Sylvia followed Acheron through the ruins.
Tilted signposts, shattered pavement, skyscrapers choked by creeping vines—the traces of a once-great civilization now stood as mere relics.
It was Sylvia's first time witnessing with her own eyes what a dying civilization truly looked like.
"Acheron, why did you come here? For the Stellaron?"
Watching Acheron effortlessly cleave through monsters with just her sheathed blade, like slicing through vegetables, Sylvia couldn't help but voice her curiosity.
"No, I was just passing through. I didn't expect to run into a Stellaron—it's blocking the astral route, so I had to make an emergency landing. Came to take a look, only to find this civilization has already completely perished."
Acheron's tone was calm, as if all of this was as casual to her as stepping out for lunch.
Then, she suddenly turned her gaze toward the girl beside her—a girl who, aside from seeming somewhat sturdy, appeared entirely powerless.
"I'd planned to leave earlier, but then I came across you. You're too vulnerable. To get out of here, you'd need a starship."
Crossing a Stellaron-blockaded zone alone was something Acheron could manage, but Sylvia couldn't—at the very least, she'd need a shuttle for protection.
Since their paths had crossed, and since she'd already reached out a hand, Acheron intended to see this through to the end.
Hearing this, Sylvia felt a complicated mix of emotions.
"So you're my savior, then. If I'd been left here alone, I really wouldn't have survived."
"Mm."
Acheron gave a slight nod, though it was unclear whether she was acknowledging the first part or the last.
But just then, the system promptly issued a notification:
--+--
[Relationship established with Acheron: Savior]
[Though unique, this relationship falls far short of system objectives. Newcomer mission completion insufficient. Reward: One white-level draw.]
[Use white-level draw opportunity now?]
--+--
Seeing the prompt, Sylvia blinked.
She was starting to get what this system was about.
If it wanted her to be a "player," then emotionally intimate relationships were what earned points.
With white, green, purple, and gold draw tiers, even becoming ordinary friends might net her a green card.
But Sylvia didn't really care.
She was just testing things out anyway—she hadn't expected to trigger anything at all.
Even if it was just the lowest-tier draw, a draw was still a draw.
And probability being what it is, even a white draw had a minuscule chance of yielding a high-tier reward. It was all a numbers game.
'Draw!'
Sylvia didn't hesitate to confirm.
A flash of white light crossed her vision, and a card materialized before her.
--+--
[Storage Card: Utterly ordinary(?) storage card. No volume limit, but can only store a single item. Cannot store living beings.]
["Don't even think about it—tying things together won't make them count as 'one item.' But here's another question: Do Nous and IX count as living beings?"]
--+--
Sylvia twitched her lips at the card description. A white card, and it wants to store Aeons? Might as well wish for the moon.
Well, her first draw was a bust.
She sighed inwardly. She really was cursed with terrible luck—even after becoming a pretty girl, her fortune hadn't improved.
Just then, Acheron suddenly spoke: "What's wrong? Are you worried?"
Hearing Acheron's voice, Sylvia pulled her focus back and met the other woman's downward, concerned gaze.
Seizing the moment, she replied: "No, I was just thinking… if I'm causing you too much trouble. Taking me with you past the Stellaron's influence can't be easy, right?"
"It's fine. It's nothing much."
Then, pausing briefly, Acheron added: "I don't mean you're weak. It's just… for me, it really is effortless."
Sylvia smiled wryly. She knew better than to take it the wrong way. The truth might sting a little, but she nodded with a smile.
"I know. But I still want to gain some strength—at least enough to not hold you back."
Acheron almost said that even if Sylvia swallowed the Stellaron right then and there, she'd hardly qualify as "not holding anyone back" anytime soon.
But after a moment's thought, she chose not to contradict the girl.
Seeing that Acheron didn't object, Sylvia seized the chance to ask: "Acheron, would you mind taking part in a ritual with me? For you, it would be purely symbolic—no actual power involved. If you feel anything off, you can stop anytime."
Sylvia weighed her words carefully, avoiding any terms that might hint at marriage, opting for neutral language instead.
As for why—that came down to the Synesthesia Beacon.
As a translation system that directly interpreted mental activity, it conveyed the meaning of speech with perfect accuracy.
In other words, even if Acheron didn't understand the concept of "marriage," or even if her homeland had no such tradition, the Synesthesia Beacon would instantly convey the intimacy implied by the term.
"Just a formality? Then what meaning does it hold for you?"
Acheron studied Sylvia intently. As a solitary traveler of the galaxy, she could roughly sense the girl's emotions. Sylvia seemed to have some kind of aim in mind, but without any intent to harm her?
"Yes. Through the ritual, I can gain a bit of strength. It's a ceremony from my homeland. Normally, it would be performed between two people from the same world. It only works for us—for anyone else, it's just an empty gesture."
Sylvia knew she wasn't much good at lying, so she stuck mostly to the truth.
Performing the ritual really would let her draw cards and gain power. The marriage ceremony really was unique to her homeworld. And of course, she'd only ever marry fellow Earthlings—it's not like matrimonial laws had any jurisdiction over aliens.
You couldn't say her description was inaccurate.
"But conditions are rough here, and I'm not sure if a simplified version will work. So I wanted to ask for your help."
The only catch was, Sylvia couldn't remember the full marriage ceremony—neither the Eastern nor Western versions. She only recalled a few key steps.
She had no idea if the system would accept it.
After finishing, Sylvia's gaze drifted slightly, moving from Acheron's face down to her chest.
She had to admit, Acheron's figure was stunning—a perfect, enviable curve.
Acheron watched the seemingly uneasy silver-haired girl. She never shied away from chance encounters across the sea of stars, and she had full confidence in her own power.
So she replied:
"Very well. How should I assist you?"
"You'll do it?"
Sylvia looked up, surprise and delight mixing on her face. Seeing her expression, Acheron nodded.
Emboldened, Sylvia immediately began scanning their surroundings. As an alien civilization, the architecture and style were naturally different, but as man-made structures, there were bound to be some similarities.
"The ritual is simple, but it requires a bit of preparation. Can I look around for usable items?"
"I'll accompany you."
Acheron kept her hand on her sword, not intending to let Sylvia wander off alone.
This planet was teeming with Fragmentum creatures—nowhere was safe. Except, of course, by her side.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, 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.