Then, right before both of them.
Eight mechanical claws suddenly extended from beneath the button. While Sylvia stared in confusion, the contraption shot out of her hands at an astonishing speed and plunged into the sea.
And then—
Then, nothing.
Those eight claws might scuttle quickly on land, but how were they supposed to paddle in water?
It was a miracle the thing wasn't immediately swept away by the underwater currents—a testament to its surprising sturdiness, if nothing else.
"…What nonsense!"
Sylvia couldn't hold back. She felt a pang of shame for having actually expected something just moments ago.
Typical of Sparkle, that chaos-lover. Just her style.
"Pfft…"
Even Dan Shu couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle after seeing that.
She stepped forward, and the water-repelling space maintained by the jade talisman moved with her. The little gadget that had crawled out of the water landed on the ground with a soft plop.
Dan Shu paid it no mind for now and instead approached Sylvia.
"Indeed… you are different from her after all. It's fortunate that in these final moments, I am able to behold your visage. Truly, a beauty as radiant as the moon and as delicate as jade."
Dan Shu smiled softly, drawing closer to Sylvia. Her lively eyes held no restraint, openly brimming with curiosity and focus as she carefully studied Sylvia's features.
"What a pity… after all these years, I can scarcely remember Yufei's face clearly anymore."
"You must be wondering why I wished for you to accompany me here."
As Dan Shu spoke, her tone grew increasingly gentle.
"The truth is… I simply wanted you to be the first person I saw after regaining my sight."
"Go back, my friend. Hand over all the evidence you've gathered to Jing Yuan. There's no need to be implicated because of me."
Dan Shu withdrew from Sylvia's side.
She glanced briefly at the little gadget lying on the ground—now looking utterly broken—and paid it no further attention.
Then, she turned and walked directly toward the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, seemingly ready to begin her work.
But right at that moment—
The button-like device twitched, its claws flailing as it flipped itself upright. After a series of rapid beeps—
Whoosh!
A beam of light erupted, catching both Dan Shu and Sylvia completely off guard!
It shot into the water at a bizarre angle, then struck the distant Stellaron with pinpoint accuracy.
Thump!
Like the beating of a heart—Sylvia almost thought she heard the phantom sound of a drum.
Then, the Stellaron, which had been steadily releasing energy, suddenly went berserk.
If before it was like a valve being slowly forced open, now it was a bursting dam, a deluge.
Terrifying power poured forth. Due to the earlier preparations, the majority of that torrent surged into the Ambrosial Arbor.
The churning force stirred up massive waves, one after another crashing violently against the barrier that held back the sea.
Rumble—
A deafening roar, as if heaven and earth were tearing apart, erupted right before them.
The sound alone was like bombs plunging into water, nearly blasting all the seawater away from around the Ambrosial Arbor.
The Arbor's roots, already dragon-like in appearance, began to grow uncontrollably on their own.
Layer upon layer of tendrils proliferated wildly, wrapping themselves around the Stellaron without restraint, overlapping until they completely swallowed the Stellaron within the Arbor's root system.
And at the same time—
Within the Divination Commission.
Stripped of her makeup and with her hands bound, Kafka was suspended in mid-air by the power of the Matrix of Prescience.
Before her stood the three members of the Express Crew, who were questioning her.
As for Fu Xuan, she stood to the side, her expression grim as she watched Kafka intently.
The Stellaron had erupted on the Xianzhou, and the Stellaron Hunters had appeared here at just the right time.
Even though both Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan believed Phantylia was the more likely culprit, the Stellaron Hunters' arrival on the Luofu at this precise moment was still highly suspicious.
Who was to say they weren't collaborating with Phantylia, or simply here to muddy the waters?
Thus, Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan had managed to capture them.
However, through the deductions of the Matrix of Prescience, Fu Xuan had arrived at a surprising conclusion.
As for Kafka now…
Floating in the air, she looked down at Stelle standing before her. Without her makeup, her smile held a softer, sweeter quality.
"What is Sylvia's relationship with you? Why was she there at that time?"
After asking several questions about the Aeons, Stelle suddenly brought up Sylvia.
In her own fragmented final memories, there was Kafka… and Sylvia.
She wanted to know the connection between Kafka and Sylvia, and whether it had anything to do with her own past.
Facing Stelle's question, Kafka only offered an ambiguous smile.
Then, she suddenly turned her head to glance in the direction of the Ambrosial Arbor.
"…Wait a moment. The timing should be just about right now."
"…?"
Stelle tilted her head in confusion, while Fu Xuan, standing a bit farther away, sensed that something was wrong.
"What timing—what do you mean?!"
Before Fu Xuan could finish her question, suddenly—
A tremor reverberated through the entire starship, reaching everyone's feet.
Rumble—
Accompanied by a deep, colossal roar, the long-'dead' Ambrosial Arbor in the distance suddenly began an extremely violent spurt of growth!
"Mhm, it's begun."
Kafka smiled as she turned to look. The towering Ambrosial Arbor began to wantonly stretch its roots and branches. Its already massive trunk expanded madly toward the sky.
Branch after branch spread from the trunk.
Golden leaves bloomed in the wind, swaying like flames of gold upon the branches when seen from afar.
Countless sigils descended from the heavens like divine miracles.
Terrifying roots burst forth from the Scalegorge Waterscape, infused with Abundance energy. They even pierced through the barriers between pocket realms, spreading into many nearby domains!
And right on their heels—a raging gale engulfed the entire Luofu!
The howling wind swept past the Matrix of Prescience, carrying with it the erosive power of Abundance.
Seizing the moment while everyone was gazing at the Arbor, Kafka broke free from the Matrix's restraints.
And Blade descended like a cavalry charge from above, placing himself before Kafka, his sword pointed at Fu Xuan and Stelle.
Just as Fu Xuan was about to manipulate the Matrix to recapture them, a communication projection from Jing Yuan suddenly connected.
"Enough, Master Diviner. Let them go. For now… we have more pressing matters to attend to."
Jing Yuan's voice halted Fu Xuan's actions. His gaze lingered on Blade for a moment before meeting Kafka's eyes.
There was no intention to converse. Kafka turned and called to Blade:
"Let's go. We have other places to be."
With that, Kafka calmly walked to the edge of the Matrix of Prescience platform and leaped off. Blade swiftly turned and departed.
"General, what is the meaning of this?"
"Just moments ago, Sylvia lost contact. Her last signal came from the Scalegorge Waterscape."
The General lowered his head slightly, as if looking through walls and spatial barriers toward the boundless ocean.
"Sylvia… just what have you done in the Scalegorge?"
--+--
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.