Special Affix: 'More Than Friends, Less Than Lovers'

Yaxiu's worries did not come true. After entering the Void Realm, the team explored dream bubbles as usual. Sword Princess dealt damage as usual, Witch controlled enemies as usual, they talked as usual, and they divided the spoils as usual. Yaxiu also wondered as usual whether he had simply been dreaming the previous night. However, tonight's initial artifact turned out to be the "Prismatic Artifact: Touch of Gold Gloves." Its effect was utterly outrageous: whenever a sorcerer's sorcery spirit miracle took effect, they would gain varying amounts of sorcery experience! No comprehension, contemplation, or meditation required—simply defeating monsters directly granted sorcery experience! Naturally, this artifact was equipped onto Sword Princess. After all, her swordsmanship faction was already infinitesimally close to the Sanctuary realm, and her attack frequency was the highest in the team. A single "Blood Blossom Water Moon" could count as dozens of valid hits; giving it to her to farm experience was obviously the perfect choice. Sword Princess did not disappoint. In the third bubble, after Weise discovered all the affixes and brought the battle to an end, Sonia suddenly rushed over and hugged Yaxiu. Summoning her Wave Sword sorcery spirit, she bounced up and down excitedly. "Look, look! Wave Sword reached three wings!" Having advanced to three wings, the Wave Sword sorcery spirit manifested ornate white-light armor adorned with patterns across its body. The white light sword at its waist grew even more dazzling, and three wings unfolded behind its back. Standing on Sonia's shoulder, it fluttered its wings and flew up, circling around Yaxiu and Sonia and leaving behind a halo of radiant specks. Promoting a sorcery spirit to three wings on one's own was the best marker of a faction realm advancement, signifying that Sonia's swordsmanship faction had thoroughly broken through to the Sanctuary realm, making her a veritable Sanctuary Sorcerer! Yaxiu was overjoyed for Sword Princess as well, excitedly scooping her up and spinning her around in an embrace. Soon, however, both bashfully released each other and glanced nervously at the others. Weise tactfully turned her head away to look elsewhere, but Witch stared straight at them, her lips pouted enough to hang a kettle on. Yet she said nothing, merely kicking sulkily at the pebbles on the ground. By the fifth bubble, they triggered an affix bubble reward, which granted a sorcery spirit condensed from an affix or artifact. Tonight, Sonia seemed to have exhausted all her luck; instead of obtaining the sorcery spirit corresponding to the Touch of Gold Gloves, she received only an ordinary one. Diya, on the other hand, had great luck, obtaining the sorcery spirit "Hanging Wire" corresponding to the "Gold Artifact: Hanging Wire Doll"! The effect of "Hanging Wire Doll" was to negate all kinetic energy transfer. It appeared akin to physical immunity, but due to a time lag before it took effect, it was virtually useless against bullets or instantaneous lethal damage. In kinetic contests lasting more than a second, however, it produced miraculous results. Once Diya equipped this artifact, enemies could not break free of her threads by brute force; brute-force dragon species like the Ragecleaver Dragon could even be bound fast by her. The Hanging Wire sorcery spirit's effect was far weaker—it could only ensure that during any kinetic contest, the sorcerer would always possess a fraction more strength than the opponent. Nevertheless, it was still a rare three-wing sorcery spirit. Holding the sorcery spirit in her hands, Diya ran up to Yaxiu, blinking her wide, sparkling eyes up at him. Yaxiu hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pat Witch on the head. Yet Witch was not satisfied with this level of reward; taking matters into her own hands, she threw her arms around Yaxiu, rubbing her cheek against his. Although she couldn't feel body warmth, Diya had a past of intimacy with Yaxiu, and this alone was enough to reawaken the warmth in her memory. At this moment, Yaxiu sank into intense self-doubt. Clearly, he hadn't harbored any improper thoughts toward Witch before, so why did being held so affectionately by her feel so natural and wonderful, even stirring a deep protective urge, as if they had known each other for a long time? What was going on? Was a scumbag talent etched into his very genes? Once Diya climbed down from him, Yaxiu snapped back to reality and hastily glanced at Sword Princess, only to find her scrutinizing a roadside Lalafell-themed restaurant as if deeply curious about the delicacies inside, appearing completely oblivious to what Yaxiu and Witch had been doing. If she hadn't been gripping the hilt of her sword so tightly, Yaxiu might have almost breathed a sigh of relief. Just what on earth was going on? Yaxiu was utterly confused, feeling as though some special affix rule he didn't know about had emerged within the team. But he didn't dare ask, nor did he dare say anything. Compared to Yaxiu, who was lost in the mirror, the bystander Weise saw everything with crystal clarity. Expecting Sword Princess and Witch to willingly accept "sharing" was pure fantasy; as evident from their reactions, neither could truly tolerate Yaxiu being intimate with someone else. Yet a sorcerer's life was not solely about love; it was also about living. Before becoming lovers, their far more important identity was that of teammates who trusted one another, companions who could cooperate even in the face of cursed affixes. Up to now, not a single one of them was willing to leave this team. The benefits provided by the team were virtually equivalent in weight to love. Having already arrived at the Distant Sky Realm, did they not wish to see the grandeur of Ruby Mountain? Did they not wish to break through the limits of mortals and touch the domain of gods? No matter how deeply they valued affection, they were still sorcerers—seekers hungry for power, greedy pursuers of knowledge. Unless they had zero need for each other's help, as long as they still wanted to keep this team running, they would not force a bitter falling-out. Not to mention, Yaxiu was currently in the midst of a perilous trial crisis. If they truly cared about him, they wouldn't stir up conflict at such a crucial moment. Still, they clearly could not—and did not want to—remain in their previous state of "more than friends." Instead, they tacitly took half a step forward together, pushing their relationship to "less than lovers," as if adding a new affix to the team: [More Than Friends, Less Than Lovers: Unlocks privileges of intimacy such as hugging, hand-holding, and kissing, without disrupting the harmonious atmosphere of the team.] "Weise." Weise turned her head to see Yaxiu walking over. "Have you decided which bubble to go to next?" "Yeah." Yaxiu nodded, paused, and added, "Sorry." Weise naturally grasped his underlying meaning and smiled. "It's fine. I actually anticipated how your relationships would develop long ago. But have you thought about what you're going to do?" Yaxiu scratched his head, folded his arms, and pondered for a moment before saying seriously, "Even though I don't have any solution right now, I definitely won't hurt them." "Relax. What you should do is accept their kindness, not pile unnecessary burdens on yourself," Weise said. "Perhaps fate will resolve the problem for you. Maybe going with the flow will lead to a happy ending... for example, what if they're both willing to marry you?" "Wouldn't that already be hurting them?" Yaxiu asked. "You really demand a lot," Weise mused. "Let me think about it..." "Alright, alright, let's head to the next bubble." Feeling a bit awkward, Yaxiu turned to leave. "Maybe once they advance their sorcery factions to Sanctuary and their intellect increases, they won't like me anymore." Weise watched his retreating back and murmured softly, "Unlikely. Sanctuary Sorcerers can fall for you too. "Still, there is a perfect ending. For example... "What if you die tomorrow?" Yaxiu and the Spectator left the lounge, embarking on the final day of the trial. "Sanctuary Sorcerers appeared yesterday. Could Legendary Sorcerers appear today?" Yaxiu's expression was solemn. "But I've never seen a single Legendary Sorcerer. Could the trial randomly pick some lucky soul from my memories and buff them up to Legendary rank?" "Who would be easier to fight if turned into a Legendary? Harvey wouldn't be bad—he can't summon an undead army here, right? Igola would work too; mind miracles aren't very destructive at least. Just don't let it be Annan—I don't want to face a Legendary gun sorcerer. And absolutely do not let it be Gerard; the thought of a Legendary Bloodmad Hunter makes my scalp tingle... It'd be better if [222] showed up! A Legendary healer feels pretty much like a Legendary Lalafell!" While Yaxiu was worrying about which Legendary enemy might appear, time ticked away second by second, and the hour of the trial soon arrived. Footsteps echoed from the end of the passage. Followed by a youth's crisp voice: "Yaxiu, I never imagined I'd have the chance to see you again." Yaxiu snapped his head up and saw the blue-haired butler in the distance. "In the final battle at the Yisu Imperial Palace, I unleashed the 'Melting' miracle completely. I originally thought I would disperse entirely, but to my surprise, I survived as an infant," Phantom Banjie sighed. "I spent my whole life taking care of the Young Miss, never expecting that in the end, I'd have to trouble the Young Miss to look after me." Yaxiu's pupils contracted. "You—" "I am a clone, a replica from your memories." He drew twin ice pistols and said, "Yet I am also Banjie Doran. You must kill me to proceed; only by killing you can I leave this place and return to Gospel to see the Young Miss. "I must thank you, Yaxiu Heath." Phantom Banjie wore a smile intimately familiar to Yaxiu. "If not for you, I wouldn't exist at all. Even though I am merely a clone, my longing for the Young Miss is real, and I am deeply grateful that you saved her in the end. "So, come." He raised the twin guns and smiled. "Don't hold back on my account. In truth, I've always wanted to cross blades with you—not in a game, but as sorcerers, to see who is stronger. "For our respective wishes, let us fight to the death!" Looking at the resolute Phantom Banjie, Yaxiu nearly ground his teeth to dust, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Ever since he saw the clones on the first day, he had feared this very scenario. Even if the clones displayed sorcerer combat strength, even if they were buffed to Sanctuary rank or even Legendary rank, none of it filled Yaxiu with more horror and rage than this scene before him. Killing a clone, killing a clone that looked like an acquaintance, killing a clone that was identical to an acquaintance and possessed full emotions—these were three entirely different concepts! How dare the Grey Fox sorcerers... How dare they! Closing his eyes in struggle for several seconds, Yaxiu abruptly snapped them open. Reaching out, he gripped the hilt of his sword, his face burning with furious resolve— The blade Yaxiu had drawn a fraction was struck sharply by the Spectator's sword tip. Stunned, he turned to look at the Spectator. The Spectator tilted his blade slightly, pressing down on Yaxiu's hand to indicate that he should sheath the sword. "From here on," the Spectator lowered his gaze, drawing a second sharp blade, "you don't need to draw your sword."