Chapter 14: Entering the Simulated Universe—Attracting Aha, the Aeon of Elation

Herta's proposal was acceptable to the Nameless. Dan Heng expressed disinterest, while Himeko and Welt suggested focusing on Stelle and Theresa. March 7th felt her skills weren't up to par and bowed out.

Thus, Herta led Stelle and Theresa to the Simulated Universe device's storage area.

They entered a vast, dark blue space. At the far end stood an intricate, clover-shaped device of refined craftsmanship, with a Herta Puppet stationed nearby.

Simulated Universe Device

"Hey, another Herta Puppet!" Stelle exclaimed, pointing. Herta rolled her eyes. "I've placed over two hundred of these puppets throughout the space station," she retorted.

"Alright, we've arrived. This is the Simulated Universe we developed. Its purpose is to understand the mysteries of the Aeons and explore the history of love, hate, and epic dramas that have unfolded across the cosmos."

"We've designed seven Paths: Preservation, specializing in shields and counterattacks; Remembrance, focusing on freezing and mental separation; Destruction, enhancing brutal, low-health playstyles with damage multipliers; Elation, centered on follow-up attacks; Nihility, specializing in continuous damage; Abundance, prioritizing healing and damage amplification; and The Hunt, which stacks critical hit bonuses."

"You'll naturally discover their specific abilities once you're inside."

"First, Stelle, you give it a try."

"For now, there's only one activation pod available. We'll consider adding more in the future."

Herta's words prompted Stelle to cautiously step onto the platform. Following Herta's instructions, she closed her eyes, relaxed her mind, and as the Simulated Universe device whirred to life, Stelle's consciousness drifted into a vast, snow-covered plain.

[ "Hey, hey, can you hear me?" ] Herta's voice echoed in her mind.

Stelle couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. [ Isn't it obvious I can hear you? I'm seeing this! ]

["Because of your unique nature—after all, you carry a Stellaron within you—I've disguised you as the deceased Aeon Akivili. Let's see if we can lure out any Simulated Aeons to interact with you."]

["If one appears, just answer according to my prompts. Don't panic."]

With Herta's instructions, Stelle began her journey through the Simulated Universe. As this was her first test run, Herta advised her to simply choose any Blessings she liked.

Remembering being glimpsed by the Aeon of Destruction, Stelle figured Destruction would be the most appropriate choice.

During her simulated travels, she encountered Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, followed by Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance.

She cautiously attempted to communicate with Fuli, relaying the questions Herta had programmed. However, Fuli responded with a jumbled, incoherent stream of words before abruptly withdrawing.

Puzzled, Stelle ended her first Simulated Universe session.

"Stelle, how did it go? I lost contact with you briefly. What did the simulated Aeon Fuli say when he met you?" Herta asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I'm not really sure. His words were so jumbled and chaotic, I couldn't make heads or tails of them," Stelle said, scratching her head. Herta sighed and turned to Theresa.

"My turn, right? Just a heads-up, I might not attract their attention. Herta, don't get your hopes up!" Theresa said hastily. Herta nodded impatiently, eager for Theresa to test the Simulated Universe.

[ Theresa, I'll help you seal off any memories that don't belong to this world, protecting them from prying eyes, including those of the Aeons. ] The Homu System's voice echoed in Theresa's mind. She silently thanked it.

Carefully stepping onto the login device, Theresa closed her eyes. With a hum, her consciousness entered the Simulated Universe.

When Theresa opened her eyes, she found herself in a vast tavern.

"Hey, Herta! You said we'd be fighting monsters. How did we end up in a tavern right away?" Theresa called out, but to her surprise, Herta didn't respond.

"Ugh, looks like something went wrong again. Where am I?"

Theresa looked around the bizarre tavern in confusion. Everyone was wearing a mask, and she suddenly realized she was the only one without one. Wouldn't that make me stand out?

"Hey there, little sister! New here? Where's your mask?"

A young girl with twin tails and a fox mask approached, her breezy kimono revealing a hint of skin. She pulled Theresa down beside her with a playful grin.

"Who are you?" Theresa demanded, eyeing the twin-tailed girl warily.

"Who do you think I am? I can be whoever you imagine~" the girl replied with a wink. "Welcome to the Masked Fool's Tavern! I'm Sparkle."

Sparkle narrowed her butterfly-shaped, rose-red eyes behind her fox mask, gazing at Theresa with amusement. "Here, this drink's on me~"

Sparkle smiled warmly at Theresa, while the other masked patrons chuckled and watched the bewildered Theresa with anticipation. As for the drink—a concoction of toothpaste and alcohol, vigorously stirred—they were all eager to see what effect it would have.

Noticing the expectant faces of the Masked Fools, Theresa pretended to raise the glass to her lips. Then, suddenly grabbing Sparkle's arm, she shoved the entire glass down the girl's throat.

"Mmmph♥"

Sparkle suddenly let out a soft moan, and Theresa clearly saw hearts sparkling in her eyes. She immediately suspected the drink was laced with something suspicious.

"Damn it, I let my guard down and didn't dodge the charm!"

"I actually fell for it♥"

Sparkle laughed, her eyes still filled with hearts as she gazed at Theresa. Her expression seemed both delighted and strangely unsettling.

"Sister~ you smell so sweet~♥"

Sparkle giggled and threw her arms around Theresa, giving her the distinct impression that she was about to kiss her. Theresa blushed fiercely.

"Let go of me! World's Cutest Flying Kick!"

Theresa kicked Sparkle's fox mask off, only to discover another mask underneath—a comically goofy one. Undeterred, Theresa straddled Sparkle and began frantically tearing off the layers of masks. Unbeknownst to Theresa, with each mask she removed, one of the loudly laughing masked fools in the tavern vanished.

As the pile of masks beside Theresa grew taller, her stubborn streak kicked in. She was determined to see this through!

"Heh heh, useless, burp~"

"You'll never finish peeling off all my masks~ (♥▽♥)" Sparkle hiccuped with laughter, making no move to stop Theresa.

Naturally, Theresa didn't believe her teasing. She began frantically tearing off masks, unaware that the masked fools in the tavern were gradually vanishing, followed by the tavern itself. When Theresa finally snapped out of her frenzy, she found herself sitting atop Sparkle's stomach, surrounded by a swirling vortex of masks.

But the "Sparkle" beneath her wasn't Sparkle at all. It was a massive heap of overlapping masks, each contorted into a different exaggerated expression. Theresa was sitting directly on the pile of masks!