And just as those rules began to spread across every soul shrouded by the shadow of Nihility...
The Self-Annihilators, granted the boon of those laws, followed the course of that pitch-black river.
At the river's end, standing before the sun of absolute darkness, they saw her—a goddess of pure, untainted white.
Most of them had no idea who Bai Ming was.
But they knew one thing: it was this pure white goddess, appearing so utterly out of place against the black sun, who had carved out a future for their lives and brought them peace.
Acheron, of course, recognized her instantly.
She just hadn't expected the girl to cause such a massive scene.
Acheron could even faintly make out the silhouettes of other Aeons lurking behind that dark sun. But the distance was too great, and the presence of Nihility and Bai Ming was so overwhelming that she couldn't see them clearly.
She wondered if it was just an internal hallucination.
However, the one thing she saw with absolute clarity was the jarring bracelet on Bai Ming's left wrist.
A hand-woven cord with shimmering, colorful special effects, a hammer, an arrowhead, a key... what kind of chaotic mess of an accessory was that?
Acheron felt a sense of surrealism; the last time they met, Bai Ming hadn't been wearing that.
She could feel the sensation of being tainted by Nihility rapidly receding from her body.
It wasn't that Nihility itself had vanished, but rather the negative symptoms it brought were ebbing away like a retreating tide.
But there was a price.
Acheron could no longer pursue the Path of Nihility.
The rules suppressing the void had issued her a warning: if she continued her search, if she chose to swim upstream and try to sever Nihility herself, the protective law would instantly fail—and it would never work again.
Acheron was surprisingly at peace with this.
She had even prepared herself for the possibility of losing all her power, figuring she could just rely on Bai Ming to take care of her for the rest of her days.
While it felt a bit like being a free-loader, she knew Bai Ming wouldn't just abandon her.
To her surprise, her strength hadn't even weakened that much; she simply had to stop exploring the void. This "condition" was so light it barely felt like one at all.
After all, under normal circumstances, very few people actively sought to throw themselves into the abyss of Nihility.
Acheron was no exception.
Soon, the image of the pure white goddess and the pitch-black river faded from the eyes of the Self-Annihilators.
It left many wondering if they had just experienced a collective dream. But the sudden lightness in their bodies, the sheer relief of being unshackled, was no lie.
The suppressed Nihility and their liberated lives told them the truth: a deity had indeed stood at the end of the void and cut off that dark river for them.
She had saved them from the fate of vanishing into nothingness.
Once Bai Ming's operation was complete, she released her grip on the power of Nihility.
The river that had been surging moments ago grew calm in an instant. However, because of the rules Bai Ming had established, the surface—once as still as dead water—now carried the faintest ripples.
These were the physical manifestation of her laws, symbolizing that Bai Ming had truly rewritten the rules of the Path of Nihility.
Qlipoth already understood everything she had done.
The Amber Lord gave Bai Ming a slight nod before turning to depart. In that moment, Bai Ming felt her connection to the hammer tighten significantly. It was as if... Qlipoth had truly acknowledged her.
The Hunt and Erudition left as well, and Enigmata had vanished at some unknown point—though, truth be told, that fellow hadn't shown their face from the beginning.
Only Aha remained. After cheekily escorting Noa back, the Elation came scurrying back.
As Bai Ming prepared to leave, she looked at the approaching Aha with a bewildered expression. "What now?"
"Hehe! That big rock actually gave you the heavy hammer THEY've been swinging for all these years. Let me have a look-see!"
Aha's mask beamed with mischief, eyes fixed on Bai Ming's left wrist.
While many things are creations of the Aeons and hold great power, Qlipoth's hammer was the real deal—a tool the Amber Lord had actually used for countless eons.
There were many reasons why the "Big Rock" was willing to let Bai Ming use it, but since THEY weren't talking, no one could guess the true motive.
"Haha~ Let me check it over for you. Who knows, maybe that stone-man left the hammer behind with bad intentions, sister!"
"...I think you're the one with bad intentions!"
Bai Ming rolled her eyes at Aha.
This prankster... Aha had bragged about stealing Qlipoth's hammer before, and now here THEY were, pretending to be "concerned" just to get a turn with it.
Could she really lend it to THEM? If she did, the hammer would probably strike a hundred times in a row, pushing the Amber Era forward by a century in a single afternoon.
Without giving Aha a chance to reach out, Bai Ming turned and vanished.
Poor Aha had missed the chance to take Qlipoth's hammer and use it to bluff THEIR way into a seat on the IPC board of directors.
Bai Ming returned to the borders of Nihility.
Acheron was already there, waiting.
"Acheron, do you want to switch Paths?"
"Huh?"
