Chapter 895

Isn't there any other genius who tried to solve the anti-organic equation? After all, in her view, this equation is like a doomsday incantation; as long as inorganic life whispers its recitation, countless stars will forever be erased from the sky.

You might consider Professor Laatio and Luosi Gumu." Einstein's voice sounded calmly, "Professor Laatio has been the most outstanding leader in the academic field of Truth University since the Amber Era, but... alas."

No matter how mortals tiptoe, they can never reach the threshold of genius.

Probably no human can truly comprehend the anti-organic equation; if someone could balance both sides of the equation, they would undoubtedly be the savior of the universe.

——

Xing opened their eyes.

Silence——a kind of silence unique to space, almost tangible. The sleeping pod beneath was soft and slightly cool, the transparent canopy had slid open, revealing the metallic ceiling above. Several indigo indicator lights blinked rhythmically, like breathing.

As the long-term test subject for the simulated universe designated by Miss Black Tower, Star thought she had grown accustomed to the disorienting sensation of linking consciousness to the simulated universe; when she stepped barefoot on the floor, the cool sensation made her instantly alert.

Directly ahead was the cockpit; through the huge arc-shaped observation window, one could see the outer starry sky.

Star walked to the window and, without thinking, pressed her hand against the glass, looking outward.

In the distance were a few planets; farther out, starlight shone, and nebulae spread like gauze across the dark backdrop. But after she stared for a moment, a strange sensation crept up her spine.

The positions of those 'planets' were wrong.

They were arranged too neatly—not the random distribution natural celestial bodies would have, but a precise geometric formation—the pure beauty of mathematics at this moment materializing, turning the heavens' stars into a poetic melody. Only when Star rubbed her eyes, trying to observe more closely, did she see what was flowing across those 'planets'.

It was not a convective layer filled with ionized bodies, but layer upon layer of metallic structure, like some kind of ultra-large-scale integrated circuit board magnified a hundred million times. She could see light points flowing across it—not the light of lava or atmospheric phenomena, but electric sparks from data streams flashing along the lines, racing incessantly along preset paths; those lights sometimes converged into torrents, sometimes dispersed into fine threads, weaving a vast net covering the entire surface of the 'planet'.

These are mechanical 'planets' composed of countless computing units!

But because this planet was truly enormous, even from her spacecraft she could not see its entirety. Star went to the other side of the ship, yet when she could see more clearly, an unprecedented shock overwhelmed her.

Nebulae were no longer ethereal gauze but precisely outlined halos, cold parameters indicating energy levels; and the stars farther out were merely a row of planetary-scale computers forming a computational array, their light nothing more than signal lights blinking between the lines.

"What... is this?" Star asked the air, suppressing her inner shock.

"Miss Star, this is the Scepter system." The voice of Luosi Gumu sounded calmly from midair, "During the Second Imperial War, Rupert II, referencing the Sage of Broad Knowledge's way of thinking, fabricated this cluster of inorganic biomimetic neurons."

——

Original God.

Could Rupert II really do something like this?

Albedo stared in shock at the firmament; although after experiencing the cosmic locust plague and the First Imperial War he had gained some understanding of the illusory world beyond Teyvat's false heavens, seeing that this entire river of stars was entirely a man-made product, a powerful shock gripped him deeply.

His teacher, known as "the Golden" Laindolt, had created among her works the magic dragon Durin, which once brought great disaster to humanity; yet compared to these star-like celestial bodies, how insignificant her teacher's creations were!

"So just who exactly is this Rupert II?" Falgaria walked over holding a glass of dandelion wine, "What are these machine-like stars called... the Scepter? What is he making them for? By emulating the Sage of Broad Knowledge's way of thinking, does he intend to become the Star God of Knowledge?"

"Impossible." Albedo shook his head decisively, "Unless a broader path emerges, swallowing the Path of Knowledge, or a Star God–level being acts against the Sage of Broad Knowledge, killing Him."

Albedo gazed unblinking at the 'star cluster' in the sky; this expanse of 'scattered stars' adorned by geniuses for the universe truly made him intensely curious.

Just how many worlds' resources did Rupert II gather to create this starry sky? What is the purpose of the system built by imitating the Sage of Broad Knowledge's way of thinking? He instinctively thought…… the purpose of this 'starfield' was not to slaughter organic life—if it were merely indiscriminate slaughter, Rupert II would have had a more efficient means.

The Sage of Broad Knowledge holds all knowledge in the universe; imitating a god's way of thinking, could Rupert II's aim be to think like a god? But what does that have to do with his launching the Second Imperial War?

——

"This is merely a part of the Scepter system; the Scepter permeates every star domain of Rupert II's empire, faithfully carrying out orders of observation, computation, and intervention. Under certain conditions, these celestial‑level computational interference devices can even temporarily disturb the physical laws within a region."

"Is Rupert II also an inorganic lifeform?"

Luosi Gumu's voice sounded calm: "Rupert II claims to have inherited all the memories of the Genius Club #27 Emperor Rupert, and has launched the second anti‑organic war sweeping the cosmos. His brutality surpasses that of the first generation, and afterward the Interstellar Peace Company repeatedly examined his remains, ultimately concluding: #Rupert II is a flesh‑and‑blood being."

Star instantly felt a tingling numbness on her scalp.

"You mean… an organic lifeform launched the anti‑organic war?"

"He considers himself to be inorganic life."

Luosi Gumu's projection appeared beside Star, he snapped his fingers with a sharp 'pop', and Star was transferred to a sealed research facility.

Inside the research facility it was dim and lightless, empty of anyone, except for a central room sealed off by thick glass.

"Miss Star, you are now inside the simulated universe. Suggestion: you may pass through the glass door to make close contact with what lies within." Luosi Gumu said.

Star complied; at the instant she touched the door, her body turned into a blue data stream, and the next second she appeared inside, where the sight before her was…… the universe?

Star rubbed her eyes.

No, not the universe, but a machine disassembled to its limits—or rather the remains of a precision construct, where the smallest screw is speck‑sized, reflecting needle‑point glints in the light, and the largest metal plate is no bigger than Star's palm; springs, screws, and bearings all float midair, yet each part does not touch another, like dust in a star system.

"This is…" Star reached out, but her hand was merely a blue data stream, passing straight through a screw.

"The Rupert Empire's difference engine." Luosi Gumu said, "Actually, this is the difference engine designed by Rupert I, but it entered the historical stage during the Second Imperial War. This machine continually upgraded its computing power and decision‑making ability during the war, almost trending toward becoming a third‑generation emperor. Fortunately, the wreckage of this machine has now been disassembled by the company and sealed away in multiple research facilities—this is one of them."

"Be careful, Miss Star; every component of this machine—from the largest metal plate down to the tiniest screw—has been inscribed with the anti‑organic equation, and any device that contacts it will suffer invasion by that equation."