"No footprints of come-and-go"
The melody flowed effortlessly from the greatsword wreathed in flames.
Hearing such a tune sung in this utterly incongruous scene—even for someone as worldly as Tingyun—left her momentarily stunned.
Just as Sylvia and Tingyun were sizing each other up, the system, which had lain dormant for over half a month without so much as a peep, finally made its presence known.
--+--
[New target detected: Tingyun of the Xianzhou Luofu's Sky-Faring Commission]
[Target: Tingyun]
[Favorability: 45 (Wary)]
[Relationship: None]
[Quest: Save the beauty, win her heart secretly. A cliché but classic scenario—worth a try.]
[Reward: One random card draw, based on favorability and relationship established.]
--+--
"And who might you be?!" The Shape Shifter, still trying desperately to extinguish the flames clinging to him, cried out in pained fury. "If you wish to avoid making an enemy of an Emanator, leave now, and I can pretend none of this ever happened."
His shouting dragged Sylvia's attention away from the system and back to reality.
"Is that so? Then tell your Emanator to come speak with me herself."
As she spoke, Sylvia flashed a radiant smile at the Shape Shifter from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
And from behind her, Acheron's figure emerged slowly from the passageway.
Beneath his mask, the Shape Shifter's expression tightened. He blustered, trying to sound threatening, "Hmph! Think carefully. By interfering today, you won't just be making an enemy of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
He might have been able to suppress the merchant guild members alone, but that strike from the girl earlier was undoubtedly beyond his ability to handle alone.
Not to mention the purple-haired woman now approaching gave him an intensely dangerous feeling. Today was likely going to end badly.
"You don't actually think I'm unaware of what the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are scheming, do you?"
Sword in hand, Sylvia couldn't help but sneak a few more glances at Tingyun's fluffy ears and tail. Then, in a burst of motion, she launched into the air, a comet of raging flame shooting straight toward the Shape Shifter.
The Shape Shifter tried to fight back, gathering a potent energy attack between his palms, his form shifting accordingly.
But the flames clung to him like a persistent plague.
What seemed like blinding speed to Tingyun was, in Sylvia's eyes, merely the agile maneuvering of a slightly tougher elite foe.
Sylvia shattered the Shape Shifter's attack mid-air with a single downward slash, then followed through with a spinning kick that connected squarely with his head, slamming him once again into the wall.
Using her brief hang time, Sylvia initially moved to grab him with her left hand, but a glance at her ring finger made her pause.
Instead, she shifted the greatsword from her right hand to her left, then used her now-free right hand to seize the helmet on the Shape Shifter's head and hurl him violently toward the floor.
BOOM!
The violent impact sent a fierce shudder through the entire starskiff.
Acheron, watching from the passageway entrance, saw Sylvia's split-second adjustment and reaction. She couldn't help but lightly touch the ring finger on her own left hand, a faint smile gracing her lips.
As for the Shape Shifter?
Though he possessed some power of Abundance, he was no superman. Such a brutal impact shattered his organs and left his insides a complete mess.
Sylvia landed nimbly on the ground. The greatsword in her left hand spun in a flashy arc before she drove it straight down, piercing through the Shape Shifter and pinning him to the floor.
The raging flames consumed him. The regenerative power granted by the Abundance simply couldn't keep pace with the speed of the flames' destruction.
The other Disciples of Sanctus Medicus hadn't even managed to react before their leader was struck down right before their eyes.
The morale of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild instantly soared! In contrast, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus began to falter and retreat.
Sylvia pulled her sword free and casually dispatched the few troublesome Abominations of Abundance. The remaining foes no longer posed any threat.
"Not yet for the story on the last page~"
As long as Sylvia hadn't sheathed her sword, the song continued to play automatically.
The Whistling Flames Merchant Guild, now firmly seizing the initiative in the battle, listened to the tune emanating from the greatsword.
They couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
"What's the idea with building a speaker into the weapon?"
"Quiet! The strong always have their quirks. So it comes with its own sound system—maybe it's for boosting morale."
"Just imagine, such a pretty swordswoman, adding a speaker to her weapon just to look cool... hehehe... how adorable."
"Shut up! But... it really is quite cute."
Some of the fighters, grouped together, whispered among themselves, occasionally stealing glances at Sylvia.
Sylvia's slender figure and youthful face, under their gaze, soon had many guild members sporting fond, almost aunt-like smiles.
But Sylvia's enhanced senses were incredibly sharp. Every word of their discussion, including their reactions, reached her ears clearly.
Whoosh! Her cheeks instantly flushed a deep red. She felt so embarrassed she wished she could just hoist the starskiff on her shoulder and flee the planet right then.
Luckily, the surrounding flames obscured the view, hiding her blush from the others.
Only Acheron, seeing through the flames, noticed Sylvia's reaction. She found it rather amusing, and thought the flustered Sylvia was quite endearing.
If not for her reserved nature, Acheron might have felt tempted to tease her a little.
During their more than ten days together, both Acheron and Sylvia had grown accustomed to the music playing during their fights.
But having it suddenly happen in front of so many outsiders caused Sylvia's sense of shame to explode.
Poof.
The greatsword dissolved into scattered embers, and the song cut off abruptly.
Yet Sylvia didn't immediately dismiss the flames still swirling around her.
Tingyun, observing this, assumed Sylvia was still wary of the remaining Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. She flicked her folded fan open, gently stirring a breeze, and approached Sylvia with a smiling, graceful gait.
Her eyes wide with curiosity, she watched the flames that somehow parted for her, radiating no heat. A mix of novelty and gratitude filled her as she bowed gracefully.
"This humble one is Tingyun. On behalf of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild, I offer my deepest thanks to you both for your timely and mighty assistance."
Her fluffy tail swished behind her, and her furry ears twitched slightly with her tone, clearly in good spirits.
"Sylvia. She's my companion, Acheron."
Sylvia stood before Tingyun, studying this foxian woman. She was beautiful.
Her smiling face held a myriad of charms, the kind that inspired fondness at first glance.
While Sylvia was observing Tingyun, Tingyun was also appraising the two who had suddenly crashed into the battle.
She didn't recognize Sylvia, but the name Acheron...
Tingyun fluttered her fan slightly, allowing a perfectly measured look of surprise to surface as she turned to Acheron.
"Miss Acheron... could it be you are the Acheron, the Galaxy Ranger who travels the stars alone? This humble one is truly fortunate today. Not only did I encounter Miss Sylvia and escape certain death, but I also get to meet the renowned Miss Acheron in person."
As she spoke, Tingyun shifted her posture slightly. Her soft, fluffy tail inadvertently—or perhaps not so inadvertently—brushed against the back of Sylvia's hand, a light, lingering touch.
The sensation of the soft, warm fur gliding over her skin sent a ticklish itch straight to Sylvia's heart. She fought the nearly irresistible urge to reach out and give it a good, proper stroke.
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.