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Tingyun spent the rest of the day touring Karl around the Loufu. She took him to a bustling plaza where bubble tea was the latest craze, guided him through Aurum Alley where the smell of grilled skewers and fresh buns filled the air, and even explained the inner workings of the Alchemy Commission with the grace of a natural storyteller.
By the time their little adventure ended, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon. The sky was painted in soft shades of orange and gold, bathing the Loufu in a gentle glow.
For a moment, they simply stood there, watching the sunset together.
"Um…" Karl finally broke the silence. His voice wavered slightly, and Tingyun turned toward him, her hair swaying softly in the breeze, her golden eyes seeming to capture the last rays of sunlight.
"Yes, Mister Karl?" she asked, folding her fan and holding it delicately in front of her lips.
Karl swallowed hard. His heart thumped so loudly he swore Tingyun could hear it.
"Today… Today was fun!" His voice came out a little too loud, and a light blush spread across his cheeks.
Tingyun chuckled softly behind her fan, her gaze warm. "Really? Then I'm glad~"
Karl's breath caught in his throat. For a second, it felt like the world around him had gone quiet.
He looked up at the sky again, trying to calm down, but his thoughts were a storm.
I want to stay like this forever…
She's real. Tingyun. The game character I admired for so long. And now she's here, standing beside me… not digital data, but flesh and blood.
A gentle smile found its way onto his face. Tingyun noticed it and lingered on the sight for just a second before speaking.
"Shall we go back then, Mister Karl? It has been quite a long day of exploration," she said, her voice calm as she refolded her fan. Her smile—soft and elegant—was the last thing Karl saw before he nodded.
"…Yes. Thank you, Miss Tingyun," he said quietly.
The two returned to the Central Starskiff Haven. When they arrived, Karl immediately noticed Yukong waiting for them. She was leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed- MENACINGLY!
"Madam Yukong, it's rare to see you here~," Tingyun greeted first, her tone light.
Karl followed with a nervous stammer. "Good… uhh… day, Madam Yukong."
Yukong barely acknowledged him, her sharp gaze focused on Tingyun. "Tingyun, good work today. You may return now—I'll handle things from here."
"Understood," Tingyun replied with a slight bow before glancing back at Karl. "Mister Karl, I hope to see you again. Our little tour was more enjoyable than I expected~."
Karl felt heat rise to his cheeks again. "Y-Yes! I also… really enjoyed your company."
Tingyun smiled knowingly before turning to leave, her figure slowly disappearing down the path. Karl's heart ached a little as he watched her go.
Then he realized he was now alone with Yukong.
And Yukong was staring at him.
"So," she said flatly, crossing her arms under her chest. "Shouldn't you properly introduce yourself now?"
Karl stood a little straighter and nodded. "Right. Sorry. I'm Karl Krafft Walls. I was born in the U.S.A., planet Earth. I'm seventeen years old and a senior high school student."
Yukong's gaze didn't soften. "You said you don't know how you got here. Explain everything in detail—I need to understand your situation completely."
Karl swallowed and nodded again, preparing himself as he began recounting everything from the very beginning.
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By the time Karl finished reciting what had truly happened before his sudden arrival at the Xianzhou Loufu, he looked up to see Yukong's expression. Her brows were slightly furrowed, but she gave a slow, thoughtful nod.
"I see. If I understand your story correctly, then Elation — Aha — may well be the one orchestrating this strange incident," Yukong said at last, her tone calm yet edged with caution. "But that is only my assumption, and I may still be proven wrong."
Her face relaxed as she exhaled and continued, "So, what will you do now? You have no history here, no identity in our records. Leaving you to wander on your own would be unthinkable — Loufu does not abandon its guests."
Karl stayed silent for a moment, staring at the floor as her words sank in. Yukong's golden eyes softened slightly, though her posture remained stern. Finally, she sighed.
"Tomorrow, return to my office," she said, crossing her arms again. "I will arrange a position for you, or you may choose one if you find a place where you belong."
Karl's head shot up, surprise written across his face. "Really..? Are you really, really sure?"
Yukong uncrossed her arms, placing one hand on her hip, and gave a curt nod. "Yes. So do not be late. As for lodging…" She paused, as though remembering something. "I will have Tingyun host you at her residence for the time being. I forgot to book you a hotel room."
