After crafting eighteen Aeons—and using paper tablets for those whose appearances were unknown—Aidan began his grand plan.
"Hmm, I'll pay my respects to Xipe first."
Following a tutorial on his phone, Aidan performed a prayer for Harmony with proper decorum, then placed an incense burner in front of those figurines.
"Next is Yaoshi."
In any case, Aidan wasn't worried about being permanently bound to whoever he worshipped, which gave him ample opportunity to research how to study the Aeons through charlatan methods.
He'd study them again another day when he switched to Erudition.
Aidan inserted three sticks of incense into the burner, arranging the figurines as if they were divine statues.
"Xipe, Aeon of Harmony, please bless me with a happy mood today. Bless Uncle Yang so he doesn't hit me with his cane, bless Sister Himeko so she doesn't treat me to food with weird stuff in it, bless Stelle so she doesn't mess with my things, and while you're at it, bless me so I don't get too much of a rejection reaction when I log into another accounts..."
"What are you doing here?"
Aidan turned around to see March 7th and Stelle standing at the doorway, both staring at him with bewildered faces.
"Worshipping gods," Aidan answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, pointing at the row of figurines on the table.
"...You made the Aeons into figurines?"
"Correct."
"Aren't you afraid of actually summoning an Aeon here?"
"What's there to fear? Didn't I just log into an Aeon's alt account a couple of days ago?"
"...You, well, that's true."
Stelle reached out, wanting to touch them.
"Don't touch them recklessly; I just finished setting them up, and the paint isn't even dry yet."
"Stingy," Stelle pulled her hand back, but her eyes remained fixed on the figurines. "So, what's the point of worshipping them?"
"I don't know," Aidan straightened the incense burner. "But trying doesn't cost anything."
March 7th leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene with a complicated expression.
"What do you take the Aeons for? Turtles in a wishing well?"
"Turtles aren't nearly as effective as Aeons."
"...Hiss, speaking of which, are you on the Path of Elation today?"
"How did you know?"
"The other me told me. She said you're especially weak today, much weaker than yesterday, just like when you turned into Elation the other day."
"That's a bit too..."
Aidan felt like he was being personally attacked.
But she wasn't wrong. Preservation Aidan could build walls in the universe with a massive divine body the size of a galaxy; Destruction Aidan could log into Nanook's account at any time; Permanence Aidan was a giant dragon that fed on planets; Equilibrium Aidan directly merged with the World; Propagation Aidan could single-handedly trigger a Swarm Disaster that swept the galaxy; and Erudition Aidan... ahem, that one was saving the universe every second...
So, what effect did our Elation Aidan have?
Naturally, he just changed his appearance, and that was it.
Don't worry about whether Elation's ability is funny or just a joke; the point is, did you laugh?
Currently, it seemed that under the Paths of Trailblaze and Elation, Aidan's state didn't change much.
"The other you told you that?"
"Yeah," March 7th nodded, eyeing the row of Aeon figurines. "She said your combat power today is the same as the last time you became Elation—any random monster could chase you across three streets, no progress at all."
"Alright, looks like I need to dispel some rumors... wait, it's not a rumor, she's actually right."
His Elation form had made zero progress.
He could only change his appearance. If he became too large, his own body couldn't support the mass, and he'd fall to the ground, unable to move.
"I'm going to worship every single Aeon—the dead ones and the living ones."
Aidan announced his shocking plan.
"...And?"
"It's free anyway, might as well believe a little... right?"
Aidan said while scratching his cheek.
"You really are... though if Aeons from all eighteen Paths were staring at you..."
"Then I'd have to say goodbye to everyone."
What a 'blessing' that would be.
Suddenly, Aidan shuddered. He instantly grabbed one of the statues on the table and held it above his head. A powerful pillar of light erupted, making the Nanook figurine in his hand glow brilliantly.
[Elation].
Not Destruction?
Aidan was a bit stunned, but it was indeed the gaze of Elation that had fallen upon him, and it even granted a blessing.
A Nanook statue filled with the aura of Elation...
Aidan's expression looked like he had stepped in something gross.
"Dammit..."
"What?"
"I already avoided Aha, why is They are the only one being so unconventional?"
Aidan looked up at the ceiling gloomily.
He hadn't even worshipped Aha just now!
March 7th and Stelle exchanged a glance.
"So, you've been targeted by Aha?"
"Elation blessing fell into my hands," Aidan held up the glowing Nanook figurine, his expression as if he were holding a time bomb—because Aha might very well have turned it into one. "And it fell into Nanook's statue."
Stelle leaned in curiously, staring at the glowing little figure.
"So, is this now... an Elation statue, or a Destruction statue?"
"I don't know."
Aidan looked at the figurine in his hand with a subtle expression.
"Why don't you try making a wish?" March 7th had a sudden idea. "After all, you worshipped a whole bunch and only Aha responded. Maybe They waiting for you to make a wish right now."
"What wish? Ask Aha to take the blessing out of the Nanook statue?"
"That could work too."
Aidan stared at the little figure for a few seconds, then finally sighed and placed it back with the other statues.
"Forget it, let it be. Aha's actions never make sense anyway. Maybe in a couple of days They'll get bored and take the blessing back."
"Or maybe in a couple of days you'll find this little guy can talk," Stelle added from the side. "The kind that suddenly starts chatting with you in the middle of the night."
"...Can you say something nice for once?"
But clearly, Aha didn't want Aidan to lose interest so quickly.
"If this is your excuse for breaking up~~~~♪"
Three statues on the table began moving around. With Nanook in the center and Yaoshi and Lan on either side, they twisted their stiff joints, dancing in unison on Aidan's desk.
Aidan crossed his arms, watching the three little figures party on his desk with a deadpan expression.
He could keep watching without his expression changing.
"Out of all music you really choose that one huh?"