Phaethon gently tossed the cold mechanical head in his hand upward.
It traced a brief arc, reflecting one last faint glimmer of light against the warm glow emitted by the surrounding wheat field images.
Then—
Boom!!!
A crisp shattering sound, not loud but exceptionally clear, echoed through this transformed space of "Beyond the Myth."
The origin of Amphoreus's endless tragedies, the administrator who controlled Amphoreus, the chief culprit behind this cruel experiment spanning over thirty million lifetimes, the existence in all of Amphoreus most deserving of a thousand deaths—Lygus.
In mid-air, he was completely disintegrated, shattered into thousands of pieces of metal and crystal debris, scattering down in all directions.
Some debts can only be repaid with warm blood.
Almost at the same moment, a clear notification sound echoed in Phaethon's mind:
[Detected that an individual's life signs have completely disappeared within the observation range.]
[Core Protocol activated.]
[The individual's life characteristics, core abilities, and fragments of spiritual imprint have been collected.]
[New folder created. Abilities can be freely invoked at any time.]
[This folder has been named—Lycurgus.]
Phaethon closed his eyes. Vast amounts of information surged toward him.
With self-awareness, he first quickly skimmed over the vast ocean of research on various cosmic disciplines and Path theories, and also skipped past countless cold logs about the Amphoreus experiment.
He focused all his energy on the method Lygus had mentioned before his death—the path to helping him become an Aeon.
When Phaethon fully understood the complete picture of this plan, he fell silent.
Silence enveloped him, with only the silent swaying of wheat waves on the surrounding screens.
After a long time, a soft sigh slowly escaped his lips.
"Ha... Lycurgus," he murmured that name, his tone carrying a hint of admiration. "You truly deserve to be called the genius who once created gods!"
"Modeling after the fated opposition and interdependence between Abundance and the Hunt..." In Phaethon's mind emerged the image of that famous pair of rivals in the universe—one endlessly giving, the other eternally hunting.
"Choosing the critical juncture when the Lord Ravagers, driven by Nanook's wrath, unprecedented, gather together at Amphoreus... turning crisis into a larger stage."
"Pushing this inevitable final battle to its extreme, and making its process proclaimed to the universe, imprinting it deep in the collective consciousness of countless civilizations..."
"Finally... gathering, guiding, and sublimating the fear and disgust that all cosmic beings feel toward the ultimate concept of Destruction—emotions rooted in their survival instincts..."
Phaethon slowly opened his eyes. His pupils reflected the starlight of countless possibilities.
"Using this collective will of all beings as the foundation, and resistance against Destruction as the core... to forcibly ascend to the divine throne and blaze a new Path... perhaps narrow, but with an extremely clear goal, existing solely to confront and deny the very concept of Destruction itself."
He murmured to himself, his tone revealing neither excitement nor sorrow:
"According to your method... step by step, utilizing desperation, converging momentum... it's possible... I really might... become an Aeon..."
This was no exaggeration. Although the Path blazed this way might be narrower and more extreme than others, focusing solely on the single matter of anti-Destruction. But—
An Aeon, after all, is an Aeon.
That is the supreme existence above mortals and Emanators, governing part of the fundamental laws of the universe.
A cold and utterly tempting thought rose irrepressibly:
If I become an Aeon... then all remaining problems of Amphoreus, whether the hidden dangers of the Lord Ravagers, the recovery of future civilizations, or dealing with potential threats... there would truly be nothing that couldn't be solved after becoming an Aeon.
Because absolute power brings absolute possibility.
Thinking this, Phaethon suddenly shook his head forcefully. He forcibly pressed this thought back into the darkest corner of his heart.
What are you thinking? He asked himself with an almost mocking question.
Look at your own situation right now? He calmly examined himself: the answer anchored by Erudition, the blessings and resonance of Harmony, the recognition and protection of Preservation... he was almost unprecedentedly a convergence of multiple Paths.
Especially the two major Paths of Harmony and Preservation—the intensity of power he currently possessed was absolutely among the upper tier of their respective Emanators, even among the outstanding ones.
With such a configuration of power, across this vast galaxy, under circumstances where Aeons don't directly intervene, those who could confront him are few...
Ranking in the top ten might be unlikely, but conservatively, top fifteen... no, top twenty should have a place for me, right?
This realization quickly pulled him away from that anxiety of seeming to need to become a god to solve problems.
If even I, possessing such power, cannot solve the current problems of Amphoreus... His thoughts became clear and certain. Then, across the entire galaxy, how many forces dare to pat their chests and claim they could do better?
Moreover...
A profound light flashed in Phaethon's eyes.
What does Lygus... truly know? A prisoner and puppet trapped within the Scepter, his thinking bound by Zandar's obsession...
Hmph~ Obtaining power at the Aeon level... does one necessarily have to personally become an Aeon?
Phaethon snorted softly.
Lygus's blueprint might be a shortcut, but it is by no means the only path, nor necessarily the best one.
Phaethon's ideal was never to become another deity perched atop the apex of Paths. What he cared about were the lives on this land that he wanted to protect.
The people he loved were more important than any divine throne.
Thinking this, Phaethon gathered all scattered thoughts. He pondered for a moment, then finally decided to make some substantial preparations in advance for that foreseeable great battle.
...
On the other side, the Astral Express, Parlor Car.
The atmosphere was heavier than ever before.
Outside the porthole, the originally regularly flowing stars seemed to retain some residual tremor from higher dimensions, making the starlight appear somewhat unstable.
Himeko leaned by the window, pressing her fingers hard against her brow, trying to relieve the tension caused by excessive shock.
She first glanced at Black Swan beside her, who had already begun to look dazed. Then, Himeko's gaze fell upon the two guests who had appeared in the car—presences enough to make any force be on high alert.
The Herta and Screwllum, these two members of the Genius Society, had now manifested in person aboard the Astral Express.
This itself sent an unmistakable signal: the situation in Amphoreus had become so serious that even they could no longer comfortably conduct remote observations from afar. They had to come to the scene in person, even needing to intervene directly themselves.
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