Aside from some four hundred and fifty entries, the other four thousand plus logs were filled with prayers or quiet mutterings directed toward the Aeon of Elation.
It didn't sound like someone's wish had been granted.
Rather, it felt as if by tapping into the power of these wishes, Aha had become a source of faith and spiritual sustenance for these people.
Who else but Aha could pull off something like this? That fellow might look like a total slacker, but in reality, THEY were a god who loved humanity to an extreme degree.
But the real question was—why on earth did THEY have to hijack her system to do it?!
'Finality Kiana' was nearly fuming at Aha's antics.
If that prankster really wanted to help someone, why couldn't they just step in themselves? Why did THEY have to come crawling over here to borrow the prayer system left behind in this Originium Tree?
When it came to granting wishes, wouldn't it be easier for Aha to just use the power of Elation directly?
It was utterly nonsensical.
Feeling stifled, 'Finality Kiana' bared her teeth in annoyance and began grumbling about her discovery to Fu Xuan, who was standing right beside her. Only then did Fu Xuan understand the reason behind her sudden outburst.
However, speaking of Aha, Fu Xuan suddenly recalled something.
"Regarding the Aeon of Elation, I've heard THEIR voice once before. I didn't think much of it at the time, but later I realized that perhaps I had once brushed shoulders with that Aeon."
"!?"
'Finality Kiana', who had been relatively calm just a moment ago, lost her composure the second she heard those words. She spun around abruptly, placing her hands on Fu Xuan's shoulders and began checking her over—patting here and there with a worried expression as she interrogated her:
"What did that guy say to you? THEY didn't leave anything behind, did THEY? You didn't actually do anything THEY told you to, right?!"
'Finality Kiana' was genuinely frantic. It was one thing for Aha to mess with this wishing tree—the total power of the tree was only so much, so she could let that slide.
But Aha actually dared to harass her Emanator!!!
That bastard!!
If THEY dared to try and lead her Emanator astray, she'd find an opportunity to smash every single mask on Aha's face into pieces!
Startled by the reaction, Fu Xuan finally couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. This was the first time she had seen her Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions look so flustered.
And this frantic state was actually because of her.
In this world, what reason would an Aeon have to worry so much for a mere mortal?
Fu Xuan reached out and steadied 'Finality Kiana's' hands, stopping them before they could wander any further in their frantic inspection.
"I'm fine, Bai Ming. Back then, I was trying out a new game. The Aeon of Elation seemed to just drop by to say hello. THEY played a couple of rounds with me and asked a few questions about the game."
At the time, Fu Xuan simply thought she had run into some high-level pro gamer. But the more she chewed on it later, the more she felt that person's words carried a hidden, profound meaning.
So, she used her Matrix of Prescience to take a look, and that's when she spotted the discrepancy.
Within her Matrix, there was absolutely no image of that person.
According to the observations of the Matrix, she had essentially been talking to herself and playing those games alone. It was only then that Fu Xuan realized she might have crossed paths with the Aeon of Elation.
"...That guy... do THEY have nothing better to do than wander around aimlessly?"
'Finality Kiana' performed one last thorough check, and after confirming there were no traps or setups left by Aha, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Immediately afterward, she began roasting the Aeon of Elation.
Fu Xuan, however, looked at the records of these wishes and said thoughtfully:
"Perhaps that time happened to be when the Aeon of Elation was utilizing the power of the Originium Tree, and since I happened to log onto the platform, THEY took a curious look at me."
After all, she was the Emanator of the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions. Fu Xuan was well aware of her unique status.
Furthermore, there was another Emanator who reportedly stepped onto the Path of Elation all on her own—that young girl named Silver Wolf, a pure Pathstrider of Elation.
In comparison, Fu Xuan was an Outworlder who believed in the Hunt. She really was a bit of a mixed bag.
'Finality Kiana' nodded at this theory. It wasn't without merit. After all, this was Aha we were talking about; dropping by for a peek out of pure curiosity was exactly the kind of thing THEY would do.
She refocused her attention on the wish list, reading the content while listening to the echoes of the prayers. As she listened, she sensed something was off.
Within these lists, there was a massive batch of prayers from Planarcadia that had popped up in a very concentrated manner during a specific period.
Moreover, the content of those prayers was... remarkably similar. They were all the type that stemmed from people who had suffered a major trauma—wounded souls desperate for something to lean on.
In contrast, the other prayers were scattered across the universe with almost no connection to one another. They were a bit of everything.
What was Aha actually up to?
The Phantasmoon Games had been around forever, with plenty of good and bad iterations. Even if the last game was particularly cruel, would Aha really break character and shower that planet with so many wishes because of it?
It felt like Aha had another motive.
"...Fu Xuan, do you know much about Planarcadia?"
"Planarcadia? I know a bit, seeing as it's the site of another Aeon's game."
