"Um... hello," Acheron greeted Lumina, her purple eyes flickering with a faint glimmer as she emerged from the room, still lost and disoriented.
Approaching, she offered a greeting.
"Hello. I'm Lumina, just an ordinary little Physician," Lumina replied with a gentle smile, reciting her usual introduction.
"Galaxy Ranger, Acheron," Acheron countered, her eyes gleaming with a peculiar light.
An ordinary Physician whose reputation has spread across the Cosmos?
Acheron had heard tales of Lumina's deeds on countless planets. If Lumina was considered "ordinary," then Yaoshi must simply be a normal person.
Dismissing it as one of Lumina's eccentricities, Acheron suppressed her curious gaze and offered a concise introduction.
"Galaxy Ranger? Acheron?" Lumina murmured the words, scrutinizing Acheron from head to toe before tilting her head with a playful smile. "Since when have Galaxy Rangers begun worshipping Nihility?"
"I don't worship Nihility. It's just that..."
"I merely brushed against it by accident..."
Acheron wasn't surprised by the exposure of her identity. In fact, she would have been more surprised if Lumina hadn't noticed.
Shaking her head, Acheron didn't deny her connection to Nihility, but she firmly denied worshiping it.
"An accident? By 'accident,' do you mean accidentally obtaining Emanator-level Path power from Nihility?"
"Now that's quite the accident, isn't it?"
Lumina feigned belief, sighing theatrically before adopting a curious demeanor. "Miss Acheron, would you mind telling me how you 'accidentally' obtained it? I'd love to accidentally obtain Emanator-level Path power from Nihility myself."
Acheron: ...
This... this doesn't quite match the rumors.
Staring at Lumina, Acheron found herself genuinely bewildered—a rare occurrence outside of her chronic sense of direction.
Gentle, holy, selfless... These were the glowing adjectives Acheron had heard about Lumina across countless worlds.
Yet, after meeting her in person, she realized these accounts were likely... slightly embellished.
"Alright, I was just teasing." Seeing Acheron's slightly dazed expression, Lumina couldn't help but laugh. If they hadn't just met, she would have definitely taken a photo.
"I've encountered the power of Nihility and Self-Annihilators quite a bit, but I've never seen someone like Miss Acheron before. After acquiring so much Nihility power, you can still control it so effortlessly. It's truly remarkable."
Acheron showed no traces of Path power related to Nihility. If she didn't actively use it, even those below the rank of Emanator likely wouldn't realize she was a Self-Annihilator.
"Hmm..." Acheron murmured softly, offering no further explanation.
Not minding Acheron's lack of response, Lumina's eyes twinkled as she feigned confusion. "Are you looking for someone, Miss Acheron? Then I won't bother you any longer."
With that, Lumina turned decisively to leave.
"Wait!"
Just as Lumina turned to leave and had taken only a few steps, Acheron hesitated for a moment before calling out to stop her.
"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Room ****?"
"Room ****?" Lumina stopped walking, feigning deep thought for a moment before giving vague directions. "Walk straight for a hundred meters, then turn left. At the third intersection, turn right, and at the fourth intersection, turn left. Your room will be on the left side of that row."
"Hmm... Of course, there's a chance the hotel rooms aren't arranged in a logical order."
"But that's how I found my own room."
Lumina smiled faintly and revealed Acheron's room's location.
To Acheron, however, this explanation was as good as no explanation at all.
"..."
As expected, Acheron fell silent upon hearing Lumina's "directions."
If Acheron could understand Lumina's words, she wouldn't need to ask for directions in the first place. The hotel's signage was far more detailed than Lumina's cryptic explanation.
"Or... I could take you there myself?" Lumina finally revealed her true intention.
"I'd be eternally grateful," Acheron replied instantly, breaking her silence to eagerly accept the offer.
"Acheron—that's just a code name, right? What's your real name?" Lumina asked curiously as she led Acheron to her room.
Although Lumina already knew Acheron's real name, she thought it would be more fun to hear it directly from her.
Acheron didn't reply immediately, quietly following beside Lumina. The scent emanating from Lumina filled the air around her, stirring a faint ripple in Acheron's usually placid heart.
The ripple quickly subsided, leaving no trace in Acheron's sea-like mind, which remained as still as stagnant water.
Hearing the question, Acheron's expression remained unchanged. She replied calmly, "Some things are hard for me to remember anymore."
"As for my name, it has long since dissolved into Nihility within the phantoms of the past."
"Acheron is a code name, but it also serves as proof of my existence in this world."
"True names are meaningless. Simply call me Acheron."
Acheron spoke with unwavering composure, as if stating a simple fact.
"Is that so? I understand," Lumina nodded, her face still adorned with that gentle, warm smile. She seemed completely unsurprised by the outcome.
They had only just met, with no shared experiences or emotional build-up. If Acheron had so readily revealed the name she once used while walking in the shadows of Nihility, Lumina would have suspected that some transmigrator had possessed her body.
Still... while unsurprised, Lumina couldn't help but wonder: Acheron, are you really okay with blatantly lying to me with such unwavering sincerity?
Her expression remained perfectly calm, her tone utterly neutral, leaving no room for doubt.
If Lumina hadn't read the script beforehand, she might have actually believed Acheron's fabrication...
No matter. We have plenty of time ahead. I'll make you tell me that name yourself someday.
Lumina secretly set herself a goal.
Lumina's Grand Penacony Plan:
1. Make Acheron tell me that name herself.
2. ?