My days as a Simulation Herrscher since the Honkai Impact

Outside, Bai Chen opened his eyes from his reverie, and azure Honkai energy flowed from his body into the entire Hall of Heroes. The seed he had been holding disappeared into the ceiling above as the Honkai energy entered, heading towards the top of the Hall of Heroes.

The metal materials that were originally stored in warehouse after warehouse were taken away in large quantities, and the shape of the entire Hall of Heroes changed again, with a distinct spire appearing and growing straight towards the sky.

The Hall of Heroes was no longer in the form of a ship, but had transformed into a huge tower. At the top of the tower, a huge, illusory green tree bloomed, with a lush and enormous canopy growing on it. Below, thousands of long roots intertwined and entwined around the tower.

The original Void was confined to the small area of ​​Sumeru, but Bai Chen needed the Void System to cover the entire Teyvat, so the old, outdated mainframe could no longer be used. With the Great Tree King gone, Bai Chen chose to transform half of the Hall of Heroes into a towering structure reaching into the heavens, according to the original dream. At the top of the tower, he used the Olympus System to transmit the dream signal of the Void across the entire Teyvat continent.

Just as Bai Chen promised Zhong Li, the mental shackles disappeared automatically with the conversion of the Olympus System. This was originally an experiment by Bai Chen; even without the mental shackles, the natives of Teyvat would not be able to stir up any waves against the Honkai world.

The mental shackles have been replaced by a small green leaf. This green leaf does not exist in reality, but is implanted into the soul of every Teyvat who has ever been affected by the mental shackles through irresistible mental suggestion.

At first, the leaf was still ethereal, but as Valhalla gradually rose, everyone became aware of its appearance.

When the top of Valhalla pierced through the clouds and entered the heights beyond the sight of mortals, this leaf even left its own name in everyone's hearts—the Void Tree.

A massive psychic ripple spread throughout the vast world named Teyvat with the appearance of the Void Tree, and all those connected to the Void Tree saw a clear vision before their eyes.

They seemed to be in an endless red sea of ​​sand, and at the end of the sand sea stood a tree that reached the sky. No one could describe the color of that tree, nor could anyone say whether it was there or not. It was the embodiment of all wisdom and destiny in the world, revealing the truth that constitutes the world.

A man's hollow voice came down from the top of the tree, resounding in everyone's heart.

"Welcome to the Void Tree, people of Teyvat. I am Bai Chen, the Will of the Void. Remember this name, for from this day forward, I will rule this world."

P.S.: The Teyvat storyline is probably nearing its end. I'll go back to Honkai Impact to handle some loose ends, just in time for the announcement of the Stigmata Project.

Chapter Forty-Three: Virtual Humanity

A false emperor needs proclamations to spread his fame, while a true emperor can have everyone hear his holy words.

Unlike other networks, in an electronic network, each branch can slow down the host's processing power, and if too many subsystems are connected, the entire computer network can become overwhelmed and crash.

However, the mental network can draw a portion of its mental power from each individual who joins it. When you are inside the mental network, your mind effectively becomes a crossroads and transit point within the network. This is like a highly contagious plague; anyone infected becomes the next point of transmission.

Otherwise, without any relay system, no matter how strong Bai Chen's power was, it would be impossible to cover the entire Teyvat continent with just the Olympus system. It was precisely because of the unique nature of the Void Tree, a mental network, that this spread became possible.

Very few people can resist this call, and as the Void Tree expands, its power also increases.

Ningguang still held her pipe in her hand. Because she had been suddenly dragged into the spiritual world by the Void Tree, her perception of her appearance was still based on what it was like before she arrived. Although in this spiritual world, everyone could conjure up different appearances based on their imagination, Ningguang clearly hadn't realized this yet.

Like everyone else who came here, she looked up at the gigantic face of the man appearing atop the Towering Tree. Of course, she recognized this man; he was the leader of the demons from another world, the terrifying fiend who had taken away the Rock King.

"How can these demons be so powerful? Is there no limit to their power? Is Heaven simply going to stand by and watch them trample on the laws of Teyvat?"

Ningguang muttered to herself, subconsciously taking a puff of her pipe, only then realizing that she still possessed all five senses perfectly intact in this mental world. You see, in an ordinary mental illusion, let alone smoking, even the flickering flame she lit herself could shatter the already fragile illusion.

However, when she looked around, she saw a dense crowd of people that seemed to stretch endlessly. Their clothes were not only in the style of Liyue, but also in the styles of Inazuma, Mondstadt, Winterfall... It meant that almost every city-state in the world was covered by the Void Tree.

"The Void Tree will be your second home. Everyone can freely choose when to log in and out through the mark of the Void Tree. It contains everything from the real world. As long as your imagination is rich enough and you devote enough time to the Void Tree, it will naturally reward you accordingly."

Bai Chen's voice echoed within the Void Tree system, followed by countless streams of light rising above the central giant tree. These streams of light transformed into tiny falling star emblems, landing in front of everyone.

Ningguang reached out and touched the star emblem, and the bright emblem was immediately engraved on the back of her hand.

The use of the Star Emblem immediately came to her mind. The Star Emblem was actually a medium of exchange. As long as you logged in for a sufficient amount of time in the dream world of the Void Tree, or completed certain specific tasks, you could obtain Star Points, which could be used to gain knowledge or upgrade your authority level in the dream world of the Void Tree.

Inside the Hall of Heroes, countless streams of data seemed to flash through Bai Chen's eyes. The first thing he did after obtaining the Void Tree was to use this pre-existing spiritual world to construct a soul computer powered by spiritual energy.

This computer is no different from an ordinary computer, and its performance is even inferior to the most advanced computing machines in the Honkai world for the time being. However, it is located entirely within the spiritual world, using circulating spiritual power as its driving force, and can continuously perform underlying calculations.

This mental computing hub, created based on computer principles, is located within the World Tree at the center of the Imaginary Tree; in fact, the World Tree is the outer shell of this computer.

A computer that uses rigorous binary algorithms for calculation and storage is certainly more suitable to serve as the core medium of the Void Tree than the original Heart of the Grass God.

Although Bai Chen released the mental shackles of the Teyvat continent, the Void Tree replaced the original mental shackles, becoming another special kind of restriction.

The Teyvatians haven't discovered this yet, but soon they will understand that from now on, no one on the Teyvat continent will be able to invent anything outside of the plan. All publications must pass through the Imaginary Tree, and the authenticity of a paper can only be determined by the Imaginary Tree. If an inventor fails to gain recognition and starpoints from the Imaginary Tree, that memory will be completely forgotten, and they will never be able to recall the relevant data again.

Although Bai Chen lifted the restrictions on Teyvat civilization, he locked down their future technological development. At least for the next few decades, he needs the Teyvats to follow the technological path he has planned for them.

While this might stifle many people's creative ideas, the world isn't always a clear-cut right and wrong. What Bai Chen needs isn't a vibrant Teyvat continent, but a colony that can serve as a backup for the Honkai world, a backup resource mine, and a source of a large amount of cheap labor.

Even the Mora, the currency originally used throughout Teyvat, will soon suffer unprecedented devaluation. Under the blockade and suppression of the Mech Legion, many essential minerals and supplies can only be obtained from them. The Mech Legion will only accept exchanges from Star Points. With this economic system directly linked to food and precious minerals, Star Points will soon replace Mora as the most widely used virtual currency on the continent of Teyvat.

In less than a year, all the humans in this world will be inextricably linked to the Void Tree, unable to escape its control or resist the influence Bai Chen exerts on them.

Of course, Bai Chen wouldn't tell anyone about this, and no one could bypass the data limitations of the Imaginary Tree and discover the secrets within based on their own perspective. In any case, if such a peerless talent truly appeared in Teyvat, Bai Chen would be informed immediately and take that person away from the Teyvat world, thus also escaping the restrictions of the Imaginary Tree.

Combined with the Olympus System's control over Teyvat's weather, macroscopically coordinating the wind, rain, and air currents of the entire world, the mental shackles that are still located above and can be used at any time, and the mechanical legions that are spread throughout the world and can suppress all resistance by force, it can be said that this world has essentially become Bai Chen's backyard.

As Bai Chen's announcement ended, the world, which had previously consisted only of red sand and a gigantic, empty tree, underwent a dramatic transformation. Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and then they found themselves back where they had been.

The only difference was that everyone saw a small green leaf and a blue dot of light visible only to themselves.

Ningguang looked around at her familiar workbench. This was her room in Qunyu Pavilion, and she had personally handled every piece of furniture in it. But now, this once familiar place had become so strange.

As she gazed at the calligraphy brush placed beside her, a small light screen immediately popped up on the brush. The screen not only displayed the brush's exact name but also showed the price and material required for its purchase.

As Ningguang shifted her gaze to other items, the same light screen appeared on every object within her sight. Some of these prices were unknown even to Ningguang's closest maid, yet they were now clearly displayed before her eyes.

"The Void Tree, this system can actually directly access my memories and project them... No, not just project them, everything I'm thinking right now might be recorded by that system..."

