Herta
“What the!?” Herta stops you and pauses the Simulated Universe. Her nose scrunches in annoyance as she complains. “Stephen Lloyd promised me that the audience with the Aeons would be done in a sacred and solemn way. Why is the Communing Device done like this?”

You: It's quite interesting…
You: It's quite unique…

Herta
“As if! Do I really have to check every single detail myself? What is Ruan Mei doing?” Looking displeased, Herta continues, “What do they think they are doing with the Simulated Universe? Whatever, I don't care anymore. Do whatever.”
“Based on the original design, the Audience Die is a vessel similar to a shrine that carries the past and experiences of various Pathstriders, and the energy that flows due to it.” Herta's nose twitches as she adds, “Originally, anyway.”
“I'll let it be since it has happened. I wish you have a great time with the Communing Device. Or not, it doesn't matter. I have a score to settle with that kid Stephen.”

Herta
“I'm really puzzled as to why I'm in charge of the tutorial on the Simulated Universe. When did it become my responsibility?” Sneering, Herta seems to have come up with a brilliant idea. “I must bring Ruan Mei and Screwllum here and let them do some real work. Trailblazer, yuo're about to meet some big shots soon.”

Ruan Mei
“I can join, but I don't think Stephen's opinion is helpful to the study of Aeons.” An indifferent voice emerges. She makes her statement clear and concise.

You: Who's this?
You: A wild Ruan Mei has appeared!

Herta
“Have you met her before?” Herta frowns but does not probe. “Genius Society #81, Ruan Mei, a genius in the field of biology. Should I quote the evaluation from the IPC? 'Ruan Mei possesses extraordinary perception and cognitive integration abilities, easily capturing microscopic details of reality and synthesizing them into a torrent of information within her mind, which she uses for deductive thinking. She's very low-key…' Low-key? That's hilarious!”

You: Who designed your avatar?

Herta
“But then again, it's typical of Stephen to do things like that. We want to study the Aeons, but I'm not sure about him.” Herta looks back at you and continues, “Well, I've explained everything I can. You have to count on yourself after this. In this expansion module, the flow of time is locked, so you'll see the Simulated Universe divided into several planes.”

Herta
“I didn't tell you about the planes last time, so let's do that now.” Herta snickers, “I was working no something else just now. As you can see, I've invited Screwllum, the great mechanical aristocrat, to this chat.”

Screwllum
“If the Swarm Disaster is currently in its initial stage, can we infer that the birth of the Aeon of Propagation is the first plane?” A mechanical voice with elegance worthy of a king suddenly chimes in. “Greetings. It's a pleasure to see you here, Trailblazer.^[1]”

You: It's an honor to meet you.
You: I miss you a lot.

Screwllum
“It's my honor.” Screwllum says, “Your presence is akin to a butterfly that completes the scenery that brings the entire Simulated Universe alive. I look forward to the journey ahead with you.”

Herta
“Screwllum will follow this study closely too! After all, the process of the Swarm Disaster is also closely related to inorganic beings.” Herta adds, “As you can see, the three planes correspond to three different historical periods. You're now in the first plane, and that is when the Swarm has just started.”
“So… there's not much action at the moment. When the Swarm starts spreading in the next plane… Trailblazer, you'll have to pray for luck to be on your side.” With an amused expression, Herta says, “Don't worry. We'll watch over you.”

Simulated Universe
So, this is the Swarm Disaster! Standing under the sky, you find your surroundings in a state of desolation. A massive swarm of mutated insects is reproducing and breaking free from their cocoons in the fields and roads around you. They devour all crops and animals until all the paths are flooded by their kinds…
You move ahead and enter a huge device. There is a platform in front of you, where a screen is showing some of the more advanced stellar systems. Some Swarms have evolved into large weapons of war there. Many vanguard units support their massive bodies with slender, armored limbs, while giant worms stand behind them as defenders. Inside the worms' round, gaping mouths are sharp teeth that give off a metallic glint.
You shudder. These insects only act according to their instincts and have no awareness. You can't help wondering about the source of this technological modification…

Herta
“Trailblazer, I reminded you earlier that the second plane had the most insects.” Herta's voice pulls your mind back to reality. “Go now. Be careful not to be caught by the Swarm and get stuck here. Don't forget you have to visit all three planes.”

Simulated Universe
You snap back to reality… It's time to brace yourself and move on.

Herta
“You've reached the third plane already? This is surprisingly fast. We're traversing the entire historical Swarm Disaster at such a rapid speed.” Herta glances at the glimmering sky.

Ruan Mei
“Planning the development of species and nurturing them patiently until they begin to take form through a complex process — that's how a universe is created.” Ruan Mei comments, “It seems like we've succeeded. The Swarm quickly spreads all over the universe, then recedes. This is in line with the rise and fall of Tayzzyronth.”

Herta
“Recedes… Indeed, the swarm did recede from all places of the universe following the fall of Tayzzyronth!” Herta raises the tone of her voice upon hearing the keyword. “Listen, we need to figure out how the Swarm Disaster happened. It appears that Tayzzyronth was killed in a battle among Aeons. After all, who else could have killed an Aeon? However, we can't rely on deductions only. We need to get a thorough understanding.”

Herta: Oh! You got the hang of it immediately! This time, we specially made a space for you to have an audience with the Aeons. Let's do a test first.

Herta
“We seem to be making progress. Don't get overwhelmed.” Herta's voice comes through. Unlike her usual self, she speaks seriously and seems excited about what is going to unfold. “Can you hit yourself on your head and focus? Take a closer look — we've derived Tayzzyronth.”

Simulated Universe
Tayzzyronth? Everything happens so fast that you aren't ready for the change. You look up, and a beam of light flashes across the sky all of a sudden…

Tayzzyronth
A peculiar cry suddenly comes from somewhere, and you are certain it is the first suckling sound of an infect insect to the air. Along with it comes the melodic tone of red butterflies sucking honey from lilies. The saliva of different scents such as the scents of orange, blood, and tropical fruits is dripping, making you feel as though you were immersed in an ocean of soda.
You have a mild hallucination due to the ringing and chiming dust on butterfly wings that covers the sky. You find the Aeon surrounded by countless yellow butterflies, ants, meteor bugs, and hibernating insects of different sizes that are on the verge of falling. Amidst the illusion, they begin a continuous ascent to the sky… Their blood appears colorful, but you have no idea why they are bleeding.
A mind-blowing phenomenon unravels before you. The Aeon's trembling body curls up timidly, as countless new insect species emerge at the same time. They exchange pheromones, just like how flowers exchange for petals of different colors. Then, an entirely new species is born.

Herta
“As expected, it's here. This is the most prosperous period of the Path of Propagation since the creation of the universe. Cherish it, as these will be gone for good after the Aeon falls.” Herta speaks softly.
“Trailblazer, how would you feel if we stood observer to the repeating cycle where the Swarm is born, recedes, and resurges?” Herta suddenly chuckles, “It'd be quite the nice experience to watch the journey of the universe again and again.”