Karl felt a wave of relief wash over him and allowed himself to smile. Yukong withdrew a sleek communicator, placing a call. A few moments later, she returned her attention to him.
"Tingyun will be coming to retrieve you shortly," she said, her tone gentler now. "You may wait here until she arrives, Mr. Karl."
"Uhm… calling me Mr. Karl feels too formal," he said sheepishly, scratching at his cheek. "I'm still way too young for that. Just Karl is fine."
"Very well," Yukong replied with a slight nod. "Karl, then. I should take my leave. I will consult the matrix and confirm whether the Fool truly brought you here."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, not even waiting for Karl's farewell. He watched her disappear into the distance before finally letting himself exhale.
And then the thoughts came.
Why am I here?
What am I supposed to do now?
I want to go home…
Mom and Dad must be worried about me…
The weight of it all pressed against his chest. He clenched his fist and slapped his own cheek, the sting snapping him back to reality.
"Right. I shouldn't be worrying like that," he muttered. "If scientists are right about time dilation, then time must be flowing differently here anyway. I wouldn't have to worry about being gone too long. Thanks, hand."
He clenched both fists again — but something felt wrong. His left hand felt normal, yet his right felt as though it were gripping something solid.
Slowly, Karl turned his head, and his breath caught in his throat.
In his right hand was a long crimson lance, its shaft engraved with golden inscriptions that shimmered faintly in the light. Its design was sleek and symmetrical, the pointed tip gleaming with a quiet menace. A golden cross-shaped guard sat just beneath the head, and a braided golden cord hung from it like an ornate banner.
Karl's eyes widened in shock. "Longinuslanze Testament… Reinhard's weapon?!"
Before panic could overtake him, the weapon disintegrated into particles, scattering like fireflies until nothing remained.
Karl sat there for a moment, slack-jawed, before finally groaning and running a hand down his face. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope. I am not touching that thing again. Way too much responsibility for my body to handle…"
He slumped back onto the stone bench just as footsteps approached. Tingyun appeared, her elegant silhouette outlined by the warm glow of the setting lights. They walked together through the Central Starskiff Heaven, occasionally falling into comfortable silences. Karl cracked a few jokes along the way just to hear her soft, melodic laugh.
By the time they arrived at Tingyun's home, night had fallen. The house was built with a curved, lacquered roof and polished wooden frames, radiating a serene elegance. Lanterns glowed softly at the entrance, their light dancing across the path. Inside, the rooms were simple but refined — low tables, soft cushions, shelves lined with teapots and books. Windows were left open to let the evening breeze drift in, and delicate wind chimes sang quietly near the door.
"Woah…" Karl breathed, awestruck.
"Dear guest, please enjoy the hospitality of your gracious host, Tingyun," she teased, giving a mock bow as she opened the door.
"I'm coming through~ and thanks for the hospitality, Miss Tingyun," Karl replied automatically — only for Tingyun to stop him with a playful flick of her fan.
"Ah-ah-ah. Shoes off, dear guest. It's disrespectful to enter with them on."
Karl chuckled awkwardly. "Ah… sorry. First time stepping into someone else's home — let alone one with a different tradition."
Rather than scold him, Tingyun simply smiled and said, "Wait here. I'll fetch a pair of slippers for you."
As she disappeared deeper into the house, Karl's mind spiraled into fantasy.
Man… this cozy house, this soft scent in the air… this feeling…
When we have three children, this home will be perfect. I'll come back from work to find Tingyun greeting me at the door, the kids running into my arms. We'll eat dinner together, play, laugh, sing, and fall asleep like one big happy family—
His daydream came crashing to a halt as Tingyun returned. She had changed into a loose, brownish-red pajama set with matching fox slippers, her hair slightly tousled. Somehow, she looked even more radiant than before.
Karl swallowed hard. Perfection, he thought. Everything she wears just works…
"Dear guest, are you there~?" Tingyun's melodic voice cut through Karl's daydream as she waved her hand in front of his face, stopping his train of thought.
"A-ah—yes! Right, thanks, Miss Tingyun." Karl fumbled as he quickly grabbed the brown fox slippers, removed his shoes, and slipped them on before stepping into the house.
Led by Tingyun, he arrived at a room just down the hall. It wasn't much larger than the living room, though the bed was big enough to fit two or three people comfortably. The decorations caught him off guard — dozens of fox plushies neatly arranged on the bed, with the walls painted in a fiery motif, as though the room itself radiated warmth.
