Chapter 89

【TITANIA】!

The supreme empress of the former Grammer Empire, the faith of all Grammer Iron Riders!

Hermes’ will-projection flickered faintly, finally anchoring itself in this timeline, no longer cast out by the torrent of time.

“Is this the 【Fantasy of the Grammer Empire】?”

Black Tower watched Hermes’ actions with keen interest.

Named 【The Throne】, but in truth a prison of dreams, built to construct a fantasy realm called 【Grammer Empire】 for the illusory empress, 【Titania】.

Titania’s entire life unfolded within the dream woven by the Grammer Council—they crafted for her a dream realm called 【Grammer Empire】.

Then, in reality, they forged for this illusory empress the cold weapon known as 【Grammer Iron Riders】.

Finally, under the empress’s blessing, they charged into battle, endlessly falling along the path of rushing toward the swarm…

Biological weapons perished alongside the swarm, while these Grammer Council elders merely uttered:

“Keep playing! Keep dancing!”

And another drunken, dreamlike day passed…

“...How was the beautiful dream the Grammer Council wove for Itachi?”

A voice tinged with sigh rose beside the girl: “Titan…ia.”

A will lingering across time and space appeared in this era.

After arriving in this era, Hermes swiftly used his methods to determine the current time period.

After the Cosmic Insect Catastrophe.

At this moment, Grammer faced only a scattered, remote swarm.

Yet even so, many civilizations that had survived the darkest ages still fell at this very moment, just before dawn.

“So this is how Lyu Kage and the others were born?”

Hermes sighed—he saw, within transparent cultivation chambers, countless individuals resembling Lyu Kage, immersed in cold artificial amniotic fluid, wrapped in white eggs.

These weapons, produced solely for war, swayed in their containers, yet instinctively pressed against the walls, curling into corners…

In their dim, nascent consciousness, they were implanted with ideological steel stamps, fed the dream of the Grammer Empire.

Then they watched as each newly “born” child, in dreams, walked before a blurred woman seated upon a throne…

“Burn fiercely—for Grammer’s future…”

“Everything—for the Empress!”

Figures moved in the crowd, and among them was one labeled 【AR-】.

Hermes said nothing, merely watching silently.

Having smuggled himself into this temporal node, he had unlocked many restrictions and could now alter much within his capacity.

Yet some things still could not be changed.

For example—

Lyu Kage, the individual known as 【AR-】.

Because she was the temporal anchor through which Hermes could interfere in this era.

If he altered her, Hermes would likely be expelled from this era in an instant.

Grammer Council.

In the hall, council members reveled beneath dazzling crystal chandeliers, drunk on revelry.

“As the assembly line grows more efficient, military funding has been halved again.”

A plump councilor sipped his wine, clear as crystal, and smiled strangely at his companion: “The front should be nearly pacified, yes?”

“It’s time to let 【Titania】 disappear—her mental state has become increasingly unstable.”

“Better eliminate this hazard sooner rather than later…”

While Grammer Iron Riders fought to the death against the swarm on the front, the Grammer elders behind revelled in decadence…

Ignoring these insect-like vermin, Hermes arrived at a heavily monitored location—the illusory Throne.

There, he silently observed the empress lost in her dream.

“So… 【Titania】 was, in truth, a product of breeding!”

When tuning Lyu Kage’s body, Hermes had already sensed it.

He didn’t know how the Grammer people had managed it.

In terms of existence, Titania’s nature was scarcely different from that of a Breeding Insect King.

Yet it was only similar—she still belonged to the human category.

“Titania.”

A whisper from a temporal reflection poured endless information directly into her mind.

Finally, a will bound by layers of chains showed a flicker of clarity—and fragmented words began reaching Hermes: “Help… help… the children…”

“As Itachi wish, Titania!”

Hermes’ lips curled slightly—all conditions had been met. The pact was sealed—

Divine Descent Technique!

Hermes’ reflection slowly walked before Titania.

Then, he entered the body of the empress trapped in her dream.

Finally, a flash of emerald light appeared in 【Titania】’s eyes.

Far away, countless Grammer Iron Riders felt a strange sensation at that moment.

It was…

“Everything—for the Empress!”

The riders suddenly, instinctively, murmured the phrase etched into their very bones.

Though Openness, Wisdom, and Purity would all accept Hermes’ will—even a mere fragment of it—

In this Honkai: Star Rail universe, he remained the Envoy bearing the Three Paths.

Yet to avoid detection by 【Balance】, Hermes quietly sensed the latent power within this body.

Invisible path-energy was drawn toward this vessel…

Undoubtedly, this was the power of 【Breeding】.

All Grammer Iron Riders originated from 【Titania】.

In essence, 【her】 existence itself embodied the 【Breeding】 Path—she was a miniature 【Insect King】.

Now, with a slight stir, a tidal wave of path-power surged forth, rejoicing.

And was accepted, mastered, by the grand will within this vessel.

In this age when the 【Insect King】 had fallen, the 【Breeding】 Path, facing Hermes—a being on the verge of godhood—offered little resistance through 【Titania】’s body as its medium.

Thus, silently, across the cosmos, none knew that a new, supreme Envoy of 【Breeding】 had been born!

“Hmm?”

Within the Envoy of Breeding’s vision, emerald eyes pierced countless lingering “traces.”

These “traces” resonated with the current 【Titania】, filling her with profound familiarity.

They were… the dying echoes of 【Breeding】’s creations.