the feathers. The immortal Chi Yuan Fu Hua, wearing a tight-fitting cheongsam with a striking straight line outlining her chest and long flowing hair, appeared in the Hall of Heroes.

“Fu Hua, the newly born Herrscher of Consciousness has descended into your body. Because she absorbed the residual memories in your body, she mistakes herself for you. This misidentification will be helpful to our next actions. She will become a great asset to humanity in the fight against the Honkai. Therefore, I asked Aponia to help her strengthen this cognition. I hope you will not actively shatter her illusions,” Bai Chen said to Fu Hua.

Bai Chen hoped that Fu Hua would not return to her own body for the time being. After all, as a special being, Fu Hua did not need to reside in his own body to survive. Moreover, Bai Chen had prepared a new body for her. Even if she could not return to her own body for the time being, she would not dissipate or be injured.

Fu Hua, still dressed as a celestial being from the Divine Lands, nodded. She had been receiving information from the outside world and knew what had happened during this time. Even she had to admit that Bai Chen had indeed progressed further and faster than her in the fight against the Honkai.

“Alright, I see that the Herrscher of Knowledge is indeed very obedient to you, and I believe you can control her. However, I also need a new body that I can inhabit without excessively depleting my mental energy. If possible, Otto's Soul Steel technology would be quite good…”

Fu Hua actually took a liking to Bishop Otto's Soul Steel clone. It has to be said that it was indeed an amazing creation. Any creature with its own independent will can have its spirit reside in the Bishop's Soul Steel body. Even the artifact spirits born from the Void Treasury of the Divine Key can use those Soul Steel bodies without restriction.

However, Bai Chen had already prepared another body for Fu Hua. He reached into his pocket and took out a light blue Herrscher of Reason, which contained the relevant powers of the Herrscher of Reason. Although it was not as powerful as a real Herrscher, it was comparable to Bronya, who had only inherited the core of the third Herrscher.

Upon seeing the Worm of Reason in Bai Chen's hand, Dr. Mei was somewhat surprised but didn't say much. Initially, she seemed inclined to ask Bai Chen for the Worm of Reason, but then she reconsidered. She had almost no adaptability to Honkai energy; even the blank Divine Key she created herself, after briefly activating with the Herrscher Core, nearly killed her. The Worm of Reason's nature was somewhat similar to a Divine Key; it demanded extremely high qualifications from the user. Not to mention Dr. Mei, even Himeko Murata herself didn't actually possess the aptitude to wield a Divine Key.

"For now, you will possess this Worm of Reason. I will later give you to Xiaoshi. You will stay by her side to keep an eye on her, and at the same time, try to teach her some scientific knowledge related to the modern world."

Fu Hua glanced at the worm of reason. Although she didn't understand its structure, that didn't prevent her from understanding Bai Chen's meaning. Even if Bai Chen hadn't arranged it this way, the naturally cautious and rigid Fu Hua would have found a way to get close to her body and monitor its behavior. Moreover, now that Bai Chen had provided a ready-made opportunity, she had no reason to refuse.

So Fu Hua rolled up her Feather of the Crossing Dust and merged it into the Reason Worm.

Unlike the projection of Fu Hua's consciousness attached to the Void Worm, what has now entered the Herrscher of Reason is Fu Hua's true will, and the Feather of Reason she carries is the most crucial of all the feathers, considered the cornerstone of the entire Feather of Reason Divine Key. Furthermore, the Herrscher of Reason's ability is to create from nothing, and its most basic application is to reconstruct the body, repairing all injuries and restoring it to its original state.

The current leader of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang, is using a body recreated by Bronya. Because after Schicksal, World Serpent, and Bai Chen joined forces, the pressure from Anti-Entropy has become negligible. As long as Kevin and Otto have the time, they can immediately turn around and swallow Anti-Entropy again. Therefore, the situation there has been temporarily put on hold, to be dealt with later.

And so, before everyone's eyes, the Reason Worm was enveloped in a red light, slowly growing and expanding, becoming a real being, a Crimson Iris Immortal with flesh and blood, breath, and a heartbeat.