Fu Xuan blinked, wondering why the topic had shifted there. But as it happened, several years ago, the Xianzhou Alliance had actually sent people to Planarcadia for long-term intelligence gathering.
Fu Xuan hadn't told 'Finality Kiana' about this, yet she hadn't expected it to come up today.
"Planarcadia is currently managed by the IPC, so it's generally alright. But perhaps due to the previous Phantasmoon Games, or maybe because of the IPC's forced growth, the 'Elation' in Planarcadia today is too hollow, boring, and even repulsive."
Fu Xuan's brow furrowed at the mention of the place. Although it wasn't her primary power, she did wield some strength from Elation.
After being in contact with the Originium platform for so long and having dealt with Aha, Fu Xuan had her own understanding of Elation.
In her eyes, it wasn't just Planarcadia; even some of the Fools in the Tavern were far too superficial.
The essence of Elation was to combat nihilism and bestow meaning upon all things.
'Joy' was merely a title; even sorrow could be a form of Elation.
However, the current Planarcadia and those young Fools were clearly just chasing the literal definition of 'fun.'
They didn't seek answers from within, but only hunted for external stimulation and fleeting pleasure. They thought that being bold, saying anything, doing anything, and having no bottom line constituted Elation.
The key was that even in the cruelty of taking pleasure in suffering, these people couldn't compare to the pure annihilation sought by the Lord Ravagers.
Walking a Path could be done through the lens of good or evil. But chasing 'fun' in such a shallow way would only lead Elation toward the ultimate end: Nihility.
It was a complete reversal of priorities. Not to mention, it was low-class.
Fu Xuan never considered herself a Pathstrider of Elation. But watching these people walk away from Elation toward Nihility in the name of joy was something she couldn't just ignore.
She specifically remembered a group of producers who used the suffering of survivors from the 'Herald of Death' as a gimmick to drive up ratings without any moral restraint. There was also a nasty Fool who had somehow obtained a Mask of Elation and used it to mock a broken survivor to their face.
The impression they left on Fu Xuan was particularly deep.
Unable to stomach it, Fu Xuan had struck out boldly, using her status as an Emanator of Elation to 'Hunt' down a significant number of them.
She had even kicked the Tavern's bar counter and its front door all the way to the moon.
Unreasonable violence had indeed managed to silence a good number of people.
After all, her deity held the title of the Aeon of Elation. Regardless of whether this was Aha's turf or not, Fu Xuan couldn't stand to see the purity of her Aeon's name tarnished by such riffraff.
But the human heart is hard to predict. Fu Xuan's actions served as an excellent deterrent, but they couldn't cure the root cause.
As for the Land of Light... since everyone in Planarcadia believed in Elation rather than Hope, no one had evolved into a Giant of Light.
Therefore, the Land of Light couldn't really interfere in these internal matters. They only had some members imbued with power stationed there long-term to do what little they could.
"Hmm... if even you say so, Fu Xuan, then Planarcadia might really be in a bad state. Is it possible Aha wants to set things right?"
"Trying to guess the thoughts of that whimsical Aeon... I think that's a bit unreliable."
"You could just say it's impossible. I know trying to guess Aha's mind is a lost cause."
'Finality Kiana' laughed in response and then added:
"That place is Aha's playground, so it wasn't appropriate for me to interfere too much. But since THEY'RE the one who started this, THEY can't blame me for following suit."
Planarcadia was special for reasons she didn't quite know. But since the Phantasmoon Games existed there, it was clearly a world representative of Elation that Aha cared about.
Perhaps Aha didn't want Planarcadia to spiral into self-destruction amidst this increasingly hollow joy.
Was that why THEY found a way to borrow the power of her Originium Tree to scatter so many wishes across the planet?
It wasn't entirely far-fetched.
But then again...
'Finality Kiana' listened to those prayers.
Although many were still filled with misery, they weren't quite so hopeless anymore. Aha must have done something. Scars are hard to erase, but time can heal all things.
There is much suffering in this world, but if one can face it calmly, they are a qualified Masked Fool.
These wishes scattered by Aha could also be seen as seeds of Elation. She hoped these people could find a meaning that belonged solely to them.
'Finality Kiana' transformed her gentle prayer into a light breeze upon the long river of fate, sending it into the hearts of those she perceived.
Simultaneously, it was as if she were delivering her own seeds to these people. In the future, she would be able to receive their prayers without the help of the Originium Tree.
In any case, she hoped her comfort could bring them a moment of peace. She also hoped the seeds she left behind would protect them and lead them toward a stable future.
Of course, if someone were to take root, sprout, and grow strong because of this, she wouldn't mind granting them a reward.
That fellow Aha went out of THEIR way to mess with her creation. THEY couldn't blame her for sticking her hand into the Phantasmoon Games of Planarcadia as well.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL