Chapter 8: People Begin to Get to Know Each Other
[Camera Girl]: "I'm still super curious about what your worlds are actually like! I know it might be a bit presumptuous to ask, but could you guys tell us about them?"
[New Eridu - Belle]: "There's nothing we can't talk about. It's not presumptuous at all!"
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Our world experienced an apocalyptic disaster involving things called Hollows. Huge chunks of the world were just... swallowed up by them. The space inside a Hollow is completely chaotic and constantly shifting."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Worse still, the insides of these Hollows are flooded with a highly concentrated, dangerous substance called Ether. If normal people or even machines are exposed to it for too long, they get corrupted and mutate into Ethereals—mindless monsters."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "But you know how apocalyptic movies always have those legendary saviors? Our world is no exception."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "The original seven Hollow Hunters protected humanity's last remaining sanctuary. They even led the counterattack, helping us reclaim a lot of lost territory."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Twelve years ago, the original city of Eridu was destroyed by an unmatched Hollow outbreak. That's why New Eridu was built. My brother and I are actually working to investigate the true cause behind that massive outbreak."
[Camera Girl]: "Whoa! So you're literally living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland setting?!"
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "Say no more. I get it completely. It has to be the work of a pesky Stellaron. Just you wait, Belle. I'll drag the Astral Express crew over there to deal with it later. We're seasoned professionals at this."
[Camera Girl]: "Stelle, she literally just said it's an entirely different universe! How could it possibly be a Stellaron problem over there?...Wait a second. The word 'Aether' actually sounds super familiar. I swear I've heard it somewhere before."
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "Of course you have! Remember when we were poking around Madam Herta's Curio Collection Room? There was that weird Aether Cartridge sitting on a pedestal. Though, honestly, I completely forgot what it actually does."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Eh?! You guys have Ether energy over there too? Don't tell me your world also suffered from a Hollow disaster!"
Back in the physical world, Dan Heng swiped through the chat interface. Having already skimmed the relevant data logs with his usual quiet efficiency, he decided to clear up the confusion.
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "It is highly unlikely to be the same type of energy. In our universe, Aether is considered a hypothetical medium—something that theoretically shouldn't exist in standard physical reality."
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "I have read reports stating that the Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection, as well as Silver Wolf of the Stellaron Hunters, possess the ability to manipulate Aether. However, our version of it does not exhibit the corrosive, mutating properties you described."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Oh, alright. I got my hopes up thinking it was the exact same thing. If it was, my brother and I could have learned your universe's methods for safely using Ether energy."
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "Dan Heng, how do you read that fast? I feel like I've been staring at this screen for ages and my brain is only processing half the words."
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "I spend most of my time organizing the Express's data bank. Speed-reading is a basic requirement."
Inside the parlor car of the Astral Express, Dan Heng lowered his holographic device and leveled a flat, unamused stare at Stelle, who was sitting directly across from him. "Besides, we are currently occupying the exact same room. You could have just asked me that out loud. There is absolutely no need to type it into the multiversal chat group."
March 7th, lounging on the nearby sofa, nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Aren't you just making extra work for your thumbs?"
Outwardly, she projected an air of smug superiority. Inwardly, she wiped a bead of imaginary sweat from her brow, incredibly relieved that she had been a second too slow to type out the exact same question.
Stelle, however, felt absolutely zero shame. She crossed her arms, her expression a mask of absolute conviction. "So what? The system gave us a multiversal chat group. It is meant to be used. If I have a shiny new toy and I don't use it for every single mundane interaction, then what is the point of even having it?"
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "I suppose I'll introduce our world next. We are currently traveling across the continent of Teyvat. It's divided into seven major nations, with a floating island called Celestia hovering high above. The world is ruled by the respective gods of each nation, all under the ultimate authority of the Heavenly Principles."
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "Each of the seven nations corresponds to one of seven distinct elements. When a person's ambition and desire reach a certain peak, they may be blessed by the gods with a magical focus called a Vision. Those who receive one are known as Allogenes—or Genshin—and they gain the ability to manipulate elemental power."
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "Currently, my companion Paimon and I have journeyed through five of those nations. We actually just arrived in Natlan, the Pyro Nation, not too long ago."
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "I can't really summarize much more than that. Teyvat has thousands of years of dense, complicated history. If I started digging into the lore, we'd be here until next week."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Lumine, didn't you mention earlier that you wanted to invite someone who was the 'retired Geo Archon' from Liyue? Is he one of those seven ruling gods you just mentioned?"
