The Unsealing of Lanqi and Talia's Shadow-Weaving Record

A breeze tinged with the scent of summer drifted past their shoulders. Having said goodbye to Chief Warrant Officer Nigel, the two headed off toward the attractions around the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu as planned, ready to check the spots off their sightseeing list. "The merchandise from the Church of the Goddess of Fate here in the Flower Capital looks a bit different from what they have in Ikerite. Let's pick up something for Hyperion," Talia said to Lanqi. Hyperion had a real fondness for collecting tokens from the Church of the Goddess of Fate. Of course, keepsakes from other deities were fine, too—so long as they belonged to the Lawful Good alignment. "Sounds like a plan. They'll probably have Flower Capital specialty offering pastry boxes, postcards, music albums, and translated copies of the *Tome of Creation* in the Posen language," Lanqi remarked thoughtfully, nodding in agreement. Locals usually wouldn't touch that sort of stuff, but it tended to be a hit with out-of-town tourists. It was just like Ikerite Academy selling all sorts of merchandise emblazoned with the school name and crest. The enrolled students almost never fell for it, yet visiting tourists would occasionally buy a few pieces. Boss Cat listened quietly from Lanqi's arms. It had no idea why these two referred to sacred temple souvenirs as "merch." In any case, neither of them was the type to harbor much genuine reverence for the gods. The two humans and one cat stepped into the sprawling plaza before the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu, the majestic structure completely filling their vision. Its spires and flying buttresses looked like bridges linking the past to the present. Every now and then, a flock of white doves would take flight from the plaza nearby, sweeping across the cathedral's tall towers and casting a rhythmic trail of shadows. This was District 1 in downtown Palieu, situated on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Selena River, facing Palieu City Hall and the Parkinson Palace across the water. "Those offering pastry boxes sold by the temple... in the end, people still eat them, right?" Talia had been lost in thought with her head down after Lanqi spoke, and she finally voiced her question. She couldn't shake the feeling that if they were sold as souvenir offering boxes, they shouldn't be like the ancient sacrifices laid out strictly for deities. It wasn't that demons couldn't worship the Goddess of Fate, but gods of the Good and Lawful side weren't particularly popular in the Demon Realm, and demons instinctively assumed such gods wouldn't care for them either. Back then, Hyperion had sometimes hesitated to step inside the Temple of the Goddess of Fate in Ikerite, terrified she might defile the goddess's sacred grounds. It was only later, when Almis, the Ice Witch, gave her the reassurance she needed, that Hyperion found the courage to formally become a priestess. Now, if only out of consideration for Hyperion, Talia would maintain at least basic respect toward the Goddess of Fate whom Hyperion adored. "That's exactly how it works. You offer your money to the church, the goddess accepts your piety, and then you get to eat the pastries," Lanqi explained to her. According to the descriptions he had read, the boxes mostly contained confectioneries with soft, fluffy pastry crusts light as clouds, said to melt the moment they touched the tongue. The fillings varied according to the patterns on the crust, pairing fresh fruits and cream with nata de coco, pudding, and similar treats. In Talia's era, eating pastries this way probably hadn't been in fashion yet. "Then those won't keep well or travel well. If we buy a box, we might as well eat them along the way," Talia suggested. "No problem." Aside from purchasing the crafting materials for [Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record], the rest of the funds Lanqi carried on this trip to the Kingdom of Posen were specifically earmarked by his father for buying Tata delicious food. Whatever she wanted to eat, he would buy. "How many boxes?" he added. "...One!" Talia bit her lip. Lanqi's special brand of annoying had reached the point where she couldn't even be bothered to hit him anymore. Cradling the cat, Lanqi walked beside Talia across the sunlit plaza. Their destination for the day, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu, loomed before them in full silhouette. Passing beneath soaring vaulted ceilings and slender colonnades, they stepped inside the cathedral in just a few strides. The layout of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu was roughly shaped like an elongated Latin cross, spanning a total floor area of six thousand square meters. Two seventy-meter bell towers stood on its western facade, while inside, five longitudinal aisles—a central nave flanked by two side aisles on either side—formed the cross. The altar rested at the apex, while the long arm of the cross formed the cathedral's rectangular main hall. "At present, this cathedral belongs to the priesthood of the Goddess of Love, making it the largest temple dedicated to Love on the Southern Continent," Lanqi explained like a tour guide. Every city revered a different patron deity. Here in the Flower Capital of Palieu, the largest temple belonged to the Goddess of Love, corresponding to the Chapter of Will and Passion in the *Tome of Creation*, which recorded Mind-attribute divine arts. Temples dedicated to the Goddess of Will and Passion were wildly popular with couples and young people looking for romance, with locals and tourists alike coming year-round to pray for good fortune in love. "Not bad." Talia felt that the tour services Lanqi provided were occasionally quite satisfying. She didn't need to worry about a thing; following him around was more than enough. Three broad arched doorways formed the entrance to the interior hall, the lintels above carved with vivid scenes from the *Tome of Creation*. The side walls featured hundreds of stained-glass mosaic windows. The intricate craftsmanship made these colorful panes gleam brilliantly under the sunlight, looking like a vibrant, natural kaleidoscope. "Speaking of the Chapter of Will and Passion, it's a pity there's no trace of the related [Original Slate - Mind]," Lanqi said, walking through the cathedral and gazing up at the divine-era murals on the vaulted ceiling. Back when he attended the Magic Lineage course at Ikerite Academy, he had asked Teacher Teresa about the whereabouts of the world's Original Slates when she brought them up. Yet the Mind slate had been missing for many years. "Even if its whereabouts were known, you wouldn't be able to get your hands on it. Claiming an Original Slate is twenty percent skill and eighty percent luck. Finding any usable one at all is already a blessing," Talia said, shaking her head amid the kaleidoscopic light. Original Slates were things one could stumble upon only by sheer fortune, never by active seeking. Even during the Demon Realm's golden age, very few great demons possessed an Original Slate. Take Almis, the Ice Witch, for instance. For her, [Original Slate - Ice] would have been optimal, but by luck she only managed to obtain [Original Slate - Healing], so she made do with it, forever after specializing primarily in Ice with Healing as a secondary focus. There were also great demons who simply had no need for one—those who mastered multiple attributes and prioritized versatility. No matter which Original Slate they acquired, burning five permanent card capacity costs to specialize in a single attribute simply didn't offer a worthwhile return on investment. "In your case, getting [Original Slate - Sealing] would be absolute perfection. Settling for [Original Slate - Mind] or [Original Slate - Healing] would still count as a solid endgame setup. As a last resort, [Original Slate - Light] and [Original Slate - Fire] are barely usable, but the returns would be marginal," Talia remarked casually. As Lanqi's teacher, she hadn't taught him much about attribute systems before because he had been too weak. Now that Lanqi was steadily growing stronger, it was about time she introduced him to some advanced concepts. Lanqi's innate attribute was Sealing, while his acquired attributes could be reshaped based on his card deck. Back when he first took the entrance exam at Ikerite Academy, Lanqi had loaded up on a massive pool of Healing magic cards, altering his spell repertoire so that his acquired attribute at the time was Healing. It was just that Lanqi had been too weak back then; his innate [Sealing] attribute had neither been tapped into nor utilized. "I see." Lanqi had the feeling that Talia's lesson might have come a bit late. "What? Has another teacher already gone over this with you in detail?" Talia asked, catching the fleeting thought that crossed his mind. She assumed the curriculum at Ikerite Academy only skimmed surface-level concepts without diving deep into Original Slate compatibility for students. After all, having even one student across a dozen graduating classes with the potential to obtain an Original Slate would be an extraordinary feat. "Yeah," Lanqi nodded. Old Sang had taught him everything. "Then have you decided what class you want to engrave?" Since Talia was confident he already understood the fundamentals, she refrained from repeating herself. Turning her gaze toward the inner hall of the cathedral, she shifted the topic. Reaching Tier 6 in this world already marked someone as an extraordinary powerhouse, capable of commanding winds and clouds on the borders of major nations. Tier 7, however, was the true threshold separating mortals from transcendent beings, and remarkably few creatures ever achieved it. "Beats me," Lanqi replied after thinking about it. He had only briefly chatted with Side about engraving a Tier 7 class back in the Snowfield Province of the Northern Continent. Back then, he had only been at Tier 4, so he hadn't given it much thought. In the blink of an eye, times had changed. After breezing straight to Tier 6 thanks to the Tier 7 Shadow World [Darkest Solar Eclipse Realm], he was now