While everyone on the space station was springing into action, in the trial arena shaped by Equilibrium, the Starcrusher Swarm King was watching Pei Guang and the others with cautious eyes.
As an insect, in the absence of a natural predator, it would normally go all out, unleashing its power to destroy, devour, and reproduce without hesitation. But now, the people in front of it made it feel threatened.
That sense of threat kept it from acting rashly for the moment. But waiting worked to its advantage. It could keep dividing, creating more and more offspring during the lull.
In just one minute, this space would be swarming with bugs that blotted out the sky.
As for individual strength and player level, Pei Guang was very sure he couldn't take on any Emanator. Not even close.
In fact, he didn't even feel confident facing some of the high-level monsters from later zones.
So, when faced with such a powerful enemy, Pei Guang simply pulled out his little folding stool, sat down, and prepared to watch the cutscene.
What happens when players encounter an enemy they can't beat? Obviously, it's time to wait for the plot twist!
Doesn't matter who dies, him or the boss, as long as there's a story to watch, it's time to chill and enjoy it.
Just as Pei Guang expected, he didn't have the qualifications to fight the Emanator—but Bucket did.
That said, even Below One Bucket couldn't win against this bug. The thing was simply too powerful.
Though it had received many blessings from the Amber Lord, the Starcrusher Swarm King was not only a Propagation Emanator: it had also been dynamically balanced by Equilibrium.
Bucket alone couldn't defeat it.
But this trash can here was different from the bug. The bug had offspring, sure, but Below One Bucket had comrades!
You can breed new life? Well, I follow Preservation: I can summon!
The trash can pointed skyward with its right hand, and in that instant, it was as if all the trash cans in the universe had sensed something.
From Pei Guang and Stelle's perspective, what followed was a grand cinematic.
Countless beams of light burst into the space. When the light faded, ghostly images of all sorts of trash cans with limbs, large and small, appeared behind them.
The light grew denser. The trash cans grew more numerous.
Some of the trash cans were pristine, freshly born into the world, ready to defend it in the name of Below One Bucket.
Some were battered and worn, their time nearly up. But even at the edge of destruction, they stood firmly at their posts.
They had witnessed countless ages, protected countless lives, and given shelter to those who saw themselves as trash.
Now, they had sensed the call of their king. All the trash cans in the universe answered his summons.
They bore no weapons: because they themselves were the weapons. They were willing to give bugs a place to live, for bugs, too, were life in this world.
Trash cans existed to contain trash, to protect the world and its life.
But in the eyes of the trash cans, the Propagation Emanator was no bug: it was trash that threatened their world. And they would not allow any trash to destroy what they protected.
The summoned trash cans began to move. King versus king, general versus general—an endless stream of summoned cans charged the ever-multiplying swarm.
Among them, Below One Bucket spotted a familiar figure: a trash can quietly standing in place, waiting for someone to toss trash in.
But Below One Bucket understood: this was no ordinary trash can. This was the king of all trash cans! The very one that gave Pei Guang his first gold glow and soared ever onward on the Preservation path.
It was a can that also followed Preservation, yet remained on Earth. Arms that didn't exist folded, it looked at Below One Bucket and nodded in approval. It was satisfied with Below One Bucket's resolve.
The trash can legacy would carry on.
It was a pity that the First Trash Can, the strongest, was still guarding Earth, battling the Antimatter Legion and their powerful bosses, unable to spare more strength. Still, its mere presence here was the greatest support Below One Bucket could receive.
Though the First Can said nothing, the Second could feel its meaning.
"Go! Fulfill our belief! Show that damned garbage the unshakable dignity of the trash can! Let them witness our glory!"
The First Can's figure vanished. As it disappeared, Below One Bucket turned his gaze to the Starcrusher Swarm King, Skalaka... something.
Though he was weaker in strength, trash cans never feared powerful garbage.
As the trash can and its many little can allies charged ahead, on the other side, Pei Guang and Stelle had already pulled out stools and were watching the epic battle alongside Ruan Mei's creations.
Pei Guang: "Yes! This is amazing. Not a single line of dialogue, and I can already feel the energy of the trash cans! This must be the Army of Trash Cans, right?"
Though they were all sorts of trash cans, somehow, Pei Guang felt their resolve, their spirit—especially in that moment when those tiny, weak cans charged toward the swarm.
He even felt moved.
Stelle, holding a bucket of popcorn, nodded seriously: "Totally, totally! That moment when the first gen passed the torch to the second? Most satisfying scene I've ever watched! But hey, Ah Guang, when's it our turn to do something?"
Pei Guang: "What's the rush? We haven't skipped the cutscene. When it's time for us to fight, there'll be a prompt."
Stelle: "So we just sit and wait? We're not helping clear out the bugs?"
Pei Guang looked around at the countless trash cans charging into the swarm and sighed, "Probably not necessary. Look at those cans: they're not weak at all!"
Stelle: "I see! But come to think of it, Ah Guang, do you know why there are so many trash cans coming to help?"
Pei Guang recalled, "Maybe... because even trash cans can become light. Trash cans have their own will too. And when their wills align, in the face of powerful enemies, they'll cross time and space to fight alongside their comrades, for their shared belief!"
Stelle thought of something: "Oh oh! I remember now: you said before, everyone can become light! I didn't expect to see it for real today. Whoa! This looks awesome!"
Even though they were just trash cans, Stelle felt these cans were far more exciting to watch than people. After all, people were everywhere, but trash cans with legs that charge into battle?
Only here.
Pei Guang: "Right? Film and games: it's all the same. What shows up in anime and movies showing up in games is nothing strange. Hey! Look over there, that big can! Look at that kick. Damn satisfying."
Stelle: "I actually think those little cans are pretty funny. Look at those seven cans—are they setting up a barrier? No way, trash cans can set up barriers now?"
The summoned trash can phantoms, upon encountering the swarm bugs, opened their lids, sucking in countless small bugs. Some had shredding functions and ground the bugs into powder.
In the thick of battle, countless phantoms were shattered by the swarm. But with every fallen phantom, more and more trash cans, firm in their resolve, appeared on the battlefield.
However, as the fight continued, Pei Guang noticed something unusual: some people had appeared among the trash cans...
To Pei Guang, it didn't really matter who showed up: it was still cutscene time, so he and Stelle just needed to keep watching calmly!
But to those outside, what was happening inside shook their very perception of reality. Outside, Herta had used her own methods to obtain visuals of what was going on inside.
And the moment she saw it, her mind completely blanked.
What was she even looking at? A group of trash cans with arms charging the bug swarm? The largest one, with four limbs, riding on top of the Emanator of Propagation and beating it up?
It wasn't Pei Guang using his quirky powers to bully the Emanator of Propagation, it was a four-limbed trash can beating it up? Truly unheard of…
Herta had seen some strange Emanators, but this, a trash can Emanator, was her first. And a trash can Emanator that could beat up another Emanator?
Was this a reenactment of Preservation versus Propagation?
But as she watched, Herta's expression turned more and more excited. And she wasn't the only one: Screwllum was also working hard to record everything.
Because among the infinite phantoms of trash cans, human figures started to appear: one, two, three... with each breath, more and more people appeared, formed from the will-driven power of the Path.
All of them were followers of the Path of Preservation, and the way this power manifested was something neither of them had ever seen or heard of. There had never been a case of an Emanator summoning other Pathwalkers.
Herta: "Impossible... I've never heard of the Path of Preservation being used like this…"