"This should be it, right?" Star knocked on the door, then confidently began examining the grey door itself.
"This is the place, but..." Why isn't the door opening?
Tian An remembered that in the game, it opened automatically as soon as you approached.
"Open Sesame?" Star pressed herself against the door, her cheek practically merging with it.
"It's not a voice-activated password door, Star," Tian An watched Star, wanting to laugh. With a lively treasure like sassy Star around, the atmosphere wouldn't grow cold.
"Could it be broken... Hey!" Before Star could finish, the door suddenly swung open. Having lost her support, Star fell straight to the ground.
"Are you okay, Star?" Tian An quickly went over and helped Star up.
"Tsk... does this door have a delay?" Star stood up shakily, rubbing her head. She definitely needed to demand extra compensation from Herta later!
The two walked inside, and the large door immediately closed behind them, feeling like some strange person was luring beautiful young girls in.
"Say, you don't think we're about to be abducted, do you?" Star slowly walked further into the room, where a small Herta figure... puppet... stood.
"There's a portrait here too," Star walked up to a holographic image, looking at the person displayed within.
There was also a line of text below, providing a character introduction.
Meanwhile, Tian An had already walked to the far end of the room, the place where one would later enter the Simulated Universe.
She glanced at the huge image projected above, then shifted her attention back to the Herta puppet.
To get a closer look, she moved nearer.
The puppet's eyes looked incredibly real. If it weren't for the lack of highlights and the visible joints on its body right now, it could perhaps pass for the real thing.
Trying to talk to it now would probably only yield robotic answers.
"What kind of person do you think Miss Herta is?" Star had somehow sidled up next to her.
After this question was asked, the puppet seemed to flip a switch, suddenly lifting its head.
"Miss Herta is unparalleled! Miss Herta is..." Halfway through, the puppet seemed to disconnect, becoming motionless again.
"Why did it stop talking?" Star poked the puppet's cheek. The puppet had the dead feeling of a teammate suddenly disconnecting during a crucial team fight, completely still.
"Maybe it got interfered with?" Seeing Star poking it, Tian An also reached out her naughty little hand and touched the puppet's head.
"Remember to be very careful!" — Asta
"Feel good?"
"Feels pretty good, hehe," Star replied reflexively, the corners of her mouth turning up.
"Uh... Star," Tian An had already backed far away, because she noticed a pair of eyes staring at them.
"Hm?" Star turned her head and saw Tian An looking at her awkwardly. She squeezed the puppet's head again.
...
"How long are you going to keep touching?" The owner of the voice sounded distinctly impatient and unfriendly.
"Uh... um," Star quickly retracted her hand.
"Or perhaps, you want a taste of the diamonds I make?" Herta smoothed her hair. It was, after all, a puppet made in her image; appearance was important.
"Miss Herta, why did you ask us here?" Seeing Star about to get lectured, Tian An quickly changed the subject.
"Hmph, I'll deal with you later," Herta didn't pursue it further; there was no need to get worked up over a kid.
"I won't beat around the bush. A few colleagues and I are working together on a big project. If successful, it could crack a major problem that has puzzled us for thousands of Amber Eras: the secrets of the Aeons."
(It could also unlock a brand new meme: Come test it.)
(The author adds here.)
(You, get lost.)
(Okay, sob sob sob...)
"Aeons! Think about it, such wondrous beings! Some Aeons were once ordinary mortals like us, but somehow, they gained power beyond our imagination! Their mysteries can't be explained in just a few words!"
Although Herta's expression didn't change much, her eyes betrayed her fervor.
Are there any ordinary mortals present here though...?
"How were They born? Why were They born? What purpose were They born for! I ask you, have you ever thought about these questions?"
"No," Star answered decisively.
She was just a baby, born only a few hours ago. She didn't even know what Aeons were, why would she think about these things?
"Or... 42?" Star felt her answer might have been inappropriate and added.
"What 42? Were you even listening to me? And you, your name is Theresia, right? Haven't you thought about it? Also, why can't I add you as a friend?" Herta felt ignored. Herta felt very indignant.
"Uh... I really haven't thought about it," Tian An shook her head. She used to be only a semi-lore enthusiast; why would she ponder things about Aeons that only scientists would think about?
Even now, there was still a lot of plot she didn't know.
"As for friends... I actually don't have a phone," Tian An said, embarrassed.
"Ha? No phone? What planet are you, some primitive from? You don't even have a phone?"
Mm... in a sense, Tian An really was a primitive.
"Forget it, you two seem like problem children. Anyway, this huge machine contains a world. Although it's virtual, it's no different from the world we inhabit," Herta gave up trying to explain further and started briefing the two.
Now, the two of them really looked like primitives.
"I call it the Metaverse," Herta stated confidently.
Meanwhile, Tian An was looking around again.
That's right, she was being bothered by that strange sound again.
But this time, it wasn't words, but a burst of chaotic static.
How strange. Is someone playing with a radio installed inside my body?
"Hey, what are you looking around at again?" Herta felt her dignity had been trampled. No one had ever dared to ignore her before. If she weren't interested in them, she would have thrown these two out long ago.
Could this pink-hair also have a hidden Stellaron in her body?
"Did you guys hear some noise?" Tian An tried to seek confirmation.
"No," the other two felt the place was perfectly quiet. What noise?
Even Star started to feel Tian An was being a bit paranoid.
"Alright, stop changing the subject. This Metaverse, that's the name of the virtual world we created."
"What a weird name. Isn't that just chasing clout?" Star's words hit the nail on the head.
"Even you think so?" Herta didn't refute it, because many people had already told her the name was strange before.
"The era of the Metaverse is over, now it's the era of Big AI!"
"But I brought you here to test it, why care about the name? If it really bothers you, just pick a name yourself."
"Me? Then let's call it Star's World!"
"No attributions allowed."
"Eh? Then... Bat-Hero World!"
"..."