Sylvia's mouth opened uncontrollably, and she sank her teeth into her own slender tail.
Just witnessing this sight made Sylvia feel the power of Permanence swelling within her.
Then, before her vision faded entirely, she found herself transformed once more into a colossal egg.
[Haha—how fascinating!]
A sigh that was neither laughter nor weeping accompanied the thought, and everything before her vanished.
Sylvia shifted back into her human form, finding herself once again aboard the space station.
The voice of Herta promptly resounded:
"What exactly are 'They' trying to do? But who would've thought this half-finished version over here would succeed first… Sylvia, you actually became Permanence just now!"
Herta's grumbling carried a mix of agitation and excitement.
Sylvia could even hear Herta's soft, almost giddy chuckle.
However, Herta soon let out an 'Oh,' and explained:
"What just happened was Aha, the Aeon of Elation—an utterly unpredictable being. They suddenly popped up, turned you into Permanence, and just like that, the data on my end was perfected!"
"It's completely absurd. What connection could Permanence and Elation possibly have? It defies all normal logic, but then again, that's perfectly in line with that one's logic."
Even with Herta's vast experience, her tone couldn't help but turn complex.
On one hand, that Aha character was nothing but a nuisance in the Simulated Universe, an absolute pest. And by the time Aha came into existence, Permanence had already been gone for who knows how many years.
On the other hand, her very first simulation had not only managed to draw the attention of an Aeon but had even prompted one to take direct action.
Such a research outcome thrilled Herta.
"That being is noisy, dangerous, and… well, never mind. Just, if you get the chance next time, try to bear with it and chat a bit longer, even if you have to hold your nose."
Herta actually had a strange suspicion.
Did Aha within the Simulated Universe become aware of the simulated world it was in? And did the real Aha out there notice this place as well?
Otherwise, Aha's little stunt seemed a bit too… abstract.
'They' and Permanence weren't just unacquainted—Permanence was born in the chaos of the earliest epochs and vanished from the scene long ago.
Forget being acquainted; Aha probably never even laid eyes on Permanence, right?
Its sudden appearance, directly perfecting the Permanence data for the simulation… it was hard not to be suspicious.
And besides…
Even if the goal was to perfect the data, there was no need to go this far. What just happened felt more like directly handing over the answer to Permanence's disappearance.
Though it was terribly incomplete.
But the key question was, where did 'They' get intel on Permanence in the first place?
At this thought, Herta's gaze toward Sylvia turned sharp.
Could it be… that this one had already caught Aha's attention long ago?
Then why hadn't she become a Masked Fool or a Mourning Actor?
In that brief instant, countless conjectures about Sylvia flashed through Herta's mind.
She even boldly hypothesized that Sylvia might be a vessel prepared by Permanence for reincarnation or resurrection.
Of course, it was just a rather far-fetched guess.
"Speaking of which, Sylvia, you just experienced being an Aeon from a first-person perspective, didn't you? How did it feel? What did you see? Tell me, quickly!"
Recalling this, Herta pressed on the crucial question.
When she had people test the Simulated Universe, she did assign them the identity of an Aeon.
But that was merely a simulation in code—it only made others perceive them as an Aeon. It didn't actually let the tester become the Aeon and experience it firsthand.
Yet just now—
Thanks to that meddling by Aha, Sylvia had broken through the Simulated Universe's underlying logic, truly allowing herself to incarnate as Permanence within the simulation!
Even if it was only a simulated Aeon of Permanence.
It was undoubtedly a profoundly novel experience.
As absurd as Aha was, credit where it's due—Herta really wanted to know what that felt like.
"Hmm… it's hard to describe. I just felt myself becoming enormous, vast… planets and star systems seemed like toys in my eyes. And also…"
Sylvia frowned, carefully sifting through the memories. The imagery from becoming an Aeon had already grown very hazy.
"That sensation of [evolution] and [ascension] was incredibly intense. Even now, I have this lingering illusion that I am a trueborn dragon."
Sylvia remembered that after Permanence became an egg, it diverged into numerous dragon species. She just hadn't experienced that process herself.
It was also possible that even Aha didn't know what that felt like.
"In the very end, I felt that egg would give birth to countless dragon descendants. It's a pity I didn't get to experience that part."
But even the earlier portion alone allowed Sylvia to feel her own understanding of Permanence deepen immensely.
If before she had merely borrowed the Path's power through the system's strength…
Now, Sylvia had truly stepped onto the Path.
And the power of Permanence had grown significantly stronger.
She even felt that if she wished, she could transform into a small draconic being, manifesting draconic features.
"Is that so? Quite interesting. A shame, though. It seems even Elation couldn't fully uncover the mysteries of Permanence."
Missing a portion of the information was rather regrettable.
Still, having this much was sufficient. In the future, she could dedicate a major update to investigating the mystery of Permanence's demise.
As Herta pondered, a trace of regret tinged her voice:
"Since Permanence was a Path I only added today on a whim, it means you don't get a choice for Path enhancements—I simply haven't designed them yet."
Three options similar to what Sylvia remembered appeared, adorned with draconic symbols, but their effects were limited to simple stat boosts.
Looking at these choices, Sylvia couldn't help but chuckle. She picked one at random and asked:
"These really do feel like placeholders. So, do we keep testing? Or wait until you've finished the update?"
"Come on out. I need to update this quickly. The Path of Permanence was never part of my original plan. What follows will likely be a major version update."
Herta's voice continued, and Sylvia could hear the thread of disappointment in it.
Herta wanted to press the advantage, but clearly, the sudden perfection of Permanence had disrupted her plans.
With that, and without giving Sylvia a chance to say more, everything before Sylvia's eyes went dark.
When she awoke, she was back in Herta's office.
--+--
Stelle was still standing there, dumbfounded—probably because their test wasn't over yet.
"Since you're awake, come over here. That kid's test isn't finished yet. Tch, didn't get to see Preservation a second time… Ah, well."
Herta seemed to be operating something inside, then looked up at Sylvia.
"Interesting. Just one run through the [Metaverse], and your power has grown like this?"
"…This project is called the Metaverse?"
Before Sylvia could even properly sense the enhanced Path power, Herta's statement left her momentarily speechless.
"Yes, that's right. What about it? It's a good name, isn't it?"
Herta placed her hands on her hips, seeming quite pleased with the title.
A subtle expression crossed Sylvia's face, the kind you get when hearing a painfully dated meme.
"How about we change the name? That one's a bit over the top. What do you think of 'Simulated Universe'?"
"Oh? My partner said the same thing... Fine, I, Herta, am nothing if not adaptable. 'Simulated Universe' works too. It's not important."
Herta swiftly moved past this trivial topic and continued:
"Your reward is ready."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.