Just as a Child Cannot Do Without a Mother

Sonia chuckled. "Senior, you actually believe in this stuff?" The orange-haired dancer curled her lips. "If it's good, I believe it; if it's bad, I don't." Constellation divination was quite popular in the Starry Country, but it was merely a fad, without a shred of authority behind it. After all, the seventy-two constellations were divided simply by birth dates. If fate could be determined by that, one might as well divide the future based on looks and family background—the latter would be far more accurate. Rather than books of prophecy, constellation divinations were more like pop psychology; people read them only in search of resonance and peace of mind. After all, many went through life without ever hearing a word of blessing, praise, or comfort. When they read a wish in a horoscope claiming, "The hardships have passed, and happiness awaits tomorrow," it might just save them, giving them the courage to face a new day. "I'm Pegasus. What are you, Sonia?" "I'm Moth." "Moth, May... Found it!" Leonie flipped to a page in the middle. "'May is a rather complex and turbulent month for Moths. Your love life will suffer twists and turns this month, with endless temptations repeatedly testing your partner; however, your career will take off, with countless opportunities propelling you onto a new starting point..." Leonie couldn't help nodding as she read. "At least half of it is spot-on. You're definitely going to encounter a ton of opportunities this month, Junior. Hehe, good thing you aren't dating, or your sweetheart might've been stolen away... Junior, why is your expression so strange?" "It's nothing." Sonia quickly brought her expression under control, flashing a practiced, professional smile. "Let me take a look at that book." The village girl studied the horoscope for the Moth constellation, growing more startled the more she read. Not only did many factors match up, but the prediction for April read, *You will encounter a major change this month*... Wasn't that describing the Watcher's appearance? *It's so accurate!* After carefully reading through the Moth section, Sonia paused in thought and decided to check the Watcher's constellation... ...Wait. What constellation was the Watcher? Come to think of it, had the Watcher ever told her his birth date? Thinking further, the Watcher didn't know her birthday either. In truth, neither of them knew that much about the other... At that thought, Sonia couldn't help sighing softly, her gaze dropping back to the Moth constellation map. As she stared at it, she suddenly felt the Moth constellation looked familiar. Wasn't this star arrangement the very star chart from Demilo's commander handbook?! Every star in the astrology book had a designated number and name. Sonia flipped to the star catalog in the back and quickly identified the names of the other two stars Demilo had marked—Loda and Vos. Vosloda? Demilo knew people from the Voslodar clan? Which meant Demilo was from the Starry Country? The Starry Country... Star Hall... If it were only a single coincidence, Sonia wouldn't jump to conclusions. But with multiple clues faintly pointing toward the starry sky above, she could hardly keep from suspecting that Star Hall was a subordinate organization of the Starry Law Master. Wait, did that mean she had beaten one of the Starry Law Master's employees to death last night? The Law Master wouldn't hold a grudge, would he? She would have to discuss this with the Watcher and the Witch tomorrow night... The moment she thought of those two, a twinge of sourness pinched Sonia's chest. Even though she had already made up her mind, when it actually happened, she still felt irritated enough to want to kill something. What were they doing in the Void Realm right now? Were they chatting about each other's hobbies? Discussing how to coordinate better in battle? Talking bad about her behind her back? That guy, the Watcher, definitely wouldn't pass up this chance to get close to the Witch, and the Witch certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to win the Watcher over... Hmph, shameless pair! * * * The Void Realm, Time Continent. When the Heart Sword pierced the pointed beak of the last White Velociprey, the battle at this timber resource point drew to a close. The two of them picked out the materials and resources they needed, and Yaxiu converted the rest entirely into reserve essence. Returning to the car, Yaxiu sat in the front seat, while Diya conscientiously took the back. The two sat along the farthest diagonal, as though a tragic, impenetrable barrier had risen between them. Silence. Silence was the Void Realm tonight. Even though the two had coordinated seamlessly during combat—the Witch, Diya, acting as the frontline shield and damage dealer while the Watcher, Yaxiu, provided backup and finished off foes from behind with his Heart Sword and Substitute—the moment they dropped out of combat mode, neither could find a suitable conversation starter. Yaxiu had originally wanted to imitate the Sword Princess by petting the Witch's cowlick after battle as a sign of encouragement. Yet tonight, the Witch's cowlick wasn't sticking up at all! Had she washed her hair tonight? Moreover, the moment Yaxiu had raised his hand, the Witch had stared at him with such palpable nervousness that an embarrassed Yaxiu turned the gesture into scratching his own head. "There's a special location ahead." "Mm." That was the extent of their dialogue for the night. The atmosphere between them resembled that of an aging father working far from home and his left-behind daughter raised by her grandparents—familiar, yet distant. However, as they broke through curtains of reverse golden rain, the two sorcerers quickly cast aside the awkwardness in their hearts. The magnificence before them captured all their attention. It was a three-story building entirely out of place amidst the desolate ruins of the Time Continent—refined double doors of ebony, an exterior wall constructed of staggered white brick, and multicolored stained-glass windows shimmering with an alluring radiance beneath the golden rain, completely concealing the interior from view. Perched atop the roof were grotesque, bizarre stone gargoyles, looking down imperiously upon any visitor. Though not locked in combat, Yaxiu and Diya grew even more tense than they had been during battle. It felt not as though they were exploring the Time Continent, but as though they had come to call upon an ancient prophet. The two exchanged a glance. Yaxiu braced himself, stepped forward, and pushed the doors open. A creaking, dragging sound spread in ripples through the hall, awakening remnants long sealed by time. It was a library. What greeted their eyes was an extraordinary labyrinth of bookshelves—lofty shelves serving as partitioning walls, while hanging lanterns cast a warm glow over knowledge. Yet the styles of the bookshelves varied wildly. There were shelves carved of stone, common wooden ones, fully transparent glass shelves, and pure white, faintly glowing shelves that looked distinctly high-tech. Upon them lay not only bound volumes, but also parchment scrolls, rolls, stone slabs, and even tiny, portable memory drives resembling flash drives. Both ancient and advanced—that was their first impression of this library. "Where is this?" "Where is this?" Yaxiu and Diya asked each other simultaneously, then both paused in surprise. Both realized the same problem at once—the only person among them who had received an orthodox sorcerer education was the Sword Princess! Without the Sword Princess, they didn't even know what this newly discovered special structure was! *Sword Princess!* *Hurry back!* *The team can't do without the Sword Princess, just as a child cannot do without a mother!*