Half a system hour earlier, in the icy tundra of the upper zone...
"We've been searching for a full two system hours now, and there's not even a trace of the Stellaron. Could that Supreme Guardian have been lying to Sparkle?"
Standing amidst the endless glacial snowfield, feeling the biting cold wind and the lifeless expanse of white snow, Sparkle placed a hand on her hip and slightly furrowed her pretty brows.
"Hey, God of Elation, I know you're watching. Give Sparkle a little help, would you? Otherwise, who knows how much longer I'll have to search."
As soon as she finished speaking, a playful laugh echoed from all directions. The next moment, a surge of Imaginary energy descended from the sky, materializing into a wine cup that landed right in front of Sparkle.
The moment she grasped the cup, an immense amount of Path of Elation energy poured into Sparkle's beloved mask. At the same time, the dormant Stellaron, sensing the Elation energy, erupted with a brilliant light. It burst out from beneath the ground and flew straight toward Sparkle.
"It's here."
Sparkle reached out with her small hand and effortlessly caught the volatile Stellaron, instantly suppressing it with overwhelming Elation energy. Realizing resistance was futile, the Stellaron ceased its struggles and quietly floated in the girl's palm.
"Stellarons really are fascinating things. I wonder how its created..."
Sparkle murmured to herself before suddenly giggling.
"Hehe, whatever. Now, let me use your power to create some fun."
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"What was that just now...?" Bronya trailed off, hesitant.
"Exactly as Topaz said—the Stellaron's power has awakened. And not just that, I also sensed the presence of Elation energy. It seems a Masked Fool is involved, looking to stir up some chaos on this planet." Yun Fan first confirmed Topaz's words before adding further.
"In that case, we don't need to investigate much further. Natasha, you and Svarog are responsible for maintaining order in the lower zone. The earlier disturbance must have caused quite a commotion, and the two of you are the most suited to handle it."
"Stelle, March, Dan Heng, Bronya, and Lynx—let's head back to the upper zone together to deal with the Stellaron. Any objections?" Yun Fan looked at the group as he assigned tasks.
"No problem! Handling Stellarons is the duty of us Nameless!" March 7 responded energetically, her usual boundless enthusiasm on full display.
"No objections." The cold-faced "Cold Dragon Young" raised his hand slightly, indicating his agreement. As always, he was a man of few words.
As for Stelle, she brandished her baseball bat as if to say: My blade thirsts for battle!
"In that case..." Yun Fan reached out and grabbed Topaz, who was trying to sneak away, pulling her back. The latter chuckled awkwardly.
"Uh, I don't think I'm needed here, right? Maybe I should head back first?"
Faced with Topaz's nervous laughter, Yun Fan wore a faint, teasing smile. "What do you think?"
Crushing Topaz's hopes without hesitation, Yun Fan watched as the girl seemed to sulk before leaning in and whispering in her ear, "Miss Topaz, cheer up. Getting angry will give you wrinkles."
"You—!" A visible vein popped on Topaz's forehead. She was tempted to summon Topazite right then and there, borrowing the power of an Emanator of Preservation to teach him a lesson.
"Haha, just messing with you." Seeing Topaz's aggrieved and resentful gaze, Yun Fan couldn't help but laugh. He took her small hand and traced the causal imprint symbolizing their contract, infusing it with a portion of Path of Causality energy.
"This is...?" Feeling the surging power flood into her body, Topaz's expression changed. Unlike any Path energy she had encountered before, this force was fierce, domineering, and possessed an overwhelming devouring nature. In mere moments, she felt nearly a tenth of her Path of The Hunt energy vanish.
"A reward for my little maid." After sealing the causal energy on the back of Topaz's hand to prevent it from further consuming her Hunt energy, Yun Fan patted her hand encouragingly.
"This..." Staring at the mysterious power embedded in her hand—ready to be unleashed at any moment—Topaz was utterly stunned.
"To put it simply, this power functions similarly to the 'Cornerstone' you wield. The Cornerstone allows you to borrow the power of an Emanator of Preservation, while this imprint..."
"...allows you to borrow the power of an Emanator of Causality."
——————————
Upper zone...
"Oh no, it's her! Why is this troublemaker on Jarilo-VI? No wonder the Elation energy was so strong." Sampo's forehead dripped with sweat as he nervously peeked at Sparkle, who was in the midst of fusing with the Stellaron's power.
"With this kind of presence... don't tell me Aha personally intervened? Nope, nope, this is too terrifying. I'd better—AHHH!!!"
Before Sampo could finish, several colorful claws burst from the ground, firmly grasping his arms and legs before dragging him right in front of Sparkle.
"My, my~ If it isn't Mr. Sampo! Fancy seeing you in such a desolate, backwater place. What a surprise~" Sparkle tapped her chin with a finger, smiling as she watched the drenched Sampo. Her beautiful plum-flower eyes gleamed with an unreadable light, sending shivers down the old conman's spine.
"O-Oh, Miss Sparkle! Long time no see! It's been so many days and nights since we last met at the tavern. Old Sampo here has missed you dearly—"
"Tsk tsk, such smooth talk." Sparkle merely chuckled at Sampo's flattery. With a flick of her delicate hand, one of the claws scooped up a heap of snow and shoved it straight into Sampo's mouth, cutting off his honeyed words mid-sentence.
"I talk, you listen. Understood?" Sparkle's sweet voice rang in Sampo's ears. Hearing this, he nodded frantically to show his compliance.
"Good." Satisfied, Sparkle turned her gaze to her palm, murmuring to herself, "This Stellaron's power is truly amusing. Worth the long trip here."
"Sampo Koski, you've been on this planet for a while now, haven't you? I need you to do me a favor. You wouldn't refuse, would you?"
"Mmph! Mmph!!" Sampo nodded wildly without hesitation. Internally, he was weeping rivers—at this point, even if she asked for ten, no, a hundred favors, would he dare say no?
"Hehe, Sparkle likes helpful children like you~" Sparkle giggled. "Listen closely, because I'll only say this once. Go and..."