Herta looked at Nolan with dissatisfaction.

"Since you called me here, you must have a solution, right? Stop wasting time and say it."

"Of course." Nolan nodded. "There are two methods. The first one is simple. As long as you hold onto me, we won't get separated. With me around, you naturally won't get lost.

"The second method is also simple. I have an ability called 'Interstellar Travel.' It allows us to teleport to each other regardless of distance, so there's no need to go through the trouble of holding onto me."

"Obviously the second one. Research requires full concentration. What if I accidentally let go while holding onto you?"

Herta thought for a moment before replying.

"You don't necessarily have to hold onto me. I can hold onto you instead. If you're worried, you can even hug me. That way, there's absolutely no chance of accidentally letting go," Nolan said with a smile.

"Keep dreaming." Herta rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright." Nolan sighed in slight disappointment, then summoned a golden "Waymark" and handed it to her. "This is the source of power for that ability. Just merge with it, and you'll naturally master 'Interstellar Travel.'"

"Thank you. I won't let you suffer a loss. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come to me."

Herta took the golden "Waymark," clearly satisfied.

[Herta Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 800 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.10 (Max)]

"What kind of relationship do we have? It's just a small matter."

Nolan smiled.

From Herta's perspective, giving her the 'Interstellar Travel' ability was a favor worth thanking. But from Nolan's perspective, it increased her Affection toward him.

Laying the groundwork for their relationship was naturally a good thing. A win-win situation.

At that moment, the character panel displayed another notification:

[With sincere intent and relentless effort, you have formed a deep connection with a fate that once had no intersection with yours. From now on, the girl's destiny star will shine alongside yours. Ability acquired: Herta Sequence.]

As expected, it was Herta's Affection skill.

Nolan began to examine its effects:

[Herta Sequence: Grants a cultivation system. Each stage comes with corresponding abilities, and advancement is achieved by meeting specific conditions. The stages are: Beginner, Domain Expert, Legendary Grandmaster, Universal Genius, Herta. You may designate a number of individuals equal to the "sum of two people's levels." When cultivating this system, each stage grants them an additional exclusive ability. All who cultivate this system can have their power freely borrowed by you.]

Another cultivation system, huh… Nolan wasn't too surprised. After all, "The Accursed Moon Shall Rise" was also a cultivation path.

However, compared to the universality of the "The Accursed Moon Shall Rise," the "Herta Sequence" was more suited for scholars who enjoyed researching various fields.

For example, the first stage of the "Herta Sequence," "Beginner," required one to first gain entry into a specific field of study. Then, with the assistance of certain extraordinary materials, a promotion ritual must be conducted to obtain the corresponding power.

The abilities gained were generally related to the field one studied.

As for the next stage, "Domain Expert," one had to become a recognized expert in a particular field to advance. In addition to extraordinary materials, sufficient recognition from others as an expert was also required.

At that point, one would gain even stronger abilities.

For instance, if someone specialized in physics and advanced to "Domain Expert," they might gain abilities related to physics.

Such as mass-energy conversion, quantum entanglement, and so on.

Of course, at the "Domain Expert" stage, it was impossible to instantly master power on the level of handcrafting nuclear bombs. That level would likely only begin to be touched upon at the "Legendary Grandmaster" stage.

By the "Universal Genius" stage, one would essentially wield planet-destroying power, and the final "Herta" stage was, without a doubt, comparable to the level of an Emanator.

Beyond that, there was no further path. One would have to explore it on their own.

However, this wasn't a problem for Nolan. After all, he didn't need to personally spend time cultivating this system. As long as others cultivated it, he could borrow their power.

The more people who cultivated it, the more power he could draw upon. All he needed to do was spread this system. In theory, this Affection ability also had limitless potential.

"Hm? This golden light cluster also contains an ability named after me?"

At this moment, aside from the "Interstellar Travel" Nolan mentioned, Herta discovered she had also gained an ability called "Herta Sequence."

"Not exactly. But speaking of it, this ability is indeed related to you. You could say it's proof that you have a favorable impression of me."

Nolan briefly explained how gaining Affection from girls allowed him to obtain special abilities.

"So this is your cultivation method? Quite strange." Herta's expression remained calm as she continued, "But there's one thing you're wrong about. When it comes to people and things, I only have interest or lack of interest. There's no such thing as liking or disliking."

"The boundless universe can accommodate any possibility," Nolan said with a smile, not bothering to argue with her denial.

She could deny it verbally, but no matter what, she couldn't deceive herself.

"Hmph." Seeing that Nolan didn't seem to believe her, Herta shot him an annoyed glare. "Alright, let's get out of here. I'm going to start researching this place."

"Of course, no problem."

Next, Nolan withdrew the "Void Star Sea" and accompanied Herta as she began researching the "Sea of Quanta."

Aside from sensing the changes here, Herta also took out various experimental instruments to assist in her research, and she quickly made progress.

Most of it was basic research into the fundamental properties of the "Sea of Quanta," which naturally wasn't difficult for Herta.

With just half a day's worth of collected data, Herta was already confident she could create a device that allowed free entry into the "Sea of Quanta."

It could only be said that the realm of a "genius" was truly hard to comprehend.

Later, Nolan also took Herta to study the specialty of the "Sea of Quanta," the so-called "World Bubbles," until it was nearly evening.

Only then did Herta, satisfied, ask Nolan to take her back.

After returning to the entrance of Herta's residence on the Blue Planet, she finally realized that Nolan had come all this way, yet she hadn't even invited him inside for a cup of tea.

"Want to come in? As thanks, I'll treat you to some tea today," Herta said, looking at him.

Naturally, Nolan didn't refuse, but he showed a speechless expression and said, "Just tea? At least treat me to dinner."

"Sure, if you like," Herta nodded.

"Uh… about that…"

Her quick agreement instead made Nolan hesitate. Could it be that her cooking was terrible?

As a "genius," something as simple as cooking should be something she could surpass most people at with just a bit of effort, right?

(End of Chapter)

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