Bai Ming shot Aha a look of pure disgust.
Reaching out, she took Acheron's hand and stepped forward, shielding her behind her back.
She moved to wall off the Imaginary Energy fluctuations leaking unconsciously from Aha.
This was the most glaring difference between Bai Ming and a proper Aeon.
Bai Ming wielded a Path rather than having ascended to Aeonhood herself. Consequently, aside from the divine vessel Aha had gifted her, her true self didn't possess an Aeon-level Imaginary Energy signature.
Even that body Aha had crafted for her was worlds apart from the physical forms condensed by "real" Aeons the moment they ascended.
Of course, that was just Bai Ming's personal take.
To anyone else—and to the other Aeons—Bai Ming was indistinguishable from the real deal.
If anything, her ability to squeeze herself into any Path she pleased made the other Aeons both envious and wary. Surely, the power to have a hand in every Path was far better than being stuck in a divine body that couldn't manifest or act freely.
Not that any other Aeon had ever bothered to tell her that.
So, Bai Ming remained blissfully unaware, constantly feeling like she didn't quite make the cut as a "proper" Aeon.
Regardless, she kept her disgusted gaze fixed on Aha, who had clearly followed the scent of trouble straight to her. "What are you doing here?"
"Complaining, obviously! You're doing something this fun and didn't even invite me? And here I thought we were the two closest Aeons in the universe~"
"Ugh..."
Hearing those words, Bai Ming couldn't help but shudder. The disdain on her face was practically overflowing.
"Why on earth would I invite you? What do you even know about IX and Nihility? I can handle the Elation parts myself. Why would I bring you along just to get in my way?"
"Haha! Rejected again? But seriously, it's obvious this little world of yours is missing a long-term administrator, isn't it?"
There was no telling how long the masked pest had been lurking and watching, but THEY had hit Bai Ming's sore spot with THEIR very first sentence.
While it wasn't impossible to just leave this world to run itself, these Sin Thirsters were born from the obsessions of Pathstriders.
If left completely unsupervised, heaven only knew what those lingering regrets would evolve into.
It was definitely best to have someone stay behind as a caretaker, but that person certainly couldn't be Acheron.
Bai Ming had gone through all this trouble—researching Nihility and constructing this world—specifically to break the chains binding Acheron.
She wanted her to be able to leave this place and see the world outside. If she ended up leaving Acheron here to babysit these spirits, the whole endeavor would have been for nothing.
Yet, if Acheron couldn't stay, Bai Ming was drawing a blank on who else could take the job.
Should she create a new life? But what had that life done wrong to deserve being entombed in this ghostly place for eternity?
On the other hand, a high-level AI would likely be exploited by the loopholes found in the Pathstriders' obsessions.
Bai Ming was even beginning to consider just leaving a clone of herself here.
And now, Aha had bitten right into that dilemma.
"...What are you getting at?" Bai Ming eyed him with a mix of confusion and suspicion.
"Don't be so cold! I'm being helpful here. I've got the perfect candidate to recommend—someone with experience managing worlds, a resume that includes nearly ascending a simulated reality, and someone we both know inside and out. Most importantly? THEY're a total volunteer. Guaranteed to work like a charm!"
Aha tilted his obnoxious mask, leaning into Bai Ming's personal space with a "you're getting a steal here" look. He looked every bit the shady merchant.
Bai Ming frowned. Despite everything, she had a nagging feeling that whoever Aha was recommending wasn't going to be "normal."
"Bring them here and let me see first."
"You got it! Hey, little brother, come on out and show yourself to the boss!"
Aha shouted in a bizarre tone, and a wormhole suddenly tore open within his flamboyant, chaotic form. A mask, identical to the one Aha wore, floated out.
Bai Ming stared, her composure instantly shattering.
"Dammit, Simulated Aha? Again?!"
"Hey now, don't get mad! Look at THEM—our little brother. Which of your criteria do THEY not meet? The only price is a tiny bit of freedom; just let THEM tinker with some Aeon-related experiments within this world."
"Last time was the Simulated Universe, which had a specific purpose, so your anger was justified. But this world? You can definitely let THEM mess around a bit here."
Aha circled Bai Ming, grinning as THEY continued THEIR sales pitch.
Bai Ming desperately wanted to kick both of them into orbit, but—damn it all—Aha actually made a fair point.
Even if she didn't know what Simulated Aha was plotting, it was bound to be Aeon-related.
Since this place was shrouded in Nihility, even if something bizarre crawled out, it likely wouldn't survive long. The threat was effectively contained.
More importantly, this Simulated Aha was actually willing to stay in this godforsaken hole, and THEY were objectively better suited for the job than Acheron.
If she threw THEM out, she really wouldn't find anyone better.
It's not like she could kidnap Celenova and force her to work here; that woman wouldn't exactly be a cooperative employee. And if Celenova found out, she might draw the attention of Phantylia or worse, and there was no need to gamble on that.
Sigh...
Bai Ming took a sharp breath of the void-tainted air.
It looked like agreeing to Aha's deal was actually the best move.
Aha, clearly sensing victory, let out a laugh that grew increasingly smug. "Haha! See? My plan is absolute perfection!"
"Ugh..."
Looking at the gloating mask before her, Bai Ming let out a sound of pure humiliation.
Curse THEM. She had been played right into THEIR hands.
Gritting her teeth, she gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. I agree. THEY really are the most qualified."
Aha broke into a profoundly punchable fit of giggles. "Heehee~ I have to say, that look on your face is delicious."
Of course, right before Bai Ming could finally lose her temper and swing, Aha shoved Simulated Aha into the small world and injected a surge of power to accelerate its expansion.
Consequently, the punch that was meant for both of them landed squarely on Aha's mask.
The blow sent the Aeon of Elation flying at faster-than-light speeds, disappearing from the horizon with a comical "thwack" and a cartoonish trail of stars.
Though THEY looked like THEY'd been blasted away, Bai Ming could still feel it. The consciousness of the Elation was still tethered to the world before them. THEY were still watching.
She didn't know why THEY cared so much or why THEY insisted on shoving THEIR duplicate in there, but if THEY were going to keep an eye on things, it saved her a lot of work.
Only after Aha had truly vanished did Acheron speak up again.
"It seems... there really is nothing left for me to do?"
She looked at Bai Ming with a helpless smile. The Sin Thirsters here had entered an era of "automated salvation," and the new administrator was far more capable than she was.
Her role as the "Guardian of the River of Forgetfulness" seemed to have become obsolete.
"No, no, don't say that." Bai Ming wagged a finger in front of Acheron's face.
"Then... what else am I supposed to do?"
"Just like what you've always done. If there are final wishes that require someone to leave and fulfill them, or keepsakes that need to be returned... you can't exactly expect Aha to do that, can you?"
"Heh..."
Acheron shook her head and let out a soft sigh.
Such tasks—requests that required someone to travel to the outside world—didn't come along once in several centuries. The frequency was so low it might as well not exist.
While she was technically needed, a job that only required her presence once every few hundred years was barely a job at all.
"I truly can't win an argument with you."
Acheron's heart was a knot of complex emotions, but as she looked at the lively little world, she felt a genuine weight lift from her shoulders.
She felt light, yet a bit empty—as if, suddenly, she didn't know what to do with herself.
"You've almost completely negated everything about me. My burdens, my goals, even my obsessions."
"Uh..."
Bai Ming froze at those heavy words, looking into Acheron's eyes with a flash of panic. She opened her mouth to explain, to offer some comfort, but she was at a loss for words.
Instead, it was Acheron who reached out, gently pinching Bai Ming's cheek to help her relax.
"Don't be nervous. I wasn't blaming you. I'm just... not used to it. It's like, overnight, I've forgotten how to just be."
The Path of Nihility wasn't something Acheron had chosen for herself.
Her vow to "sever the void" was born from her inability to stand by while people suffered.
If Bai Ming could truly solve those problems, Acheron would never hold it against her. She was simply feeling adrift after such a long, arduous journey.
"..."
Bai Ming scratched her head, still trying to gauge Acheron's mood.
Seeing Bai Ming make such a face over a single sentence, Acheron felt a sudden, uncharacteristic impulse. Having dropped her burdens, she blurted out:
"Since you've dragged me out of my hollow life by force... aren't you going to take responsibility for me?You wouldn't just leave me to fend for myself, would you?"
"Ahem..."
Bai Ming's face instantly flushed crimson, and she let out an awkward cough.
The subtext of those words was dangerously ambiguous.
It sounded like she was asking Bai Ming to take responsibility for her entire future... No, it wasn't just "sounding like it"—she had said it outright.
It sounded an awful lot like a proposal, but as strange as it felt to hear, Bai Ming realized she really did need to think about it.
The "responsibility" part, that is.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL