After coming into contact with Everlasting Presence in Gospel and Mercury Trojan in Senluo, Yaxiu had occasionally pondered a question in the quiet of the night:
If he truly was a feeler of the Four Pillar Gods, what would his feeler ability be?
He actually already possessed a feeler ability. The only clue he had so far was that Shilin had once said, "Only when Yaxiu Heath dies can he become a complete feeler."
Yaxiu had always assumed that Heath's feeler ability was a deathrattle effect—something that would only take effect upon death, like transforming into some world-ending undead creature that would make Harvey ecstatic.
Yet looking at it now, Heath's feeler ability did not seem to affect reality.
If Rose was not lying, then over the past few years, Heath had been secretly slipping into this world, bringing over entertainment works from the Blood Moon Country to earn fame and fortune for himself.
According to Heath's original plan, he had no intention of remaining in the Blood Moon Country. That was why he had instructed Shilin to report the Four Pillar Cult, after which he would likely have died beneath Gerard's blade or in the Blood Moon Trial, thereby becoming a complete feeler and staying in this world forever.
It was just that a slight mishap occurred along the way. Perhaps crossing over so frequently took an immense toll on Heath's foundational soul, or perhaps it was sheer bad luck... Heath's soul dispersed, leaving behind only a wandering soul from another world named Yaxiu.
Heath should have arrived here half a year ago; in truth, Yaxiu was half a year late.
Yaxiu's expression shifted erratically. Suddenly looking down at his finger, he scratched it hard with a fingernail.
A bead of blood welled up from the cut on the pad of his finger.
He wasn't an ethereal soul body right now, but flesh and blood?
Yaxiu closed his eyes, attempting to search for the soul thread connecting him to his original body in reality, but he couldn't find it at all. His soul and body were in perfect harmony, as if this were his original body.
Was this world inside the Void Realm, or outside of it?
Suddenly, Rose took his injured finger into her mouth, the tip of her tongue gently licking his wound. Yaxiu hurriedly pulled it back. "What are you doing?"
"When you're hurt, you have to lick it. Saliva stops the bleeding." Rose looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Don't you know this piece of common sense?"
"I can do it myself, no need to trouble you..." Yaxiu said, popping the finger into his own mouth as well, only to realize a second later that she had just had it in hers. He quickly wiped it on his clothes.
To escape the awkwardness, Yaxiu said, "Strange as it might sound, I'm really not the Yaxiu Heath you know—neither the one who is usually asleep nor the one who occasionally wakes up. But right now, I need to find my friends, and I need your help."
"I'm used to it," Rose said. "Your roleplay always lasts the whole cycle anyway. As long as you don't point at every glass of water and claim it's poisoned, I'll be more than satisfied."
Yaxiu frowned slightly and explained with greater emphasis, "The Yaxiu Heath you know is probably just an ordinary person. But me? I'm a Legendary Sorcerer."
Rose tilted her head. "What's a Legendary Sorcerer?"
Yaxiu froze. He looked around and saw an LCD television, electric lights, a refrigerator, and other appliances in the living room, and even spotted a bulky tower computer.
The only thing missing was any sorcerer creation.
"Are there no sorcery spirits, sorcery power, or sorcerers in this world?"
"If you mean the lore in your books, then yes. But in reality, no," Rose replied. "Even if there were, they'd have to notify you—after all, you hold the copyright."
"Then what is your strongest weapon?"
Rose pointed finger guns at Yaxiu's head. "Bang! The Great Equalizer Gun!"
Could this world truly be without sorcery spirits and sorcery power?
"So, if you really are a Legendary Sorcerer, you should have sorcery spirits and sorcery power, right?" Rose asked curiously. "Let me see."
Seeing was believing; Yaxiu had no objection. But just as he was about to summon a sorcery spirit, an indescribable wave of dread suddenly gripped his heart, freezing him on the spot.
"What's wrong?" Rose reached out and pinched her childhood friend's cheek. "At least show me a magic trick or something?"
"...Never mind."
"Ha! Couldn't pull it off, could you? You really are just roleplaying."
"Some other time."
Yaxiu still trusted his intuition. After all, his truth, time, and mind factions were all at least at the Gold realm, allowing him a limited ability to sense danger. The moment he had thought of summoning a sorcery spirit to show off, an intense premonition warned him that doing so would lead to severe consequences, and that he must not display his strength lightly.
Yet... what could those consequences be?
Yaxiu pondered for a moment, glanced at Rose—whose deadpan face couldn't conceal how pretty and cute she was—and was suddenly struck by an epiphany. Of course! He was supposed to go on a date with the Sword Princess tonight! If he acted cool now to seduce another pretty girl and let it slip during the date later, wouldn't the Sword Princess hack him to pieces on the spot?
