"Damn, she is that crazy huh." - Akivili said.

"Yup."

Stelle had just finished telling Akivili about what Sparkle did in the whole story of Penacony, obviously, not all of them were very good memories, one could say that some of which are traumatizing.

"I can fix her."

"Yes yes of course you can... anyways let us resume with the usual gossip." - Stelle wasn't that much surprised when Akivili was that wild for Sparkle.

"Sure. Let's talk about how come you've know so much pretty-"

"Anyways what is the maximum amount of Emanators a Path can get?"

"Huh. In theory, there is no limit. But actually, there is a limit, but not the limit you'd think of."

"Elaborate." - Stelle seemed to be invested in this topic, maybe it's foreshadowing her ascend as an Emanator later.

"Well, for starters, Emanators are not your average Pathstriders, they have walked on the Paths longer than most other people, this is mostly due to their dedication towards the said Path as well as the progression being acknowledged by their respective Aeons. For instance, if you were an Architect and built a damn sturdy castle that could maybe stand strong even after a meteor crashed onto it, Qlipoth might grant you an acknowledgement."

"Huh... But Qlipoth doesn't-"

"Exactly. That is the limit I am talking about. In essence, the Paths themselves don't have a limit in the amount of power and energy, one can say it is infinite, and thus, there can be a bunch of Emanators going all out 24/24 and there will still be plenty of energy around."

"The limit isn't with the energy but its..."

"Yes, with the Aeons THEMSELVES. Because you see, in order to become an Emanator, you needed to be chosen by an Aeon aside from progressing on the said Path, this varies greatly depending on the Aeons, Qlipoth is too busy and obsessed with the Great Wall built against Voracity to have any time to glance at anyone of 'ordinary' standard to become Emanator, Aha just likes to mess with those Mourning Actors and some worms, but say, if it was the big cosmic bug who is basically a bug with a bug brain, any bug under its wing was powerful enough can take the mantle of an Emanator freely."

"Hmm.. I see..." - Stelle was taking down some notes, until Rubert came back online again.

"I have returned with lubricant and Xipe-"

"About damn [Trailblaze profanity] time." - Akivili said in a hurry. "We are actually on some gossip now so no need for either of those so shush."

"Affirmative. May I inquire on what the topic is?" - Rubert beeped.

"We are on the topic of Emanators. Speaking of which, you have caused a gigantic war without being one yourself, is that correct?" - Stelle asked.

"Yes. You don't necessarily have to become one to wage a war big enough to affect the Cosmos. Thus, machinery 1, flesh 0."

"And look where that takes you." - Stelle said.

"One day your fleshed cage will decay and fail you, leaving your spirit nothing more shackled, and then what will you do but to look upon my kind, and beg for-"

"Nah you are NOT influencing my child, tin head. Know your worth." - Akivili getting protective of Stelle. "Anyways, back to the topic."

"Yes... By the way why can't Nihility have Emanators?" - Stelle asked.

"An interesting yet obvious question." - Rubert beeped.

"Well, what is Nihility actually, my child?" - Akivili asked Stelle, who seemed to be lost in thought for a second before answering.

"Well... It's... nothing?"

"Exactly. And can nothing do anything?"

"No?"

"Right again. Basically that. Nothing from nothingness. Basically 0 in numbers." - Akivili said.

"Yet it is a Path and has an Aeon of its own...?" - Stelle asked the question which seemed to bother her the most when Akivili started making that Nihility is nothing.

"Here comes the next interesting part, Rubert would you?" - Akivili chuckled.

"There is this definition tied with Nihility, some sort of a paradox which was made by the #14 of the Genius Society, which they stated...

'Nihility is fake, IX is fake, the nothingness is nothing but a lie.

When you speak of nothing, or the nothingness, you are in fact speaking of something, and thus it cannot be nothingness when you are speaking and referring to it specifically like everything else.

And where does that lead us to? Nihility.'

Which seemed like a bunch of utterly organic nonsense, but this was a debating topic for several Geniuses and within the Intellstellia Guild for quite a while back then, whether it is trying to prove the paradox right or wrong, they all seem to confirm on something : Nihility is not that simple to understand."