After stretching his limbs, clenching his fists, and jumping up and down a few times, Fu Hua let out a long breath and nodded to Bai Chen.

“Very good. In this state, I not only have the power of a Herrscher, but I can also regain the physical qualities I had when I was a Fusion Warrior. Even the power of the Taixu Divine Sword can be used normally.” After trying to activate the Taixu Divine Sword between her eyebrows, Fu Hua confirmed that the power she could now exert far exceeded that of any period in history. She then transformed into a small blue flying insect and fluttered to perch on Dr. Mei’s shoulder.

After that, as long as you find an opportunity to send Fu Hua in her Reason Worm form to Xiao Shi's side, this old-timer will naturally guide the newly born Herrscher of Knowledge onto the right path.

After all, young people should listen more to the teachings of their elders.

If it benefits the nation, I will risk my life; how could I avoid it because of personal fortune or misfortune?

After arranging matters concerning Xiao Shi, Bai Chen returned to his throne in the control room of the Hall of Heroes.

The Hall of Heroes is currently in a crucial phase of rapid development. After relocating to the Layered Rock Abyss, the Hall of Heroes can collect minerals at a much faster rate than it did in the former Dihua Continent. Moreover, this self-replicating production method of the mechanical factory is like cell division, with an exponential growth scale. Every moment, new mechanical soldiers roll off the assembly line and are simultaneously put into new production.

Bai Chen connected his mind to the near-Earth satellite constellation far above Teyvat. In the fixed pattern he had arranged before leaving, Hydra had already caused all the near-Earth satellites to unfold their forms in batches, constructing the prototype of the Olympus system in near-Earth orbit.

Now that he has returned, Bai Chen discovers that he can add a completely new module to the Olympus System. This is a way of using mental power that he had never thought of before, but now he has the knowledge of the precepts from Aponia, as well as the Consciousness Worm he obtained after simulating becoming the Herrscher of Consciousness, which makes this kind of interference possible.

"I feel like I'm becoming more and more like some kind of villain persecuting civilization. If this continues, won't I become a major villain almost indistinguishable from the will of Honkai...?"

Bai Chen muttered to himself, but still managed to retrieve the imprint of the precepts from his mental world. At the same time, he grasped the worm of consciousness that appeared in his hand and projected his mental power toward the Olympus System above.

The very core of the entire Olympus system is the creation of the Herrscher of Reason, and naturally possesses a very high compatibility with Bai Chen. Therefore, Bai Chen did not expend much effort to successfully transmit his spiritual power throughout the entire Olympus system.

The powers of the Law of Reason work together with the powers of the Law of Knowledge, interspersed with various spatial transmission devices, to achieve a faster connection effect.

If such a device were manufactured by humans, the manpower and resources required would be enough to delay the entire civilization for more than a decade. Just researching and setting up the various programs within it would consume the full effort of most of the civilization's top scientists; but before the power of the Law Enforcer, all of this is merely a matter of a thought.

Once the new system module was successfully installed on the Olympus system, Bai Chen, after confirming that the basic components were correct, immediately launched his first test across the entire Teyvat world.

Above the seven kingdoms of Teyvat, the weather changed drastically in an instant. Raging dark clouds surged in the atmosphere of every kingdom, and people in all the cities stopped in their tracks and looked up at the sky, which had suddenly changed for no apparent reason.

However, the dark clouds merely gathered without bringing thunder or torrential rain, or even a breeze, as if it were just a natural accident that had no impact on people's lives.

However, all the gods who were still conscious on the continent of Teyvat stood up in unison, and even Zhongli, who was in a sealed-off state inside the Hall of Heroes, stared wide-eyed in surprise.

In a secluded corner of the lush, green Sumeru, a silver-haired girl who had been sitting on the rooftop happily watching the bustling city pedestrians suddenly shuddered, clutched her clothes tightly to her chest, and burst into tears.

She is the goddess of grass, the most proficient deity of spirit and illusion on the entire continent of Teyvat. Therefore, she understands better than anyone else what terrifying things have just transgressed the protection of her weakened divine grace and descended upon this continent in that very instant.

A pale blue butterfly, spanning the entire continent, appeared in the connection between node after node of the Olympus System. It was the manifestation of Bai Chen's spiritual power in the spiritual world. The enhancement of the power of the Herald of Knowledge through technology has enabled such a world-covering force.

"Please, let civilization cease."

That's what the voice said.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Mental Shackles, Stars and Deep Space

Discipline, as its name suggests, can restrain the actions of the person to whom it is imposed.

In an effort to maintain the last vestiges of stability in human civilization, Aponia imposed the influence of discipline on all the soldiers in the base. Although this ultimately led to some irreversible consequences, it still demonstrates that discipline is a powerful force that can be stably controlled over a long period of time.

However, Aponia is still just a Fusion Warrior. Although she is among the top-tier Fusion Warriors, she is still no match for Bai Chen, who now possesses three Herrscher powers.

Moreover, Bai Chen has a significant advantage over other Herrschers: his Honkai energy output far exceeds that of normal Herrschers. If other Herrschers are like tapping a pipe in the ocean to release water, then Bai Chen is like digging a canal at the ocean's mouth for transporting goods.

By setting up the Olympus System, which had an influence covering the entire Teyvat world, early on, Bai Chen stabilized his spiritual power within the system, forming a massive commandment that covered the entire world.

That is a vast domain that extends to every person in the Teyvat civilization who faces the sky. No matter where you are, as long as you look up at that star-studded sky, you will be captured by the Olympus System, and a mark of discipline will be planted deep in your mind.

This can no longer be called a precept, but a mental shackle imposed on the spirit of every intelligent life by a Lawgiver with multiple powers through a colossal ring-world structure covering the entire continent.

"Bai Chen, what did you just do?"

Several communications appeared simultaneously. Although Bai Chen did not extend the power of the mental shackles to the people in the collapsed world within the Hall of Heroes, the power that affected the world could not escape the perception of Otto, Kevin, and the others.

"It's just a small experiment. The Olympus System has imposed a mental constraint on this civilization. This mental constraint will cut off the inspiration and wisdom of everyone in this civilization. Unless the Olympus System unlocks part of the constraint and grants knowledge according to the established process, this civilization will no longer produce any civilization products that require calculations of more than a thousand digits."

Bai Chen rubbed his slightly swollen temples. The mental strain from that brief moment was terrifying. He not only had to use the Herrscher of Reason's analytical abilities to learn the Commandments, but he also had to convert this mental ability into a mental module within the Olympus System. Fortunately, the Herrscher of Knowledge's omnipotence allowed Honkai energy and mental power to be mutually converted; otherwise, even with thousands more years, he wouldn't have been able to accumulate enough mental power to cover the entire civilization.

Moreover, the mental shackles are not without flaws. Besides being too vast and scattered to affect those whose strength exceeds a certain level, after the discipline ability is transformed into the mental module of the Olympus System, due to the algorithm, a redundant data is generated every 130 million cycles. This data is the inherent flaw of the mental shackles, which Bai Chen cannot solve with his current abilities.

However, this base number is extremely small in the context of the entire Teyvat world. Even if a loophole does appear due to data processing, it will not cause any ripples because the entire civilization is stagnant.

Upon hearing Bai Chen's explanation, all communications were disconnected. To them, the Teyvat world was an experimental field waiting to be cultivated. Since it was a shared experimental field, Bai Chen, as one of the leaders of this experiment, was operating within the rules no matter what he did.

Sitting alone in the control room of the Hall of Heroes, Bai Chen reviewed the Discipline Module several more times, patching up some loopholes left during its creation, before arranging for Hydra to take over the mental shackles within the Olympus System.

Just as the mental shackles were being cast downwards, Bai Chen noticed a special area on the Teyvat continent, located above Liyue Harbor and not far in front of the Lava Pit.