I, The Aeon of Trailblaze, Trailblazing the Multiverse

Looking up at the pitch-black sky.

The celestial dome was adorned with an infinite sea of stars and galaxies.

Looking around, it was barren and lifeless, filled only with rocks and grains of sand.

Even the beautiful Milky Way above, under these circumstances, evoked a deep sense of fear in any normal human being.

Right now, Elias was already drenched in sweat from terror, his clothes completely soaked.

"This isn't… What on earth happened? How did I suddenly end up on another planet?"

He had just stepped out to pick up a delivery—surely, that wasn't reason enough for aliens to play such a cruel joke on him!

Why assume this was an alien planet? Well, it was obvious—the clear view of the Milky Way above indicated the absence of an atmosphere.

As for why he could still breathe? That was because a glowing halo surrounded him, acting as a protective shield and sustaining his vital signs.

"I've crossed over."

"This is definitely a crossover…"

Whether it was to an alien planet or another world entirely, he had no idea.

"Gulp… Even if I have to crossover, can't it be to a place with life, somewhere normal that doesn't scare the hell out of me?"

"Landing in a place this dead silent would terrify even Tyson!"

Elias was panicking hard. If his cheat ability wasn't powerful, he might die of thirst in a few days or suffocate if the protective shield ran out of energy.

The glowing halo on him proved that he had some sort of cheat ability!

"Cheat ability?"

"System? Show yourself and help me out!"

"Tell me what's going on right now!"

[Ding! System online.]

[The host is currently on an abandoned, uninhabited mining planet located at the edge of the Carlos Star System. In one day, the Xianzhou Alliance's 'Sky-Faring Commission' will pass by and make a stop. The host will be rescued then.]

Hearing the familiar name, Elias's mind was instantly electrified, and his eyes widened.

"Wait a minute! Xianzhou Alliance? Sky-Faring Commission? Is this the universe of Honkai: Star Rail?"

[Ding! That is correct.]

Elias instantly calmed down. What terrified him was the unknown—familiar things didn't scare him. Once calm, his mind began to work rapidly.

"System, introduce your functions."

The system would be his lifeline from now on, and its power would determine his future.

If it was weak, he'd join a powerful organization and live a peaceful life of luxury. He valued his life too much.

If it was strong—well, excuse me, but I think I might even take the position of an Aeon.

[Ding! The system's functions are not yet determined.]

"Huh?" Elias was momentarily stunned.

[The host is an outsider. There is no record of your existence in the Honkai: Star Rail universe.]

[Thus, the system offers you a one-time opportunity to establish your existence.]

[The existence information you choose will determine the system's functions.]

[All of the system's capabilities are designed to serve the host's future.]

Elias keenly caught the key point and hurriedly asked, "What does acquiring existence information mean? Do you mean directly replacing someone who has already existed? Can it be any being?"

[Ding! The host can only replace beings that have been explicitly confirmed as deceased.]

[Ding! As long as the being is considered an intelligent life form, it is eligible.]

Elias's heart skipped a beat upon receiving the clear answer. His voice involuntarily became cautious. "Aeons… They count as intelligent life, right?"

In MiHoYo's lore, Aeons are incarnations of concepts, mysterious higher beings resembling celestial bodies with consciousness. They wield the power to erase reality or create worlds.

Such entities are, in essence, lifeforms, albeit the highest conceptual beings that transcend all others.

[Ding! Yes, Aeons are considered intelligent life forms.}

[Existence replacement is a one-time opportunity to completely replace the existence of an intelligent life form, including their power, memories, life traces, and more.}

[The host is advised to consider carefully, as this decision determines the system's functions.}

Elias's heart pounded wildly, his calm completely shattered. He pinched his thigh hard to stay grounded.

Holy crap, replacing an existence? This is insane!

To immediately become a Aeon after crossing—what could possibly top that?

Calm down, calm down… Only a few Aeons are confirmed to have fallen. This choice must be made with utmost care.

Forcing himself to calm down, Elias's brain went into overdrive, practically overheating.

The Aeon of Order, Ena, was out of the question. They had been torn apart by the Aeon of Harmony, Xipe. Even their concept had been assimilated. Replacing Ena would be suicide.

Choosing them would mean starting off with a life-and-death battle against a Aeon. Moreover, Ena's consciousness lingered—they weren't truly dead.

The Aeon of Propagation, Taysidyrus, was also off the table. This being was even more terrifying than Ena. The moment of replacement would likely trigger a siege from multiple Aeons.

That left only the Aeon of Permanence, Long; the Aeon of Beauty, Idrila; and the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili.

Elias sank into contemplation.

The Aeon of Permanence was the oldest Aeon, existing since the chaotic beginnings of the universe and laying the foundations of its initial structure.

However, Long's disappearance was too mysterious, hinting at potential risks. Furthermore, paths like Abundance and Propagation had splintered off from Permanence, so replacing them would inevitably lead to trouble.

The Aeon of Beauty, Idrila, was confirmed to be truly deceased. Beauty represented all that was aesthetically pleasing in the universe and the positive emotions of life.

The Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili, was also confirmed to have fallen. Trailblaze was based on the compass of destiny, marked by three directions: the Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable. It embraced the Unknown but refused to yield to the Unknowable.

Elias took a deep breath and decisively ruled out Permanence. His indecision now lay between Beauty and Trailblaze.

"Should I choose Beauty or Trailblaze? This is such a tough choice."

"Calm down, calm down. I need to decide based on what aligns best with me."

"Beauty… all the beauty of the universe. Trailblaze, the refusal to submit to the Unknowable."

After some thought, Elias considered what he truly wanted for his future and exhaled deeply.

"Phew… Beauty is wonderful, but I still prefer the romance of Trailblaze. Besides, on the journey of Trailblaze, I can also discover and create beauty."

"Not to mention, the path of Trailblaze is broader than that of Beauty."

Having made up his mind, Elias firmly chose Trailblaze. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

In just a few minutes, he had gone through countless mental roller coasters.

"System, I choose to replace the existence of the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili."

[Ding! The host has confirmed. Initiating 'Existence Replacement.']

[Locking onto the replacement target: the 'Aeon of Trailblaze,' Akivili.]

...

A rainbow-colored pillar of light suddenly shot up from the desolate mining planet.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a brilliant morning star visible to the entire universe.

The light transcended the law of causality, illuminating the cosmos. Whether one light-year away or ten billion light-years distant, all civilizations across the universe looked up to witness it simultaneously.