March 7th plopped onto the recliner, scanning the room's layout.
"If I could live in a room this big, I'd be fine fighting pillow battles with Stelle every day!"
"Why's she acting like she's mooching off everything…"
"In my opinion, Miss March, why not try a pillow fight with a Doomsday Beast?"
"What kind of bizarre scene is that?!" March 7th rolled her eyes. A Doomsday Beast would probably use her as the pillow.
"How could a Doomsday Beast dare sleep so soundly by my bedside? Time for the Galaxy Baseball Warrior to deliver a swing!"
Stelle summoned her baseball bat, a grin spreading across her face. "There's still time before the warp. Yesterday's stories were so thrilling—one side's a young man bravely chasing love, the other's a showdown between a hacker and geniuses."
"Ugh… sometimes, being too popular is its own kind of trouble. Who can help it when I'm this loved?" Stelle flicked her gray hair, subtly flexing.
"Tell me about that baseball bat!"
"You already know?" Adrian chuckled.
"Huh? What're you two talking about?"
March 7th's head swiveled, her gaze darting between Stelle and Adrian.
"This baseball bat in my hand. Silver Wolf said it's yours."
"Oh! So, Adrian, you found Stelle passed out before we did!" March 7th put her hands on her hips. "Teacher Adrian, how could you leave her to fend for herself? That's not the Nameless way!"
"Such a pretty girl lying there! Weren't you worried she'd get hurt by the Antimatter Legion?"
"Hehe~" Stelle giggled, basking in the compliments.
Stelle and March 7th got along famously, sharing plenty of common ground.
Both were amnesiac beauties with lively personalities.
The only difference? March 7th loved taking photos, while Stelle loved rummaging through trash cans.
"Arlan from the Security Department went missing, right? I found Stelle while looking for him."
"Let me make this clear: I didn't just leave a living person like Stelle to fend for herself. We're the righteous Express crew, after all! I left her a weapon for self-defense." Adrian took the bat from Stelle's hands, speaking earnestly, about to continue when…
"I know this one!" March 7th raised her hand, jumping in. "That baseball bat must've been upgraded by Teacher Adrian, just like Dan Heng's spear!"
"Not off-topic, and you remember what I mentioned before? Every [Eternity] Emanator gets one chance to meet the Aeon of Eternity."
"You can make a wish or ask a question… and THEY'll make it happen."
"So… you asked THEM for a handy weapon?"
"Exactly! This baseball bat in my hand was given to me by THEM. Legend says it's forged from an [Elation] mask and can change forms."
"Huh? How's [Elation] involved?"
"I know this one!" Stelle raised her hand, eager to answer. She hadn't played the Simulated Universe all those days for nothing!
"The masks of the Mask of Fools were stolen from the Mourning Actors. The answer's obvious! This bat was actually snatched by the Aeon of Eternity from the Aeon of Elation!"
"Hey, can you call it stealing when it's Aeon business? THEY and Aha are on great terms."
Adrian was trying to clear up these misconceptions for Stelle, though… the bat did indeed contain [Elation]'s power.
Why did Adrian get along so well with Aha? Aside from his own love for fun, Eternity and Elation were a natural match.
Making Elation's laughter echo forever across the cosmos was exactly what Aha loved.
"Eternity isn't rigid. It's full of diversity. Everyone sees Eternity differently, and THEY respect all forms of it."
With that, Adrian gripped the bat tightly. Under March 7th and Stelle's shocked gazes, the bat transformed into a longsword.
"Wow, that's amazing! Wait… so I've been using this bat to fight all this time? What a waste." Stelle started reflecting, taking the sword.
"To change its form, remember… you must deeply comprehend the [Eternity] within it."
"Got it!"
Stelle closed her eyes, pondering her own sense of [Eternity] in her mind.
What is Eternity? Eternity, huh…
Wait, a wide, cylindrical gray thing appeared!
"I'm feeling it!"
Bang!
With a loud crash, the weapon transformed again.
The longsword in her hand turned into a trash can lid.
Stelle: …
Silence was her only response.
"Pfft~" March 7th was trying hard not to laugh.
"I'm doomed! All I can think of when it comes to [Eternity] is a trash can!"
Stelle was on the verge of tears. She couldn't help it! The image of that giant trash can monster pummeling Nanook was burned into her mind, unforgettable.
"This is on me."
After all, Adrian had jokingly claimed his true form was a trash can, tricking Stelle.
"No big deal. Who says a trash can lid can't be a weapon? The Xianzhou's foxians use folding fans as weapons."
Except for a certain white-furred foxian swinging a war axe in melee, the rest used ranged weapons, prioritizing peace and avoiding fights when possible.
"Exactly, Stelle, don't lose heart. Uncle Yang uses a cane, doesn't he?"
"But he can whip up black holes!"
"Uh, true… maybe stick with the baseball bat."
"You know, on second thought, using a trash can lid as a weapon is pretty novel."
Classic Stelle, adapting quickly, already accepting her weapon's trash can lid form.
"Nice one! If I become an [Eternity] Emanator, can I make a request of the Aeon of Eternity too?"
"Oh? What would Miss March request?"
"Hmm… to remember my past, uncover my history… ugh, that's probably unrealistic. I'd rather have THEM chat with me for a bit! And maybe take a photo together for keeps."
"If no one talks to me, I get so bored. Sure, the Express crew's big, but Himeko's busy, Uncle Yang's busy, Pom-Pom's busy, and Adrian's barely around!"
"Dan Heng's not busy, but he doesn't like chatting…"
"Now that I think about it, Stelle, you're the best!" March 7th hugged Stelle. The bond between girls was the most precious!
Seeing Stelle revel in the moment, Adrian decided not to interrupt their friendship and left the room.
"Huh, are we forgetting something?"
…
Observation Car.
Adrian sank into the plush sofa as Himeko approached with a freshly brewed coffee.
"Miss Himeko, still sipping coffee right before a warp?"
"What's your impression of Jarilo-VI? The Express last visited thousands of years ago. I think… you were there."
"The archives have records, don't they? It was a lush, beautiful planet."
"Indeed. Over the long years… it might've changed drastically."
"A millennium is a blink in geology, but enough time to alter a planet's climate."
"Jarilo-VI used to be a tourist hotspot. As for now… hard to say."
Jarilo-VI was ravaged by a Stellaron Core, yet briefly saved by it.
The power of [Preservation] was faint. With the planet's tech level, it couldn't fend off the Rift erosion caused by the Stellaron Core.
Sadly, the Great Guardians' will of [Preservation] was so strong they had no connection to [Eternity].
In other words, the Great Guardians across generations didn't need to walk the Path of [Eternity]. Their faith in Preservation was unshakable, and Adrian had no reason to poach them—that went against [Eternity].
What could pique Adrian's interest? Maybe a Great Guardian who, as a cautionary tale, succumbed to the Stellaron Core's temptation right after taking office, overturning the old order to usher in a new world, leaving Belobog in eternal unrest.
But… seven hundred years of steadfast perseverance—how could that not count as a form of [Eternity]?