Chapter 98: "Eh-Eh"

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"Three, two, one!"

As Aha's countdown concluded,

both players simultaneously revealed their choices.

At that moment... a sudden gust swept through Rivet Town, lifting sand and dust into the air, swirling it wildly to form a pale yellow ribbon.

Aha stared blankly at his own rock facing the opponent's paper, feeling utterly incredulous.

He believed he had meticulously strategized on how to overcome his adversary.

Yet, after three rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors,

he still lost.

Lost miserably.

Not only did Aha fail to win a single round, but he didn't even manage a draw.

Given the significant gap in their abilities,

Aha was certain there was no way his opponent could cheat under his watchful gaze.

This bizarre outcome left Aeon of Joy questioning reality.

"Is my luck really this bad today?"

Confusion filled Aha's mind, yet His expression remained unchanged, still wearing a smile as before.

Bochang declared, "Godfather, I've won."

"Excellent, ha ha! You're truly impressive, managing to win three rounds against me consecutively."

Aha felt as if he were being entertained for someone's amusement.

However...

This sensation wasn't unpleasant; Aeon of Joy hadn't experienced such joy in defeat for a long time. Upon reflection, His last moment of similar happiness was indeed the previous encounter with Bochang.

"Aha honors the bet and concedes defeat. Congratulations, Bochang... you have once again saved Belobog." The orange clown mask dissolved its elongated arm, reminiscent of Tintin's, and floated closer to Bochang. "You're quite intriguing, and I greatly admire you. Would you accept the power of Elation and become my Emanator, Bochang?"

"Haven't I already become your godson, Yifu?" Bochang retracted his fist.

Aha tilted his mask, responding, "Without explicit consent, do you mean... you don't wish to be my Emanator?"

[Dating Options have been activated.]

[Option 1: Accept Aha's offer: "No, what I mean is... ever since my godfather took me as his ward, Bochang has already become his Emanator." - Completion Reward: Unlock the Elation fate path and receive a random attribute power.]

[Option 2: Reject Aha: "Indeed, I don't want to be anyone's Emanator, nor will I ever become one." - Completion Reward: Obtain a random item, ranging from small as a matchstick to large as a star destroyer. Note: Such items may...]

[Option 3: Pretend Ignorance: "Ahba Ahba." - Completion Reward: Receive a random skill.]

These options were identical to the previous ones, all offering rewards.

It made it seem like Aha was some great benevolent figure.

However...

Bochang couldn't forget that the stakes Aha had just proposed involved the entire city of Belobog.

If Bochang lost this game,

the consequences would be entirely unpredictable. The people of Belobog likely had no idea how close they came to disaster.

What would happen next was entirely unpredictable.

Little did the people of Belobog realize they had just narrowly escaped the brink of disaster.

"Which option should I choose?" Aha's voice seemed to tempt Bochang.

Become an Emanator.

Become an Emanator for Elation.

In doing so, he would gain immense power beyond measure.

"No, no, no... think about that insect," Bochang silently shook his head, recalling if his memory served him correctly.

Once before, Aha transformed an insect into its own Emanator, bestowing upon it extraordinary intelligence. The purpose was to test whether a mere bug could be admitted into the Genius Society. To achieve this, Aha even risked granting the entire might of Elation's fate path to an insect with an underdeveloped brain.

Ultimately, the experiment failed.

Aha then reclaimed all the bestowed power, and without the Aeon's favor, the insect instantly perished.

Allegedly, its demise was quite gruesome.

"The power obtained from Aeon is ultimately not one's own. Not only is it unsafe, but it also leaves you vulnerable to control. Becoming someone's Emanator means being bound by their relationship, and now I am part of the Astral Express... No way, absolutely not."

"Option three!"

Bochang promptly decided to draw another skill, hoping for something akin to Blessing of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

The more quirky skills he acquired, the greater his confidence would be when playing games with Aha.

As the world around him resumed its motion,

Bochang feigned ignorance, mumbling, "Ah-ba ah-ba."

The black-haired youth neither agreed nor rejected; instead, he performed an incomprehensible action.

This wasn't the first instance of puzzling behavior—it was the third.

Aha felt himself almost getting accustomed to these surprises, growing increasingly satisfied with Bochang as a promising candidate for becoming an Elation Emanator.

["Reward distribution in progress - Congratulations! You have obtained the skill 'Stealthy Theft'. Within a 10-meter range, you can acquire any item from your target."]

"This skill... seems decent, but for gaming purposes, it doesn't quite match up to Blessing of Rock-Paper-Scissors," Bochang sighed softly.

He realized that drawing another skill akin to Blessing of Rock-Paper-Scissors would be a formidable challenge indeed.

Moreover...

It was rather peculiar; initially, he had thought Blessing of Rock-Paper-Scissors was a useless skill, only to find it unexpectedly useful at this moment.

If next time Aha comes back to play rock-paper-scissors again...

Bochang could effortlessly defeat him once more.

"Since you're unwilling, let's forget about it. However... as Aha's adopted son, you should have a name fitting for an Aha disciple. Bochang, I hereby rename you to Ahba," Aha chuckled again. "I don't care what others call you, but... in front of Aha, you shall be known as Ahba."

Bochang was utterly speechless.

Who would have thought that his feigned ignorance, repeating "Ahba" playfully, would actually inspire Aeon of Joy to give him a new name?

"Ahba, your father must depart now. Next time I have the chance, Aha will come back to play with you."

With those words, Aha vanished swiftly like a beam of light, disappearing from the black-haired youth's sight.

Bochang muttered to himself, "I think... it's best if you don't return again."

This minor crisis had been successfully navigated.

Bochang left Rivet Town.

Just as he took a few steps away, he spotted a woman dressed in blue approaching on the road.

"Hey, did you just come from Rivet Town? I heard there's been a significant decrease in monsters inside. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true. What brings this up? Are you planning to enter for supplies?"

Bochang examined the woman... She had flowing blue hair and carried an incredibly large scythe that seemed quite exaggerated.

A faint suspicion formed in Bochang's mind.

« Seele ... Could it be Seele?»

"Of course... Otherwise, why would I be here, for vacation? Speaking of you, without even carrying a backpack, what brings you to Rivet Town? Are you just sightseeing?"

The blue-clad Seele was also equipped with a massive old backpack, which contrasted sharply with her otherwise refined appearance.

Bochang stroked his chin and replied, "If you put it that way... yes, I'm indeed here for sightseeing."

Seele narrowed her eyes, expression unfriendly, as if she was about to unleash a torrent of profanities.

Honestly, this was far from how Bochang imagined Seele.

« White Hope... Where is my White Hope? »