“Host, why not go take a look at Jarilo-VI?
Those players haven’t seen you reveal your divine presence before.” “This power does not exist for such purposes.” Columbina lowered her gaze, slowly shaking her head, and faintly added, “That would be meaningless.
I should not misuse my power for such a thing.” She had always been moving along a vague yet resolute path, having long since forged her own set of principles.
And what sustained her as she crossed the Sea of Stars and traversed countless dying planets was never the admiration of others.
She simply wanted to understand what, exactly, she was pursuing by walking this path.
Furthermore, although she knew the Astral Express was on Jarilo-VI, she had no intention of altering her course for that reason.
“Perhaps it’s just that you are too far away, Host, so you cannot hear the voice of that planet?” “If you get closer, you might hear something different, the prayers hidden beneath the ice and snow.” This was a part of Columbina’s Wish Mechanism: distance.
Her perception was like a net, the range of which was always limited by distance.
Voices from too far away, no matter how earnest, could never reach her ears.
“And if you head over there, you will not only be able to hear and see, but perhaps even witness something that could disturb the will of ‘Preservation’.” This sentence caused Columbina a moment of hesitation.
Among all the Aeons, she held a slight fondness specifically for the Amber Lord, the only Aeon to have cast its gaze upon her.
It was a gaze without purpose or expectation, a simple observation, just as shown in the Simulated Universe.
However, being gazed upon by an Aeon never equated to possessing the power of an Emanator.
Therefore, even though her strength had long since reached the level of an Emanator, no one had ever dared to be one hundred percent certain that she was an Emanator of ‘Preservation’.
Still, the Interastral Peace Corporation had always treated her well.
After all, Columbina’s strength was openly displayed as a genuine Emanator-level existence, combined with the connection of having once been glanced at by the Amber Lord.
As a faction that was recognized by and faithful to the Amber Lord, the IPC was naturally willing to take the initiative to build a good relationship with her.
“Then let’s go take a look.” After a moment of silence, Columbina finally spoke, and the fine moonlight condensed, carrying her rapidly toward Jarilo-VI.
Perhaps, she might catch another glimpse of the Amber Lord?
(This explains that the player’s perspective follows the game’s sequence, progressing along the questline.) (But Columbina’s movements are not like the player’s.
She progresses according to her own timeline.
As stated before, the game serves this world.) Before she even reached Jarilo-VI, Columbina’s senses had already captured two distinct signals.
“Mother…
wake up, don’t let that thing deceive you any longer.” And the other signal was the power of a Stellaron.
To Columbina, the Stellaron was hardly a stranger, perhaps even an old friend.
Over the years, she had crossed countless seas of stars.
Among the planets she had helped save, nearly half had fallen into disaster because of a Stellaron’s invasion.
The remaining disasters mostly came from the destruction and annihilation wrought by the Antimatter Legion.
What concerned her more was that the ‘Preservation’ will of this planet was gradually being dismantled by the Stellaron.
Columbina could clearly sense that Jarilo-VI still enjoyed the Amber Lord’s protection.
The protection of ‘Preservation’.
But now, this layer of protection was already covered in cracks.
Under the Stellaron’s erosion, it would completely dissipate before long.
Good.
Columbina thought silently.
Since this was a planet once protected by the Amber Lord, and since there were still believers of ‘Preservation’ here.
Then she would help the Amber Lord look after it.
This could be considered as not betraying that former gaze.
Thinking of this, her speed suddenly increased, and she descended straight toward the ice-covered planet.
Meanwhile.
In the Upper Level of Belobog on Jarilo-VI, the players were controlling Stelle, following the quest line, and had finally found Bronya after fighting their way up from the Underworld.
The atmosphere at this moment was so oppressive it made one unable to breathe.
Cocolia Rand’s voice carried a last hint of hesitation as she asked the young woman before her: “Bronya, you have always had the right to choose.
You did before, and you still do now, so I leave the choice to you.” Bronya stood in place, with Stelle and their teammates behind her, and Cocolia, who had raised her and had once been her only reliance, before her.
Though her voice carried a few sobs, it was exceptionally firm: “Madam Cocolia, thank you for raising me to adulthood all these years, and thank you for every choice you gave me in the past.” “But I am sorry, this last time, I cannot stand by your side.” She saw it very clearly: the salvation in Cocolia’s mouth was not salvation at all, it was the Stellaron’s lie.
As Bronya’s words fell, Cocolia cast aside her last shred of hesitation.
It was as if she had finally shed all her misgivings, abruptly raising her hand to draw the weapon that symbolized Belobog’s highest authority.
Alisa Rand’s Lance.
“In the name of the Supreme Guardian, I command you to rise, Engine of Creation!” A colossal mechanical construct slowly ascended, the very Engine of Creation left behind by the Architect.
From its inception, this battle could only be described as brutal.
The Engine of Creation’s power far exceeded everyone’s expectations.
In the short term, even with Stelle and her teammates fighting with all their might, they couldn’t break through the Engine of Creation’s assault.
“Cover me, I’ll get close to her.” Finally, with the full support of her teammates, Stelle stood alone before Cocolia.
This time, it truly was Stellaron against Stellaron.
Stelle’s power was inherently far inferior to Cocolia’s.
To outsiders, she appeared as an adult, but the time she had existed in this world was pitifully short.
Moreover, the Stellaron within her had remained dormant from the very beginning, leaving her with very little power to draw upon.
Such a disparity, from the very first moment they clashed, had already sealed the outcome.
After only a few exchanges, Stelle was forced back step by step.
Cocolia’s eyes sharpened, and her arm gripping Alisa Rand’s Lance suddenly surged with power.
Stelle had no time to dodge, nor could she even see the trajectory of the lance’s tip.
She only felt a sharp pain in her chest.
The moment the Flaming Lance pierced her body, the surrounding chaos seemed to fall still.
The roar of the Engine of Creation, the shouts of her teammates, all became a blur.
Stelle thought she was truly going to die this time.
Her consciousness sank slowly, as if falling into an endless darkness.
But just as her consciousness was about to completely dissipate, the scenery around her suddenly changed.
This was a vast, boundless space between reality and void, resembling an inverted crystal chalice.
This was the Path-Space.
Most people in the Cosmos believed that Pathstriders in this space would be glimpsed by the Aeon corresponding to their Path.
The last time she was on the brink of death, it was here that she met the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook, and was glimpsed by him.
That towering figure…
It was still clearly etched into her mind.
What about this time?
Who would she meet this time?
A dull, heavy sound echoed from the depths of the Cosmos, carrying a power that shook her very soul.
Thump!
Not only did Stelle hear it, but Columbina, who had just entered Jarilo-VI, also clearly captured the sound.
She abruptly looked up, gazing toward the Cosmos.
That was the sound of the hammer of Preservation falling, the signal that a new Amber Era had officially begun.
The moment that hammer strike fell, Stelle, whose body had been pierced by the Flaming Lance and should have long since lost her life, suddenly stirred.
Stelle slowly raised her hand, gripped the shaft of the Flaming Lance that pierced her body, and gradually pulled the lance, now stained once more with the color of amber, out of her own chest!
She descended from the sky, clutching the Flaming Lance.
She landed in front of Cocolia.
Lifting her head, she raised the Flaming Lance high, its tip pointing straight at Cocolia.