["Let's make an exchange?"]
["An exchange of memories."]
[The starry sky stretched endlessly, with countless dazzling rivers of stars spinning gently like delicate blue gauze in the depths of the galaxy. Starlight shimmered within, the resplendent silver radiance intertwining with fragmented stardust, dreamlike and mysterious.]
["I dreamed of a wisp of light, a crystal cup." A gentle yet enchanting female voice narrated. "The crystalline light spoke to me..."]
["Pray listen, to this fable of the starry sky."]
"Could this be another trick of the Aeon of Remembrance?"
Frieren's brows furrowed slightly, but after clearly seeing the images on the Celestial Screen, she quickly dismissed her own suspicion.
[A circle of deep blue cards appeared on the Celestial Screen, with a hand gently caressing their backs. She recalled all those who had appeared on the screen so far—none had such an appearance.]
"Lady Frieren, could it be someone related to the Aeon of Remembrance?" Fern voiced her speculation.
Since the Antimatter Legion and the Doomsday Beasts belonged to "Destruction," Fern had formed a bold conjecture: perhaps the Aeons, like human lords and kings, had their own factions and territories.
"Unclear. Let's see what she intends to convey first."
——
["Nameless one, lifeless one, you come from the wilderness beyond, draped in the radiance of the stars. Go forth, tread upon the solar winds, and you shall return to my embrace. Simply walk toward that light."]
[Destruction!]
[Before the words faded, the images on the Celestial Screen suddenly darkened, the shadows nearly blotting out the sunlight and plunging the world back into night. Yet in the next instant, light erupted—but what illuminated the mountains and rivers was no longer sunlight, but... the countless streams of golden blood flowing from Nanook's body!]
Stark felt his heart stop.
"Don't panic, Stark. There's no need to keep staring into the eyes of the Aeon of Destruction." Frieren's calm voice sounded beside him.
Unlike the fragmented form of the Stellaron in their previous memories, Nanook's figure now appeared more complete.
Behind his shattered body raged towering flames, countless rays of light cascading like golden dust from his hands. His pitch-black form was streaked with flowing molten rock—the only constant was those golden eyes!
As if piercing through the Celestial Screen, those eyes seemed to perceive all beings across the myriad realms.
Stark was grateful his chair still supported him; otherwise, he would have collapsed like overcooked noodles, unable to stand.
["The tower crumbles, the people flee, for the sun is about to set, meeting a cruel demise."]
[The screen darkened once more, but suddenly, a light like a meteor streaking across the sky illuminated all things—]
[The Hunt!]
Again, daylight dimmed; again, a rain of arrows fell like meteors. A Soul Hall Protector who witnessed this celestial phenomenon slowed his steps slightly, only to find his path blocked by a man in blue robes.
The protector, already terrified out of his wits, looked up at the Aeon on the screen. His bloodstained lips twisted into a sinister grin: "Heh heh heh... beyond the human realm lies a higher power, beyond the heavens lies a greater sky. Xiao Yan, your arrogance today will be met with an even stronger foe tomorrow!"
The blue-robed man flicked his fingers, and flames erupted beneath the protector's feet, reducing him to ashes in an instant.
"No need for your concern."
With that, he looked up at the Celestial Screen, extinguishing the embers at his fingertips with a clench of his fist.
Ever since the Celestial Screen appeared out of nowhere, rumors had spread across the Dou Qi Continent. Some claimed the world within it was a realm beyond the heavens, a mystery even Dou Emperor-level experts could not touch.
After the appearance of the Aeon of Destruction, many sects even began worshipping Nanook as their progenitor, openly paying homage—sparking an uproar for a time.
But these people... these beasts dared to commit atrocities under the banner of "Destruction," allowing their disciples to wreak havoc unchecked... They all deserved death.
And now, the Aeon on the screen was utterly different from Nanook.
It was a half-human, half-horse monstrosity, wielding a massive bow drawn to a full moon. Countless arrows, bright as meteors, streaked across the sky, their piercing shrieks echoing as they approached.
Even across different dimensions, Xiao Yan could sense these were arrows capable of extinguishing countless stars.
"Beyond the human realm lies a higher power, beyond the heavens lies a greater sky..." Xiao Yan found himself amused, repeating the Soul Hall Protector's dying words.
Could the Aeon of The Hunt be the "sky" he spoke of?
[You must follow the tracks, pay homage to the storm's direction—]
[Erudition!]
[Countless geniuses from Herta Space Station slowly materialized on the darkened screen. But as their figures gradually faded, a deep shadow emerged behind them—its outline indistinct, the only clarity the red glow in its eyes.]
[Celestial bodies guard secrets, calculations connect the roots of all things. Yet it remains silent, like the mist at the universe's core. Listen to the silence, and you shall know where the stars rest.]
"Hurry, Viktor! Wake up!"
"Nous' true form has appeared!"
Jayce splashed cold water on his face, the icy sensation confirming he wasn't dreaming, then began shaking Viktor, who had stayed up late experimenting the night before. Rubbing his eyes wearily, Viktor was instantly jolted awake by the sight of Nous' true form.
Mysterious, majestic, cold... These were the words that flashed through Jayce's mind in that instant.
The glow in its eyes was like the abyssal depths of a suffocating lake—the depth of Erudition enough to drown every life seeking truth... In that moment, Jayce seemed to experience an epiphany, the fanaticism in his eyes dimming significantly.
Viktor, however, gazed obsessively at the cold, divine figure on the screen, his eyes filled with a newfound resolve.
[In an instant, the images on the Celestial Screen changed again—this time to—]
[Abundance!]
[Let the traveler's staff strike the earth, they say, once, twice. Tiny sprouts will grow into towering trees, sweet dew falling from their branches to heal your ailments and poisons.]
Teyvat, the Akademiya.
Cyno momentarily forgot about the ultra-rare card back in his hands, captivated instead by the wondrous sight on the Celestial Screen.
It was the first time he had felt this way—his heart pounding like a drum, yet his thoughts as calm as the water's surface in early spring.
When his eyes met those of the slender, delicate yet eerily enchanting deity, a soothing warmth seemed to seep into his limbs, calming the turmoil within.
But when he focused again, the sensation vanished abruptly, as if it had never existed.
The vibrant life force seemed ready to burst through the screen, everything about it proclaiming this to be a benevolent god—yet its six outstretched arms exuded an eerie strangeness starkly at odds with its divinity.
Perfectly balanced yet utterly contradictory—this was Cyno's first thought upon witnessing Abundance.