Since she'd decided to take the morning off, Amber figured she might as well explore this world a bit.
Though it was another world, being a Singularity meant it was more like a bubble universe—something Amber was fairly familiar with.
It wasn't particularly large, roughly the size of a single continent. For someone like the Phoenix Celestial, flying around the whole place would be a breeze, easily done within an hour.
Noticing her restless enthusiasm, Fu Hua reminded her, "Don't forget to use the Fenghuang Down to mask your presence. This world isn't exactly peaceful. If the enemy detects you, they won't just stand by and watch you leave."
"It should be fine, right? I've got Mr. Navigation to help me. And if things get really bad, I can always ask you to step in!" Amber hesitated for a moment, but the thought of having Fu Hua as her backup quickly bolstered her confidence.
Mr. Navigation knew how to wield this body's power, but all it could do was execute moves according to set patterns and forms.
That worked well enough in one-sided fights—where one move was all it took to end things.
But against a skilled opponent who could trade blows, that kind of rigidity would leave openings to exploit.
Fu Hua was different. This was, after all, the body from her prime.
Add to that a mind free of debuffs and the full support of the Fenghuang Down, and her strength now arguably surpassed even what it had been back then.
There was also another option besides taking over the body directly: let Mr. Navigation control it as a mage, while Fu Hua used the Feather to construct a separate form to engage the enemy up front.
That way, Mr. Navigation's limited move set wouldn't be a problem—with someone holding the line, it could just spam Sword God endlessly.
For a body at this level, Sword God didn't even have a cooldown.
Working together like that, the two of them could achieve a synergy where one plus one was greater than two.
But Fu Hua quickly doused that idea. "You've begun building your Sword Heart and grasped the basics of Sword Form. Magical beasts are no longer suitable practice for you. What you lack now are battles against well-matched opponents and the tempering that comes from life-and-death struggles. If you run into an enemy, I won't intervene."
Remembering Mr. Navigation, she added, "And no using Mr. Navigation, either."
"..." So strict.
Amber finally reined in her desire to run wild.
Fu Hua let out a soft sigh.
Though the two of them had never formally acknowledged a master-disciple relationship, in practice, that was what they had become.
But both she and Amber knew all too well how... complicated her history with disciples had been, so they'd never brought it into the open.
"Your break doesn't have to go to waste. Instead of wandering around outside, why not return to Uruk and see if there's anything to be done there?"
Seeing Amber still looking a bit lost, Mr. Navigation thoughtfully issued a quest prompt: [Find the Chaldea group]
Unlike standard systems, this one was purely for entertainment—it didn't offer any real rewards. So unless it was necessary, Mr. Navigation generally stayed quiet.
With both of the figures she trusted saying as much, Amber—who wasn't one for strong opinions—nodded and flew back toward Uruk.
But when she arrived, she found that the Chaldea team had already left. And not just for a quick outing—she couldn't sense their presence anywhere in the city.
After coming up empty, Amber suddenly felt that being idle like this was worse than just going back to train.
"Your mind is restless right now. Cultivating in this state would be like trying to sail against the current."
Fu Hua stopped her and continued, "Besides, what Mr. Navigation said was to find Chaldea, not to come back and look for them here. It's only natural they aren't in the city—they may have gone to carry out a new task from Gilgamesh."
In that case, she might as well go ask Gilgamesh.
Thinking this, Amber headed toward the ziggurat.
If it were just her, she'd probably lose her nerve at the sight of the busy Gilgamesh and not dare disturb him.
But right now, wearing the Phoenix Celestial's form gave her a boldness she usually lacked. Mimicking Merlin's casual manner, she walked right up to the throne.
Gilgamesh, who had been studying a clay tablet, glanced up and saw Amber approaching. "What are you doing here?"
He was puzzled for a moment, but then his far-seeing eyes showed him her actions after returning to Uruk. "Looking for Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others, I take it? Unfortunately, not long ago, I sent them to investigate in Kutha. It's northeast of Uruk."
"Thanks for letting me know. I'll take my leave, then." With the information she needed, Amber turned to go.
"Wait."
Gilgamesh set down the tablet. "Since you, too, intend to contribute to Uruk's cause, that makes you an ally of this city. As you can see, Uruk currently lacks the treasures to properly reward its allies."
Amber wasn't sure why he was telling her this, so she replied evenly, "Ensuring the continuation of civilization's flame is my mission to begin with."
Ishtar had warned her not to say such things to those under her protection, but Gilgamesh certainly didn't fall into that category.
Alright, fine—she'd mainly said it because it sounded cool.
So, protecting the flame of civilization, is it?
Gilgamesh's expression softened slightly. Then he turned his attention back to the clay tablet, signaling that he had nothing more to say.
A little confused but not particularly bothered by his attitude, Amber walked straight out of the palace.
Fu Hua, however, took a moment to reflect.
The king's behavior had actually impressed her. Amber had been freely roaming the city for several days now.
Allowing someone of her power to move about unrestrained was like having a bomb that could go off at any moment.
Yet Gilgamesh had never placed any restrictions on her. Only now, when Amber had finally shown her inclination to help, did he speak up to confirm her stance.
While it was true that Uruk currently lacked the strength to confront Amber in a fight, it also spoke volumes about Gilgamesh's magnanimity.
He knew how to handle his subjects, and he knew how to deal with those who could be won over. A born ruler, through and through.
But none of that really concerned Amber.
Setting the matter aside, Fu Hua moved on to the next issue. "Amber, though you've begun your training in the Taixu Sword Qi, you must not become complacent."
"Huh?" Amber was taken aback.
"It's good to have confidence in your abilities, but you mustn't assume you can handle everything."
Fu Hua said, "When you spoke with Gilgamesh just now, why didn't you ask what it was that Chaldea had gone to investigate?"
"Um…" Well… because she hadn't really cared. She'd just been thinking of going wherever there were people to stave off boredom.
Put simply, she'd gotten a bit reckless—feeling that nothing could threaten her, she'd thrown caution to the wind.
She'd gained immense power all of a sudden, and every fight so far had been an easy victory. The only time she'd ever struggled was during those sparring sessions within the Fenghuang Down—and even then, it was against someone she admired.
All of that put together was bound to make someone overconfident.
Fu Hua wasn't surprised. She'd noticed this trend for a while, which was exactly why she'd been hoping Amber would run into a good, solid beating.
In the past, she might have said nothing—letting experience be the teacher, knowing she could always step in if things went too far.
But when she thought about how all her previous disciples had ended up, she decided to do the opposite this time—to nip Amber's arrogance in the bud.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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