She took out her phone and contacted Jade.
"Everyone, what is our decision?"
Taravan Kien, head of the Construction Materials Logistics Department, looked at those seated before him.
Only projections of the various department heads and board directors occupied the enormous conference room.
The seven-member board stood at the pinnacle of the company's authority, below only Qlipoth and the two lifetime directors.
Of course, the P47 board candidates, Oswald Schneider and Diamond, were also present.
After all, beyond their eligibility as candidates, they were also department heads.
"This Emanator of [Elation] possesses an unknown level of strength. I oppose taking action."
Oswaldo spoke first, his words firm.
Despite his grim expression, he still said it.
"Interesting. You should know what that Emanator said he would do for amusement. Aren't you angry? I thought you would choose to act and seize the Imaginary Wall from him."
Diamond tossed a coin up and down. Lingchen's portrait was stamped on its face, while a mask adorned its reverse.
"Hah, don't get too smug. That Emanator seems very fond of those people working under you. You might end up losing both your people and your investment."
Oswaldo sneered.
Conflicting interests had always put him and Diamond at odds. Given the opportunity, either would gladly shit on the other.
"Heh, if we can establish a partnership, what does a little loss matter? Besides, an Emanator's steadfast friendship is worth far more than the Ten Stonehearts... If he's willing to cooperate closely, why not give him all of them?"
That was what he said, but everyone present knew that the man probably only wanted the girls.
Between an Emanator of [Elation] willing to cooperate closely and a few members of the Ten Stonehearts who could be replaced with a few hundred million units of effort at most, Taravan, an Emanator himself, was best qualified to judge.
If he had such talent working under him, why not give them away?
Ultimately, those at the top called the shots in this world.
"Hmph. Don't give away your people only for him to ignore you anyway."
Oswaldo shot Diamond another glance.
In truth, he wanted to attack Lingchen more than anyone. Having reached his position, his pride made him want to fire a planet-destroying cannon immediately.
But he understood that firing it would accomplish nothing. [Elation]'s methods were unpredictable. If he actually attacked and the company discovered how powerful Lingchen was, it might very well abandon him.
Then those proposed amusements might really be inflicted on him.
"Even if he ignores me, that's still better than only being the butt of those jokes yourself."
"Oh~ Perhaps those Galaxy Rangers you cultivated will take a liking to you."
After learning from Jade what Lingchen had in mind for Oswaldo, Diamond felt as refreshed as though he had downed three bottles of soda.
"You!..." Oswaldo nearly slammed the table and shot to his feet.
He knew Diamond was mocking him for his expansionism, which had produced several Galaxy Rangers determined to hunt him down.
But everything had been for [Preservation]! Lady Scar watched the exchange in silence.
Zaitian likewise said nothing.
Lord Yama kept his head lowered, thoughts unreadable, while Mtuoyin, another head of the Talent Incentive Department, glanced at Diamond with a flicker in her eyes.
"Enough, you two. This isn't a marketplace," Taravan interrupted them, then turned toward the projection of the Technology Research and Development Department's head.
"Apolly, what do you think of this Emanator absorbing the Imaginary Wall?" PS: Thank you to Tokisaki Kurumi (Original) for the monthly ticket.
Thank you, mighty Sansan.
Chapter 89: The Final Decision, the Level of a Throne
"It's probably true that this Emanator absorbed part of the Imaginary Wall through some method unknown to us. But absorbing all of it... According to the Genius Society's readings of the Imaginary tides at the time, just-
"Just the information collected was enough to confirm that an Emanator couldn't absorb it completely, even an Emanator of [Preservation]."
Apolly closed the documents in her hands.
"So there are two likely conclusions. The first is that this Emanator was having some fun. The remaining Imaginary Wall may have been handed to that Emanator of [Remembrance] or someone else. After all, although the power of the Paths of [Elation] and [Remembrance] appeared only briefly, the extremely high-quality Imaginary fluctuations detected resembled those emitted by powerful individuals who had spent years at the Emanator level."
"It might also be possible for them to disassemble the Imaginary Wall."
"The second is that the Imaginary Wall truly exceeds the Emanator level, and this Emanator really possesses power beyond that of ordinary Emanators. After all, it wouldn't be strange for the Aeon of [Elation] to do something outlandish."
"He might also possess something similar to the 'Omniscient Domain.' Or, stretching our imaginations further, he might have reached his own state of 'perfection,' ascended to the throne of a certain domain, and been crowned king, while all we know is that he's an Emanator of [Elation]."
"In that case, with one plus one equaling more than two, perhaps he could completely absorb the Imaginary Wall."
At the mention of the Omniscient Domain, Apolly grew excited.
Polka Kakamond, the legendary genius who had destroyed portraits of herself across the universe.
She was terribly curious about her.
Unfortunately, however passionate she was about the Genius Society, the gulf remained a gulf. "If we had an Imaginary Collapse Pulse..." Oswaldo murmured, but Apolly heard him.
Her tone turned slightly disdainful.
"Mr. Oswaldo, I must tell you that you're oversimplifying things."
"If this Emanator truly has been crowned and ascended to a legendary throne, acquiring a 'world' of his own-
"Even if he remains an Emanator on the surface, and even if his direct strength really is only at the Emanator level, within that 'world,' formed from his influence over a domain, his overall strength would absolutely far surpass an Emanator's."
Anticipation filled Apolly's eyes. A throne was a level she could never reach in her lifetime, one she dared not even dream of.
It was a miracle created through one's own ability alone, without walking a Path.
"Forget the Imaginary Collapse Pulse. Even if the company's Emanators joined the attack, unless they could unravel that 'world,' they might not gain the slightest advantage against someone like Lingchen, for whom one plus one would equal far more than two."
Apolly returned to her senses and smiled, inwardly marveling at Oswaldo's ignorance.
A throne consisted of immensely far-reaching influence; 'infinity' or 'something new' within a particular domain, such as 'infinite' wealth, 'infinite' computing power, or a new singularity of knowledge; and, in some respect, the sum of power far surpassing a Pathstrider's, obtained by independently bypassing the mechanisms of receiving an Aeon's blessing or embarking upon a Path.
Of these, influence accounted for the greatest share. Meanwhile, infinity was not true infinity. It was an infinity existing within finite bounds, continually breaking through into the infinity within new finite bounds. Naturally, its ultimate goal was to achieve true infinity, but even the Aeons had yet to accomplish that.
Apolly was willing to call such a being a king among Emanators.
So if Lingchen really had ascended to a throne, their company probably had only one option left: establish friendly relations.
After all, Lingchen was also an Emanator of [Elation], and his ability to escape was undoubtedly first-rate. If they offended him, he could turn Pier Point into one enormous inflatable doll without any trouble.
"Of course, these so-called throne domains and 'worlds' are merely extreme conjectures drawn from all the information I've collected. The geniuses don't seem to have confirmed any of it, and the Genius Society is even less likely to do so. They can't even understand what a domain is."
That included Apolly herself.
That was the gulf between ordinary people and geniuses.
Taravan nodded.
"It seems that, regardless, befriending Mr. Lingchen is the wisest choice. Since he happens to be interested in the Ten Stonehearts, Diamond, I'll leave the arrangements to you."
"Understood."
Diamond accepted the task.
He had heard from Jade that Lingchen seemed interested in Pearl as well. Perhaps he should give that a try next time.
"Very well, everyone. Regarding Mr. Lingchen, we unanimously choose friendly relations. As for the Imaginary Wall... According to the information sent by the Ten Stonehearts under Diamond, if it is true, two Emanators of [Destruction] will fight him. We'll be able to gauge his strength then, and can choose to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, or to trade with Mr. Lingchen."
Lady Scar delivered the conclusion.
If Lingchen truly was that strong, then the Imaginary Wall really was beyond their reach.
The company was a symbol of wealth.
They knew at least something of the extraordinary abilities of a king of wealth.
Hopefully, it's the first possibility.
Everyone shared that thought.
"Ah, Lingchen, your Little Sparrow is dying!"
The moment Lingchen returned home, he heard a miserable wail.
It was enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes and sorrow to anyone's heart.
"Stop messing around. Your complexion looks rosy and perfectly healthy."
PS: This is the author's interpretation, so please view it according to that interpretation within this book. To prevent arguments over power scaling, this concept won't appear much going forward. If it does, please use the book's explanation as the standard. Thank you all for your support.
Chapter 90: The Lord Ravagers Attack
"Mm, I'm just venting. The Lord Diviner has been giving me so much to do lately."
Qingque scratched her head and chuckled.
Ever since personally experiencing a possible future at Lingchen's place that day, Qingque seemed to have matured considerably.
"Are you adjusting?" Lingchen knew Qingque was merely complaining a little. Having made her decision, she naturally wouldn't lose her nerve at the last moment.
"It's all right. I can take a break after working for a few hours straight, so it's not too bad."
Qingque figured she simply wasn't used to it yet. Once she adjusted, perhaps this would be much better than her previous life as a diviner.
At the very least, most documents didn't need sorting. She only had to offer an opinion and sign her name.
"Speaking of which, Lingchen, is it true that two Emanators are coming to attack?" After looking around, Qingque moved much closer to Lingchen and whispered into his ear. Feeling his familiar presence, she completely relaxed.
Yes, that was the scent. It had been so long since she last smelled it.
The power of [Purification] had also given Lingchen's presence a balanced, tranquil quality.
Qingque liked it very much.
After Sparkle had stolen the prize Fu Xuan had been working toward, Fu Xuan had postponed her plans to make her move considerably. But her "blockade" of Qingque had only grown stricter.
Qingque couldn't even snuggle up to Lingchen.
Yet precisely because of Fu Xuan's actions, Qingque had instead come to understand her own feelings for Lingchen.
So, considering Fu Xuan's divination abilities, Qingque wasn't sure whether Fu Xuan wanted to prevent her from interacting with Lingchen or wanted her to recognize her own feelings.
"Of course."
Lingchen seemed to sense Qingque's thoughts. He reached out and pulled the petite figure before him into his arms.
He held Qingque just as he had held Bailu before.
Qingque's cheeks instantly flushed.
"L-Lingchen... What are you doing?" "Holding you. What's wrong?"
"But..." Qingque squirmed bashfully in Lingchen's embrace. Feeling his arms confining her on either side, the girl's cheeks grew even redder.
"This is just too..." "I think it's wonderful. I can take in that scent unique to Qingque up close."
Lingchen inhaled deeply and tightened his embrace a little.
With Qingque and Fu Xuan, Lingchen could always feel a certain tranquility.
He could completely relax.
"Let me hold you for a while."
Hearing his words, Qingque quieted down too.
"You're hopeless. Just like the Lord Diviner said."
"What did she say?" "Nothing."
Qingque stuck out her tongue.
How could she dare tell him that Fu Xuan thought he had a thing for little girls?
Still, Qingque thought Lingchen was into everyone.
Feeling Lingchen's warmth, Qingque gradually closed her eyes.
"We should just attack. Yet you went looking for some device to conceal our presence."
Zephyro folded his arms and looked at Celenova with contempt.
"If you weren't the vanguard general Lord Nanook so often employs, I would have thought your aesthetics of destruction had become just like Phantylia's."
"Heh. A tiny flame that happened to gain Lord Nanook's favor."