The restoration of Order within the Simulated Universe had officially reached its stride.
Propagation followed closely behind, yearning to see the light of day once more.
At this stage, it was no longer possible to simply hammer Propagation back into its coffin with a single blow. One could only do what was done during the ancient Swarm Disaster: fight the war all over again.
Of course, this was the Simulated Universe, so no one actually expected to witness a true battle between Aeons.
While observing the movements of Propagation, 'Robin' carefully recorded Ena's reactions.
Ena the Order was undergoing resurrection. Moreover, it seemed to be at the cost of tearing Xipe's body asunder.
Paths that had originally fused together were now restless; discordant noise pulsed incessantly, attempting to split that great movement into two distinct parts.
The illusory shadow of Ena was rapidly coalescing into a physical reality.
However—having experienced the previous accidents, 'Robin' felt that the ensuing plot likely wouldn't unfold so smoothly.
If one wondered why, they only had to look at Aha in the distance, who was incessantly circling the Swarm King. The guy might as well have written "I'm here to cause trouble" across THEIR face.
The Simulated Universe continued to progress.
Meanwhile, the real Aha was watching everything unfolding within the simulation with great interest.
The way dreams and reality interlaced within that computation was strikingly similar to the state of the Simulated Universe itself.
This was especially true for the simulated Ena and simulated Propagation, who were resurrecting by overlaying dreams onto reality.
They were truly only a tiny nudge away from breaking free of the Simulated Universe and giving those Geniuses a hell of a fright.
Oh, of course. Aha wasn't so bored as to perform such a prank THEMSELF. Given this hair-breadth state of affairs, THEY preferred to see where Destiny would choose to fall.
Furthermore, it seemed THEY weren't the only one paying attention to this strange little simulated world.
Some old fossil was moving stealthily in the shadows, doing who-knows-what—but it would likely push things forward.
Nanook was also staring this way. Or rather, for some time now, Nanook had been searching for a suitable vessel.
THEY hoped to consume a portion of Propagation's legacy to push the tides of Destruction even further.
Yet, it was clear Nanook truly favored Bai Ming. Even though she held the most perfect raw materials in her hands, Nanook didn't harbor a single thought against her.
Aha laughed. THEY wanted to see what would happen if that simulated Aeon of Propagation actually crawled out of the Simulated Universe and fell into Nanook's hands.
Would Destruction truly be able to swallow Propagation in the end?
After all, while this simulated Aeon was indeed a bit weak, it truly possessed a glimmer of possibility. With the right maneuvers, there was a genuine chance to ascend to Aeonhood in reality.
The same applied to Ena the Order, of course.
Based on what was just seen, Ena had refused to resurrect, having no intention of splitting from Xipe. If brought into reality, the result would likely be the same.
"Aha~ The old man has made his move. We simply must give our dear little Bai Ming a heads-up!"
Aha suddenly sensed something. THEY burst into a great fit of laughter and released a stroke of THEIR "kindness."
Simultaneously, 'Robin' suddenly heard a faint, wild laughter ringing in her ears. It didn't come from within the Simulated Universe, but from outside it!
Who else would laugh like that but Aha? What were THEY trying to do?
Before 'Robin' could think of an answer, Herta's voice rang out abruptly:
"Wait!? Something's wrong! Ena's Dream is expanding again! It... it's about to break past the boundaries of the Simulated Universe?! Some force is dragging them out into the real world!"
"What?!"
For a moment, 'Robin' didn't even process what Herta was saying.
What did she mean, Ena's Dream computed inside the Simulated Universe was expanding to the outside? Was that even a coherent sentence...?
But soon, she felt it happen.
The physical body of the Simulated Universe began to throb.
Even the dense Memoria surrounding Amphoreus seemed to be triggered, entering a nearly unified frequency through a form of resonance.
A certain power guided by Ena's Dream that filled the entire simulation. Utilizing the properties of Remembrance, that illusory dream was forcibly projected into the real world!!
And then... the universe was torn open.
Before the eyes of all Amphoreus and the representatives of every faction stationed there, the Aeon of Order, Ena, and the Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth, abruptly appeared within the pitch-black cosmos.
Their massive bodies stood against the nebulae like opposing titans.
The terrifying aura unique to Aeons spread indiscriminately by their mere existence.
Restless Order and a faintly trembling Propagation—two Paths intersected here, instantly alarming everyone.
Among them, the IPC, which was actively trying to integrate Amphoreus into the Credit system, was the most panicked!
"What is that?! The Aeon of Order?? And what's that on the other side!!! Report to headquarters immediately!"
"What's happening?! Why are two Aeons suddenly coming back to life!!!"
In an instant, total chaos broke out. Those were Aeons! Specifically, two deceased Aeons! Why were they here, appearing before them so abruptly?!
"Madam Jade, what do we do?"
Jade, who was in charge of the Amphoreus investment project, was also struggling to regain her composure.
The scene before her exceeded her understanding so thoroughly that she instinctively wondered if she was dreaming.
"Contact Director Diamond immediately! The Company must be notified at once! If the Swarm Disaster descends, we can only leave it to luck."
At this moment, Jade didn't even dare hope for survival.
The site of two Aeons' resurrection would produce Imaginary Energy tides powerful enough to swallow everyone.
She only hoped the transmission could get out—that she could tell the Company about this horrifying event before she died.
"Also, contact the Simulated Universe space station! I want to know if there are any Geniuses here!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
--+--
On the other side, Reveria's reaction was just as massive!
Without even doing anything, she felt a surge of power pulsing through her body.
Simultaneously, within the swarm she was temporarily assigned to, the bugs began to grow restless. They seemed to want to burst from their nests and swarm toward their Aeon.
"What's going on?!"
She couldn't understand why Aeons would suddenly appear here, nor could she grasp what had happened to create such a staggering sight.
But instinctively, she felt this might be related to the person who brought her here.
Yet, was the resurrection of an Aeon really that simple? And not just Order—even the Aeon of Propagation seemed to be reviving alongside it.
Ena's Dream had expanded out of the Simulated Universe, and the Aeons of Order and Propagation had manifested in the physical world.
They weren't real, yet they still triggered a reaction from the Paths. There was even a faint trend of the false becoming true.
This time, 'Robin' clearly felt the restless Order within Harmony. Such a change naturally couldn't be hidden from any Pathstrider of Harmony.
Far away in Penacony, the faces of Gopher Wood and Tiernan changed drastically. Gopher Wood, in particular, wore an expression of shock, ecstasy, worry, and confusion.
"She... she actually did it..."
"Madam Bai Ming... just what are you doing??"
Tiernan was stunned and bewildered; he didn't know why Madam Bai Ming was in such a hurry to carry out this plan.
It wasn't just them. The Family back home and the Galaxy Rangers all felt the shifts within the Path.
Compared to the terrified Family, the Galaxy Rangers found that their powers related to Harmony had actually been strengthened.
But regardless of the feeling, every Pathstrider of Harmony shared the same question: Where in the universe did something happen?
As for the abnormality in the Path of Propagation, that was sensed only by the Glamoth Empire—or rather, the Empress of the Empire.
Having evolved into a Giant of Light, she naturally commanded the power of Propagation, becoming the true Swarm King of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry.
Because of this, she sensed the terrifying truth before anyone else.
The Aeon of Propagation seemed to be reviving!
"We must contact the Land of Light and prepare for war immediately!!"
If that Swarm King truly returned, the entire galaxy would once again fall into an endless Swarm Disaster! Just imagining the scene made the Empress of Glamoth feel cold to her core.
The news of the resurrection of the Aeons of Order and Propagation at Amphoreus spread through the galaxy like a storm. No one could remain calm.
However, at the very center of the event, even the Swarm King and Ena seemed momentarily stunned by the expansion of the dream into reality.
Then, the real Xipe cast THEIR gaze downward. THEY didn't look at Ena immediately; instead, THEY stared toward a certain point in the void before turning THEIR attention to the resurrecting Order.
Meanwhile, the Swarm King, having been dragged into reality along with the rest, finally seemed to realize something.
The frantic buzzing of wings and deafening chirps nearly threatened to upend the entire nebula.
Facing the Swarm King's reaction, Ruan Mei—who had become even more focused than the others—saw a more fundamental desire within Propagation.
"It seems... THEY are rejoicing at the chance to live."
The desire to survive, the wish for the species to continue, the hatred of solitude and the craving for companions...
These were the original driving forces behind the birth of the Path of Propagation.
And now, facing this accidental escape from the cage into the outside world, the new Swarm King burst forth with a similar yearning.
That yearning, pure to the extreme, triggered the Path of Propagation.
"Inference: Someone has utilized the properties of Remembrance to invert the projection relationship between the world and the Simulated Universe. They have projected the memories of the Simulated Universe back into reality, triggering an unannounced Ena's Dream."
Screwllum reached a conclusion calmly and swiftly. It sounded terrifying. 'Robin' frowned and quickly offered a hypothesis:
"Kakamond? Or a slice of Zandar?"
"No, Kakamond's Knowable Domain cannot achieve this. I guarantee it."
Herta was certain Kakamond wasn't the culprit. Just then, an email arrived, signed by Zandar.
He admitted in the mail that he was watching the Simulated Universe, but even he couldn't pull off such a stunt under the noses of several Geniuses.
"..."
"..."
Silence echoed among them. If it wasn't the work of a Genius, who else in this world could pull strings right in front of them?
It didn't require much thought. Everyone had the answer in their hearts.
At the same time, curiosity swelled within them.
Could an individual truly ascend to godhood relying solely on the computational projection of the Simulated Universe??
'Robin's' rationality warned her that the situation couldn't be allowed to escalate—that she had to shatter Ena's Dream while these two virtual Aeons were still mere shells.
But her emotions were screaming.
This was her masterpiece, a simulated world constructed by humans.
Could it truly compute a real Aeon into existence?
Ultimately, 'Robin' shouted:
"...Screwllum, Herta, Ruan Mei! We have to stop this expanding Dream of Ena!"
"Logic: We must immediately eliminate the inversion program within the Simulated Universe and interrupt the computational output. Ena's Dream has become fragile."
Screwllum needed to first resolve the tampering within the Simulated Universe.
The wildly expanding Dream of Ena was like a seed sprouting from the simulation. To pinch off its life, its roots had to be severed first.
No one present raised an objection. Even Ruan Mei, who was the most curious about Propagation, agreed with the others. The expansion of the Swarm Disaster was not something she desired either.
Meanwhile, the restless tendency for the Path of Harmony to split underwent a bizarre change.
Inside the Simulated Universe, Ena—who had essentially completed the overlay of the Dream and the resurrection ritual—saw Xipe's gaze.
Ena stared at the Swarm King that had been resurrected alongside THEM.
This version of Ena, waking from the Simulated Universe, realized something. After understanding the current situation, THEY made THEIR choice.
Even if THEY were just a simulation, even if THEY realized THEY were fake and knew THEY could use this chance to make the lie a reality, THEY still made the choice that Ena the Order would make.
To curb the descent of the Swarm and maintain the order of the universe, THEY chose once again to refuse a return to this galaxy!
But simultaneously, THEY noticed the presence of the "Cancer of Harmony"—THEY noticed the Harmony that had developed issues.
Thus, the false Ena once again actively discarded THEMSELF, intending to use Order to pluck the strings of Harmony.
Taking this as a starting point, the restless noise of Order changed abruptly!
The notes of Order began to stand out within Harmony, attempting to smooth out the discord in the movement and bring the score into coordination.
The resurrection of Order was interrupted, and the movement of Harmony seemed to undergo a slight change.
This wasn't just a computational result within the Simulated Universe!
It was tangible—something every Pathstrider of Harmony could feel. The notes of Harmony had changed.
This shift brought a deeply profound feeling to 'Robin.' But now was not the time for reflection.
Inside the Simulated Universe, the Dream of Ena had already finished resurrecting the Swarm King and Ena.
So, even if Ena ended THEMSELF and the Swarm King's resurrection efficiency dropped drastically, it was still struggling to exist in reality!
They had to pull the plug on the Simulated Universe immediately to halt the Swarm King's revival.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL