Kapitel 70: Haven
"Mr. Yang, are you sure we're in the right place…? It feels a bit too… empty…"
Noticing the rather empty port and the absence of any life she originally expected. March couldn't help but shiver, feeling like the atmosphere was too creepy for her liking.
Every corner she looked at felt like there was something lurking and might jump at her at any moment.
Her hand began to twitch, ready to summon her bow, but she tried to distract herself from finding the person who opened the gate.
Considering the situation Kafka mentioned beforehand, it was also strange to see no one welcome them at the port.
Welt nodded after hearing March's words. He also expected to at least see the operator who permitted them to land. But it was fruitless as no individual approached them.
As if something happened along the way.
Feeling like the situation was a lot more serious than he thought, Welt sharpened his senses and led the group forward. Telling each of them to keep their eyes peeled for anything suspicious.
Stelle and March narrowed their eyes and concentrated while Yuuto stood a few steps behind doing the same. Glancing at the rows of cargo placed around them, he carefully spread his senses out.
Taking a few seconds to analyze his surroundings he suddenly felt an influx of energy rise in the direction they were headed.
Despite being cleverly hidden, [Clarity] was able to pick up the concealed energy, and the Stellaron inside him began to shake happily.
The energy was pure and not in the sense that a person may find it comforting. It was more like a fierce flame that disguised itself as a candle.
Allowing any being to approach in hopes of being comforted not knowing that they would be devoured whole by its wicked nature. Slowly, before eventually nothing is left behind.
And he had a pretty good thought as to who this energy belonged to.
'Calm down. You're acting as if dinner arrived.'
Yuuto thought speechlessly seeing how the Stellaron began to act and he calmed it down from acting too rowdy.
'You just had the Infernal Flame that Duke Inferno left behind. Why are you making it seem like I'm starving you…'
Letting out a sigh at his gluttonous Stellaron, he continued to feel the energy before reeling his senses in.
Taking in what he saw so far, he discreetly turned his back away from the three and pulled something out from inside his jacket. A small ghost-like creature smiled at him but before it could speak, Yuuto covered its mouth.
"Shh… remember what I told you before?"
"...Wuu…"
The Wubbaboo nodded its head as it thought back to the words Yuuto told it before they landed at the port.
"Great, now go. Be sure to let no one see you."
"Wuu… Wuuu!!"
"...Alright. Boo, be sure to let no one see you."
"Wu..!!"
Yuuto gave a small smile seeing the Wubbaboo adamant at having its name used and gave it one last pat.
It hummed with happiness, savoring the pat Yuuto gave it before it disappeared and blended into the surroundings. Leaving Yuuto to think about the inevitable meeting arriving in just a bit.
Shaking the thoughts that appeared, Yuuto sped up his pace to join back with the others and turned the corner where they entered a large opening.
Before they could take a step further, Welt raised his hand and immediately turned his head to the left.
"Someone's hurt."
Welt led the group and reached a corner where two soldiers dressed in blue armor were weakly leaning against one of the cargo crates. His armor was torn and large amounts of blood could be seen dripping from his arm.
His companion beside him didn't look any better and Welt immediately came to check on their injuries while he looked at the damage around him. Bodies that were lifeless alongside remnants of what seemed to be some sort of humanoid monster.
Welt was able to piece together what happened with the limited information he got and let out a tiny grunt as he assisted the injured soldier.
"Yuuto can I ask you to heal this person and March can you use your ice to stop the bleeding on his waist for now?"
The two didn't wait a second longer and went towards the two injured soldiers while Welt brought Stelle near him.
Raising his cane off the ground the space around him began to tremble and Stelle felt heavy pressure on her body which faded as fast as it came.
Heavy grunts suddenly appeared which startled Stelle and immediately turned around while holding her bat. Three soldiers or what she assumed to be soldiers were forced to the ground where cracks slowly formed.
"These guys look different compared to the ones we saw before," Stelle said while poking the incapacitated enemies Welt caught with her bat.
Welt agreed, seeing the golden branches seeping from inside their armor. "Indeed. It seems best that we should be careful considering their rather aggressive nature."
Adjusting his glasses, he noted the absence of any civilians and let out a relieved sigh.
"The Xianzhou must have evacuated the port earlier and left the soldiers to deal with the crisis but it seems like it wasn't enough."
"So we're going straight into it without any warm-up, huh…"
"I guess we are."
Raising his cane to deal with a few more soldiers, Yuuto and March who were done healing the injured joined in and took down a few enemies that Welt held in place.
The four continued to clear out the area where the soldiers failed to protect and after defeating a few of them, Yuuto gave a complex expression.
Lowering his hand that froze the mara-stricken soldier, Yuuto's eyes glowed a faint white hue, and the few memories he received organized themselves into his library.
'So that's what a person's memories look like when they're completely engulfed by mara…'
The sight of fragments that were destroyed or dimmed to the point where he could barely recognize them. Yuuto could sense the fear, remorse, and even hatred that filled their [Nexus] to the point where any individual personality they once had was now gone.
Only to be replaced by a creature with inexplicable bloodlust that can't be fought.
Yuuto swiftly dealt with the soldier that he froze and a sliver of energy with properties similar to corrosion entered the Stellaron which shook feeling something new entering it.
"I guess this puny amount won't show a difference."
Like putting a drop of sugar into a vast sea, this speck of energy wasn't enough to entice any form of reaction that his Stellaron could use.
"Maybe up to the amount and concentration of the Infernal Flame that I got from Duke Inferno but considering that this didn't have any properties close to a flame…"
Yuuto thought as he recalled the reaction that came from him absorbing the portion of the Infernal Flame and narrowed his eyes as he heard a loud shout just ahead of him.
"Let's hurry! There's someone there!!" March yelled quickly and ran ahead while being followed by the others.
'Let's hope this works…'
Yuuto couldn't help but think and clenched his fist while reaching a section where three people stood.
"Miss Tingyun! Escape while I hold them off—!"
"There should be a starskiff near the port you can use!"
Two of them were soldiers wearing blue armor and the other was a woman who showed a frightened expression seeing the group of mara-stricken soldiers attack the guards.
Her tall brown fox-like ears waved through the air as she ran towards a wall while the soldiers used their spears to push the crowd away despite the dreadful future they would eventually meet.
Luckily for them, these thoughts would be naught seeing as a group of people quickly dispatched the crowd and they blankly watched as the looming threat disappeared.
"Is everyone okay!?"
"Yes…"
One of the soldiers absently replied and March heaved a sigh while reeling her bow seeing that no one was badly hurt. However, she was startled to see the two soldiers stand at guard as if a new threat suddenly arrived.
A tense atmosphere silently grew between the two groups as the soldiers raised their spears. The mood quickly shifted towards a bad direction but this was broken apart as someone slapped their fan against her palm.
"Stand down." Tingyun raised her hand and looked towards March and others behind her.
Her soft eyes passed through each of them before landing on Yuuto who looked emotionless. Though, on the inside, he was coldly sweating as he felt her green eyes on him.
"I apologized for hostile behavior and I thank the benefactors who saved us from the precarious situation we found ourselves in! May I learn your names?
What felt like minutes, Tingyun's gaze finally left him as she bowed and Yuuto managed to spot no changes in her eyes and he inwardly let out a relieved sigh.
'It seems like I hid it well enough.'
Feeling a sense of omission within his body, more specifically near the left side of his chest, Yuuto felt content with the uses the Infernal Flame had.
One of the things he was most worried about during his future time on the Luofu was the attention he would receive regarding his Stellaron.
It would have been fine if it was before when he just had a tiny amount but unexpected things happened and he now had the amount where it could be noticed by a select few.
It would have been alright for now but he was certain that flaunting this specific energy out in the open would eventually bring many unwanted gazes as seen by Duke Inferno.
He couldn't guarantee future encounters wouldn't go as smoothly as they did with the Duke so a way he could hide the energy was something he needed.
He thought of using [Memoforge] to create a specific memory to help deal with this problem but in the end, he didn't need to.
Luckily for him, the Infernal Flame he managed to steal— or more so given 'graciously' by the Duke himself -- made all his previous ideas on how to hide it useless.
'Using the trait of the flame, I just need to actively scramble the Stellaron's energy signature and let it fade away as if it wasn't there in the first place.'