"Dear guest, this will be your room from now on. Please don't mind the decorations~," Tingyun said with a soft chuckle, her golden eyes glinting in amusement.
"You sure do love foxes, Miss Tingyun," Karl blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Fufufu~ it's only natural for a fox to adore foxes, don't you think, dear guest?" she teased, covering the lower half of her face with a graceful flick of her fan.
Then, with a playful yet gentle tone, she said, "Anyway, let us rest for now, Mister Karl. You've had a looong day — you must be tired."
Karl hesitated, then said timidly, "Karl…"
Tingyun tilted her head, ears twitching slightly. "Pardon?"
"Please… just call me Karl, Miss Tingyun. I'm not old enough to be called 'Mister' yet."
For a moment, Tingyun froze — then she slowly folded her fan and gave him a warm, teasing smile.
"Then perhaps you can call me Tingyun as well… Karl~."
Her playful voice echoed softly in the room, and Karl felt his face warm with a light blush. He could only nod in agreement.
"Goodnight, Karl~. May the Rainbow Arrow watch you."
And with that, she left him alone, though part of her remained curious about what kind of dreams he would have under her roof tonight.
Tingyun turned to leave, pausing at the doorway to say with a bright, sing-song lilt, "Goodnight, Karl~. May the Rainbow Arrow watch over you~."
And just like that, she was gone.
Karl stood there for a moment, the faint scent of her perfume still lingering in the air. The fragrance filled his lungs, calming him. With a quiet sigh, he let himself fall backward onto the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment before burying his face in the soft pillow to savor the lingering scent.
And slowly, his eyelids grew heavy and closed, as though embraced by the gentle hands of a dreamscape. He drifted into slumber with a blissful, almost dutiful expression on his face.
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Tingyun's POV:
Tingyun watched as Karl slipped off his shoes with an awkward laugh, fumbling slightly as he put on the fox slippers she had brought.
He was a strange guest — timid, expressive, but harmless. She could feel his nervousness radiate from him like heat, and it made her smile despite herself.
Leading him through the house, she glanced over her shoulder now and then, amused at how his wide eyes kept scanning the place like a child seeing a festival for the first time. When they reached the guest room, she opened the door with a flourish.
"Dear Guest, this will be your room for now. Please do not mind the decorations~" she said lightly, hiding a chuckle behind her fan.
Karl's reaction was genuine — and that pleased her more than she expected. He noticed the fox dolls... how rare for a guest to comment on them rather than politely ignore them.
When he asked her to call him by his name, Tingyun's ears twitched. It wasn't often that strangers asked to close the distance between them so quickly. She folded her fan and let a playful smile curve her lips.
"Then perhaps you can call me Tingyun too, Karl~" she teased, enjoying the faint blush that bloomed on his face.
As she left, she took a moment to look at him one last time from the doorway.
He's different from the others... unpolished, unguarded... but not dangerous.
The thought made her tails twitch faintly — a gesture she quickly hid before stepping into the hall.
"Goodnight, Karl~. May the Rainbow Arrow watch you."
And with that, she left him alone, though part of her remained curious about what kind of dreams he would have under her roof tonight.
[END]
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The next morning, as promised, Karl arrived at Yukong's office. The familiar high-tech room greeted him with its quiet hum, the air filled with a faint metallic tang. Above him sat Madam Yukong, her sharp amber eyes glued to the paperwork on her desk.
Karl stepped forward until he stood at her side, his presence snapping her from her focus.
"Madam Yukong, I'm here," he said.
Without a word, Yukong slid four documents across the table toward him.
"These are the job recommendations I've selected for you — Merchant, Cargo Checker, Mechanical Technician, and Assistant to the Alchemy Commission." Her pen never stopped moving as she spoke. "Given your educational background, I presume you should be able to handle them perfectly well. Choose one, and we'll finalize the arrangement."
She signed the last sheet before pausing and turning to face him fully.
"So, what do you think?" she asked, her tone calm but expectant.
Karl stared at the papers for a long moment, his brows furrowing.
"Merchant? No way. I can barely do basic math, let alone statistics and probability," he muttered.
"Cargo checker? Definitely not. There's too high a chance I'd end up face-to-face with a Mara-struck soldier hiding in a shipment."
"Mechanical work? Nope. I don't even know how machines work, and I'd rather not accidentally blow myself up."
