Matrix of Prescience.
Adrian watched Fu Xuan approach and used the moment to pull an unopened milk tea from his pocket.
When visiting the Alchemy Commission for medicine from Bailu, she had mentioned Fu Xuan:Overseeing the Divination Commission's affairs daily, overtime was constant—mental and physical exhaustion unavoidable.
At such times, the Alchemy Commission's sugar powder for "eye-brightening tea" always ran out fast. Fortunately, Adrian's milk tea shop stocked various flavor powders.
So Bailu would claim the tea she brewed for Fu Xuan contained secret revitalizing ingredients. Fu Xuan believed her completely—until much later discovering that Bailu had merely added extra sugar.
"Prescribing the right medicine"—truly worthy of the Alchemy Commission's prodigy. Even Diviner Fu praised her.
Hm? Why would a milk tea shop have flavor agents? Surely not laced with tech and ruthlessness?
Of course, they were for pranking Aha. Back then, that guy showed up every single day for milk tea, always on schedule. Say what you will—Aha was punctual.
Only recently, since Adrian boarded the Astral Express, had Aha stopped appearing.
After beating Aha in front of Qlipoth, Adrian hadn't seen THEM since.
Sigh. Without that familiar fool's laughing mask, life felt duller…
Wrong. That thought was dangerous. Prolonged absence only meant Aha was brewing something worse.
"Ahem. Recently, the Luofu might see visitors from a certain [tavern]. If any suspicious types show up, throw them into Shackling Prison."
Jing Yuan: ?
"You're… serious?" He couldn't grasp Adrian's sudden comment.
"Just a possibility, not certain." Adrian wasn't some prophet like March 7th—whose words somehow always came true.
Fu Xuan reached them, looking up at Adrian to size him up.
"Is malnutrition standard at the Divination Commission?"
Shoes aside… honestly, Adrian thought she and Qingque were about Mengming's height.
"Haha~" Jing Yuan gave an awkward laugh.
Truly an Aeon—speaks freely, first words outrageous.
"Hey, you… mocking this seat's height?!"
"Not mockery. Mr. Adrian's just curious," Jing Yuan explained quickly. Best to avoid misunderstandings.
Fu Xuan's lips twitched. Emanators could do as they pleased now? Was there no law left? Think you're an Aeon?
"Ahem. First meeting. I only wanted to leave a deep impression on the Diviner," Adrian said seriously. How else had he met Qingque?
Qingque would never forget: she came for milk tea, and the boss flatly refused to sell despite a full counter.
Of course, that was later…
Back to now, Fu Xuan indeed remembered Adrian. She turned to Jing Yuan.
"Need another self-introduction?"
Jing Yuan stayed silent.
"Hm. Since you want to know my origins and identity, why not use your proud divination to uncover the truth yourself?" Adrian offered. He hadn't planned to hide from someone like her.
After all, Qingque getting caught skipping work had partly been HIS fault.
...
Stelle's group swiftly reactivated the three array bases and hurried back to report to Fu Xuan.
Upon return, they found her still frozen in shock.
"Fu Xuan? Fu Xuan?" Jing Yuan's voice pulled her back.
"Madam Diviner, activation complete!"
"Ahem… apologies. Well done. I can feel the Matrix of Prescience's runes relit."
"Next, I'll interrogate Kafka. Those near the array's heart may feel some… effects."
"So… you were actually spacing out?" March 7th ventured, giving her an excuse.
"Con… consider it so."
Admitting it was shameful, but she couldn't say that divining an Aeon had done this to her.
Fu Xuan swore never to repeat the experience. Hopefully Kafka's interrogation would proceed without issue.
She had just opened her forehead's all-seeing eye when her consciousness plunged into vast starry skies—not a blank void, at least.
In the haze, an amber shape appeared before her—eroding and regenerating endlessly. Instinctively, Fu Xuan grasped it. Space folded; the amber turned into a rusted clock.
Inside, gears and vines coexisted beneath starlight. Each flickering mote solidified into dust within an hourglass.
The view drew back—the wonders fused into a single hourglass. Galactic shards floated inside, billions of light-years compressed to grains.
The upper dome held frozen nebulae; dust streamed through the narrow neck in colorful trails. Below was bottomless dark.
A Möbius strip jammed the two cones together, emitting an indescribable glow.
Fu Xuan reached toward the strange light—
Suddenly, a massive object lifted the hourglass. Looking closer—it was a palm.
Five fingers looped like spacetime rings. Star sand cycled through transparent bones, birth and death repeating. The palm's black hole devoured all around. Each joint a micro-universe, veins coursing with liquid starlight.
That hand held the hourglass. The sand fell at a rate equal to the cancellation of all time's arrows. When its fingertip brushed the Möbius silver ring, countless whispers flooded her mind. Emptiness swallowed her heart.
As her consciousness faded, she glimpsed… a crimson mask.
...
Remembering it, Fu Xuan was glad she hadn't used the Matrix of Prescience on Adrian—Kafka's interrogation would've been delayed for days.
Still, the others seemed unaware of Adrian's identity. HE was hiding it deliberately.
What would their faces look like when they found out?
A spark of curiosity flickered in Fu Xuan, then vanished. "Ready?"
"Reporting, sir—always ready!"
"Why so serious all of a sudden?!"
Minutes later, two Cloud Knights escorted Kafka in.
"Need such fanfare? I said I'd cooperate." Kafka stood with one hip cocked, coat hanging from her shoulders.
Stelle hadn't expected the Cloud Knights to be so thorough—they'd even helped remove her makeup.
"You're a wanted criminal, adept in [Spirit Whisper] to manipulate minds. This seat has no interest in your words."
"Say what you like. This seat trusts only the Matrix of Prescience's divination. The Divination Commission has means to uncover truth—beyond mere speech."
Kafka smacked her lips. Such sharpness over a simple statement—this Diviner had a temper.
"Then let the Diviner witness my fate."
Her eyes swept the room—mostly familiar faces.
"That Navigator isn't here?" she asked Stelle with mild interest.
"Seeing the full Astral Express team gathered isn't easy. If everyone's here, who's running the train?"
"True… Surrounded by big shots, still adjusting."
Before she could finish, the Cloud Knights cuffed her hands.
"Sigh."
Script already a mess. Once the Diviner's interrogation ended, Stelle would question her again—Kafka mentally scanned for any remaining uncorrupted lines.
"Aren't there two Stellaron Hunters caught? Where's that [Blade]?" March 7th asked.
"Sometimes too many people complicate things," Kafka said, glancing at Dan Heng. Even behind Blake's face, she knew Blade would recognize him.
"Speaking of Blade, shouldn't you be more concerned… about where Silver Wolf is?"
"No more riddles!"
Kafka knew too well—given Silver Wolf's connection to Adrian, her joining this interrogation could destabilize even Fu Xuan's Matrix of Prescience.
Best to avoid Aeons—even in casual co-op gaming.
Ordinary people wouldn't dare meddle with such beings anyway.