At that moment, back at the space station's control bridge, Himeko was in communication with Asta.
Pei Guang had messaged Himeko earlier, warning of a potential crisis at the station but saying he wasn't certain. He hoped Himeko could contact Asta and gather everyone at one place.
If anything happened, Himeko could use the player's unique teleportation ability to evacuate everyone together. Though the station now had a formal entrance and exit due to the trash bin setup, this restriction didn't apply to Pei Guang's teleportation.
As long as it wasn't a locked teleport buff, he could force a teleport anyway.
A few minutes later, Himeko messaged Pei Guang: "All set~ Asta gathered everyone together under the pretense of a performance~ Oh, and we picked this up on the way. You guys did this, right?"
The attached photo showed Veritas sleeping soundly inside a trash bin.
Pei Guang replied, "Yup~ just a small misunderstanding. If anything goes wrong, Himeko, please include him in the emergency evac~"
Himeko said, "I'm really curious: what exactly are you guys up to this time?"
Pei Guang answered, "You might not believe it, but we're dealing with an Emanator. Its appearance might not mean much to Herta and the others, but for regular folks here, it's terrifying. Just in case, I've put some backup plans in place. Sorry for the trouble, Himeko."
Himeko replied, "What are you saying? We're family. What trouble? Besides, you're doing the right thing: taking risks while still thinking about the safety of ordinary people. Honestly, I'm proud of you~"
Reading Himeko's message, Pei Guang felt a little embarrassed. But he really did feel that the people he'd met in this world were better than a lot of the NPCs he'd encountered in other games: they genuinely trusted him, the player!
With Himeko confirming that preparations were complete, Pei Guang, Stelle, Below One Bucket, and the little guys inside it took the elevator down, ready to face the giant bug Ruan Mei had cultivated.
But just as the elevator began descending, the peculiar group heard a low, emotionless voice.
At that moment, the air seemed to grow scorching hot, and an uncanny sensation made Pei Guang and Stelle feel somewhat uneasy. Just then, the voice rang out once more.
[The universe... must be balanced...]
Echoing whispers emerged in the consciousness of the group descending in the elevator. Upon hearing the voice, Pei Guang instinctively spoke.
"Balance exists among all things."
His response seemed to satisfy the voice, which continued speaking.
[Equilibrium shall grant you a trial. For the balance of all realms, demonstrate your strength, and we shall arbitrate; the strong shall gain opportunity, and the weak, a breath of respite.]
[Pass the trial, and your strength shall tip the scales, changing the realms and bringing... balance.]
[You shall face stronger foes, tougher puzzles, and... richer rewards.]
The voice fell silent, as if waiting for a reply. Stelle instinctively turned to look at Pei Guang, who answered without hesitation.
"In the name of Equilibrium, we accept."
Pei Guang admitted to himself that he was feeling pretty chuunibyou.
He had read about the Aeon of Equilibrium before, and as far as he was concerned, the appearance of Equilibrium meant better rewards. And if there were rewards, then Equilibrium was a good thing: just listen to him and everything would be fine.
The moment Pei Guang responded, the voice spoke again.
[Balance... the realms shall now change...]
The voice faded completely. As it disappeared, a surge of Imaginary energy swept through the space.
At the same moment, Pei Guang and the others reached the bottom. Just as they arrived, a giant cultivation tank shattered, and from within it, a massive insect buzzed into the air.
The Starcrusher Swarm King: Skaracabaz, formally appeared before them all.
If it had been its original form, created in this makeshift environment, it would have only lasted less than a minute in the real world, with power that, though strong, fell far short of a true Emanator.
But now, affected by the power of Equilibrium, its strength had adapted to match Pei Guang's party's overall level.
Because Below One Bucket's strength had already surpassed that of a typical Emanator, and they had the support of a player as well, the insect's power now exceeded the usual standard.
Its strength scaled in accordance with the bizarre bucket.
At the same time, the entire area around them was enveloped by the power of Equilibrium. Under this influence, they were free to unleash their full strength in battle.
For an ordinary person, this would have been terrifying… but none of the people present were ordinary.
To Bucket, this oversized piece of trash in front of him was indeed strong, but he would not retreat.
Compared to a mindless, instinct-driven bug, Bucket had dignity and honor. His beliefs and willpower far exceeded the limits of brute strength.
Not to mention, at his side were a player, a girl with a Stellaron in her body, and the adorable little lifeforms within him!
Pei Guang was no different.
The moment he saw the creature, he knew that he and Stelle wouldn't be able to beat it in a straight fight. But as a player, he also didn't believe they would lose.
Pei Guang said, "Looks really is a survival mission! Stelle! Let's focus on clearing the mobs and staying alive. Let our bucket finish it off. Bucket! You've got this! I've got tons and tons of consumables: we'll just outlast it!"
Upon hearing Pei Guang's encouragement, Bucket flashed an "OK" hand sign.
Meanwhile, as Pei Guang and his team were preparing for battle, Herta, Ruan Mei, and Screwllum were utterly baffled.
A Preservation Emanator showing up here was already within the realm of comprehension—but then Equilibrium showed up? And after that, a Propagation Emanator?
Was this space station some kind of lucky charm hotspot? Two Emanators and an Aeon appearing in one day?
But while Herta, after her initial shock, was practically overjoyed, it was Ruan Mei who was truly dumbfounded.
She remembered very clearly that the thing she cultivated could only survive for 56 seconds. Though it was a replica of a Propagation Emanator, it was nowhere near the real deal.
So how on earth had it turned into a real Emanator now?