Since her relationship with the Stellaron Hunters was actually pretty decent—combined with the influence of all those chaotic fan creations outside the game—Sylvia had never really possessed a clear, defining concept of them as wanted criminals.
Even when it came to Elio's so-called "script," she had never truly taken it to heart.
Truth be told, it was precisely because of this casual attitude that the Stellaron Hunters felt comfortable interacting with her in the first place.
But obviously, it didn't matter what Sylvia thought.
Out in the vast cosmos, plenty of people were wary of the Stellaron Hunters showing up, and just as many kept a sharp eye on their movements.
Although they still harbored doubts about Elio's "script," history had proven that the Hunters never acted without a precise purpose.
So, even if the various major factions didn't buy into titles like "Slaves of Destiny," they still watched the Stellaron Hunters' every move with intense scrutiny.
And Sylvia just happened to stumble right into the crosshairs.
In the original plot, Mei should have been the one drawing an immense amount of attention.
Now, however, the spotlight had shifted squarely onto Sylvia. It was telling enough that even Black Swan couldn't resist dropping by to fish for information.
"...Well, this is definitely unexpected," Sylvia murmured, stepping lightly within the palm of Black Swan's hand. Her voice carried a trace of exhaustion.
She had initially assumed the Interastral Peace Corporation was just incredibly well-informed, but she hadn't expected every other faction to be watching her too. It wasn't exactly the kind of spotlight she wanted.
"Haha~ This is a grand opportunity to make a name for yourself across the stars, isn't it wonderful?" Black Swan chuckled softly.
Fame was a useful tool, after all.
If nothing else, the moment Black Swan saw Sylvia arrive in Penacony with an entire Astral Express in tow, she knew the Express Crew wouldn't have to rely on mere reputation alone anymore.
One had to remember that even an Emanator had been defeated by Sylvia's hand. For the Express Crew of the past, such a feat was entirely unimaginable.
"I don't really care for that kind of fame. I've already crossed paths with a Lord Ravager and wiped out the Ever-Flame Mansion. What if another Lord Ravager shows up?" Sylvia pouted.
Though she claimed to hate the situation, her tone didn't carry much actual worry.
Black Swan smiled, applying a gentle pressure with her hand to draw Sylvia closer into her embrace.
It seemed the rumors were true; Sylvia genuinely possessed the confidence to stand against an Emanator. She just wondered if that confidence stemmed from a person or an object.
Compared to other factions, Memokeepers had a much easier time gathering intelligence. Naturally, Black Swan knew a bit more than the rest of the cosmos.
"Don't you still have that Galaxy Ranger accompanying you? Plus, with that Vidyadhara from the Express Crew and yourself, I don't imagine it will be much of a problem."
The Express Crew was different from other factions. Their entire sphere of influence was just a single, ridiculously sturdy train.
Besides, no spaceship in the galaxy could match the Express when it came to warp speed and distance. Even if they couldn't win a fight, they could outrun anyone.
Sylvia puckered her lips, ignoring Black Swan entirely. Instead, she smoothly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, I ran into a strange character back at the Ever-Flame Mansion named Constance. I felt like she was a bit similar to you Memokeepers."
"Hmm? Constance?" Black Swan frowned in thought. She couldn't recall any Memokeeper she knew by that name.
Normally, all Memokeepers belonged to the Garden of Recollection, and there was no such person among her acquaintances.
Besides, real Memokeepers spent their days harvesting memories; who would randomly run off to the Ever-Flame Mansion to serve as an officer?
That meant she was likely one of those annoying Cremators.
And... according to the information sent by her colleagues, when they attempted to reconstruct the events that took place on Jepella, they hadn't been able to extract any clear memories either. There was a high probability that the Cremators had a hand in that as well.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but I don't know her."
Though the thoughts flashed rapidly through her mind, Black Swan simply shook her head outwardly.
It was just a guess, after all. The universe was vast, and the Garden of Recollection wasn't the only group walking the Path of Remembrance.
It was just like the Path of Permanence somehow spawning someone like Sylvia out of nowhere. Anyone who knew the details of that situation found it absolutely absurd.
Sylvia just shrugged. She had only asked on a whim and hadn't really expected to glean any hard intel from Black Swan anyway.
"Well, just be careful. She isn't dead, and she seems to be doing quite well. She holds a pretty massive grudge against Memokeepers."
Recalling the promotional video of the Ever-Flame Mansion from her memory, Duke Inferno had introduced his four children by mentioning four different Paths.
