Chapter 165: The Dual-Path Emanator, the Great Hero of Belobog
Asat Pramad's maniacal laughter, a sound that seemed to tear at the very fabric of reality, finally faded into an echoing silence. The oppressive weight of the Lord Ravager's presence vanished, leaving a void that was almost as deafening.
Orion stood alone in the center of the scorched, ruined valley. The ground was a tapestry of black flames and shattered ice. He took a ragged breath, the air smelling of ozone and ash. He had won. He had actually, truly defeated an Emanator of Destruction.
Just as he was processing the impossible victory, the long-awaited, mechanical voice sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Detected that the Host has personally defeated the special target, the Lord Ravager—Asat Pramad!]
[Successfully triggered the talent Word Devouring (Gold)...]
Orion's heart, which was still pounding from the battle, skipped a beat. He had almost forgotten about his most valuable passive Entry!
[Triggering Word Devouring! Analyzing target's conceptual abilities...]
[Analysis complete! Congratulations to the Host for acquiring the permanent Entry, Divine Persona Mask (Red)!]
A Red Entry! Orion's fatigue vanished, replaced by a surge of pure ecstasy. He immediately checked its effect.
[Entry: Divine Persona Mask (Red)]
[Effect: You can roll the dice of fate. The dice will randomly select a Path, and you will don the 'Divine Persona' of an existence under that Path (Pathstrider, Emanator, or even an Aeon), gaining most of their power and existence for a certain period. Daily throws: 4.]
[Do you wish to load this permanent Entry?]
"Four throws... per day?" Orion's mind reeled. This ability was almost on par with Perfect Replication. With this, he had gained an absolute, game-changing trump card!
[Load!] he commanded without hesitation.
[Entry loaded successfully!]
But the surprises were not over. The system chimed again, this time with a completely different, almost playful tone.
[Ding! Detected that the Host's actions (Defeating a Lord Ravager by orchestrating an absurd play) have drawn the gaze of Aha, the Aeon of Elation!]
[The Aeon of Elation finds your performance 'exceptionally fun'! You have been granted the favor of Elation!]
[Automatically gained the Entry: Emanator of Elation (Red)!]
[Effect: You are a Masked Fool walking the world, Aha's most favored actor. Your aura and identity have been perfectly concealed by the power of 'Elation,' allowing you to freely infiltrate various factions without being detected as an Emanator. As long as you are on the path of creating fun, your power will continuously grow.]
So, I really became an Emanator of Elation? That gaze just now wasn't just Nanook... it was Aha, too. This was perfect. He could completely hide his identity. And the power of an Emanator was now truly in his grasp.
A strange sensation filled him. It was a light, chaotic, joyous power, a stark contrast to the heavy, burning-cold power of Destruction already lurking within him. The two forces didn't conflict. Instead, they swirled together, finding a bizarre, dangerous equilibrium.
Orion could feel that the power of destruction within him still existed. He opened his system panel:
[Host Attributes Panel]
[Name: Orion]
[Physique: 5250] (Average human is 5-10)
[Strength: 99999] (Average human is 5-10)
[Agility: 5360]
[Charm: 100] (Average human is 5-20)
[Loaded Permanent Entries: Divine Persona Mask (Red), Emanator of Elation (Red), Perfect Replication (Red), Memory Armament (Gold), Word Devouring (Gold), Golden Threads of Fate (Gold), Lord Ravager (Gold), Stealth (Blue), Eloquent Speech (Blue), Rampage (Blue)]
Indeed! The [Lord Ravager (Gold)] entry was still there!
This meant, as long as he acquired another Stellaron, he could upgrade [Lord Ravager] to Red. He would simultaneously become a dual Emanator of Elation and Destruction!
Thinking of this, Orion's eyes burned with a fervent, cold fire. The next Stellaron...
He subconsciously turned, his gaze searching the devastated battlefield for a familiar, gray-haired figure. Board the Astral Express, head to the Xianzhou Luofu, seize the Ambrosial Arbor's Stellaron... or...
Suddenly! A soft, warm body hugged him tightly from behind.
"Orion!" It was Stelle's voice, filled with an uncontrollable excitement. "You're amazing! You actually defeated that so-called Lord Ravager! I'm proud of you, my friend!"
The girl's warm body pressed against his back. Orion's body stiffened. He could clearly feel her soft chest pressing against him, and right behind that softness, a Stellaron was beating with powerful, rhythmic energy.
So close. So... unguarded.
Orion's eyes, for one chilling instant, flashed with a bottomless, cold intent. If I acted now... [Perfect Replication]... then...
But the killing intent lasted less than half a second before he forcibly suppressed it. He felt the genuine warmth at his back, the sincerity in her cheer, and he let out a soft sigh. It wasn't time. And besides... this was far more fun.
"You're hugging me like this..." he said, his voice a bit strained. "It's a bit... uncomfortable."
"Ah? Sorry, sorry!" Stelle immediately let go, her face flushing as she realized how intimate the action was. "I forgot you just finished a tough battle... Are you hurt?" She circled him, looking him up and down with genuine concern.
"I'm fine," Orion shook his head and turned around, thinking to himself, This girl... is far too unguarded.
"Orion!"
From a distance, two more figures came running—one in purple, one in silver-gray. Seele and Bronya.
"You-you were too reckless just now!" Seele rushed over, her face pale with worry. She stopped just short of him, her eyes red, but her words carried their usual tsundere tone. "If... if you had died, I... I would never forgive you!"
Bronya appeared calmer, but her slightly trembling hands, clenched at her sides, betrayed her emotions. "Welcome back, Orion." Her voice was steady, but tight. "Thank you... for protecting Belobog."
At that moment, Gepard, leading a squad of Silvermane Guards, also arrived. The iron-blooded captain marched up to Orion, his armor clattering. He stopped, stared at the young man who had saved them all, and gave the most solemn, respectful military salute of his life.
"Orion... On behalf of all the Silvermane Guards, thank you. You have saved us all."
At the same time, the rest of the Astral Express crew finally arrived.
"Oh my goodness..." March 7th skidded to a halt, looking at the completely altered terrain, then at the unharmed Orion, her mouth agape. "So... you really killed a Lord Ravager? Wow, you're that strong?!"
Himeko stood with her arms crossed, a composed smile on her face, but her gaze towards Orion was sharp and probing.
Dan Heng stood silently beside her, his hand gripping his spear so tightly his knuckles were white, betraying his inner turmoil.
They all realized one thing: Orion harbored power far beyond their imagination. He was a living legend who, as a mortal, had defeated an Emanator of Destruction.
"Hero! Hero!" one of the Silvermane Guards shouted, his voice breaking with emotion.
Soon, all the Guards were cheering. "Belobog's great hero! Our Savior!"
Cheers rose one after another, echoing through the desolate valley. They had witnessed the birth of a legend.
"Everyone..." Orion scratched his head, putting on a perfect expression of modest embarrassment. Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary young man was already a true, dual-path Emanator?
"Let's go, great hero!" Stelle grinned, recovering from her fluster, and boldly hooked her arm around his. "We're going to celebrate tonight!"
"Exactly!" March 7th chimed in. "We won't go home until we're drunk!"
Surrounded by the cheering crowd, a genuine smile played on Orion's lips.
Even I have become a hero...
This is... too much fun.
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