What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Tehmon]

Elpis was a mess through and through, though I still enjoyed it.

Hermes very clearly second-guessing the order of the ancient society and going through something quite rare for ancients? Ok whatever bruh, just join the convocation Hermes :-)
Hermes, you need to make an official report on those creations of yours! Got it, though I've already sent tens, if not hundreds of these prototype creations to solve the meaning of life :-)
Use their last seconds to pressure Venat and WoL to remind them of what happened after Kairos wipes their memory? Nah, just wave at them and go on a brief rant about I DON'T BELIEVE YOU BUT IF I'M WRONG YOU BETTER NOT FAIL :-)

If I was supposed to get the impression that this civilization was incredibly intelligent, I did not get that.

[Raoabolic]

Elpis was a mess through and through, though I still enjoyed it.

Hermes very clearly second-guessing the order of the ancient society and going through something quite rare for ancients? Ok whatever bruh, just join the convocation Hermes :-)
Hermes, you need to make an official report on those creations of yours! Got it, though I've already sent tens, if not hundreds of these prototype creations to solve the meaning of life :-)
Use their last seconds to pressure Venat and WoL to remind them of what happened after Kairos wipes their memory? Nah, just wave at them and go on a brief rant about I DON'T BELIEVE YOU BUT IF I'M WRONG YOU BETTER NOT FAIL :-)

If I was supposed to get the impression that this civilization was incredibly intelligent, I did not get that.

If anything the story made Hermes feel like the kid in the short bus in that civilization. I was actually confused why the conclave wanted him in their inner circle considering the guy's lack of foresight. When the WoL and Emet confronted him, I was shocked Emet didn't smack Hermes in the back of the head every time he pointed out why what he did was stupid.

"So you created a being that can be manipulated through emotions?"
*smack*
"And you asked it to find the answers to questions that can change from being to being?"
*smack*
"And you made dozens of them and shot them into space?"
*smack*
"AND it can project it's emotions to others?"
*smack*
"AND you not only gave it sentience you also gave it sapience so it can defy orders?"
*SMACK*

[Skyborne]

...

Yep, there were some things about that in 8 that rubbed me the wrong way, along with 'we forgot because GFs living in our heads', though I liked most of the characters. Seems 14 took after that.

...

Hermes must've turned down the oxygen levels in that whole place is the only way I can rationalize it in my head. It was odd that Venat told us 'time is up' and shoved us through the door (then we proceed to casually stroll right back in for Pandaemonium). Probably to prevent us from, say, bumrushing Hythlodaeus (who would 100% indulge us) and telling him to come with us to that building where we had tea and the WoL spilled all the beans and used the Echo to retrace everything even if we didn't have the smoking gun in Ktsis. We could've asked the researchers who were aware of us and Meteion, or the ones outside Ktsis who may have seen Hermes transformed. Nah...