"I don't know either."
March 7th scratched her head, her tone uncertain.
"But I have a gut feeling, maybe this will work?"
"So it's 'Ork logic'." Fair enough, Leon approved.
He put away his Jade Abacus, yielding the stage to her.
"Give it a try then."
Leon guessed that her ability to decipher it was likely due to the unique capabilities of "Remembrance."
Whether people or objects, all existence is constructed by "Remembrance," and they all possess "memoria"—similar yet distinct. To put it simply, "memoria" is the soul.
And those of the "Remembrance" specialize in this field. Memokeepers can read the "memoria" attached to people or things to access their past experiences, which is to say, their "memories."
What March 7th was about to do was less deciphering and more simply reading. One could tell from the existence of Evernight.
March 7th's aptitude for "Remembrance" was far beyond what ordinary people could reach; she was at least on the level of an "Emanator." It wasn't strange that she could contend with the Emanator of "Erudition" who left this formula behind.
March 7th nodded, then placed her hand on the formula beneath the statue. Closing her eyes, she earnestly sensed its past "memories."
One minute, two minutes, three minutes.
As time ticked by, March 7th remained motionless.
Leon wasn't in a hurry; he just waited there for her.
"Erudition... Destruction..."
A moment later, March 7th opened her eyes, muttering inexplicable words. Her expression was somewhat troubled as she spoke names even she wasn't familiar with.
Seeing her like this, Leon felt dumbfounded.
"Another damn riddler?"
Sigh, can't these people just speak plainly?
March 7th shook her head.
"I... don't know."
She removed her hand from the formula, staring blankly at her palm.
"What did you read?" Leon asked.
"I read its birth, but I don't understand it."
Asking March 7th to read this kind of thing was really tough on her. She'd never even been to school; it would be a miracle if she understood it...
"Is it related to Zandar?"
Leon thought of the name she had just mentioned.
March 7th nodded. "A person named Zandar once came here and left this string of formulas."
"'Erudition' is the obstacle to new life. Just as He anchors the boundaries of the universe, I anchor His death here, quietly awaiting the moment when latecomers rush toward the unknown."
March 7th didn't understand what these words meant either; she just repeated the information she had read.
"Bravo, we've defused a time bomb."
Leon didn't fully understand the jargon, but he grasped the gist.
"But are there really that many people who want to off 'Nous'?"
To translate into plain English: didn't that mean they wanted to elbow-drop Nous to death?
Is the Aeon of "Erudition" really that hateful?
After all, aside from the Xianzhou Alliance, if you were to ask which "Aeon" the major factions wanted to kill the most, Nanook would definitely top the list.
Even His own acknowledged "Emanator" wants to kill Him—is Nous a masochist or something?
"So, what is the death anchored here?"
Leon asked again, wanting to see what big surprise this Emanator of "Erudition" had left behind.
"Hmm..."
March 7th tapped her chin with her index finger, recalling earnestly.
"There's too much technical jargon I don't get, but the application of this formula seems to operate entirely based on a 'Stellaron'."
Having said that, March 7th thought of something and added:
"It should be that thing Leon got in Penacony earlier?"
"'Stellaron'?"
Hearing this word, Leon was somewhat surprised.
"Isn't that said to be an object of 'Destruction'?"
A formula left by an Emanator of "Erudition" is actually connected to the Stellaron, which is closely linked to "Destruction"?
But thinking about it, this is Adlivun, the home world of the Aeon of "Destruction," Nanook. It didn't feel so surprising anymore; it even felt logical.
"Better let Herta take a look."
Leon said.
He suddenly realized that when it came to solving puzzles, none of his friends could surpass Herta.
The prestige of being the only top student in the village.
Oh wait, there's also Screwllum.
Leon remembered the mechanical sovereign with whom he had an alliance.
However, in matters that would likely cause galactic turmoil, the first person he thought of was usually Herta, not Screwllum.
Maybe it was because she had more of a conscience.
Not to say Screwllum lacked a conscience, but he carried a faint sense of being an "alternate"—learning, imitating, and understanding, yet unable to truly empathize.
"I advise you not to."
An androgynous voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.
Leon subconsciously looked toward the source of the voice.
On the statue of Akivili directly in front, a pitch-black kitty was suddenly standing on its broken torso.
"Oh?"
Leon felt the restrained aura on the black cat, his rabbit-head sensor instantly ringing.
"This place of 'Aeon' ascension really is different." Besides the Emanator of Erudition who left the formula, here was another new "Emanator."
"Big shots everywhere; it's really lively."
While the black cat sized him up, Leon sized it up as well.
He had never seen the "Path" energy on this cat before.
"Erudition," "Abundance," "Order."
"Destruction," "Harmony," "Preservation."
"Permanence," "Remembrance," "The Trailblaze."
"Enigmata," "Elation," "The Hunt," "Nihility."
Counting them, among the eighteen "Paths," He had encountered thirteen of them—more than half.
The "Path" this black cat walked was one of the remaining five.
That was quite rare; he had stumbled upon such a slim probability.
The ascension site of an "Aeon" was indeed no small matter. He wondered which "Aeon's" apostle it was.
This was the first time Leon had encountered a Path with such entangled "Causality."
He had experienced "Enigmata" via Evernight.
He had also learned from the Silent Lord regarding "Nihility" not long ago.
The former was an obscure concealment, while the latter was a void of nothingness.
Neither was as chaotic, heavy, and entangled as this black cat, as if the fate of the entire galaxy was tied to it alone.
"I am a traveler of 'Terminus'."
The black cat crossed its paws, noticing his confusion and offering an answer.
"We observe various timelines at every moment of the world, so naturally, we are stained with much more 'Causality' than ordinary people."
"If the 'Causality' of an ordinary person is a straight line, then for the travelers of 'Terminus,' it is a complex, crisscrossing curve."
The black cat introduced itself, hoping to clarify its stance.
"It is normal for you to feel the chaos."
It came with good intentions, not to be his enemy.
"State your purpose." Leon nodded.
Actually, whether there was malice, whether it was friend or foe—he could sense it immediately without the black cat stating its stance.
"My name is Elio."
The black cat spoke its name.
"I don't need to list my aliases, do I?"
Daring to seek him out meant it definitely understood him somewhat.
Leon knew this well, and he could glean some clues from its composed tone.
"Leon, the proxy of 'The Hunt'."
The black cat gazed at him, yet those eyes that took in all of the future could not see his fate.
But this was normal.
"The Hunt" is the true master of "Causality."
And as Leon, who truly mastered this power, He had naturally long transcended any observable destiny.
Other "Paths" that possessed this ability to some extent were merely showing off their meager skills before an expert in his presence.
Unless it was an intervention at the level of an "Aeon," No one could interfere with his fate in the slightest; he was the sole unknowable within the all-knowing.
"Hmm, so you are the proxy of 'Terminus'?"
Leon didn't deny it, asking back.
"Though there is quite a gap between me and a true 'proxy' like you."
The black cat smiled.
"Terminus" is a magical Path, counting as one of the most unique among the eighteen.
Unlike other Paths where only "Emanators" could barely be considered proxies, once you stepped onto "Terminus," you could share vision with "Terminus."
Whether Emanator or Pathstrider, from the moment they saw the future, they became proxies of "Terminus."
"But you can understand it that way."
Among the five Paths Leon hadn't contacted, four shared a common characteristic: the "Aeons" presiding over these Paths had already been eliminated.
"Terminus" was actually similar.
"Terminus" was born, but not fully born; one could say He was in a state of quasi-existence.
This was why Elio said he was different from Leon, who had been completely acknowledged by "Lan."
"You chased me all the way here just to find me."
Leon looked at it calmly.
"Considering you triggered my instincts,"
"Speak, what is it?"
"Hmm..."
Elio murmured.
