Zero's pupils quaked, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
His special constitution as a "Higher-Dimensional Invader" could influence high-level NPCs to a certain extent.
For example, Fuli, when facing him, it was as if she had been hit with a debuff, her combat power inexplicably weakened, and this Aeon would show flaws that humans could notice.
He guessed that Aha would be similarly affected. Giving that person a can of food, first, he wanted to have some fun; second, he wanted to use the opportunity to confirm his guess.
Of course, the "fun" part took up a larger portion.
Zero originally thought Aha knew the ingredients of the canned food, and that the Aeon was just playing along for amusement. But after Aha burst into laughter, Zero developed a new theory.
To some degree, could a "Higher-Dimensional Invader" interfere with the judgment of high-level NPCs?
Since he had too few samples, Zero only kept that thought in his heart.
He knew Aha, knew the other would definitely retaliate, but he never expected… this Aeon would ruin his reputation using a mutually-destructive method.
'Something from a thousand years ago… you're still bringing that up?! Why can't you let go of the Master thing?!'
Zero forced a smile, but inside, he was collapsing.
Akivili, who also heard those words and bore that massive amount of information, was utterly bewildered inside.
He first glanced at Zero, whose face showed not a hint of a flaw, then at Aha beside him, gulping down champagne in loud "glug-glug" sounds.
He raised a hand, pointed at himself, and asked hesitantly, "Looks like I came at the wrong time?"
Zero's mind was spinning like a storm, but he restrained the urge to shake his head madly.
Hearing that, he looked straight at Akivili, gaze firm and tone sincere, "No, Akivili, you came just in time."
Akivili didn't dwell on it for long.
On one side was the Aeon of "Elation", on the other, a close friend he had finally met after hearing so many rumors…
Naturally, he would believe his close friend.
Akivili's eyes couldn't help but sweep toward Aha.
That one casually set the empty bottle on the floor, half his body already buried in the fridge, as if planning to empty out every last thing inside Zero's refrigerator.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Akivili asked, "What's going on here?"
Zero decided to go along with Aha's words and embellish a little as he explained to Akivili.
He sighed softly, "When we first met, how could I have known he was a Aeon? I only knew he liked… that kind of thing, and there was nothing I could do, so I sent him to the Swarm Planet so he could keep those female bugs company…"
Akivili, "…"
He had only heard that Aha once shared his divine power with the bugs.
But Akivili never expected that Aha would have such a deep connection with them.
Could it be that Aha wasn't just seeking pleasure, but tending to his own bloodline?
No wonder... no wonder Aha was so generous.
Akivili had witnessed countless things while pioneering alongside the Nameless.
But this scene, this was a first.
His head started to spin; it felt like the conductor suddenly launched into the air, soaring up like a cannonball and slamming straight into his skull.
He couldn't recover from the explosion of information.
Then, while his head was still dizzy, he heard his close friend say, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen many Aeons… I've heard that you Aeons must always walk upon your own Path…"
Zero's voice abruptly stopped. He said no more, instead looking at Akivili with a gaze full of pity.
Akivili instantly understood his friend's unspoken meaning.
His friend was implying, could it be that all Aeons are this dedicated to their Paths? Are they all like Aha?
Akivili thought about it, and was shocked to realize, the "Joy" within the process of reproduction was, indeed, still joy.
Aha being a ○-Master for the female bugs, wasn't that still walking on the Path of "Joy"? Wasn't that another form of Joy?
Akivili opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Their Aeons weren't like this! Only Aha was such an exception… The other Aeons wouldn't lose their dignity to be ○-Masters! They really wouldn't go this far for the sake of their Paths!
Why did it feel like their collective reputation had just been smeared?!
Akivili exclaimed, "Our Aeons would never, !"
Meanwhile, the already-slandered Zero admired Akivili's almost-broken expression for a while.
Then he put down the Mirror of Water and Moon in his hand, and, taking advantage of the bar counter's cover, slipped the prop back into his system inventory.
He grabbed an unopened champagne bottle from Aha, and personally opened it for his close friend.
He tore off the foil, untwisted the wire cage, pointed the bottle toward Aha, held the cork with one hand and twisted the base with the other.
When it popped open, the wine didn't spray out.
Zero sighed in disappointment, ignored Aha's chirping nonsense, waited for the bubbles to settle, and poured two glasses of champagne, one for himself, one for Akivili.
