A wondrous radiance, pure and profound, shimmered into being within the Simulated Universe. It wasn't a harsh light, but one that seemed to saturate reality itself, making the very air feel thick with meaning.
For a moment, Bai Ming felt dizzy, her senses overwhelmed not by force, but by a sheer, dense intensity of presence.
But outside the screen, Herta was visibly electrified.
"It's here! Another one! A second Aeon!"
Herta's composure was legendary. Bai Ming suspected that even if someone used her puppet to film a scandalous music video, she'd only critique the cinematography. Yet now, her voice was stripped of its usual lazy drawl, sharpened to a needlepoint of pure, unadulterated excitement. She was flustered. Genuinely, scientifically flustered. Encountering two Aeons in a single run must have been a statistical miracle.
Before Bai Ming could fully process this, the world warped. Herta's voice stretched thin, pulled into an impossible distance, echoing into nothingness.
Aeon... Aeon... Aeon...
The word itself seemed to loop in the fading sound. A strange sensation washed over Bai Ming. Everything froze, not in ice, but in a moment of perfect, timeless stasis. The boundary between simulation and reality didn't just blur; it was politely pointed out to her as a quaint, irrelevant concept. Bai Ming felt that if she didn't consciously choose to look for the difference, she could remain in this glorious, ambiguous superposition forever.
Is this some kind of divine Tsukuyomi? she wondered, a stray thought from her manga-filled past.
Then, her focus snapped to the figure materializing before her. It was a humanoid silhouette, but one composed of countless, shimmering shards, like a being forged from broken mirrors and captured starlight. Its features were fractured enigmas, refracted into infinity by its prismatic form.
The moment its gaze—a collective focus from a million facets—met Bai Ming's, it seemed to gather itself to speak. But Bai Ming, ever the one to break protocol, shot her hand up first.
"Um! This might be super rude, and probably super disrespectful! But…"
She pinched her thumb and forefinger together, leaving a tiny gap. "Could you maybe... turn the brightness down a bit? Otherwise, I think my retinas are gonna get a tan! If it's not too much trouble, do you have, like, an energy-saving mode? Something green? Super easy on the eyes!"
"..."
The Aeon didn't speak. But the overwhelming luminescence obediently dimmed, the light softening and shifting into a gentle, soothing pale green. It was the most ophthalmologist-friendly environment imaginable.
"Wow——!" Bai Ming spun around, her eyes wide with delight. "You can actually do that! Aeons are amazing, as expected…"
Still, the Aeon offered no words. Instead, a name gently surfaced in Bai Ming's consciousness, as if it had always been there: Fuli.
"Is that your name?" she asked, sensing the communication.
The response was not words, but a wave of pure, unadulterated confusion. A "How could a being of existence not know this?" kind of confusion.
Oh, right! Bai Ming's mental gears finally clicked. The principle of the Simulated Universe! She hadn't logged in as "Bai Ming"; she was role-playing as Akivili!
"Ahem." She straightened up, adopting a more... Aeonic posture. "Little Li, good job."
"..."
The title felt wrong. The light flickered.
"Old Li?"
"..."
Worse.
"Big Li?Sister Li? Brother Li? Little Sister Li? Little Brother Li?"
"..."
"What should I call you?!Say something!"
"..."
The universe remained silent, but an answer came nonetheless—not in words, but in a vivid, projected sensation.
A figure coalesced before her eyes: a woman with flowing purple hair, small round glasses tucked into her locks. She wore a sharp white top and black leather pants, her curves accentuated by an expensive coat draped over her shoulders. Her legs were sheathed in sleek black stockings, a picture of alluring, dangerous elegance.
Wait— Isn't that the big sister who pinned me to the wall?! Kafka! Hehehe~ She really has that 'could be a mom' vibe! So pretty!
But just as Bai Ming was cupping her cheeks, wriggling with delight, the image of Kafka began to distort. She twisted and melted, merging seamlessly with the umbrella she held, dissolving into a shower of clear, glistening droplets that fell soundlessly at Bai Ming's feet.
"Wow——!" Bai Ming stared at the puddle, her heart breaking. "My mom! You shattered my mom!"
Before she could properly mourn, a torrent of images flooded her mind. This time, they weren't isolated visions but a cascading waterfall of memory, drenching her consciousness.
In an instant, she dreamed of many things. She was a crying infant, still physically connected to a twin. The next moment, a golden, weeping wound split open on her chest, its divine blood corrupting worlds. Then, she was another self—dark-skinned, robes flying, leaping across chasms with the wind itself. A meteor slid from her fingertips; she reached to touch it, and the contact snapped her back to the present.
It was still Fuli, and she was still herself. And Bai Ming suddenly understood.
"You're the Aeon of 'Remembrance,' right? Those... were things from the past?"
The same silence. Fuli seemed to be a being of pure data, averse to sonic vibration. But then, It spoke—a continuous, monotone stream, utterly devoid of inflection:
"Robe fluttering wandering you spread open black skin you sneer exploration thread spinning overlapping warp and weft weaving into ocean…"
Words spilled forth, connected and unbroken, a torrent of poetic madness. Bai Ming immediately panicked.
"Hey, hey, hey! Slow down! What's with the riddle-speak?! Are all Aeons this extra?! Don't be like a certain cryptic lynx!"
Her complaints were useless. Fuli's form was already growing translucent, fading like a forgotten dream.
"Why are you all like this!" Bai Ming recalled Nanook's abrupt departure. "Fine! Leave if you want! But at least do me a solid and help me get the [Elysian Realm Signets] out of here! You can do that, right? You're the Aeon of Remembrance! You definitely can, right?!"
She received no audible response. Fuli vanished completely, leaving only the soft green light behind.
"Did you even hear me…" Bai Ming muttered, deflated.
But—if it could really be done, that would be terrifying. After all, this is all just simulated data… right?
Just then, Herta's voice crackled back to life through the comms, laced with a tension Bai Ming had never heard before.
"Brat. Are you intact?"
"I'm all here." Bai Ming patted herself down and did a little spin. "All limbs accounted for. What's up, Hertie?"
Herta was silent for a beat, then spoke with uncharacteristic bluntness. "I lost contact with you. Completely."
"Ah,really…"
"Don't panic," Herta interjected, her voice regaining some of its technical briskness. "It was only for approximately sixty-three seconds. I've already patched the security breach. It shouldn't happen again."
"I-is that so…"
An awkward silence hung between them. Herta hesitated, then forced the words out. "My apologies. This was an oversight on my part. An external variable I failed to account for compromised the connection. The fault is mine."
Though her speech was notoriously thorny and arrogant, her apology was startlingly direct and sincere.
"It's fine~" Bai Ming waved a hand at the empty air, a bright grin on her face. "No harm, no foul! No need for apologies! Besides, I had a blast! Punching one Voidranger after another? That's my idea of a good time!"
She let out a spirited "Hii-yah!" and struck a wobbly kung fu pose. The sheer absurdity of it drew a faint, involuntary chuckle from Herta.
"You... certainly have a unique way of lightening the mood. Alright, exit sequence initiated. I'm not risking another anomaly."
"Mhm——!"
A familiar hook tugged at her navel, and the world somersaulted around her. When her vision cleared, she was back in Herta's office, lying on the cold interface platform. And Herta's small hand was pressed firmly against her chest.
"Wow——!" Bai Ming bolted upright, scrambling off the platform and clutching her decidedly average chest. "Hertie! What are you doing?! I'm a respectable girl!"
Herta retorted with impatience, "What is that pancake-chested brat imagining? I told you there was an incident. I was conducting a direct physical diagnostic scan."
"O-oh,is that it?"
"What else would it be?" Herta planted her hands on her hips. "What delusion were you entertaining?"
"I thought it was something like sleep violation…"
"..."
"I am filled with regret for ever allowing you into the Simulated Universe," Herta grumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" Bai Ming tilted her head.
"Nothing."
Herta tried to climb back onto the equipment, but her puppet body was too short. With a sigh, Bai Ming reached out and effortlessly lifted her up. Once settled, Herta leaned in close, her digital eyes sharp with intensity.
"You encountered a second Aeon. Describe its parameters."
"Uh…well," Bai Ming scratched her cheek. "It looked like a walking, talking kaleidoscope. And then there was the whole energy-saving mode thing."
"Energy saving mode?" Herta's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Ah, not important. I got its name. It's the Aeon of Rememberance Fuli."
Herta's eyes lit up with a fierce, triumphant fire. "Then the experiment is a resounding success!"
"S-success?"
"Precisely!" Herta began gesticulating animatedly, her small frame buzzing with energy. "The Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli, is a living archive! The knowledge It possesses is arguably comparable to Nous Itself! If we can establish a stable communication protocol, our understanding of the Aeons will…" Mid-sentence, she stopped. She noticed Bai Ming's gaze, soft and unbearably fond. "Brat. What is that expression on your face? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because—"Bai Ming lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the small puppet and nuzzling her cheek against Herta's hair. "You were just so unbelievably CUTE >_<————!!!"
"Huh???"
"What are you babbling about!" Herta squirmed out of the embrace and leapt off the equipment, putting a safe distance between them. She pointed a trembling finger at Bai Ming. "Brat! Know your place! You are a test subject! A lab rat! There will be no unauthorized hugging!"
"But you were just so cute!" Bai Ming clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling. "I don't even want the Credits anymore! Please, just one more hug!"
"Don't even think about it!"Herta spun around, her back to Bai Ming. "I—I have critical data to input! You stay there! And don't move!"
"Oh…"Bai Ming's shoulders slumped in exaggerated defeat.
As Herta hurried away, Bai Ming idly pulled up her system interface. She wasn't expecting to find anything, but her eyes widened at what she saw.
[Limited-Time Mission Completed]
[Erudition - Bodhi Acquired]
[Remembrance - Bodhi Acquired]
Huh?! Wasn't this the thing from inside the Simulated Universe? It actually got pulled out?! And there's an extra one?!
She focused on the descriptions.
[Erudition - Bodhi] Effect:
[Words of Doom - LV4]
When combo count reaches the threshold,clear all combo counts, then significantly increase damage for a period of time!
[The 'Remembrance' Aeon Fuli has taken notice of it]
[Combo count requirement significantly lowered]
"This is…" As a veteran Captain, Bai Ming's gaming instincts screamed into overdrive. Her mind raced, connecting the dots between the [Elysian Realm Signets] and the Aeons. In the Simulated Universe, you obtained Blessings from Aeons. The Signets had replaced those Blessings, but they were also being enhanced by them, their effects warped by the Aeon's specific nature—Nous optimizing the logic, Fuli altering the memory-based condition.
And it seemed... the influence was different for each Aeon!
This— This meant the [Elysian Realm Signets] could be collected and upgraded, just like in the old days! And this time, it came with collectible Aeon interactions! Hehehe~ Time to grind! I'm coming for you, Elysia's [EGO] Signet!
"Hertie! I demand more testing! The free, unlimited kind!"
"Ahem." Herta cleared her throat, her attention on a nearby screen. "That won't be possible."
"Why? Is it still upgrading?"
"No."Herta shook her head. "For me, an upgrade is a matter of minutes."
"Then…"
"I'm busy!" Herta said, her eyes fixed on the message displayed from Asta: "Ms. Herta, I'd like to discuss something about Bai Ming with you. Are you available?"
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Life Simulator: Starting in Genshin Impact!
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober