The more I felt it, the more I knew my own insignificance.
The more I learned, the more I understood the vastness of the world, the grandeur of the cosmos.
Chibi Miss Yuzu displayed an overview of the former eighteen Paths on the screen.
Yet even among those so-called eighteen Paths, only a handful were truly common.
Some were affected because their Aeon had fallen.
Others were simply due to the Path itself being incredibly arduous.
--+--
[If we say that a Pathstrider could reach the level of an Emanator through their own power, it's possible—there are such examples.]
[Because an Aeon's Emanator is, in a way, like a special kind of Pathstrider.]
[Even the Aeons themselves are travelers walking their own Paths.]
[But saying that feels a bit like cheating.]
[Since there are indeed Pathstriders who rival Emanators, lacking only the gaze of an Aeon.]
[Then theoretically, could an Emanator exist who stands against an Aeon?]
[The answer is: not even in theory! Don't even think about the rest.]
--+--
Destruction, Nihility, Erudition, Harmony, Hunt, Elation, Abundance, Remembrance...
And so on and so forth.
The corresponding Aeons' illustrations now fully materialized before everyone's eyes.
Just as expected!
They were completely different from the forms of Elysia and the others as Aeons.
More abstract, and more wondrous.
One could say that these were the true Aeons, ascended by their own power.
In contrast, the ones Kiana had evolved were Aeons, yet not quite—they possessed the power and Paths of Aeons, yet remained utterly free. They even retained their human forms, almost no different from before.
Maybe they'd added a few elements here and there.
But that was it.
The Aeons of the old era and the Aeons of the new era could be easily distinguished.
No wonder, both in the images and the videos, it was said that they should be categorized separately.
Because Aeons themselves could affect the entire cosmos with the slightest stir—a single move influencing the whole universe.
Those of the old era embodied more divinity.
While the new era's leaned more towards humanity.
But this didn't mean they were truly supreme deities. Precisely because they were sublimations of concepts, with clear desires, they possessed definite mindsets and fixed behavioral patterns.
What we call "divinity" here mostly refers to their lack of clear moral distinctions. You couldn't even describe them in terms of good or evil.
"So that's how it is..."
Viewers across the world reacted differently—some had a sudden realization, while others found it deeply unsettling upon reflection.
"If they were to enact their Paths, triggering a major crisis across the universe, that's entirely possible, isn't it? Is there no way to stop it?"
"Perhaps... other Aeons would intervene..."
After all, some Aeons clearly leaned towards benevolence in their philosophies.
At least on the surface, largely, they skewed towards good—like Preservation. Right?
--+--
[As we mentioned earlier, after Lady Jyahnar embarked on a Path, she walked the Path of Destruction.]
[The Aeon of Destruction took a great liking to her, wanting to bestow blessings upon her, to take her for their own use. To make her their Emanator.]
[Lady Jyahnar refused.]
--+--
In reality.
Everyone could see it.
No matter how strong one originally was, walking a Path was a significant enhancement, and being blessed by an Aeon even more so.
Forget the notion that power granted by an Aeon could be taken back at any time.
Even Emanators were less free than Pathstriders.
But if you asked around, countless people would undoubtedly jump at the chance to become an Emanator.
Without a doubt.
"Not bad, Jyahnar, you actually refused," Elysia said with a light laugh.
But Jyahnar puffed up slightly with pride. "Jyahnar belongs to Kiana in life and in death. A mere Aeon of Destruction thinking they can claim me? Impossible!"
--+--
[Then, the Aeon of Destruction forced the issue.]
[Whether Jyahnar was willing or not, she became the Emanator of Destruction.]
[For a time, she was even considered the strongest candidate for Emanator.]
--+--
Because, no matter what.
Some Paths excel in combat, are suited for it, while others... not so much.
Destruction, without a doubt, is one of the more combat-powerful types.
At the very least, it's much more straightforward compared to something like Erudition, which requires more... finesse.
In fact, the Lord Ravagers—aside from a few laughable exceptions—generally have pretty decent combat prowess.
At the very least, they rank near the top.
"So, I just got recruited like that?" Jyahnar let out an exasperated laugh.
Kiana patted her head, comforting her.
Mobius shrugged, rational as ever. "Maybe at that time, our Miss Kiana wasn't a match for an Aeon yet. So there was no other way. You just had to... endure it for a while."
"Ugh..." Jyahnar felt even more dejected.
--+--
[In fact.]
[When our main world connected to the Star Rail Universe, including other Honkai Impact 3rd worlds or the Genshin world, many people received blessings and became Emanators.]
[Before the Aeons of the new era were born, it was truly the domain of the old era's Aeons.]
[Unlike now, with Miss Kiana at the core, everyone blessing and looking out for each other.]
[But according to historical records, later, the Aeon of Destruction was hunted by Miss Kiana for over a thousand years.]
[They never dared to show their face again.]
[Among their Lord Ravagers, only Phantylia and the others survived because they were female; the rest were... eliminated.]
[Even the Aeon's Antimatter Legion was reduced to less than a tenth of its original strength.]
[Now, the Aeon of Destruction isn't all 'destroy, destroy, destroy' anymore.]
[Their eyes are... remarkably clear.]
--+--
The V-tuber girl narrated while playing animations.
It was quite amusing.
You could see the whole universe mapped out, and then—a game of cat and mouse.
--+--
[Perhaps this was also due to the Star Rail Universe's outward expansion, the walking of Paths always being an ongoing process...]
[But I think Miss Kiana definitely played the biggest part, right?]
--+--
"Holy crap! Miss Kiana, you're insane!"
"Kiana, you legend!"
"See? I told you our Miss Kiana holds a grudge."
"You dare try to steal her wife? Just you try!"
"Talk about being sent back to the stone age!"
Many people were cracking up, laughing their heads off.
Higher-ups in various countries and organizations around the world couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
"We haven't offended Miss Kiana, have we?"
"No, absolutely not!"
"Looks like we need another internal purge. And we need to clean up the internet too—Miss Kiana does go online."
Clearly, better safe than sorry—never forget to pay your respects to Miss Kiana.
Not expecting any favors from her.
Just hoping she doesn't set her sights on you!
--+--
[Honestly, I think our Aeon of Destruction just went about it the wrong way.]
[Forced affection isn't sweet, but it quenches thirst? Well, there's a price to pay for that too!]
--+--
The uploader girl laughed, her milky, playful voice ringing cheerfully.
--+--
[Look at Elysia next door—the moment she arrived, she directly ignited the Path of Beauty. Even before achieving sublimation, the followers of Beauty treated her like a saintess.]
[Who would dare bully her?!]
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.