Looking at the text on the screen, Ron's pupils dilated, his eyes filled with shock.
"...How much time has passed?"
Yes, how much time has passed?
It has only been a few months since Ron died. Just because he subconsciously treated the Path fragment of [The Destruction] he swallowed when splitting the [Salvation] Path as his own possession, and didn't split it back to the other Aeons like the other borrowed fragments...
This coincidence led to the current [Salvation] Path being able to draw power from the [The Destruction] Path, merging the split fragments of [The Destruction] into the [Salvation] Path to thoroughly repair the flaws of [Salvation]. It gave Herta a possibility—a possibility to borrow the power of [The Destruction] Path to repair the [Salvation] Path.
But it was just such a possibility, yet Herta grasped it so easily. Within just a few months, she thoroughly exterminated the remaining five Lord Ravagers, forcibly splitting the destiny of [The Destruction] through the power they shared as Envoys of [The Destruction], and repairing the flaws of the [Salvation] Path bit by bit. It has now reached the point where it only lacks the final puzzle piece...
...Is Herta cheating?
Ron couldn't help but feel a shred of reverence in his heart—Herta is truly Herta. As an Emanator of [Erudition], she is indeed a true genius confirmed on a cosmic scale.
Originally, Herta used the Simulated Universe to research Aeons, exhausting all her efforts yet failing to figure out much knowledge and intelligence regarding Aeons. Now it seems it wasn't that Herta's ability was insufficient, but that the chasm between mortals and Aeons is simply too deep, too deep...
Now, Herta has proven herself with her own achievements—just give her a "possibility," let her be able to grasp a thread and climb upwards, then she can thoroughly complete this possibility.
Regardless of what this "possibility" ultimately represents, even if it is ascending to become an Aeon, Herta has the potential to complete it.
Just like now, Herta is only one link away from completing her goal, obtaining the final puzzle piece of the Path fragments, and repairing the [Salvation] Path—
That is to kill [The Destruction] Nanook, thoroughly destroy the Aeon of [The Destruction], let [Salvation] thoroughly swallow the remainder of the [Destruction] Path, and let [The Destruction] thoroughly become dust in the history of the Star Sea!
Looking at the text on the screen, Ron felt his head spinning a bit.
Before, he was still suspecting whether the current New Belobog would completely degenerate amidst the wars of [The Destruction]. After all, Herta's performance before was too anxious, and her actions could easily make the Salvation Knights of New Belobog become greedy for profit due to the benefits of war. But now, the possibility of thoroughly degenerating due to greed seems to have almost vanished...
Because there weren't many wars fought at all. The benefits brought by the remaining few wars and the time taken were far from enough to corrupt the Salvation Knights of New Belobog.
Ron came to that conclusion earlier because he thought the war with the Aeon would surely be protracted. Even if it didn't last several Amber Eras, lasting several decades would definitely not be a problem.
[The Destruction] Nanook and the Antimatter Legion, this group of terrifying monsters enslaving the Star Sea, are dreadful. No one would doubt their combat power. Those worlds in this Star Sea that fell into the fires of calamity and thoroughly burned to ashes prove everything—
But now, New Belobog's blitzkrieg laid the foundation for victory... Herta didn't plan to engage in a tangled fight with the Antimatter Legions spread all over the Star Sea at all. It also seems she wasn't prepared to truly implement the will of [Salvation] to save all the Antimatter Legions enslaving the Star Sea.
Because the [Salvation] Path will perfect itself after swallowing the [The Destruction] Path, and the more perfected [Salvation] Path can bring even stronger power than before. But killing ordinary Antimatter Legions to save the world is merely implementing the will of the Path and accepting the Path's gifts; the total amount of power is ultimately limited within the broken [Salvation] Path...
Therefore, Herta completely didn't consider the "saving the world" option where the time taken is too long and the returns too low. Instead, she made a choice where the time cost is even smaller and the returns are clearly higher—
She relied solely on her own power as a Dual-Path Emanator to suppress everything with absolute combat power, forcibly anchoring the future she desired with the Divine Authority of "Hope Manifest." Then, using the authority of [Erudition], she found the tracks of the Lord Ravagers, hunting these Envoys of [The Destruction] one by one. Her methods were swift, just like a hunter catching rabbits in the wilderness...
In the beginning, it was just coincidentally killing Phantylia under the guidance of the Stellaron Hunters. This Lord Ravager should have died long ago. After that, she consciously found Fenghuang, this heavily injured Grand Duke, and pushed forward her hunting plan little by little.
From small to large, from near to far...
Even if Herta, as a Dual-Path Emanator, possesses power that thoroughly crushes these few Emanators of [The Destruction], she still made preparations, letting her combat power grow higher and higher like a snowball, ensuring she could maintain combat power at least twice as strong as her opponents, guaranteeing the possibility of destroying them one hundred percent.
Herta thoroughly condensed this war intended to burn across the entire Star Sea for Salvation into the minimum scope, turning it into a battle of interests that would thoroughly produce a result within at most ten battles...
Damn, my head itches, I'm going to grow a brain.
Ron scratched his own head, feeling like giving up on thinking for a moment.
He judged Herta's ability correctly but misjudged her motive.
