Chapter 291: Aventurine's Ecstasy
After-action report: The Xianzhou crashed. The Corporation crashed...
The Corporation was right next to the Xianzhou, so they got hit by Suixing's attack. It was just a convenient target.
The Aeon of the Hunt came to the rescue, but the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, did not. Aside from the flagship, all the other battleships were reduced to parts, becoming space junk.
On the flagship at the front, Oswald suffered comminuted fractures all over his body, turning into a pile of mangled flesh. He was washed over directly by the power of the Path of Propagation, and the Path's power he previously possessed was completely erased, never to be recovered.
Qlipoth merely glanced over at the beginning. Once it knew Suixing was different from Tayzzyronth, it went right back to... laying bricks.
If they had been the same, it would have smashed her a few times. It wondered which Propagation was more durable.
Corporation HQ, Strategic Investment Department.
"Aventurine, there's something you'll definitely be interested in," Topaz found Aventurine, her tone strange.
"Oh?"
"What is it? Am I getting a promotion?" Aventurine joked.
"In your dreams," Topaz rolled her eyes. "That's wishful thinking. At our level, if you want another promotion, you'll have to wait. It's not easy to advance further. Unless you have top-tier strength, you need a lot of performance merits."
"Oswald is toast."
Upon hearing this, Aventurine's unusual eyes lit up. He said impatiently, "Tell me the details."
"See for yourself."
Aventurine took the intel, reading it line by line, word by word. The smile on his face grew brighter and brighter.
"This makes me even happier than a promotion," Aventurine was all smiles, unable to keep his lips from curving up.
Oswald was finished. What a pity there was no champagne on hand, or he'd have to celebrate.
"Wipe that smile off your face. We're all part of the Corporation."
"Yes, I am deeply saddened and sympathetic about Supervisor Oswald's unfortunate incident." Aventurine squeezed out a single crocodile tear. It couldn't have been faker.
Topaz knew that if Aventurine could see Oswald in person right now, he'd probably have a knife in his hand to "help" Oswald find complete relief.
"BWAHAHAHA..." Aventurine finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. He felt an immense sense of Elation right now, enough to join the Tavern of Elation.
Plop!
Just then, a mask, brimming with the flavor of Elation, fell into his hand. What a coincidence.
Aventurine: "..."
Topaz: "..."
Aventurine's mouth twitched. Is this for real?
Topaz held back her laughter, the smile now transferring to her face.
"Jailbird Sunday, you're on the Express now."
On the Express, Kenji saw Sunday. Tsk tsk tsk, his eyes look so much clearer than before. The Astral Express is pretty weird, huh.
He's been so assimilated, even Robin would probably hesitate for a second before recognizing her brother.
"I'll be traveling with you for a while," Sunday shrugged. "I wasn't supposed to be here so soon, but Akivili dragged me onto the train."
Aeons are so unreasonable.
"We were just about to head to Omphalos when this big commotion happened, so our boss (Akivili) brought us to watch the show," Hoshi said, still very interested in being a savior.
"Do you want to become an Emanator of Propagation?" Suixing looked at Hoshi. Her head is full of so much... abstract stuff. Propagation is rebuilding and needs exactly this kind of talent.
"Huh?" Hoshi was stunned. An Emanator of Propagation? Why does that sound so weird?
Still, she puffed out her chest proudly. I really am the chosen one. All the Aeons favor me!
"Propagation, you're trying to poach my Trailblazer? Isn't that a bit much?" Akivili was amused. Hoshi really is a succubus. Even the Aeons love to watch her.
"Heh, your Trailblazer?"
"Destruction, Preservation, Harmony, Elation... I sense more than just the Trailblaze on her," Suixing said with a smile. To have so many Paths... she was the only one in the entire universe.
"Elation?"
Akivili was shocked. He looked at Hoshi, and dark lines appeared on his forehead. He grabbed Aha in a headlock, grinding his teeth: "Aha! When did you 'glance' at Hoshi!?"
You can guard against anything, but you can't guard against an inside job.
"Just now! A specimen this 'abstract' is clearly the chosen one of Elation!"
Hoshi looked at the mask that had appeared on her waist. She was supposed to be a Trailblazer, but now she was on so many Paths. I'm not pure anymore~
Since it had come to this, she could only "tearfully" walk this path.
"Thousand Faces of the Fool, transform!"
Hoshi put on the mask without hesitation and transformed into... "March 7th."
However, this "March 7th" was... special. Same hair, same clothes, but a different face and skin tone. It looked like a bizarre, off-brand cosplay of March 7th. It looked very 'jailbird' and was incredibly cringey.
"Hoshi, what are you doing!?" March 7th finally reacted, her face flashing red and pale, more dramatic than a Sichuan opera mask. She was clearly furious.
"Ehe~ How do I look?"
"March 7th" teased. This was an idea she'd had on the spur of the moment.
"How do you look, my ass! Don't copy how I talk! Change back!" March 7th grabbed "March 7th" by the neck, about to burst into tears.
My image... it's completely ruined!
Why don't you turn into Jailbird Dan Heng?!
Himeko and the others couldn't bear to watch, covering their faces. That's our Hoshi.
Aha gave a thumbs up. As expected of the 'abstract' elite I chose. She gets it.
Chat Group, Girls' Sub-group.
[Gudako]: "WTF, you can change your form... anywhere? Is that Aeon of Elation still accepting followers?"
[God's Tongue]: "Gudako, I get the feeling you wouldn't use that ability for anything proper."
[Shizu-cute]: "Get rid of 'get the feeling.' She definitely wouldn't use it for anything proper."
[Naughty Xi]: "With that kind of transformation, do the internal organs change too? For example... the finer details of the 'path'?"
[Galactic Baseballer]: "Is this 'path' a proper one?"
[The Champion]: "It's over. I actually understood that. I'm not pure anymore."
[Shadowkhan Queen]: "The adult world sure is something else."
[Galactic Baseballer]: "No, no, no! I'm the youngest in this group! I'm only a few years old!"
Main Chat Group.
[Galactic Baseballer]: "Brother Scorching Sun, get ready to be our guide. Omphalos is about to be 'Trailblazed'!"
Brother Scorching Sun: "Are you guys... really reliable?"
Bai'e felt the Astral Express was an unstable element. What it would bring to Omphalos was unpredictable. Maybe it was better not to let them come.
(Inner Bai'e): Look into my eyes. What are you trying to pull?!
[Galactic Baseballer]: "We're the good guys!"
[Ghost of the Uchiha]: "Isn't that usually what the bad guys say?"
[Ruan Mei]: "The reputation of the Nameless is indeed good. Aside from isolated cases like Oswald."
[Monkey D. Kizaru]: "I think Brother Bai'e can't be too careful. As a rule, wherever the Astral Express goes, trouble follows."
[Tsukasa Kadoya]: "Whether the universe is in chaos or not is decided by the Astral Express."
[Galactic Baseballer]: "I'm going to sue you for slander! Those places were already going to be chaotic! We're the ones who go in to save the day!"
[Star Forger]: "Trust the Astral Express. They're terrifyingly strong now. You could call them the tyrants of the universe."
[Star Forger]: "At this rate, you could even rename Omphalos to Ompha-joy."
For some reason, Bai'e felt that name had a... very 'Elation'-like feel to it.