Acheron was stunned for a moment. Was changing Paths something you could just... talk about and do?
"Actually, if I do it in person, I can completely shield you from the shadow of Nihility. Then, I can give you the power of Elation or Permanence. Though, I'd recommend choosing Permanence."
Bai Ming looked at Acheron with a playful smile. As she spoke, she was actually picturing the image of a certain "Herrscher of Thunder."
Both the Herrscher and Acheron had horns, after all.
And it looked cool. Plus, the white stockings were a nice touch.
Heh heh heh...
Acheron noticed Bai Ming's strange expression and gaze, her lips twitching slightly. "I get the feeling you have some other motive."
"Ahem... just a tiny bit. It's up to your own preference, though."
"Well, do as you like. I don't mind."
Years had passed, and Acheron hadn't changed much on the outside, but their interactions had become more direct, more intimate.
Even if—due to Bai Ming's hesitance—they hadn't taken that "final step" in their relationship.
And now?
Since Bai Ming could completely free her from the shadow of Nihility, Acheron had nothing left to cling to.
From the moment she was tainted by it, Nihility had never brought her a moment of joy. Now that the side effects were being handled, she was more than happy to wash her hands of it.
While the traits of Nihility were unique for combat, she had Bai Ming as her backer now; she didn't need that specific mechanical advantage anymore.
"Hehe~ Then I'm starting. Give me your hand."
Acheron followed her instructions, lifting her hand and resting it in Bai Ming's palm.
Bai Ming unbuttoned Acheron's glove, allowing their palms to press tightly together.
Immediately, Acheron felt the shadow of Nihility drain away like water from a drying riverbed. But the hollow emptiness that usually followed a loss of power was quickly swept away by a warm, righteous energy.
Compared to the deathly silence of Nihility, the power of Permanence felt exceptionally warm and broad. It felt like... existence itself.
While her previous experiences were merely about suppressing the void, this complete replacement made Acheron feel as though she had been reborn.
As the powers shifted, Acheron's clothes and even her hairstyle began to be reshaped by the power of Permanence.
Dark red dragon horns grew sharply from her forehead.
Her original blue-toned outfit was gradually replaced by a dress and armor woven of black, white, and red. Her long boots were swapped for a combination of white silk stockings and short boots.
Beside her, two massive spectral arms—resembling demonic armor—appeared out of thin air, crackling with lightning.
To Acheron, it felt like she had suddenly gained an extra pair of limbs.
When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed the change in her attire and the new style of her bangs.
"Where did you find this design? Do you have a thing for white?"
Acheron experimented with controlling the massive ghostly hands.
After a moment of initial clumsiness, she quickly grew accustomed to them. The odachi she usually carried, which was taller than a person, fit perfectly in the grasp of the spectral hand.
If there was one thing that felt a bit off, it was probably the white stockings.
Acheron personally preferred darker tones. These bright white stockings were a far cry from her usual style.
"I used a bit of inspiration. It's a change of pace! Besides, the white looks really cool with the rest of the outfit. See?"
Bai Ming chuckled and conjured a mirror to reflect Acheron's current appearance.
Acheron studied herself in the mirror. It looked alright; it wasn't as unfitting as she had imagined. She tried to withdraw her power, and the armor and horns receded.
Then, with a flash of lightning, her outfit shifted again—this time into a vintage purple kimono paired with a large braided ponytail and high-thigh boots.
"This set is much more retro... but this hemline... did you do this on purpose?"
Acheron looked down at the skirt, which was not only short but also featured high slits.
Although she was wearing shorts underneath so it wasn't exactly "exposed," the undergarments were covered in patterns and lace, which definitely wasn't a "serious" design.
Bai Ming coughed into her hand, blinking and averting her gaze from Acheron's stare.
"Ahem... it's, you know, charming... I just thought it looked good together. You only have to wear it for me, anyway."
"Mhm... I see."
Acheron let out a soft, amused hum and pulled back her power, returning to her original outfit.
She didn't know whose image Bai Ming was projecting onto her, but if Bai Ming liked it, she wouldn't mind wearing it for her later.
But "later" was the keyword.
Now, Acheron took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Bai Ming. She smiled, looking the girl straight in the eye.
"So, now that I'm completely free from the shadow of Nihility and no longer under the threat of fading... am I 'allowed' now?"
"...You won't even give me a moment to catch my breath."
Watching the approaching Acheron, Bai Ming didn't panic like she once would have, but she still felt a wave of helplessness. This woman knew exactly how to play her.
Acheron stopped just inches away. She shook her head with a smile.
"I'm just asking the question again. I'm not demanding an answer this second. I know things are... complicated between you and Madam Herta, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up. I just wanted you to know that."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL