Let's Fall Out Right Now

"I remember now," Sonia murmured. "This is a Destiny Q&A." "A Destiny Q&A?" She nodded slightly. "It's an exceedingly rare mechanism in the Void Realm, and it comes in various forms. What we've encountered is the simplest kind: the 'paper Q&A.' If we answer correctly, we can ask the Void Realm any question, and it's obligated to give us an answer." "We can ask anything at all?" Yaxiu asked in surprise. "Then if I ask how to achieve immortality and become invincible throughout the world, it'll answer that too?" "It will!" Sonia nodded with conviction. "However, the quality of the Void Realm's answers depends on the number of questions you answer correctly. That is, the more you get right, the more detailed its response will be. "In fact, compared to the reward of 'asking the Void Realm a question,' most sorcerers place even greater importance on the Destiny Q&A itself—because every question posed by the Destiny Q&A concerns a sorcerer's future." "Questions about the future?" "Yes. All the questions inside deal with events the sorcerers haven't experienced yet. There's no way for a sorcerer to know the correct answer; they can only infer the future from the past." Sonia looked down at the sheet of paper and said in a low voice, "It's said that whatever future is mentioned in a Destiny Q&A will inevitably become reality." Yaxiu let out an "oh" of understanding. "Then what's your question?" Sonia's pupils shrank slightly. Feigning nonchalance, she said, "I don't want to tell you." "Why? Wouldn't it be easier to find the right answer if we discussed it together?" "Oh, come on, don't go prying into a young lady's privacy. That's disgusting," Sonia said with feigned distaste. "What privacy could a sorcerer possibly have..." Yaxiu muttered under his breath. Watching Sonia deliberately angle the sheet away, he initially thought she was genuinely embarrassed, but he soon sensed something amiss. When it came to matters of power and future prospects, the Sword Princess had never wavered. While she could occasionally be ill-tempered, it was undeniable that she was a great teammate. She had never dragged down a Void Realm exploration, nor had she hesitated whenever sacrifice was required of her. A Destiny Q&A was undeniably an extraordinary opportunity. Under such circumstances, would the Sword Princess really refuse to cooperate out of mere 'shyness,' preferring to get the answer wrong rather than discuss it with Yaxiu? Others might, but the Sword Princess was someone who had boldly proclaimed to his face, 'You have no dreams, but you can protect mine.' Her greed had even received the game's official recognition—'Bond Resonance: Insatiable Greed' was the clearest proof of her ambition. Moreover, Yaxiu and she were from two completely different worlds, equivalent to strangers on the internet. Even if Yaxiu learned all her secrets, it wouldn't affect her reality in the slightest. What point was there in putting on an innocent act before him? As if a laser had pierced through his mind, a flash of insight struck Yaxiu. "Does your question have something to do with me?" Sonia froze. She knew this was the optimal moment to deny it. Rebutting with a witty, disdainful, and surprised tone, followed by a dismissive 'Stop prying into a young lady's privacy,' would completely dispel the Watcher's suspicions. All she needed to do was lie, to conceal it, to think only of her own interests and nip any unfavorable truth in the bud. Yet for some reason, despite her usual sharp wit and quick reflexes, she hesitated for a fraction of a second. And that brief pause stripped away any chance of hiding it. *Perhaps I'm under the influence of the 'Sincerity' sorcery spirit...* Sighing inwardly, Sonia nodded. "Yes." "I knew it," Yaxiu muttered, falling into thought. "It involves you and me, and you're unwilling to tell me. Could it be written on there that—" Sonia instantly tensed up. "—you've fallen in love with me?" "Have you gone without sleep for so long that you're dreaming with your eyes open?" Sonia retorted crossly. "How could that ever happen!" "Denying it so adamantly only makes you look more suspicious... Hey, hey, hey! We're in the middle of a Destiny Q&A! What are you drawing your sword for? Put it down, you're distracting me from my test!" Yaxiu scolded Sonia with righteous indignation before looking down at his own prompt. "If you don't want to say, then don't. You make it sound like I'm dying of curiosity." "Are you saying you're not curious?" "Of course I am. I'd love nothing more than to trick you into turning around so I could snatch your paper and look," Yaxiu said faintly. "But since you're unwilling, I can hardly offend the present you for the sake of some supposed 'destiny.'" "When the 'destiny' written on it will likely come true, don't you want to know what happens between you and me in the future?" "That question shouldn't be directed at me; you should ask yourself," Yaxiu replied. "Are you willing to share your future with me?" Sonia paused slightly. Raising the paper to cover her mouth, she shook her head. "Not particularly." "Fair enough." Yaxiu shrugged and looked back down at his question. After a moment, he asked again, "Really not willing? If not, I'll ask again in a bit." Sonia nearly burst out laughing. Glaring at Yaxiu in exasperation, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly, her eyelashes trembling adorably. Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons, her expression radiating charm—so much so that Yaxiu wondered if she had activated some beauty-enhancing sorcery spirit. "You're so annoying," she grumbled. "Fine, fine. I can't guess the answer anyway, so let's discuss it." "Didn't you actually want to talk to me about it all along—" "Listen up! Single-choice question: What is the fundamental reason Sword Princess and the Watcher fell out? One: Sword Princess hated the Watcher's indifference. Two: The Watcher deemed Sword Princess uncontrollable. Three: Unequal division of spoils. Four: All of the above." "You and I fall out in the future?" Yaxiu's interest was piqued. "'Falling out'—that's the first time I've ever heard that word used in real life. It feels like something straight out of a stage play." The most severe declaration of severed ties Yaxiu had ever heard in his past life was 'I'm not playing with you anymore.' A term like 'falling out' was usually reserved for grand conflicts between two major factions. How did ordinary people qualify for a 'falling-out'? 'Divorce' was closer to the mark. "Speak up. Do you want to control me, and when you realize you can't, will you grow resentful?" "How could that be? You'd be better off considering whether your impression of me is skewed. No matter how you look at it, I don't seem like some hot-blooded youth, do I? For a mature member of society, isn't indifference an outstanding, time-honored virtue? Why would you hate my indifference?" "So I don't think it's option one either. I'm leaning toward option three: unequal division of spoils." "Are you hinting that there's an issue with our current loot distribution system?" "There isn't an issue right now. But once you break out of prison, maybe your appetite will grow, and then it'll be hard to say..." "Bah! If you ask me, it'll be your insatiable greed pushing you too far. I'll have tolerated you for the sake of the bigger picture, and once I can't take it anymore, I'll finally part ways with a slacker who takes so much while doing so little!" "Speak with some conscience! From the very beginning until now, which battle haven't I contributed the most to, and which time haven't I dealt the highest damage? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Watcher, you've shown your true colors! You definitely plan to cut my share of the spoils in the future!" "Even if I adjust the shares, I'll certainly have my reasons. I've always been fair and just, and I never engage in petty, underhanded schemes..." "Who was it just now that said if they got picked for the Blood Moon Trial, they'd start a massive prison riot? Who~ was~ that~?" Though they were discussing a grave topic concerning the future, the two sounded like players arguing over who was to blame after a match, bantering back and forth with lighthearted laughter. Gradually, Sonia's tension eased away. She had originally worried that revealing this destiny question might stir suspicion and discord with the Watcher, but his attitude caused all her anxieties to vanish like smoke. Many things in life were like that: as long as you didn't treat them as a problem, they weren't one. "One isn't right, two isn't right, and three isn't right either," Sonia said crossly. "Then which one do you think is the correct option?" "I actually don't think there's a correct answer among them. If I fall out with you, it'll definitely be for another reason." "What reason?" "For example, you're not strong enough." Sonia was taken aback. "What do you mean?" "Meaning, you might not be able to keep up with the pace of my progress in the future," Yaxiu said. "And once I encounter stronger team members, you naturally won't be of any use anymore." To Yaxiu, this was the most logical reason. Although he only had the Sword Princess as an operator right now, that didn't mean she would be the only one forever. In a mobile game, wasn't it completely normal for a starter character to fall behind the meta in the late game? He would surely pull stronger operators down the road, at which point he naturally wouldn't slot the Sword Princess into his team. Sonia grew cold with rage, her shoulders trembling. "Because I'm not strong enough, you want to abandon me?" "It's not abandoning you. It's just that by then, you might not be worthy of standing beside me and might even hold back my progress. For both our futures, we'd have no choice but to part ways temporarily. It'd be for the good of both of us—" "Forget the future, let's fall out right now!" "Huh?" Yaxiu blinked in surprise. Was this Destiny Q&A really that potent? It was turning into reality on the spot!