To 'Cipher', this behavior felt like a straight-up desecration of the other's pursuits and beliefs.
Typhon was never one to lower her head or play the subordinate.
As a pure scion of Permanence, if she underwent a "Ship of Theseus" style replacement process, who knows what she'd actually become by the end of it?
So, in 'Cipher's' eyes, that second half of the sentence was basically a warning.
But Typhon didn't seem to see it that way. To her, those words didn't feel like a warning at all.
She had clearly just caused a massive mess, yet the other party wasn't just letting bygones be bygones—she wasn't even giving her a beating or cancelling their agreement.
Instead, she was willing to mend her wounds. She had essentially handed her a literal lease on life.
What was this mask? It was practically a second life.
Typhon was only imitating Permanence; she hadn't actually become it.
Her resolve wasn't quite that extreme yet—to her, being alive was definitely better than being dead.
As for some "Aha-fied" version of Permanence? Please, she'd already gone through with a self-sacrifice back then; why would she care about that now?
Besides, by the very definition of Permanence, being reborn after death—where you are both yourself and not yourself—was a valid interpretation of the path.
How could that not count as practicing Permanence?
And most importantly: the other party was granting such a massive favor without even demanding her submission.
She was even willing to wait until Typhon had completely died and been resurrected before making her an Emanator.
She's really... I'm actually gonna cry.
Moved to her core, Typhon reached out with her large hands and pulled 'Cipher' into a crushing hug.
Her newly mended flesh felt warm and delicate, a far cry from the hideous form of Typhon's true self.
"Madam Bai Ming, thank you for your generosity."
"...?"
Suddenly smothered in Typhon's embrace, 'Cipher' felt a string of question marks popping up over her head.
She was basically telling this girl she wouldn't even get peace after death, so what was with this bizarre reaction?
Wriggling out of Typhon's arms, 'Cipher' felt like her impression of the Death Dragon was crumbling. Sure, during their first meeting, she'd thought the girl was a bit blunt, but what was up with this behavior now?
"Fine. Anyway, from now on, I'll be watching you through that mask. No more running off without a word to pick fights with people like last time."
"I'll behave myself," Typhon nodded. This time, she was truly won over.
After all, 'Cipher' had shown up without a word and patched up her broken body until it was mostly functional.
Even if the parts weren't "original"—the seams where the powers of Permanence and Elation were stitched together were pretty obvious—it was still a hell of a lot better than walking around with her ribs hanging out.
Typhon wasn't the type to forget kindness. In fact, she was starting to feel a twinge of guilt.
If she'd known, she would've been a bit more level-headed when she went to find the Great Dragon. She shouldn't have been such a powder keg, blowing up and starting a fight immediately.
Sigh.
Now, because of her, 'Cipher's' reputation in the cosmos had taken a turn for the weird.
Typhon felt like she'd have to wake up in the middle of the night just to slap herself.
Turning that guilt into motivation, and wanting to keep a low profile this time, Typhon didn't even plan on shifting back to her dragon form.
Instead, she maintained her human appearance, donned the black mask, said her goodbyes to 'Cipher', and took flight toward her destination.
As for 'Cipher', she certainly wasn't going to tag along. Watching Typhon depart, she headed back to Herta Space Station.
The moment she landed, she was mercilessly mocked by Herta. After all, the recent cosmic news was all about her; it was hard not to know.
"Do you know that in the Tavern, the Masked Fools are already treating you like a new leader to overthrow Aha?" Herta remarked, having sourced the intel from who-knows-where.
'Cipher's' lip twitched. Typical Masked Fool style.
"They actually care about stuff like that? Don't those fools usually ignore the Aeon of Elation anyway?"
"I wouldn't know. They seem to be having a blast, though. There are already rumors that you and Aha are a pair of star-crossed lovers. Want to see? The video creator is actually quite talented."
Herta had a smirk on her face, clearly having been laughing about this in private for a while. 'Cipher's' eye twitched as she glared at Herta with ill intent.
"...I think you're looking to experience the power of an Aeon firsthand."
"Ha~ just got your hands on some power and you're already showing your true colors? Hmph, I knew you were up to no good."
Herta let out a light laugh, seemingly unbothered by the threat.
Not only that, she even gave her a provocative look.
"..."
My fist... my fist is itching.
'Cipher' decided it was time to show Herta what it meant when "strength takes flight."
She looked up, staring at Herta with a mischievous grin.
Seeing this, Herta huffed. She didn't intend to tank a hit head-on and prepared to turn and leave, planning to borrow Noa's power to slap on a layer of protection.
After all, her analysis of the Elation Equation hadn't yielded results yet; she'd definitely come out on the losing end of a direct confrontation right now.
Unfortunately, 'Cipher' didn't give her the chance. A gold coin was quietly flipped into the air.
The Haste ability activated instantly.
The entire world froze in her eyes. Only the radiant Noa remained normal, watching the antics of their creators with a gentle gaze.
"Heh heh heh. You knew I had this power, yet you still dared to provoke me? Herta, Herta... brilliant for a lifetime, but a fool for a moment~"
'Cipher' leisurely strolled up to Herta.
She playfully examined Madam Herta, who was frozen mid-step, about to activate some escape device.
Her small hands weren't exactly "clean" as she rummaged through Herta's person for a moment, pulling out several gadgets that were mid-activation but hadn't quite fired yet.
With a giggle, 'Cipher' quickly dismantled the little devices, leaving Herta with nowhere to hide.
Just to be safe, she gave Herta a once-over from head to toe to make sure all hidden "threats" were neutralized. Only then did she boldly reach out and pinch Herta's cheeks.
She didn't activate her power immediately.
Clink.
The coin hit the ground, and the state of Haste ended.
Herta's pupils shrank as she realized 'Cipher' was suddenly right in front of her.
Her fingers twitched to activate her devices, only to find the trinkets she usually carried had been turned into a pile of spare parts sitting on a nearby table.
Seeing Herta's look of shock, 'Cipher's' lips curled upward.
"Heh heh~ Presto Change-o!"
The power of Elation erupted from her hands, instantly engulfing Herta's body. Of course, 'Cipher' wasn't going to go too far; she just wanted to play a prank.
The power flowed through her palms, and in an instant, Herta's head began to swell like a balloon while her body shrank.
Her torso and limbs became stubby and "chibi-fied." Even her facial features shifted into the likeness of that Big Herta puppet.
By the time Herta snapped out of it, she felt the total lack of coordination in her body.
Looking down, she saw her tiny frame and weirdly proportioned limbs—especially her massive head.
'Cipher' was currently cupping that big head in her hands, and they were staring at each other eye-to-eye.
Realizing something was very wrong, Herta summoned a mirror.
Then, she saw her current "Big Head Herta" form and went blank for a moment.
"...BAI MING!!!"
Herta instinctively reached out and grabbed her usual hammer-staff.
However, because her head was so large, she couldn't even hold the staff straight; she had to tilt it. And because her body was so short, she had to grip it much lower than usual.
Herta raised her staff to charge, but since her legs were now tiny stubs, her gait became a hilarious, rapid waddle.
'Cipher' didn't use her powers this time. Instead, she laughed and turned tail to run.
Soon, the citizens of Herta Space Station witnessed a Big Head Herta waddling comically, staff raised high, chasing 'Cipher' from one end of the city to the other with a cacophony of clattering.
"Change me back!"
"No! Today, I'll teach you that a Saint is not to be trifled with!"
Herta, trailing behind, was so angry she actually laughed.
"A Saint? You, the galaxy's runner-up for biggest prankster, have the nerve to call yourself a Saint?!"
"So what! I'm a certified Aeon, that counts for something!"
'Cipher' ran like the wind, occasionally looking back to tease her. "Heh heh heh—you can break this transformation once you figure out the Elation Equation!"
"I'm going to kill you—!"
Herta was fuming. Unfortunately, times had changed.
'Cipher' wanted her to know that she wasn't the pushover she used to be. Today, she was the one on top!
After a long chase with no hope of catching her, Herta could only watch as 'Cipher' stepped into the air and vanished from the city.
Seeing her leave, Herta huffed, straightened her back, and sat down on her staff like a stool.
"Hmph, that girl..."
Herta had already realized it. The power 'Cipher' had left on her was something that could be used to help understand the Elation Equation.
To put it in perspective, this power was like a classic textbook example for the formula—one with extremely clear steps and a manageable intensity.
For Herta, who was currently stuck, it was the perfect reference material.
Did she pick a fight just to leave this power behind for me?
Herta let out a couple of huffs, wanting to smile. That girl was just too stubborn about her feelings.
Giving a gift had to be this convoluted? With a personality like that, she wanted to be the one in charge?
She was just enjoying a temporary victory. Sooner or later, Herta would make sure she was tucked back under her thumb where she belonged.
But, one thing was one thing. This grudge—being turned into a weird two-head tall chibi—Herta would remember it.
Thinking about her current appearance, looking like she'd stepped straight out of a gag manga, Herta found it hard to keep a straight face. She had never been so speechless in her life.
Just wait until she caught her!
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL