[Three years later…]
“So, Little Blondie, is that how you got your power from the Aeon of Elation?”
In the tavern, a Damselette with red lace-up sandals and lively eyes looked at the man in front of her with great interest, continuing to ask in a playful tone,
“So in the end, did He return the light cone to you?
Or…
does He just like the feeling of being a special effects warrior?~”
Seeing this, Ayin reached out with a slight headache and pushed away the Damselette who was almost pressed against his face.
“First of all, don’t call me Little Blondie!”
“Secondly, logically speaking, you should be at Planarcadia right now completing your so-called ‘grand plan’, instead of chatting with me in a tavern.”
As Ayin spoke, he adjusted his collar.
He still remembered that right after becoming an Emanator, he immediately flew to the nearest Herta Space Station, wanting to see how far the plot had progressed.
As it turned out, what he saw gave him quite a shock.
In terms of timing, only thirteen years had passed since the Astral Express was repaired and set sail again, meaning there were still at least two years left before the main story began!
Ayin naturally wouldn’t just wait around foolishly for so long.
Bored, he used his status as an Emanator to frantically seek fun in the universe.
He even got in touch with the IPC through light cone manufacturing technology—though it was via their bounty list…
It all started when the IPC asked him to show his ‘value’.
Without a second thought, he used his ability to manifest a five-star light cone.
However, the image on the light cone depicted Jade pinching Topaz’s chin, leaning close to each other in a somewhat intimate manner, which he grandly dubbed [The Yuri Is Settled].
As for how this image came to be…
of course, it didn’t happen in reality.
It was altered by Ayin using the Power of Elation.
Indeed, through practice, he discovered that his ability, which was originally only meant for ‘recording’, could now consume power to alter the content of the images once infused with ‘Elation’, allowing him to create light cones with even stronger effects!
For instance, those two meteorites back then—if he intervened using the Power of Elation, the final image could be changed to two flaming meteorites or two frozen meteorites colliding.
This prevented the light cone’s effect from being limited to a mere collision, serving as a unique way to upgrade its attributes.
However, the consumption of the Power of Elation would increase along with the strength of the light cone’s effect.
Thus, under normal circumstances, he still couldn’t create those concept-grade light cones with overpowered effects.
And thanks to this ability, when [The Yuri Is Settled] was presented before the Ten Stonehearts, Ayin instantly received three things—a hoof-kick from Numby, a whip-lash from Jade, and two slips of paper.
The first was the [Interstellar Peace Corporation Long-Term Cooperation Agreement]—which basically stated that the IPC would occasionally commission light cones from Ayin, for which he would receive a handsome reward.
The second was the [Masked Fools — Ayin Bounty Poster]—which basically offered rewards from two anonymous IPC executives to anyone who could capture a moment of this guy making a fool of himself…
“Oh, Little Blondie, I naturally came to find you because of some urgent business.”
“As for your hair…
don’t make it sound so bad!
What do you mean ‘thanks to me’?
You were the one who said you wanted to play that Otto guy to scare that uncle on the Astral Express, and asked me to find a way to make you look more like him.
I just did what you asked.”
“Look at this cosplay makeup that took me a full two and a half system hours, and this dyed blonde hair.
It’s so realistic it could pass as the real deal!”
“As for why your hair couldn’t be washed out or dyed back afterward…
that was just me accidentally picking the wrong dye.
Isn’t that a mistake every girl makes?~”
Sparkle didn’t look apologetic at all.
Instead, she reached out to flick Ayin’s blonde hair, explaining in a green-tea, manipulative tone.
“Get lost!
Because of you, I’m stuck with this blonde hair.
You dared to seek amusement at my expense.
Believe it or not, I’ll show you what it means to ruthlessly destroy a ‘flower’!”
“I remember among your registered accounts in the Park, there’s one called [Hanamimi] that became quite popular.
Humph…
I’m going to contact the IPC right now and have them ban that account of yours!”
“How about it?
Should I give you ten seconds to post a stream suspension notice in advance?”
Ayin cracked his knuckles menacingly, then took out his phone pretending to report her, a smug, punchable look in his eyes.
“How did you know about that?
Ah, no, no, no, I was wrong, Brother Yunxi!
Do you really have the heart to strangle my hard-earned, finally growing account in its cradle?”
“You definitely wouldn’t do that, right?
As fellow Masked Fools, we’re on the same team!”
Sparkle flashed over to Ayin’s side, putting her hands together in a pitiful pose, murmuring in a sweet, coquettish voice.
Looking closely at the corners of her eyes, she had actually managed to squeeze out a few tears.
Seeing this, Ayin pretended to be magnanimous and put away his phone, though his tone carried an indescribable sarcasm,
“Tch, who’s on your team?
If I didn’t have important business to attend to today, I’d definitely teach you a lesson.
You’ve made me avoid the Astral Express for so long.
But as the old saying goes, a gentleman’s revenge…”
“…is never too late?”
Sparkle blinked and instinctively finished his sentence, then muttered somewhat defiantly,
“Besides, you’re not avoiding the Astral Express entirely because of your hair.
If anyone is to blame, it’s because back in Penacony, you…
Ow!”
With a crisp rapping sound,
Sparkle, clutching her head, realized that Ayin had already set down his glass and stood up, retorting playfully,
“Hmm, nice sound.
That’s a good head.”
“Don’t think I didn’t hear you.
It wasn’t just my fault back then; I only made a mistake every boy makes.
Besides, calculating the time, they are still in Amphoreus experiencing the cycle of reincarnation, so they don’t have time to worry about me.”
“As for you…
if you want to find some fun, follow me.
Today is a great day.
With any luck…
maybe I can retrieve that light cone I shoved onto Aha’s backside.”
At the mention of Aha, Sparkle’s eyes lit up,
but remembering that she had suffered another setback against Ayin, she couldn’t help but secretly pout.
It seemed that ever since she met this guy, she had been suppressed in every confrontation, as if she didn’t have a single secret in his eyes, whether in the past or the future.
He was like a friend she had known for many years; even when they first met and chatted, there was none of the awkwardness of strangers.
This inexplicable sense of familiarity made her unconsciously develop an indescribable feeling.
‘Could it be that we really knew each other in a past life?’
‘Sigh, perhaps that’s why he acted so recklessly back then, allowing my one-in-ten-thousandth’self’ to be preserved instead of disappearing due to the nine hundred and ninety-ninth ‘roleplay’…’
Thinking of this,
Sparkle seemed to instantly regain her energy, returning to her usual nonsensical state.
With her hands on her hips, she looked up at Ayin and asked,
“What big day?
Are you saying the Elation God is coming to the tavern?
But how long has it been since He cast even a single glance here?”
“Besides, Little Blondie, can your small frame even beat Him?”
Sparkle’s subtle emotional shift naturally did not escape Ayin’s eyes, but he didn’t mind.
After all, back when he played the game, he had a soft spot for this quirky girl, and she was the first character he had ever pulled to E6.
Even after transmigrating into the Honkai: Star Rail World, this ‘interest’ had not waned; instead, it was magnified by the reality of this world.
This feeling was just like your favorite character suddenly coming to life in reality.
And that was exactly why, not long after transmigrating, he chose to overdraw all his energy the very first time he met Sparkle to create that all-out [light cone]…
“Who knows if Aha will show up?
And who knows if He hasn’t already hidden in the tavern, secretly watching us fools make idiots of ourselves.”
“As for whether we can beat Him…
why use brute force?
We are Fools, so naturally, we fight our way.
Since I could prank Him once back then, I can do it again now!”
After saying this, Ayin turned around mysteriously and walked straight deeper into the tavern.