"Grape-flavored. Want to try it?"
As soon as he poured the drink, Aha snatched the bottle away.
Zero realized he'd forgotten to ask Akivili's preference. Glancing at the unopened base liquors and syrups on the bar, he asked,
"Which do you like? I can mix something too."
Aha, pouring his own drink, "...?"
Aha looked at his close friend, then at Akivili, who hurriedly waved his hands, refusing politely, as if afraid to trouble his friend.
Aha was genuinely confused.
He had met the close friend first! He'd been here first! So why, ?
Aha shouted, "If Akivili won't drink, then I will, !"
Zero, "…"
He glanced at the crooked pile of empty bottles on the floor.
Every food and drink his subordinates prepared was of the highest quality, especially the alcohol, which could fetch astronomical prices at auction.
He didn't drink himself, fine, but Aha had ruined all of it!
Zero estimated the credits wasted and suddenly wanted to strangle Aha.
Then he remembered, the sixty billion credits Aha and his followers had once given to Yaoqing.
And he recalled a type of alcohol that was cheap and simple to make, and decided this was the perfect time to settle the debt.
He took out black tea and vodka, mixed them at a ratio of three to one, then handed the glass to Aha.
Aha deliberately put on an expression of surprise and gratitude, and downed it in one gulp.
Zero said quietly, "That glass costs fifty billion credits."
Aha, holding the empty glass, "…"
Even as a Aeon, he felt this deal was way too unfair!
Akivili, sipping champagne silently, "…"
Should he be glad he didn't ask his friend to mix him a drink? Where would the Express find fifty billion credits, they'd have to pawn the train and the conductor just to afford that one glass!
Aha yelled, "My friend, you drive a hard bargain!"
Zero replied casually, "You've already paid, with the bottles on the floor, that makes exactly sixty billion."
Ignoring the dumbfounded Aha, he turned toward Akivili with a gentle smile,
"For you, no payment needed. Speaking of which, you really helped me a lot this time, "
Zero's words left room to maneuver; he wouldn't lightly owe anyone favors in the name of the Xianzhou.
Even toward Akivili, whom he wanted to befriend, this was no exception.
Akivili scratched his head awkwardly.
"It's nothing, really. Thanks to that general from Luofu, otherwise it might've taken a lot longer to finish."
He had a good relationship with the Aeon of "Abundance." When they met, that one would often place a kiss on his cheek.
Akivili never understood why, thinking perhaps it was a cultural custom from the "Abundance" Aeon's homeland.
He respected humans, and naturally, he also respected the Aeons.
Aside from "Abundance," he could talk comfortably with most of them.
Of course, his relationship with "Abundance" didn't affect how he treated the Xianzhou people.
Akivili was clear-minded. He knew how much suffering the Xianzhou endured because of what the "Abundance" Aeon left behind, and he would never lightly make judgments from the lofty position of a Aeon.
Compared with the people of Abundance, who plundered everywhere and bought eternal life with the corpses of other races, he preferred the Xianzhou people, who endured hardship yet refused to bow.
The Xianzhou even maintained peace across the universe! And they were his close friend's people!
So when Akivili found believers of "Abundance" in Luofu, he stepped forward decisively to help his friend.
Though, to be honest, his help wasn't that crucial, the Luofu general named Daiyang was extremely efficient, quickly dismantling the once-united believers.
Thus, when his friend thanked him, Akivili immediately praised that subordinate.
Then Akivili suddenly remembered something and looked up, changing the topic, "Do you need help?"
Long ago, he and several other Aeons had acted together.
In the end, the Aeon of "Propagation," Tazzyroth, perished.
However, the insect offspring left behind did not die with him, they continued to rampage unchecked across the universe.
Those bugs were not easy to deal with.
Akivili had seen it with his own eyes, lands littered with severed limbs, entire planets devoured by the insect swarms.
Those creatures, besides their horrifying forms, some even possessed the power to corrode human reason.
When humans were infected by the power of "Propagation," their cognition twisted as well.
At that moment, they could no longer be called human.
They nurtured the bugs with love, awaited their births, until the parasites within their flesh emerged, then they repeated the cycle again and again.
The deranged humans continued to give birth to what they thought were their own kind, until those "kin" filled the entire planet.
