She hadn't paid much mind to it before, mostly because she'd always assumed that unless you tripped some very specific hidden trigger, the Aeons rarely bothered to descend and intervene personally.
But Aha's recent stunt made 'Cipher' realize something.
It wasn't that the Aeons wouldn't step down; it was simply that they hadn't seen anything they actually cared about yet.
To an Aeon, the entire universe is a chessboard. Those who aren't even significant enough to be considered pawns naturally never catch their eye, but 'Cipher' was different now.
After this incident, the other Aeons were bound to take notice of her.
In fact, the current 'Cipher' had likely become the most troublesome, "jumping" pawn on the Aeons' table.
She reckoned that if it weren't for Noa—who could essentially spoof Fuli's account—keeping a watchful eye from the end of the universe, she probably wouldn't be feeling this relaxed right now.
Thinking about it that way...
'Cipher' felt incredibly lucky. She had the foresight to create a benevolent Aeon like Noa so long ago, directly influencing the landscape at the end of time.
It was essentially hand-crafting a reliable umbrella for herself.
But having an umbrella wasn't enough.
"To forge iron, you need to be tough yourself."
After all, there was only one Noa. If the other Aeons teamed up to set a trap, even the strongest pair of fists couldn't fend off four hands.
The power of Elation did provide her with a temporary sense of security, but that fellow Aha was the biggest source of her unease!
That was why 'Cipher' had entertained the idea of seizing an unclaimed Path.
Only what you can hold firmly in your own palm is truly dependable.
However, the idea was beautiful; the execution was another story.
The main issue was that the system panel's gacha pool was entirely random, with no "rate-up" banners in sight.
And it wasn't limited to the playable characters from the game, either. All sorts of random NPCs from obscure plotlines had a chance of being pulled.
This time, she'd been lucky enough to pull 'Cipher'.
Who knew when she'd manage to pull a Chrysos Heir again?
Even if she did pull one, she'd still have to roll for two specific positions out of a dozen.
The only saving grace was that through the generations of Titans and Chrysos Heirs, each position wasn't restricted to a single species or gender.
Even the Earth Titans weren't exclusively Dromas or People of the Mountain.
If they were, 'Cipher' probably couldn't pull an Earth Titan even if she drained the entire gacha pool dry.
But even so...
Trying to precisely pull a specific generation's Earth Titan, or Aglaea for that matter...
The difficulty was honestly a bit much.
"...Seriously, can't I just get a targeted warp for once?"
'Cipher' sighed instinctively, though she didn't dwell on it for long.
Shortly after, she contacted Screwllum and the others.
Her business here on the Fanghu had concluded.
With the power gifted by Aha, 'Cipher' now had a foundational understanding of the Elation Equation. She no longer had to worry about her creations from the Authority of Trickery malfunctioning once the character card expired.
As for what the Vidyadhara would do next...
That wasn't something Xuanquan could decide alone.
Besides, given the massive commotion 'Cipher' had stirred up just moments ago, the Vidyadhara would likely need some time to sit and fret over it.
In short...
With the samples of Permanence's power in hand, Xuanquan had to report upstairs and drag the Vidyadhara Preceptors into a meeting.
'Cipher' and Ruan Mei packed their things and prepared to depart.
However, a slight disagreement arose regarding where to go after leaving the Fanghu.
'Cipher' wanted to head to the Simulated Universe space station. The equipment there was top-notch, and there was plenty of room.
She could also borrow the Simulated Universe's computing power to facilitate her research.
More importantly, 'Cipher' had, to some extent, come to view that space station as her own turf.
Ruan Mei was curious about the Elation Equation, but it wasn't her specialty, so she didn't plan on meddling with it.
Instead, Ruan Mei had her eyes on the divine body in 'Cipher's' possession.
'Cipher' hadn't disclosed the details of the divine body to the Xianzhou Alliance, only mentioning it to a few Geniuses.
Predictably, Ruan Mei was fascinated.
She wanted to borrow it for some thorough research, and for research of this caliber, the Simulated Universe space station was a bit... lacking.
Or rather, it wasn't quite safe enough.
It was, after all, something related to an Aeon. Plunking it down in the middle of the station made Ruan Mei worry about what kind of "things" it might attract.
So, Ruan Mei suggested going to Herta's place.
Herta's territory was vast, the equipment was better than the station's, and with Noa there, it was much safer.
"And another thing. After such a huge scene, even Screwllum messaged you, yet Herta has been silent. Don't you find that a bit strange?"
Ruan Mei pointed this out with a smile.
Naturally, everyone who knew 'Cipher' had sent messages asking this and that after witnessing such a grand spectacle.
Even Zandar had sent a message of condolence from an anonymous account.
Yet Herta was silent.
Well, not entirely silent—she had sent a single question mark, and then nothing.
Compared to everyone else, it was indeed a bit odd.
"...Uh, what do you think she means by that? What is a lone question mark supposed to express?"
'Cipher' scratched her head with a forced laugh.
"Heh~"
Ruan Mei let out a soft chuckle.
She didn't think it was meant to express anything specific; it was likely just a pure reaction of shock.
As for why there were no further questions...
Herta probably figured she'd just ask when 'Cipher' got back.
She likely guessed that 'Cipher's' inbox was currently overflowing, so she didn't want to waste time online.
Furthermore, Ruan Mei suspected Herta assumed 'Cipher' would be like her—stuck in a hospital bed for a while after the ordeal ended.
Hence, no message spam.
But 'Cipher's' reaction was quite amusing.
She seemed almost... intimidated by Herta.
Did her previous experience leave her with some sort of psychological trauma?
"Go and ask her yourself. I imagine Herta is waiting for you."
"..."
'Cipher' pursed her lips.
Ultimately, she accepted Ruan Mei's suggestion.
Guided by the Phase Flame, the two traveled directly from the sectors near the Fanghu to Herta City.
Herta seemed to have expected them.
She was waiting there. Upon seeing 'Cipher' and Ruan Mei appear, she greeted Ruan Mei first, then quickly walked over to give 'Cipher' a thorough once-over. To confirm her status, she even reached out to sense the soul within the body.
Only then did she stare at her, puzzled.
"You're... completely fine?"
"I'm fine. Oh, I get it, you were worried about me, weren't you? Thanks."
'Cipher' took a moment to realize what was happening.
Last time Herta had played "Nous" for a brief moment, she'd ended up bedridden for quite a while.
So, Herta probably assumed she'd be out of commission too.
"Hmph... Just as well. At least it doesn't waste time."
Herta straightened up and gave a small snort.
'Cipher' grinned.
"That Originium stuff you're messing with is a real pain. The IPC has already called me eight hundred times. They were so annoying I just blocked them."
Herta clicked her tongue.
"Was it really necessary to make such a big production out of it? Aside from getting me harassed by the Company, what use does spreading that stuff even have?"
That equation wasn't the kind of problem that could be solved just by throwing more people at it.
"Ahaha..."
Facing Herta's complaints, 'Cipher' didn't really have much to say.
She hadn't done it for any grand purpose; it was purely to create a distraction.
Seeing her like this, Herta huffed.
She didn't push the topic.
"So, what are you two doing here at my place?"
Herta took two steps back, putting some distance between herself and 'Cipher', then crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between the two.
Hearing this, 'Cipher' briefly explained their thoughts.
She also clarified her current state.
And then...
Herta lost her cool.
"What do you mean you can still use the power of an Aeon whenever you want?!"
I mean, she'd gone through heaven and earth for her "Self-Coronation," and in the end, she only got to be Nous for a few minutes.
Afterward, she was stuck in a hospital for ages, and she likely wouldn't find a second chance like that in her entire life.
Yet this girl, without doing a thing, gets snatched up by Aha and is literally handed a seat as the Aeon of Elation.
And it's permanent.
What was this? "Fortune favors the foolish"?
'Cipher' reached out to steady Herta's shoulders, trying to get her to relax.
"It's because Aha has no intention of taking the power back. Even that massive body hanging in the sky earlier—Aha molded it to the standards of an Aeon. Ruan Mei followed me here for that exact reason."
"Sigh..."
Herta took a deep, sharp breath.
She needed to settle her nerves.
Even a Genius had to admit this situation was ridiculous.
While she'd guessed why Ruan Mei was tagging along, she hadn't expected her to be chasing a complete Aeonic vessel.
Seriously, that guy Aha... THEY just give things like this away?
Are THEY really not afraid of the fallout?
"So, what you're saying is, we now have an Aeonic body we can study at will? And you don't mind us studying you at all?"
At this, 'Cipher' looked at Herta with a face that said, What are you even talking about?
"Never mind that this body was made by Aha and I don't even want to use it—haven't you guys been studying me anyway? Why bring that up now?"
"True, point taken."
Hearing that, the weight on Herta's conscience vanished instantly.
"Exactly. Plus, I can use the power of that vessel to help me understand the Elation Equation."
Herta thought this was a good development; it would help them unravel the secrets of the Paths, but at the same time, she felt... annoyed.
It was that feeling of... Why are you the only one stealing the spotlight?
The Aeonic body was her doing.
The Elation Equation was her doing.
And now, before the Geniuses could even figure anything out, she was saying she could try to understand that impossibly difficult equation herself.
That feeling of being outshone made Herta's competitive streak flare up again.
Dammit, she was an unparalleled genius too!
How did it feel like she was being overtaken by Bai Ming, a total amateur who had just joined the fray?
Does the power of Elation make people smarter too?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL