Marry Acheron - 401 - 410

Marry Acheron - 401

--+--

The construction of Sylvia’s estate proceeded smoothly.

Modular construction materials were fully automated—once their placement was set within the system, they deployed, expanded, and took shape entirely on their own.

Even the furniture came with a distinct, stylish flair; it was quite eye-catching.

Ruan Mei’s laboratory had also undergone a massive expansion. However, most of the new modules were built underground, so the structure above ground remained relatively compact.

To celebrate moving into the new home, Sylvia decided to cook for the first time in ages, intending to whip up something delicious. She sent a message to Firefly as well, though she didn’t receive a reply.

She figured she wouldn't show up, but right in the middle of the meal, a familiar pixel-art portal flickered into existence.

Silver Wolf stomped through the portal, looking grumpy. After glancing around the room, she plopped herself right into Sylvia’s lap and immediately grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, diving straight into the food.

"..."

Sylvia couldn’t see Silver Wolf’s face, but she could see those strands of silver hair and the hairband bobbing in front of her. She couldn't help but feel that Silver Wolf was in a foul mood.

Sylvia reached out and wrapped an arm around Silver Wolf’s waist.

Her midriff-baring outfit was as pleasant to touch as ever; her waist felt even softer and more delicate than her own or Mei's. A slight squeeze revealed just a hint of softness.

Beside them, Mei set down her utensils and looked at Sylvia with curious eyes, silently asking for an explanation. Sylvia just shrugged, signaling that she had no idea what Silver Wolf had gotten up to.

Just then, Firefly’s voice drifted in from behind them:

"...Apologies. Silver Wolf lost a match to someone from the IPC today. She was in a bit of a bad mood."

Seeing everyone turn, Firefly clasped her hands together and gave a slight, polite bow.

"Long time no see, Miss Acheron, Sylvia. And a pleasure to meet you for the first time, train conductor of the Astral Express."

"Hey... how could you all just walk onto the Express without even saying hello!" The conductor raised her small paws, looking indignant. What kind of people were they? Couldn't they knock?

"Apologies, Conductor. We’ll be sure to knock properly next time." Firefly walked over to Sylvia’s side and offered an embarrassed, sincere smile, which quickly melted away most of the conductor's frustration.

Sylvia gestured for Firefly to sit. She kept one arm around Silver Wolf, asking curiously, "What happened? Didn’t Silver Wolf get Bella's data? How could she still lose?"

"Well, about that..."

Firefly offered a rueful, indescribable smile. In Sylvia’s arms, Silver Wolf suddenly jerked her head up, brandished her chopsticks, and grumbled loudly:

"Hmph! That wretched Masked Fool—munch, munch—they must have colluded with the IPC! Munch, munch... another bowl, please!"

"..."

Sylvia tilted her head, glancing at Silver Wolf’s profile. Her cute lips were glistening with oil, and a single grain of rice was stuck to her puffed-out cheek.

Sylvia nonchalantly raised a hand, brushed her finger across Silver Wolf’s chubby cheek, pinched off the grain of rice, and flicked it onto the table.

As for eating it herself? Sorry, Sylvia didn't have that habit. Besides, Mei was still staring at them from across the table; she didn't dare pull such a suggestive stunt.

Even so, Silver Wolf’s face flushed red. She shot a strange, sideways glare at Sylvia, pouting with a look of aggrieved resentment that somehow made her look even more adorable.

Sylvia stifled a laugh and took the opportunity to pat her head. Nearby, a Herta puppet in an apron wandered over to refill Silver Wolf's bowl, while also handing new sets of utensils to Firefly and Sylvia.

"So, what really happened?"

"Munch, munch..."

Silver Wolf just kept her head down, focused on her meal. Sylvia, helpless, had to turn her gaze to Firefly.

Compared to the slightly childish Silver Wolf, Firefly ate with far more grace.

Noticing Sylvia’s gaze, Firefly’s face turned slightly pink. She offered a sweet smile before explaining:

"It’s just... Silver Wolf obtained Bella's data. After she turned it into an Aether Spirit, Bella was ridiculously powerful. Because of that, once she reached the finals, the authenticity of Bella's stats was questioned by the online audience."

"…Are you saying Silver Wolf was accused of modifying the Aether Spirit's data?" Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Something like that actually happened?

Firefly nodded, took a bite of her food, and then covered her mouth to swallow before continuing.

"Mm-hmm. Although the event organizers released a statement confirming the data was fine, it was too game-breaking for a competitive setting. So, they released a specific patch to nerf Bella's stats."

"Silver Wolf’s team was built entirely around Bella. Once those stats were nerfed, she had to scramble to reorganize her team, and she ended up losing the knockout stage after bumping into an IPC executive."

"..."

Ah... so that was the reason.

Sylvia understood. To maintain the competitive integrity of the game, nerfing an overpowered new character was standard behavior for a developer and event organizer.

But for Silver Wolf, it really was unfair. After all, she had genuinely earned that Aether Spirit through her own skill.

However—

"Haha! Silver Wolf, you're such a scrub! You got shut down—Pfft!"

Sylvia grinned, just about to tease her further, when Silver Wolf unleashed a fierce rocket-headbutt that nearly sent Sylvia flying backward.

Beside them, Mei shook her head helplessly, continuing to eat in silence. She had no objections to Sylvia getting headbutted. It was a classic case of playing with fire and getting burned.

"Ugh..."

Sylvia mumbled, clutching her mouth. Silver Wolf’s voice followed, teeth gritted in anger:

"Hmph! That damn Masked Fool! Spouting nonsense about how Bella would be a limited-edition, exclusive Aether Spirit only I could hold, acting like nobody else could get their hands on that data!"

"Aha ha... Ouch."

Sylvia couldn't help but chuckle again, continuing to soothe Silver Wolf. Honestly, when it came to gaming, she really could act like a child.

Silver Wolf, who had been contemplating another headbutt, heard Sylvia’s sharp intake of breath and decided to let it slide.

"Don't laugh! Dammit! The more I think about it, the angrier I get. And that person named Topaz... she had the audacity to show off after winning! I’m going to hack their servers tonight!"

Since she couldn't use her eyes to glare, Silver Wolf braced her hands on the table and rotated her hips against Sylvia’s stomach.

After a half-turn, she ended up sitting sideways on Sylvia’s lap, staring at her with dead fish eyes.

She seemed to be using her gaze to condemn the laughter. She even wanted to lift her fist to land a couple more blows, but since they were in public, she held back.

Still, that cute, soft rear of hers was rubbing against Sylvia’s lap. To Sylvia, it was legitimately distracting.

Come to think of it, this was the first time she and Silver Wolf had sat this intimately. Before, it was, at most, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder; this time, she had burrowed straight into her arms.

It seemed that losing the tournament due to outside factors had really hit Silver Wolf hard.

"Alright, alright, stop staring at me like that~"

Sylvia held back her laughter and grabbed a tissue to wipe Silver Wolf’s mouth. This girl... how did she forget how to wipe her own mouth whenever gaming was involved?

"How about I help you get another one-of-a-kind Aether Spirit?"

"Really?!" Silver Wolf perked up instantly. "What new pet did you catch?"

"Not quite, but you could look forward to it. You’ll see in a couple of days."

"Mmm-hmm, you promise!"

"Yeah, yeah, a promise is a promise."

Seeing Sylvia’s guarantee, Silver Wolf was visibly delighted, and her pace of eating grew even more enthusiastic. Anything that came out of Sylvia’s hands was always some rare, one-of-a-kind treasure.

To her, what was some silly tournament compared to the satisfaction of taking a rare Aether Spirit to the forums and showing off?

During the meal, Sylvia had intended to probe Firefly for information about the Penacony script. But Firefly’s voice remained soft, and her lips were remarkably tight.

She seemed so terrified of leaking intelligence that, other than nodding or shaking her head, she wouldn't answer any of Sylvia’s questions.

It left Sylvia quite helpless. She didn't know why Firefly felt the need to hide things from her.

Watching Firefly struggle with the internal pressure, Sylvia eventually gave up and shifted the conversation to other topics.

"By the way, why didn't Kafka come?"

Even though Sylvia had only messaged Firefly, she had invited all the Stellaron Hunters.

Seeing that Sylvia was finally willing to drop the previous topic, Firefly covered her mouth and exhaled in relief. She gave Sylvia a slightly reproachful look before answering:

"Kafka happened to be on vacation and wasn't at the base. She just told us to have fun."

"Hah..."

Silver Wolf and Firefly didn't stay long. After finishing their meal and resting for a bit, they left.

The next day, just as Sylvia thought she would have nothing to do for a few days, she received a notice from Ruan Mei. She asked both Sylvia and Mei to head to the laboratory, though she didn't specify exactly what it was for—only that there was an experiment to conduct.

When the two stepped into the transformed lab, Ruan Mei handed a vial to Sylvia.

"Here. I heard about your method of enhancing the Path of Permanence yesterday, so I concocted this reagent..."

Before Ruan Mei could finish, Sylvia’s eyes lit up: "If I drank this, would it directly boost the power of Permanence?"

"..."

Ruan Mei paused, then replied with a smile: "I’m sorry, dear, it wouldn't. Even a Genius does not have the ability to toy with Paths at will."

Creating a potion that could boost Path power overnight without side effects—Ruan Mei wondered if Sylvia took Geniuses for wish-granting machines. Even a Genius couldn't make something so illogical.

Sylvia pursed her lips, offering an awkward but polite smile.

"So...?"

"Strictly speaking, it was a stimulant designed to help you maintain mental clarity and alertness."

"Huh?"

Sylvia didn't understand why Ruan Mei would use this, but Ruan Mei gestured to Mei beside her and said:

"According to your account yesterday, every training session involving the Path of Permanence was interrupted because your consciousness couldn't keep up, even though your body, shielded by the Path, never suffered any damage."

"..."

Ruan Mei didn't need to finish; Sylvia understood perfectly. Since they were lacking in willpower, she was just going to force it to strengthen.

But, big sister, I have to endure the Nihility every single time. It feels terrible, and you want me to stay hyper-alert to resist it? Are you trying to torture me?

Sylvia’s expression was indescribable. Beside her, Mei spoke up: "Was this medicine safe?"

"Of course. It was a drug I often used myself; I had simply increased the dosage. The only side effect was that you would need a long rest afterward."

Ruan Mei was known for working until she forgot to eat or sleep. While physical fatigue could be managed with nutrient solutions or direct injections, mental exhaustion was trickier.

Ruan Mei usually used this concoction to maintain mental stability until her experiment reached a milestone.

In truth, Ruan Mei had never personally experienced Nihility erosion, so she wasn't entirely certain what effects it would have on Sylvia. This was just the first attempt.

Ruan Mei wanted to observe and record the process of Sylvia’s "Permanence resisting Nihility and growing stronger" as closely as possible.

An active Path of Permanence would provide more—and clearer—data, and it also offered a chance to observe the rarely seen Path of Nihility.

"I asked you here today because I hoped you, my dear, would conduct your daily practice right here. I intended to collect the data."

Ruan Mei operated a holographic display, and a white bed appeared in the center of the lab, surrounded by dense arrays of equipment. Neither Sylvia nor Mei refused.

However...

Sylvia sat on the bed, feeling uncertain about the vial in her hand. "Ruan Mei, this enhanced version... are you sure there were no side effects?"

"Would it have made you feel more at ease if I staked my reputation as the 81st member of the Genius Society on it?" Ruan Mei joked for once.

It had to be said that the unique nature of Sylvia had elevated her in Ruan Mei’s eyes from a "special test subject" to a "one-of-a-kind experimental subject."

"Alright then..."

Since Ruan Mei was betting her status as a Genius on it, what else could Sylvia say?

When she thought about the sheer absurdity of the Genius Society members, perhaps a little booster potion really was nothing to them.

Sylvia tilted her head back and drank the reagent. It tasted like plum blossoms.

Without a word from Ruan Mei, Sylvia laid down, while Mei sat on the edge of the bed, removed her gloves, and pressed her palms firmly against Sylvia’s chest.

Hum—

In an instant, without any extra visual effects, the equipment in front of Ruan Mei reacted.

First came the Nihility emanating from Acheron’s influence, followed by the frenzied, defensive surge of Permanence from within Sylvia.

The intense confrontation and mutual annihilation were depicted indirectly through Ruan Mei’s various measuring instruments.

"The resistance was this intense? Interesting. It’s surprising that these two Paths could be so incompatible."

The Nihility flowed endlessly—it wasn't strong, but it lacked any signs of consciousness. And while the defensive force of Permanence was explosive, its strength was ultimately limited, and it quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

The result was that Sylvia’s body began to be corroded by Nihility; her aura dipped rapidly, showing clear traits of an "Emanator of Nihility" on the verge of Self-Annihilation.

Yet, even as that power of Permanence was suppressed and weakened, it was never truly broken. And whenever it reached a limit extremely close to being consumed by Nihility, Ruan Mei could "observe" a fierce feedback loop from the Path of Permanence.

The strengthened power of Permanence would then counterattack rapidly, violently washing away the remaining Nihility, dragging Sylvia back from the brink of death in a manner that defied all logic.

"..."

Even as experienced as Ruan Mei was, she couldn't help but sigh. These two really didn't treat human life as something worth protecting.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 402

--+--

Ruan Mei stared, unblinking, at every reading displayed before her.

An abstract clash of powers, captured perfectly in numbers, played out on her screen. It even tracked every one of Sylvia’s "deaths and rebirths."

No wonder her progress was so rapid. So that’s how it is—you’re treating your own life like it’s disposable just to train.

Maybe you two should take a break...

Even Ruan Mei, who considered herself emotionally detached, couldn't help but want to put an end to this pair's "death-defying sit-ups."

If something went wrong, and Sylvia actually died right here, what would I do? I have a whole queue of follow-up experiments just waiting to be tested on her.

You may not care about your own life, but I certainly treasure my one-of-a-kind test subject!

Ruan Mei opened her mouth, but in the end, she swallowed the urge to intervene.

"..."

If she hadn't known from the start that they often did this, she would have stopped them long ago. But seeing Sylvia lying there, having done over a dozen rounds of this without a scratch, she finally relaxed and turned her attention back to the data.

This was the first time Ruan Mei had analyzed Nihility data with such intensity.

Most Paths have no connection to one another; they keep to themselves, like well water and river water.

If you have the talent to wield two Paths at once, that just makes you powerful; if you don't, you can only stare in envy.

Only in rare, special circumstances are there traces of a connection where they can combine for surprising effects.

But this was the first time Ruan Mei had seen the Paths of Permanence and Nihility clash so violently.

And...

Every time Sylvia turned into a Self-Annihilator, the power of Permanence would automatically pull her back, washing away the Nihility within her until it was completely gone.

Ruan Mei was certain this was a spontaneous reaction of the Paths themselves, not something Sylvia was intentionally controlling.

Soon, Ruan Mei became lost in thought.

The scene today was a truly unexpected harvest.

Perhaps Herta would be interested in this as well.

Meanwhile, Sylvia felt indescribable agony.

Nihility was tugging at her consciousness just as it always did.

Logically, because of the Path of Permanence, Sylvia should have been oscillating between losing and regaining consciousness. But this time, because of the serum, every time Nihility tried to drag her down, she was forced to remain awake.

As a result, every clash had a period where Sylvia had to rely entirely on her own will to resist the erosion of Nihility.

After repeating this so many times, Sylvia began to notice something. Beneath that deep, dark sea of nothingness, there seemed to be a faint, colossal black sun rising and falling.

The image was blurry and indistinct. Whenever she tried to look closer, the power of Permanence would pull her back.

And ever since she first caught a glimpse of that black sun, every counter-attack of the Path of Permanence made her faintly see the phantom of an Ouroboros.

(T/N: Not to be mistaken for Oroboros, the Aeon of Voracity. The Ouroboros where it's a dragon eating its own tail, signifying the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth.)

It was just as blurred, yet equally soul-shaking.

At first, Sylvia could still force herself to think, but as the repetitions mounted, she began to abandon thought entirely. However, the effect of the serum remained potent; even when she stopped thinking, she was still forced to stay awake.

She could only watch, over and over again, as the black sun and the Ouroboros phantom intertwined before her eyes.

This time, she didn't feel that sensation of her mind and consciousness being "Nihilized."

Yet, Sylvia still felt like something was off.

She was uncomfortable, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why.

At that moment, Acheron was the first to sense that something was wrong.

Even though the rhythm was the same as usual, she could clearly feel that when Sylvia fell into the void, she was plunging much deeper than before—far exceeding the dosage she had administered.

Consequently, the counter-attack from the Path of Permanence was becoming much more violent.

Something was off.

This was the first time she had witnessed such a scene.

So, Acheron quickly ceased her actions.

Following that last cycle, Sylvia rapidly regained her clarity.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

Acheron stared at Sylvia with concern, her tone tinged with agitation. After all, the nature of Nihility made it difficult for anyone to feel truly at ease.

"Mm..."

Sylvia frowned and rubbed her temples. As her brain "rebooted," those blurry impressions slowly began to make sense.

"I think I'm fine. It's just... I think I saw phantoms of both Nihility and Permanence."

Acheron’s expression stiffened, and her hand, pressed against Sylvia’s chest, gripped tighter involuntarily.

"You can’t call that 'fine'."

Acheron pushed Sylvia back onto the bed and turned to demand an explanation from Ruan Mei.

But Ruan Mei acted first:

"You saw the shadows of two Aeons? Is this the first time you’ve encountered this? Could it be because your consciousness was too clear? Miss Acheron, what does it feel like to explore Nihility?"

The instruments surrounding Sylvia began to whir. Ruan Mei threw the question back to Acheron.

These two Paths shared a commonality: no matter how a Pathstrider sought them, they would never receive a response from their respective Aeons.

Nihility was the most peculiar—it was always there, yet it ignored everyone.

And as long as one had the capability, whoever reached the depth of an Emanator on that Path could seize its power.

Therefore, Ruan Mei believed the issue lay in the consciousness itself.

Maintaining self-awareness had inadvertently allowed Sylvia to fulfill the conditions for diving deep into Nihility.

Maintaining oneself...

Or perhaps...

Ruan Mei had never expected the effect to be this profound.

"Maintaining self-awareness, and then constantly diving deeper... Could your medicine be working? No, wait, your medicine can even affect a Self-Annihilator?!"

Once Acheron realized this, she immediately grasped the more terrifying implication.

The things this woman pulled out so casually...

Could actually resist even the erosion of Nihility.

Is this the true worth of a genius?

In that moment, Acheron felt a sense of powerless sorrow for those Doctors of Chaos who were still struggling in the dark.

But soon, Acheron realized that Sylvia herself was special; the medicine alone probably wouldn't be enough.

"...No, I don't think this medicine is as effective as you think, Miss Acheron."

Ruan Mei shook her head, matter-of-factly.

She knew the situation of Self-Annihilators well enough. If it were truly this easy to treat, someone would have found a suitable method long ago.

The serum worked well on Sylvia only because she had the Path of Permanence serving as a safety net. What use would it be for other Self-Annihilators?

Once enveloped by the shadow of Nihility, merely having the will to resist was meaningless.

Perhaps the person standing in front of her was the rarest of anomalies. How did this Miss Acheron endure it?

Ruan Mei thought for a moment, then made a bold guess: "Regardless, although the results seem a bit unexpected, neither Permanence nor Nihility will respond to a Pathstrider. I don't think there will be any problems."

At least under her monitoring, the reaction of Path energy in Sylvia’s body wasn't continuously escalating; in fact, it had even subsided slightly after stabilizing.

Once Ruan Mei explained her conclusion, Sylvia wanted to continue while the effect of the medicine lasted.

Because it was working well.

Sylvia could even feel her strength rising steadily within her body.

Although it was painful, if she could maintain this efficiency, she felt that it wouldn't be long before she could fully manifest as a dragon, rivaling a certain High-Cloud Quintet member—or even a High Elder.

"..."

Acheron was hesitant.

But under Sylvia’s gaze, her heart softened, and she relented.

Though she claimed she would stop immediately if anything went wrong, Sylvia knew she was just tough on the outside and soft on the inside.

"Keep going, keep going!"

"...Fine."

After that, Acheron’s movements became even more cautious and careful than before.

The good news was that while it looked dangerous, overall, there was nothing different from the previous situation. It only looked and felt slightly more perilous.

The two continued for nearly double the usual time.

When weariness finally showed on Sylvia’s face, Acheron stopped the transmission and cut off the experiment immediately.

As the surging energy within her body gradually calmed, it wasn't long before Sylvia closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

"Ruan Mei—"

"Rest easy, it's fine. She's just exhausted. Mm... it’s exactly the same as when I use it myself."

Acheron’s first reaction was panic, but Ruan Mei quickly dispelled her anxiety.

She admitted that seeing Sylvia collapse into sleep like that did look a bit like something had gone wrong, rather than simple rest. But this was merely an instinctive reaction after excessive mental expenditure.

She had plenty of experiences where she had passed out on her own laboratory bench like that after experimenting.

In fact, after using this kind of serum, it was generally difficult to have the energy to move oneself to a resting room.

Ruan Mei walked over, looking down at the sleeping Sylvia, her fingers quietly brushing against her cheek.

"How terrifying. Sylvia’s body has been on the verge of being swallowed by Nihility over a hundred times. Although she didn't die, she has experienced the sensation of near-death over a hundred times."

She muttered as if talking to herself, but Acheron heard it clearly.

She frowned slightly, yet Ruan Mei maintained a calm smile.

Only when Ruan Mei raised her head, her gaze toward Acheron carried a probing look:

"You seem very concerned about Sylvia, yet you have pushed her body to the brink of death countless times like this. And even though I am the one ensuring her safety every single time, she is secretly on guard against me, as if I were some kind of dangerous element."

"Isn't that a rather unfair treatment?"

If, before today, Ruan Mei could understand Sylvia’s wariness toward her, then after today, she felt she couldn't quite comprehend Sylvia’s choices.

In terms of danger, it was clear that the extreme training conducted in private between Miss Acheron and Sylvia was far more dangerous and terrifying.

Ruan Mei even felt that Sylvia was likely the only person in the world who could so actively and deeply peer into Nihility while remaining unscathed.

In comparison, although Ruan Mei viewed people as test subjects, she at least ensured the subject's life within the limits of her capabilities.

She rarely let things descend into a life-or-death situation.

Facing Ruan Mei’s question, Acheron merely shook her head.

"Regarding that, you can wait until she wakes up and ask her yourself."

"I don't particularly want to get to the bottom of it; it was just a passing thought."

Ruan Mei looked at the silent readings and shook her head with a smile. Of course, she wasn't planning on asking the person involved.

This was just a small diversion outside of her experiments; she didn't care that much about getting an answer.

Ruan Mei adjusted some settings on the screen in her hand:

"Let her stay here today. The equipment here can keep a constant watch on her physical condition. I also want to study the traces left on her body."

After setting the automated program, Ruan Mei stood up and tapped her fingers against the reliable, cutting-edge equipment.

Having experienced the erosion of Nihility over and over again, what kind of changes had occurred in Sylvia’s body?

After conducting an in-depth probe into her body, Ruan Mei was quite intrigued.

Living things spontaneously adapt to their environment. And for powerful individuals, they don't need generational inheritance to successfully complete this adaptation process.

Clearly, Sylvia had achieved this.

Her body was changing due to the repeated erosion of Nihility.

This was also something worth recording and investigating.

Acheron looked down at the sleeping Sylvia, then at the smiling Ruan Mei.

Considering Ruan Mei’s flimsy moral compass, Acheron was actually a bit worried about whether something might happen to Sylvia if she were left alone in the laboratory.

But in terms of biology, Ruan Mei was the most professional.

Acheron had always worried about whether long-term exposure to the erosion of Nihility would have any lasting effects on Sylvia.

Ruan Mei seemed to care about exactly that, which made Acheron inclined to let Sylvia stay for Ruan Mei’s check-ups.

"Then I—"

"You can come and check on the situation every few system-hours, but don't stay here. The equipment here hasn't been specifically treated to resist Nihility."

Acheron, who originally wanted to say more, swallowed those words of worry upon hearing Ruan Mei’s advice.

"I understand. I'll leave Sylvia to you for the time being."

Acheron left that instruction with great seriousness before turning to leave.

Though her expression and tone hadn't changed, Ruan Mei still understood the implied "threat."

"Ah—a Self-Annihilator who has salvaged feelings and memories... you truly aren't short of strange characters around you."

Ruan Mei looked down at the sleeping Sylvia, a smile on her lips.

She didn't care about being warned.

Feelings like dissatisfaction or anger were rarely seen in Ruan Mei.

As long as one didn't disturb her experiments, it was fine.

"But today, I really did get some interesting data. Perhaps... I really can make something out of it."

Seeing such an intense training method sparked a flood of inspiration in Ruan Mei’s mind.

Perhaps, she could try "Dragon-ification"?

Cultivating a true dragon out of thin air might be a technical challenge. But by taking a slight detour and studying the advancement methods of the Vidyadhara, it might just be feasible.

"One Dragon-kin might not be enough... I should make a few more as a control group."

Ruan Mei walked toward her workstation, started the experimental recording equipment, and, while muttering to herself, threw herself back into the creation of life.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 403

--+--

Sylvia didn’t know how long she had been asleep.

But one thing was certain: this was the deepest, most restful slumber she’d had in a long time.

It made sense, honestly. Once someone reached a certain level of strength, sleep wasn't really a biological requirement to maintain mental clarity anymore.

Most of the time, she slept simply to enjoy that rare, blissful sense of total relaxation.

But this time?

Sylvia felt the genuine, soul-deep satisfaction she used to experience back in her previous life—that feeling of collapsing into bed after an agonizing, sleepless cram session for final exams.

She blearily opened her eyes.

Above her, she could see the dim, flickering pulse of indicator lights. Beside her, a machine emitted a rhythmic, steady beep-beep.

"..."

This didn't exactly look like a professional setup. Sylvia muttered a dry, groggy complaint to herself. Where on earth did she end up? Was she even sleeping here when she dozed off?

Before her brain could fully reboot, a pleasant voice drifted over from nearby.

"You're awake. Congratulations. The surgery was a success; you're no longer human."

"..."

Well, that’s a rude way to start a conversation.

Sylvia curled her lip and turned her head. There, sitting at a workbench with a pair of eccentric goggles perched on her face, was Ruan Mei.

She seemed to be taking a break. A mechanical arm glided over to serve her a tray of pastries and tea. With graceful, fluid movements, Ruan Mei removed her goggles, stood up, and carried the tray over to Sylvia.

"Here, have a bite. You’ve been asleep for two days."

"Two days? Seriously?"

As her mind finally cleared, the memories flooded back. Sylvia sat up, propped herself against the headboard, and popped a piece of pastry into her mouth. It was still warm—freshly made.

"Mhm. You’re quite the sleeper. But those two days allowed for some new progress in my research."

"What kind of progress?"

"I’ll tell you in a bit. It’s almost finished."

"?"

Sylvia chewed thoughtfully, her brow furrowed in confusion. Ruan Mei just smiled, offering no further explanation. Maybe she just wanted a moment of peace. Deciding not to press her, Sylvia finished the snack.

She noticed that Mei was nowhere to be seen, so she decided to wander around. The lab was bright, but being cooped up underground without a glimpse of the sky was starting to feel a bit oppressive.

However—the moment the lab doors slid open, Sylvia froze.

"???"

What in the world were those things? Creatures that looked suspiciously like dragons were frolicking in the sky, underground, in the water, and across the lawn.

She glanced up and spotted a few little ones chasing Bella in a high-speed game of tag.

Where was she? Was this really still Separius?

"How about it? My Draconic progeny."

Ruan Mei’s voice drifted from behind her. Sylvia blinked, staring at the motley crew of creatures. They were all bizarre, yet if you looked closely, you could indeed find faint traces of draconic lineage in each of them.

"You made all of these? In just two days?!"

Sylvia’s pupils shook. She knew that even the Cat Cake creations could be "one-click generated" with a simple rice cooker, but this was on a completely different level!

These were entities carrying their own Paths, and they clearly weren't all the same species. You could just mass-produce these with the push of a button?

Ruan Mei ignored the shock in Sylvia’s eyes, calmly walking past her to step out of the lab. "Is it a lot? Once you’ve mastered the method, it’s just a matter of permutation and combination. But putting that aside, do you feel it?"

"Feel what?"

Sylvia looked around, utterly perplexed. She didn't feel anything. Could there be some mystical telepathic connection between dragon-kin?

"Hmm... is that so? Why don't you try manifesting your draconic features?"

Ruan Mei tilted her head, looking almost genuinely curious—a rare expression that actually looked rather cute. But a sense of foreboding washed over Sylvia.

Oh no.

Don’t tell me this woman fed me something weird while I was dead to the world?

Nervously, Sylvia channeled the power of Permanence throughout her body.

Almost immediately, her familiar white dragon horns and tail broke through her clothes. But this time, she felt a strange, surging energy moving within her. Her back began to burn.

Rip!

A pair of slender, snow-white dragon wings tore through her shirt and unfurled behind her. Fine, shimmering white scales bloomed across her forearms, thighs, and jawline.

In a spot she couldn't see, her blue pupils slowly sharpened into vertical slits.

Then, the power of the Path of Permanence, which usually plateaued once it reached a certain limit, was suddenly catalyzed by these new traits, surging upward in a massive, overwhelming spike.

BOOM—

Sylvia struggled to control her new wings. A single, clumsy flap of the long, slender membranes whipped up a violent gale, lifting her off the ground as the sheer force threatened to defy gravity entirely.

Ruan Mei didn't flinch, leaning into the wind while scribbling notes on her tablet.

She muttered to herself, "The effect is lower than expected. It still fails to reach the standard of true dragon-transmutation. Are there some kind of restrictions? Theoretically, the logic should be sound. Why can't I break through this limit?"

Ruan Mei frowned, contemplating the flaw. The power of a High Elder was said to rival that of an Emanator.

Even if the truth was more nuanced, she had already successfully cloned an Emanator of Propagation; there was no reason she shouldn't be able to perfect a creature of the stunted Path of Permanence.

Hearing the muttering, Sylvia knew she had been a victim of Ruan Mei’s "handiwork."

"What exactly did you stuff into me? My power has more than doubled!"

"Nothing much. Just a serum to facilitate your transformation into a dragon. Only a twofold increase, though... it seems I failed after all."

Ruan Mei had run dozens of iterations on her other synthetic dragon-kin; this latest version was the best yet. But clearly, it wasn't enough.

Sylvia was more powerful, and she looked more draconic, but she wasn't a real dragon.

What was she missing? Maybe she had to experiment on a genuine High Elder.

She didn't believe her technology was flawed; if there was one missing variable, it was that she had handled the remains of an Emanator to create her Propagation clone, but she had never touched a High Elder—or even a pure-blooded member of the Vidyadhara.

That must be it.

Ruan Mei walked up to Sylvia and said quite earnestly, "My dear, do you know any High Elders of the Luofu? I suspect the secret to true dragon-transmutation lies with them."

"..."

Sylvia was speechless. Dude, really?

Are you actually serious? You’re targeting a High Elder now? Aren't you afraid the Xianzhou will sail their frigates over here to have a "discussion" about the justice of big guns and warships? This little planet couldn't survive an orbital bombardment!

"I'll... ask around, I guess. But don't get your hopes up."

She could check with Dan Heng, but the Vidyadhara were notoriously protective of their secrets, and considering the trauma Dan Heng had endured in his past life, Sylvia wasn't about to promise she could convince him.

Ruan Mei nodded and wandered off, unbothered. If this lead didn't pan out, she’d just have to keep tinkering in the Simulated Universe. It would just take more time.

Sylvia went to find Mei and eventually located her in the train's kitchen. Mei was busy cooking and didn't seem too happy that Sylvia had chosen the most inconvenient time possible to wake up.

After a meal shared together, complete with a dessert Mei had whipped up, Sylvia decided it was time to head back to Penacony.

"I’m planning to take a trip to Penacony."

"I see."

Mei just nodded, continuing to clear the table without missing a beat.

"You're not coming?"

"These are sensitive times. I'd rather stay here."

Entering Penacony meant diving into the Dreamscape, and their current standing there was... precarious, to say the least. Mei had no intention of tagging along.

"Oh... alright, then."

Sylvia nodded and, without wasting a second, teleported directly to Robin's residence. She sensed a few guards lingering outside, but the interior seemed undisturbed. Finding a dream pool in the guest room, she sank into the Dreamscape.

She was promptly intercepted by Sunday in the deserted, dilapidated version of the Reverie Hotel.

"Where is Robin?"

Sunday was aggressive. Before Sylvia could even wait for Sleepie to pick her up, Sunday had tracked her down. In the empty, desolate hotel, there were no bystanders. He had come alone.

Sylvia peered behind him, curious. "You didn't bring any Bloodhounds?"

"If I had brought the Bloodhounds, you wouldn't be leaving here in one piece."

Sunday was still dressed in his elegant formal attire, though it was clear his mental state was fraying. Sylvia shrugged, not bothering to argue. Instead, something else caught her attention.

"In the last few days, didn't Robin send you a message or anything?"

"You know where she is?!"

"I do. I can promise you that she’s safe. But since she hasn't reached out to you personally, I don't feel it’s my place to say."

Sylvia spread her hands, helpless. She had assumed Robin would at least send a ping to her brother while hiding out in Dreamflux Reef. How could she leave her brother completely in the dark?

"..."

Sunday’s expression shifted, his gaze becoming sharp and predatory.

It was clear he was weighing whether or not to use force to squeeze an answer out of her. Sylvia, however, wasn't afraid. She had just been powered up—she was actually looking for a sparring partner.

"Heh... so you refuse to talk? Very well. Forgive me."

Sunday bowed slightly, a gesture that felt more like a formality than an apology, and then—

"O Triple-Faced Soul, please sear her tongue and palms with a hot iron, so that she will not be able to fabricate lies and make false vows—"

Along with the incantation came a bizarre, oppressive power. The harmonics of the Path of Harmony attempted to warp her psyche. Sylvia felt shackles of sound and will trying to bind her.

But she hadn't come here to earn Sunday's trust. She had been suspicious of him and the Dreammaster from the start; what use was their trust?

Sylvia’s white wings burst forth, shimmering with silver light. She formed a mudra with one hand, and a massive water dragon roared into existence!

"Don't think your tricks will work every time!"

BOOM!

The water dragon tore through the corridor, its draconic howl instantly drowning out Sunday’s voice. The constraints he tried to impose—the mental intrusion—couldn't force Sylvia to bow her head. Her mental resistance was simply too unreasonable.

"What—"

Pinned against the wall by the water dragon, unable to move, Sunday stared at Sylvia in disbelief.

"How are you unaffected?"

He had used this move countless times; it was the first time it had failed this utterly. Plus, the obvious physical traits—and the intelligence reports linking her to the Xianzhou...

Is your true backer actually the Xianzhou Luofu?

He didn't ask the question out loud. Whether it was true or not, Sylvia would never admit it.

She had been operating outside, using her friendship with the Xianzhou as a cover to hide her own identity as a Vidyadhara. She definitely had an agenda.

Sunday’s face darkened, his mind racing. Was the Xianzhou Alliance trying to claim a piece of the pie in Penacony, too?

"There is no 'why'."

Sylvia stared down at him coldly. She had no idea what Sunday was thinking now that he’d seen her full draconic form. It was obvious that, like his sister, he wasn't built for direct combat.

"Since we’re in a dream, and I don't have much in the way of mental attacks, I suppose... just taste death!"

A complex array formed from water, circling Sunday in the center.

In a heartbeat, the water dragon split into dozens of torrents, each striking with the force of a blade and a hammer. With raw, absolute violence, she tore Sunday’s projection to shreds.

His fragmented limbs dissipated into memetic substance, leaving no trace behind.

"Tch, overprotective brother complex."

Sylvia glared at the empty floor. You better pray you're not the final boss, Sunday. Because if you are, I’m definitely going to add a few extra slashes to your tab in your sister’s name.

Still, this power boost was significant. She felt like she could crush most Pathstriders just by using the power of Permanence alone.

"Sleepie—come on out. Don't let the Bloodhounds catch up."

"Roar~"

From the shadows of the corridor, Sleepie popped its head out happily. With a flick of its form, it whisked Sylvia away in an instant. As for the Bloodhounds who had sensed the commotion and were rushing to the scene, they arrived only to find absolutely nothing.

--+--

In Dreamflux Reef, Sylvia found the young lady, Robin, sitting on a balcony near the accretion disk, studying hard.

She was so engrossed in her notes—poring over some data from who-knows-where—that she didn't even notice Sylvia walk up behind her.

"Robin, how have you been holding up?"

Hearing the voice, Robin looked up, dazed. The moment she saw Sylvia, she sprang to her feet.

"Hm? Oh—Sylvia! You’re here?!"

She didn't hesitate, lunging forward and wrapping her arms tightly around Sylvia’s neck.

"Mmm... yeah."

Sylvia embraced her, wrapping her arms around Robin’s waist. Her small wings stretched out in pure joy, inadvertently slapping Sylvia in the face.

But a moment later, Robin pulled back abruptly. Her flushed face had turned serious and sharp.

She looked like she was about to explode with anger.

"Sylvia... did you run into my brother? Did he try to hurt you?!"

--+--

Marry Acheron - 404

--+--

Sylvia was taken aback by this and looked Robin up and down:

"You knew about that?"

"No, I felt a familiar signature on you. Are you alright? My brother didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Robin looked rather anxious, even a bit distressed, and the way she looked at Sylvia filled with a touch of guilt. Perhaps it was the realization that her own brother had made a move against Sylvia that troubled her so deeply.

"I'm fine, really. Actually, it was quite the opposite..."

Sylvia wanted to offer a little comfort, but Robin didn't even wait for her to finish. She grabbed Sylvia’s hand and started pulling her outside.

"Come with me first. I need to purge the power he left on you! My brother has gone too far; how could he treat you like this?"

Robin was genuinely angry. She recognized that technique, of course.

It was Sunday's preferred method for eliminating those who didn't align with his views. He usually employed it when screening for IPC spies or interrogating them.

It was something the Dreammaster had taught him. Robin had been present at the time, but her vision for the future differed from Sunday's.

She had simply memorized the defensive measures and the counter-methods without ever learning how to actually execute the technique herself.

"Oh..."

Sylvia could feel the lingering traces of that power that hadn't dissipated yet. But since she wasn't actually being hindered by it and the energy was fading on its own, and because she had no personal method to deal with such things, she hadn't given it much thought.

She certainly hadn't expected Robin to react so intensely.

Robin pulled her into a nearby room. Although the exterior looked a bit aged, the interior was furnished in a clean and cozy way. It was clear that the owner took great care of it.

Once Robin pushed her onto the sofa, Sylvia couldn't help but look around.

"Is this where you live?"

"Yes, Mr. Micah gave me this place. It's quite close to that rooftop."

Robin nodded, kicked off her heels, stood up, and stepped directly across Sylvia, sitting on her lap.

"..."

Sylvia was forced to tilt her head back against the sofa; otherwise, her low-cut, off-the-shoulder dress would have pressed her soft skin directly against Sylvia's face.

"Um... Miss Robin, isn't this a little too close?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't study this properly back then, so I can't execute it using just words like my brother does."

Robin knew it was becoming intimate, but she was at a loss. She hadn't been trained for this; her childhood dream had been to sing to her heart's content, and most of her energy had gone into that.

In other situations, she might have managed—her understanding of Harmony was not weak, and she could usually just perform a "tuning" to resolve issues.

But this was a technique cast by Sunday, a master of Harmony. It was exquisite in its design, and couldn't be purged with a simple, ordinary "tuning."

She had only caught snippets of his more aggressive, offensive techniques while listening in on him when she had the time. It was a miracle she remembered as much as she did; she didn't dare hope to perform it well.

Robin’s face turned red as she removed her gloves. She cupped Sylvia’s neck with her palms, lowered her head, and pressed her forehead against Sylvia’s.

"Whew..."

Her moist eyes trembled slightly. In this extreme proximity, Robin felt even shyer.

"Th-then, I'm going to start!"

Robin’s voice trembled, betraying her nerves. Sylvia looked straight into her eyes, feeling the warmth of Robin's breath.

"Go ahead."

As soon as she finished speaking, a faint light bloomed between Robin’s hands. Even her eyes began to shimmer with an inexplicable charm.

A unique and marvelous power radiated from her hands, her forehead, and even the sound of her breathing. It was almost like a "resonance" across dimensions, gradually aligning Sylvia and Robin’s states, making them harmonious and synchronized.

Sylvia could feel that it was the same ability Sunday had used, yet the sensation was worlds apart.

Robin’s touch was clearly much gentler—though that might just be because Sylvia wasn't resisting the "tuning" at all.

As they synchronized, the power lingering in Sylvia’s body began to dissolve. However, the progress was slow.

Robin noticed this, and not wanting to appear incompetent—and perhaps wanting to be a bit closer to Sylvia—she flushed even deeper, pressed her upper body tightly against her, and squeezed into Sylvia’s embrace.

"Mm... I'm sorry, I have to get even closer."

"You already are," Sylvia replied, instinctively hugging Robin’s back.

It was truly reflexive; she had hugged Mei that way many times when she sat on her lap, so it was only natural for her hands to move on their own.

But Robin’s delicate body shivered several times in tension.

"D-don't talk. Let me focus."

"Right."

Seeing Robin’s face growing redder by the second, Sylvia didn't call her out on it. She smiled and kept her mouth shut.

It had to be said that once the contact area increased, the efficiency of the purging skyrocketed. What would have taken an entire night now only required a short while.

Robin could judge the timing of the spell perfectly, but maintaining this close proximity for nearly twenty minutes still made her heart race uncontrollably.

"Th-that... please, please hold this position. It might take a while..."

Robin felt like a dishonest flirt.

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, ending in a whisper against Sylvia’s skin that only made the atmosphere more enticing. Sylvia couldn't help but feel her own cheeks heat up.

Robin’s body was growing warmer, and her heartbeat felt like it was thrumming through their clothes directly into Sylvia’s chest.

"Ha..."

Sylvia exhaled unconsciously, and a warm, raspy breath washed over Robin’s face.

"Gulp..."

Robin was the first to lose her composure, swallowing hard.

Swish—

Her wings reflexively moved to cover her face, but since the two were pressed so closely, the wings couldn't curl inward.

Instead, they pressed firmly against the back of Sylvia’s head, blocking her vision and narrowing their world until there was nothing left but each other’s eyes.

"..."

Sylvia’s mind went blank. If she didn't detach her thoughts, she might not be able to restrain herself.

Meanwhile, Robin grew bolder, admiring Sylvia’s face. Robin was used to wearing makeup, so at first glance, people might think she was the prettier one.

But in Robin’s eyes, Sylvia’s unadorned face held a more profound charm.

She's so beautiful... I want to kiss her.

Once that thought emerged, it spread through her heart like a wildfire. If I kiss her secretly, she won't notice, right?

Robin watched Sylvia’s vacant, unfocused eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Should I? Would she be angry?

But she was so beautiful, and they were so close; her nose was filled with the scent of her. This can't be my fault, can it? It's all because Sylvia is so pretty, so good-smelling... surely it's okay for girls to be a little close.

Robin’s mind raced, quickly shifting the blame onto Sylvia. And then, she tilted her nose slightly, shifting from a forehead-to-forehead position, leaning closer and closer to Sylvia’s lips.

She moved inch by inch. Her nervous eyes remained fixed on Sylvia’s, terrified that she might snap out of it. Yet, she also feared that if she kissed her and Sylvia didn't react, she would be devastated.

Her mind was in chaos, but her lips had already inadvertently brushed against a pair of soft, warm ones.

"Mm..."

She had actually done it. Robin couldn't help but exclaim in her heart. So soft. And so sweet.

"Mm—?!"

No matter how spaced out she had been, Sylvia naturally reacted to being kissed.

Her eyes refocused, only to be met by the sight of Robin’s beautiful eyes, framed perfectly by the white feathers surrounding them. Sylvia realized then that this was supposed to be a "tuning," wasn't it? Does your tuning require kissing?

P-please, don't move!

Just as Sylvia went to help Robin pull back, the songbird used her "tuning" to transmit her words directly into Sylvia’s mind through their resonance.

She didn't know where she found the strength, but she gripped Sylvia’s neck tightly, making it impossible for Sylvia to pry her off.

"Gulp..."

It was a tentative, fleeting kiss. It didn't pry open her teeth or explore with her tongue, but through the slight shivering of her body, her flushed cheeks, and her ragged breathing, Sylvia could feel Robin’s intense nervousness.

Of course, there was also the redness of her face and the flurry of emotions being transmitted through the tuning.

It was like a little girl pouring out her heart—anxious, yet sincere. The intensity of her feelings caught Sylvia off guard.

In Sylvia's eyes, what she had done for Robin shouldn't have been that significant.

She had always viewed Robin as a mature young woman who had endured a life far from stable, one often fraught with danger. She wasn't a sheltered princess; it made sense for her to be grateful, but how could such profound feelings have developed?

Sylvia didn't fully understand; she didn't think the Harmony's "tuning" was supposed to be this transparently bidirectional. Still, she raised her hand and stroked Robin’s head.

"..."

Robin shivered again at the touch. She tightened her grip on Sylvia’s neck, trying to press even closer.

Robin felt Sylvia’s confusion, but she didn't know how else to express her gratitude and love. Perhaps in Sylvia's eyes, her actions were just normal.

But whether it was facing Phantylia, the Family, or the potential threat of the IPC—each was a titan of power.

A normal person would have fled, or at least weighed the pros and cons. Even Sparkle would have only interfered if she thought it was "fun."

But Sylvia hadn't. From the moment Robin began investigating the traitor to the point where she was essentially standing against the entire Family, Sylvia had supported her unwaveringly, without a hint of doubt.

