— — — — — —
"You really know how to stir up trouble, don't you?"
In the tea room, Shiroyasha sat cross-legged on a cushion, dressed in a dark gothic gown that made her look like some kind of mischievous dark elf. She flicked open her fan, grinning as she eyed Ryo.
"Judging by that face, you don't look all that happy about taking down Mithras."
"My mood's got nothing to do with that," Ryo replied calmly. "I'm partly sure Mithras isn't actually dead."
"Oh?" Shiroyasha's eyes lit up in understanding. "Yeah, that old bastard isn't the type to die easily. Even if you stuck him in a coffin, he'd probably crawl right back out."
She chuckled, tapping her fan against her shoulder. "You know how it is—there are too many sun gods with rebirth powers. Mithras might be all about contracts, but he's still a damn powerful sun god himself. Of course, compared to me, he's got a few… billion levels to go."
She held up her thumb and forefinger, leaving the tiniest gap between them.
The 'pinch of the universe,' huh? Ryo couldn't help mentally grumbling. The sarcastic thought eased his frustration a little.
He was still annoyed about the so-called "Cosmos Ascension Guidance" he'd bought. Burning one's cosmos to reach the Seventh Sense was something he could've figured out the moment he actually tried it.
But since it consumed lifespan—and since he hadn't met an opponent worth going all out against—he'd never ignited his cosmos before.
"I'm probably the only Saint in history who's never burned his own cosmos," Ryo thought with a rueful grin.
Still, the three thousand points hadn't been a total waste. The guidance outlined the most efficient way to grasp the essence of the Seventh Sense. If he'd tried to figure it out himself, he'd probably have had to burn through a few thousand years of lifespan just to scratch the surface.
So technically, it was worth it. But Ryo knew human nature too well—if you can get something for free, spending points always feels like a loss.
"Those guys with Gold Cloths are the real lucky ones," he thought bitterly. "They've got the legacy of their predecessors guiding them, the path already paved. As long as they're talented and persistent, reaching the Seventh Sense is just a matter of time. Some people really are born blessed…"
Ryo grumbled inwardly, wallowing in his quiet envy.
Across the table, Shiroyasha blew gently on her tea before asking, "So, you came here about that matter with covering up your little… adventure, right?"
Omega had already given her a heads-up, so she didn't sound surprised.
Ryo was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I've acquired the Leo Sun Authority."
Shiroyasha's hand jerked, and hot tea splashed across her fingers.
"You look surprised. Don't tell me you didn't sense the Leo Authority on me?" Ryo asked, genuinely puzzled.
Shiroyasha's lips twitched. She downed the rest of her tea in one go and muttered, "What do you think?"
She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Sun Authorities come with anti-divination effects. In Little Garden's system, it's basically top-tier concealment. Even for me, I'd have to unleash all my own Sun Authorities and use resonance between them to detect another."
She trailed off mid-sentence, biting her tongue.
Ryo filled in the rest in his head. "Right, because you sealed your spirit rank and can't use your real power down here."
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Shiroyasha had sacrificed a lot to live in the lower layers… though knowing her, the reason was probably something ridiculous. 'Like wanting to ogle pretty girls'
Shiroyasha, meanwhile, had her own moment of self-pity. Her "subordinate" had already collected a Sun Authority, while she—an actual Star Spirit—was stuck playing the part of a powerless shut-in. The thought reignited a spark of competitiveness.
"So you've got one Sun Authority already—and it's Leo's, no less? That means your 'Another Cosmology' has awakened, hasn't it?"
Ryo nodded.
"Right," she said immediately, understanding dawning. "It's about that personal divine gear of yours, isn't it? You're looking for my help."
She poured herself another cup of water, smiling slyly. "If that's the case, then I'll just take all the credits from selling you that King of End intel. My services aren't cheap, you know."
"One drop of Star Spirit blood."
The smile froze on Shiroyasha's face.
"Not enough?" Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Not enough?!" Shiroyasha's voice dropped low, her teeth grinding audibly. "Do you have any idea what you're asking for? Across all of Little Garden, only me and Queen Halloween are Celestial Star Spirits. Our true blood is our essence—part of our very law of existence."
She snapped her fan shut, her tone turning deadly serious. "It's more valuable than authority itself. Splitting off an authority to make a few four-digit rankers? That's nothing. But true blood? We can only form a single drop every few thousand years."
Ryo had heard about this from Leticia. According to the top-tier treaties, each two-digit being could only divide their authority three times, creating "delegates" to act on their behalf in the lower realms.
Leticia had used the example of Shirayuki-hime—the so-called "Useless Snake" of the five-digit rank. Lazy as she was, the moment things got serious, she could manifest as Shiroyasha's delegate, temporarily wielding part of her power.
Down in the lower layers, that kind of being was practically invincible.
With that in mind, Ryo said evenly, "I can trade a Sun Authority for it."
Shiroyasha froze.
She opened her mouth, then sighed. "Forget it. A Sun Authority's worth way more than the true blood. If you offered that to her, she'd probably toss you a few dozen drops without blinking."
"But you know," she added dryly, "if we manifested a single drop of true blood in full form, it'd be planet-sized. You'd have enough to take blood baths for the next ten thousand years."
'Bathing in Star Spirit blood… that's one hell of a mental image.' Ryo's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
"Alright," Shiroyasha went on, fanning herself lazily. "You can have the drop. All the points from the King of End intel go to me—and that still might not cover it, so… consider it an IOU for now."
She glanced up at him. "When do you need it?"
"The sooner, the better."
Ryo paused, then added, "But there's something I need to tell you first."
"What is it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I met Queen Halloween."
The room fell silent.
.
.
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