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "That's right. His name is Zhongli. After entrusting the governance of his nation to the mortal citizens of Liyue, he took up a quiet job as a consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He doesn't participate in ruling anymore."
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "He's been alive since the ancient Archon War over two thousand years ago, so there is almost nothing in our world he doesn't know. Once I manage to add him to the group, you guys can chat with him yourselves."
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "Well, since the opening acts have all finished their speeches, it is naturally time for the main character to take the stage. Come on, Dan Heng, give them the rundown."
March 7th slapped a palm against her forehead, dragging her fingers down her face in a gesture that screamed, 'I should have expected this level of laziness.'
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "Our universe is overseen by entities known as Aeons. There are currently around eighteen recognized Aeons, and each one presides over a corresponding philosophical concept and cosmic energy network known as a Path."
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "Mortals whose wills align with these concepts and draw power from them are called Pathstriders., those rare few who are directly glanced upon and favored by an Aeon are elevated to the status of Emanators. Both possess immense, reality-bending power."
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: " that several Aeons have already fallen, been assimilated, or gone missing over the millennia. We are members of the Nameless, riding the Astral Express. We follow the Path of Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze."
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "Our ultimate goal is to follow in Akivili's footsteps, laying down star rails and trailblazing across unknown worlds."
Back in the physical parlor car of the Express, March 7th gave a slow, appreciative clap. "As expected of our resident archivist. He summarized the entire universe in just a few simple sentences."
Dan Heng didn't even look up from his screen. "You could do it too, March, if you spent more time reading the materials in the data bank instead of taking selfies."
Stelle let out a sharp, amused snort beside him. Read the data bank? Please. How could she, the esteemed Galactic Baseballer and undisputed Lord of the Trash Cans, waste her precious time reading dry historical texts?
She would much rather spend those hours elbow-deep in the nearest Belobog dumpster. Who knows? She might just uncover a few more legendary golden trash bags.
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Aeons? They sound absolutely terrifying. They can grant people god-like power just by looking at them? Is their power related to the stars?"
[Camera Girl]: "Of course! They are literally the strongest existences in the entire universe. Even I know that much!"
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "The sheer scale of an Aeon's power is fundamentally unimaginable to mortal minds. To an Aeon, an entire populated planet is no more significant than a small pebble resting by the side of a road."
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Wow... I guess I should just say, 'as expected of a completely different universe'?"
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "Agreed. It sounds like your universe operates on a terrifyingly high power scale, Stelle."
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "By the way, if you guys ever find a way to cross over, do you want to give it a try? If you manage to get glanced upon by an Aeon and become an Emanator, it's a literal instant ticket to the top of the food chain!"
[Astral Express - Stelle]: "Plus, I'd get another Emanator friend out of the deal! Once my personal network of overpowered friends spreads across the entire universe and into alternate dimensions, absolutely everyone will have to give me face. I'll be unstoppable."
The more Stelle thought about this hypothetical scenario, the wider her grin grew. A low, villainous chuckle escaped her lips. Despite the fact that multiversal travel was currently a distant, unproven possibility, she was already mentally drafting a list of her new, immensely powerful Emanator lackeys.
It looked as if she already had them on speed dial.
Sitting nearby, March 7th and Dan Heng exchanged a long, exhausted look. They watched in absolute silence as Stelle giggled to herself, her eyes sparkling with delusions of grandeur. What else could they say? It was just classic Stelle.
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Uh... let's maybe put a pin in that plan for later."
[Camera Girl]: "Don't mind her. Her brain just disconnects from reality every now and then."
[Teyvat - Lumine]: "It's fine, I'm used to eccentric companions. But logically speaking, wouldn't being 'glanced upon' by a cosmic god require a person to possess an incredibly strong will or potential in the first place?"
[New Eridu - Belle]: "Oh, I see! So Emanators are more like already-exceptional individuals who manage to earn an Aeon's approval, rather than just random people getting ultimate power handed to them out of thin air?"
[Cloud-Piercing Lance - Dan Heng]: "Precisely. You have grasped the concept perfectly."
[Teyvat - Paimon]: "Ooh! As expected of the multiverse! There's always a bigger, scarier fish out there somewhere!"
Paimon floated beside Lumine, her tiny hands on her hips. Despite her usual goofy demeanor, her learning comprehension had once been grudgingly acknowledged by even the notoriously strict Alhaitham. Even after a lengthy, high-pitched argument with Lumine over how to operate the chat interface, she had managed to read through the group's system announcements in record time.
[Camera Girl]: "Wait, Paimon! Why did your display name suddenly change? How did you do that?! Tell me right now, I want to change mine too!"
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]