Perhaps Sylvia didn't truly understand.

When Robin discovered that the real Family was worlds apart from the one she admired, she felt like she had been betrayed by her own family. To put it dramatically, she felt like her faith was crumbling.

In Sylvia’s mind, Robin was a popular playable character; such a character must possess a resilient core.

Even without her intervention, Robin would have surely recovered from the blow, held fast to her ideals, and worked with the protagonist group to resolve the incident.

But that was viewing things from a god’s-eye perspective.

From Robin’s point of view, when she was at her lowest, needing help the most, Sylvia was the one who—without reason—was willing to support her and believe, without wavering, that Robin was "correct."

Especially over the last few days here in the Dreamflux Reef, where they were almost entirely cut off from the world. For the first time in a long time, Robin had been able to focus on what was right in front of her, undisturbed.

When she first thought of Sylvia and wished that Sylvia would appear to keep her company, Robin realized one thing: she really liked her. Sylvia’s presence brought her an irreplaceable sense of security.

So, when she saw Sylvia appear before her today, she had instinctively reached out and hugged her.

And so, when purging the power Sunday had left behind, she had committed an impulsive act that was so unlike her.

But her shyness held her back; Robin ultimately couldn't summon the courage to go further.

Especially when Sylvia was startled and tried to pull away, it had exhausted the last of Robin's courage just to send the plea to not let go and to hold her tight.

She didn't have the strength to complete a mature kiss.

Perhaps if Sylvia had taken the initiative, Robin would have gone along with it. But after receiving Robin’s emotions, Sylvia simply raised her hand and gently stroked her head—just as she always did.

--+--

Time passed. When the power in Sylvia’s body was finally purged, Robin reluctantly loosened her grip and tentatively raised her head.

Now that the tide had receded and reason had reclaimed her consciousness, Robin didn't know what to do.

She began to panic. Would Sylvia be angry? Would she think I'm a bad girl? Will she hate me for this? Or will she just turn and walk away?

Robin lowered her eyelids, no longer daring to look into Sylvia’s eyes. She even felt a fleeting desire to run away and bury herself somewhere. She was too embarrassed to face her.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 405

--+--

Robin, with a sense of shame suddenly regaining the high ground, attempted to climb off Sylvia.

Unfortunately, she had been so tense moments ago that her muscles were locked up tight. Now that she was trying to relax and exert force all at once, she found she had absolutely no strength left in her limbs.

She managed to prop herself up against Sylvia’s shoulders, but as soon as she put weight on her feet, she stumbled, her whole body collapsing right back into Sylvia's arms.

"Ugh... I—I can't move, I didn't mean for this to happen!"

Overwhelmed with shame and frustration, Robin felt her mind unraveling.

Instinctively, she buried her face into the crook of Sylvia’s neck, trying to escape reality, while whispering a stuttering explanation into her ear—one she didn't even quite believe herself.

"..."

Sylvia remained silent, reaching up to gently pat Robin’s back. She was still reeling from the shock of Robin using the power of Harmony to "confess" to her.

Although Sylvia was certain that a standard tuning definitely didn't include the exchange of intimate emotions and thoughts, it had clearly happened nonetheless.

When her own confusion and puzzlement had bubbled up in her mind, the increasingly fervent and direct emotions coming from Robin had left Sylvia feeling quite bashful herself.

Was that truly how Robin viewed her actions? Sylvia had always felt she was just doing things on a whim, never imagining those gestures could elicit such a passionate response.

Then again... she had come to the Dreamflux Reef today just to check on Robin’s progress and see if she was running into any trouble, and perhaps to scout out the situation in Penacony.

And then, there was the matter of her having just crushed Sunday in the dream—a "dismemberment" of sorts...

Robin had truly caught her off guard with this bold move. Sylvia didn't really know how to broach the subject.

How could she say it? I just beat up your older brother, and now I’m hitting on his little sister? That didn't exactly sound like something a decent person would do.

Could that experience really be considered a confession? Did Robin think she was confessing? Or should I just change the subject?

Sylvia was deep in a mental whirlwind, and her silence only made Robin more uneasy.

Curse these useless legs, Robin thought.

They were asleep—horribly so, as if they had been completely pixelated. She couldn't stand; she really couldn't. And they were still folded in a kneeling position, which was incredibly uncomfortable!

Robin was torn between anxiety and embarrassment. She didn't dare face Sylvia directly; otherwise, she was certain she would burst into tears from sheer mortification.

"Sylvia... my, my legs are asleep."

"Huh?! Legs can fall asleep in a dream? Let me help you!"

Sylvia was startled at first, but upon hearing the latter half of the sentence, she instinctively looked down at the calves peeking out from under the hem of Robin's dress.

She reached out, supporting Robin’s waist to help her sit upright.

"Ah, sss—! Wait, wait, wait!"

As everyone knows, when your legs are numb, you can't just move them randomly; even the slightest shift is agonizing.

Robin was experiencing that familiar, sharp soreness. It was said that the Dreamscape was 99% realistic—mostly for the sake of immersion, excluding physical pain and death, of course.

"But your legs are still tangled up; we have to untangle them first..."

Sylvia didn't dare move too much while supporting her, but she explained the situation, gesturing for Robin to at least straighten her legs. Robin tried her best, but it only made the pins-and-needles sensation worse.

"Ugh... I can't move them. Sylvia, could you help me..."

"Ah, well."

Sylvia hesitated for a moment, but seeing the pained expression on Robin’s face, she reached out. Her palm slid over the sofa, lifting Robin’s knees and nudging them outward bit by bit.

Robin, holding onto Sylvia’s shoulders, rolled over inch by inch. She was essentially squirming in Sylvia’s embrace—looking both miserable and somewhat adorable.

Eventually, Robin ended up lying on her side against Sylvia, her legs dangling off the side of the sofa.

She panted for a while, resting until the sensation returned to her legs, and finally managed to pull herself out of Sylvia’s arms.

She looked directly into Sylvia’s eyes with a flicker of anxiety, though after a long moment, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Good... I was worried you might distance yourself because of this."

"I think it would be hard for anyone to refuse the advances of a galaxy-renowned singer," Sylvia replied with a smile, setting Robin back down on the sofa to create a bit of distance—partly to make the situation less awkward, and partly because Robin was so charming that if things continued like this, Sylvia feared she might lose control.

Robin leaned against the sofa, exhaling, though her face remained flushed. Shame wasn't something easily cast aside, but she had come this far; retreating now wasn't in her nature.

"Sylvia."

"Yeah?"

"I did that so suddenly—it must have been really annoying for you."

"Not really."

Sylvia smiled. She couldn't very well admit that the real reason she was troubled was because she had just beaten up her older brother.

Robin fiddled with her dress hem, her hands restless. The wings behind her ears obscured her face, allowing her to steal a shy, fleeting glance at Sylvia.

"I’m sorry. I’m still not very skilled with this, and I accidentally synchronized our emotions too..."

Whether Sylvia believed her or not, Robin certainly convinced herself. If she didn't find a reasonable excuse, she’d be tossing and turning in bed every night for the next week, hiding under her covers.

"A-anyway... I don't expect an answer from you right now... Can we wait until after the Charmony Festival?"

"That works. I'll leave it to you."

Sylvia nodded, agreeing to the proposal. It was best to wait and see.

Otherwise, she feared that the next time she saw Sunday, she might be unable to resist shouting, "Hey old man, your ghost fire is parked downstairs!"

"..."

"..."

Having received the answer she wanted, Robin went quiet, and Sylvia was at a loss for words. An inexplicable silence filled the room—awkward, yet tinged with sweetness.

No matter how you looked at it, after something so intimate, it was hard to return to normalcy immediately.

Robin might have seen the world, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was a complete novice.

She was an expert on other people's stories, but when the spotlight turned to her, all that experience vanished.

However—Robin peeked at Sylvia again, like a child trying to steal a bell while covering their ears.

She’s so pretty. Even her blushing face is so cute. Is she blushing because of me? I really want to kiss her again... No!

The moment the memory of the kiss surfaced, Robin used her remaining reason to suppress the impulse. She bolted upright and hurried toward the door.

"I—I’ll go get you something to drink! Just wait here, Sylvia!"

With that, Robin power-walked out of the room.

"Ha..."

Sylvia patted her cheeks to cool down. In all that chaos, she’d forgotten to ask what she had intended.

Speaking of which, she had no idea what Sparkle was up to—she hadn't seen a trace of her lately. That was the downside of the Masked Fools; they just vanished whenever they pleased.

She also needed to ask about the Stellaron—whether it was manageable.

As Sylvia pondered these things, her mind began to clear, finally free of those strange, distracting thoughts.

--+--

Meanwhile, Robin, who had fled in such a hurry, didn't bother making tea. Instead, she found an empty room, wrapped herself in a blanket, and started making strange noises, trying to hide from reality.

Although she was a grown woman, this was truly her first time experiencing something like this.

Being a superstar meant she had seen plenty of romances, but watching others and being in one were two different things.

She used to wonder why people got all lovey-dovey and acted like they were floating in pink bubbles. But when it was her turn? Just thinking about the kiss made her mind tremble; her reason was truly on the verge of evaporating.

"No... calm down, Robin. You’ve faced massive crowds before; don’t fall apart now!"

She closed her eyes, clutching the blanket as she took deep, forceful breaths, trying to quiet her restless heart. "Think about Penacony, think about the Family. There’s no time for personal matters right now."

Having turned the struggles of the Family and Penacony over in her mind, she finally felt composed.

As someone so filled with a sense of duty, she clearly couldn't just lounge around and be happy in love when there was such a mess to handle.

--+--

Sylvia waited a good while.

She had initially assumed Robin went to calm down and would likely return with two bottles of SoulGlad.

She was pleasantly surprised when Robin brought back coffee. Did she go to grind the beans? she wondered. She managed to calm down so quickly? Is this the "big heart" of a superstar?

Taking the coffee with both hands, Sylvia asked the questions she had been holding back. Once they started discussing business, the ambiguous, awkward air between them dissipated.

"Miss Sparkle... there’s no news for now. Mr. Gallagher hasn't found her either."

Robin didn't know much about Sparkle. "But Mr. Gallagher suspects that the recent unrest within the Family might have Miss Sparkle’s shadow over it."

"Is the Family in a bad state lately? I haven't heard much from the outside."

"It's chaotic—to the point where it wouldn't be a surprise if violent conflict broke out at any moment."

Robin found it hard to put the situation into words. The most resentful were the Nightingale Family; they had been made the scapegoats, lost their projects, and their reputation had plummeted.

Then there were the Alfalfa Family, who the Nightingales blamed for it all.

The two families were at each other’s throats—the construction moguls clashing with the financial ones. Neither would back down, and they were on the verge of a full-blown brawl.

Of course, as the family in charge of finance, the Alfalfa family wasn't exactly clean either. If one were to investigate, both sides were equally guilty.

The conflict had grown so large that even the Iris Family was dragged in; as the only Family Head present at the time, they had to take some of the blame. But the real motive was the profit starting with Paperfold University.

An academy’s value wasn't just in the school itself.

If Nightingale and Alfalfa were tearing each other apart, the Iris Family couldn't just sit back and let their potential harvest be stolen. So, whether they wanted to or not, they were forced into the fray.

As for the Bloodhound Family, they were exhausted. As the security force, they had to maintain stability without appearing to favor any one family, lest they face the wrath of the others.

At the same time, they had to put significant energy into maintaining the peace in Penacony.

Fortunately, the Oak Family, which handled administration, was still functioning normally.

Or rather, the other Family Heads realized that if they dragged the Oak Family into this mess, there would be no one left to manage Penacony. And, keeping Sunday busy meant he would be less likely to spend his days obsessing over his beloved little sister.

They even began to assist Sunday with the Charmony Festival with unprecedented enthusiasm.

"...No wonder Sunday looks so exhausted."

Hearing about the state of the Oak Family, Sylvia took a sip of coffee and sighed.

"Is something wrong with my brother?"

"He's looking for you. He seems to think you're dead—you really should have sent him a message." Sylvia shrugged. That poor kid.

"Well... I wanted to fully understand the information first; I didn't want any further complications." Robin felt a bit embarrassed, but there was no help for it—she was alone, so Sunday would have to suffer a little.

"Anyway, the Family is too occupied to cause us trouble for now. But there's still one problem." Robin set down her coffee cup, her expression conflicted.

"What problem?"

"According to the data I obtained, the Family used the power of the Memoria to suppress the overflowing Stellaron, which effectively masks its traces."

"Mhm. So? We have to go into that Memoria to fish out the Stellaron? Is it dangerous?"

Robin hesitated and nodded. Putting it in was easy, but getting it out was not, and that wasn't even the worst of it.

"That's one aspect, but there's another. The Stellaron exists simultaneously in two locations: near the void of the Memoria and within the Penacony Grand Theater. When we extract it, the Grand Theater will experience massive turbulence, and the Family will certainly notice."

Sylvia listened, confused. "Wait, how can a Stellaron exist in two places at once??"

"Don't forget, Sylvia, this is a dream, not reality. In a dream, phenomena that defy common sense are permitted."

The true explanation was certainly more complex and tedious, involving the Dreamscape, Memoria, and consciousness. But that was too long-winded, so Robin stuck to the conclusion.

"In short, we need at least two people to extract it. One has to venture into the heart of danger, while the other must contend with the Family..."

"Neither sounds like an easy job," Sylvia muttered, clicking her tongue.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 406

--+--

Rather than worry, Sylvia’s mind immediately drifted to a different set of concerns.

"Since it requires two people, the other one would have to be me, wouldn't it? Looks like I'll be stuck here for a few more days, then?"

"That’s the case, but if it’s just about learning how to manage the process, the operation itself isn’t all that complicated."

Robin shook her head, her smile turning increasingly tender. She gazed at Sylvia with an intensity that could almost melt one's heart.

She knew full well that Sylvia wouldn't raise a single objection to putting herself in harm's way—she had never been one to shirk responsibility or push burdens onto others.

"Well, that’s not so bad. But I have another question: if we extract the Stellaron, is that thing going to cause any issues?"

Sylvia pointed toward the massive accretion disk visible outside the window. It had remained stable for so many years. According to Robin, the Stellaron’s power was the only thing keeping it suppressed; wouldn't pulling the Stellaron out cause everything to collapse?

"No. On the contrary, precisely because of the Stellaron’s instability, it shouldn't actually be expanding this rapidly."

On this point, Robin had reached her conclusion by synthesizing research from a woman in Dreamflux Reef known as Miss Science.

Of course, Robin’s deduction was based purely on the information provided by the Family; she herself did not have a particularly deep understanding of memoria.

"Alright, it seems you’ve already figured that out. That leaves the final problem: how to actually deal with the trouble, whether it's getting close to that accretion disk or facing the Family."

Even though they were in a dream, that giant monstrosity outside was nothing to trifle with. If one were truly caught in it and couldn't escape, their consciousness would scatter, and they would perish inside.

But come to think of it... what lay on the other side of the void after being pulled into an accretion disk? Sylvia couldn't help but wonder.

According to the data Robin had accessed, the accretion disk was essentially a phenomenon caused by memoria leaking through a void to the other side.

Yet, the Family hadn't determined what exactly existed on that other side; they had merely placed the Stellaron near the disk without daring to delve too deep.

But the area affected by that thing was growing larger and larger. When the Family first deployed it, they had maintained a safe distance, but that was no longer a guarantee.

Sylvia listened to Robin’s concerns, but her mind wandered to Black Swan.