It was clear his ambitions were grand, and the distribution certainly wasn't random. It wouldn't be surprising if those four truly possessed extraordinary skills.
Since Constance had been specifically singled out to target memories, it was safe to assume she fell into the same category as the Memokeepers.
"Oh? Thank you for the warning. I'll keep an ear out for any news." Black Swan nodded, her curiosity piqued. Then, she added, "If possible, could I obtain a piece of your memory regarding Jepella?"
"I don't mind, but how are you going to take it?" Sylvia looked at Black Swan curiously.
Her memory was blocked, preventing anyone from peering inside—a passive skill she couldn't control. Did Black Swan possess some kind of ability to extract it by force?
"Strictly speaking, I won't be taking it. You will be the one extracting that portion of your memory into a Memory Bubble."
"Huh? But I don't know how... All my skills are basically like an automated one-click system. I don't actually understand the mechanics behind them." Sylvia shook her head quickly. She truly knew nothing about manipulating memories.
"It's fine, I'll teach you. The technique for crafting a Memory Bubble is far simpler than forging a Light Cone."
To Black Swan, the technique itself wasn't difficult; the real hurdle was the innate ability to manipulate memories with one's bare hands.
Since Sylvia was capable of the latter, all she lacked was the pure technique. After all, Sylvia could already forge Light Cones, so shaping a Memory Bubble shouldn't be a major issue.
"I'll give it a shot... But do you Memokeepers really just teach these things to outsiders just for a single memory?" Sylvia was profoundly bewildered. She still couldn't quite grasp the operating principles of the Memokeepers.
Even though they claimed to be a neutral faction, Black Swan's blatant favoritism toward one side went entirely unchecked. It gave off the impression that they simply did whatever they pleased.
"Well... that's just how we Memokeepers are. Gathering memories is our absolute highest priority. Relax, my dear~"
As Black Swan spoke, she leaned in with a smile, gently brushing her cheek against Sylvia's.
"I will transfer the technique for creating Memory Bubbles directly into your mind~ Don't move."
The tender voice whispered right beside her ear, soft as a gentle breeze brushing against the heart. It made Sylvia's eyes narrow slightly, and she unconsciously relaxed.
Just as the atmosphere between Black Swan and Sylvia was beginning to look rather intimate, Mei, Robin, and a thoroughly amused Sparkle were staring intently at Sylvia's figure.
That Memokeeper actually approached her on her own initiative. Fascinating. Is there something about Sylvia that caught her eye?
Sparkle's memories of her previous troublemaking had been altered by Black Swan, but she still recognized her as a Memokeeper.
First, she caught the attention of the Aeon of Elation, and now a Memokeeper was knocking on her door.
Add to that the other two individuals gathered here... Sparkle glanced intentionally at Acheron and Robin.
What a colorful cast. All sorts of chaotic people are gathering.
But she was truly curious about what the Memokeeper was saying to Sylvia.
"Little songbird, aren't you going to go over and look? I'm so curious about what they're whispering about." Sparkle spoke up carelessly, her irresponsible instigation sounding like a joke, yet carrying a hint of seriousness.
"That would be impolite, Miss Sparkle," Robin refused on the spot.
Though she was curious too, her earlier interaction with Miss Acheron was fine since Acheron was an acquaintance of Sylvia's whom she had already met. But this new person was someone Robin didn't know at all. She certainly wouldn't interrupt blindly.
As for Mei, in this short span of time, she had already grown accustomed to Sparkle's nonsense. As long as Sparkle didn't get physically hands-on, Mei could completely ignore her attempts to stir the pot.
Except...
Mei watched as Sylvia kept her back turned, while her dance partner suddenly lowered her head, looking as though she were about to press a kiss against her lips as their faces drew incredibly close.
Crack—
"—?!"
Startled by the sudden sound of shattering glass, Robin quickly looked over.
She discovered that Mei was holding nothing but the broken stem of a glass. Wine, ice, and shards of glass were scattered in a messy spill across the table and the carpet.
Granted, this was a dream, and damaged objects would be restored in no time. But conversely, precisely because this was a dream, the glass only looked like glass—its actual durability was immense!
Just what kind of grip strength did she have to crush it like that...
Robin offered a subtle smile as she reached out to help clear the table. In truth, she really wanted to know who that person over there was, too.
"Apologies, I accidentally crushed it."
"It's quite alright." Mei immediately took the shards from Robin's hand and tossed them aside.
Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Sylvia suddenly felt an inexplicable shiver run down her spine.
"Sssp..."
"What's wrong? Is the memory transmission causing you discomfort?" Black Swan opened her eyes. At a distance where their eyelashes could almost touch, she looked directly into Sylvia's eyes with concern.
Sylvia wasn't a Memokeeper, after all, and this was Black Swan's first time doing something like this. It wouldn't be surprising if Sylvia felt some discomfort.
"It's nothing... I just shuddered involuntarily." Sylvia wore a puzzled expression.
She couldn't quite decipher that strange presentiment just now. Even when she glanced toward Mei, Mei was currently looking down, occupied with something, and wasn't looking over here at all.
"I've grasped the knowledge you gave me, but whether I can actually execute it... is hard to say."
Black Swan lifted her head, breaking their intimate proximity. Sylvia knitted her brows slightly, attempting to shape a Memory Bubble.
She had anticipated it to be difficult, but once she tried, she found it surprisingly simple. She couldn't tell if it was because she was in a dream or because they were in Penacony.
In short, the only tricky part for Sylvia was defining the boundaries of the memory. The actual creation of the bubble came as naturally as flowing water, without a single hitch.
By the time a tiny Memory Bubble floated directly into the space between Black Swan's brows, Sylvia still hadn't fully processed it. She had no idea why she could create a Memory Bubble so effortlessly.
She had always assumed the skills she pulled from the system were closer to external, cheat-like gear. But looking at it now, it seemed she might have misjudged things.
"Thank you, my dear."
"Well... you did help me out before, so consider us even." When she first arrived in Penacony, Black Swan had been the one to provide clues. It was only right to return the favor.
Yet as she spoke, another wave of chills washed over Sylvia. She hastily whipped her head around, only to see Sparkle smiling at her with clear mischief.
"..."
She couldn't shake the feeling that trouble was brewing.
"My dear? I shall take my leave then, lest your companions wait too long~"
Leaving those words behind, Black Swan vanished into thin air before Sylvia could even register it, leaving nothing but a divination card in Sylvia's hand that she couldn't make heads or tails of. She had no clue what it was for.
--+--
Returning from the Blue Hour, Sylvia didn't immediately jump into pulling cards after waking up in reality. Considering that bizarre illusion she had experienced, she chose to teleport back to her room in the Xianzhou before initiating the gacha.
First up was the white card obtained from Constance. She wondered what kind of item it would yield.
Would it be something related to memories? It was hard to say, since white cards historically had zero correlation to the targets they were acquired from.
Sylvia chanted a silent prayer in her heart to begin the pull.
A white light flashed, but then it rapidly transformed into a vibrant purple hue. Sylvia's eyes widened instantly.
Holy crap, a purple pull from this?!
--+--
[Herrscher of the Void Core (High-Quality Toy Replica)]
['To be completely honest, it's about time you changed your outfit. What kind of decent person fights from start to finish in the exact same clothes?']
['However, even though it's a replica and its abilities are mostly just visual special effects, adding another Herrscher Core will still grant a slight boost to your overall strength.']
--+--
"Hmm..."
It was a bit sophisticated, yet ambiguous. Sylvia pursed her lips, feeling that it wasn't exactly amazing, but it wasn't weak either.
She had used the Core of Flamescion for so long, and basically, only the visual effects aligned with the original version; her actual combat strength relied heavily on her other items.
Still, the description noted that fusing the core would bring a power boost. She wasn't entirely sure what kind of upgrade it would manifest.
Sylvia silently claimed the reward. A gemstone naturally dissolved into her body, intertwining with her other Herrscher Core.
The power belonging to the Fullbottle and the storage cards naturally flooded into the Core of the Void as well. Even though they were replicas, Sylvia could technically be considered a dual-core Herrscher now.
With that thought in mind, Sylvia channeled the two gems, using the Herrscher of the Void as the primary catalyst.
Immediately following—
The highly classic, commanding outfit of the Void Queen replaced her clothes, transforming into a magnificent gown. Even her pupils shifted into those iconic golden eyes.
She actively hid the wings of light behind her back.
"The white thigh-highs turned into black ones? Mei should absolutely love this." A smile tugged at the corner of Sylvia's lips.
Compared to Flamescion, the Herrscher of the Void's appearance definitely carried a few more elements of allure. Furthermore, because there was no obvious armor plating covering it, the look appeared much softer.
"Well, since I'm the Queen now, shouldn't I firmly pin Mei down beneath me this time?"
With some rather unwholesome thoughts echoing through her mind, Sylvia couldn't help but burst into laughter.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL