To maintain sufficient vigilance and combat readiness.
Bai Ming drew the Evoltruster and immediately dismissed Ruan Mei's impersonation.
His vision instantly faded to black.
But this time felt entirely different.
Because Bai Ming could distinctly sense his connection with the light of the Evoltruster—faint, yet steady.
In an instant, the light surged into his body, transforming him into a life-sized Nexus.
With the basic abilities of an Ultraman, augmented by the powers of Destruction and Elation, Bai Ming was confident he could match an Emanator.
His vision quickly cleared.
At the same time, a reward summary screen materialized before him:
--+--
[Role-Playing System]
[Name: Bai Ming]
[Lifespan: 300 Years]
[Transformable Roles: Big Herta (Available), Acheron (Charge: 89.1%), Celenova (Charge: 48.9%), Ruan Mei (Charge: 13.4%), Jingliu]
[Available Draws: 0 (55.1%)]
[Reward Summary: Impersonated Ruan Mei, successfully guided the birth of the Aeon of Hope, opened a new Path. Collected a substantial amount of emotional energy. Host may acquire nearly half of Ruan Mei's talents.]
--+--
Ruan Mei's talents were continuously refining his intellect.
But at this moment, Bai Ming had no time to dwell on that.
Standing in the form of Nexus, he faced the Arbitrator directly.
"Why has an Arbitrator appeared? Shouldn't you remain hidden in the shadows?"
The Arbitrator acknowledged Bai Ming's wariness with understanding.
He then replied, "Indeed, that is how it should be. But you… are special. Had I not come to speak with you in person, you would likely have already broken free."
The Arbitrator found the situation rather troublesome.
The attention that Aeon was showering upon Bai Ming far exceeded his expectations.
And his own focus wasn't exactly minimal either.
Coupled with this individual's apparent ability to borrow a genius's intellect, if he hadn't intervened personally, this incident wouldn't have caused much of a ripple.
"So, what is it you intend to stop me from doing?"
"We bear you no hostility. But in accordance with Their will, I must intervene here to prevent you from introducing too many variables into the universe in such a short time. Additionally, to help you evade an assassination attempt by the Lord of Silence."
"…Have I been too active lately? So 'HooH' wants me benched for a while? And the Lord of Silence actually wants me dead?"
The Arbitrator nodded.
The potential radiating from the one before him was far too extraordinary.
In just a few months, her influence had begun with The Blue, then she eliminated an Emanator of Abundance that shouldn't have fully perished, summoned a never-before-seen Emanator of Destruction—not only offering Nanook new ideas but also introducing the possibility of shared paths to the Galaxy Rangers.
And now, she had created a new Aeon capable of altering the universe's ultimate fate.
When it came to stirring up chaos, what madman out there could possibly rival her?
Not even the Geniuses could cause this much turbulence.
Though the Arbitrator had seen much in his long existence, facing a player like Bai Ming, he couldn't help but marvel—this was a first for him.
And HooH, the Aeon of Equilibrium, had naturally taken notice of Bai Ming as well.
How could They not, when she'd practically summoned a colleague into existence?
Thus, They swiftly made arrangements.
However, HooH held no intention of suppressing Bai Ming outright.
Otherwise, They wouldn't have left that gift for Noa earlier.
Moreover, HooH understood perfectly well that Bai Ming was not an easy target to handle.
Aha had openly expressed interest in her, Noa clearly cared deeply for Their creator, and Nanook had also left some mark upon her.
Therefore, HooH had no plans to take extreme measures.
Strictly speaking, They merely sought to prevent Bai Ming from introducing too many variables into the universe in too short a time.
HooH still had balance to maintain. If They allowed this to continue unchecked—constantly adding flour to the dough, only for Bai Ming to pour in more water before it could even be properly mixed—when would it ever end?
The main issue was the frequency.
Who knew what else she might stir up next?
And so, an Arbitrator appeared before Bai Ming.
"The balance of the universe must be maintained. Your presence is indispensable, yet your influence far exceeds expectations. Please, accept this."
With those words, the Arbitrator drew a miniature black-and-white chessboard from his robes and handed it to Bai Ming.
At its center, two revolving spheres closely resembled the symbol of HooH.
"What is this?"
Bai Ming accepted the board, studying it curiously.
"You need a zero-sum battle. Victory or defeat matters not—only that you fight. Once it concludes, I will send you back."
"So, this pocket dimension was created specifically to trap me?"
"Merely borrowed. A power resides here, maintaining its equilibrium."
"Of course, if you are displeased, I can spar with you myself to help you vent your frustrations."
The Arbitrator's tone was so accommodating that Bai Ming found his irritation fading.
If the man was offering to let him throw a punch, what more could he say?
Besides, the other party was, to some extent, protecting him. He wasn't even sure whether to be angry or grateful.
In any case, for now, it seemed HooH didn't intend to strike him down.
Bai Ming knew far too little about the Path of Equilibrium.
He really didn't want to deal with these people just yet.
If he recalled correctly, Arbitrators acted under HooH's direct command—a rare case of Pathstriders being personally directed by an Aeon.
But if he were to fight a battle here, how much time would pass in the outside world?
He tried summoning Phase Flame, but as expected, some force interfered.
Most likely HooH's doing.
But just then, "Bwahahahaha~"
A burst of laughter echoed from Bai Ming's ring.
It was the mask Aha had left behind.
Though Bai Ming didn't seem to be in immediate danger, Aha wasn't pleased with the idea of the universe being deprived of Bai Ming for long.
If things went as the Arbitrator wished, and Bai Ming fought a battle here, who knew how long it would be before she returned?
Aha had only just hit the follow button—were They really going to get Themselves locked out for a thousand years, or even several millennia?
Where was the fun in that? How was he supposed to enjoy life?
And so, Aha intervened once more.
Though it was the second time in a short span, Aha was more than happy to oblige.
Unlike Nanook, who paid no mind once Bai Ming was out of danger, when it came to being down-to-earth, Aha truly took the crown.
Before Bai Ming could even process it, he felt a surge of immense Imaginary Energy gathering.
The Arbitrator seemed to attempt to block it, but the mask shot out from Bai Ming's ring, wreathed in massive Imaginary Energy and howling with laughter, transforming into a streak of light too swift to evade—and slammed square into the Arbitrator's face.
BOOM—!!!
The sheer impact shattered every defense the Arbitrator could muster, sending him flying like a meteor, laughing maniacally as he hurtled backward into the black hole.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the black hole before Bai Ming vanished.
In its place hovered the Xianzhou Luofu, suspended in the void, its voyage paused.
"Aha~"
Aha chuckled once by Bai Ming's ear, then withdrew as swiftly as he came.
Simultaneously, the Arbitrator's roaring laughter echoed from the chessboard,
"BWAHAHAHA~Perhaps we shall meet again someday—BWAHAHA—!"
"…"
It seemed the side effects of Aha's meddling hadn't faded yet.
From the sound of it, the Arbitrator likely couldn't—and wasn't in a hurry to—pursue him immediately.
But his words suggested that if they crossed paths again, a proper fight would be unavoidable.
What a hassle.
He'd have to look up more information on Arbitrators later.
And who would have thought Aha would be keeping such a close eye on him?
Add to that the power Nanook had left on him, and HooH's chessboard…
Being marked by so many Aeons—who could say whether it was a blessing or a curse?
--+--
T/N: Bai Ming is using male pronouns cause he is in soul form and his original gender is male