Remembering how the Duke was able to hide and teleport himself throughout the station, Yuuto had some of the theory down but just needed to use it in practice.
Long-range teleportation may be too steep for now but creating some sort of 'mirage' to hide his energy is doable.
And judging by how Tingyun reacted, it looked like it worked out. At most, she would just think that he had a much larger life force than the regular person.
"It is an honor to receive help from such illustrious heroes however there is one thing I don't understand: Starskiff Haven is currently under lockdown but seeing your attire, none of you seem to be Xianzhou residents…."
Casting his worries aside, Yuuto finally noticed the small smile Tingyun wore as her fan opened up to cover a portion of her face. Her eyes narrowed and looked at the four cautiously.
"May I ask how you came to be here?"
***
Faced with the cautious attitude Tingyun was letting off, Welt continued to explain their situation to ease the atmosphere.
Seeing that Tingyun wasn't refuting anything so far, he went on but what he didn't seem to notice was the ambiguous expression the woman in front of him was making.
'Quite a large variable to make its way on here.'
Tingyun or more so the being disguised as Tingyun looked at the group in front of her curiously.
Phantylia— An emanator serving as one of the seven Lord Ravagers of the Antimatter Legion.
An individual who basks in the internal destruction of mortals without personally intervening.
For the sole purpose of destroying the Luofu, she had done quite a bit of work behind the scenes and was on her way to her goal. But the arrival of a certain group made her curious about their purpose.
"You lot must be with the Astral Express…"
"You've heard of us?"
"Of course! Such an infamous group but I'm sad to say that your business may need to be put on hold. An incident has recently fallen upon the Luofu and currently only authorized individuals are allowed to enter…"
She cupped her cheek and sadly looked at the group. Each of them was unique in their own way.
Her eyes were gentle but a calculating gaze analyzed each of the members to see if any of them were a hindrance to her overall plan.
'None of them hold enough influence if compared to the Guardian this vessel currently has. But some of them may be of some use in advancing the Arbor's revival.'
Phantylia looked at Stelle and Yuuto whose enormous vitality surprised her and wondered if the two were siblings based on the energy they each carried.
Sensing the amount they had, her thoughts moved towards the possibility of taking over their bodies but she decided in the end not to.
'Their aesthetics are not to my liking. Maybe if the gray one cleaned herself more and the man had a more feminine appearance…'
Her thoughts began to shift in a dangerous direction when she looked at Yuuto. Causing him to break into cold sweats that he didn't exactly know the reason for.
The body she would eventually create would be her ideal image so the idea didn't entice her to the point of personally acting.
After a few seconds of marking them as not dangerous and grouping them as just extra pawns, Phantylia closed her fan and smiled sweetly.
"For your safety, I'm willing to bring you to the Central Starskiff Haven for refuge. But I have no authority as to how I should handle you so you must meet with Madam Yukong for your future endeavors."
"We have caught wind of your current situation so we come with good intentions. To help the Luofu in sealing the Stellaron."
"Hehe~ Whether or not you come with good intentions, you are still outsiders so the final verdict lands on Madam Yukong."
Welt couldn't refute since the points she said were understandable and refusing would only make things more complicated.
"I understand. I will thank you on behalf of the Express for helping us." Welt politely said.
"It's no issue! As an Amicassador for the Sky-Faring Commission, it's my role to assist outsiders such as yourselves."
"Why do I feel like she's just eager to get us out of her hair and make us someone else's problem…"
March whispered to Yuuto and Stelle who agreed seeing the innocent smile Tingyun was giving.
"Don't mind the small stuff! Let us depart immediately~."
***
Going through a few paths and scenarios that Yuuto remembered in the game, they finally managed to reach a vast port that had a few boat-like vehicles parked near the edge.
Each was varying in size ranging from boats that could hold a limited amount of boxes to ones that could hold countless crates within them.
"Ah… we finally made it. But the amount of tail hairs I lost along the way…"
Tingyun sadly brushed her fluffy tail while the people around her finished up the mara-stricken soldiers flooding the harbor.
March looked at her strangely and placed her bow away. "She's pretty finical about her appearance don't you think?"
"I feel like you should be the last one who should be saying anything."