suddenly staring down the question of a Tier 7 class. Breaking through to Tier 7 required not only reaching the absolute peak of Tier 6, but also gathering materials compatible with one's affinity to engrave a class. This would drastically boost the fundamental attributes required for one's chosen path and bestow a class passive ability. The affinity of the materials directly dictated the difficulty of success, and the higher the quality of the core material, the steeper the challenge became. Every failure inflicted severe trauma on the body, caused mana regression, and rendered the user incapable of attempting another class engraving for a significant period. The Cardinal's Proof from the Resurrection Church was a flawless Epic-grade material. Generally speaking, anyone with the talent and fortune to aspire to Tier 7 would do everything possible to secure materials of the highest affinity and quality for their engraving. Yet precisely because of this, this hurdle had trapped countless experts who had languished at Tier 6 for years, preventing them from stepping into the ranks of the world's absolute elite. The most impressive class passive Lanqi had ever seen belonged to Askesan: [All-Severing Sealing Specialization] [Category: Soul Engraving] [Quality: Orange Epic] [Tier: 0] [Passive Effect: Mana attribute increased by 18%, Mind attribute increased by 12%, Sealing magic potency increased by 25%] This was the top-tier Sealing Master class profile appraised from Askesan's body during the Protos Empire's post-mortem examination. Within the same profession category, the total stat pool of a class passive at the same quality level remained constant, though the ratio between mana and mind would vary depending on the individual and the materials used, as would the final effect. "All I know is that Tier 6 and Tier 7 are a true watershed. Once you hit Tier 7, you're not so easy to kill anymore," Lanqi said to Talia. Setting aside the massive leap in base attributes from Tier 6 to Tier 7, a single class passive was enough to open up a staggering gap. That was why Tiers 4, 5, and 6 could sometimes punch above their weight, but virtually no Tier 6 could ever take on a Tier 7 in a one-on-one duel. For Tier 6 combatants to beat a Tier 7, they essentially had to form a full raid team; a coordinated group of twelve might stand a chance. As for Tier 8, throwing any number of Tier 6s at them was utterly hopeless. Any frontline tank would be wiped out instantly, healers couldn't keep up with the damage, and the damage output wouldn't even penetrate—the boss might regenerate faster than the attackers could chip away. To cross tiers and defeat a Tier 8 titan standing at the threshold of divinity, one had to rely either on massive military fortifications—such as the Phantom Concussion Towers, Mana-Rift Sky Cannons, and Firmament Shield Arrays the border defense forces used to support Loren against the Blood Clan Marquis in the South Wantina March—or summon another Tier 8 combatant to match them. "That's right. If you can make it to Tier 7, you would have been considered a force to be reckoned with—a true hero unit—even back during the Demon War a century ago. Generally speaking, successfully engraving a Purple Rare class is already quite good. Though in truth, whatever you engrave at Tier 7 doesn't matter too much; if you're dissatisfied at Tier 8, you get one chance to re-engrave, though it can only jump by one quality grade at most," Talia agreed, validating Lanqi's assessment. In theory, the bare minimum to engrave at Tier 7 was Purple, which could upgrade to Pink at Tier 8 and Orange at Tier 9. Of course, that was purely theoretical; virtually no living being ever reached Tier 9. A far better route was engraving Pink at Tier 7, which opened the path to upgrading directly to Orange at Tier 8. "By the way, aside from stat differences, what else does class quality do?" Lanqi asked as they strolled along. He had the impression Talia placed quite a bit of stock in class quality. "Once you possess a class or meet certain special criteria, you become a Heroic Spirit, anchored and recorded by the core of the Shadow World. In the ages to come, it becomes possible for you to manifest in certain Shadow Worlds. In specific types of Shadow Worlds, you can even be summoned into combat. Furthermore, legends say that in ancient eras, there were secret arts capable of summoning Heroic Spirits directly into the real world," Talia explained inside the cathedral. "Holy... Doesn't that mean Old Sang really has a shot at winning his revival bracket?" Lanqi almost gasped. "Who on earth is this Old Sang?" Talia's curiosity was thoroughly piqued now. "The strongest Sealing Master of modern times. I even have his holy relic," Lanqi answered. Unfortunately, the current world version wasn't right. It might take thousands or tens of thousands of years for the version to update. If they ever transitioned into an era of Heroic Spirits, he would summon Old Sang no matter what to fight the Blood Clan, letting them experience firsthand the raw power of humanity's strongest contemporary Sealing Master. Talia felt Lanqi had a habit of spouting nonsensical riddles she couldn't comprehend. Still, she figured that if holy relics were truly involved, summoning Lanclos of the Black Sun—the strongest ancient Sealing Master from the era of the Blood Moon Ruined World—would probably be far better. After all, the records Talia had retrieved from Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record showed that the man's prowess was truly extraordinary. "Also, Lanqi, don't underestimate the upper and lower limits of class passives; the differences can be huge. For instance, take a look at Boss Cat's class passive." Talia reached out and patted the head of the little black cat nestled in Lanqi's arms. If one engraved a specific lineage function at Tier 7, the class passive obtained would be a Specialization in that field—granting a certain enhancement to base attributes and amplifying spells of that attribute. The grade of the materials successfully used for the engraving determined the eventual quality of the passive. Boss Cat had clearly engraved its class entirely haphazardly. "Boss Cat, let's take a look," Lanqi said, glancing down at the little black cat in his embrace. "Meow." Boss Cat ducked its head in slight embarrassment. Back then, all it had cared about was successfully breaking through to Tier 7. Its resulting class passive was the most mundane kind: [Spatial Spirit Cat Specialization] [Category: Soul Engraving] [Quality: White Common] [Tier: 0] [Passive Effect: Mana attribute increased by 2%, Mind attribute increased by 4%, Spatial magic mana cost reduced by 5%] Lanqi supported Boss Cat with both hands and began appraising its class passive. Talia leaned in as well, checking Boss Cat's stats from the side. Normally, appraising someone else's stats was no easy feat unless the other party permitted it. Right now, Boss Cat was actively allowing the appraisal. "Meow, meow, stop looking already." Boss Cat buried its head under their scrutiny. With a passive that was practically negligible, it had previously been too embarrassed to even claim it was Tier 7. "Wait, Boss Cat, why are you Spatial-attributed?" Talia asked after catching a glimpse of Boss Cat's stats. She had assumed Boss Cat's innate attribute was telekinesis. "Of course I am," Boss Cat nodded. It was precisely because of its innate Spatial attribute that it had managed to roll its innate magic, Shadow Meld. Telekinesis was just spirit magic it had cultivated later. Of course, what attribute it had didn't really matter anymore; it was practically a Wind Specialization at this point. "Then aside from Shadow Meld, why don't you know any other spatial magic?" Talia asked. "...I couldn't learn it, meow," Boss Cat mumbled under the interrogation. It was quite humiliating to admit. On one hand, spatial magic was inherently the hardest to learn and exceedingly rare; on the other hand, its magical aptitude was simply lacking. Without spatial affinity, learning it was utterly impossible. Even with spatial affinity, the odds of mastering it were minuscule. The only reason it possessed an innate Spatial attribute was that its affinity across all thirty-one attributes was abysmally low across the board—and relatively speaking, spatial happened to be just a hair higher. Thus, by pure fluke, [Spatial] became its primary attribute, providing the safety net that allowed it to roll a spatial talent. "I remember the general commanding the Ninth Army Corps of the Demon King Army had Spatial as his primary attribute. Spatial magic might be rare, but when put to use, it's remarkably practical," Talia murmured, drifting into memory. "The weakest general who handled logistics and advocated for surrender, right?" Lanqi had heard Pranay mention him. He had quite an impression of that last, unidentified surviving great demon. Now Boss Cat's restaurant was only missing Second Princess Ifatia and that great demon to complete the full collection. "Yes. When it came to running away, nobody could beat him," Talia said. "Oh, wait. If Hyperion ever reaches Tier 8, she might actually give him a run for his money in a footrace." Halfway through her sentence, Talia recalled the new-generation demon and revised her conclusion. "Why are you suddenly slandering Hyperion?" Lanqi looked at Talia in surprise. Someone seemed to be engaging in some novel form of questing. "I'm not. I just think the way she runs away is very cute," Talia said, shaking her head earnestly. "That's true," Lanqi nodded in agreement. "Then tell me, what about her is cute?" Talia decided to test Lanqi, probing him with a question. "Have you ever noticed? Hyperion's smile is extraordinarily precious because she rarely shows it freely. But when she truly smiles from the heart, that pure warmth strikes right into everyone's soul, like a beam of sunlight piercing through clouds on a winter day..." Lanqi explained with absolute focus. Listening to him, Talia remained deathly quiet, her brow furrowing as she glared at him. "On top of that, Hyperion is reserved, delicate, easily embarrassed, or terribly flustered, yet she is remarkably attuned to how others feel. She'll show care for the friends around her in the subtlest, most unprompted ways." "Meow!" Hearing Lanqi speak, Boss Cat looked back and forth in terror. *Master Lanqi, you're done for!* *This is a trap question!* *Praising another girl like this right to a girl's face?* *She might not speak to you for the rest of the day!* "And what's more, Hyperion actually has a hard time falling into a deep sleep. Even when asleep, she always looks like she's having a nightmare with tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Her fragility, her unease—they're all adorable. In short, she's just completely cute." Lanqi chatted and analyzed away with Talia as though he couldn't stop. Just as Talia let out a long, relieved sigh with a smile, and Boss Cat clamped its paws over its ears in fright— "You understand her quite well. A passing grade," Talia said, crossing her arms with a thoroughly satisfied nod. "...?" Boss Cat was utterly baffled. *Did spending so much time together bring Lanqi and Tata into total sync?* *Turns out Tata really is built different from other girls.* *There's no need to overthink things when dealing with her at all.* Carrying the cat, the two soon finished browsing the outer sanctuary. Passing through the gilded side doors, an inner nave formed of double-tiered vaulted arcades stretched out before them, spanning one hundred and seventeen meters. "Seriously though, with [Demonic Fusion], aside from gaining Hyperion's passive abilities, you could also steal a very important stat," Lanqi remarked casually with a solemn air. They continued forward along the long gallery, stopping at the vast, towering, dimly lit central hall. Their gaze traveled upward along the arches until they spotted the colossal rose window near the dome. Sunlight poured through it, casting shifting patches of colored light and shadow across their bodies. "What stat?" Talia recalled that given her fusion compatibility with Hyperion, fusing would multiply her base stats by an extremely low compatibility factor, likely dragging her down to Tier 6 levels. Aside from racial demon passives, there shouldn't be anything valuable to gain. "Age," Lanqi replied, looking straight at her. "Are you out of your mind...?" Talia's cheeks flushed red. She clenched her fists, closing her eyes and furrowing her brows, barely restraining herself from punching Lanqi square in the face. "As if I'd ever fuse with Hyperion! If I did, you wouldn't even be able to tell who's who anymore," she muttered, visibly peeved. The Poet of Great Love had originated from her, and after being completely fused, Talia had supplanted the poet. If she were to fuse with Hyperion, however, Talia couldn't guarantee how things would turn out. While her own will would likely dominate, whose appearance would take precedence? Would Hyperion's consciousness run parallel inside her mind? Talia had no way of knowing. If she ended up taking on Hyperion's appearance and wearing Hyperion's clothes while hanging around Lanqi, it would feel thoroughly bizarre. "Anyway, once I reach Tier 7, I should just pick a class with the highest possible Mind attribute bonus, right?" Lanqi asked Talia, setting the jokes aside. He would probably reach Tier 7 after clearing one more Shadow World. The fourth node of the Blood Moon Ruined World was guaranteed to be at least a Tier 8 Shadow World. As long as he cleared it, the rewards would almost certainly pour enough power into him to push him up a tier. Right now, Tier 6 spells barely scratched him because his Mind attribute was so high that his magic resistance was through the roof. Combined with the passives from those great demon marks, virtually nothing below Tier 7 magic could make a dent in him. Once he engraved a class and advanced to Tier 7, his stat sheet would defy all reason. "Right. The higher the Mind, the better. Just reach Tier 7 as soon as possible and use all your mana to protect me," Talia nodded. She was Lanqi's ultimate core asset right now. At present, Lanqi could only support her in full combat for a minute or two at most; if they ran into an evenly matched Tier 8 opponent, they'd have to flee. If Lanqi specialized heavily in Mind and reached Tier 7, they would at least have sufficient combat duration. "So just serve me properly. You won't have much combat power at Tier 8 anyway, so you might as well rely entirely on the strongest one here—me." Talia's voice carried no overt smugness, yet she shot Lanqi a sideways glance. "Meow, meow." Boss Cat felt that an eighth-tier Lanqi wouldn't be weak either; it was just that he'd rarely take the field himself. An eighth-tier Lanqi was modeled after the eighth-tier Son of the Sun, whom Boss Cat had seen in recordings—that guy had been an invincible juggernaut. Still, the Son of the Sun had been a magic tank capable of both soaking and dealing damage; for example, the [Tears of Imperishable Glaze] Lanqi gave Frey had originally belonged to the Son of the Sun, who had also mastered the ancient sealing art [Undying Eternal Damnation] and its upgraded variants. As for Lanqi, whenever trouble arose, he solved it with [Nuclear Fusion Wolf]—his path had already diverged from the Son of the Sun's. "Tata, let me see yours," Lanqi said, curious about Talia's class passive. "Go ahead and appraise it." Though Talia acted reluctant, she let Lanqi look nonetheless. After all, their lives were bound together now. In a sense, each other's strength was their own. [Absolute Controller Specialization] [Category: Soul Engraving] [Quality: Orange Epic] [Tier: 0] [Passive Effect: Mana attribute increased by 14%, Mind attribute increased by 16%, Mind magic cooldown reduced by 25%] "Yours is an Orange class, too?" Lanqi stared at her, stunned. "Did you forget who I was? As a demon princess back then, do you really think I couldn't get the finest materials for class engraving?" Talia retorted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "..." Lanqi would periodically forget that Talia had actually been a royal princess over a century ago. "So do your best, and look hard for a usable engraving material. Pink would already be quite an achievement. If you beg your big sister nicely, maybe I'll help you look for one. After all, you can only rely on me for things like this—no one else is going to deliver a flawless material right to your doorstep," Talia said, patting Lanqi's shoulder with exaggerated pity. Having toured the main nave of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu, the two didn't bother checking out the side halls one by one. Instead, they exited from the east side and followed their map to find the Church of the Goddess of Fate, located not far away. According to Palieu's municipal planning, branch offices of churches devoted to various deities were clustered within this vicinity, making it easy for believers and their respective clerics to find their organizations. After a brisk few minutes' walk, the two located the Flower Capital branch of the Church of the Goddess of Fate: The Church of Saint Palieu. Its architectural style bore a striking resemblance to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu. Stepping inside, they saw a dark bronze statue of the Goddess of Fate and Samsara standing directly opposite the central hall. Dozens of angel sculptures in varied poses were embedded in the surrounding walls, while the pulpit, altar, and offering tables were adorned with carved floral and plant motifs, recreating landscapes of the divine era. Beneath their feet, mosaic marble floor tiles formed an intricate, orderly path leading toward the altar right beneath the dome. As Lanqi and Talia ventured deeper into the church, a souvenir counter in the corner gradually came into view. Beneath the glass of the counter lay commemorative merchandise, ranging from postcards and hand-painted illustrations of the *Tome of Creation* to pastry gift boxes. Talia's eyes locked onto her target immediately. "Hello, we'd like to buy some souvenirs. Also, do you sell Samsara Jade amulets?" Lanqi walked up to the counter and addressed a priestess busy tidying the shelves behind her. "Of course." Dressed in a white robe embroidered with gold patterns and wearing a delicate circlet, the priestess turned around and looked at them. "Tell me which souvenirs you'd like, and I'll wrap them up for you. As for the Samsara Jade, would you like a single stone or a pair?" she asked with a gentle smile. "One," both of them answered simultaneously. They adhered to the principle of buying their own. "A pair it is, then." The priestess selected two gems wrapped in miniature pouches from a drawer behind the counter. One radiated a golden luster, sparkling with a dazzling, distant radiance; the other was a gentle green, lively and brimming with vitality. She carefully displayed the two stones to them, feeling they suited the pair remarkably well. "..." Both Lanqi and Talia glanced at the price tag. These attribute-less stones weren't precious jewels, yet their price was far from low. Evidently, people bought them mainly for good fortune. "Let's get them," Lanqi said, pulling out his Southern Continent Federal Bank crystal card. He wasn't short on money. Samsara Jade was just a fairytale concept in the first place; any pebble could serve the purpose, so there was nothing inherently special about it. It was all about sincerity. "Oh, since you two have a pair of matching bracelets, we can embed them into your bracelets for you," the priestess suddenly noted, noticing the identical bracelets Lanqi and Talia wore on their wrists. Both looked down in silence at their own wrists and each other's. These were the [Skywood Golden Bee Memorial Bracelets] they had won as prizes at the Golden Bee Amusement Park. Because they provided Lanqi with a substantial Mind attribute bonus—superior even to other mana-boosting magic cards—they had worn them continuously since arriving in the Kingdom of Posen. "The processing won't alter their attributes; it merely modifies the external casing, and it only requires a small processing fee," the priestess explained. "We'll leave it in your hands, then." Lanqi and Talia exchanged glances for a moment before agreeing. They could treat it as an offering to the Goddess of Fate. In any case, Samsara Jade was nothing more than a legendary superstition. And so, the two slipped off their bracelets and handed them over to the priestess behind the counter along with the bank card. "Thank you for your patronage. Please wait a moment; feel free to rest on the benches over there." Having swiped the card, the priestess bowed with a broad smile and handed the wrapped souvenirs to Lanqi and Talia, feeling as though her sales quota for the month was already secure. After all, very few generous customers ever bought Samsara Jade. Even the clergy themselves knew that aside from looking pretty, the stones were completely useless—and terribly expensive to boot. Next came a long wait. Lanqi and Talia found seats on one side of the church. They waited for a little over an hour. Sitting on the long temple bench under the watchful gaze of the Goddess of Fate, Talia had already polished off an entire twenty-five-piece box of pastries. During that time, she had asked Lanqi if he wanted any, but Lanqi told her watching her eat was enough. In the end, she still shoved one into his mouth. By now, Lanqi was on the verge of dozing off on the bench. Accompanied by approaching footsteps, the priestess finally emerged from the forging chamber carrying the pair of bracelets and walked up to them. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!" The priestess presented the newly modified gold-and-green Skywood bracelets to the two. The streamlined, minimalist design remained unchanged, resembling layered leaves of a dense forest linked together, only now each had an embedded gemstone bearing the crest of the Church of the Goddess of Fate. "No problem at all." Lanqi and Talia took the bracelets, exchanged slightly hesitant looks, and ultimately slipped on the pair, which looked even more like matching couple's bands than before. "Make a wish to the Goddess! Only through sincere prayer will they truly become Samsara Jades," the priestess urged them. "That won't be necessary, surely?" Both felt a little hesitant. "You don't have to say it out loud; the Goddess of Fate is watching over you," the priestess added, offering a strong recommendation. "..." Lanqi and Talia froze. In their current state, they could hear each other's thoughts; wishing in their minds was no different from speaking aloud. The standoff dragged on for quite a while. It seemed both were beginning to feel their scalps tingle under the unblinking gaze of the statue of the Goddess of Fate across the hall. *Lady Goddess, I hope Talia can live happily every day, that she will never suffer any more hardship, and that she will never be left behind again.* Lanqi clasped his hands and prayed silently toward the goddess statue. Hearing his thoughts, Talia shot him a glance filled with mild disbelief. A few seconds passed. *Lady Goddess, I hope Lanqi can be just as happy as I am.* She, too, bowed toward the goddess statue. "May the Goddess bless you both." With that, the priestess finally broke into a radiant smile, offering her blessings as she saw them off. Afterward, Lanqi carried the paper bag filled with temple souvenirs and walked out of the church alongside Talia. Because they had spent far longer waiting in the temple than anticipated, it was already one in the afternoon outside. The summer heat rising from the Selena River, coupled with the blazing sun, induced a heavy drowsiness. They walked across the plaza and reached the riverbank without exchanging another word, with only the little black cat looking up between the two of them. "..." "Why would you pray for something like that?" Hearing Lanqi's heartfelt prayer had left Talia feeling somewhat unsettled. Accustomed to bickering with him, she had half-expected Lanqi to say something infuriating in front of the Goddess of Fate. "Because I genuinely want what's best for you. Seeing you happy makes me happy, too," Lanqi answered honestly, letting out a sleepy yawn. "..." For some reason, Talia didn't quite know how to respond to words like that. Perhaps in the presence of the goddess, neither felt comfortable trading rude barbs anymore. After a long silence, she finally spoke: "Come on. Let's go rest by the riverbank." Talia could tell Lanqi was exhausted, and she had no intention of dragging him around sightseeing for the rest of the afternoon. "Oh? What about you?" Lanqi asked. Last night at the arena had indeed taken a heavy toll on him. "I'll sit beside you. You can take a short nap with peace of mind," Talia murmured, looking toward the park ahead. The banks of the Selena River were naturally dotted with charming parks. Among them was Luxembourg Park on the right bank, which they were now entering. Originally a private royal garden of the Kingdom of Posen, it had later become a treasured public sanctuary for enjoying greenery and tranquil moments. One could stroll along the riverbank or lounge on the grassy lawns and benches, soaking in the unique romance and leisure of the Flower Capital. In the afternoon sun, the two quickly found a bench, set down the cat and the souvenirs, and sat facing the shimmering surface of the river. A gentle breeze swept across the water from time to time, bringing a cool touch that brushed against their skin. Talia said nothing more. Lanqi heard only the gentle lapping of waves against the bank, the calls of waterfowl, and distant laughter drifting from somewhere across the river. At that moment, drowsiness rolled in like a tidal wave, impossible to resist. The world before Lanqi began to blur. His head nodded once, twice, and the ambient sounds receded into the distance. It felt as though his entire body were sinking into soft, pillowy mist, succumbing to sleep. Lanqi tried his best to hold onto a sliver of consciousness, but in the end, he lost the fight against the gentle pull of slumber, drifting completely into a dream. ... His consciousness drifted in fits and starts. Flickering candlelight seemed to cast shifting, tangled webs of light and shadow across vaulted ceilings, rippling like disturbed water. This place looked strikingly like somewhere he had been before— The Demon King's Palace in Naicalis, City of the Demon King. Compared to the Throne Room in his memories, it was far emptier, bearing the weathered marks of age, as if hundreds of years had passed in the blink of an eye. The air hung heavy with the rich fragrance of Demon Realm incense candles, winding through the shadows of the intricately carved pillars. A long carpet stretched from the entrance to the far end, its dense, heavy fabric seeming to swallow every sound. The window frames no longer let in the bright light that had shone when the Lord of the Fallen was present; instead, they filtered the dim remnants of twilight into absolute pitch, cloaking the entire space in gloom. At the far end of the darkening hall, the throne still stood within the shadows. Only a solitary figure remained seated upon it. She tilted her head slightly, looking toward the side of the throne. [My cute little cat, have you finally noticed me?] Behind the woman with ash-gray hair and golden pupils stood a ghost shrouded in black mist, only its deep green eyes clearly visible. "I wasn't trying to talk to you," the solitary ash-haired woman murmured to herself. Her cold words formed an invisible barrier, isolating her from the world. [You must recognize that worldly affairs are transient and helplessness is inevitable. You need to learn to let go, to put down the burden.] The voice emerged from the ghost's mouth. "You have no right to preach to me. What have you ever lost? You don't even have your memories." She looked aside once more, her voice growing even more distant. As if receiving a command, the ghost smiled faintly and returned to standby. ... No one knew how much time had passed. When Lanqi slowly opened his eyes again, the sky had quietly changed. Through his hazy vision, the Selena River looked as though it had been brushed with golden paint, its glittering ripples reflecting the clouds shifting from gold to pink along the horizon. The surrounding sounds had grown gentler. Laughter and conversation drifted once more from afar, while the scent of flowers and grass mingled in the air, bringing him back to his senses. He realized he was leaning against Talia's shoulder. Yet Talia hadn't pushed him away or woken him, quietly letting him rest. "Awake?" Talia asked placidly, holding Boss Cat in her arms. Her voice was remarkably similar to the one he had heard in the dream, only far warmer. "Yeah. What time is it?" Lanqi quickly shifted his weight off her and asked. "A little past four-fifty," Talia replied. "Huh? I slept that long?" Lanqi hadn't expected it. He blinked to clear his vision and looked across the river once more. A breeze blew past, and golden light dominated his entire field of view. It was a dazzling mountain of gold and silver treasures— Beneath the slowly setting sun, the entirety of Palieu's glowing South Bank lay spread before them. "Phew, I'm revived!" Rising slowly from the bench, Lanqi threw his arms out in a massive stretch, trying to shake off the lingering remnants of sleep. "Did you dream of something?" Talia looked up at him. "No, not really. Half-asleep, half-awake—can't remember much," Lanqi said, shaking his head. It had been so strange. In the dream, it felt as though his and Talia's roles had been reversed, and he had somehow become her bound familiar. Besides, what was with "my cute little cat"? How could he ever call this tigress of a woman something like that? "'My cute little cat'?" Talia murmured, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Meow, meow, meow! Are you calling me?" Boss Cat immediately perked its head up, asking repeatedly in its childish voice. "Nothing, nothing at all," Lanqi turned around and waved his hands. As expected, the legends of the Church of the Goddess of Fate were all nonsense; that dream was utterly absurd. While he couldn't rule out the possibility of experiencing strange illusions whenever he and Talia worked together to craft cards using [Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record] in the future... Whatever happened, it certainly wouldn't be a continuation of that ridiculous dream.