However,
as Herta gradually invaded and attempted to crack the firewall,
Herta felt something was wrong.
"Huh... why are these architectural logics exactly the same as my habits?"
During the deciphering process, Herta felt like she wasn't facing off against an unfamiliar enemy.
Instead, it felt like she was confronting another version of herself.
While this firewall couldn't stop the real Herta,
the logic, habits, and architectural style were not just similar to her own—they were completely identical.
For a moment, Herta was momentarily stunned, thinking,
Did I, perhaps, in a moment of boredom, write a firewall specifically for the Herta Space Station, only to forget about it?
"How can this genuinely look like something I wrote? Is this right? Did I really write this? No, no... Hiss..."
The more she thought about it, the more Herta felt it resembled her own work.
Because if she were to write a firewall for the Herta Space Station,
she would only spare a little effort to write something functional and good enough.
Yet, this firewall—from its concept to its strength—was exactly what she would have created!
"This is genuinely strange. I thought it was someone from the Masked Fools or the Garden of Recollection causing trouble, but now it seems that's not quite right..."
Herta's invasion speed began to slow down.
And she fell into deep thought.
She initially thought it was a Masked Fool or a Memokeeper causing trouble.
But even if they could perfectly imitate her face, they couldn't possibly imitate her brain as well.
If it were that easy to imitate, the number of geniuses in the universe wouldn't be ranked at 83.
"Could it be... that there's a Curio in this world that can perfectly replicate a person? Or is some Aeon just looking for fun?"
After all, the world is vast and full of wonders.
Herta's first guess was that it might be the function of some strange Curio.
Her second reaction was that Aha was behind it.
Though abstract, Aha had done more abstract things before.
Herta's eye twitched, and she wore a look of disgust.
If Aha had truly been messing with her Space Station,
then the Space Station might have to be discarded.
...
Meanwhile,
'Herta' knew the moment the original appeared that Madam Herta had discovered him.
Moreover, on his panel,
his lifespan, which was originally less than a day, and the draw progress bar, which was less than 10%,
had begun to increase dramatically just a few minutes ago!
[Character Impersonation System]
[Name: Baiming (Great Herta)]
[Lifespan: 37:00:26 (Paused) + 2 Days (Character Impersonation)]
[Available Transformation Characters: Great Herta]
[Available Draw Count: 0 (33.2%)]
The lifespan accumulated over the previous twenty-something days was only a little over ten hours.
It had nearly doubled after being discovered by Herta.
The accumulated draw progress bar below was even more significant.
In these few short minutes, it had almost surged to 33%. His judgment was correct.
The emotional fluctuation from the original person certainly resulted in much richer rewards.
There was only about a day and a half of impersonation time left.
It really was almost time to conclude.
He still needed about half a progress bar to reach the next draw.
Hmm, it looks like he needs to put in some serious effort next.
'Herta' thought this.
Her left thumb gently stroked the ring on her middle finger.
Then, a faint blue light flashed.
A spatial gate shimmering with firelight formed in front of 'Herta'.
And the other end of the door,
was the empty Curio Storage Room.
Only the Allspark, at the very center, floated lonely in mid-air.
'Herta' stood still, and instead, the spatial gate actively moved and swallowed her whole.
Arriving in the Curio Storage Room,
'Herta' reached out and passed through the barrier. The moment she touched the Allspark, she activated it and marked the entire Space Station as the target for modification.
Vwoom—!
The Allspark began to tremble violently.
This was a sign of high-power draw of Imaginary Energy.
The Space Station's volume was extremely large.
After all, its original purpose was to be designed to accommodate a vast number of Curios.
The Imaginary Energy required to modify a giant creation of this scale was extraordinary.
Then, very quickly.
A blinding beam of light erupted from the Allspark, striking the metal base below fiercely.
But the beam did not cause damage; instead, it transformed into huge energy tides, rapidly spreading throughout the entire Space Station!
AI Herta, of course, detected the existence of this event instantly.
But AI Herta had assisted when 'Herta' was creating the Allspark.
So, it was the one who was most aware of what was about to happen.
Therefore, AI Herta once again broadcast an emergency announcement across all frequencies:
"Attention all Space Station personnel, please immediately enter the nearest cabin, sit down firmly in the closest chair, and fasten your seatbelts—the Herta Space Station is about to experience its first impact!"
The broadcast, accompanied by the Space Station's vibrations, reached everyone's ears.
And the warning began to repeat constantly.
Naturally, Madam Herta, who had just broken through the firewall, also received this unencrypted broadcast.
"What does this mean, hmm? The Imaginary Energy reaction is rapidly increasing?! Wait a minute... is that pointy-headed imposter trying to blow up the Space Station?!"
Madam Herta was startled by the Imaginary Energy reaction detected by her mirrors.
She didn't care about anything else and immediately hacked into the Space Station's broadcast system, issuing a severe warning:
"Damn it! If you dare to destroy the Space Station while wearing my face, I, Herta, swear I will have you tormented in a cage until the end of the universe!!"
No sooner had she spoken.
The entire Herta Space Station suddenly shook violently!
Buzz—
Accompanied by a strange energy ripple spreading out in the vacuum.
The giant Space Station, which was quietly floating in orbit, suddenly began to rapidly dismantle and reassemble.
And the personnel inside the Space Station were naturally taken care of.
Everyone was carried by the chairs beneath them and transferred into a newly reconstructed space.
The Herta Space Station, right in front of Madam Herta,
changed its form in a way that clearly violated the Space Station's design logic.
It ultimately transformed into a huge, mechanical, big-headed Herta, holding a massive mechanical hammer!
And then—
It stood up!
"Hello, hello, everyone! I wish you all a delightful day... Time for a little twirl~ Gulu lu~"
The lively AI Herta immediately started swinging its hammer and performed a twirling demonstration.
This scene left everyone, both on the Blue Planet and the Space Station personnel, completely dumbfounded.
Especially the technical staff who had participated in the Space Station's design—they had no idea when the Space Station in the sky had become a giant robot?!
At the same time,
'Herta' saw the numbers on his panel once again jump significantly:
[Character Impersonation System]
[Name: Baiming (Great Herta)]
[Lifespan: 53:00:26 (Paused) + 2 Days (Character Impersonation)]
[Available Transformation Characters: Great Herta]
[Available Draw Count: 0 (55.2%)]
It's increasing incredibly fast.
'Herta' smiled slightly.
Looking at the Allspark in front of him, which had already suppressed its energy and been contained again.
He probably wouldn't need to face Madam Herta directly next.
These remaining gains should be enough to fully charge his draw count.
"Hmm~ Time to go."
'Herta' was about to activate the ring to escape.
But suddenly, a voice like a vengeful spirit came from behind her:
"Leaving? Where do you think you're going? How about you come sit in my mirror for a while? Im—pos—tor—"