Space station.
All the researchers fell silent. The Aeon of Elation had actually been there from the very beginning.
How long had it been? He had been watching the whole time.
Just how bored was He?
"From the current situation, the virtual Aha seems to maintain an appreciative attitude toward Zeig's behavior. Although He's cursing on the surface, it's more likely recognition," Asta said.
In Herta's office, the others nodded in agreement.
The Aeon of Elation had not attacked Zeig. Not only had He been paying attention from the start, He had even turned into the Big Gray Wolf and listened to him ramble for nearly an hour.
If that wasn't love, what was?
If Zeig hadn't been too unhinged and overwhelmed Him a little, Aha might have continued playing as the Big Gray Wolf for a while longer.
"Kid, this project of yours is pretty interesting, huh?"
Inside the Simulated Universe, the Aeon Aha stood with his hands behind his back and began observing this world.
"If it weren't for some differences in the details, I might actually believe I'm the real deal."
"What details?" Zeig asked.
"What's that got to do with you?" Aha frowned.
Zeig: "…"
He scratched his head. After meeting an Aeon, what was he supposed to do again?
Oh right—probe the mysteries of the Aeons.
That was what Herta had instructed him before he entered.
Thinking of this, Zeig straightened up and said seriously:
"Right, how can I kill you?"
Aha: "?"
…
For a moment, the entire sky darkened.
Under the gaze of all the researchers, the Aeon of Elation blankly curled the corners of his mouth:
"What did you just say?"
With every word He spoke, the entire Simulated Universe grew a shade dimmer.
"Lady Herta, this is bad! A terrifying surge of imaginary energy has appeared in the Simulated Universe—it's likely coming from the Aeon Aha!" In the office, an assistant reported anxiously.
Herta: "…"
At that moment, the screen began emitting a "zzzt" sound. This wasn't a television screen—it was a projection of the Simulated Universe scene.
When it made that noise, it meant the world inside was on the verge of collapse.
After Zeig asked that question, the researchers responsible for observation were so shocked their notebooks fell from their hands.
Holy shit.
Asking an Aeon to his face how to kill him.
Not even ten years of cerebral thrombosis could produce something like this!
"Damn it, I should've taped his mouth shut!" March 7th stared at the screen, where Aha was erupting with terrifying presence, completely dumbfounded.
That was an Aeon.
Even if it was just a virtual body in the Simulated Universe, the oppressive feeling caused the lights throughout Herta Space Station to flicker on and off.
It felt like a crumbling isolated island.
And Zeig, standing before Aha, was bearing the brunt of the most intense pressure.
"Bang—!!" The bricks under his feet suddenly shattered, his legs sinking into the ground.
Even through the screen, it felt like an entire mountain range was pressing down on his shoulders—heavy and unstoppable.
That pressure was utterly terrifying. Zeig was nearly crushed into the ground, yet his expression remained unchanged, still looking blankly adorable.
No flushed face, no racing heart.
The Aeon of Elation furrowed his brows:
"Kid, do you think it's appropriate to say something like that? I'm an Aeon, you know?"
In an instant, a terrifying energy fluctuation actually erupted directly from the data array in Herta's office.
"Boom—!!"
The entire Herta Space Station shook several times.
The chair Zeig's real body was sitting in within the data array shattered completely.
He fell down, lying in the array like a sleeping beauty.
"What, I can't ask?" Zeig said.
The Aeon of Elation fell silent.
He truly had no idea what this human in front of Him was thinking.
Surging imaginary energy washed over every corner of the Simulated Universe like a tsunami, causing every instrument in the space station to blare alarms.
The next moment, Aha raised His hand and dispersed the dark clouds in the sky.
That terrifying pressure vanished like smoke.
The entire Herta Space Station returned to normal operation.
From the screen came Aha's cursing voice as He raised his thumb:
"You're really something else!!"
"Asking an Aeon something like that to his face—just how serious is your condition?"
Zeig patted the dust off his shoulders from earlier and stepped out of the crater created by the pressure, completely unfazed.
"Isn't that just basic stuff?" Zeig replied.
"So why didn't you take my Pathstrider blessing and instead took that thing?"
"Abundance looks good. I already said that."
"You're really… What faction is your real body, anyway?" Aha suddenly said. "Why not just come to my side? I need talent exactly like you!"
Zeig curled his lip:
"I don't have a faction. If I really had to say, people call me Trailblazer now, so just treat me as part of the Trailblaze line."
Aha looked puzzled:
"Akivili is gone, and you're on the Astral Express?"
His eyes widened:
"What good does that do you? How much power can a vanished Aeon give you?"
The corners of Zeig's mouth curved into a smirk:
"Who cares about the power of a Path? I've never even used it."
Aha: "Having it is still better than not! Here's the deal—you come to my side, I'll let you become the next Aeon of Elation. Seed candidate! No particular reason, I just like crazies like you!"
Through their interaction, Aha discovered that Zeig's level of insanity was truly top-tier.
He was genuinely sick.
If he walked the Path of Elation, his future would be limitless.
Zeig frowned: "What do you mean? Are you calling me a crazy person?"
Aha looked confused: "Is there any debate about that?"
He pointed at the crowd in the space station beyond the screen and said seriously:
"I don't believe they've never called you that."
The researchers at the space station fell completely silent once more.
"…"
They no longer knew what to say.
Was this an invitation for Zeig to go exchange notes on their conditions?
Though… it did seem rather fitting.
"Besides, in this world, who doesn't rely on the power of a Path?"
Aha stood with his hands behind his back and raised an eyebrow at Zeig:
"From what you said earlier, you want to ask me how to kill an Aeon, right?"
Zeig nodded: "Yeah."
"That's it then. If you want to kill an Aeon, the fastest and most convenient way is to have another Aeon kill him."
A ferocious look appeared on Aha's face.
"Step onto my Path, I'll give you power. Then you can take out whoever you want! Heh, don't look at me like this—there aren't many Aeons who'd dare to really clash with me."
Though He didn't know which Aeon Zeig wanted to kill, Aha was certain it definitely wasn't Himself.
No particular reason—just intuition.
To Him, it didn't matter which Aeon died.
Moreover, people on His side more or less attracted hatred; making enemies was already routine.
"So, tempted?"
"You're actually pretty nice."
Seeing that Zeig was about to be poached by the virtual Aha, March 7th in the office was already panicking.
"No way, he's not actually going to get recruited, right? That's just a virtual Aeon—what can he even give him?" March 7th said anxiously.
Dan Heng shook his head:
"Since even a virtual Aeon can approve of him, that means if the real Aeon came, the result would be the same."
Inside the Simulated Universe, Aha said confidently:
"In that case, once you're back in reality, just shout 'NMSL' really loud. My real self will find you. Then you can inherit the power of Elation, hahahaha!"
Zeig raised his hand: "Are you really that awesome?"
Aha proudly: "Of course!"
Zeig's eyes gleamed: "Then can you tell me what breed of mouse this is?"
He pulled out a charred mouse head—the sharp teeth were the only thing still recognizable from its state.
Aha raised an eyebrow:
"What mouse? This is a duck!"
Zeig: "Oh? A duck?"
Aha said rather smugly:
"Yeah, it's a new breed. It's called 'Mouse Mouse I Duck'!"
Watching these two lunatics, the crowd at the space station was once again rendered speechless.
A long silence.
…
"…Are they sick or what?"