"Whether I have business with you depends on your next answer?"
"You..."
"I hope this doesn't turn into a 'cat abuse' livestream."
Leon told him to speak freely.
Elio stated his purpose: "Are you willing to cooperate with me?"
"Sorry, kitty, I only work for myself."
Leon refused.
In this life, he acted only for himself. If he had the stats but didn't do as he pleased and instead took orders from others, what was the point of those stats existing?
"Rejecting without even listening?"
Elio's tone was helpless, but he wasn't actually surprised by the answer.
"So what?" Leon didn't think it mattered.
"Sigh, alright, alright."
Elio didn't insist. "I came here just to ask you not to do three things."
He specifically used the word "ask," emphasizing it.
He took a lower stance first, hoping to show his sincerity.
"One: do not get involved with the 'Stellaron.' The Cancer of All Worlds will be handled by us."
Elio looked at him, enunciating every word.
"If I had agreed to cooperate with you just now, would you have actively asked me to handle the 'Stellaron'?"
Leon saw through his previous intention from this sentence.
"You are a smart man."
Elio nodded, not denying it, and even remembering to extend a new olive branch.
"It's not too late to agree now. The 'Stellaron Hunters' welcome you."
"No interest." Leon still refused.
"But for it to concern you so much that you created an organization specifically to capture it..."
"It seems this Stellaron is definitely not as simple as it looks."
An Emanator of "Erudition" and an Emanator of "Terminus" were both so concerned with the "Stellaron"; how could it be a simple thing?
"I heard you were someone whose brain was wired to their stats, with 'The Hunt' doing the thinking for you."
Elio chuckled softy.
"As expected, the saying that rumors are just rumors holds water."
"Who the hell is slandering me?"
Damn, he reads people that accurately?
"That's not important."
Elio brought the topic back on track.
"Two: do not give that formula to Herta. Do not even mention its existence."
"Reason."
Leon asked him for a convincing reason.
"After you give the formula to Herta, it might steer the future in some unfavorable directions."
Elio spoke simply.
"I cannot access your fate, so I cannot speculate on what it will be like with your existence included."
"But multiple futures tell me that Herta will definitely suffer shortly after obtaining this formula."
The outcome of Herta suffering was based on her obtaining the formula too early without any interference from Leon.
It was extremely likely to happen.
But if Leon were there, would it still happen?
Elio wasn't sure.
"I am here to prevent the 'end' from happening."
But his intuition as a veteran of "Terminus" told him that discovering the formula too early would definitely trigger some accident.
Moreover, since he couldn't see the corresponding future, it meant no one was there to provide a safety net.
What if problems arose that couldn't be solved?
He couldn't gamble, and dared not gamble; one wrong step could lead to total defeat.
Leon didn't reply, just waiting for him to continue.
"Three, and the most crucial one."
"Do not intervene in the affairs of 'Iron Tomb' without authorization, and at the very least, absolutely do not go to war with Him now."
Elio stared at him, stating the most important purpose of his visit.
"Go on."
Leon indicated he was listening, though whether he would actually listen was uncertain.
"'Iron Tomb' is not an opponent for now."
Elio shook his head, advising him to banish the thought of elbow-dropping Iron Tomb.
"You have no idea of Iron Tomb's terror."
"That is definitely not an opponent you can solve alone. You may think I am being alarmist, but remember not to go rashly."
Elio took a deep breath.
Everyone thought "Iron Tomb" was just a Lord Ravager.
But only he, having seen countless timelines, knew just how high the status of this "Iron Tomb" had become after coronation.
"The time has not come."
"'Iron Tomb' must be resolved by the 'Astral Express' that will soon set sail again. Among all worldlines, this is the path with the greatest possibility for a future."
Leon was strong, irrationally so.
It was true he could walk sideways even when meeting "Emanators."
But "Iron Tomb" was no ordinary Emanator, at least in Elio's view.
For Leon to want to win against Him head-on was no different from a fool's dream.
_____
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