Since this was a problem involving memoria, consulting a Memokeeper would be a solid choice. After all, she only knew one.

"Regarding the problems here, I’ll try to consult an Era Historian friend of mine if I get the chance."

As for dealing with the Family, a long-forgotten item suddenly surfaced in Sylvia’s memory. She rummaged through her personal space for a long while before finally producing a mask—a Sparkle mask—and setting it down before Robin.

"Here, I haven't seen Sparkle in a few days and almost forgot about this thing."

"This... who do you intend to have wear this?"

Robin looked at the familiar mask, recalling the events of the past few days and what this object represented.

Her first instinct was that Sylvia was planning to have someone wear it to help fend off the Family. But Sylvia shook her head.

"Who said I wanted someone to wear it? I’m planning to sell it! I want the Family to help host an auction in Penacony—for a Masked Fool’s blessing!"

"Huh? What?!"

Robin didn't even process the words at first. When her brain finally caught up to the meaning, her expression became even more bewildered.

"Hey, think about it. The Family clearly needs to stabilize their reputation right now, right? If they hold a grand auction before the Charmony Festival, auctioning off an unprecedented artifact from a follower of Elation, wouldn't their prestige skyrocket overnight?"

"Ah? I mean, although..."

It wasn't that Robin couldn't understand Sylvia’s logic. But—could you really sell power bestowed by an Aeon right in front of the entire galaxy? Weren't you afraid the Aeon might descend and pay you a visit?

"Besides, we can have Sparkle handle the delivery. We'll claim it's a gesture of responsibility for the Grand Theater explosion, using the auction as a formal apology. That way, they keep both their face and their substance."

"Keep both..."

Sylvia clapped her hands together, already planning to arrange it for Sparkle. They had already been willing to force Sunday to work overtime just to keep him from finding his own sister.

If they were now being handed both face and substance on a silver platter, there was no way the Family would refuse.

They could play the victim a little at the auction, throw in some buzzwords about "misunderstandings," "deep cooperation," and "Harmony," and the whole matter would be swept under the rug.

As for Sparkle... well, she would surely be interested.

It was an auction for power granted by Aha, after all. If she wasn't interested, Sylvia could just have Stelle and March 7th ask Sampo.

Sampo would definitely be happy to take on that auction contract. He was a Masked Fool, too; it didn't strictly have to be Sparkle.

"..."

That wasn't actually what Robin wanted to ask. She wasn't naive; if they really did this, the Family would definitely be more than willing.

Especially that Old Oti—he’d probably jump out on the spot and claim Sylvia was his goddaughter, letting her walk all over Penacony whenever she pleased.

What Robin really cared about was... never mind. Sylvia seemed completely unconcerned, leaving the words stuck in Robin’s throat.

"Hm? You look like you have something on your mind. Any thoughts?" Sylvia asked, noticing the hesitation.

"...Are you really going to sell it? If you put it on yourself, you’d be an Emanator, you know?"

"It’s an Emanator of Elation, though... to be fair, I think Aha gave me this power just to watch me make a fool of myself." Sylvia spread her hands.

Where did she have anything in common with Elation? The only thing that could possibly catch Aha’s eye was the absurd System she carried. So, it was better to give the mask to someone else.

Besides, since Aha hadn't taken it back, it was as good as tacit approval.

"That may be, but... well, forget it. If you think it's fine, then it's fine."

Although Robin felt that if she were suddenly gifted a Masked Fool’s mask, she probably wouldn't wear it either—she didn't really understand the philosophy of an Emanator of Elation, nor did she particularly want to oppose them and become a "tragedy"—she decided to ignore that logical hurdle.

It was better to talk about the feasibility of the whole plan.

"So... the most direct question: how do you get the Family to believe the mask is real?"

Even now, Robin only felt the mask was "something special," but she couldn't see anything more to it—certainly not that it was related to an Emanator.

You couldn't just claim it; someone had to believe it.

"The Dreammaster will definitely believe it. With such a huge commotion that day, how could he not know? Besides, the stronger a Pathstrider is, the more sensitive they are to these things. The Dreammaster is no simple character."

Sylvia had always felt the Dreammaster’s monitoring of Penacony was extraordinary.

She was increasingly suspicious that the strange phantasmagoria enveloping the entire Asdana system had something to do with him. Since she herself could feel the mask’s aura so clearly, the Dreammaster should be able to see through its nature.

"And the other factions?"

"I’ll try to invite the IPC and the Xianzhou to arrive early. Oh... or maybe I can ask the acting station master of the Herta Space Station for a favor. Borrowing Herta’s name should help."

The Xianzhou didn't need to be mentioned; with the Alliance’s jade abacus in hand, a small favor would be easy to ask.

For the IPC, she’d ask Topaz—businesspeople were easy to deal with if money was involved.

As for Station Master Asta, the connection might be a bit distant, but it was worth a shot; perhaps she’d show up. If not, it wouldn't matter.

"It’s best to get three major parties involved. Even if that fails, the names of the Xianzhou and the IPC still carry weight. Once we have the Family handle the publicity, even if others don't believe it, they’ll at least send someone to take a look."

"With so many people coming to the auction, the Family wouldn't be able to just sit idly by."

Sylvia’s logic was impeccable, though Robin couldn't help but feel that the entire plan was built on this person's sheer network of connections.

The Xianzhou? The IPC? To say in one breath that she could invite both to an auction—what else was there to say?

However, there was one premise to all of this.

Robin quietly pondered how she could make the Family believe that she would stop targeting them—or at least, make the Family feel that her existence was no longer a threat to their status.

"Hmm..." Robin was suddenly curious: did the other leaders of the Family really think she alone could affect the entire organization? Reasonably speaking, she shouldn't be a threat to the Family’s position.

"It’s a method worth trying. But we might need Miss Sparkle’s help." Robin mused on how to maneuver within the Family.

Getting them to agree to an auction was easy, but how to seize the Stellaron during the event would require careful execution. And with so many outsiders present, they would need a way to gloss over the Stellaron itself.

They couldn't just openly state that the Family had been tinkering with it.

No... actually, maybe they could. Outsiders didn't know what the Family was doing with the Stellaron.

The Family certainly wouldn't expose themselves. They could simply insist that they were actively suppressing the Stellaron and were now waiting for the Astral Express to help finish the job.

Since Sylvia happened to be a Nameless, that reason sounded perfectly reasonable. As long as she broke the news first, the Family couldn't exactly refute it. With the IPC present, it would force the Family to swallow the loss.

"So, Robin, tell me everything you know."

Although the plan sounded good, there was a vital prerequisite: the process of extracting the Stellaron had to be safely manageable. Sylvia would have to be the one to get near the accretion disk.

Robin had to handle the Family personally, and Sylvia couldn't exactly ask Mei to do this. There was no sense in that. They needed to verify the feasibility first.

Robin nodded upon hearing this. "As it happens, I’ve already taken notes. You can take a look, and if there’s anything incomplete, just ask."

Luckily, she had the habit of taking notes while studying, so she could put them to use immediately. Robin stood up, searched the room, and handed two notebooks to Sylvia.

"Dreamflux Reef doesn't have the conditions to create Memory Bubbles, and we don't have much time, so please make do with these."

"This is more than enough." Sylvia flipped through the pages for a quick scan. Robin’s handwriting was elegant and beautiful; it looked like she had practiced specifically. While Sylvia read, Robin asked with sudden anticipation:

"So... how long are you going to stay here, Sylvia?"

"Hmm? Me? It’s hard to say... I’ll probably keep running back and forth. Honestly, I can't quite rest easy on Separius’s side, either."

Whenever this topic came up, Sylvia was reminded of the batches of dragon-born species Ruan Mei had manufactured in just two days.

She felt that if she left for another ten days or half a month, her planet would be completely overrun by those creatures that couldn't even reproduce.

Oh, and she had to ask Dan Heng if he was willing to support Ruan Mei’s research. After all, look at it this way—what did the Vidyadhara ban have to do with the exiled Dan Heng, right?

"That planet of yours? I remember hearing that an engineering team was already doing ecological restoration there?" As it involved her property, Robin had heard a little about Sylvia’s territory.

She had even planned to go there for a quiet vacation if she had the time.

"I mentioned before, didn't I? Ruan Mei is doing experiments there lately. I'm afraid if I don't go back in a few days, it’ll be occupied by some weird species."

"Isn't that fine? Your planet was barren anyway." Robin tilted her head, remembering that she had seen data on the planet’s desolation—it was, after all, a recently famous world that had been saved from a Stellaron Disaster.

"You can't say it like that; those organisms... well, they're just a bit special. We'll see when the time comes."

Sylvia’s reaction made Robin curious, but she didn't press further. She’d find out when she went to visit.

"And today?" Robin had laid the groundwork for so long, and finally, she asked the most important question. Would she stay the night to keep her company?

Sylvia looked up, meeting Robin’s gaze—a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

What else could she say? She was already beautiful, and to be pleaded with in such a pitiful manner... she felt that if she refused, she’d spend the rest of the night scolding herself.

"I'll stay today. Let me finish looking through these notes first. I already told Mei before I came."

"Okay—ahem, I mean, I’ll go prepare the bedding."

Robin’s mood visibly brightened. She hummed a tune, her steps light as she left the room to prepare a place for Sylvia to rest.

Sylvia watched her back disappear before lowering her head once more to study the notes. Although Robin had called them simple accounts, to Sylvia, they were clearly organized and packed with essential information.

"...In that case, is it actually possible to stuff the Stellaron into a Herrscher Core?"

The Herrscher of Void’s core was still empty, after all.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 407

--+--

The materials in Sylvia’s hands touched upon the underlying principles of how to tame the volatile power of a Stellaron.

The theory itself wasn’t particularly complex; simply put, it involved harnessing the overwhelming power of the accretion disk. By channeling that force, one could forcibly suppress the Stellaron's energy.

Furthermore, the Family had developed a specialized technique to extract only the portions of that energy they could control, guiding it outward.

Using the Penacony Grand Theater as the epicenter, they radiated the "Sweet Dreams" across the Twelve Hours to construct what was known as the "Dream without Death."

Extracting the Stellaron followed this very same logic. You would use that same method of extraction, simply increasing the intensity to draw the entire core out.

An accretion disk formed from memoria ultimately couldn't match the raw might of a black hole.

Otherwise, the Dreamflux Reef couldn’t have been established so close by, nor could it have endured for so long.

Sylvia realized she could utilize a similar approach, tinkering with a comparable energy model inside her own Herrscher cores. As luck would have it, two cores could form an internal circuit.

The only question was whether this cycle could remain stable.

Either way, she couldn't release one hundred percent of the power from the Arbor or Phantylia, and that surplus energy was just sitting there idle.

She might as well use it to construct a similar environment to suppress the Stellaron.

In fact... if handled correctly, this method could likely suppress the energy of anything at the level of an Emanator or below without breaking a sweat.

"The theory seems sound, but I’ll need to get close to the accretion disk for a field study before I can build the model within myself," Sylvia mused. She wasn't in any rush to put it into practice, though.

She’d read up on it first—study the knowledge before attempting the application. After all, when you’re tinkering with your own body, there’s no room for any major mistakes.

--+--

She rested at the Dreamflux Reef for the night.

However, nothing "delightful" happened. No matter how you looked at it, Robin still possessed a sense of modesty. Even though the events of the day had left the atmosphere between them thick with ambiguity, jumping straight to sharing a bed was a bit too much of a leap.

If anything, had that confession of "tuning" not happened during the day, it might have actually been easier to sleep together.

The next day, Robin continued her research into memoria, while Sylvia departed the Dreamflux Reef.

As for Sparkle and Black Swan... well, that was a matter for later. Those two were like randomly spawning NPCs; you couldn't find them if you went looking. You just had to wait for them to show up on their own.

After Sleepie dropped her off at the sealed Reverie Hotel, she found the place was perfect for hiding away.

It was crawling with out-of-control Dreamjolt Troupe members, and the Family’s oversight in this area was practically non-existent. It was the perfect spot for some behind-the-scenes work.

Sylvia logged out of the dreamscape from there.

Just as she woke up and stepped out of her room, she found Sparkle sitting on the living room sofa, idly playing with a small pistol by herself.

"Sparkle? How did you get in here?" Sylvia asked, eyeing the unexpected visitor with confusion. How did this person get here without being detected?

"Oh, you're awake?" Sparkle twirled the tiny gun on her finger, waving at Sylvia with a grin. "Come on over, come on over! Are you really planning to auction off the mask I gave you?"

Sparkle deliberately emphasized the words "I gave you," putting on the performance of a scorned lover. Unfortunately for her, while Sparkle was cute, it didn't work on Sylvia.

"Quit it. Are you really that type? You're probably itching to start the auction tomorrow," Sylvia said.

"Heehee, don't say that! You'll hurt my feelings~"

"The corners of your mouth are twitching from trying not to laugh. Hurt? You aren't hurt at all." Sylvia sat opposite her and rolled her eyes. She took the mask out and placed it on the coffee table.

"Here. Cooperating with the Family to host an Emanator-level auction in Penacony—it would be much more fitting if you, a Masked Fool, were the one to step out and handle it. Or perhaps you could bring along a colleague or two to lend a hand?"

"Hmm... what a pity. I just accepted a job recently, and I have to pretend to be Robin for a while. I think I'll leave this initial groundwork to my good friend."

Sparkle didn't reach for the mask, nor did she agree outright. Instead, she propped her chin in her hands, feigning regret.

"Is your friend reliable?"

"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll bring them over for an interview in a couple of days. They're excellent at business." Sparkle leaned over, bringing her face close to the mask, staring at it without blinking.

"Heehee, if I put this mask on right now, would your whole plan go down the drain, little white-hair?"

"I don't think you wearing it is any more interesting than hosting an Emanator auction. Of course, you’re free to wear it if you want, provided you help me with the fighting later." Sylvia shrugged.

Hadn't she already seen through what kind of person Sparkle was? Fighting was far too boring compared to what Sparkle actually craved.

"Ugh! A mere little white-hair, actually holding me in the palm of her hand!" Sparkle puffed out her cheeks, pouting. It was clear she agreed that fighting would be the more tedious option.

But just then, Sylvia reached out toward Sparkle and, right in front of her, snatched the other mask off her head.

Sparkle didn't stop her; she just tilted her head, watching Sylvia with a cheeky smile. "Heeheehee, has little white-hair fallen for Sparkle?"

Sadly, Sylvia remained completely unmoved by the Fool’s teasing. Please! A tiny girl trying to flirt with her? What could she even pull off? She wouldn't even wear white stockings!

"It's just a new mask. You gave it to me, so what sense does it make to take it back?" Sylvia didn't even look as she stuffed the new mask into her pocket.

It certainly wasn't Sparkle’s actual Fool mask. Honestly, as if someone like her would let her own Fool mask be taken away by Sylvia.

"Ooh how bossy. And you were so gentle with the little songbird" Sparkle pursed her lips, pulled another mask from who knows where, and carefully adjusted it on her head while looking in a mirror.

"As if being gentle works on you," Sylvia retorted, then stood up, ready to head back. "The mask is your problem now. I'm off."

"You're just going to leave it to me like that?"

"Yeah. Is there anyone more suitable than you?" Sylvia tilted her head, looking back at Sparkle.

"Waaaah I'm so touched, Sparkle is so touched"

Ignoring Sparkle’s pathetic, low-effort attempt at fake crying, Sylvia crisply opened a portal and departed Penacony once more.

On the other side of the portal... though it was a bit of a whim, Sylvia found herself in her room on the Astral Express. And the moment she stepped out of the portal, she realized why she’d had that sudden urge.

"Mei? Were you waiting here specifically for me?"

Mei was sitting at the desk, head bowed over a book of unknown title. Hearing the movement, she snapped the book shut and looked over, seemingly unsurprised by Sylvia's arrival.

"Yes. Waiting here to hear what happened between you and Miss Robin yesterday."

The subtle telepathic connection brought by the rings was working perfectly today as well.

"..."

How to put it? While Sylvia had anticipated this, given that the rings they’d worn for so long did indeed have this function, encountering it in reality still left her with a complex feeling.

Who exactly designed the features on these rings anyway?

She grumbled internally, but she had no intention of hiding anything. There was no point in keeping secrets.

"Alright, here’s what happened..." Sylvia pulled up another chair, sat beside Mei, and began to recount the events of the day. She told her everything, both the personal matters and the business.

After listening, Mei didn't seem to have much of an emotional shift. Well... perhaps a little, but far less than Sylvia had expected.

"I can't help but feel a sense of déjà vu regarding Miss Robin’s situation..." Mei murmured, tracing the ring on her finger as she fell into thought.

"What kind of déjà vu?"

"It’s just... this kind of process. If I think about it carefully, when you first met me, you also 'took advantage of the vulnerability'."

"How did I take advantage of a vulnerability?!" Sylvia stood up, hair bristling like an angry cat, looking indignantly at Mei.

"Who was it that tricked me into a wedding ceremony?"

"Then... that’s different! Wait, how did you guess that??"

Sylvia had initially intended to lash out with a guilty conscience, but she suddenly froze.

She hadn't mentioned that, had she? How did Mei know? She even knew the exact phrasing—surely the telepathy couldn't transmit such specific details?

"In the culture of the Xianzhou, there are ancient rituals similar to that. Although many have been simplified, there are still quite a few similarities," Mei said, tilting her head and glancing at Sylvia.

From all of Sylvia's reactions, it was clear that her hometown must be a world with many similarities to the Xianzhou—lifestyle, culinary culture, language, and so on.

During the time Mei spent on the Xianzhou, she had almost thought Sylvia was a native of the Alliance.

So, when Mei happened to encounter Xianzhou marriage customs, she was instantly reminded of the scene where she and Sylvia first met.

Though she had suspected it before, this was the first time she’d found such clear evidence.

"Ah, this..." Sylvia twitched the corner of her mouth. It was for that reason? "No, don't try to distract me! Don't slander me! I didn't plan on making a 'pretend' situation 'real' back then, okay?"

"So, are you saying you don't want to admit to what happened that day?" Mei said with a gentle tone, uttering such an outrageous statement that Sylvia couldn't hold it together.

"Where did you even learn to talk like that..."

"Just a joke." Mei shrugged and didn't dwell on the topic. Discussing such things was meaningless anyway. She had only meant to liven up the atmosphere, though it seemed the effect wasn't great.

Sylvia was silent for a moment, then asked, "I thought you would tell me to reject Robin."

"Hmm? Why? When you signed that contract with the Stellaron Hunters, I didn't object, did I?" Mei blinked, looking at Sylvia with a serious expression.

"Not to mention that your source of power is directly correlated with your interpersonal relationships, but given my own circumstances, it’s hard for me to demand you satisfy my possessiveness."

Mei raised her left hand; the ring on her ring finger shone as brightly as it had on the very first day. "Where is the limit to this ring’s power? I wonder about that sometimes."

Mei continued to search along the Path of Nihility, yearning for the day she could swing a blade that would sever that black sun.

It was the meaning of her life, yet Mei would not deny that such behavior was little more than suicide.

She had never denied her own self-destructive tendencies. Because of that, Mei had always expressed her feelings without ever demanding Sylvia behave in a specific way.

"..."

Faced with Mei’s question, Sylvia couldn't provide a definitive answer. She didn't know where the limits of the ring lay either.

Even more absurdly, since this item wasn't "pulled from a gacha," Sylvia couldn't even use rarity to judge it. Who knew what level this thing should be classified as.

Seeing Sylvia's expression, Mei reached out and rubbed her cheek. "Don't make that face. All of this was what I expected. Besides... there is still plenty of time."

Mei could hardly remember how many days she had spent to reach her current level of strength. But even as an Emanator, the distance to an Aeon was still unfathomable.

The deeper one went into the Path of Nihility, the heavier the difficulty and burden became. Even if this ring could hold out long enough for her to confront the Aeon of Nihility, Mei couldn't imagine how distant a future that would be.

"In short, what I want to say is: don't let down those sweet, emotional girls."

"...Hearing you say that feels weird."

Sylvia took a deep breath, then smiled into Mei’s palm. "Alright, let's stop this topic here. Besides that, the issue of the Stellaron and that mask is more important."

Mei actively cut off the conversation, breaking Sylvia’s train of thought. She didn't say those things to get feedback from Sylvia; she simply wanted to express her own thoughts.

Compared to that, Mei was quite concerned about something else: "I've been listening for so long, yet it seems... you haven't arranged a role for me in the operation?"

"You don't play your trump cards so early. Once the Stellaron is dealt with, we still have to watch the IPC and the Family fight it out at the Charmony Festival," Sylvia said, spreading her hands.

We’re nowhere near the end yet.

To others, the Stellaron might be paramount, but objectively speaking, a contained Stellaron could never be more significant than the power struggle between the corporation and the Family.

"If your power is revealed in Penacony, the Dreammaster certainly won't tolerate you continuing to act within the dream—and that would be the real trouble. A trump card is only a card if it remains hidden."

Mei’s personality appeared cold, but in reality, she was a kind soul who was also quite adept at reading the room.

If the Dreammaster really tried to kick them out, Mei wouldn't risk an all-out brawl. But to Sylvia, Mei’s presence was her most important card.

It was best if they didn't have to use it, but if they did, it had to be played at the most crucial moment.

"There's no need to hide it so tightly, though," Mei said.

While she agreed with Sylvia's philosophy, her mood became subtle once she realized she was the card destined to be kept in the dark—especially knowing that what Sylvia was about to do next was a gamble with her life.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 408

--+--

Sylvia didn't even try to hide the worried look in her eyes as she watched Mei.

Sylvia smiled and patted the back of Mei's hand. "Oh, come on, don't worry so much. If there’s real danger, don't you think I'd know enough to run?"

"…I wouldn't bet on it."

Mei stared at Sylvia with a strange expression. Her gaze seemed to be saying, Do you think I’m stupid?

This lack of trust left Sylvia speechless.

"Look, I’ll go consult with a Memokeeper beforehand. If you’re still really worried, you can just come to Dreamflux Reef when the time comes."

"Mm, I will."

Mei agreed to Sylvia’s suggestion almost without a second thought.

Or rather, even if Sylvia hadn't suggested it, Mei definitely would have been guarding the Dreamflux Reef anyway.

If anything went wrong, she would just slice open that thick vortex of Memoria to give Sylvia a chance to escape.

As for the Family, Sylvia wasn't too worried. With so many eyes on them, the Family wouldn't dare stop Robin and the Astral Express from sealing the Stellaron. They weren't foolish, after all.

--+--

After finishing their business—and personal—talk, Sylvia planned to stop by Ruan Mei’s lab to take a look. She hoped the number of Dragonborn hadn't continued to increase at the previous rate.

But unfortunately, after touching down, Sylvia discovered to her dismay that Ruan Mei was no longer satisfied with just experimenting on animals.

In her garden, there was a whole mess of flowers and plants with roots wiggling around as they ran wild.

There were also several giant, unknown trees that had popped up out of nowhere, looking eerily similar to the dragon-head roots of the Ambrosial Arbor.

"…I have to say, why are you cultivating plants too? Does this have anything to do with your research?" Sylvia couldn't help but grumble as she saw Ruan Mei stepping out of the lab.

Ruan Mei just smiled. "Just a simple experiment. I intended to verify a few things, but the results were better than expected."

"You really are turning my place into a den of monsters…" Sylvia’s mouth twitched; she truly couldn't handle this.

These Dragonborn were originally roughly on par with the average Vidyadhara in quality. But Ruan Mei had poured all her previous iterations of serums into these guys. The result? Every single one of them was tough as leather and had incredible strength.

If an ordinary Pathstrider walked by, they might get swatted away by the roadside weeds.

Sylvia didn't even dare to imagine how she would develop her future once these Dragonborn spread across the planet. What would happen if other Dragonborn invaded?

"They’re all sterile individuals anyway, so what does it matter? The Dragonborn have so many branches, can they even count them all themselves?" Ruan Mei remained completely indifferent.

At most, these Dragonborn might be capable of reincarnation like the Vidyadhara.

However, since this hadn't been verified in practice, and given that the artificial Dragonborn kept running into various issues, Ruan Mei couldn't guarantee that every individual could successfully perform this act—and even if they could, there was no guarantee they could keep reincarnating indefinitely.

In other words, the future of these Dragonborn would only mirror the fate of those in the cosmos: a constant, rapid decline in numbers. Sylvia’s worries were entirely redundant.

"..."

Sylvia curled her lip. She was a professional; she couldn't win this argument.

"Compared to that, why don't you head to the Xianzhou? A single scale from a High Elder would be enough for my research. Or, failing that, a few strands of hair would suffice."

"You really don't care if the Xianzhou Alliance hunts me down, do you?"

Faced with Sylvia’s retort, Ruan Mei continued to hit the nail on the head with professional precision.

"If I recall correctly, there's something wrong with the current High Elder of the Xianzhou Luofu. If you could transform into a dragon, I’m sure the Vidyadhara would worship you like an ancestor."

"But I don't really want to be worshipped by the Vidyadhara."

"Then you don't want to transform into a dragon? If you want to walk the Path of Permanence, transforming is an unavoidable milestone at this point."

"..."

Blast it!

How did Ruan Mei always manage to corner her with professionalism? Couldn't she just argue back without being an expert? Sylvia couldn't help but complain to herself.

Regrettably, Ruan Mei was right. As far as current knowledge of the Path of Permanence went, dragon transformation was truly an inescapable point.

Without becoming a dragon, one didn't even have the qualification to take a seat at the table.

"Fine, fine. I can't beat your logic. I’ll give it a try."

Seeing Sylvia surrender, Ruan Mei nodded in satisfaction and reached out to pet Sylvia’s head.

Sylvia didn't appreciate it. Ruan Mei’s standard "graceful oriental beauty" demeanor was better suited for being held in someone's arms, not for being the one patting heads!

Besides, Sylvia didn't intend to go to the Luofu immediately; there was still a former High Elder wandering out there. She would try finding him first.

Sylvia pulled out her phone and sent a message to the Astral Express group chat:

[Sylvia: Hey everyone, is the Belobog business done? Where are you planning to go next?]

[March 7th: Whoa? The legendary silent lurker decided to send a message?]

[Stelle: [Pom-Pom thumbs up]]

[Himeko: If everything goes as planned, we’ll take a short rest and then head to Penacony. Did you have a suggestion, Sylvia?]

[Sylvia: Not really a suggestion, but there's something I want to discuss with Dan Heng. It might be easier to explain face-to-face. Are you interested in dropping by Separius?]

[March 7th: Huh??? You want to talk to Dan Heng? Did the sun explode?]

[Dan Heng: …]

[Dan Heng: What is it?]

[Sylvia: It’s like this—]

There was no need for secrecy within the Express crew, so Sylvia laid out exactly what she and Ruan Mei had been working on.

[Dan Heng: …]

[March 7th: …]

[Stelle: …]

[Welt: …]

As Dan Heng read halfway through, the ellipses didn't stop. The others who had been to the Scalegorge Waterscape also followed suit with their own strings of dots.

They all knew exactly what the situation was with the Vidyadhara and why Dan Heng’s past incarnation had been exiled! And yet, here they were, and Sylvia was telling them that she and Ruan Mei had quietly birthed a whole nest of new Dragonborn?

If Dan Feng were still alive, he’d probably deserve a Fool’s mask for this.

[Himeko: It seems there are no objections. Then, before we head to Penacony, let's go see Sylvia first.]

[Dan Heng: @Sylvia I’ll consider your request.]

[Sylvia: Whatever works. But if you aren't interested, stay away from Ruan Mei, or she’ll force you to be interested.]

[Dan Heng: I’ll be careful. Thank you.]

After saying that, Dan Heng went offline. According to March 7th’s relay, Dan Heng had returned to the archives right after sending the message, looking quite conflicted.

As for Stelle, she was asking Sylvia if she wanted to go to the Luofu and kidnap the other half of the High Elder.

She said she’d recently learned several kidnapping techniques and was looking for a place to practice. Sylvia immediately forwarded Stelle’s message to Himeko, asking her to help educate the wayward child.

What a joyous occasion~

--+--

Meanwhile, on Penacony.

"Hey, lady, didn't I just finish doing your dirty work? Why are you asking for help again? I haven't even gotten my mask back yet."

The blue-haired youth looked glumly at Sparkle, who had popped out of nowhere to block his path.

"Oh, don't be like that. We really have a good thing going this time, which is why I thought of bringing you along." Sparkle stood with her hands on her hips, giggling.

"Besides... who told you to stay on Penacony for so long? If you’d gone to the Tavern to get your mask earlier, would I have been able to catch you?"

"I was just thinking that since I’m visiting the Planet of Festivities, I might as well stay a few more days and enjoy myself," Sampo sighed. They had agreed that the deal was closed, so why was she knocking on his door again?

"This is a real goodie. Take a look at this~" Sparkle giggled and pulled a red-and-white fox mask from her sleeve.

"Isn't that just your own... hmm? Whose mask is this? You have a sidekick now?"

Sampo initially thought Sparkle was giving him her mask, but upon closer inspection, he realized the power inside didn't belong to her. And the power it contained was terrifyingly strong.

"No, no, no~" Seeing Sampo’s reaction, Sparkle laughed even harder.

"Don't be startled when I say this, but this mask hasn't found its owner yet I’m coming to you for this very reason. Let’s find it a host with an auction"

"Mm-hmm..." Sampo blinked. Uh oh, his curiosity had been piqued.

While every Masked Fool pursued their own brand of entertainment, they all shared a love for chaos and an irrepressible curiosity for stirring up trouble.

"We’re good friends, aren't we? Of course I’d think of you for a good time. Come, come, let’s talk details~" Sparkle winked, knowing he was hooked. Excellent, now the cast was assembled.

--+--

The Astral Express arrived even faster than Sylvia had expected—they probably didn't have much else to do.

About six or seven standard hours later, the Express successfully docked at the starport outside the atmosphere. The moment the train doors opened, Stelle charged toward Sylvia with a rope in hand, clearly ready to kidnap her.

Having anticipated this, Sylvia flipped her wrist and stuffed a cute, fluffy little Dragonborn into Stelle’s arms.

Although Sylvia had her reservations about Ruan Mei mass-producing these creatures, she had to admit that Ruan Mei’s aesthetic was always on point. While the varieties differed, without exception, not a single one was ugly.

"Whoa—?! What is this?! It’s so fluffy, let me pet it!" March 7th was predictably drawn to the little one, successfully blocking Stelle’s impulsive advance.

Dan Heng, on the other hand, frowned as he looked at the little creature. "This is..."

Dan Heng sensed a familiar power from the little fellow. The aura, unable to be concealed due to its youth, undoubtedly belonged to the Path of Permanence.

