Sylvia could feel it—an intangible, life-giving force was spreading through the air, flowing from the revival of that towering Ambrosial Arbor.
Yet it was clear that while brimming with vitality, this energy also carried a wild, chaotic power.
For Sylvia, it wasn't much of a problem; the diffusing energy itself wasn't particularly strong.
An ordinary person probably wouldn't be affected at all.
But for the people of the Xianzhou… it was a different story.
Both Sylvia and Huohuo noticed the commotion not far away.
But Starskiff Haven was simply too crowded. Once chaos broke out, Sylvia couldn't see clearly what was happening up ahead.
Just as she was about to stand up—
She realized the disturbance was already rushing straight toward her!
A figure brimming with madness seemed to have locked onto Sylvia's striking white hair.
"Aaaah—!!"
Amid mindless roars and the frantic scattering of pedestrians, a Cloud Knight who had succumbed to mara raised his blade high and charged toward the tea stall like a chariot, his strength far surpassing what it had been before.
The people between the mara-struck knight and the tea stall had already scrambled out of the way, clearing a wide-open space that left the mara-struck figure fully exposed to Sylvia and Huohuo's view.
"Mr. Tail, save us!!"
Huohuo's usual duties didn't involve direct confrontation with enemies.
Seeing the mara-stricken Cloud Knight charging straight at her, she instantly panicked.
Beside her, the tea stall owner was frozen in fear—she was just an ordinary Xianzhou native who had never even practiced combat drills.
Faced with such sudden danger, it was impressive she managed to drag the person next to her by the arm as she fled.
Sylvia had already keenly sensed that she was the target.
The moment she rose and lifted her hand, surging flames erupted from her chest.
White armor swiftly replaced her everyday attire, and a crimson greatsword materialized from the flames.
Clang—!
Huohuo only felt a wave of heat rush past her.
Then, a white figure shot forward like lightning, crossing dozens of meters in an instant.
Amid the shrill clash of metal, the white-haired woman from moments before now stood firm as a mountain, steadfastly blocking the enemy's path.
"Whoa—I knew it! That woman's no ordinary folk!"
Tail's voice echoed from within Huohuo.
"And you! Why don't you step up and fight? You could take 'em. Tch, letting someone else steal the spotlight."
Tail knew exactly what Huohuo was capable of. Even without its help, Huohuo alone could have handled that mara-struck knight.
After all, a mindless, albeit physically powerful 'beast' wasn't much of a challenge for someone as skilled as Huohuo.
"N-no way… I can't win! Let's… let's just cheer for Sister Sylvia instead…"
Huohuo watched as Sylvia easily handled the mara-stricken knight, then stood up and raised her command flag, trying to wave it in encouragement.
Tail was utterly speechless. With a cold snort, it fell silent again.
As for Sylvia—
She'd dealt with rational, mara-struck Disciples of Sanctus Medicus with ease before. Handling one that had lost its mind was practically child's play.
Sylvia swung her greatsword sideways with full force.
The tremendous impact instantly shattered the enemy's offensive, and the blade's momentum carried through, crashing hard into the knight's shoulder.
Not only was the knight sent flying sideways, but his weapon also slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.
In reality, while those afflicted by mara might sprout those golden leaves, their weapons didn't just transform out of thin air.
They didn't suddenly become dual-bladed fighters with elongated arm-blades like in the games.
Once disarmed by Sylvia, the mara-struck knight became far less threatening.
By the time other Cloud Knights pushed through the crowd to arrive, Sylvia had already sheathed her sword and was pinning the struggling figure beneath her foot.
Sylvia didn't finish him off.
Mainly because she wasn't sure if he could still be saved.
After all, she remembered that when Bailu first appeared, the Cloud Knight on the stretcher showed signs of mara, and someone was still trying to administer medicine.
Who could say whether those newly stricken by mara still had a chance?
"Thank you for intervening, miss. If this mara-struck knight had run amok in the heart of Starskiff Haven, the consequences…"
The Cloud Knight who arrived saluted Sylvia.
He himself had been on patrol nearby when the incident occurred. While maintaining order, he'd received an urgent dispatch to suppress the mara-struck knight.
He was truly grateful someone had stepped in—he hadn't known what to do himself.
"It's fine. You can handle the mara-struck from here."
With that, Sylvia handed the severely wounded knight over to the Cloud Knights and turned back toward Huohuo.
Her expression was no longer as relaxed as before.
"Huohuo, a Stellaron has erupted on the Xianzhou. It seems to have triggered the power of the Ambrosial Arbor as well. It's not safe to wander outside now—you should head home."
Sylvia patted Huohuo's head. She knew Huohuo was capable, but her timid nature was another matter.
There was no need to drag her into dealing with these troubles, especially with the Cloud Knights present.
"Then… what about you, sis?"
Huohuo resisted the urge to nod, gripping her command flag tightly as she looked up at Sylvia.
"I have a friend in the Sky-Faring Commission. I came today specifically to see her, and now with this happening, I should stop by on the way."
Things had just kicked off—it was the peak of the chaos.
Sylvia mainly wanted to check if Tingyun was at the Sky-Faring Commission.
After that, she planned to find Fu Xuan and see if there was any strategy in place.
Hearing this, Huohuo seemed to steel herself, her voice growing a bit more determined:
"I… I'm actually a judge of the Ten-Lords Commission. Even though it's not strictly within my duties, I shouldn't let ordinary people face danger alone, so… I'll come with you!"
But as she spoke, her confidence wavered again.
It sounded good in theory, but given how Sylvia had subdued the mara-struck knight in one move, it was obvious who was more capable in a fight.
Who's protecting whom here?
The thought made Huohuo's face flush with urgency:
"U-um! I might not be good at fighting, but I can still help you out, sis!"
So adorable.
Sylvia couldn't resist ruffling Huohuo's head a couple more times.
This kid didn't even resist head pats. If the situation allowed, Sylvia would've loved to scoop her up and give her a good squeeze.
"Alright, if you want to come, of course you can."
"O-okay! I'll do my best!"
Huohuo's little face visibly brightened with joy.
"Then, I'll report the situation to Madam Hanya first… Ah, Madam Hanya is my superior."
Huohuo instinctively grabbed the hem of Sylvia's clothes with one hand, keeping her head down as she walked beside Sylvia while fiddling with her phone.
She relayed everything that had happened at Starwatcher Avenue to the Ten-Lords Commission.
After all… the Ambrosial Arbor's revival meant mara-struck incidents would become more frequent.
That fell under the Ten-Lords Commission's jurisdiction too.
Sylvia glanced sideways, feeling a bit like she was babysitting—and honestly, it was kind of fun.
--+--
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.