"Wait wait... I'm confused." - Stelle interrupted Rubert.

"Simply put." - Akivili takes the explanation part again. "Nihility can't be nothing because it is something. Its existence is simply a lie. Basically a nerd from the Nerds' Club said it."

"Huh... Wait that doesn't make any sense at all."

"Beat me to it."

"The only logical explanation is nonlogical as well." - Rubert continued. "Nihility is nothing and something at the same time, yet at the same time it is neither nothing or something, and it could be either nothing or something."

"How in the-"

"Considering the nature of Paths, this nonlogical explanation remained the most logical amongst countless explanations I have personally recorded." - Rubert finished.

"Yes. And that is why Nihility cannot have any Emanator."

"But then we have Acheron-"

"Yes." - Akivili beeped. "Basically just like the [Trailblaze profanity] Rubert just beeped moments ago, Acheron is of the same nature. An error of reality. Nihility cannot have any Pathstriders let alone Emanators, because to progress on the Path, nothingness is the only way, but then again, it can't be counted as progression."

"Wait wait wait..."

"And even if there is, IX the Nihility wouldn't be granting any blessing let alone gazing at any Pathstrider. Because their nature is nothing do nothing."

"Alright stop, I am getting a headache... Let's just... How about Voracity, can it get Emanators as well? I don't see any records about it." - Stelle asked.

"Hm..."

"..."

Surprisingly, for a moment, both Akivili and Rubert goes quiet for a moment.

"What's wrong?" - Stelle asked.

"Nothing just..." - Akivili said, as THEY glanced at Rubert.

"Theoretically, yes. Voracity can have its own Emanators as any other Paths. But virtually and logically, no. Or at least, there has not been a single Emanator known." - Rubert beeped.

"Uhh... Why?"

"It's either Ouroboros never appointed any, or it's not possible to do so. Since if you think about it, what is Voracity?" - Akivili asked.

"veryinterestingquestionmyaeon."

"Only two possible explanations, aside from the thing that Voracity might have, but we just simply have never seen one before." - Rubert beeped. "Anyways,

First is simple, Ouroboros the Voracity literally devours THEIR own Pathstriders, especially when they proven themselves to be worthy enough, because it is literally the nature of Voracity that might allow one to take more power for oneself.

Second explanation, Ouroboros is not intellectual enough to do so. But then again, this explanation is flawed."

"How come?"

"Tayzzyronth the Propagation Aeon, was a literal space locust with a bug brain and the thinking way of a bug, yet it managed to appoint a ton of Emanators for its own cause. So unless Ouroboros is less intelligent than a bug, this explanation isn't possible." - Rubert continued. "So it's either the first explanation or Akivili's assumptions were correct, of course, there could be some other factors we have not discovered yet."

"Huh... But say what if Voracity has Emanators of its own back then? Would the war have ended differently?"

"That would not be too much of a difference." - Akivili finally talks again. "Me, Xipe, Qlipoth, HooH and Aha grouped up against the big bug because it was simply a bug, unable to control itself, Ouroboros was different."

"So the second explanation has been flawed all along."

"Exactly."

"Huh... But what will happen if...? Would Ouroboros like... Do something else?"

"Well regardless, Qlipoth would still squash them all if they tried anything funny, but Qlipoth has THEIR own Emanators as well, which is a counter to those of Voracity, especially that of Big John. Such a shame when there wasn't any single record of any of his battles, because he alone would be enough to body 2 at the same time..." - Akivili said in a playful tone, seemed like boasting, Stelle doubted the authenticity of THEIR words.

— — —

Stelle : I'm back... Wait what happened here?

Pom-Pom : ah, just in time passenger Stelle! Help us clean this whole mess up will ya?

There was a lot of enemy drops on the Express Cars as well as EXP orbs.

Firefly : Ah, Stelle, you're back

Stelle : what happened here, Firefly?

Firefly : well... The Express got attacked but luckily we had like... What, one, two Emanators alone kicked their butt, I just needed to burn their remains.

Stelle : huh... What kind of idiot would attack the Astral Express...