Chapter 533
As a fellow "Listener," she quickly realized that her subconscious had been altered, free from the influence of the meme infection. With her backup memories, she successfully corrected her distorted awareness.
When she became aware of the impact on her, she immediately pulled Xia'er into the room.
"You... when did you start to 'wake up'?" Aivina pressed Xia'er against the wall, her lips tightly pursed as she spoke.
"This morning," Xia'er replied with a smile.
Aivina bit her silver teeth, lowering her voice to threaten, "Forget everything, or I’ll help you forget!"
At that moment, Aivina's cheeks flushed slightly, as if the mere sound of Xia'er saying "no" would make her explode in anger.
Forget? Forget what?
Xia'er recalled the scene from earlier when Aivina had "seduced" him in her translucent nightgown, and suddenly it all clicked.
"I can never forget this in this lifetime," Xia'er said honestly.
"Not allowed!" Aivina reached out, grabbing Xia'er's collar.
"Okay, I've forgotten everything."
"Not acceptable!"
Xia'er: "?"
Are you telling me to forget or not to forget?
Aivina, still gripping Xia'er's collar, seemed to notice the contradiction in her words. She paused, her head lowered, and after a long moment, she quietly added, "The engagement... can be remembered..."
Looking at Aivina, who was staring down, Xia'er slowly raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair.
"Mm."
The storm caused by the shift in collective memory continued to spread, affecting the entire Ansu City.
Yet inside Xia'er's small room, it felt particularly tranquil, as if it were cut off from the raging winds and storms of the outside world.
It wasn't until half an hour before the simulation ended that a "gift" was delivered to Xia'er's room.
It was a collection of replication rituals and potion formulas for "Poison Makers," "Listeners," "Instigators," and "Blood Painters," ranging from Level 1 to Level 4—an extravagant gift from Imogen.
She also included a letter informing Xia'er that the esteemed one would soon visit him again.
However, Xia'er wouldn't be around to see this "soon."
...
Silver light enveloped Xia'er, and in a space of pure silver, he gazed at the scene before him.
Countless red-haired girls stood in front of him, enough to be described as a "sea of people."
These were all the different moments of Xia'er from the last simulation.
Xia'er could choose any two moments to save as archives.
Without hesitation, he selected the moment of himself as the "Blood Painter" and the moment of himself as the "Master of Melody" to archive.
"No.12: 'Blood Painter' Xia'er"
"No.13: 'Master of Melody' Xia'er"
Xia'er looked at the two new archives and took a deep breath.
The arrival of the old days was near.
Only three more archives to go—
The silver halo swallowed everything in front of Xia'er until he once again felt the warmth of the outside world.
...
"Reality"
"Year 741 of the Holy Era, July 25, 8:15 AM"
"Evaluation: This is true music TvT"
"Perhaps you’ve sensed it too; even if you don’t want to admit it, your influence is growing... This will simplify some matters for you, but it will also bring you trouble."
"Those who carry dazzling light, no matter how they try to conceal themselves, will attract prying eyes... I must remind you, in the eyes of certain beings, you shine as brightly as the sun^^"
"Those envious and fearful—They are screaming! They are roaring!"
"Accept this; it is what you deserve based on your performance."
"Reward: Destiny Points *55, [Mist of Transformation and Ascension]"
"Destiny Points: 437"
Xia'er slowly opened his eyes, staring at the system panel before him, lost in thought.
He sat up gradually, the warm blanket draped over him slipping down his shoulders, likely placed there by Tara.
"Lord Xia'er, you’re awake," Tara said, bowing slightly beside him, her tone respectful. "Everything around is normal; please rest assured."
"Mm." Xia'er casually tossed the blanket to Tara. "Thank you."
Tara quickly caught the blanket, the warmth and gentle fragrance almost causing her to lose her composure.
'Those envious and fearful—They are screaming! They are roaring!'...
Xia'er reflected on the system's words, falling into deep thought.
Those envious and fearful?
Who are they?
Is it the "esteemed one" from Imogen's words in North Ansu?
No, that’s at most a Level 4 being. Even if they possess "uniqueness," they are comparable to the Strong Sound and shouldn't warrant such a warning from the system.
Moreover, the system referred to them as "He."
Xia'er didn’t believe that an extraordinary being deserved that title... it was not a name that humanity could bear.
So, it must be something above Level 4, a so-called Transcendent or "Ascendant"?
Xia'er had never seen their kind in reality. The life forms she had encountered that clearly surpassed humanity and Level 4 were only the Dark Worms, Divine Servants, and the White Armor.
From another realm?
Why would they fear her? Why would they envy her?
Because of "uniqueness"?
But the previous Strong Sound and the current "esteemed one" in North Ansu also possess it, and surely many others with "uniqueness" exist, like those sealed within the "Touch of Fate's Betrayal" or scattered throughout the world.
The deeper one explores the extraordinary world, the more one feels the depths bottoming out... This uncertainty made Xia'er somewhat anxious.
She wouldn't ignore the system's warning.
Before any potential danger arrived, Xia'er had to prepare.
"Call up Peirxi; we have things to do."
Xia'er looked at Tara, who was still staring blankly at the blanket in her hands, and spoke.
"Oh, right... I'll go get her right away." Tara snapped back to reality, quickly folding the blanket before hurrying out of Xia'er’s room.
While waiting for Tara to summon Peirxi, Xia'er opened the system interface.
Earlier, besides the Destiny Points gained from completing the two replication rituals, it seemed he had also received something else.
Xia'er wanted to see what it was.
"[Mist of Transformation and Ascension]: Use this item to randomly upgrade one of the system-given sealed items by one quality level."
A straightforward and blunt description.
Directly upgrading a sealed item given by the system?
Xia'er glanced at the items in his storage, all of which were bestowed by the system.
[Deadly Blood Rose], [Endless Manual of Forgetting], [Box of Soul Instigation], [Toy Box of the "Sage of the Mainframe"].
Random, huh...
If given a choice, Xia'er would likely pick the "Deadly Blood Rose" or the "Toy Box of the 'Sage of the Mainframe.'"
One is a versatile weapon that directly boosts combat power, while the other is the highest-ranked sealed item the system has mentioned so far.
Though Xia'er had hardly used the "Toy Box" in battle... after all, the uncertainty of randomness could easily backfire.
Who knows what might pop out of the "Toy Box"?
But if this evolution could turn random into a selection, its usability would likely increase significantly.
What Xia'er least wanted to evolve was probably the "Endless Manual of Forgetting"... she truly couldn't fathom what use it would have after an upgrade.
At least the "Box of Soul Instigation" could offer some potentially useful advice.
Should she wait to gather more sealed items before using the "Mist of Transformation and Ascension"?
No, after so many simulations, she had only collected four system-given sealed items... how long would it take to gather more?
Moreover, the sealed items provided by the system aren't always useful; some, like the "Endless Manual of Forgetting," are only good as high-end notebooks.
A fifty-fifty chance of upgrading something desirable seemed quite favorable to Xia'er.
Just use it.
"Would you like to use [Mist of Transformation and Ascension]?"
"Yes."
Xia'er silently affirmed in her heart.
Before her, an illusory black mist spread, shimmering with colorful specks of light, resembling a vast starry sky.
The black mist and starlight surged and coalesced, directly merging into the storage panel before Xia'er.
Table of Contents