Besides, unlike with Silver Lantern, where his interactions were passive, showing off here would be an active choice. He was about to solidify his offline relationship with the Sword Princess; he absolutely couldn't fool around and raise his already difficult romantic situation to Hell mode.
Yaxiu, oh Yaxiu, you haven't even cleared the two main routes of the Sword Princess and the Witch yet! Don't go trying to unlock side routes!
If Rose misunderstood, so be it. It wasn't like he was losing out anyway.
"I need to find two people. Do you have any way to do that?"
"I do," Rose answered with complete certainty. "One of the fans who just attended the service works in the police department. He'd definitely be more than happy to risk getting fired to access the internal resident database for you."
"...Then I'll leave it to you," Yaxiu said. "Their names are Igola Bogin and Archibald Harvey."
If she couldn't find them, Yaxiu would actually be relieved—in reality, they would surely look after his physical body.
On the other hand, if they could be found, it would mean the Lesser Four Pillars Gate had truly taken effect, and several of Yaxiu's theories could be confirmed.
Furthermore... being abruptly dumped into an unfamiliar world, no matter how calm and composed Yaxiu appeared on the surface, he was actually panicking internally. Even having his Legendary combat power intact could only slightly ease his worries.
Yet if he could reunite with the Deceiver and the Necromancer, then even if this place were Hell, he would muster the courage to flatten everything in his path.
Under Yaxiu's watchful eye, Rose pulled out a twenty-four-key slider phone, drafted a message, showed it to Yaxiu to confirm the names were correct, and sent it off.
"Alright, it should take a little time. Let's go grab lunch first." Rose checked her wristwatch. "I don't know your specific character setting, but I have terrible time anxiety. We've already reserved a table and can't be late."
Yaxiu felt a little hungry as well. Tossing the cult master robe casually onto the sofa, he asked, "What are we having?"
Rose picked up the robe and hung it on the wooden coat rack nearby. "The restaurant we usually go to brought in a new chef a couple of days ago. He's especially good at barbecue; all the guests who've eaten there rave about it."
Yaxiu blinked. "Do I need to prepare anything?"
"You don't need to prepare anything. I'm your assistant; I'll take care of everything for you." Rose picked up her handbag. "However, I don't like meat on the bone, so you'll have to finish those for me."
"Deal." Yaxiu then asked, "By the way, what is this world called?"
"The point of a name is to distinguish a specific object among many," Rose said. "Unlike you roleplay enthusiasts, we normal people only have one world. We don't bother naming it."
"However..." She tilted her head. "You did give this world a name in the past."
She pushed open the villa's front doors and stepped out into the starlit courtyard.
"You named our world the Nation of Stars."
Yaxiu looked up to see a multitude of stars suspended across the canopy of heaven, constellations arrayed in splendour, the Milky Way hanging inverted, as bright as day.
"We're... going for lunch?"
"Yeah." Rose stepped over to the driver's side of a sports car parked nearby. "Get in."
As if he hadn't heard Rose's words, Yaxiu gazed at a star in the sky that faintly shimmered with a crimson arc. He slowly raised his right hand, as though trying to grasp it in his palm.
......
...
Starry Kingdom, a temporary command post outside the Lone Diamond District.
Noticing that her student seemed somewhat restless, Trozan the Hidden Hand Sword Saint consoled her, "Don't worry. We're just supporting cast providing assistance from the sidelines. The true leads are the Starflick Guard and our headmaster, the 'Painter.'"
"Still..." Trozan frowned slightly. "Why did only the headmaster come among the Legendary Sorcerers? It's understandable if the Alchemy King couldn't make it, but the Duke of Vosroda, the Pope, and the Night King should all be in Jialesi, shouldn't they...?"
"There are intruding Legendary Sorcerers elsewhere too; they probably need to stand guard in different sectors to prevent unforeseen disasters," Sonia analyzed.
"Mm, that makes sense." Trozan nodded slightly and patted Sonia on the shoulder. "Tonight is a clash of legends that must not be missed. It will be of tremendous benefit to a sorcerer like you who has only just entered Sanctuary. Watch closely and learn well, but don't you go charging in to clash with Legendary Sorcerers."
"You're merely a Sword Baron; risking your life isn't your job yet," she instructed.
Amused yet touched, Sonia nodded heavily. "I understand, Professor. If you run into danger, I'll save you."
Trozan didn't dismiss the thought. "After all, you are a Sanctuary Sorcerer now. There really might be a chance for you to protect me."
Just then, the dark clouds across the heavens parted. Sonia looked up, greeted by a sky full of stars.
A sudden intuition stirred in her heart. Gazing at a shining star flanked by two other stars, she slowly raised her right hand, as though trying to hold it within her palm.
Chapter 777