"Lynelle, Mr. Giovanni, I brought Lynelle over!"
"That phrasing sounds way too much like some sketchy multi-level marketing scheme..."
Lynelle, who'd been dragged all the way there by March clinging to her arm, couldn't help but mutter a complaint.
Still, even if she seemed a bit reluctant, Lynelle was actually enjoying herself quite a bit.
After all, the feeling of her arm being completely engulfed in March's soft, deep, and ample chest was truly fantastic.
Maybe she wasn't a hidden top-tier like Stelle, but Little March's size was definitely nothing to scoff at.
As for a certain someone with a pointy hat... well, better not go there. Considering the space station's ceiling cleaning situation, it was best not to make the comparison.
Lynelle wisely stopped that train of thought.
"Oh, so this is Miss Lynelle? I've heard so much about you... I've long been familiar with your name, and finally meeting you in person today is a true pleasure."
"Huh...?"
Lynelle felt a bit dizzy from the barrage of praise from Giovanni. "M-me? Am I really that famous?"
"Ahem, while you may not yet enjoy the same universal renown as Madam Herta, within our particular faction, your name is practically legendary."
Giovanni gently adjusted the mask on his face, his meaning clear without another word.
"Your faction... Alright, I get it."
Quickly grasping his meaning, Lynelle struggled to suppress the grin tugging at her lips.
"Wow, word of Miss Sparkle's 'defeated CG' spread that fast among you tavern folks? You guys are really a bunch of drama-hungry gossipmongers, always first in line for the tea..."
"But, isn't the concentration of Elation in Belobog a bit too high right now... If I remember correctly, you're the third Masked Fool I've met here?"
"We are not merely three... However, let us first focus our attention on more pressing matters."
Giovanni gave a slight smile, steering the conversation back from its digression.
"Miss March just informed me that you already have a basic understanding of Aetherium Wars... but, I presume you don't yet have your own Aether Spirit?"
"Aether Spirit?"
"Like this—"
Stelle took out the mysterious Aether Coin she had just acquired and released a seemingly very cute Warp Trotter.
However, this Trotter looked extremely timid; the moment it saw Lynelle, its body jolted, and it immediately scurried behind Stelle's leg, trembling.
Giovanni took the opportunity to explain, "Aether Spirit technology is a byproduct we obtained by decoding Punklorde's Aether Editing."
"While we can't use the edited Aether Spirits for combat like some Punklorde hackers, it's more than sufficient as a gimmick for the latest version of the Aetherium Wars game."
"Ah, and a quick reminder: only a small part of the Aether Coin itself is actually used to generate and store the Aether Spirit."
"Most of the remaining space is dedicated to scanning and converting the Aether Spirit, along with the built-in connectivity features. So, if your Aether Coin gets damaged, there's no need to worry too much about your Aether Spirit being harmed."
"Aether Editing..."
Lynelle repeated the term, then asked Giovanni, "Mr. Giovanni, could you give me a blank Aether Coin?"
"Of course."
Giovanni rummaged around and produced several brand-new Aether Coins, handing them to Lynelle.
"These coins haven't captured any Aether Spirits yet... but, Miss Lynelle, what do you plan to do with them?"
"I was just thinking..."
Under the curious gazes of the three, Lynelle gripped one of the Aether Coins, a faint purple light emanating from her hand.
"The ability I use to project weapons during combat seems somewhat similar to how Aether Spirits operate."
"So, since an Aether Coin is essentially an electronic device anyway, couldn't I just... handcraft my own Aether Spirit?"
"Well..."
Giovanni's tone was uncertain. "Actually, the game itself has a built-in option for DIY Aether Spirits."
"However, those spirits need to go through an approval process before they can be officially used."
"Otherwise, as you know, if we didn't review the character creation, the appropriate age rating for Aetherium Wars would probably skyrocket to 'Restricted' very quickly."
"I get that."
Lynelle nodded. "How about I try making some Aether Spirits based on my own memories?"
"That would be excellent."
Giovanni tapped a few times on his terminal, then enabled creation mode permissions for Lynelle's Aether Coin.
"Let me see... for the first one, how about a cute snakey?"
"A snake? I wouldn't have thought Miss Lynelle liked such crea—tures?"
Giovanni fell silent as he watched the several-meter-wide pool of dark green mucus that suddenly appeared before him, along with the giant serpent that emerged from it, shouting something about "This... is my ascension!"
"Ahem, ahem... accidentally made it a bit too strong, my bad, my bad."
Lynelle hastily canceled the Aether Spirit projection, offering an embarrassed laugh.
"I-it's fine... but, Miss Lynelle, please try to avoid creating Aether Spirits that can cause actual physical harm to the opposing trainer. After all, our game should prioritize harmony..."
"Got it! Then I'll switch to a fusion-type Chimera?"
"Chimera? A fusion beast? It seems many planets across the universe have similar creatures. Though, because of the definition of the word 'Chimera,' most of these aren't even the same species."
Giovanni breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, the Chimeras on almost every planet usually aren't particularly ferocious beasts."
"Instead, due to genetic fusion, they often develop more towards being pets... I wonder if the Chimeras from your homeland possess sufficient combat prowess?"
Before he finished speaking, the summoning glow lit up once more from Lynelle's Aether Coin.
Immediately, an intimidating aura—one that startled old Sampo not far away—instantly spread from Lynelle's position.
A white-haired man with a single wing and a cold expression appeared within the light.
"Regardless of choice, regardless of survival. At this moment, the ideals of the multitude intertwine into a single—"
"Stop, stop, STOP!"
Giovanni, who nearly had the functions of his mask scared right out of him, urgently halted Lynelle's actions. "Emanator-level Aether Spirits are forbidden!"
"Ehehe, just kidding~"
Lynelle, who had been prepared for this, playfully stuck out her tongue and quickly recalled the "Chimera" in her hand.
"I actually already had the Aether Spirit ready. Don't worry, this one should meet your requirements."
"Really?"
Even with the mask, Giovanni looked utterly unconvinced.
"Cross my heart, believe me."
"You're not going to pull out a dragon that blots out the sky and sun, are you?"
"Uh... no, of course not~"
Lynelle quietly tucked one Aether Coin away and pulled out another.
This time, accompanied by the summoning glow, a strange creature, about as tall as Stelle, with purple and white coloring, jumped out from Lynelle's Aether Coin.
"Choo, choo choo!"
"This is?"
"This is a Chariot-class Honkai Beast, nicknamed 'Choo Choo'."
Lynelle nodded with an air of seriousness.
"This one looks much more normal..."
Giovanni sighed in relief. "Miss Lynelle, the unique creatures from your homeland are truly... uniquely astounding. This seemingly quite cute... 'Choo Choo'? It doesn't have any special abilities, does it?"
"Relax, it's just got a bit of brute strength. Mr. Giovanni, if you're still worried, I can give you a little demonstration."
Lynelle looked around, then spotted a large crate not far away—the kind that usually seemed to be Stelle's favorite, the type you just smash apart with a bat.
"Choo Choo, go!"
"WE—CAN DO ANYTHING!"
"Choo choo!"
Under Giovanni's stunned gaze, Choo Choo, having instantly enlarged its body several times over, happily smashed that poor wooden crate to splinters.
"I-is that supposed to happen?!"
"Yes, yes, totally normal."
Lynelle nodded repeatedly. "Actually, a real Chariot-class Honkai Beast is much bigger than this enlarged version."
"...Forget it. Miss Lynelle, you pass."
To prevent Lynelle from creating any more overpowered monstrosities, Giovanni decisively decided to let her use this seemingly-not-too-excessive Aether Spirit for the competition.
"Yay!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.