With her blade returned to its sheath, Acheron's hair slowly deepened back to its usual dark hue.
The dangerous tension lingering around her faded along with it.
Gazing at Sylvia, who lay sprawled rather pitifully across the sofa, Acheron felt the faint, pent-up emotions in her chest finally melt away.
She reached out and gently guided Sylvia to rest against her lap.
Sylvia nestled into the softness of Acheron's thighs, then tilted her head back to shoot her a disgruntled glare.
"Don't you dare ambush me like that again…"
Sylvia could understand—Acheron really had been holding back, using the moment to push her limits.
Heck, she'd even managed to draw out the power of the Path of Permanence. Sylvia could now clearly sense that energy flowing within her.
But still!
That didn't excuse the sudden assault!
Especially not when Acheron took the chance to get a little too handsy.
This kind of bad behavior had to be stopped!
Acheron lowered her head, her bangs falling gently with the motion, allowing Sylvia to see the brightness in her eyes.
Those eyes held a clear smile, yet Acheron's lips didn't so much as twitch.
She didn't even nod.
"…"
Too irritated to let it slide, Sylvia reached up and pinched Acheron's cheeks.
She tugged at the soft skin, stretching it slightly, and forcibly bobbed Acheron's head up and down a couple of times.
Watching as Acheron yielded to her pull, those eyes fixed intently on her own, Sylvia pressed her lips together and spoke softly.
"Earlier… I think I saw some of your memories, Acheron. I saw… a lot."
Sylvia's voice grew tender, and her pinching fingers slowly relaxed into a gentle caress against Acheron's cheek.
Hearing about something and truly feeling it were worlds apart.
Sylvia had known Acheron had endured many hardships, but actually seeing those fragments, sensing the raw emotion behind them—even if they were just disconnected pieces—it washed over her with endless pain and helplessness.
Acheron fell quiet for a moment, setting aside the question of how Sylvia had seen her memories.
Instead, she reached out and playfully rubbed Sylvia's cheek, a soft smile touching her lips.
"…Oh? Not a pretty sight, was it? Your expression turned all gloomy."
"How could I ever think that about your past? I don't know why I saw it, but… if you'd allow it, I'd like to see more another time."
Sylvia tilted her head, leaning into Acheron's palm, and continued with a warm smile, "I want to understand you better."
"…"
Acheron's smile softened, savoring the feel of Sylvia's plump cheek. She waited until Sylvia settled before asking,
"Can you feel the Path energy within you now?"
"Of course. It's the Path of Permanence."
Seeing Sylvia's somewhat casual attitude, Acheron couldn't help but poke her forehead with a finger.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"…The Path of Permanence is shrouded in mystery. Its Aeon vanished without a trace, and those who walk it are almost exclusively the draconic descendants. Knowledge about Permanence is extremely scarce in the universe today."
"After spending so much time alongside Nihility… aren't you curious why the power of Permanence manifested within you?"
Acheron's voice held a note of concern as she explained what she knew.
Pathstriders are those who embody a Path's ideals and draw power from it.
Other Paths are one thing—but how does one embody Permanence?
Even the long-lived Xianzhou natives eventually face Mara, losing themselves completely.
Only the Vidyadhara, through their cycles of reincarnation, can theoretically endure until the universe's end—dying and being reborn, cycling through life and death again and again.
Coupled with their innate lineage as draconic descendants of the Aeon, they possess a natural affinity with the Aeon of Permanence.
That's why the Vidyadhara can walk this Path, living lives that resonate with permanence.
So here's the question.
You—not Vidyadhara, not long-lived, an ordinary human without any cycle of rebirth—how did you come to embody the Path of Permanence?
There isn't even an Aeon left on this Path to glance your way and pull you in.
Acheron was brimming with questions, with nowhere to direct them.
Seeing Acheron's puzzled expression, Sylvia decided to wing it.
"Hmm… maybe it's precisely because I've been exposed to Nihility so often, yet never consumed by its shadow, that I unconsciously began to embody Permanence? The end is a new beginning, death is rebirth, existence follows nothingness—that's how I see it."
She left out the part about the little "candy" the System had given her.
But honestly, the power of Permanence really did only surface after being stirred by the touch of Nihility. Before that, Sylvia hadn't sensed a thing.
So her explanation wasn't entirely off the mark.
Hearing this, Acheron's brows twitched slightly.
She was momentarily at a loss for words.
"…"
Somehow, Sylvia's reasoning actually made sense.
Acheron blinked, turning the logic over in her mind. It did seem plausible.
Approaching Nihility was like courting self-annihilation, while pulling away from it resembled dying and being reborn.
Thanks to the rings, Sylvia had sunk into Nihility multiple times, only to emerge unscathed each time.
Wasn't that, in a way, living out the concept of "life born from death"?
"What you said… does sound reasonable."
Normally, once shrouded by Nihility's shadow, escaping its Path was near impossible.
It was only because of the rings—knowing this level of Nihility wouldn't harm Sylvia—that Acheron dared to let her confront it so directly.
To immerse in Nihility yet remain unswallowed by it…
Logically, that might indeed create the conditions to tread the Path of Permanence. But under normal circumstances, who could possibly achieve that?
Not everyone could be like Sylvia, staying by her side day in and day out, occasionally soaking in Nihility's touch, and coming out completely unaffected.
Seeing Acheron actually accept her explanation, Sylvia's eyes widened in shock.
Well, damn. She actually bought it?
No skepticism at all?
Just as Sylvia was reeling, Acheron spoke up again.
"In that case… should we try it again now? If it really works, it could further stimulate your Path energy, helping you grow stronger more steadily."
"Now?!"
Sylvia's pupils trembled. Right now, even standing up and walking felt like a challenge.
Did Acheron think facing Nihility head-on was some kind of pleasant experience? Especially with all those negative emotions from Acheron's memories, relentlessly clawing at her will.
Sylvia didn't mind delving deeper into Acheron's past—just not right this second.
"Another round and I'll probably pass out on the spot."
"I think you're recovering quite quickly…"
As a seasoned warrior, Acheron could tell. Right after coming out of it, Sylvia's legs had been trembling. Yet in just this short while, her muscles had clearly regained their strength.
Sure, she still looked a little worse for wear, but if it came down to it, Acheron was certain Sylvia could still get up and throw a few punches.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.