"Mr. Yun Fan, I... I..." Natasha was so agitated she could barely speak, her mind racing to conjure up some words of gratitude.
However, Yun Fan simply waved his hand and said, "No need for pleasantries. You should return to Wildfire—they need you there. You can thank me another time." With that, he patted Natasha on the shoulder and strode off toward the hotel's guest quarters without looking back.
Watching Yun Fan's retreating figure, a faint smile appeared on Natasha's weary face.
"Mr. Yun Fan... is truly a very kind person..."
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"Hehehe~ Hmm~ We common folks~ are so happy today~"
In the snowy northern plains of Belobog, a little girl skipped and frolicked through the white world, humming a tune that didn't quite match her adorable appearance.
"My, my, Jarilo-VI really is a desolate place, huh... Tsk, what fun could there possibly be here..." The girl sighed as she surveyed the barren scenery around her, then pulled out a snow-white slip of paper from her less-than-voluminous chest. This was something her "big boss" had slipped her before she came to Belobog.
"Let's see... Hmm... The Stellaron has fallen into an unexplained slumber, and the God of Elation wants me to wake it up again? Hehe, that sounds pretty fun~" After reading the note, she casually tossed it aside, her previously bored expression now bright with amusement.
"Unexplained reason? Pfft, is it really unexplained? That Aha guy is definitely hiding something, isn't he? Ah, whatever, who cares? I'm just a lowly employee anyway~"
"Hmm hmm~ Hmm hmm~"
Humming cheerfully, the girl continued skipping deeper into the snowy plains. Her footprints gradually faded into the distance, while the pure white paper—which should have blended into the snow—spontaneously burst into flames without any ignition. The black ashes scattered into the frigid wind, leaving no trace behind.
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Inside the Goethe Hotel, after freshening up and preparing to rest, Yun Fan suddenly sensed a familiar presence. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead and turned to address the seemingly empty room behind him.
"If you're here, quit hiding. Come out—I promise I won't hit you."
As soon as Yun Fan spoke, the space before him rippled slightly, and a jester's mask floated into view.
"Hahaha! Aha really has no—thud—!"
Before Aha could finish, Yun Fan kicked the mask square in the "mouth," forcibly cutting off its words.
"Uhhuhuhahaha! Aha really has no face."
"Heh. Last time at Herta Space Station, you caused me a lot of trouble, and I still haven't settled that score with you. What, are you itching for a beating?" Yun Fan chuckled dryly. This Aha guy spent every day either looking for amusement or on his way to find it. Now that he was in Belobog... well, it couldn't be anything good.
"Ehehe, come on, 'Causality,' don't be like that! Aha is a law-abiding citizen! Back in school, I was even a model student—top grades, respected teachers, the whole—"
"Shut up! Get to the point!" Yun Fan's face darkened as he slapped the jester mask hard.
"Ow, Aha really has no face." The mask pouted exaggeratedly. "Hahaha, so I heard you're quite fond of human women, so I tricked one of my little underlings into coming to Jarilo-VI..."
"Your little underling? What's her name?" Yun Fan blinked. Aha's underling? Could she be someone from the story?
"Sparkle."
"Hold on a second." Without waiting for Aha to respond, Yun Fan closed his eyes and mentally connected with his Yang Spirit true body back on the Xianzhou Luofu.
After receiving feedback from his avatar, Yun Fan's true body pulled out the phone gifted by the Primordial Laws and began cramming the latest story details.
"Ugh, I've been too busy enjoying carefree days with Qingque lately—completely forgot about this." His true body sighed, then dove into the new plot.
"Masked Fool—Sparkle. Hisss... Isn't this a test for an old veteran?"
After checking Sparkle's official artwork, Yun Fan sucked in a sharp breath, a thought flashing through his mind: Primordial Spirit, don't blame me for this.
Meanwhile, back in Belobog...
"Sparkle, huh? Heh, well then, thanks a lot, Aha." Yun Fan grinned and extended his hand, shaking with the jester mask through the air.
"Don't mention it..."
"Alright, enough small talk. Aha, state your terms—or rather, what do you need me to do?"
"Hahaha... As expected of 'Causality.' Aha won't beat around the bush, then. Aha wants to know how to break free from the Primordial Force." The mask let out an eerie laugh before speaking in an unusually solemn tone. Rare for Aha to be this serious.
"Break free from the Primordial Force?" Yun Fan pondered for a moment. The reason he himself wasn't bound by the Primordial Force was largely—no, entirely—due to the power of the Primordial Laws. As for helping other Aeons... Perhaps the Path of Causality could manage it. But severing causality that involved both an Aeon and the Tree of Existence would come at a steep price...
"Heh. Generally speaking, I do have a way to free you from the Primordial Force. But..." Yun Fan paused, flashing a you-know-what-I-mean smile.
"Just Sparkle might not be enough~"
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"Achoo!"
In a small tavern in Belobog's upper district, Sparkle swirled the glass in her hand, watching the clear ice cubes clink inside. A hint of suspicion flickered in her pretty eyes.
"Feels like someone's talking behind my back... Who could it be?"
"Hello, miss."
Just as Sparkle tilted her head in thought, a voice interrupted her musings. She looked up to see a middle-aged man standing before her.
Hmm. Decent-looking, dressed well enough. But his gaze... Ugh, so disgusting. That greedy, lustful stare—typical of a brainless ape obsessed with filthy thoughts.
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