"You're saying a Emanator of Destruction has come to Penacony?!"
Mikhail was starting to lose his composure.
"I know you're anxious, but don't be, not just yet."
Tiernan could understand Mikhail's fear.
If he hadn't personally experienced the battle against Celenova, he'd have a hard time believing it too.
"While I know using the Stellaron's power was a last resort, if Lady Celenova can discern something from it, that wouldn't be a bad thing, right?"
After hearing Mikhail's account, Tiernan could also understand why the Stellaron was indispensable.
But Mikhail's actions—delegating authority to those local Penacony families and to Gopher, despite not even fully understanding the details himself—still left Tiernan feeling a bit helpless.
He knew his friend wasn't cut out for management, but he hadn't expected it to reach this point.
"Also, I need a new identity. I don't want my return to be announced publicly just yet."
Mikhail nodded upon hearing this.
Then he gave Tiernan a firm clap on the shoulder and said with a laugh:
"Leave that to me. And… welcome back, old friend. It's time we stirred up some trouble again."
Tiernan laughed in response:
"Yeah, stirred up some trouble."
--+--
Meanwhile.
Gopher noticed that Celenova didn't seem to plan on staying in the Grand Theater permanently.
Furthermore, after some probing, he found Celenova's temperament to be so mild she hardly seemed like a Emanator of Destruction at all.
Coupled with their exchange regarding the power of Paths, it finally led Gopher to place a measure of trust in Celenova.
He stopped keeping such a close watch on her.
As for Celenova, she began curiously touring the present-day Penacony.
At the same time, she glanced at her interface:
--+--
[Role-Playing System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Celenova)]
[Lifespan: 100 Years (Paused) + 19 Days (Role-Play)]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta (Charge: 56.2%), Acheron (Charge: 23.3%), Celenova]
[Available Draws: 0 (80.1%)]
--+--
The gauge was filling faster than she expected.
In just a single day, it had risen several percentage points.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before her next character card would be ready.
Excellent, excellent.
It seemed the commotion she'd caused this time had a far-reaching impact.
Although, looking ahead, until the main story begins, there probably won't be many more opportunities like this to challenge an Emanator.
But you've got to enjoy the moment while it lasts, right?
Who knows, maybe soon the real Celenova will burst onto the scene.
And then I might have to turn around and tangle with the real Celenova herself.
And just as Celenova was musing by the purple sands…
--+--
Even in this era, Mikhail already looked like the old man from the game's storyline. But thinking about it, it made sense.
Several cycles had passed since Mikhail disembarked from the train. The fact that Mikhail was still alive and kicking meant he was pretty tenacious.
So him looking a bit rough around the edges was normal.
Yet, compared to his weathered exterior, Mikhail's eyes held a light.
A light full of hope, fervently yearning for it.
And even more interestingly, compared to the Tiernan before he came to Penacony, the current Tiernan seemed completely revitalized in spirit.
It was like he was a whole new person.
Seeing these two standing together even made Celenova dizzy for a moment, half-expecting them to raise a rallying cry the next second and launch some grand, earth-shaking enterprise.
"Looks like you two are getting along splendidly."
'Celenova' looked at the two men, whose eyes seemed ready to spark flames, and smiled.
"Thanks entirely to Lady Celenova for bringing Tiernan and his companion back, I've found a glimmer of hope again."
Mikhail had already heard the gist of Tiernan's ideas on the way.
For Mikhail, who had been stuck here with no way out, Tiernan's thoughts were like a guiding beacon.
Whether it would definitely succeed was hard to say, but at least it gave Mikhail a direction.
Maybe it's feasible, perhaps it can be done.
Just being able to kindle such a thought in himself was enough for Mikhail to strive for it.
"Thank you very much, Lady Celenova."
Mikhail straightened his steadfast spine and bowed deeply to Celenova.
He didn't know how else to express it.
Because the current Mikhail had nothing to his name.
"Rather than thanking me, better find a way to live until the year 2158."
'Celenova' revealed a mysterious smile, leaving Mikhail and Tiernan utterly bewildered.
It was still several cycles until 2158.
Even by the shortest count, it was several hundred years away.
Could the two of them really live that long?
"If you live until then, you might be able to fulfill another one of your wishes."
'Celenova' stopped there, saying nothing more.
The seeds for Penacony's future had been sown.
She didn't know what Penacony would become.
Whether it would be futile, revolutionary, or achieve some delicate balance, 'Celenova' had no way of knowing.
She only knew that if these two could hold on until that time...
It's just a pity that the other Nameless one vanished inside the IPC's city.
There really wasn't much she could do about that.
Even if she drew Black Swan next time, finding a needle in a haystack would be impossible.
If she could somehow get her hands on something like a Memory Zone Meme, then she could give it a try.
Although puzzled, Mikhail, seeing she wouldn't elaborate, didn't press further.
He just made a mental note of the matter.
If he truly reached the end of his life, he'd just have to find a way to survive as a Memetic Entity.
At least he had to last until that year.
--+--
Declining Mikhail's invitation to stay longer, 'Celenova' wandered off alone again, giving herself a small break from the busy months she'd had.
No matter what, with Boss Nanook's support, she'd managed to secure a century of lifespan for herself.
Even if she wasn't sure she'd live until the main story began, at least the sense of urgency wasn't as crushing.
And then, the 'Celenova' suddenly remembered something.
The game Honkai, in terms of its worldview, was already confirmed to be unified with the game Star Rail.
If her gacha pool wasn't limited to just playable characters from Star Rail, did that mean she could potentially draw a Kiana or a Theresa, or some other character card from that side?
But she couldn't find the address for the Solar System.
Even an Emanator would have a tough time slipping in, so she probably couldn't go cause a stir over there either.
And besides, the Boss of that world wasn't even born yet in this era.
So she couldn't scare him.
What a shame.
Come to think of it, what world was Himeko's hometown again?
If she got the chance in the future, she'd like to see how Himeko managed to repair the Astral Express all by herself.
She really hoped she could live long enough to see that day.
--+--