Therefore, when Akivili learned how the Xianzhou handled it, he held no prejudice.
After all, that was the beloved Marshal of the Xianzhou, praised endlessly by his people. If there had been another solution, he believed the Marshal would have tried it.
For humans, their problems weren't only the endlessly reproducing bugs and the psychic contamination, they also had to deal with the planets turned into nests and everything tainted by the "Propagation Factor."
There was no choice but to use planet-destroying weapons.
Akivili understood that, and so did Zero.
After all, Zero wasn't some devil; he just hated bugs and machines.
If he could save and free all humanity, let everyone live a utopian life…
He would, of course, be willing.
But unfortunately, the circumstances didn't allow it.
Both "Abundance" and "Propagation" brought pollution. He could have just followed in "Imperial Bow Siming's" footsteps, wiping everything clean in one explosion, so why waste credits and risk Xianzhou lives cleaning up other planets' messes?
The universe was never short on planets.
To handle natural disasters, Zero left Yaoqing, piloting a planet-destroyer battleship alone, hidden in some unremarkable corner, moving along with the main fleet.
But he never expected Akivili to take the initiative to offer help.
Zero froze briefly, then declined.
They were only "plastic close friends" right now, he couldn't just exploit that title at will.
In the future, he would have more important things to rely on Akivili for.
After being refused, Akivili didn't mind. But Aha, who had already emptied the entire fridge, couldn't stand being ignored and butted in, "My friend, do you need my help?"
Zero's first instinct was to refuse.
Aha was unpredictable, if he joined their side, who knew when he'd suddenly crave bugs again, betray them on a whim, and blow up several planets or fleets for fun…
As his thoughts drifted, inspiration struck, he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea and said,
"I do, but not now. When the war is nearing its end, come find me then."
Aha was overjoyed and nodded wildly.
Akivili raised his champagne glass toward Zero, smiling brightly,
"As a Nameless, may I have the honor of witnessing Marshal-darling's victory?"
Zero couldn't help but laugh. He lifted his untouched glass and clinked it against Akivili's.
"But of course, my friend."
Akivili drained his glass in one go, laughing as he grabbed Aha to leave.
Zero stopped them, deliberately gifting Aha three boxes of genuine Swarm-insect canned food.
Of course, he made sure not to accidentally include Akivili.
Zero said sincerely, "You and your followers have contributed so much, please, don't refuse this small token of gratitude..."
He was confident Akivili would never accept a gift with such implications.
Aha, "...Ahahaha, as expected of you, my friend."
Akivili, seeing Aha accept the three boxes, sighed emotionally, "You two sure have a great relationship."
Aha, "...Yeah, ahahaha, we're close friends after all."
Akivili blinked, and in the next instant, both of them vanished.
A few days later, Zero received a message from Akivili, saying he was on the Express, preparing a birthday surprise for the Nameless with the Conductor.
Then, Akivili changed the topic.
[My friend, when's your birthday?]
Zero thought, he didn't remember.
He tapped out a reply on his jade-messenger, [It's not an important day. Don't mind it.]
After sending the message, Zero returned to battling the natural disasters with his subordinates.
They worked day and night, Zero monitored the galactic map, his teams fought, and more fleets were temporarily added along the way.
When combating the disasters, besides orbital cannons, they also deployed Colossi.
Things like "Planetary Implosion Star," "Angel of Serenity," "Neutron Annihilation", they rotated through them all.
After all, even countless fleets needed a break.
Bored, Zero stared blankly at the galactic map.
Watching the colored marks of disasters and fleets, he suddenly noticed a very peculiar energy fluctuation.
It came from the Adliffon System.
At once, Zero recalled how the "Seaguard Rangers" had once detected the Aeon of "Erudition."
The system where that one was found also had a special energy fluctuation.
This was the first time he ever gave a retreat order.
He sent warnings to all fleets within and near the Adliffon System, ordering an immediate evacuation.
Zero stared at the galactic map, watching as the readings grew stronger, the energy wave converging toward the Aeon's position.
Then, his gaze shifted to a nearby planet, one that had previously used "Angel of Serenity."
After its use, "Angel of Serenity" left behind an impenetrable barrier over the planet's surface.
He couldn't help but wonder, at the exact moment an NPC ascends to godhood, could that divine power destroy a planet protected by "Preservation"?