"The gaze of Nous, is it..."
Ron stared at the image on the light screen. The deep red glow reflected in the Herta puppet's eyes was hidden within her violet pupils, but Ron could still clearly see that inquisitive gaze.
The scene on the screen paused, and a new option box materialized:
[Herta has dispelled the influence of the unknown History Fictionologist for you, clearing away the fog of Mythus and resolving the bewilderment that should have enveloped you.]
[However, her assistance was clearly not without a price... The probing gaze of Nous and Herta's own curious eyes have both fallen upon you.]
[Must the secrets you have unraveled from the Stellaron be handed over to Nous, The Erudition? This is a question that requires careful consideration.]
[Perhaps your choice will not change anything. Nous, The Erudition, always has ways to solve a puzzle and obtain the answers It desires... But regardless, this still represents your choice.]
[Push fate forward with your own free will. This is the best way to prove your existence.]
[For this, you will make a Destiny Choice.]
A wondrous option box appeared on the screen, seeming to transform from the falsehood of the display into reality, yet not entirely real. A seven-colored radiance swirled upon its semi-real frame.
[Please Choose—]
[1. Inform Nous, The Erudition, of everything you have uncovered.
You know that the choice of a mortal is meaningless to an Aeon. You can try to hide it, but the outcome of concealment is obvious...
Nous can always retrieve the desired answer from your mind. It would be better to be open and honest from the start and satisfy Its expectations.
Upon selecting this option, Nous will obtain the answer It requires from you. You might gain the favor of Nous for this, perhaps even receiving a ticket to join the Genius Society, becoming famous throughout the sea of stars and receiving the Aeon's grace.]
[2. Inform Nous, The Erudition, of a truth you have fabricated on the spot.
You see through the schemes of Nous, The Erudition... You feel a sense of aversion to Its actions and do not wish for It to so easily obtain the answer It desires.
Although you know that Aeons possess little free will, bound by the strict driving forces of their Paths, and that the cold, mechanical core of Nous contains only a thirst for knowledge—that everything done to you was merely a random calculation in pursuit of an answer—you still cannot accept Its cold calculus.
Even if a mortal is but an ant to an Aeon, even if all your thoughts are simple records that can be freely peeked into, you will still attempt to deceive Nous, The Erudition, and make It endure the same treatment It deserves for its cold calculations.
Upon selecting this option, Nous will obtain the answer It requires from you. Its attitude towards you will change to "inscrutable," and the event "An Aeon's Free Will" will be triggered.
You may have to face something deeper... much deeper.]
[3. (Nihility), (Erudition) While avoiding the gaze of Nous, inform Herta of everything you have uncovered.
Existing on a higher narrative layer, you have cleansed your true self in the turbid, malevolent current of IX, The Nihility. Your steadfast heart of existence has stepped onto the Path of Nihility, and you are now defining your own existence by contrasting it against the empty void of that Path...
You have the opportunity to borrow the power you possess on that higher narrative layer, transforming it into an echo of the Path of Nihility to submerge this research vessel...
Within this cold and turbid current, the gaze of Nous will be shielded by the power of Nihility, giving you a chance to speak with Herta herself, alone.
You know what Herta truly wants... She is far from loyal to Nous.
You decide to tell her, and only her, the answer you obtained from the Stellaron.
Upon selecting this option, you will temporarily dispel the influence of Nous, The Erudition, and with your own true will, inform Herta of the conclusions you drew from the Stellaron—
She, too, will have the chance to make a choice with her own true will... This choice will push her toward a new destiny.]
[4. (Preservation or Abundance) Spread this knowledge throughout the entire sea of stars for free.
Truth is the brightest jewel on the璀璨 golden crown of this sea of stars. Such a treasure should never be kept by one person, locked away in a cold, dark vault as a private collection.
Only by spreading this truth across the cosmos, telling everyone in this world, can its value be met... You do not mind sharing this with all.
Upon selecting this option, you will gain the profound attention of Mythus, The Enigmata. The influence of Nous will fade from your side, replaced by a rose-colored fog that will never dissipate.
After a certain period, you will see the face of Mythus, The Enigmata, and successfully glimpse what this incredibly mysterious Aeon truly looks like...
You will pay a price for this, but in return, thanks to your efforts, the entire sea of stars will know the nature of the Stellaron and everything it represents—this choice will push everything toward a new destiny.]
[Destiny Choice: Everything in this sea of stars has a predetermined fate... The birth and death of a galaxy, the wilting of a single flower petal, all are shrouded by the spiderweb woven from the threads of destiny, entangled and unable to break free.
Destiny is intertwined with everyone, pulling all forward... No one can escape the shackles of fate, much less deviate from the predetermined future.
Only a "Miracle" can tear the threads of destiny, ripping an opening in the thick, suffocating web and forging a new path for the future.
After triggering a Miracle Event, there is a 1% chance to trigger a Destiny Choice—
A Destiny Choice will present options that have a chance to alter a fated outcome, but selecting certain options requires meeting specific conditions. These conditions are not limited to the simulation but also apply to reality. Only when the conditions for an option are fully met can it be chosen, guiding destiny toward a new future.]
"A Destiny Choice..."
Ron fell into deep thought as he looked at the option box on the screen. This was the first time a Destiny Choice had appeared, and the first time the simulation had shown a direct entanglement with his reality.
Previously, besides allowing Ron to simulate the future and obtain Traits with various special effects and abilities, the Life Simulation Game had never had any direct impact on reality.
But this Destiny Choice was clearly different... This was the first time an option had a special restriction, and that restriction explicitly limited both the simulation and reality.
This is just a simulation... why would it require my real self to meet certain conditions?
His real self had no connection to his simulated self. The moment the simulation began, the world-line had already undergone a complete divergence. All his choices in the game were merely a rehearsal.
It was like a galaxy in the palm of his hand; everything that happened within was the reality of another world. His situation in the real world should not affect the simulation at all—
Unless, reality and the simulation were connected in some way he didn't understand...
Ron pondered this thoughtfully. The unique nature of the Destiny Choice made him hesitate, unwilling to make a rash decision.
After all... this was a choice with a mere 1% trigger chance that only appeared after a Miracle. It was an opportunity to escape the fixed destiny of this sea of stars, to hold fate and the future tightly in his own hands, and to steer them in a new direction...
He hesitated, afraid that his choice might lead to a negative outcome, pushing destiny off a cliff and into a valley of despair.
Staring at the options, Ron sank into deep contemplation.
Options one and two were the first he eliminated. It wasn't that they were bad choices; if he were to follow his usual rational approach, option one was quite appealing.
After all, he had already uncovered the Stellaron's secret and would next have to face a hidden danger. Receiving some blessing from Nous and becoming an Emanator of Erudition would at least give him more confidence when facing a crisis...
But upon seeing that neither of those two options indicated they could change destiny, Ron felt helpless and immediately discarded them.
This was a hard-won opportunity, triggered only by the Miracle of uncovering the Stellaron's secret. Of course, Ron had to use it to change something about destiny; he couldn't just let the chance slip away...
He wavered between options three and four for a long time before reluctantly eliminating the fourth.
Although that option seemed to suit Ron's tastes, the danger was simply too great.
It meant directly sacrificing his future in this simulation, dying at the hands of Mythus, The Enigmata, just to see the entire sea of stars thrown into turmoil, to watch person after person begin to strive to break this false world...
But he wouldn't be there... and if he was gone, then it was all meaningless.
Ron shook his head and tapped on the third option.
By comparison, this one was simple and effective. Although Ron didn't know how Herta would react, he knew one thing for certain: she was absolutely not someone fiercely loyal to her Aeon...
...After all, she dared to create the Simulated Universe to explore the secrets of the Aeons, digging to the root of all knowledge about them. What loyalty could there be?
Since she wasn't loyal to Nous... she had a reason to cooperate with him.
With that thought, Ron watched as the option box faded. The border of the light screen began to twist and writhe, gradually forming into seven-colored tendrils that coiled together, creating a vibrant frame that seemed to shift from illusion to reality.
The moment the frame was formed, the scene within continued to play:
Faced with Herta's question, Ron remained silent. A deep, dark, and turbid current suddenly surged forth from the void. Under the echo of Nihility, a faint, empty sound swallowed both of them in an instant.
The red light in Herta's pupils was instantly shrouded by darkness. And within this infinite, nihilistic blackness, a massive, blurry silhouette flashed for a moment. If one looked closely, one would be stunned to find that the silhouette was none other than Ron's own...
Except the Ron in the silhouette had his features swallowed by the murky gloom. Aside from a high and mighty, all-controlling divinity that radiated from him, it was impossible to see anything else.
"...What are you trying to do?"
Herta watched Ron warily. She could feel the disparity between reality and this turbid, black space... and she could also feel her body gradually becoming lighter.
The gaze of Nous had placed considerable pressure on Herta, not physically, but entirely on her spirit.
Even though this was just an automaton, Herta was controlling it. Now, suddenly free from the Aeon's watch, she could still feel a sense of comfort welling up from the bottom of her heart... which showed just how much pressure Nous's attention had brought her.
Ron paid little mind to Herta's vigilance. He simply pushed up his glasses and spoke to her, his tone simple yet earnest:
"I'm not trying to do anything... I just wanted to tell you the results of this experiment after getting rid of Nous's influence."
As he spoke, he held the bottle restraining the Stellaron, his fingertip lightly tapping the transparent vessel. The Stellaron inside emitted a dim glow.
The scene on the light screen faded.
New lines of text appeared:
[Relying on the echo of the Path brought by your self from the higher narrative layer, you successfully shielded yourself from the gaze that Nous, The Erudition, had cast through Herta for a period of time.]
[You told Herta everything you had uncovered about the Stellaron. Herta was shocked, and then she fell silent.]
[A long time later, as the infinite void around you began to dissipate, as the dark, nihilistic currents were about to drain away, and as the gaze of Nous was about to return from the edge of the universe—]
[Herta spoke.]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene emerged—
Herta was looking at Ron with great interest, her voice filled with anticipation:
"This knowledge... has given me a new research project."
She said, extending an invitation to Ron:
"Interested in creating an Aeon with me, my friend?"