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"...!"
Yelan was also stunned by the sudden appearance of the four, but her reaction was decidedly peculiar—her first reflex was to aim her bow straight at Yanfei.
"Yelan?" Seeing such an abnormal response, Yanfei immediately understood. "You're worried we're copies, right? We can prove ourselves. Put the bow down first and let me explain!"
"No need. Don't come any closer!"
"You—why are you showing that kind of hostility out of nowhere? If you wanna attack our benefactor, at least ask Lord Itto whether he agrees first!"
Yelan's eyes were cold, her brows drawn so tightly they almost locked. She shifted her aim to Arataki Itto, then to Kuki Shinobu, her voice sharp as a drawn blade.
"Entering the restricted grounds of The Chasm without authorization—I haven't even begun holding you accountable."
"What kind of joke is that? There are no warning signs, no fences! How were we supposed to know we couldn't come?"
"Please hold on, Mr. Itto. The Chasm is not somewhere ordinary people can enter… And we're all trapped here. We are allies with Yelan, not enemies. Please don't pick a fight…"
Arataki Itto still refused to lower his guard.
"But she clearly isn't planning to accept our goodwill."
"That's right. I have no intention of cooperating with you. Keep your distance. Move away from the entrance behind you. Stop wasting my time."
Under Yanfei's compromise, the four stepped aside and cleared the passage behind them, both sides carefully watching one another.
"Yelan… are you truly fine going alone?"
"You don't need to concern yourselves with me. That's all."
With that indifferent statement, Yelan stepped through the portal the group had used earlier and disappeared without hesitation.
"She seems to be in a hurry to deal with something…" Yanfei murmured. "But what could possibly be more urgent than leaving this place?" She exhaled heavily—unable to understand what Yelan was frantically pursuing.
"Don't be sad, Benefactor. Maybe she's a copy."
"Using Sub-Space Creation requires cooperation from the target. If the target is hostile, we can't determine whether they're real or fake. Without certainty, we can't take action… Forget it. I just hope she stays safe. Everyone has their own fate. I also have things I must handle."
"Well said! Everyone has their own fate! I'll help our benefactor find that Fantastic Compass—and help Victor Wang find the person he's looking for. But… it doesn't look like anyone else is here."
Victor Wang shook his head.
"No. She's not here. She should have already moved ahead. Let's help Yanfei find the Fantastic Compass first. After we finish searching, we'll go together."
If the mind holds both "Zhiqiong is just beyond the next portal" and "knowing she's beyond the next portal is actually false," which one does this place respond to?
Even knowing this space could be exploited, unless the imagined scenario remained firm—unless his will stayed unwavering—he could not rely solely on himself to find Zhiqiong. So he could only keep subtly guiding Itto and the others…
But things weren't that simple. This Fantastic Compass space was clearly responding to Yanfei's will. He needed to exclude all interference…
And then there was the inexplicably acting Yelan—should he save her or not…?
Suddenly an immense fatigue washed over him. Real exhaustion. The [Two Ends of Beginning and End] trembled restlessly—this space was trying to strike at him. But he couldn't dispel its temporal interference. If time accelerated or slowed, he might miss the others entirely…
How had everything turned into this mess?
All because of Zhiqiong.
A sharp pain throbbed in his head—
"Are you alright?"
"Yanfei…"
"You seem unwell. Sit down and rest for a bit. Let us handle the searching."
"…Alright."
Under Yanfei's guidance, Victor Wang found a flat stone nearby and rested.
"Benefactor! There's a note here!"
"What does it say?"
"[Borrowed brush and paper from Lord Boyang to write a letter home, but I don't know what to write… I hope those back home are well. I miss my daughter.] Does that help you?"
"Boyang? I don't recall this name. I'll note it down first. His presence here likely means he's connected to the Fantastic Compass."
"Yanfei! I found a smaller disk. It looks just like the big one… could this be the real Fantastic Compass?"
"No… still wrong. It's still too big. Its diameter is taller than a person. Hard to imagine someone carrying this around—even onto a battlefield. But it turns… let me try—"
"That huge thing is moving with it! Awesome!"
"The portal ahead is also changing. It seems this Fantastic Compass controls which space the portal leads to… Then which space might the person Victor Wang is seeking be in? And where is the exit?"
"Let's just look through all of them. Wait—Is someone coming through that portal again?"
Someone else?
At Arataki Itto's words, Victor Wang looked toward the portal. Ripples shimmered, and the first thing stepping out was a pair of white-and-gold boots—it had to be Lumine.
Following Lumine emerged Paimon. A few steps behind them seemed to be Xiao—
Boom!!
The normally gentle Hydro element somehow produced an immense detonation. The boulder Victor Wang had been sitting on turned instantly to dust, and a three-meter-wide, half-sphere crater carved itself silently into the ground. The terrifying power of that silent Breakthrough Barb was easily comparable to an Erosion Blast.
"Victor!"
Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu, and Yanfei all turned at once.
Lumine and Xiao, just out of the portal, hadn't yet understood what happened—only that the source of the explosion was now nothing but drifting smoke. As Hydro essence spread, the smoke turned to muddy droplets, falling like an unclean rain.
From the portal behind Victor Wang, Yelan suddenly appeared and shouted:
"Lumine, Xiao—everyone here besides us is a copy! Be careful!"
"You awful thing—you're the copy! You—you hurt Victor… you—!"
"How rare. A copy mourning the death of a teammate? Or… are you simply performing?" Yelan's gaze swept past Arataki Itto and locked onto Lumine. "I'll leave it to you to decide who is real."
Paimon's mind froze.
"The cow-guy said the one blown up was Victor? But—but Victor is right here with us!"
Another figure stepped out from the portal behind them—draped in a black cloak, wearing a fox mask. Victor Wang. And beside him floated a golden one-handed sword.
The sword sneered mercilessly.
["Hah! Unknown flying object—with your brain you dare call me brainless? Keep that nickname for yourself. As if I wouldn't recognize my own master as the real one."]
"But… this…"
Paimon scratched her head in panic, unable to form a rebuttal.
Lumine and Xiao frowned as they looked toward the explosion site, now completely empty.
Yanfei and Kuki Shinobu glanced toward the newly arrived Victor Wang. Even Arataki Itto paused mid-rage, stunned.
Yelan asked in a chilling voice:
"Then—who will you choose to believe?"
Pchhk—
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed sharply. Yelan stiffened, slowly turning her head—only to see another Victor Wang standing behind her.
"I'm not dead yet. What exactly are you all pretending for?"