Lin Shuang's appearance, along with the greatsword she gripped tightly in her hand, always gave Acheron a familiar sense of déjà vu.
In the vast universe, this was not the first time she had met someone similar yet different, but not every encounter went smoothly.
Like now.
She did not know why Lin Shuang wanted to throw her life away, but she did not want to watch Lin Shuang die.
The meaning of the ritual had yet to be explained, and Acheron did not want this white-haired reckless girl to become food for Rift creatures just like that.
Acheron: Raise Your Sword, Lin Shuang
Hearing Acheron's objection, Lin Shuang did not know how to respond for a moment.
She stared at Acheron's left hand. In Acheron's eyes, what had just happened was merely a ritual to obtain power in cooperation with her.
And to Acheron, she was probably nothing more than an ordinary chance encounter during an interstellar journey.
To put it bluntly, Lin Shuang did not think what she had done today was enough to make Acheron care about her so much.
Based solely on the plot she remembered and those two PVs, Acheron should have been a colder person.
The gap between reality and her expectations left Lin Shuang confused. What kind of person was the real Acheron?
"Don't worry. I'll act carefully, and I'm not just curious. The Stellaron might really be able to help me."
"You want to use the Stellaron's power?"
Acheron frowned. It was as if she were getting to know the white-haired young woman before her all over again, unable to tell whether she was ignorant or arrogant.
"Do you truly understand the danger of a Stellaron? Every being in the universe that has tried to wield a Stellaron's power has ended up walking toward self-destruction."
"Even members of the Genius Society only choose to suppress and control Stellarons. If you truly intend to use a Stellaron's power, I will stop you."
Acheron's tone unconsciously grew heavier. The presence born from her experience and power as an Emanator made Lin Shuang's entire body tense up, even though only a trace of it leaked out.
Noticing Lin Shuang's reaction, Acheron closed her eyes. When she opened them again, that intensely aggressive aura had already receded.
Lin Shuang also recovered, one hand pressed to her chest.
Watching Lin Shuang, Acheron was puzzled by her own unusual behavior and blamed herself for what she had just done.
"Sorry. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
Lin Shuang waved her hand. Catching merely a glimpse of an Emanator's power had already left her deeply shaken.
The meaning behind those two words was far more profound than she had imagined.
Yet compared to that power, Lin Shuang was even more puzzled as to why someone like Acheron would reveal such emotions because of her.
By all rights, this should not have happened.
Or was Acheron simply like this by nature?
Her gaze toward Acheron gradually turned strange. After hesitating for a while, Lin Shuang could not hold back any longer and asked,
"More importantly... Acheron, why do you want to stop me from approaching the Stellaron?"
She deliberately stressed the word "me."
"..."
Acheron fell silent. As she traveled the galaxy, she had always offered aid to those wading through the river of Nihility.
But Lin Shuang was not walking the path of Nihility. Nor was her desire for the Stellaron driven by an ideal or a goal.
Still, Acheron could tell that Lin Shuang was not a Pathstrider, and her eyes were far from resolute. She was like a lost lamb that had wandered into the deep sea.
An unsuitable person had appeared in an unsuitable place and developed unsuitable curiosity.
With so many things out of place intertwined, Lin Shuang would be returned to Nihility.
"There is no reason."
"Huh?"
Lin Shuang was confused, while Acheron merely answered calmly,
"As one travels the galaxy, not everything needs a reason."
Acheron simply looked into Lin Shuang's beautiful blue eyes, each word settling into Lin Shuang's heart.
This was not some declaration of so-called justice. Instead, behind those words, Lin Shuang could vaguely sense nothing but a deathly, silent Nihility.
The feeling shocked Lin Shuang, but it also gave rise to a sense of helplessness.
When someone possessed overwhelming power yet acted without any reason or purpose, how could one make her abandon her actions?
Lin Shuang felt a slight headache coming on.
"Acheron, I don't want to destroy myself. I know how dangerous a Stellaron is. I only want to try something—a small attempt. If you think anything is wrong, you can stop me at any time."
Lin Shuang had not expected Acheron to take matters concerning her so seriously.
Or rather, Lin Shuang had never imagined Acheron would go this far for her.
Yet in response to Lin Shuang's explanation, Acheron merely shook her head and held her sheathed blade horizontally before Lin Shuang.
"That is not the issue. Right now, not only would you be attacked by Rift creatures and the Anti-Matter Legion, more importantly, you cannot resist the Stellaron's temptation."
Stellarons could produce a power that beguiled others, and there was no shortage of examples.
In Acheron's eyes, if Lin Shuang, who was like a lamb, touched the Stellaron now, she would not be able to resist it.
It was not as though Lin Shuang had not considered that possibility, but she figured she would only touch it briefly. If the Storage Card could not contain it, or could not isolate the Stellaron, she would retreat.
Such a short amount of time should not be enough for her to be tempted.
But hearing Acheron say that, had she underestimated the Stellaron's power?
"Then is there any way? I mean, a way to resist the Stellaron's power."
Faced with Lin Shuang's question, Acheron did not answer immediately. Instead, she curiously posed her own question.
"Why are you so determined to approach the Stellaron? You have only just gained your power. Shouldn't mastering it as soon as possible be your priority?"
Since she had not planned to hide it anyway, Lin Shuang omitted the part about the toy version and explained to Acheron that her current power was like water without a source.
If she could use the power of a Sealing Card to store the Stellaron, perhaps it could solve her problem of lacking an energy source.
"...After all, I'm not a Pathstrider. I can't draw power from a Path, so I can only seek external help."
"All right. I roughly understand."
Acheron understood Lin Shuang's reasons, but as she had said,
Touching a Stellaron was an extremely dangerous matter. Not to mention that Lin Shuang was bold enough to want to carry a Stellaron around the universe with her.
Acheron did not know whether to say that a newborn calf feared no tiger, or that ignorance made one fearless.
As she thought this,
Acheron turned her scabbard and pointed it at Lin Shuang before speaking.
"I understand why you desire the Stellaron, but Stellarons are too dangerous. You even plan to carry one with you. Even if the card you mentioned can truly seal it away, how can you guarantee it will never be damaged and lead you to self-destruction?"
"Therefore, even if I could help you obtain the Stellaron, I still would not do so."
As she spoke, Acheron turned her scabbard and deliberately tapped the greatsword in Lin Shuang's hand.
"Raise your sword. I imagine that after you and I part ways in the future, you will still take such a desperate risk. So rather than that, let me temper your will now. At the very least... your will must be strong enough to hold out until I arrive."
Clang—
As she spoke, Acheron's blade slid a mere inch from its sheath.
Yet with that sword cry, Acheron's presence changed.
It was as though a storm and thunder had suddenly erupted over a tranquil sea.
Darkness from beneath the abyss began spreading across the surface. The dangerous aura made Lin Shuang's body instinctively go on guard.
In that instant, Lin Shuang even felt as though she had seen the other shore, seen the true "Acheron."
"Thank you."
What Flavor Is Your Peach?
"Lin Shuang, don't run. Charge at me!"
A pleasant voice echoed beside Lin Shuang's ears, yet at this moment, it sounded like a devilish curse.
It made Lin Shuang, who was already running at full speed, instinctively turn her head.
Then a scabbard came crashing down at her head, accompanied by terrifying killing intent like thunder and a roaring sea!
Bang—!
The almost tangible killing intent nearly shattered all of Lin Shuang's preparations.
Even after experiencing it who knew how many times, Lin Shuang still could not endure the presence Acheron released.
Fortunately, the conditioned reflexes of her body and muscles saved Lin Shuang's life. She instinctively twisted her waist and exerted force along with the motion of turning her head!
The rotation of her waist and abdomen drove the greatsword in her hand through a scorching arc, colliding head-on with Acheron's scabbard!
Then Lin Shuang and her sword were directly sent flying.
After spinning 720 degrees in midair, she finally dissipated the force and landed steadily.
At the same time, Acheron's lesson rang out by her ear.
"Since you decided to run, why did you look back? Since you chose to look back, why were you not prepared to attack?"
Lin Shuang wanted to cry at Acheron's scolding.
"Big sis, you're my real big sis. It's only been two days! The fact that I can still make a move under your fully unleashed killing intent means I've already worked really hard."
Of course, Acheron had not drawn her blade, so she definitely was not at full strength. The killing intent she released surely could not compare with her white-haired state either.
But did an Acheron who had not drawn her blade become weak? Holding a scabbard and casually striking all the way through, no matter whether it was the Anti-Matter Legion or Rift creatures, nothing could last even one exchange against Acheron.
Heavens have mercy, before that damned system threw Lin Shuang here, she had only been an ordinary shut-in otaku.
Just then, a hand pressed down on the head of Lin Shuang, who had yet to get up.
Before Lin Shuang could react, the palm flipped over, and a large, round peach appeared in Acheron's hand.
"All right. I know you've worked hard. Take a break."
"A peach? Where did you find this? This hellhole has peaches that look this good?"
Lin Shuang took the unknown variety of peach Acheron handed her in surprise. Acheron was not even carrying a backpack, so where had she pulled this thing from?
"Not from here. I brought it myself. I eat some occasionally during my travels."
As she said that, Acheron somehow produced another fresh peach, nearly leaving Lin Shuang dumbfounded.
The ecosystem of this unknown planet had already collapsed beyond recognition. The fact that she could still breathe here was difficult enough, but finding anything to eat was even harder.
Fortunately, whether it was the energy contained within the Herrscher Core Lin Shuang had fused with or the power of Acheron's Path, both could sustain their vital functions without food.
So over the past two days, Lin Shuang had only drunk some water and barely eaten anything.
Now that a peach had suddenly appeared, it was truly tempting.
"Why bring it out now? I didn't see you eating one over the last two days either."
Holding the peach, Lin Shuang rose to her feet. The flames around them had already faded, lest they roast the peach dry.
"A reward. That strike just now was pretty good."
As she spoke, Acheron sat atop some nearby ruins.
That strike just now had looked decent. Lin Shuang was no longer swinging blindly with her eyes closed like before; she had improved considerably.
That was why Acheron had decided to reward Lin Shuang.
Though calling it a reward was perhaps overstating it. Acheron did not have anything particularly suitable on her.
Thinking that, Acheron lowered her head and took a bite of the peach.
Before you continue