Ningguang remained silent, pondering. As one of Teyvat's most prominent merchants, she immediately understood what a terrifying constraint this was.

However, Morax, the Lord who once protected Liyue Harbor, is no longer here. The once free port is now surrounded by mechanical legions, with tall and sturdy walls gradually being built. Once all the walls are completed, Liyue Harbor will be nothing more than a sitting duck for those steel monsters.

Even if she is one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, what can she do now?

"Pass down the Seven Star Decree: everyone must do everything in their power to enter the Void Tree, explore the key points of each level, and at the same time, use any means necessary to collect Star Points."

------

The Void Tree system is simply too vast. Although Bai Chen quickly created a prototype using the existing system, the effort required to refine the various details was no less than that required to construct the Void Tree.

Fortunately, we now have the support of so many people to share the burden; otherwise, relying solely on Bai Chen, it would probably have taken even longer to complete all the details.

Although the technicians of Destiny were not the experimental targets of the Void Tree, in order to reduce his workload, Bai Chen mobilized a considerable portion of the team from Dr. Mei, allowing these elites of human civilization to help him design an economic system for exchanging Star Points.

By the time everyone finished their busy work, six days had already passed since the most important preliminary work was completed.

For the past six days, Bai Chen has been sitting in the central control chair of the Hall of Heroes, surrounded by all sorts of chairs, each occupied by a technician who came to help. They wear external helmets that allow them to penetrate directly into the Void Tree, with countless pipes connecting to the ceiling above, making it look like some kind of cyberpunk cult gathering.

As for Narcida, the Grass Goddess, she had already been taken away by Dr. May. Although the Grass Goddess wasn't of any particular use, she was the only hacker in the world who still had the potential to breach the Void System. Such a crucial vulnerability couldn't be left unattended in Teyvat. Once things were settled here, Narcida would have to leave her people and head to the Honkai World to participate in the ensuing war.

Surprisingly, the Herrscher of Knowledge and the little girl Narcida got along exceptionally well. In fact, just a few days later, the two of them were happily playing games together.

When Bai Chen finally finished repairing the Void Tree system, withdrew the Honkai energy that had been overflowing from his body, and opened his eyes, a robot that had been waiting beside him handed him a mechanical part in a tray.

"Please, I just got off work, can't you give me a chance to catch my breath?" Bai Chen shrugged helplessly and couldn't help but say.

Above the mechanical parts was a sealed envelope, the paint on which clearly indicated that it came from Archbishop Otto of Destiny.

Since the portal was successfully established, allowing both sides to travel freely between the Honkai world and the Teyvat world, the archbishop has resumed his busy schedule, constantly running around and disappearing without a trace, presumably busy with something.

Bai Chen had just completed the expansion of the Imaginary Tree across the entire Teyvat world when Otto sent a letter. Without even thinking, it was clear that it couldn't be anything good.

But since the letter had already been delivered to him, he couldn't ignore it. Bai Chen could only lament his busy life while picking up the letter to see what surprise the archbishop had left for him.

"...This is really something. As expected of Otto. After not seeing him for a while, he has indeed been quietly preparing a big move."

Even with Bai Chen's composure, he couldn't help but rub his disheveled hair and then let out a long sigh.

The story of what happened to Otto during this period has not been told before, but how could the most troublesome inventor in the Honkai world, who has the entire destiny in his hands, be idle in this vast world?

The reason he hasn't appeared yet is that, without a word, he quietly led the Void Treasury to the territory where the Abyss is located.

Logically speaking, the world of Teyvat has two most important factions: the human order represented by the principles of nature, and the resistance represented by the Abyss. Although when Bai Chen and his companions first arrived in this world, the Abyss Prince, the Traveler Kong, was hit by a nuclear bomb dropped by Kiana and the three thinkers, how could a single nuclear bomb possibly kill the mighty Son of the Abyss?

The explosion did indeed cause significant losses to the Abyss Legion, but after a brief regrouping, Sora realized the immense threat posed by these otherworldly demons. He decided to temporarily set aside past grievances, unite with forces on the ground, and seek out his sister, Ying, to help them form an alliance to jointly defeat the otherworldly demons.

However, before the coalition he envisioned could be formed, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the Abyss.

Otto Apocalypse, the Archbishop of Destiny, has come with his beloved Void Treasury to vie for the throne from the Prince of the Abyss!

Chapter Forty-Four: Otto, Lord of the Abyss, Bishop Apocalypse

The abyss of the Teyvat world is very similar in form to the Quantum Sea in the Honkai world.

The quantum sea and the imaginary tree together constitute the two sides of Earth's planetary space, with the real world as the intersection. Above is the flourishing imaginary tree, while below is the boundless and spreading quantum sea.

It's hard to say whether the Sea of ​​Quanta is stealing energy from the Tree of Imaginary Numbers, or whether the Tree of Imaginary Numbers is drawing nourishment from the Sea of ​​Quanta to grow.

The Abyss in the Genshin Impact world has a similar relationship to the real world. The Abyss can never be destroyed. As long as the Teyvat continent, maintained by the laws of nature, exists, the Abyss will coexist with it forever.

Otto was very interested in the form of the Abyss and the reasons for its existence. Since his Soul Steel body was neither afraid of erosion nor decay, after expending some effort to find a ready-made entrance to the Abyss, he immediately threw his prepared exploration-type Soul Steel body into the Abyss.

Coming from the real world to the Abyss is like diving into the ocean. The Abyss is not entirely dark; within it lies another world not unlike the continent of Teyvat. Although it lacks the sun's radiance and warmth, it is illuminated by many unique bioluminescent fungi.

Many Hilichurls gather in twos and threes in various thickets or huge mushroom forests in the Abyss. If Otto had ever been to Mount Sumeru, he would have been surprised to find that these huge mushroom forests and all the mushroom trees in Mount Sumeru came from the same source.

They built their own civilization in the abyss, using wood and grass to construct structures that, though ancient and worn, possessed unique patterns and totem designs.

According to Otto's observations, each Hilichurl settlement has at least one Abyss Mage in charge. Different Hilichurl settlements even worship totems of different elemental Abyss Mages. These totems are not only symbolic but also important tools for elemental communication. The number of totems determines the size of the Hilichurl settlement. Some Hilichurls can worship two or three totems at the same time, and some burly warriors can even use some rudimentary elemental power.

For example, you can use grass elements to create a shield in your hand, or attach burning flames to your long-handled great axe.

This is a race with a complete civilization, and they even have a unique language that is difficult for outsiders to understand. Although they are backward, in the primitive period of sacrificial worship, they are still far more powerful than human civilizations of the same era.

According to the intelligence gathered, these Hilichurls were once the people of Kanria. They were transformed into their current form by a curse from the heavens, evolving from humans into intelligent monsters that can only live in the abyss.

"Even in such an abyss, civilizations have been born and evolved. This world is indeed unusually complete, far surpassing those other broken world bubbles."

Otto traveled through the abyss, passing countless Hilichurl settlements. He even collected several Hilichurl slime self-heating cauldrons and the special delicacies cooked within them. These Hilichurls had formed a strange symbiosis with the slimes unique to Teyvat, feeding them with fire, lightning, and vegetation, while simultaneously placing the slimes within their containers to create a wondrous energy source.

Although he hadn't disturbed any creatures in the abyss along the way, Kong, as the ruler of the abyss, still discovered these uninvited guests. Moreover, Otto hadn't deliberately concealed himself, and so several abyss messengers appeared before him.

Even in the vast and boundless abyss, the Abyss Messengers are among the strongest beings. The relationship between these Abyss Messengers and the abyss is similar to that between the holders of the Eye of God and the Seven Gods; each of them can wield a unique power and can even take human form, possessing human appearance and intelligence.

There are now seven apostles standing before Otto, representing the seven elemental powers. These seven apostles are important messengers under the Abyss Prince Kong, with the fire apostle clearly in the lead. He first stepped past the crowd and stood opposite Otto.

"The abyss has its own beauty, but strangers from another world, please leave the abyss and do not linger. This is not a place for you. People from the outside world should stay in the outside world."

His voice was deep and resonant, possessing a unique beauty.

But Otto just smiled, as if the fire apostle in front of him was telling a ridiculous joke.

"I don't know if you have the means to observe the Teyvat continent. If you do, you should know that the outside world has changed drastically. Even Teyvat belongs to us, let alone a mere abyss."

The archbishop with long golden hair opened his arms to face the seven apostles of the abyss, and a seven-colored crystal necklace hung down from his neck.

That crystal necklace is the Void Treasury. As a Divine Key created using the core of the Herrscher of Reason, the Void Treasury not only stores an immense amount of knowledge, but also has the special ability to transform into any other object.

It can even imitate other keys of the gods without any problem. Similarly, it can imitate miracles that do not exist in the world and should only appear once.

Seven-colored light spread outwards from Otto's soul steel body, and all the Abyss Apostles illuminated by the light lost control of their bodies as if they were frozen in place.