Chapter 16: Theresa's Great Power Boost

[Now the author is really letting loose and indulging their sense of humor, because who doesn't love a good laugh? HAHAHA]

(TL Note: Oh crud, Aha infected the author notes. Haha)

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Herta's remark about Theresa being influenced by an Aeon genuinely worried Himeko and Welt. They stared intently at Herta, desperately seeking a way to counteract the influence.

As everyone frowned in concern, Theresa's thoughtful expression suddenly transformed into one of profound wisdom, startling everyone present.

Wisdom!

"Oh no, she's at it again! That face... I can't stop laughing!" March 7th cried out, clutching her stomach as she burst into laughter. Stelle joined in, while Dan Heng twitched his lips, struggling to maintain his aloof demeanor.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Herta, Himeko, and Welt couldn't hold it in either.

"T-Theresa..."

Theresa smiled knowingly, her wise gaze and cat-like mouth proving too much for anyone to bear. After all, they were accustomed to her being serious and reliable; this sudden transformation shattered their composure.

"Herta, think of something quick! Pfft!" Welt pleaded, struggling to suppress his laughter as he watched Theresa prance around with her newfound "wisdom."

"Hahaha, I can't help it! Who could have imagined she'd actually summon the real Aeon of Elation, Aha?" Herta chuckled, desperately trying to suppress her laughter. She didn't want to laugh, but she couldn't hold it in!

Dan Heng was struggling even harder, clutching his mouth so tightly his entire body trembled.

[Alert! Alert! Unknown energy signature detected!]

Suddenly, an alarm blared through the space station. Everyone's expression turned grim as a colossal mask materialized outside.

They stared in awe at the massive mask floating in the void. Just looking at it filled them with an overwhelming sense of euphoria, and they erupted into fits of joyous laughter.

"Hahaha, we're doomed! The Aeon of Elation is here! Hahaha!" Herta shrieked between sobs and laughter, completely overtaken by the Power of Elation.

"Damn it... hahaha!" Dan Heng finally cracked, his bitter smile twisting into genuine laughter. His expression, a mix of bitterness and amusement, sent the others into hysterics.

"Hahaha! This is the first time I've ever seen Dan Heng so cheerful!" March 7th roared with laughter, while Stelle was similarly doubled over, tears streaming down her face.

The wise Theresa lifted her head, her intelligent eyes meeting the gaze of the colossal mask hovering in the cosmos. A dazzling pillar of black-red light descended from the mask, merging with Theresa's eyes. She began to float into the air as the Homu System within her panicked. In desperation, it summoned the Stone Mask to block the swirling beam of crimson light.

The sudden appearance of the Stone Mask only deepened the misunderstanding. Fortunately, with Theresa drawing Aha the Elation's attention, the group's uncontrollable laughter gradually subsided.

"Save me! I almost laughed myself to death!" March 7th cried out fearfully. A good laugh was one thing, but nearly dying from it was another.

"Me too," Stelle said, clutching her throat with a wry smile. "My sides are cramping so badly I almost cramped up."

"That's the Mask of the Masked Fools," Dan Heng said gravely, his gaze fixed on the mask. "I never imagined Theresa would become one of them."

"This complicates things," Himeko said, her expression troubled. "We can't abandon Theresa, but the Conductor is genuinely terrified of the Masked Fools."

If it were anyone else, Himeko would flatly reject any request from the Masked Fools to board the Astral Express. But Theresa was now a member of the Nameless, and had just saved their lives. They couldn't possibly abandon her.

Buzz...

Amidst a buzzing hum, Theresa's figure transformed before everyone's astonished eyes into an adorable witch with a pointed hat, still clutching the Stone Mask that had absorbed the Power of Elation.

Witch Theresa

The mask's eerie appearance shifted into one with intelligent eyes, and the Red Stone of Aja embedded in her forehead underwent an inexplicable change.

Meanwhile, Aha's projection in the cosmos vanished without a trace.

"Wow, Theresa looks even cuter now!" March 7th exclaimed excitedly. Theresa's expression had grown remarkably serious. She blinked her blue eyes in confusion, sensing the Power of The Permanence within her, which had surged a hundredfold. The Power of Elation had been assimilated into the Power of The Permanence.

If not for the Power of The Permanence's ability to devour and transform, Theresa would have devolved into "Theresa the Fool" long ago.

"I think... I've become an Emanator of Elation," Theresa said, studying her seemingly enhanced cuteness with a puzzled expression. "But... it feels different somehow."

Her words broke the tension. They had expected a mere Masked Fool prank, but Aha had thrown them a cosmic curveball: Theresa had actually become an Emanator of Elation!

"Theresa, this is no laughing matter!" Dan Heng said sternly, his eyes fixed on her. He worried that her brief moment of wisdom might be lost forever.

"This is quite the headache, but you seem much better now than before," Welt observed thoughtfully. "What exactly happened? You don't give off that 'party animal' vibe anymore. It's like you've reverted to your original self."

Theresa, deep in thought, recounted her experience. "There's something I've been keeping from you all. While adrift in the cosmos, I saw a colossal, multicolored dragon with three pairs of wings. It granted me a vibrant power that manifested in my mind as the Power of The Permanence."

"It's this Power of The Permanence that transformed the Honkai energy within me into a force of the same origin. And just now, when Aha the Elation bestowed his Path power upon me, I sensed a massive conduit connecting directly to me. The endless stream of Power of Elation flowing into my body was instantly converted by my internal Power of The Permanence. Perhaps that's why I'm still able to maintain my normal personality."

Theresa hesitantly revealed the truth she had been concealing. Everyone turned to stare at her with intense curiosity as a vibrant, multicolored flame materialized in her hand. Herta vehemently declared it impossible, insisting that The Permanence should be dead.

"Herta, your theory is incorrect," Welt countered. "If He were truly gone, how else could Theresa wield such power?"

Herta reluctantly gazed at the colorful flame in Theresa's hand. The undeniable aura of eternal majesty radiating from it seemed to validate Theresa's claims.

"Oh, right," Theresa muttered, eyeing the stone mask in her hand with a troubled expression. "This mask seems to be a gift from Aha the Elation, but I don't dare wear it. I have a feeling something unpleasant might happen."

She had partially fabricated this lie to avoid revealing the truth: the mask Aha had given her had actually merged with the Stone Mask, transforming it from a grim and eerie relic into a mask brimming with jovial wisdom.

However, Theresa's reluctance to wear it was genuine. She harbored a strong premonition that donning the mask would trigger a cataclysmic transformation, perhaps even binding her to the Oath of Judah!