"Huh, what do you mean?"
Yuuto snapped the neck of the soldier he was dealing with and looked at March. "I mean, weren't you the one who wore a face mask every night when we were at Jarilo—"
"Th-That's different!? A young lady such as myself should at least take care of her appearance…"
"Young lady…."
"You're thinking of something rude aren't you!?"
"It's your imagination."
"Grr…"
Yuuto decided to peacefully move away from the subject as he felt like it was the most gentlemanly way to go.
March suddenly felt annoyed and began hitting his back to relieve this feeling.
Yuuto didn't stop her as it didn't hurt but after feeling the hand of another person suddenly join in, his face changed, and began glaring at the one who joined in.
"They're a lively bunch."
"A bit too lively…"
Welt sighed and adjusted his glasses but his face relaxed seeing the three bickering amongst themselves.
Tingyun noticed this and a subtle smile began to form but it faded after she hopped into a Starskiff boat.
"Hurry up everyone! It will only take us a few minutes so the sooner we leave the sooner we arrive at the Haven."
Seeing as her words brought everyone's attention, she quickly got behind the wheel. The takeoff was quick and soon the four left the port with Tingyun taking the helm.
Steering clear of a few obstacles flooding the sky, she safely took the crew to the Haven she promised them earlier.
'I will never get tired of this…'
Slowing down by a familiar-looking port, Yuuto looked in awe at the large Haven and the countless memories he had walking through this very area in the game.
It was a different kind of nostalgia compared to when he first entered Belobog but the sentiment was the same.
"On behalf of the Sky-Faring Commission, allow me to welcome you to Starskiff Haven."
Stelle and March were amazed by her sudden professionalism and immediately clapped which made Tingyun a bit shy.
"Ahem, as I promised I will guide you to Madam Yukong so follow me quickly."
"Wait before we enter, can we have a moment to prepare ourselves before meeting her?"
"That's…" Tingyun looked troubled but Welt was adamant.
While he was convincing Tingyun, the others stood a few steps behind them and Stelle noticed Yuuto looking at his surroundings.
"What are you looking for?"
"Hm? Oh, it's nothing."
Stelle stared at him hard, hearing his response and remembering that he had a similar look in the past. She was certain of one thing.
"You're planning something again aren't you…"
"No not really… Ah! Here it is~"
Yuuto's eyes sparkled as he looked at the sky and Stelle looked at him suspiciously. She tried to see what he was so excited about but saw nothing.
That was until she noticed something move within his arms and noticed a ghost-like creature within his arms.
"That's–!!"
"Shhh."
"Urgh—!?"
Stelle was about to yell when something hard entered her mouth and a sweet taste suddenly bombarded her taste buds.
"This…"
"I told Boo to get a snack on his way and got us these berries covered in hardened sugar."
"Boo…" Stelle was surprised by his words and looked at the Wubbaboo. "Did I tell you how much I love you?"
"Wuu!"
"Cute."
"Hey, what are you guys talking about so secretly?" March suddenly appeared seeing the commotion they were making and noticed that they were eating something.
"Hey!? You're leaving me out!!?"
"No…*Crunch*.."
"You guys are so mean…"
"Don't worry *Crunch* it was just something Boo managed to *Crunch*..."
"At least choose between talking or giving me one."
"As I *Crunch* said. Boo managed to…"
Seeing Stelle blatantly eat the candied berries in front of her, March began puffing up her cheeks but luckily Yuuto solved the issue and gave her one.
Seeing the satisfied people beside him, Yuuto also bit on the snack before placing his head on the Wubbaboo's forehead.
A few images began to flash within his mind until he saw what he wanted to get.
"So you managed to find one."
"Wuu! Close by…"
"I understand."
A calculating glint appeared in his eyes as he separated himself from the Wubbaboo and a plan began to slowly fall into place in his head.
*Crunch*
***
I had one of the most painful migraines I ever had for the past few weeks so I needed to take a break from any form of screen time. It finally went away so I'm happy to be able to play HSR again other than to do my dailies and leave lool.
Anyways the next chapter should come either tomorrow or in the coming days.
Ba-na-na-na~
Kapitel 71: Who Are You?
"Madam Yukong, there has been a subtle resistance regarding the handlers at the dock. Many wish to leave due to either 'urgent business' or feeling that something was wrong.
"Instruct the Cloud Knights on duty to continue the lockdown. Convey that they could continue their business once the situation has settled down."
"Understood!"
A man with sharp fox ears raised his hand to salute before leaving the Helm, where a few individuals gathered. The vast majority were members of the Sky-Faring Commission, but other members belonging to different departments were also present.
The Ten-Lord's Commision, Realm-Keeping Commision, and even Alchemy Commision.
A very rare occurrence but also indicative of the special situation the Luofu was currently facing at the moment.
Sending off the last person who wanted to give her a report regarding the worries the people of the Luofu were having, the foxian woman let out a tired sigh and sat down.
"Not only the Ten-Lords but the Divination Commission have sent their full stance on keeping individuals on the Luofu for an unknown amount of time…"
Yukong formally known as the Head of the Sky-Faring Commission voiced out her concern sensing the alarming rate the security was acting up.
Mass lockdowns and the deployment of many Cloud Knight units. All of which brought an uneasy feeling to bloom throughout the Luofu.
But thinking back to the message she received from the Cloud Knights a couple of hours prior about the cause of this unease, Yukong gripped the armrest of her seat.
"The presence of a Stellaron managed to find itself on the Loufu…"
As a person in charge of handling and overseeing trade happening on the ship, learning that such a dangerous object managed to sneak itself without her knowing felt like a blow to her competence.
Despite many of her subordinates saying otherwise she still felt slightly at fault for the situation happening.
"Madam Yukong."
"Hmm?"
She abolished herself for a while before a man wearing the Alchemy Commission's uniform came forward and politely handed her a form.
He had a slight limp which Yukong noticed but chose not to point out and the man felt grateful for not doing so.
"You are?" Yukong asked while skimming through the papers.
"Xiao Ju. I'm here to relay some requests from Madam Dan Shu about the outbreak of Mara happening within the Alchemy Commission."
"So they infested that area too…"
Xiao Ju managed to hear her words and his eyes twitched but was barely noticeable.
A prevailing silence continued as he waited for her instructions but suddenly he felt a sense of weakness attack his legs and he silently held onto the corner of the desk.
Beads of sweat went down his back but he quickly reached for his pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a pill. Putting it into his mouth, it quickly melted and a sense of control instantly engulfed him.
'That was the last one.'
Xiao Ju frowned seeing the empty pouch but he decided to think about restocking it later as Yukong raised her head. He straightened up and listened carefully.
"I will allow some paths to be open but only limited to the ones near the Commission."
"That's…"
"Understand that this is the most I can offer."
Yukong was firm with her decision. With the amount of conflict the Stellaron would bring, she wanted to contain the number of people using the ports.
Especially for the ones who wanted to take advantage of the confusion.
Seeing as she was not up to making any compromises, Xiao Ju reluctantly nodded his head and felt worried about how he could break this to Dan Shu.
"Madam Yukong~! I have come back with some important news!"
Wanting to express his gratitude, he took the permit Yukong gave him but a sweet voice suddenly rang through the Helm and walked towards the two.
Her soft green eyes landed on the two and they each had varying expressions when they met with the woman.
"Didn't I say not to speak so loudly when you enter the Helm, Tingyun?"
"Sorry, but I happened to meet with a few people."
Tingyun's infectious smile reached Yukong as she also smiled and Xiao Ju lowered his head.
Seeing the unknown person beside her, Tingyun asked. "Ah! Sorry if I'm interrupting. You are…"
"Xiao Ju from the Alchemy Commission. It's a pleasure to meet Miss Tingyun of the Whistling Flames Guild."
"Alchemy Commission…"
Tingyun hummed as she stared at Xiao Ju and he felt like his body was frozen. As if a predator was watching their prey.
After what seemed like hours, Tingyun eventually smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work!"
"Y-Yes… Thank you!!"
Tingyun ignored his unsteady voice and immediately turned to Yukong who was curious as to why she returned so fast.
Informing her that she met with some individuals from the Astral Express and their reason for coming onto the Luofu. Yukong felt like another headache was about to arrive.
Sensing the serious atmosphere, Xiao Ju politely left the two and headed towards a drawer that had his name on it.
After entering a code and checking inside for any letters, he let out a bitter smile seeing nothing, and closed it after staring at the empty box for a while.
"Hopefully she understands that I'm doing this to help her…"
He mumbled under his breath thinking about his only family but managed to slap himself sensing that his thoughts were suddenly getting jumbled up.
"Must be the effects of the medicine."
Xiao Ju leaned against a pillar to help catch his breath which was getting harder as a sudden sharp piercing pain invaded his body.
Different from the one before, his head began to heat up but he had gotten used to it.
Thinking about his family, he managed to pull himself together but the amount of pain was still a bit hard to handle.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Madam Yukong is expecting you."
"Thank you. Everyone let's go."
"Wait, Mr. Yang! I'm still not done eating!"
"...I'll give you 5 seconds."
"...*Crunch*...*Crunch*... Mmm..."
"Make sure to clean up your face before going in."
Amid his foggy mind that was riddled with pain, a few voices managed to reach him and Xiao Ju looked up to see who it was.
A group that looked foreign due to the clothes they wore and the atmosphere they gave off. He was certain that a few big shots had come to meet with Yukong.
Xiao Ju bowed his head sensing one of the members looking in his direction. Hoping that he was able to hide his complexion.
Hearing their footsteps inching closer, he prayed that they didn't notice as it would bring many troubles that he didn't dream of facing.
Luckily his prayers were answered and the door closed leaving his tired body to lean against the pillar. But a subtle scent managed to reach him instead.
With the voices gradually disappearing, Xiao Ju suddenly felt a cool wind hit his body and the sharp pain that was attacking him began to strangely recede.
[Wait]
Hearing a whisper, he opened his eyes and quickly looked around but saw that no one was near him.
Even the Cloud Knights that were stationed in front of the Haven were so far off that they couldn't whisper something he could hear.
"Was that the medicine…?"
Thinking that the relief was being accompanied by hallucinations, Xiao Ju immediately walked towards the Alchemy Commission to finish his job and hopefully head home.
***
"Why are you making that face?"
"What?"
Yuuto looked confused seeing Stelle poke his face and he swatted her hand away.
"Try and focus. We're meeting a pretty important person."
"I'm trying to but I feel a bit jittery."
Stelle mumbled and walked closer to him. "Compared to Belebog, this feels like if I mess up I'll be put into confinement inside a jail or something."
"I don't think you'll be put into jail for now at least…"
"At least? That's not helping me right now."
"Don't worry if you get put into jail I'll keep you company and sit inside with you."
"Why does it have to end up with both of us being in jail in the first place–?"
Yuuto ignored her grumble before stopping where they finally met Yukong who was patiently waiting for them.
Her authoritative gaze and stoic face made a few members flinch but Welt was composed and greeted her lightly.
She nodded before saying a few things.
"Tingyun has informed me of your purpose for visiting; however I must say that I would need to politely decline your proposal."
Right away Yukong didn't mince her words and firmly refused their offer to help with the Stellaron outbreak.
'As expected.' Yuuto expected her response and waited to hear her reasons.
"As part of the Xianzhou Alliance, we have more than enough resources and experience to handle the conflict known as the Stellaron. It may be serious but not to the point of requiring external assistance."
"That may be the case but we ourselves are very experienced in handling Stellaron disasters. If we could prevent the corrosion from affecting harmless citizens..."
"I said this before and it will be the last time I say it again. This is an internal conflict of the Loufu and there is no need for the Astral Express to get involved."
Welt was instantly shut down by Yukong who was adamant about her decision.
The way she spoke and the tone she gave, Welt noticed that it would be close to impossible to speak any words that would overturn her decision.
Compromising may also be a far-fetched idea that may be hard to offer.
As the two continued to exchange words, the other three stood behind Welt and patiently waited while enduring the eyes landing on them.
March nervously looked around sensing the atmosphere and Stelle already began imagining her life as a convict and her plans to escape.
Yuuto also noticed their gazes but frowned when he felt something was off with a few of them.
His eyes let out a faint white hue and he instantly saw how a couple of members of the Commissions had a sticky energy wrapped around their hearts.
One that was faintly similar to the energy he absorbed when he finished off the soldiers inflicted with mara.
'Members of the Sanctus Medicus managed to infiltrate the Sky-Faring Commission?'
A surprising discovery dawned on him and began to wonder how far Phantylia dipped her fingers into the Luofu.
"I understand your sentiment but I'm also curious about one thing. It was only a few days but how can news about the Stellaron outbreak reach your ears if Starskiff Haven was under full lockdown the whole time?"
"That's—"
"Not only that but our access history was recently hacked which allowed the Astral Express to enter through the Jade Gate. The person kindly left her seal and taunted us for quite some time."
The conversation between Welt and Yukong was reaching its peak but Yuuto couldn't help but want to cover his face after hearing the complaint Yukong made.
She tried to mask her tone but the four were able to tell that Silver Wolf managed to successfully push her buttons.
To a degree that she was grinding her teeth. Making the four feel bad for her.
"Anyways, many coincidences don't happen without a reason. It may be considered impolite but you four are forbidden from leaving Starskiff Haven until we properly investigate—"
[Wait a minute Yukong. No need to be so strict when we have such honored guests on board with us.]
Right before Yukong could gesture to take the four someplace else, a holographic image of a man suddenly appeared.
Long white hair that's tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, golden eyes, and a mole under his left eye.
A gentle and handsome complexion. The man smiled at the four and Yukong suddenly stiffened up.
"General Jing Yuan!"
[You don't need to worry about the Astral Express working with the Stellaron Hunters.]
"But—
[It is a well-known fact that the two are mortal enemies so an alliance between them is impossible. Aren't I right?]
Jing Yuan nodded convincingly at his words thinking that it was a fact that couldn't be false.
However, March and Stelle unknowingly glanced at Yuuto who felt his mouth twitch, feeling their eyes land on him.
'I'm innocent…'
Leaving Yuuto under the subtle gazes of the two, Jing Yuan formally introduced himself.
[Apologies for interrupting your meeting. My name is Jing Yuan — I'm the general of the Cloud Knights here on the Luofu.]
Welt and the others introduced themselves as well, feeling the gentle atmosphere he gave off in contrast to the stoic one Yukong had.
It made the other person unknowingly relax but Yuuto felt a slight danger to this.
"General about the situation…"
[You don't need to worry. I also agree that this is a situation that can't be handled by an outside party. So Astral Express, I apologize that I cannot accept your kind offer to help deal with this issue.]
After hearing this, Welt was prepared to compromise as he felt Jing Yuan could provide that possibility. But to his surprise, he offered something else.
[I may not accept your offer to help resolve the issue but can I ask you a favor instead?]
"What kind of favor?"
[Uncovering the true intentions of the Stellaron Hunters.]
[The Divination Commission has been adamant about your involvement with the Stellaron HUnters but as I said before I feel like that was impossible.]
[So far I can presume that this was just a joust to sow discord between us and lure you into the Loufu for a hidden agenda only known to them.]
Jing Yuan continued to explain and the four listened, trying their best to control their expressions.
With such a solid faith of being in no way involved with Kafka's plans was something hard to face but they needed to hold on as disagreeing would only complicate things.
[So the favor I wish to ask is to unveil the true intentions of the Stellaron Hunters and their connection to the Stellaron outbreak. What do you think?]
Welt looked at Jing Yuan who grinned delicately and felt a million questions pop up in his head. But held his tongue for now.
"We accept."
[Wonderful! The Loufu never fails to reward that which is given.]
After organizing a few things with Jing Yuan, he offered for the crew to head to a nearby hotel so they could rest for the day since he felt like it was a long journey for them.
Yukong offered to help and immediately called for Tingyun who she felt was right for the job.
[Wait before you lot go, I wonder if I could ask you guys a question?]
"What kind of question?"
Feeling her nerves calm down, Stelle tilted her head and asked.
[Hmm…]
Jing Yuan rubbed his chin as he thought deeply and a mysterious emotion flashed through his eyes.
[Do any of you like watching the moon rise?]
A simple question but one that holds many different answers.
"I think it's cool to watch?"
"It's pretty to take a picture of!"
"I never really thought about it."
Jing Yuan paid attention to each of their answers and he eventually looked at Yuuto who was the last one to answer.
Thinking for a while, he finally spoke. "I do. I find it beautiful to look at."
[I see… for me I like staring at the moon with friends but sadly I can't do so anymore.]
Jing Yuan chuckled deeply before departing. As if he found their answers interesting.
***
"That was stressful!"
Stelle jumped on the bed that was neatly made in front of her. After leaving the Helm and being guided into a local hotel for them to stay, Welt told the three to rest while they could.
Tingyun offered to show them a nice tea place so they could chat but they felt like enjoying tea during this occasion wasn't the best.
"I would say the same but I want to know why you're in my room?"
"March said she's going to sleep and I feel bored being in the room by myself."
Yuuto noticed Stelle hanging her head at the corner of his bed and wondered how boring it could be.
Feeling a bit stuffy, he opened the window and noticed how the previously bright sky turned a shade darker.
"It's amazing how they managed to make an artificial sky look so real," Stelle said while admiring the darkness gradually approaching.
"Residents of the Luofu have extremely long life spans so it requires them to think carefully about how they could preserve their mental health," Yuuto added.
"Just imagine looking at a pitch-dark sky your entire life. You're bound to have negative thoughts if you live your life like that."
"You're right…" Stelle agreed as she imagined herself living like that and felt like it would be a nightmare.
Seeing Yuuto stare out the window, she couldn't help but mumble.
"You know a lot…"
"I just know what I know."
Yuuto lightly tapped on Stelle's forehead as he found her thoughts funny and stretched his arms.
Sensing that he was about to do something, Stelle immediately sat up and looked at Yuuto who was already a foot out the window.
"Don't tell me…"
"I'm going to roam around for a bit."
"I knew it."
Stelle looked at him suspiciously as a faint moonlit glow enveloped his body and a mysterious expression found itself on his face.
"I'll be back. Do you want anything?"
Stelle let out a sigh as she knew something big was going to happen but she decided to let future Stelle handle it.
"Just get me a snack like that thing we ate earlier, a drink and something filling."
"Quite the demand but see it granted."
That was the last thing he said before his body faded and left Stelle all alone in his room.
***
In a neighborhood far away from the hotel where the Astral Express was located, a familiar man entered a dark alleyway holding a paper bag.
"I wonder if Short Auntie has some leftover food I can take…"
Entering an area named [Aurum Alley], Xiao Ju clenched his rumbling stomach but seeing as no one was at the stall, he decided that he could just eat in the morning.
Reaching a small hut by the far corner of the alley, he turned the key and entered his house where a deafening silence took hold.
Closing the door, his attempt to control his expression immediately faded as his face contorted painfully.
He staggered and leaned against his wall. Frantically trying to reach his hand into the paper bag that had medicine that the Chief Alchemist made.
"They said that it would take a few more trials to get the results I want but…"
Xiao Ju could still feel the pain despite taking the pills and his mind began to turn dark.
He curled his body to forget the pain that gradually grew in intensity and thought about his family. A reflex that helped him get through the agony he received every time he took the medicine.
"Hopefully it doesn't last too long this time…"
[You must be…]
"W-Who!?"
Xiao Ju weakly raised his head hearing an unknown voice suddenly appear and felt a sense of fear different from the pain he currently has.
As if to answer his thoughts, a soft light grew from the center of his room before a man covered in white appeared.
A white robe with golden inscriptions near the sleeves and a veil that covered a portion of his face. His face was like a mosaic but the pure white iris of his eyes had sucked Xiao Ju's attention that he couldn't think.
His appearance was a shock to Xiao Ju that he even forgot his pain as he looked up blankly.
[Does it hurt?]
"..Ah..It…"
He couldn't form a sentence as he was still in a state of shock but he managed to regain his senses.
"Wh-Who are you…"
[Me?]
The man made a silent smile as a tall banner with a black frame and a white transparent flag materialized behind him.
[You can refer to me as the Immortal Sanctifier]
It was at this moment another piece of a man's black history was created.
***
Goodluck on anyone trying to get either Aventurine or Acheron. I'll be over here holding onto my funds for a certain foxian woman.
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