As the giant red eye in his mind faded away, Evan finally awakened from the consciousness space.
He slowly raised his hand.
A thin strand of Imaginary energy surfaced in his palm.
This wasn't energy that required conversion or mediation—it was pure Imaginary power, something he could wield directly.
Its source was unmistakable.
The Path itself.
At the same time, Evan's expression turned… complicated.
"So I've really been blessed by Nous twice…"
"I've become an Emanator."
"And I even joined the Genius Society?"
Back when he first received the blessing, there had always been a faint sense that something was restraining his combat strength.
Well—problem solved.
Now, he was an Emanator personally acknowledged by Nous, with Path energy elevated fully to the Emanator tier.
The only thing left was testing it.
Based on Evan's current understanding, Path users could be roughly divided into four levels:
First — Pathstrider
Simply someone who walks a Path. Nothing fancy.
Second — Emanator
If an Aeon is the sovereign, then an Emanator is their general.
Anyone who directly receives Imaginary energy from an Aeon qualifies.
Previously, when Nous merely glanced at him, Evan had only triggered a Path reaction—not a full Emanator-tier energy grant.
But if one stretched the definition… that already half-counted.
Above Emanators, below Aeons, there seemed to exist another level Evan didn't fully understand yet.
That was—
The Throne.
Third — Throne-level existence
Supposedly capable of influencing or even redefining a Path itself.
Unfortunately, Evan had never seen such a being fight, so his understanding remained speculative at best.
Still—
After finally stepping onto a Path, obtaining an Emanator-grade "battery,"
and becoming a Genius Society member…
This felt really good.
Honestly, it felt even better than when he first obtained the Feathered Ascension of Truth.
While Evan was still lost in thought, his delay caused the others to notice.
They turned back.
Seeing him casually manipulating Path energy, curiosity sparked immediately.
Star was the first to ask.
"What Path is that?"
"The Path of Erudition," Evan replied calmly.
"Oh—right. I haven't introduced myself properly yet."
"My name is Evan. I'm a treasure hunter from the Underworld."
"And you guys?"
Jarilo-VI — Belobog, Upper District, Qlipoth Fort Administrative Hall
Inside the grand hall, Evan and the others waited together.
After a round of introductions, the Astral Express crew finally gained a rough understanding of him.
Six months ago—
just a homeless drifter in the Underworld.
Six months later—
he literally ripped the Supreme Guardian's heart out.
At this point, even Star looked suspicious.
"Are you sure you're not some big shot's alt account?"
"Or did you just remember the password to your main character?"
Right now, Evan sat quietly in the hall, holding something in his hand.
The Stellaron.
Even Star, who had one inside her, was seeing one externally for the first time.
"This is a Stellaron?"
Star leaned closer, eyes shining with curiosity.
"It doesn't look that scary… how did this thing freeze an entire planet?"
She reached out, trying to poke it—
—and immediately got her hand slapped away by March.
"Hey! Can you not touch everything out of curiosity?!"
"That's a Stellaron!"
"I know! I've got one inside me!"
"I'm just curious…"
Dan Heng pinched the bridge of his nose.
As expected—traveling with these two was never peaceful.
"I can't deal with this thing," Evan said calmly.
"The consequences are too big."
"Better let the Astral Express handle it."
Yes, the Stellaron could be destroyed by brute force.
But the collateral damage?
Worst case—half a star system vanishes.
That wasn't a risk worth taking.
"We already contacted Mr. Yang back at Everwinter Ridge," March said.
"Not sure when they'll—"
"We're here."
The voice came from the entrance.
Walter and Himeko had arrived.
The Silvermane Guards had long since received orders, escorting the Astral Express seniors through the city gates.
Under Gepard's guidance, they entered the hall.
And the moment Evan looked up—
He saw two familiar figures.
Veteran of the Astral Express: Walter Yang.
And the Express's navigator: Himeko.
By the name of the world?
Who do you think you are to speak in the name of a world—
Oh.
Right.
It's Mr. Yang.
Evan's gaze settled on Walter, then slowly shifted—
—to the cane in his hand.
The aura it carried was extremely familiar.
Star of Eden.
Or, more precisely—
Pseudo–Star of Eden.
Originally, it was an anti-Honkai weapon forged from the Herrscher Core of the Ninth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Earth.
It reproduced the Ninth Herrscher's authority over gravity, capable of warping space-time and even creating black holes.
Of course, this wasn't the original.
Just like Evan's Pseudo–Black Abyss White Flower, it was an imitation construct.
Still—
Walter himself possessed gravitational control, also derived from the Star of Eden's authority.
Don't let its compact appearance fool you.
A weapon capable of generating black holes was anything but small-scale.
And unlike before—
Walter was no longer a Herrscher.
He was now a Pathstrider.
Different power source.
Different battery.
Which naturally meant—
A different level of strength altogether.
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