Path of the Stars- Chapter 20 (Patreon)

Staring at the Hyperspace Engine in front of me and the downloaded public books on the knowledge of general hyperspace technology and advancements. I realized something very crucial.

My ability to absorb and process information was laughably, comically so much stronger than I imagined that it stunned me. And I realized what it meant with my reincarnation and my cheat being the ability to walk any Path I could attune myself towards.

I was a genius. But not a Genius like The Herta, Ruan Mei, Zandar, or the other geniuses of Honkai Star Rail whose minds were for the exploration of knowledge were driven towards that avenure.

I... I just got how things worked and how to MAKE things that worked the way I wanted. I looked at this third-generation Hyperspace engine from the Corellian shipyards and with full background knowledge of its makeup, the materials and principles behind it. 

I could intuit how to make it better. Not only that, but it didn't take me long to figure out how to further infuse the hyperspace engine with the corruptive life force of the Abundance. So that it could heal and regulate itself.

And combining its sensors to the ship's own navigation system, it was able to instinctively avoid nearby gravity wells such as the planets we were speeding by in the Hyperspace subdimension.

Then I had another thought. What was the actual difference between the Forerunner's Slipspace subdimension and this very Hyperspace as well? Was there any difference at all besides the Forerunner's Slipspace being slightly better than Hyperspace?

Then it struck me after a long study of the hyperspace engine and all the knowledge I had remembered from the old Halo books of my past life. "Slipspace is a deep-sea dive in comparison to Hyperspace's shallow dipping into a higher dimension!" I realized powerfully.

Slipspace was far more stable and safe from heavy gravity bodies in real space. Did have the very, very rare issue of somewhat extreme time dilation happening between jumps. And that was because they had dived too deep into the Slipspace dimension.

A far easier way to imagine it was thus. The entire universe is but a single ocean planet; deep, deep down, the water itself is denser. So while 'swimming' to get further across the world's surface, you are making far more distance relative to the world's core the deeper you are.

But cosmic relativity was just one thing. What was so important was making technology that could, in fact, prove and act upon those cosmic laws.

"Hyperspace is entered by using a hyperspace engine which creates a wormhole into the hyperspace dimension via launching the ship alongside super heavy atoms in the engine moving faster than the speed of light itself." I muttered before I sent a quick message out.

Telling them that I was taking us out of Hyperspace to enter realspace again to synch up with any Holonet points. But in reality, I was actually going to check a few things online before I did this experiment on the spare hyperspace generator we had in this hauler's storage.

Because I was reminded about the Loth-wolves. Massive wolves that could travel hyperspace literally without any ships or anything with their insane force sensitivity. As well as reaching the World Between Worlds, which was a very specifically force-based sub-dimension that linked all worlds together.

I went to the spare hyperspace engine, and I forced it to become alive with the power of Abundance. And I formed a connection with the now living and internally screaming engine.

I began my experiments. Seeing what happened, what was stressed, what changed when I changed how the hyperspace brought the ship itself into hyperspace with my own body's connection with the engine.

And in synching myself up with the engine. I felt it. I could... Literally feel the ship around me, which was also alive as we traveled into Hyperspace, and then I pushed the engine harder, I pushed the ship itself harder as I pulled at the Imaginary Energy within myself as well.

The ship itself created silver and gold sparks as it just... Felt right as I pushed us to explore deeper into an entirely new dimension that was barely understood, and then stars exploded inside of my mind.

The roar of stars being born and being left behind, as the scream of metal twisting, and wood shattering filled my ears. But mere physical sensation wasn't the most important as a loud rumble filled my ears as a bright red star pulled my mind into darkness.

-

'Blinking' away the feeling of being pulled across space and time as I was pulled into the Path Space. I looked up, wondering where my homie Yaoshi was... Only to be fucking blasted in the ears by an Emperor Class Titan as Nous, 'The Droid Head,' and the Aeon of Erudition greeting me in the cosmic speech of its own.

[Enlightenment- New path of intergalactic travel found, use of Sub-Dimensional travel not requiring the use of the Fallen Path of Trailblazes Silver Rails.]

I just stared at Nous the stupidly massive circular machine with the piercing red laser-like eye focused on me. And I finally asked the incarnation of learning and wisdom my own question.

"Which woman in your own universe, to the human's own common sense of taste. Is the most beautiful in all aspects?" 

Because what the hell else was I going to ask Nous? What is a god? What is a soul? Where can I find immortality? 

Those questions had zero value to me because I already knew my soul had reincarnated. A path to Immortality?

I laughed at the thought and question

To say nothing of having reincarnated again, but I literally had Yaoshi on speed dial who would throw hands to save my soul and reincarnate me again with their overwhelming Abundant mercy.

I didn't 'want' to really go to the universe of HSR either, for all that this combined universe had the horrific Flood, Chaos Gods, Reapers, and other horrors.

HSR had far higher power levels. Put the Chaos Gods, hell, a Grave Mind or even the Hive Mind itself against an Emanator of Destruction. 

And there would be one less cosmic horror for sure. 

Plus I didn't expect Nous to just show up in front of me. I honestly expected to maybe jump onto the Path of Trailblaze with how I improved the Hyperspace drive. So it's not like I had time to come up with a perfect question to ask the incarnation of wisdom and learning.

Still, Nous the Erudition rumbled with it's giant eye of light brightening before it responded. [Answer- The Herta if Idrila had not fallen would have become an Emanator of the Path of Beauty.]

"That is a load of nonsense! Look at the Herta, she is almost as flat as a board, in terms of appearance, Ruan Mei is alot better then Herta!" I said in exasperation as I looked at Nous and called him out. "You are just showing favoritism for the generally better super genius."

Then my face twitched as Nous responded in bluntly. [Denial- The Herta's relative superiority is based on data gathered on the fascination other life forms display for her and especially her puppets.]

'This damned droid head. His Ai is corrupted by weirdo's who simp for Herta's little dolls.' I thought with disgust.

My question for Nous was answered and thus... The heartless droid's gleaming crimson gaze became stronger as the Path of Erudition was opened, with dense imaginary energy flooding into my body as I was summarily kicked out of the Path Space by the Aeon.

As I came back to myself and feeling the new strength within my body. I couldn't help but grumble out even as I felt Nous pull away from my mind and soul. "Fucking rude much."

But then I froze as when I went to clench my hand. My hand closed around something metal, thin and very strong.

I looked down and the reason why I froze was not only because I had a very familiar train ticket in my hand now. But my energy stores wasn't just influenced by the newly arrived Erudition.

"Jake! The ship turned into a low-technology-style train! What the hell did you do?!" Kali ever so helpfully yelled at me as I realized that even the storage room I was in had also changed.

In terms of size it seemed to have even increased but as I quickly muttered some goobily gook to Kali to confuse her and let me pass. It only took a few seconds for my thoughts to be confirmed.

"In creating a better way to traverse massive distances and cross space and time. I also embarked upon the Path of Trailblaze... But its Aeon has fallen and wasn't there to greet me." I muttered to myself.

Also, my actual stores of imaginary energy coming from the Path of Trailblaze were pitifully low. Clearly not something normal, but the clear result of the Path deciding that it was best served in making a god damned new Astral Express!