"This is Ruan Mei’s creation. There are plenty more downstairs."

"..."

Dan Heng was speechless. He tried to console himself, at least these Dragonborn weren't humanoid. Though he didn't doubt Ruan Mei could do that, it was a comforting excuse to hold onto.

Seeing the usually stoic Dan Heng struggle to maintain his composure, Sylvia stifled a laugh. "But... whether they are successful Dragonborn remains to be seen over a few cycles."

"What do you mean?"

"Ruan Mei isn't deranged enough to use these little ones to verify the 'longevity characteristics' of the Dragonborn yet. So, while there are no errors in theory, no one knows if they can truly reincarnate."

Sylvia spread her hands. This was really just something Ruan Mei had told her for the sake of scientific rigor.

Just because there was no control group didn't mean Ruan Mei couldn't casually clone an Emanator of Propagation.

Creating a High Elder might be impossible, but after becoming familiar with Permanence, creating Dragonborn was truly a walk in the park. Sylvia didn't believe Ruan Mei’s "rigorous" speech for a second.

In Ruan Mei's mouth, was there really a difference between ninety percent certainty and one hundred percent?

However, this rhetoric successfully comforted Dan Heng.

"Can... can I go down and take a look?"

Dan Heng had perhaps carefully considered the risks, but he ultimately decided to go down and see for himself. He didn't want to admit it, but having inherited so many of Dan Feng’s memories, he still possessed a significant degree of empathy for the predicament faced by the Vidyadhara.

So... when he stood here, right in front of the existence who could produce Dragonborn at will, Dan Heng decided he had to see it. If only to resolve his obsession.

"Uh, if you’ve thought it through, feel free. Just don't go poking around Ruan Mei’s lab; everywhere else is fine to wander." Seeing Dan Heng's serious expression, Sylvia wasn't sure what he was mulling over.

But she certainly approved of him going down. That put her one step closer to her own dragon transformation.

"I’m going too, I’m going too! Sylvia, I want to go play! Dan Heng, you rascal, trying to sneak off!" March 7th held the little creature in one arm while dragging Stelle by the other, completely oblivious to Dan Heng’s mood, thinking he just wanted to go down for fun.

Sylvia waved them off, letting them head down on their own. As for her, she turned toward Himeko.

Himeko watched the trio leave the starport before looking at Sylvia. "What’s wrong? Is there something you need?"

"There is something. It’s regarding Penacony."

Sylvia figured that since she was a member of the Express crew, she might as well let the train crew get involved.

Seeing Sylvia’s expression, Himeko grew serious, knowing something important was coming. Even Welt stopped in his tracks, pushing up his glasses as he looked toward Sylvia.

"Care to elaborate?"

"It’s like this..."

Sylvia didn't mention the opera house explosion, but instead introduced her plan to hold a Masked Fool auction and the reasons behind it.

"..."

"..."

Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance, both seeing a resolution in each other's eyes.

"It looks like we’ll be heading to Penacony a little earlier than expected. And the facts you’ve mentioned are things we are very concerned about as well." Himeko didn't even ask for further details before agreeing.

Welt couldn't help but sigh: "I never expected the Family to be secretly controlling a Stellaron... I wonder if those Nameless from back then are still doing well."

Sylvia blinked. Himeko took the opportunity to explain: "I hadn't mentioned it to you yet, Sylvia, but in the past, when Penacony was still a frontier prison, the Astral Express visited. Three Nameless stayed behind and participated in the liberation and reconstruction of Penacony."

"Hmm... you hadn't told me. But, were their names Mikhail, Tiernan, and Razalina?"

"You know them?"

"I heard tales of their deeds in a certain corner of Penacony. In short... it’s a pity, but all three of them are likely gone." Sylvia shook her head and sighed.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 409

--+--

As Himeko and Mr. Yang looked like they still wanted to press for more details, Sylvia stepped in directly.

"I didn't have time to ask too thoroughly back then. Once we get to Penacony, I’ll take you to meet the local representative. He’s the one who knows the situation best."

"…That works too." Welt nodded.

Himeko, of course, had no objections. Since Sylvia had already done so much for them regarding Penacony, it was reasonable to assume she simply didn't have the spare time to dig into the planet’s long, convoluted history.

"In that case, let’s talk about the auction. You’re more familiar with the Luofu and the IPC than we are, but as for Asta, leave the invitation to me."

Himeko readily accepted the task of inviting Asta. For a long time, the Astral Express had relied on Herta's commissions to keep things running smoothly.

Naturally, their relationship with Asta was far more intimate than Sylvia's.

As for the Luofu, Himeko knew their connections there didn't compare to Sylvia's. And regarding the IPC—well, during the recent incident on Jarilo-VI, Topaz had essentially done them a favor by giving them some leeway. It was safe to say the IPC wouldn't be of much help.

"Hmm, that would be a huge help, Himeko. You all should get some rest; I’ve already authorized your access."

Sylvia planned to take a trip to the Xianzhou Luofu over the next couple of days. It had been a while since she last visited, and she thought it would be a good opportunity to touch base and bring up this matter.

Though her ultimate goal was to pull a fast one on The Family, the mask was genuine.

If you put it on someone, they really could become an Emanator. It might be a tiny bit weaker than a "standard" Emanator, but the Path of Elation was truly formidable. And who knows? If Aha was in a good mood, they might just patch up the difference.

With that in mind, Sylvia left the spaceport and headed toward the surface of the planet.

As soon as she landed, she found that March 7th and Stelle had already vanished somewhere.

Dan Heng, on the other hand, seemed to have given up resisting; he was in his Imbibitor Lunae form, leaning against a rock by the side of the road.

"…What's this about?"

Sylvia descended beside him, looking down in curiosity, wondering what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into.

"Don't bother looking. I dosed him with something. He’ll be back to normal in half a system-hour once the medication metabolizes."

Ruan Mei was nearby, busy fiddling with her tablet. She didn't even look up as she spoke.

Sylvia chuckled at that. She leaned down toward Dan Heng, a wide grin on her face.

"Oh, Dan Heng. How did you let yourself get caught so easily? I even warned you, you know. Are you really that out of practice?"

"……"

Dan Heng opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. He had been careless, and he had underestimated Ruan Mei’s methods.

He hadn't even realized when he’d been drugged; by the time he regained his senses, his draconic form had manifested, but he found himself sprawled on the ground, powerless.

Sylvia let him off the hook with a laugh and turned her attention to Ruan Mei.

"Is it working?"

"Just getting started, but it should be effective. Perfect timing—come with me, I’ll be using you as the subject. The other artificial draconic progeny aren't as strong as you; they don't meet the standards for dragon-transmutation."

Ruan Mei gestured with her right hand, signaling Sylvia to follow. The smile that had been on Sylvia’s face just a moment ago—when she was busy mocking Dan Heng—suddenly stiffened.

Well, it was her turn to be the guinea pig.

Nevertheless, Sylvia followed Ruan Mei into the lab. Dan Heng watched her silhouette recede, his expression complex, deep in thought.

Suddenly, a draconic creature that looked like a young Qilin, seemingly having caught the scent of the thick aura of Permanence radiating from Dan Heng, pounced on him with delight.

A moment later, all anyone could see of Dan Heng was a pile of fluff.

--+--

Twelve system-hours later.

Dan Heng, who had long since recovered, along with the rest of the Express crew and Mei, were having a picnic in the clearing.

Suddenly, a resonant dragon’s roar exploded from the laboratory. The roar, filled with majesty and an inexplicable pressure, made all the nearby draconic progeny bristle.

It was the absolute authority of a superior. Dan Heng felt it most intensely.

As everyone looked toward the lab, the dome of the laboratory slid open. A pure white, slender, winged dragon, tens of meters long, soared out from the ceiling.

Its scales, as white as jade, reflected a breathtaking, ethereal brilliance.

It looked like a noble, immortal being, completely detached from the dust of the mortal world. The powerful aura it exuded only highlighted its nobility and grandeur.

Dan Heng’s pupils contracted.

A High Elder……

He was certain that none of the other known High Elders could compare to the dragon before him.

"What, what is that?! What a beautiful dragon!!"

March 7th, ever the enthusiast, was the first to gasp in wonder. Among those present, only Mei recognized the dragon's true identity. She offered a soft smile, gazing up at the white silhouette in the sky.

"Mm, truly beautiful."

"Whoa—it’s flying over here! Wait, wait, wait! Why is it crashing?!"

March 7th watched the white dragon beat its wings and descend toward the ground.

She excitedly raised her camera, but as she watched the massive beast grow larger and larger in her viewfinder, she realized the giant creature was heading straight for her!

Boom—

A gust of wind whipped past. Then, a soft white radiance bloomed.

The massive draconic body shifted and condensed into the form of a white-haired girl.

Sylvia stepped out from the light. If it weren't for the wings, tail, and dragon horns that she hadn't yet had time to retract, no one would have believed the dragon was her.

Dan Heng looked at Sylvia without a word, though he offered a rare, genuine smile.

Regardless of anything else, he was glad to see a companion’s strength grow so significantly. The others chattered and gathered around, curious about what had transpired.

Meanwhile, back in the lab, Ruan Mei looked down at the test results and shook her head slightly.

"Experiment log, attempt 102. This experiment was only half successful…… The subject successfully underwent dragon-transmutation after consuming the serum."

As far as the conclusion went, Sylvia had indeed succeeded. But unlike Dan Heng, for whom this was more like the liberation of innate power, Sylvia’s form was a timed transformation.

It was as if her physical body still couldn't fully bear the weight of this power, forcing her to revert to her human form before she hit the point of physiological overload.

She hadn't tested the exact combat capability yet, so Ruan Mei wasn't certain, but it definitely wouldn't be weak.

"Strange. That Dan Heng fellow has a physical constitution that doesn't even match Sylvia’s—who has endured so much torment—so why is the transmutation process so much more restrictive for her?"

Ruan Mei pondered. Surely the Path of Permanence didn't play favorites? Perhaps direct descendants grew and transformed more easily, while "transfer students" like Sylvia found it more difficult? Or was it the difference between innate and acquired traits?

"I wonder…… what would be the result if I created a 'natural' draconic progeny? And if I were to manufacture a Vidyadhara directly, what then?"

Ruan Mei scribbled down her hypotheses while analyzing the sensor data. "But one thing is certain: the path I’m on is the right one."

Closing the ceiling hatch, Ruan Mei took a moment to breathe. She had gained a great deal of information from Dan Heng, this former High Elder.

Firstly, while it was commonly thought that the title of High Elder was passed down through generations, in reality, it was the same dragon inhabiting new identities through constant reincarnation.

This was a discovery she hadn't known before. It meant the power of the High Elder never truly left the individual.

The current High Elder of the Luofu was not the one before her, and she had heard the legacy of the High Elder had faced major issues.

This confirmed that the existence of a High Elder was truly unique within the Path of Permanence, and it was highly unlikely that an outsider could reach that level simply through "cultivation."

"Hmm…… I’m actually quite curious to see that little High Elder in the rumors with my own eyes."

After seeing Dan Heng, Ruan Mei immediately wanted to observe Bailu.

Unfortunately, she only had a basic understanding of Dan Heng’s situation, which explained why it had been easy to bring him here. Bailu, however, was a different story; she was essentially unreachable.

--+--

Outside the laboratory, as the dragon-transmutation ended, the power ebbed away like a receding tide.

Compared to the borrowed powers of Abundance or Destruction, the power of Permanence felt significantly more natural to her.

Even though her strength had spiked exponentially, there was no feeling of "friction." That was the benefit of being on one's native Path.

Sylvia joined the picnic, her mind occupied by thoughts of this new power.

She felt like she was becoming less and less human. But the Path of Permanence seemed to be like that anyway, so there wasn't much to say.

As long as she still looked like a person, it was fine. Fortunately, Ruan Mei had good aesthetic taste, otherwise, Sylvia definitely wouldn't have dared to drink her concoctions.

Based on the photos March 7th had taken, she looked stunning in her draconic form. Sylvia was eager to spar with Mei and see exactly how strong she was, but her body felt weary after the transformation.

Forcing such immense power into her system meant there was a "cooldown" period.

Using the power of the Ambrosial Arbor to heal her body was a viable option, and she was doing just that, though it would take about half a system-hour.

That wasn't much of a restriction, though—after all, how often do you run into enemies of that caliber in normal life? Her usual Herrscher form was already enough to handle most opponents.

After dinner, night fell. The rest of the crew went to rest, while Sylvia and Mei headed to the Xianzhou Luofu. They stayed at their usual accommodation. Mei looked at Sylvia with a smile, already knowing why she was here.

"Where do you plan to go first? The Seat of Divine Foresight or the Divination Commission?"

"The Divination Commission, I suppose. I haven't seen Fu Xuan in a long time; I should go say hello."

Sylvia decided to pay Fu Xuan a visit. The recent Ambrosial Arbor rebellion had kept the administrative branches of the Luofu incredibly busy.

Judging by the posts Qingque had been making on social media, it seemed like the "overtime hell" had finally ended just a few days ago.

"Do you want to come?" Sylvia invited Mei. Now that she thought about it, Mei hadn't really visited the Divination Commission yet. Or the Seat of Divine Foresight, for that matter. Back when Sylvia was running around busy with everything, Mei had mostly stayed out of it.

"No, that’s alright. I’ll go buy some of your favorite snacks instead." Since they were on the Luofu, Mei decided to satisfy Sylvia’s appetite first.

"But I just finished eating!" Sylvia complained, though her mouth was already watering.

It had indeed been a while since she’d had local food. Penacony’s cuisine was delicious, but it was ultimately localized and modified; in terms of pure flavor, it couldn't compete with authentic Xianzhou food. As for the food on Separius—well, let’s not even go there.

At that thought, Sylvia clapped her hands.

"Ah…… how about we ask Tingyun to build a 'Xianzhou Eco-Garden' on Separius?"

"?"

Mei gave her a look. Was it really worth spending that much money just for a snack? Didn't she have the ability to teleport……?

Though Mei desperately wanted to retort, she didn't oppose the idea. If Sylvia wanted it, they would build it! Separius was mostly barren anyway; it was better to put it to use.

"I’ll ask Tingyun later and see if the Luofu has any business services for this kind of thing!"

Sylvia was clearly excited. Leaving that behind, she pushed the door open and headed out.

Although she could teleport, it was someone else's administrative territory, and without any urgent business, she decided to take a Starskiff.

--+--

When she arrived at the Divination Commission, Sylvia went through the back entrance and, surprisingly, didn't see Qingque. Assuming she was busy playing cards, she went straight to find Fu Xuan.

Before Sylvia could saunter into the Master Diviner's sanctum, however, Fu Xuan seemed to have anticipated her arrival. She blocked Sylvia's path at a nearby pavilion.

Fu Xuan stood with her arms crossed, head tilted back, glaring at Sylvia with distinct annoyance.

"I was wondering who the 'honored guest' mentioned in today's divination might be. And here it is—the elusive Sylvia, who only appears when she pleases."

"Uh……"

Sylvia, who had been about to wave a friendly greeting, was caught off guard by the sarcasm. Her hand hung in mid-air, unsure of what to do, so she just scratched her cheek.

"Lady Fu Xuan~ are you angry?"

"Hmph, what would I have to be angry about? It's just that you come to the Luofu time and time again without a word, and when you’re free to play cards, you don’t come to see me. You’re like a ghost online, too."

Fu Xuan gave a heavy, displeased sniff. She looked like she was prepared to pull out her portable divination matrix and whack Sylvia over the head if she didn't provide a good explanation.

Sylvia immediately put on a sunny smile.

With a flick of her wrist, she produced a cup of extra-sweet "Immortal’s Delight," then giggled and circled behind Fu Xuan, massaging her shoulders with her nimble hands.

"Uh, cough! You see, Qingque told me you were so busy you weren't even going home. I thought it best not to disturb you."

"Mm…… ah……"

Fu Xuan’s face turned slightly red. Sylvia’s hands were as nimble and soft as ever. Determined not to let her guard down, Fu Xuan quickly broke free of Sylvia’s grasp and sat down on a nearby chair.

Although she had mentally accepted the explanation and blamed Qingque for the misinformation, she still scoffed again for appearance's sake.

"Hmph."

Fu Xuan took a long, vigorous sip of the sugary tea. Her mood visibly improved.

"Speak. You coming to the Divination Commission in person—surely it’s not just for idle chatter?"

Fu Xuan bit the straw and glanced at Sylvia, who was sitting next to her, her small feet swinging restlessly. According to the divination from a few days ago, Sylvia was supposed to bring something worth paying attention to.

Truth be told, if she hadn't foreseen this, she would have already boarded a Starskiff to another Xianzhou ship.

The matter regarding the Ambrosial Arbor had sparked a massive reaction within the Alliance. Jing Yuan couldn't leave easily, so it fell to Fu Xuan to represent them to the Alliance.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 410

--+--

Sylvia gave a brief account of her time in Penacony.

Afterward, she extended an invitation to Fu Xuan:

"...So, Fu Xuan, would you like to take a trip to Penacony? You could consider it a business trip, paid for by the company."

"The Planet of Festivities, huh."

Fu Xuan felt a wave of sentimentality. On a personal level, she was quite curious about Penacony.

She was also rather curious about what kind of scene would unfold when Sylvia inevitably stirred up trouble there later on.

Unfortunately, she had other matters to attend to.

Fu Xuan bit down on her straw and shook her head.

"Apologies, I won't be going. I have important matters at hand; I need to depart for the Xianzhou Yuque in the coming days to deliver a report on the Ambrosial Arbor disaster."

Sylvia didn't react at first, then realization dawned on her—it was about that incident with Phantylia.

"The Ambrosial Arbor? Is this matter... really worth you reporting to the Marshal yourself?"

"...If this isn't considered important, then what else would be?"

Fu Xuan found Sylvia's reaction slightly amusing.

This incident involved the fall of a Lord Ravager, along with the resurrection and subsequent disappearance of the Ambrosial Arbor.

It even led to the breaking of a seal in the Scalegorge Waterscape that never should have been opened.

Could this woman be a bit more aware of the weight of her own actions?

There were even voices on the Yuque requesting that Jing Yuan bring Sylvia along as well. But since Sylvia was not a native of the Xianzhou, and—not to mention her formidable strength—she was also a lone wolf, Jing Yuan had rejected the request.

"Not only will I be heading to the Yuque, but over the next period, another Xianzhou General will arrive at the Luofu to conduct an investigation personally. You... should be extra careful."

Fu Xuan held great respect for the Generals of the Xianzhou, but she was well aware that the Xianzhou Alliance was, by nature, quite bellicose and adept at war.

The fact that the Luofu had been so peaceful for the last few hundred years was, in fact, the anomaly.

As an outsider who had participated so deeply in the Ambrosial Arbor incident, it would be difficult for Sylvia not to attract the probing eyes of other Generals.

And the most critical issue was that her own Matrix of Prescience could not discern Sylvia's future.

That was truly a headache.

While seeing the future wasn't always a good thing, being completely unable to perceive it brought its own set of anxieties.

Selfishly, Fu Xuan did not want Sylvia to remain on the Luofu during this time. But after hearing Sylvia's story, that plan had fallen through as well.

"Oh... is it really that serious? In that case, I suppose I should make the trip."

Sylvia ignored Fu Xuan's underlying implication. Seeing that Fu Xuan was getting anxious, Sylvia hurriedly explained: "I know you're worried, but let's not jump to conclusions. Don't forget, I have Phantylia right here in my possession. She isn't dead yet."

It wasn't as if there was no evidence; Phantylia, in all her existence, was still being held by her.

"...My oversight."

Fu Xuan stood there stiffly for a long moment, then, as if all her strength had suddenly vanished, her posture softened.

Watching Fu Xuan in this state, Sylvia couldn't help but raise her hand and pat her head.

"Thank you for being so concerned about me."

Little did Sylvia know, Fu Xuan had even been contemplating 'shielding' her just moments ago.

She felt happy, though it was clearly unnecessary.

It was the first time she had seen the side of Fu Xuan where worry clouded her judgment.

Besides, Jing Yuan was here, wasn't he? On this matter, they were on the same side.

"Ahem..."

Fu Xuan enjoyed the moment of silence for a while, then gave two dry coughs and dodged Sylvia's hand.

"Regarding this matter, I cannot give you any advice; just go directly to Jing Yuan. Let me see where he is."

She couldn't calculate Sylvia's future, but she could certainly find out where Jing Yuan was slacking off. Fu Xuan closed her eyes and used her Matrix of Prescience for a moment, then opened them, fuming:

"That man, Jing Yuan! He's off slacking at the Alchemy Commission again!"

"Haha~ Is he looking for Bailu?"

"Yes, we're going there directly!"

Fu Xuan held her Immortal’s Delight in one hand and grabbed Sylvia with the other, heading toward the nearest back exit.

They rushed out the door. The first second, she didn't realize anything.

The second second, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, looked around, and gritted her teeth:

"Where is Qingque! She went off to play cards again, didn't she?!"

"..."

Sylvia kept her mouth shut, silently offering a prayer for Qingque.

Caught red-handed by the top boss—what a shame, truly.

This wasn't my fault.

"Forget it, I'll settle the score with Qingque later."

Fu Xuan didn't dwell on Qingque for long; after all, Sylvia's business was more important.

--+--

Alchemy Commission.

Ever since Dan Shu had gone missing and was confirmed dead by the Seat of Divine Foresight, an odd atmosphere had permeated the Alchemy Commission.

After all, they were already missing a master, and then Dan Shu, who had barely managed to hold things together, was gone too.

Now, within the Alchemy Commission, the influence of the Vidyadhara had almost completely suppressed the other two factions.

Although Bailu didn't care about such things, she had keenly sensed something was wrong.

After all, even sneaking out had become much more difficult for her recently.

"General, even though your problem is sitting in the Seat of Divine Foresight too long and needing to eat better, you can't just treat my place like your cafeteria!"

Bailu sat across from Jing Yuan, looking at the various dishes that had been express-delivered to the table. While her mouth watered with unrequited desire, she didn't forget to fiercely roast Jing Yuan.

"Eh, that's where you're wrong. In order to strictly follow the doctor's orders, one must take the medicine in front of the doctor, no?"

Jing Yuan unceremoniously added a bowl of rice for himself and passed a pair of chopsticks to Bailu.

"Slurp..."

Bailu took the utensils and was just about to dive in when she realized they were lacking tea. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a small dragon, filling the teapot in front of her with clear water.

The pot began to heat up automatically, but Jing Yuan, sitting across from her, raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't seen this technique the last time he visited.

"This is... Cloudhymn Arts? When did you learn this?"

"Hehe, see how well I use it? Sylvia taught me. I bet it’ll startle her next time we meet."

"Sylvia, huh..."

Jing Yuan's heart, which had just been lifted, immediately relaxed.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by it being pushed open with a bang.

Fu Xuan frowned, arms crossed, glaring fiercely at Jing Yuan.

This guy—usually, he liked to use make-believe illnesses to slack off at the Alchemy Commission for a few minutes. Today, he’d gone too far and was actually eating a meal here!

"Oh? What wind blew today to bring Lady Fu and little friend Sylvia here?"

Before Fu Xuan could vent her frustration, Jing Yuan raised his rice bowl: "You two came at just the right time. Would you like to sit and have a bite?"

"Eat, eat, eat! Has the General finished his work? How do you have the free time to eat idle meals here!"

Fu Xuan aimed her spear directly at Jing Yuan.

Meanwhile, Sylvia caught Bailu, who had just barreled into her arms.

"Just saying, it's been a while since we last met!"

Sylvia held Bailu under her arms and weighed her, finding she felt exactly the same as before—not a single sign of growing up.

"Yeah, I happened to have some free time, so I tagged along with Master Diviner Fu to see you."

"Hehe~ Look, look! I’m very powerful now!"

Bailu hopped off Sylvia and began to show off her recent cultivation results in the room. Though the power wasn't great, her control was excellent, and she performed several basic spells with fluid ease.

It was clear she had put a lot of thought into it.

As Bailu performed, she puffed out her chest and tilted her head back, wearing an expression that practically screamed, 'Praise me, praise me!'

"Bailu is amazing! You learn so fast. I'll teach you some advanced spells over the next few days."

Sylvia rubbed Bailu's head.

As she traveled further along the Path of Permanence, the variety of spells she could extract from that Dragon Sovereign's Light Cone increased day by day.

Offensive spells weren't convenient to practice for now.

But as it happened, Sylvia had discovered spells within the Cloudhymn arts that allowed for concealment, enemy detection, and suppressing one's aura.

These functional spells were subtle and had moderate difficulty—perfect for Bailu to learn in secret.

"Really?! That’s great! I won’t be bored anymore. Hmph! Once I master these, I’ll smash those Preceptors’ heads in!"

Bailu waved her small fist, looking fierce.

Rather than feeling intimidated, it only made her look adorable.

Sylvia touched Bailu's hair and said with a chuckle: "What I'm teaching isn't offensive magic. Even if you master it, you won't be able to smash any Preceptors' skulls."

"Ah—"

Bailu's face fell instantly.

But Sylvia continued: "However, once you've mastered them, no one in the Alchemy Commission will be able to find or catch you. You'll be able to run out and play as much as you want."

"Oh—!!"

Bailu, who had been feeling down, perked right up.

"Pfft—"

Jing Yuan, who had been talking business on the side, couldn't hold back a laugh.

Fu Xuan, however, found it hard to endure. Exhausted, she abandoned Jing Yuan, rushed to Sylvia's side in two steps, and jumped up, hooking her arms around Sylvia's neck, leaving her hanging on Sylvia's back.

"I brought you here, and this is how you corrupt the Dragon Girl?!"

"Gah—cough, cough! Easy, easy!"

Sylvia hurriedly reached behind her to grab Fu Xuan's waist, preventing her arm from choking her.

"I’m just encouraging Bailu's initiative! Plenty of people in the Vidyadhara know these spells; they're made for exactly this purpose. What does it have to do with me?"

"Besides, the other spells are either offensive or too difficult. These just happened to be a perfect fit."

Fu Xuan didn't understand the Cloudhymn arts, but logically, she felt there was no flaw in Sylvia's reasoning.

Bailu's situation indeed made learning offensive magic unsuitable—it would be too hard to hide. But she still felt there was something wrong with Sylvia.

"You... you're just twisting words!"

"Fine, fine, I'm twisting words. In any case, Master Diviner, could you please get off my neck?"

Sylvia reached behind her to support Fu Xuan, but there wasn't much to hold onto; the waist was thin and smooth, and she kept sliding downward.

With a gentle adjustment, her hands landed right on Fu Xuan’s backside.

"..."

The moment her bottom, encased in white tights, was fully grasped by Sylvia, Fu Xuan froze.

She caught a glimpse of Jing Yuan, who was looking down at his tea, and then saw Bailu, who was watching her with curiosity.

Her small, fair face turned bright red instantly!

She hurriedly let go and slid off Sylvia's back as if she were fleeing.

"Ahem! That—that matter aside, regarding Penacony, I will urge Jing Yuan to come up with a plan as soon as possible. Come to the Seat of Divine Foresight later."

"Lady Fu, I don't recall agreeing to that yet."

"Oh, the General's attitude just now practically had the words 'I want to get involved' written all over his face."

Fu Xuan let out a cold snort. Jing Yuan’s attitude had clearly been one of great interest. She could even distinctly feel that he had ideas about dragging certain people into this.

"Actually, I think it's quite fine to discuss it here. Lady Fu, there's no need to be in such a rush. Why don't you sit down and eat while it's still hot?"

Jing Yuan had no intention of getting up; he continued to urge them to sit and eat.

Fu Xuan felt that such things should be discussed in a proper setting.

Furthermore, with a Vidyadhara Girl present, she didn't think it was appropriate to discuss these things. But she couldn't say that in front of Bailu, so she could only glare at Jing Yuan with a sour expression.

Then, she sat down next to Sylvia, fuming.

--+--

The rhythm of Xianzhou people eating was always leisurely.

A single meal with tea would easily take a full cycle of time.

Although Sylvia felt Jing Yuan ate with the speed of an elderly man bird-watching on the street, it gave her just enough time to teach those new spells to Bailu.

The principles of the spells themselves weren't difficult, and Bailu had memorized them completely during the meal.

But these types of spells tested one's proficiency.

If the casting speed wasn't up to par and the effect wasn't perfect, the concealment would naturally be riddled with holes.

As soon as she finished eating, Bailu began to practice with great enthusiasm.

"Bailu, whenever you’ve mastered a spell, just send me a message, and I'll come back to teach you more."

"You got it, you got it! Next time for sure!"

Bailu waved at Sylvia as she left.

Sylvia didn't mind, leaving Bailu's residence with Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan.

The General seemed to want to take a walk or perhaps take a nap, but unfortunately, he was sent straight back to the Seat of Divine Foresight by a skiff Fu Xuan had summoned, giving him no choice.

Fu Xuan herself prepared to return to the Divination Commission; having been away for so long, she had work to attend to.

"Sylvia, after we part ways here, it'll likely be quite some time before we can meet again."

"Don't say that. Just let me know when you're returning to the Xianzhou, and I'll come to pick you up."

"Alright, I'm heading off."

Having received Sylvia's promise, Fu Xuan's mood improved considerably.

She actually wanted to go to Penacony quite a bit; Sylvia was about to go on an adventure, and she wanted to help. It was just a pity that the Yuque was urging her, and it wouldn't do to delay any longer.

Fu Xuan turned and left.

Seeing Fu Xuan disappear into the distance, Jing Yuan relaxed completely.

"Ha... Lady Fu is such a worrier. This matter isn't inherently troublesome, it’s just that we need to consider who to send."

As Jing Yuan stepped into the gates of the Seat of Divine Foresight, he couldn't help but yawn.

"That's just Fu Xuan's diligent nature."

Sylvia smiled as she followed beside Jing Yuan, then continued: "Speaking of which, General, are you interested in that mask? It would be a nice choice if the Xianzhou could gain another source of combat power."

"It’s certainly a good object, but this Mask of the Fools isn't something just anyone can wear."

Jing Yuan saw through it more clearly—or rather, as a General, he understood the meaning of an 'Aeon's Blessing' better.

That mask was power granted to Sylvia by the Aeon of Elation.

Sylvia didn't want it, and even wanted to sell it.

The Aeon of Elation might find it amusing, and thus would cooperate with Sylvia's actions.

The fact that the mask remained completely silent currently was proof that the Aeon of Elation was anticipating how this would play out.

But whether the 'fool' who spent money to take the mask off her hands would be able to please that Aeon after putting it on... that was another matter entirely.

--+--