"Alchemy Commission?" Karl grimaced. "Absolutely not. Half of those people are rumored to be traitors serving the Abundance, and the rest follow Lan. Isn't that what they say — 'keep your enemies closer'? No thanks."
He let out a long sigh and looked back up at Yukong.
"Madam Yukong, none of these fit me at all. I don't know statistics, I'm not an engineer, I don't want to risk my life checking cargo, and… alchemy just feels too far from anything I know. We don't even have that where I come from — scientists are probably the closest thing, and even they don't mess with mystical elements."
"You're being far too apprehensive about Cargo Checking," Yukong replied, her tail flicking once behind her. "It's perfectly safe. You'd just be inspecting merchant supplies, nothing more."
Then she sighed and asked, "Very well, is there any job you would take?"
Karl scratched his cheek, hesitating.
"Well… since I'm not really good at jobs that need complex skills, I was thinking…" He paused, almost embarrassed to say it. "A janitor."
Yukong blinked. "A janitor? Hm. That's… new." Her lips curved slightly, almost amused. "I suppose that is the one job that doesn't require strength or put you anywhere near a death trap."
Karl's mouth twitched at the bluntness of her observation.
"Very well. I'll assign you to Aurum Alley — it's busy enough that they could use the extra hands."
She glanced up again. "You may go. But first — do you even have a communicator device?"
Karl shook his head. "No. I lost my phone when I woke up here."
"I see… wait here." Yukong rose, walked to her cabinet, and pulled out an older model. "This will do until your new device arrives. I'll call you when everything is finalized. You're free to explore the Loufu until then."
Karl accepted the phone and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Madam Yukong." He slipped the device into his pocket, glancing down at his wrinkled school uniform. "Right… still haven't changed since yesterday…"
"No matter. Anyway — welcome to the Loufu, Karl." Yukong's expression softened into a small smile. "And my apologies for yesterday's… roughness. I hope you understand it was necessary."
Karl returned her smile. "No problem at all. You were just protecting your home. I'd have done the same thing."
"Good." Yukong nodded once. "Go. And enjoy your stay here."
Karl left the office, stretching his arms as soon as the doors shut behind him.
"Finally! No more interrogation! FREEDOM!" he shouted, grinning like a fool. Half of his mental energy had been spent just surviving Yukong's strict questioning.
But before he could fully bask in his freedom, a soft, melodic voice cut through the air.
"Someone's happy~ Did Madam Yukong finally trust you~?"
Karl yelped and spun around. Tingyun stood there, fan in hand, her eyes bright with mischief. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped the fan shut, the motion graceful enough to make the air sing.
"Ah—uh…" Karl's words came out tangled, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Tingyun chuckled and took his arm, guiding him along the walkway.
"So~ any particular reason you're in such a good mood?"
"Uh… yeah. Madam Yukong finally accepted me." He laughed nervously. "She even gave me some job recommendations — Merchant, Cargo Checker, Mechanic, Alchemy Commission Assistant — but I turned them all down and chose one myself."
"Oh?" Tingyun tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "And which job would that be?"
"Janitor," Karl replied simply.
Tingyun's eyes widened before she nearly burst out laughing. "J-Janitor? Why a janitor, of all things?"
"Because I don't have to worry about Mara-struck soldiers or other dangerous things! The guards said those things sometimes hide in cargo, and I'm just a normal guy with no powers. So I picked the safest option!" Karl puffed out his chest proudly, like he had just solved some great dilemma.
Tingyun's amusement faded into something quieter — thoughtful, almost sharp.
"I'd rather live a life full of ignorance than die seeing the truth," Karl added with a shrug. "Ignorance keeps you safe."
Tingyun stopped walking, her eyes narrowing.
"That's contradictory, don't you think?" she said softly, but her tone cut through the air like a blade. "Living a 'blessed' life of ignorance doesn't mean you're free from truth. Yes, ignorance can shield you from danger — but it blinds you, Karl. The more you cling to it, the deeper you fall into a pit you can't climb out of. Just like the Abundance's soldiers — they followed blindly, thinking themselves immortal and free. But reality crushed them. In the end, they became nothing but mindless beasts thirsting for blood."
Karl fell silent. Her words cut through him sharper than any blade. He had wanted to stay safe, to keep pretending that this world's dangers didn't concern him… but Tingyun's voice tore that illusion apart.