"Yes."
As she spoke, Hyacine produced a box from somewhere.
Opening the box, on a red velvet cushion inside lay a crystal-clear red gemstone.
Xu Qiong recognized this thing.
The philosopher's stone?
He looked at Hyacine with a strange expression. "This... which part was this refined from?!"
Blinking, Hyacine seemed to understand something and suddenly smiled. "Don't worry, Gray Treasure, it wasn't refined from any 'part.' This is an alchemical miracle containing all the wisdom of this world."
"Teacher Xia said to give it to you specifically."
"He also said, well..." Hyacine tilted her head in thought, then lowered her voice, imitating Anaxa's stiff tone, "You may very well consider this a reward for you!"
Xu Qiong: "?"
He took the philosopher's stone, couldn't help but glance at it, then looked back at Hyacine.
She really did imitate him well!
"But, why didn't Anaxa come himself? Is he tied up with something?" Xu Qiong asked, puzzled.
"Well, about that..."
Hyacine shrugged helplessly, as if accustomed to it. "You know Teacher Xia. He said he's not comfortable with this kind of ceremony, so he prepared the gift for me to bring over."
"Incidentally, he also asked me to relay some words to you."
"Listen: 'By your power, I have completed this world's greatest undertaking...'"
Hyacine suddenly began recounting.
For a moment, it was as if one could see Anaxa's figure and his rather earnest face murmuring to himself by the window.
"'Relying on your miracle that twists fate, I have witnessed the truth outside the cave, and the quest cannot cease.'"
"'No matter what form Amphoreus continues to exist in, I shall persist in 'Reason' until I reclaim the truth, and once more transcend and profane that which is more sacred and magnificent!'"
"'This alchemical miracle containing all the wisdom of this world, I bestow upon you. You may very well consider it my reward to you. I hope you will treasure it.'"
"'But... if you encounter a fool who simply cannot be reasoned with, use its hardness to enlighten him!'"
At this point, Hyacine paused, then suddenly smiled. "Well, that's pretty much all of it."
Xu Qiong nodded thoughtfully.
That really did have Anaxa's style. It was definitely something he would say, even down to not coming in person.
But Hyacine was impressive too.
"You actually managed to memorize all that content. Truly worthy of being a teaching assistant!"
Xu Qiong accepted Anaxa's philosopher's stone and gave Hyacine a look of praise.
...
Meanwhile.
Everything happened too suddenly. There wasn't even a hint of foresight before version 3.3.
How much time had passed?
And then Aglaea just...
However, since the final scene wasn't shown, Guinaifen still clung to a sliver of hope, right up until the perspective shifted to Cipher.
Unfortunately.
What arrived wasn't a reversal.
It was a scene from a thousand years ago: the first meeting between Cipher, then still a child, and Aglaea, and their final farewell.
While Cipher was searching for treasure in Styxia, Aglaya had her nymph parasite inhabit the thief spirit Bartholos, using it to indirectly follow Cipher along the way.
She asked Cipher why she opposed the oracle, and also learned that a thousand years ago, Cipher had been an apprentice in the priestly college of Kephale.
Similarly, she had been seen through by Cipher early on.
Facing their final meeting, Cipher's eyes held a touch of indignation, but more seemed to be a complex mix of emotions:
"Aglaea, what are your intentions, going to such lengths to monitor my every move? Why be so persistently clingy?"
"That trip with Castorice and Hui Zi, I already made an exception and intervened. To ask for even more now would be pushing your luck."
In contrast, the nymph containing Aglaea's will did not refute this time, only emitting a hesitant sound:
"I... am sorry, Sefaria."
Aglaea apologized.
This was one of her rare apologies, made to seek Cipher's help.
"Whatever grievances you hold against me in your heart, they will dissipate like clouds and smoke with my departure."
"But, return to Okhema. I beg you. Without you, they cannot achieve victory."
This, too, was a sincerity even the players had never seen before.
"Tch."
After the exchange, Cipher still seemed very reluctant. "I'll consider it, Seamstress. Stop monitoring me, unless you want to completely lose track of my whereabouts."
"Heh, rest assured. Even though I dearly wish to hear your voice once more, to see your face again..."
"...I'm afraid there won't be another chance. Farewell, Sefaria." Aglaea calmly declared her goodbye.
In return, she received a rare gesture of courtesy from Cipher.
"Farewell, Aglaea..."
[?]
[?]
[?]
[...]
Question marks rapidly flooded the screen.
[No way, really... she's really gone?]
[I thought after the black screen, there might be some kind of reversal. But what we got was just Aglaea's farewell?]
[It seems Aglaea and Cipher knew each other a long time ago?]
[So that thief spirit was Zagreus? No wonder it felt weird from the start. Aglaea seized its consciousness back then!]
[At the final moment, using her last vestiges of consciousness, she wanted Cipher to shoulder the responsibility of Fire Chasing?]
...
Guinaifen and Sushang were simply unable to believe it.
And more than that, they were baffled.
But in the final scene that followed, the relationship between the two was fully revealed to the players.
It was a scene from a thousand years ago: Aglaea adopting Cipher.
Cipher, covered in wounds and with golden blood streaming down her cheek, had found Aglaea.
Clearly, the cat girl was still very insecure back then.
"Isn't it a shame? Among such an amazing group, there's someone like me—a poor person, a thief, a liar."
"Maybe I should cut myself open again, drain all this yellow stuff dry..."
She mocked herself like this.
But this time, what she received wasn't a cold stare or an interrogation, but simply...
"Stop it, Sefaria. I'll give you clothes, help you get warm, and then..."
"...then, stay. Stay in my workshop until your injuries heal."
Aglaea didn't press for excessive explanations. She knew everything Cipher did was just to survive.
"Aren't you afraid I'll bring a bad reputation here? Aren't you afraid I'll secretly steal your valuable clothes and sell them outside?" she asked.
"If I feared such things, I would not have extended the invitation to you," Aglaea replied.
Inevitably, the livestream chat fell into silence once more.
Because this was vastly different from the Aglaea they knew.
She simply believed in Cipher, not due to the power of a demigod, but because of the heart beating in her chest.
The part that belonged to humanity.
"So, Sefaria—you are a sincere heart I entrusted to this world, and also a challenge it presented to me."
"Stay by my side. You have a beautiful face. It shouldn't constantly keep company with scars and mud."
The young Cipher had frequently, 'accidentally,' passed by the 'Golden Weaver,' too ashamed and insecure to linger.
But now.
Someone had invited her.
The story began from there.
[...]
[Cipher: Hui Zi, you really have no reservations, do you? You dare write down everything I told you?]
[Cipher: If you do this, won't I suffer social death?!]
[Aglaea: Mm... so nostalgic. The Sefaria from back then really was cuter.]
[Aglaea: Now though, she's getting harder and harder to manage.]
[Aglaea: Agy sighs.jpg]