He said the bottom line was just because he thought Herta had no other way to go, thinking the "Possibility" derived was the only direction to think in. But he had absolutely no way to explain the cause—why was Herta so urgently pursuing this feat of Deicide?
Although it looks like Herta has a chance of success now and the possibility of greatly reducing the price paid, it still can't compare to the initial choice of upright and noble ideals...
That would be, under the circumstance of not going to the extreme at all, treating Salvation as a "Duty," going to help all civilizations in this Star Sea invaded by the Antimatter Legion. From small to large, from the vanguard to the Lord Ravagers, saving this Star Sea little by little, and finally facing [The Destruction] Nanook surrounded by countless civilizations and friends. The possibility of Herta trying to succeed thoroughly would be higher than this hasty, anxious attempt.
Really can't understand...
Ron shook his head, but these things didn't matter anymore—Herta had already made her choice. She definitely had her reasons for doing so. Now it has reached the final juncture; the reason will be thoroughly known before long.
What Ron cares about now is only how Herta should deal with [The Destruction] Nanook...
As the master of the [The Destruction] Path, the Chief Executive Officer of the Antimatter Legion, although [The Destruction] Nanook is the youngest Aeon, His combat power is unlike His age—small.
Although Herta is now almost about to piece the [Salvation] Path together completely, it is only almost... When the [Salvation] Path was complete, Ron, who had just ascended, was powerless to truly compete with [The Destruction] Nanook.
Let alone now, where the puzzle made of fragments still has a huge hole.
If Herta isn't an Aeon, she only has the possibility of becoming an Aeon... She currently still stands at the junction of Aeon and Emanator, unable to cross half a step.
...So, how exactly will she face [The Destruction] Nanook?
If it were based on Ron's previous understanding, he would think Herta didn't need to worry about this...
Because if all the Antimatter Legions were thoroughly cleared, then the Salvation Knights of New Belobog would become strong to an unimaginable degree, obtaining the most generous gifts of the [Salvation] Path.
And [The Destruction] Nanook would also have His Path thoroughly split, thoroughly wiping out all the pawns of the Legion, causing His state to be extremely poor, becoming a lonely man—
When that time comes, Herta could find a few helpers to assist in the beatdown. In such a long time, with Herta's methods, mobilizing a few Aeons to come and lend a hand isn't an impossible thing.
But now Herta has no chance to mobilize any Aeon... Could it be she expects [The Elation] Aha to enter the stage one more time and have a bout with [The Destruction] Nanook?
...Alright, this is actually very possible.
After all, it is [The Elation] Aha. As long as there is fun, He is willing to do anything to marvel the Aeons. According to His logic, He probably feels Herta's idea of plotting to kill an Aeon with a mortal body is very fun, assisting Herta and [The Destruction] Nanook to decide a winner.
But this is ultimately just a possibility... Aha already entered the stage personally. Ron has become an Aeon and knows clearly how heavy the fate burdened by an Aeon is.
[The Elation] Aha may have means to escape the binding of fate, but He definitely didn't pay no price... After He heavily injured [The Destruction] Nanook, He disappeared without a trace. I'm afraid He also personally entered the stage this time because of it.
He might not have the ability to enter the stage again... And besides Him, who else would help the current New Belobog, help Herta?
Could it be [The Preservation] Qlipoth? The Amber Lord wouldn't care about such small matters. To Him, this kind of thing isn't as good as striking the Subspace Crystalline Wall with his hammer one more time.
Is it [The Harmony] Xipe? It can be said Herta reached a cooperation agreement with the Family, but Xipe obviously has nothing to do with [The Destruction]. Xipe has no reason to inexplicably give Herta such generous help.
Then who exactly can it be... She can't possibly have not a single helper, right?
But Herta doesn't look like someone who has no grasp of the situation... For someone like Herta, she absolutely wouldn't act so urgently without certainty. She definitely has a bottom card in her heart...
But what exactly gave her this confidence... Did I miss any information in this simulation?
Ron pondered a hundred times but couldn't find an answer. Finally, he could only give up and move his eyes to the screen in front of him.
If I can't think it through, I might as well just watch what happens next...
Ron thought silently in his heart, watching the text on the screen fade, and new subtitles floated up on the display:
[After thoroughly solving all Lord Ravagers, the broken [Salvation] Path climbed to an intensity near the moment before the [Salvation] Path was about to shatter when Ron died.]
[Herta once again took a solid step forward on that withered branch of the Path. She is only a step away from becoming the master of the Path.]
[As long as she can fill the vacancy of the void branch in front, fill the breach in the house with light, and pick up those few small fragments of red-gold patterns to lift the lamp, then she will have the opportunity to thoroughly lift that lamp and become the master of the [Salvation] Path.]
[Therefore... she proceeds without hesitation.]
[Even if what she faces next is an existence on the same level as ordinary Lord Ravagers, a true Aeon-level enemy, [The Destruction] Nanook Himself—]
[Herta still rang the copper bell of the Round Table Hall a few days later. The Salvation Knights of New Belobog once again moved their steps, stepping into the cabins of countless starships, running toward the depths of the distant Star Sea under Herta's command...]
[Target—The Fallen Star System, Adlivun.]
[The war furnace of the Antimatter Legion. Now He sits there... sitting in the hometown of [The Destruction] Nanook that was trampled by disasters and finally destroyed.]
...
---o---