In the Floating City, Anaxa had gone to accompany Evernight on a mission, leaving Hyacine as the sole occupant. She was currently walking alongside Heinrich down a corridor in the Prophecy Mage Tower.
Erm... well, "alongside" might not be the most accurate description. Given Hyacine's height, the top of her head barely reached Heinrich's chest.
After hurrying along, the two soon arrived at an observation laboratory within the Prophecy Mage Tower. This was the very place where the Floating City's previous incident had occurred—an improper observation that led to the corruption of several Divination School wizards.
However, true to the wizards' insatiable thirst for knowledge, the laboratory wasn't sealed off. Instead, it was put back into use with even greater caution. Heinrich personally installed numerous protective spells, and the lab only resumed operations a short while ago.
Then, on the second day of renewed observations, the Diviners discovered something unusual. And that brought them to the present moment.
As the two pushed open the door and stepped inside, Heinrich immediately asked with a grave expression, "What happened?"
The lead Diviner hastily stepped back from the telescope. However, instead of immediately reporting, she first had to painstakingly remove her heavy protective suit.
When Hyacine first entered and saw the figure, she froze. Her lovely azure eyes filled with bewilderment and confusion, and her small mouth hung slightly open. "Huh?"
At first glance, Hyacine had almost mistaken the figure behind the telescope for a "Baby Dragon." This wasn't an exaggeration—the wizard was encased in a thick, golden, plush costume, round and chubby, with a small tail-like appendage at the back.
With the help of other wizards, a small, circular blue hatch opened on the "Baby Dragon's" back. The wizard inside slowly crawled out. Hyacine was stunned again—the person emerging was wearing something resembling an astronaut's suit.
Only after the wizard's feet touched the ground and she had removed her helmet and the rest of the spacesuit did Hyacine finally see her true appearance: a female wizard with an exceptionally well-proportioned figure.
She now wore a black bodysuit that perfectly accentuated her figure. The suit was covered in intricate blue lines, giving her a subtly provocative look.
"This bodysuit is actually the third layer of protection," Heinrich explained. "I designed this three-layer system specifically for Observers to prevent Outer God Corruption. Pretty impressive, right?"
Hyacine's gaze lingered on the "Baby Dragon" suit. She tilted her head slightly and nodded. "Mm, it's quite cute."
Heinrich: "?"
The female Diviner wiped the sweat from her brow before approaching them. "Here's the situation," she began. "We've detected that the Moon's activity has surged far beyond any previous levels. It's as if its normal heart rate of sixty beats per minute has suddenly skyrocketed to six hundred—a tenfold increase, at least!"
"Furthermore, the Moon has deviated from its original position and moved to the exact location where the World Barrier was previously breached!"
"Most things, even when repaired, are never quite the same as when they were brand new," the female Diviner said, acting on this thought. "I strongly suspect the Moon intends to attack the World Barrier again!"
Hyacine immediately countered, "But even if It reaches that position, It shouldn't be able to shatter the World Barrier."
The Barrier had only been broken before because the Moon had corrupted the wizards within the Floating City, allowing for a coordinated attack from both inside and out. Since Hyacine herself had repaired the Barrier, she knew its condition intimately. She had restored it perfectly—if not to 100% of its original strength, then at least to a conservative 99%. Shattering it with brute force from the outside alone should be impossible.
If the Moon could have done that, It would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?
Heinrich interjected, "Regardless, the Moon is making a move, and we must be prepared. We should go and investigate. If something unexpected happens, the Arcane Federation and the Floating City will be on the front lines. If necessary, we can even charge in and take that thing down with us."
Hyacine patted her flat chest and declared, "Forget about taking it down with us! I'm here. If a real fight breaks out, Little Ica and I will be on the very front lines!"
The round, chubby Little Ica materialized beside Hyacine, flapping its small wings and chirping, "Doo-doo!"
An uninformed observer might have dismissed this as a child's boastful joke. But everyone present knew the truth. Heinrich looked at the petite, adorable girl before him, fully aware of just how absurdly powerful this "big shot" truly was.
Indeed, Hyacine's mere presence radiated an immense sense of security.
Heinrich said, "The Floating City is already moving at full speed. At our current pace, we should reach our destination in about half a day. For now, everyone should find a place to rest."
Hyacine nodded. She scanned her surroundings, found the nearest chair, and sat down. Cradling Little Ica in her arms, she gently swung her small legs, which, clad in white stockings, couldn't quite reach the floor from the chair.
Then, a timid voice spoke up beside her. "Lord God of the Sky...? May I address you as such?"
Hyacine turned to see the female wizard in the tight-fitting outfit. She smiled warmly. "No need to be so formal! Just call me Hyacine, Sister~!"
"Sis... Sister!?" The female wizard froze for a moment. She had only heard of Hyacine before—her deeds, her appearance, her name—but had never met her in person. Now, seeing her for the first time, her immediate response was "So adorable! Can I give a hug?"
Hyacine glanced down at Little Ica in her arms and replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, no problem~!"
As she spoke, she lifted Little Ica toward the wizard. Little Ica began flapping its wings faster, as if trying to lighten its own weight. But in the next instant, Hyacine saw the female wizard move to her side and wrap her in a tight embrace. As mentioned before, the wizard had an impressive figure, and now half of Hyacine's face was buried in her chest.
Hyacine: "?"
Wait, when you asked to hug the 'adorable one,' you didn't mean Little Ica... you meant me???