episode_0058

Chen Qiu began his explanation from the basics.

Currently, there are twenty-four known Pathways in total.

【Joy】, 【Fear】, 【Compassion】, 【Anger】, 【Disgust】, 【Surprise】, 【Shame】, 【Envy】, 【Anxiety】, 【Sloth】, 【Love】, 【Hatred】, 【Greed】, 【Domination】, 【Lust】, 【Solitude】, 【Confusion】, 【Obsession】, 【Serenity】, 【Hope】, 【Despair】, 【Pain】, 【Madness】, 【Penance】.

Each emotion possesses its own unique manifestations and abilities.

Understanding the functions and capabilities of every Pathway is essential.

After all, knowing yourself and your foe is the key to victory.

After briefly explaining the general traits of each Pathway to Xu Nian and Su Qingya, Chen Qiu focused on the abilities of 【Joy】 and 【Fear】 specifically.

“Joy primarily involves seeking out the dramatic and things that interest you, thereby altering reality in corresponding ways to fulfill your desires and objectives.”

“Pathwalkers of Joy tend to wish for events they encounter to unfold in a manner that brings them greater delight.”

“Thus, they often weave fabricated truths through speech. If the listener believes them, reality—as perceived by the listener—will inevitably shift in that direction to satisfy their joy and goals.”

Xu Nian suddenly raised his hand. “Teacher! Does that mean all Joy Pathwalkers have abilities like this?”

Chen Qiu was quite pleased with Xu Nian’s respectful address.

He patiently elaborated.

“Not necessarily. Emotions are complex, and so are their expressions. This is merely one of the most common ways Joy manifests. In reality, there are many variations—but all serve a single purpose: to bring joy either to themselves or those around them, achieving their aims in a dramatic and pleasurable manner.”

Xu Nian grasped his meaning.

Verbal mockery was one way Joy could manifest, but not the only way.

The core lay in achieving goals through joy-infused methods.

“As for what else it can accomplish, that’s for you to discover on your own.”

Chen Qiu didn’t delve deeper—this was, after all, a crash course, not an exhaustive lecture.

At the Academy, instruction was typically handled by senior Pathwalkers of the same Pathway.

Chen Qiu’s own Pathway was 【Obsession】.

Hearing this, Xu Nian hatched a mischievous idea.

“If Joy can alter reality, could you deliberately seek out a specific listener, make them believe your fabricated reality, and enforce it?”

“It’s certainly possible. But you must consider whether you’re in a heightened state of Joy during the act, your current Joy gauge, and how differing ranks affect the scope of influence. A higher-ranked Pathwalker’s fabricated reality will overwrite that of a lower-ranked one. Additionally, the fabricated reality must be somewhat plausible—utterly irrational constructs won’t take hold.”

“Moreover, Joy’s constructed realities are inherently false, primarily serving to manipulate behavior, so it’s not as overpowered as it seems.”

Chen Qiu didn’t dismiss Xu Nian’s idea and even clarified further.

Still, it sounded pretty overpowered.

Just not outright omnipotent.

“I see. So, Teacher, does that mean Joy Pathwalkers are essentially just… agents of chaos?”

“You could say that. Making oneself happy is relatively easy, and it enhances mental agility and potency, so there’s little need to expend effort uplifting others. This leads me to the second key point I want to address.”

“The source and impact of emotional power.”

Chen Qiu tapped the projected whiteboard.

“There are only two directions: inward or outward. Choosing wisely based on your Pathway is the logical approach.”

“Take you, Su Qingya—your Pathway, Fear, thrives by making others feel terror. Your dynamic is entirely different from Xu Nian’s self-directed Joy.”

Su Qingya murmured, “Make others feel fear?”

“Exactly. Fear distorts reality—it exerts influence. By gradually dragging your foes into dread, you warp their perception of reality, making it easier to steer them toward death, neutralizing their threat to you.”

“The more your enemy fears you, the stronger you become, and the easier it is to kill them. Their fear, in turn, nourishes you—a triple win.”

“I heard you’ve experienced a breakdown before, haven’t you?”

Su Qingya nodded.

“How did it feel?”

“My mind went blank. My whole body trembled. I wanted to… destroy everything around me.”

“Precisely. That’s the nature of extreme emotions. Fear in excess does that—some lose rationality, others freeze entirely.”

“For emotions that escalate harmfully when excessive, externalize them. For those that strengthen you, internalize them. That’s how you maintain mastery in combat.”

Chen Qiu continued, outlining critical considerations.

Xu Nian and Su Qingya nodded in understanding.

Xu Nian’s mind was already racing with fresh ideas.

“Couldn’t you pursue both directions at once?”

“Of course. Textbook knowledge is rigid—adaptation is key.”

There were no hard restrictions. Success lay in mastering the balance.

Xu Nian nodded again.

Perhaps Pathwalkers who excelled in both directions were the truly formidable ones.

“Just remember—never let your emotional gauge exceed 90%.”

“Understood.”

The repercussions of crossing that threshold were all too clear to Xu Nian and Su Qingya.

“Then how do we advance in rank?”

“Well… have you heard of potions?”

“Huh?”

Xu Nian and Su Qingya froze momentarily.

“Do we have to brew potions too? And… digest them?”

“No, no.” Chen Qiu waved a hand. “But it’s somewhat similar.”

The slides advanced.

Landing on a page about Emobeasts.

“Pathwalkers could be described as individuals who’ve stolen power from Emobeasts. Thus, to ascend, each must obtain an Emobeast’s emotional core—though no complex concoction is involved.”

“The emotional core is essentially the Emobeast’s heart. Once extracted, the creature dies.”

“Emobeasts, however, evolve differently—they don’t consume another’s core. This unique trait has led some factions to farm them.”

Chen Qiu’s explanation brought clarity.

“Upon consuming the core, the accumulated emotions within will overwhelm you. Survive the ordeal, and you ascend. Rituals exist—specific methods can mitigate the emotional surge. But if you’re bold and confident, you may endure it raw.”

“What if you fail?” Xu Nian asked.

“Your emotional gauge hits 100%.”

In other words, transformation into an Emobeast.

That was perilous indeed.

No longer human.

Nor even demon.

“Traditionally, ascension requires preparation—mimicking Emobeasts to accumulate emotional energy. There are no shortcuts. Any method that harvests emotion without collateral damage is valid.”

“How do you know when you’re ready to ascend?”

“Listen to your body. It will signal the shift—the hunger.”