Aeon Impact

Prologue: Aeon's Descent [Pt.2]

Welt's eyes narrowed with concern as he processed the gravity of Caelus' situation. "So let me get this straight," he began, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Your friend Firefly perished in the dreamscape at the hands of that eldritch monster. Now you're collecting her fragmented memories to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, you, Black Swan, and Acheron find yourselves blocked by Sam the Stellaron Hunter, a formidable mecha, threatening you with destruction unless you leave or perish in flames. During this battle, you're subconsciously tapping into the path concept of 'Deliverance End,' ascending to Aeonhood due to your Aeon Aura, which nearly caused the dreamscape in Penacony to collapse. The Family is dealing with unexpected issues and promises to rectify the situation. But what remains unclear is why you harbor Honkai energy within you."

Caelus met Welt's gaze with stoic resolve. "Mr. Yang, I had no knowledge of this Honkai energy within me. It felt like I assimilated two higher-dimensional beings during my ascension. The concept of Honkai was entirely foreign until you told me."

Welt's expression serious slightly. "I'm deeply concerned, Caelus. Honkai energy is corrosive and perilous, with a terrifying efficiency in converting imaginary energy. The fact that you surpass even the <Cocoon of Finality> is unprecedented. Your body emits over 500,000 Honkai Welt or more within a 10-meter radius, a dangerous level. It poses a lethal threat to anyone near you."

Caelus' brow furrowed in contemplation. "How is it that you are immune to this energy?" he inquired, his voice steady.

"Because I'm an Honkai Herrscher," Welt admitted reluctantly. "Even my cane or weapon is forged from a Herrscher core."

Caelus' eyes widened with curiosity. "What exactly is a Herrscher?" he asked, eager to understand.

Welt took a deep breath before explaining, "Herrschers are beings that transcend human capabilities, wielding power to bend worldly laws and command Honkai forces to wreak havoc and destruction. They are the embodiment of the Honkai's ultimate goal. According to Tesla, Herrschers descending upon humanity are not 'true' Herrschers; rather, their Herrscher Cores are projections of the Cocoon of Finality's power across different dimensions, manifesting in reality. The Cocoon of Finality is the sole imaginary singularity and 'true' Herrscher core. Therefore, it stands as the only 'true' Herrscher, while others are mere shadows or fragments of Finality. Fortunately, not all Herrschers are antagonistic toward humanity. In rare instances, they can conquer the inner Herrscher, relinquishing their hatred toward humans or even becoming allies. I am one of those Herrschers fighting for humanity."

Caelus absorbed this information, his mind racing with a newfound understanding and the weight of his circumstances.

"Caelus, I will train you to control your Honkai energy and overwhelming physical strength to prevent accidents," Welt said with determination. "As a Herrscher of Reason with 72 years of life experience, I'll guide you." Two weeks into Caelus' training, he had achieved 1.9% control over his Honkai energy but only 2% control over his overwhelming physical strength, relying on telekinesis-a skill he learned from Welt. This was essential, given Caelus' tendency to accidentally destroy personal items due to his immense strength that could rip apart stars with his bare hands.

[Scene Break]

Two months had passed, and Caelus missed interacting with his friends. However, due to his current physical form-an Aeon resembling a humanoid, ungodly monster-and his body emitting 2500 HW within a 25-meter radius (as reported by Welt), Caelus spent most of his time online, especially gaming. This led to his relationships in real life becoming distant with friends and acquaintances, including Acheron, Black Swan, and The Astral Express Crew (Pom-pom, March, Himeko, and Dan Heng, excluding Welt), as well as his friends from Jarilo-VI and Xianzhou Luofu, Herta, Asta, Arlan, Screwllum, Dr. Ratio, Kafka, Silver Wolf, and Ruan Mei.