Becoming an Emanator of Elation

[Aha: Fun, this is so much fun~]

[The timeline is set on the eve of boarding the Omfalos. Any inconsistencies with the original work or retcons should be considered author's headcanon. Happy reading, everyone!]

"Trailblazer, you're actually just a string of code!"

"I'll give you a Xianzhou happy tea, I really want to beat you to death with a baseball bat!"

Inside the Simulated Universe.

Trailblazer Stelle had just cleared the weekly test mission and was about to exit this virtual world when a shrill laugh suddenly echoed in her ears.

"Hehehe, Trailblazer, it's me, the Aeon of Elation!"

What's with this villainous opening laugh!

Stelle stopped and hesitantly looked around.

The scenery inside the Simulated Universe was the same as always, and she had no idea where Aha's voice was coming from.

"Stelle, look down, look down, hey, stop, don't move, you almost stepped on me."

The Trailblazer looked down and noticed a small ant with wildly waving antennae at her feet.

She bent down and picked up the ant.

"I am the Aeon of Elation, Aha!"

The little ant introduced itself.

"What I'm about to tell you might sound a bit outrageous, but I'm an Aeon, you have to believe me."

Stelle frowned and, with some skepticism, held the talking ant to her ear and listened intently.

Meanwhile, outside the Simulated Universe.

Herta, who was monitoring the Trailblazer's progress through a virtual screen, was unfazed by this.

The Trailblazer's mind had always been on a different wavelength than others, and nothing she did surprised Herta anymore.

Even if she was currently holding an ant and talking to herself like a lunatic, Herta didn't find anything amiss.

The puppet girl casually turned off the display and went to discuss the development of the new version of the Divergent Universe with Screwllum.

What she missed was the moment when Stelle was chosen by the Aeon of Elation, Aha, to become an Emanator.

"How can I make you believe that you're just a virtual game character?"

Aha's voice sounded exasperated. The ant, in its form, twitched its antennae, seemingly expressing silent dissatisfaction, as if to say, "I'm an Aeon, would I lie to you?"

"Heh."

Stelle's lips curled into a sneer.

"Yeah, I've been fooled by you people on the Path of Elation every day, fooled every day, each time differently. Do you think I'll be tricked by you fun-loving people into playing the Mourning Actor again and again?"

"First of all, you're much more important to me than the Mourning Actor, and secondly, what Aha is saying is true!"

Aha wiggled its antennae, trying to clear its name.

But seeing that Stelle was stubborn and unreasonable, and wouldn't believe anything it said.

Hmph.

Aha came up with a mischievous plan.

In that case!

Trailblazer, I choose you!

Become my Emanator of Elation!

Just as every Aeon must steadfastly walk their own Path, the Emanator must unconditionally follow the Aeon's footsteps.

If the Aeon says to go east, the Emanator cannot look west.

In short, the Emanator must wholeheartedly and devoutly believe in the Aeon's existence.

Trailblazer, obediently become Aha's shape!

Stelle suddenly felt a surge of power coursing through her body.

She suddenly realized that she had become an Emanator of Elation!

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid not finding it next time.

Stelle: You! Who wants to follow your Path!

Although she was unwilling in every way, Stelle felt an inexplicable and overwhelming sense of trust towards Aha in her heart.

She only felt a tingling in her palm, took off her glove, and looked down. Hidden in the lines of her palm was a small, red clown face.

This meant that Stelle had been branded with the mark of Elation, and she was destined to carry the Path of Elation further and further on her Trailblazing journey.

Already... marked by Aha...

Now she couldn't even disbelieve its nonsense.

"Aha...! Am I that much of a joke to you?"

The girl clenched her fists in anger, wishing she could crush the twitching antennaed ant in the next second.

But in the blink of an eye, she felt the connection with the Aeon weaken considerably.

Aha had already left, laughing heartily.

After all, it had already seen the Trailblazer's furious reaction to being forced into becoming an Emanator.

It had found the amusement it was looking for and had no need to linger here.

Stelle looked around. The scenery within the Simulated Universe was the same as always, everything was normal, as if Aha had never been here.

She touched her head, feeling like she had just had a dream, her mind filled with disbelief.

Is it real, is all of this really real?

Perhaps she had accidentally triggered a Curio within the Simulated Universe and fallen into a fantasy. That was possible, right?

How could she become an Emanator of Elation just like that? Aha was definitely playing with her, saying things like 'virtual character'...

But the burning sensation in her palm was still so clear. No matter how many times she took off her glove, she could see the red clown face hidden in the texture of her skin.

Stelle sighed, put away her baseball bat, and prepared to exit the Simulated Universe.

This week's testing mission was complete, and it was time to go find Herta to get the rewards.

Having made up her mind, Stelle decided to exit the Simulated Universe.

Exit confirmation.

Execution starting.

Such a strong sense of weightlessness...

Why is the white screen lasting so long this time when exiting the Simulated Universe?

A white light flashed before Stelle's eyes. The dizziness and weightlessness caused by traveling through time when exiting the level made her feel lightheaded.

In her dazed state, countless fragmented memories suddenly flashed through her mind—

It was a three-dimensional space-time, a world completely different from their two-dimensional paper doll existence.

In that world, there was no Path, no Domain Anchors, no Cancer of All Worlds. People didn't have jump buttons but could still jump high, and there were no consumables to restore health.

But those weren't the main points.

The important thing was that Stelle saw people holding a phone in their hands, clicking into a game, and after loading, what appeared before their eyes was the streets and alleys she usually traversed.

Huh, looking closely, it seemed like the self-controlled character was herself?

Too Elating.

Stelle was simply speechless. She witnessed and accepted the reality that she was a string of virtual code and couldn't help but think of the Aeon of Elation.

Once in the Simulated Universe, Aha had also realized that all of this was fake.

Did it really have such great power, being able to see through the surface and directly face the essence every time?

Her toes touched the ground, and she finally returned to Herta's office.

This week's Stellar Jade reward was quietly placed on the table.

Stelle rubbed her throbbing temples, took the reward, and turned to return to the train.

So tired, so dizzy.

She didn't want to think about anything now, she just wanted to go back to her room and rest.