" Stellaron Hunters... collaborating with the Church of Eternity?! Am I seeing things...?"
Inside one of the company's starships, Topaz looked through the porthole at the eerily desolate space that had been ' Purification ' by Fulisina's arrow, and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
The screen clearly displayed the readings of the external environment— the Swarm signal had returned to zero, the anomalous energy fluctuations ( Eternity ) were gradually dissipating, and... the silver mech standing amidst the wreckage.
Anyone who didn't know better would think she was dreaming, especially since she was right next to Penacony.
Topaz's 'right-hand man' Numby, who usually hummed with boundless energy, was now huddled in her arms, clearly quite frightened by the dramatic turn of events that had just transpired.
"Reality is often more absurd than dreams, Topaz."
A magnetic voice came from the communication channel, and Aventurine's figure appeared on the virtual screen next to Topaz.
He leaned against the bridge railing, an amber-colored chip twirling deftly between his fingers, reflecting the bridge's deep blue light.
"With the Eternity Emanator personally taking action, plus the Stellaron Hunters... although the scene was a bit frightening, at least our biggest problem has been temporarily solved, hasn't it?"
"As for those scrapped starships..." he deliberately dragged out his words, his smile deepening, "We can have the company and that elven priest give them a proper 'settlement' later."
Topaz took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Clearance? Aventurine, did you see that arrow just now?"
" Fulisina... when she gets serious, she could probably really bring the entire Asdana Galaxy to [ Eternity ] with a single arrow!"
"Not to mention the Chair who's always been hiding behind the scenes, talking to them about bills? What's the difference between that and talking about charity with the [ Annihilation Gang ]?"
Topaz felt increasingly frightened as he thought about it. He usually dealt with debt disputes, and this was the first time he had seen a [ Emanator ] take action. Fulisina truly lived up to her reputation as the first Emanator under [ Eternity ].
In other words, she is the sharpest spear of the [ Eternity ] Aeon!
"Haha~" Aventurine's smile deepened, "Still lacking experience..."
Without exaggeration, one could update their resume with something like: "Survived the aftermath of the confrontation between two [ Emanator ] level individuals," and not just any ordinary Emanator.
"What on earth was wrong with Duke Inferno Afrit back then, that he dared to provoke these lunatics?"
Aventurine paused slightly in his manipulation of the chips, his smile unchanged, "Perhaps... that Grand Duke's confidence stems from some arrogant being who believes they can suppress [ Eternity ] through [ Order ]?"
"Unfortunately, Afrit is dead, and his descendants have disappeared without a trace."
"The waters of Topaz, Penacony, are deeper than we imagined..."
The perspective shifts back to the bubble tea shop, and the virtual screen freezes on the moment when Fulisina sheathes her bow and Sam hovers beside the charred wreckage of the starship.
"So, shouldn't we change the channel?" The mask flew around the screen. "Oh~ the world needs a seven-day weekend, Aha! Quick, switch to the Grand Theater, Aha, I want to see everyone's beloved Chicken Wing Boy!"
" Order and freedom are two sides of the same coin. Excessive Order suffocates the soul, while unchecked freedom leads to the abyss of chaos."
"As for whether or not to make revisions... the answer will be revealed when the play reaches its final act."
Ye Yan paused, then tapped his fingertip in the air, switching the screen back to the interior of the dazzling Penacony Grand Theater, freezing the moment when the Astral Express Crew was trying to break the loop.
Why don't you guess where [ Eternity ] occupies?
"No guessing." The masked man decisively refused Ye Yan.
Ye Yan shrugged. "It doesn't matter... the actors for the next scene are already in place."
At the Penacony Grand Theater, watching the endless repetition of " The Embryo of Philosophy," a wave of shock surged through the hearts of everyone on the Astral Express Crew.
"This... this is..."
Welt adjusted his glasses; his sense of gravity told him that the spatial structure they were in had just undergone an incomprehensible, terrifyingly precise correction.
"Time... has reversed?"
"It seems... it's only targeting him." Dan Heng stared intently at the [ Embryo of Philosophy ] that kept repeating its movements.
"Wow! Is this a bug?" March 7th looked at Star, "Hey? Star, your necklace... did it flash just now?"
Xing looked down at the necklace. The light dust within the hourglass necklace seemed to be circulating much faster than usual, and a faint sense of connection quietly emerged, seemingly pointing to...
She inexplicably pulled out the drink—the "special" milk tea that Fulisina had given her when she first entered the Reverie Hotel.
"Ah!" March 7th exclaimed in sudden realization, her voice tinged with joy and excitement, "It's Teacher Ye Yan! I knew He was still worried about us!"
With Ye Yan's help, March 7th immediately felt much more at ease.
"No... March 7th, if it weren't for Ye Yan's help, I'm afraid we would have already..."
This is the first time Ye Yan has truly made a move to help the Astral Express, demonstrating the formidable strength of the [ Embryo of Philosophy ].
Meaningless delays are pointless; the Astral Express Crew is clearly powerless to stop what's happening before them.
Xing gazed at the increasingly sparkling milk tea cup in her hand, carefully examining its appearance:
Hmm... this seems to be the first one with a logo?
In the center of the cup, an infinity symbol [∞], outlined in the iridescent colors of the starry sky, shines brightly; above it floats the phantom of an ancient hourglass, and below it lies a thick tome; to the left is a white bar of soap that evokes the image of "cleanliness," and to the right is...
Wait, what's with the laundry detergent icon design?!
"Wow... what a unique milk tea cup! Let's try it and see what flavor it is!" March 7th's Curiosity overcame her nervousness.
Just as Xing looked up and downed the [ Eternity ] special milk tea in one gulp --
The skill that had been forcibly frozen by the power of Eternity, the Embryo of Philosophy, suddenly crumbled!
"Huh?! Why is he moving again!" March 7th's voice instantly turned annoyed, wishing he could turn back time. "I should have known better than to let you drink it."
"Have you awakened from the beautiful dream of ' Eternity '?" Welt pushed up his glasses again, a cold glint flashing in the lenses.
After a brief moment of astonishment, the [ Embryo of Philosophy ] looked at the intact Astral Express Crew and instantly understood the truth.
"With a vow of yearning for [ Order ]--"
"That's enough..." A clear, melodious voice, like morning light piercing through the mist, and the Robin's call echoing throughout the theater, interrupted the declaration of the " Embryo of Philosophy," "Brother, the Paradise we promised is not limited to just ' Order '!"
"True happiness belongs to all those who choose to stand tall even in the face of the abyss of Nihility! That is the proper posture of life!" The Robin's words resonated deeply.
Xing slowly straightened up, and an indescribable, dazzling light, as if it contained all the colors of the world, rapidly gathered and pulsed in her palm.
"Let me show you what true free will, forged by Eternity, really is!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she hurled the colorful orb of light towards the theater's dome!