"...Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
Hua was starting to have some regrets.
She shouldn't have so hastily let him go to the Galaxy Rangers.
It was hard to imagine that the Reignbow Arbiter valued him so highly that he had even gifted him the bow that had accompanied him on countless battlefields for years.
"I'm the kind of person who can't sit still."
There was no way Leon would stay.
Even if he wanted to, his drive wouldn't allow it.
His heart, ever striving for better stats, was restless. How could he possibly extinguish this burning desire for improvement?
"But hit me up anytime if you need something. My arrows will hunt across the universe!"
His main goal was to increase his Path progression for The Hunt,
and the only two ways to do that were to slay followers of The Abundance and eliminate injustice.
If he stayed with the Xianzhou, he'd have to move with the main fleet.
Undertaking these tasks on his own would inevitably involve others.
He couldn't bear the responsibility for others' lives.
It was better to be a lone wolf. As long as he was taken care of, that was all that mattered.
"Can you operate under our name?"
Hua asked after a moment of thought.
"What name?"
"When you're out there, act in the name of the Xianzhou Alliance, not the Galaxy Rangers."
He was the legitimate heir to The Hunt's throne; how could the Xianzhou Alliance so easily give him up to the Galaxy Rangers?
"Uh, isn't the usual deal, 'if you get in trouble, don't rat out your master'?"
Leon asked, confused.
"No. From this day forward, your trouble is our trouble."
Hua said seriously, "Even if you poke a hole in the heavens, the Xianzhou Alliance will bear the burden for you."
No one knew just how valuable Leon truly was.
Because no one had ever reached his level.
To receive a weapon directly from a higher-dimensional being like an Aeon—who else in the universe could boast of such a feat?
If he wanted, he could even form his own faction under The Hunt.
And that faction would be more orthodox than even the Xianzhou Alliance, the most direct of followers.
"If you don't mind, then sure."
Leon didn't really care either way.
"Thank you, sir. The Xianzhou Alliance will not let you down!"
After their conversation, the battle report of the Third Abundance War was immediately and widely publicized by the Xianzhou Alliance.
The Xianzhou had a new Emanator, one whose power was no less than that of the current Marshal.
Although no specific information about this Emanator was revealed,
no one doubted the truth of the claim.
The Aeon of The Hunt had truly appeared; it wasn't impossible for another Emanator to emerge.
This news caused a massive stir throughout the universe.
Every major faction grew that much warier of the Xianzhou.
Their partner, the Interastral Peace Corporation, immediately sent a fleet bearing gifts and congratulations.
Not only did they want to meet this new Arbiter-General of the Bow, but they also wanted to solidify their good relationship.
...
...
In front of the starskiff.
"This report is really over the top."
Leon was looking at the Xianzhou's unique social media app, the Luofu Miscellany—motto: "It might go out of business, but it'll never lose its integrity."
He sighed at the announcement that had taken over the entire site.
[A Savior Fallen from the Heavens! The Strongest Arbiter-General in a Millennium! The One Chosen by the Reignbow Arbiter Incarnate!]
He clicked on the ubiquitous announcement.
It was basically a retelling of his deeds and accomplishments, referring to him by the title "the new Arbiter-General."
Additionally, to protect his privacy, it stated that this Arbiter-General would not appear in the public eye.
Like Xuling, he had his own unique mission.
"But if you call for him, he will eventually come."
Leon scrolled to the bottom, murmuring the last sentence.
"Not bad."
It felt good to be trusted.
What felt even better was having the power to live up to that trust.
BelieveItOrNot: You guys heard?
BelieveItOrNot: My mom's uncle's friend's distant relative is a soldier on the Fanghu, he saw the new Arbiter-General with his own eyes, I heard he's...
"Oho, is it time for the myth-making part?"
Leon looked at the comment, his curiosity piqued.
BelieveItOrNot: The brand-new Farmer Lord illusionary game is here! Get 100 free pulls on launch! Not 998 Strales! Only 888 Strales! Don't just dream it, do it!
But he regretted clicking on it.
Leon found it hard to keep a straight face.
But he found it amusing, so he posted one himself.
YourDreamGuy: How rude is the Xianzhou Alliance, posting my personal history like that? [facepalm_laugh]
GamblingMySpleen: Is this a 'try not to laugh' challenge? I lost.
AlmondSmasher: Your personal history? I don't see any mention of Abundance Denizens in the announcement, do I? Believe it or not, I'm gonna doxx you [facepalm_laugh]
Whoa, doxxing!
Leon exclaimed inwardly, lamenting how no one believes the truth these days.
RealNameSurfer: Bro's actually kinda handsome, no wonder he calls himself DreamGuy.
Hey, there are still some honest folks out there.
That's rare.
Leon, carrying the longbow he now called Vanquisher on his back, smiled.
Just as he was about to put away his Jade Abacus and set off, a private message came in.
Ruthless Divination Machine: Have a safe journey. The Luofu welcomes you anytime.
YourDreamGuy: And you are?
Ruthless Divination Machine: Who do you think? A reminder: my surname is Fu.
YourDreamGuy: Diviner Fu, right? Ah, it's been so long. I think the last time we met was... the last time we met.
In truth, Leon had no idea who it was.
Playing along with pleasantries was the right move.
Surname Fu, plus the "Divination" in the username... "Diviner Fu" was the obvious guess.
Ruthless Divination Machine: A demotion out of thin air? I'd have let it slide if you'd called me Master Diviner Fu.
Ruthless Divination Machine: You've completely forgotten my name, haven't you?
Why'd you have to say the quiet part out loud.
Leon quickly typed [No no, of course not].
Ruthless Divination Machine: My name is Fu Xuan. Remember it.
Thankfully, she didn't press the issue.
Ruthless Divination Machine: And you'd better not call me by any nickname starting with "Little."
Leon said nothing, silently deleting the "Hey Little Cup" greeting he had typed.
YourDreamGuy: How'd you know it was me?
Ruthless Divination Machine: Across all seven Xianzhou ships, I couldn't find a second person who would post a comment like that with a username like that.
YourDreamGuy: Isn't that a bit of a stretch?
After typing, Leon immediately forwarded the user profile of someone named [Invincible Super Hunk].
YourDreamGuy: How about that?
Ruthless Divination Machine: ...Leon, may I call you that?
The person on the other end decided to ignore that topic.
YourDreamGuy: Call me by my handle when I'm out and about.
Ruthless Divination Machine: Leon, do you believe the fate of the universe is predetermined?
No refusal is the same as tacit agreement, huh?
That Fu Xuan, you little trickster!
YourDreamGuy: I have no idea.
Ruthless Divination Machine: If someone were to tell you one day that your destiny is to meet your end at the hands of the Xianzhou Alliance, would you still befriend us?
YourDreamGuy: Holy crap, are you a mole from some other faction? How dare you say something so detrimental to our unity?
Ruthless Divination Machine: My loyalty to the Alliance is beyond question.
YourDreamGuy: Fine, whatever. But anyone who actually has to think about a question like that obviously doesn't have high enough stats.
YourDreamGuy: There's a saying I really like.
_____
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