With that, the conversation had pretty much run its course.
Dan Shu now understood Sylvia's intentions.
She just hadn't expected Sylvia to be so audacious—daring to actively seek out contact with Phantylia, even after having already crossed her.
Sylvia, for her part, knew her request wasn't something Dan Shu would agree to right away.
The other woman was the leader of an organization; she wasn't about to defect based on a few persuasive words.
But truth be told, Sylvia hadn't actually planned on forcing Dan Shu to switch sides anyway.
All that bold talk earlier was just setting the stage for what she really wanted.
Put simply, people from the Xianzhou—they still preferred compromise.
"How about this, Your Excellency? You report my situation to Phantylia, and let her decide whether she's willing to meet."
"As for that Stellaron, I'll still give it to the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Whenever you have a containment vessel ready, you can come find me."
"…"
Dan Shu focused mainly on the first part. As for the Stellaron Sylvia promised, she didn't pay it much mind.
For Phantylia the Emanator of Destruction to carry out her plans, a Stellaron was bound to make its way onto the Xianzhou eventually.
Even though the Disciples hadn't obtained one yet, unless Phantylia abandoned the scheme entirely, that Stellaron would arrive sooner or later.
As for the one Sylvia offered—just as she herself said—there was no way to verify it on the spot.
It was practically an empty promise.
The only thing certain was that Sylvia currently bore no hostility toward the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
And her goal likely revolved around Phantylia, possibly having little to do with the Xianzhou's own conflicts at all.
--+--
After seeing Sylvia off, Dan Shu dismissed the others and returned alone to her room.
The earlier plan to act against Tingyun had failed, robbing them of an opportunity.
Then, with Sylvia and Acheron's arrival, the task of selecting a suitable vessel for Phantylia—one that would allow easy infiltration and mobility on the Xianzhou—had been temporarily put on hold.
If all they needed was just any body, then any would do.
But without any legitimate identity attached, even if Phantylia got in, moving around would be difficult.
Though Phantylia had only urged them to find a more suitable vessel quickly, Dan Shu could sense her dissatisfaction.
But dissatisfied or not, since when had an Emanator of Destruction ever been good-tempered?
Dan Shu didn't really care either way. After all, Phantylia still needed the Disciples to operate within the Xianzhou.
So, she was willing to accommodate Sylvia's request.
As long as it kept Sylvia from fully siding with the Xianzhou and turning against them while she was here.
Thinking this, Dan Shu took out a special communication device and activated it.
Accompanied by an eerie green flame, the faint silhouette of a woman appeared in the room.
"Lady Phantylia."
Dan Shu bowed respectfully. The woman in the projection lounged lazily in her chair and asked,
"What brings you to me? Have you found a suitable candidate?"
"Your Excellency, a new target has been selected. We are only waiting for the right moment to act."
"Hmm. Then tell me, why have you contacted me specifically today?"
Seeing Phantylia press for details, Dan Shu hurriedly recounted her recent interactions with Sylvia, along with her own thoughts on the matter.
"…That is what happened. Since the other party also involves a mysterious presence, I believed you should be informed."
"Oh? Claims to possess a Stellaron, does she? Heh~ Even after the Emanator backing her has left, she still carries such confidence. That is indeed worth noting."
Interest and wariness flickered in Phantylia's eyes.
Her identity was shrouded in mystery, known to very few. Yet this newcomer had somehow managed to investigate and uncover it without a trace.
Naturally suspicious, Phantylia was both doubtful and alert.
Mysterious origins, inexplicable actions.
It reminded Phantylia of those meddlesome troublemakers. This whole bizarre affair reeked of something they might do.
However, Phantylia did not voice her stance, and Dan Shu did not press further. The communication ended there.
Outside the window—
Having left the Disciples' hideout, Sylvia had stealthily donned her [Title] again, sneaked back, and eavesdropped on the entire conversation.
She nodded to herself in quiet satisfaction.
Someone as cautious as Phantylia couldn't just ignore her completely—not without probing her true capabilities.
But if she wanted to probe, where would a member of the Antimatter Legion find people to do it?
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were still needed for their work; diverting two or three wouldn't make much difference.
Add to that Phantylia's unique racial traits, Sylvia even suspected that if Phantylia were bolder, she might consider trying to devour her outright.
So, after this, Sylvia planned to contact Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan, to give them a heads-up. That way, if they really encountered Phantylia, they could signal each other promptly.
Of course, if Phantylia still refused to make a move by the time Sylvia left for The Blue, then Sylvia would just have to wait until the Astral Express crew arrived on the Xianzhou to join in the fun.
Sylvia slipped quietly away from the Disciples' hideout.
On her way home, she had a vague feeling she'd forgotten something.
But try as she might, she couldn't recall what.
After thinking for a while, it suddenly hit her—she still hadn't used the gacha opportunity the system rewarded her after marrying Silver Wolf.
Sylvia clapped her hands in sudden realization, but then paused, a hint of confusion crossing her mind.
'So that's what I forgot… But that should be it, right? I don't think I've forgotten anything else?'
'Ah, whatever. Might as well do the pull now.'
Setting aside what she couldn't remember, Sylvia decided the gacha took priority.
Focusing inwardly, she opened the system's rewards page. One purple pull remained.
Without much hesitation, Sylvia chose to pull—
Unsurprisingly, a violet light shimmered before her eyes.
While there was a chance for higher-tier rewards, the odds for gold were clearly quite low.
Mentally sighing at the lack of a gold, Sylvia turned her attention to the result:
--+--
[Aether Editing: Help Me, Big Sister! v1.01]
['You pulled another awkward one, huh? Always needs patching. This time it's reverse summoning. You can designate a close relationship target with Affection over 85, and they'll come to your side when needed.']
['When using this skill, remember to shout: Help me, Big Sister [Name]! It will convey your longing and summon them to you.']
['Crossing the sea of stars, just to answer your call.']
[Aether Editing Skill Combo triggered. Special synergy effect: After summoning your partner, you can use 'Press B to Return' to send them back to their original location.]
--+--
"Hmm… Not unexpected."
Sylvia rubbed her chin. Pulling a skill related to this from Silver Wolf's pool… well, it figured.
Thankfully, Acheron's Affection had already surpassed 85, and had recently risen a bit more to 87. Otherwise, this skill would've been useless.
But as things stood, it was actually quite practical. If she couldn't handle a fight, she could immediately call for Acheron.
It was just the activation phrase… the cringe factor was a bit high.
Just imagining herself shouting, 'Help me, Big Sister Acheron!' made Sylvia blush fiercely.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.