Seeing how quickly Akivili changed THEIR attitude, everyone aboard the Astral Express could not help but sigh in amazement.
Just like the rumors said, the legendary Aeon of Trailblaze was indeed not that different from a human—straightforward, genuine, and full of humanity.
More importantly, THEY had acknowledged both Lucian and Himeko so easily.
Nonetheless, what shocked them the most was that Lucian could even revive THEM from time to time, allowing THEM to neither hinder the Path of Trailblaze nor miss the stories and journeys of future generations.
Akivili THEMSELF was clearly more than happy with such an arrangement, showing not the slightest trace of dissatisfaction.
"You said before that you'd give us a gift. Himeko should get one too. Make her your Emanator."
Lucian pulled Himeko into his arms without the slightest hesitation and shamelessly pushed his luck with Akivili, taking the opportunity to ask for an additional blessing.
Himeko was deeply moved, never expecting Lucian to think of her first at a moment like this.
An Aeon's Emanator was something countless people dreamed of becoming, yet could never obtain, no matter how hard they pursued it. And now, Lucian was actually willing to take such a risk and shamelessly ask an Aeon for her sake.
As expected, this was a man worthy of spending the rest of her life with.
"Actually, I—"
Just as Himeko was about to persuade Lucian otherwise, Akivili spoke again before she could finish her sentence.
"A couple serving as my Emanators? Great. No other Paths have something like that. Trailblaze is the only one! I'll show it to Aha someday!"
Perhaps because the time THEY had spent thinking had truly been too short for deeper consideration, perhaps because THEY held a special trust toward Lucian and Himeko, or perhaps because THEY simply found the whole idea amusing, Akivili's gaze lingered on the two of them for only a brief moment before THEY immediately agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Both Lucian and Himeko would become Emanators of Trailblaze, yet THEIR focus was not on Lucian shamelessly asking for more, but rather on the fact that the two of them were a couple serving the same Path together, something that served as a flex on Aha.
'Just what you'd expect from Aha's best buddy. Birds of a feather.'
Lucian secretly complained inwardly, feeling that only Akivili could completely miss the main point in such a spectacular fashion.
But why hadn't Aha in this script caught the scent and come running over?
Could it be that unrelated NPCs simply weren't generated by the Godly Script System?
Lucian unfortunately had no answer to that question, and after a brief moment of curiosity, he could only push the thought to the back of his mind.
Akivili slowly raised both hands, and at THEIR fingertips, countless stellar trajectories seemed to converge from every direction as though the stars themselves were responding to THEIR will.
*Buzz—*
Streams of radiant starlight intertwined around THEIR fingers before two brilliant golden flames suddenly ignited within THEIR palms, burning with neither heat nor destruction, but with a pure and dazzling radiance that carried the endless will of Trailblaze, as though every expedition, every journey, and every unknown path across the cosmos had been condensed into those two blazing flames.
"Lucian. Himeko."
Akivili's voice suddenly became solemn and majestic, carrying an unquestionable divine authority that echoed throughout the surrounding space.
"By the name of Trailblaze, I do grant thee the status of Emanators!"
"With those bodies, shalt ye tread this Path, forge roads across the universe, and lay your tracks amongst the stars!"
As THOSE solemn words echoed through the space, the two golden flames seemed to find the destinations they had been waiting for. Transforming into streams of brilliant golden light, they crossed the space between them in an instant before gently entering Lucian's and Himeko's bodies.
*Buzz—*
Intense golden radiance erupted from both Lucian and Himeko simultaneously, illuminating everything around them as an immense, boundless power filled with freedom, exploration, and the will to pioneer surged into their bodies like an unstoppable tide, rapidly spreading through every corner of their bodies and souls, yet it did not feel violent or oppressive in the slightest.
Apparently, this power did not forcibly raise the upper limits of their strength. Instead, it felt more like opening a gateway to deeper levels of the Path of Trailblaze, granting them the qualifications and authority to perceive, comprehend, and wield a far broader range of Trailblaze's powers.
It was not the gift of greater strength alone, but the recognition and authority bestowed directly by the Aeon who governed the Path itself.
Just like that, the brilliant radiance continued shining for several long seconds before gradually fading away, and the overwhelming aura surrounding the two slowly settled back into calmness.
Lucian and Himeko exchanged a glance, each able to sense the renewed aura surrounding the other, along with the brand-new power quietly flowing through their bodies. Although neither of them had made a move, they could both clearly feel that they had become fundamentally different from before.
And the very moment the golden light completely disappeared, the Godly Script System, which had remained silent for a long time, finally resurfaced within Lucian's mind.
[DING! Congratulations on completing the script!]
[In three days, the script will come to a close, and the host will leave the current world.]
'So, the completion condition was becoming an Emanator of Trailblaze? Talk about stumbling into success.'
Lucian had only wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, so he had never expected it to complete the script as well.
It was an unexpected harvest, and he certainly had no complaints about it.
"My gift has been delivered... In the future, recruit more passengers. I want to see the Astral Express packed to the brim. Also, take good care of Pom-Pom for me."
After leaving behind those final words, Akivili's figure gradually dissolved into countless streams of starlight before disappearing once again, as though THEY had never appeared in the first place.
Seeing that, Lucian did not continue using Existence Anchor and allowed the connection to fade away naturally.
Meanwhile, Evernight slowly closed the mouth that had been hanging open from shock.
Looking at Lucian's calm and relaxed expression, her eyes became incomparably complicated as she examined him with a gaze usually reserved for beings that existed completely outside common sense.
'Not only can he pull an Aeon out... he can even make an Aeon willingly hand out benefits... Lucian... it seems I've still underestimated you. If March had you around, perhaps things would've been better...'
As Evernight lost herself in her thoughts, Pom-Pom, standing off to one side, cried their eyes out after hearing Akivili's parting words.
Seeing the little conductor in such a state, March hurried over to comfort them, gently patting their back while trying to calm them down.
Meanwhile, Lucian and Himeko remained wrapped up in each other's embrace, quietly feeling the power of Trailblaze flowing through their bodies as the newly bestowed authority gradually merged with them.
"Thank you, Lucian..."
Himeko gazed at Lucian with warm, affectionate eyes and thanked him sincerely from the bottom of her heart.
Lucian gently stroked her cheek before smiling faintly.
"Hey, that's not a very sincere way of thanking me."
Understanding his meaning immediately, Himeko's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of red, but she hesitated for only a brief moment before rising onto her tiptoes and gently pressing her soft lips against Lucian's.
Seeing the sudden lovey-dovey scene between the two, Evernight was thoroughly disgusted.
"Tsk... I really want to throw both of you out..."
Evernight grumbled unhappily before getting up and leaving the Dining Car, having no intention of staying there and watching the two continue flirting in front of everyone.
Only after a long while did Lucian and Himeko finally separate before sitting down together to chat quietly.
Now that the script was complete, Lucian decided there was no longer any reason to keep hiding the truth from Himeko.
"Himeko, the dream's about to end. We're gonna be back in reality soon."
Himeko, who had been resting her head against Lucian's chest, looking as gentle and dependent as a small bird nestled beside its lifelong partner, suddenly stiffened slightly. A trace of suspicion immediately filled her beautiful eyes as she slowly raised her head and stared directly into Lucian's eyes after hearing his unexpected words.
"What dream? What reality? What nonsense are you talking about now?"
"Actually, we're in a dream right now..." Lucian explained softly. "The way we met, the way we fell in love—it's all part of this dream. In three days, this dream's gonna come to an end. When you wake up and don't see me, don't worry. I'll be waiting for you in reality."
Himeko frowned slightly, and without another word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him, as though afraid he would disappear the very next moment.
"When the dream ends... will you still love me?"
Himeko asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucian gently placed a hand on the back of Himeko's head and slowly stroked her soft crimson hair, his movements tender and reassuring.
"Of course I will. Honestly, I'm more worried that you won't love me anymore. What if you find out I've already got a whole bunch of wives?"
"A whole bunch of wives? Honestly, what else can I do?" Himeko replied without the slightest hesitation. "Of course I'll forgive you."
Her answer came so naturally that it immediately brought a broad grin to Lucian's face.
"You said it. Pinky promise. When the time comes, you gotta get along with your sisters, okay?"
Hearing the word 'sisters,' Himeko suddenly fell into deep thought.
As she carefully recalled everything that had happened over the years, she realized that Lucian had always been by her side. From the day they met until now, he had rarely been apart from her, and there had definitely never been any other women around him.
Given that, he was probably just teasing her with another one of his jokes.
And so, with that thought in mind, Himeko smiled softly before slowly extending her little finger, and Lucian immediately hooked his own around it, sealing the promise between them.
"Alright." Himeko nodded with a gentle smile. "I'll treat them like my own sisters, but that's assuming you really do have that many wives."
Lucian finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With Himeko's promise, there probably would not be any family conflicts after they returned to reality, making one of his greatest worries disappear before it had even become a problem.
===
Over the next three days, Lucian carefully made all the necessary arrangements aboard the Astral Express, ensuring that everything would continue operating smoothly even in his absence.
At the same time, he entrusted Evernight with the responsibility of serving as the Astral Express's guardian, leaving the safety of everyone aboard in her capable hands.
Finally, on the night before his departure, Lucian thoroughly exhausted Himeko until she completely lost consciousness in his arms. Only after confirming that she had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep did he quietly leave without disturbing her.
Several hours later, when Himeko finally awoke from her deep slumber, the spot beside her had already grown cold.
Lucian was nowhere to be found.
Himeko immediately searched every car of the Astral Express from front to back, refusing to leave a single corner unchecked, but no matter how hard she looked, there wasn't the slightest trace of him.
Even Pom-Pom had no idea where he had gone.
"Could it be... this really was a dream?"
"He already woke up first and is waiting for me in reality?"
"Wait... doesn't that mean... he really has a lot of wives?"
As soon as those words left Himeko's lips, the surrounding world began to distort, as though a curtain had finally fallen over the stage.
At last, the dream came to an end as the script world quietly drew to a close.
[Script: Himeko—completed.]
===
Reality, Xianzhou Luofu.
Beside a quiet fish pond, Lucian's figure suddenly appeared out of thin air, and the instant he materialized, he felt something wriggling beneath him.
Raising an eyebrow, he quickly stepped aside and looked down, only to discover that it was a fish that had somehow flopped onto the shore beneath him.
"I was only gone for a little while, and one already got hooked?"
Lucian muttered in surprise before crouching down, picking up the struggling fish, and gently releasing it back into the water.
*Splash!*
With a splash, the fish disappeared beneath the surface, sending ripples spreading across the otherwise calm pond.
"System, open the panel."
...
[Host: Lucian]
[Ability: Disarm, Absolute Hit, Godly Bandage, Immortal Kneel, Sham Diviner, BGM, Law of Calamity, River God, Omnisteal, Existence Anchor]
[Follower: Tribios 1, Mortis 1, Feixiao 1, Yueyu 1, Castorice 1, Polyxia 1, Jingliu 1, Baiheng 1, Fu Xuan 1, Robin 1, Serfina 1, Acheron 1, Izumo's Guardians 12/12, Hysilens 1, Cipher 1, Himeko 1]
[Script: 0]
...
Lucian briefly glanced through it, confirming that nothing unusual had happened and that all of his follower wives were doing just fine.
Compared to the previous scripts, Himeko's script had not taken long to complete at all, lasting less than ten minutes from beginning to end.
"I wonder if Himeko's awake yet... Hopefully she still remembers the promise we made with that pinky swear..."
===
Meanwhile, in Aurum Alley, at a small food stall filled with the aroma of freshly prepared snacks, Stelle and March were still secretly discussing their plans.
"If Mommy Himeko doesn't make up with my godfather, then I guess I'll just have to find another mom..."
Stelle muttered with a pout, resting her chin in her hand as though she were seriously contemplating the matter.
However, the instant her words left her mouth, a sudden chill ran down her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. An inexplicable sense of danger washed over her, and she instinctively felt a cold sensation around her backside, as though some terrifying presence had silently appeared behind her.
In the very next moment, Himeko's gentle yet terrifyingly calm voice drifted into her ear from behind.
"My dear Stelle, exactly how many moms are you planning to find?"
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 300 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]