Having just taught a lesson to the card-playing buddy who dared peek at her little fish, Qingque returned to her workstation, the archive, and noticed a Jade Abacus lying on the desk.
Familiar with Levi, she naturally recognized it as his.
But why was it left in the archive?
Had he been here?
"Tsk~ You finish reading a book and don't even put it back where it belongs!"
"You really know how to increase my workload!"
Qingque complained, moved the books on the desktop to underneath it, then sat down in the chair.
She opened Levi's Jade Abacus, planning to take a good look at what was in his photo album.
"Hope I don't see anything that burns my eyes."
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Just as she was about to tap it open, as if some god were protecting Levi's dignity, a call came in.
Looking at the displayed name, "Theresa? How could anyone pick a name like that?"
["...It's me."]
'Oh ho, the voice sounds kind of familiar. Looks like a Luofu friend!'
'Wait!'
Qingque suddenly reacted. She glanced at the Jade Abacus in her hand, brought it closer to her mouth, and cautiously asked, "Lady Fu Xuan?"
["What, you can't even recognize my voice anymore?"]
Fu Xuan's cold voice came through the Jade Abacus.
Qingque once again felt winter descend upon the ever-springlike Luofu.
And this time, Levi wasn't around, there wasn't even a chance to huddle for warmth.
Still, she didn't understand how she'd offended Fu Xuan again.
She just didn't recognize her right away, was that really worth getting this mad over?
["Hmph! Where are you right now? Where's Levi? Tell him I want to see him in the Divination Commission within ten minutes."]
["You too, report to the Divination Commission within ten minutes!"]
Fu Xuan said sternly, ["Be late at your own peril!"]
Since the one answering the call was Qingque, Fu Xuan instinctively assumed the two of them had run off together again to some corner of Changletian to play cards.
That was why she was angry.
Qingque, well, she'd always been like this for years, it was her nature.
But Levi, this was his very first day at work, and he just didn't show up, running around with her instead.
If this kept up, what would happen in the future?
Fu Xuan could already see the two pests turning the Divination Commission upside down.
Seeing his ability, she'd only thought about recruiting him, never considering the chemical reaction he'd have with Qingque.
When Qingque was alone, she'd at least restrain herself a little.
But the two together… she didn't even dare imagine how much she'd slack off.
'If it really comes to it, I'll just have the two of them guard the gate, one on each side!'
With people constantly coming and going in the Divination Commission's realm, if they tried to slip away, she'd know immediately.
At this moment, Qingque also realized Fu Xuan had misunderstood her.
Levi wasn't misunderstood, he was the one who'd run off somewhere unknown.
'Slacking off without taking me with you! You deserve death!'
Once she realized Fu Xuan had misunderstood, Qingque immediately began crying her grievances.
Fu Xuan's anger gradually subsided, and in the end she asked, ["You're really in the archive? Levi's Jade Abacus is just sitting on the desk?"]
After getting a firm confirmation from Qingque, Fu Xuan muttered softly, ["Could it be that I really misunderstood…"]
'They weren't slacking off together?'
["I'm not slacking off, but who knows about Levi."]
Even though Fu Xuan's voice was very quiet, Qingque still heard it and immediately added, "There's only his Jade Abacus in the archive. As for where he ran off to, I have no idea."
'Slacking off without me? Go to hell!'
'Didn't think I, Qingque, would ever have a day where I report someone else for slacking!'
Qingque couldn't help but laugh uproariously.
Facing Fu Xuan's silence, Qingque seized the chance and said, "Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll go catch him for you!"
["No need. I'll find him personally."]
Fu Xuan decisively rejected Qingque's volunteering. If she let her run off, it'd be like throwing meat to a dog, gone forever.
Coincidentally, she also needed to go to the Seat of Divine Foresight to discuss matters Luofu needed to watch out for with Jing Yuan.
She could divine Levi's location on the way and drag him back while she was at it.
———
[A Moment Later]
Staring at the divination result, Fu Xuan fell into self-doubt.
"Herta Space Station…"
Even if he grew ten pairs of wings and could survive in space, there was no way he could reach Herta Space Station in such a short time.
"Could it be that I'm really getting old…"
The sudden appearance of two mysterious figures on the Luofu, and Bailu's disappearance, she hadn't divined the information she wanted from either.
These successive blows made her begin to doubt herself.
———
[Luofu]
[A Secret Base of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus]
Inside, a large number of figures were gathered.
They sat cross-legged on the ground in silence, gazing toward the steps ahead.
Moments later, a hooded figure whose face couldn't be seen stepped onto the platform.
Standing on the stage, the person turned around and swept their gaze over the densely packed figures below.
A hoarse voice echoed through the surroundings.
"The three-year deadline has arrived. It's time to take back what belongs to us!"
In an instant, the once-calm eyes around burned with fervor, and bodies that had been mostly normal began to mutate.
Branches not belonging to flesh sprouted and grew.
In just a few breaths, none of those sitting cross-legged below were normal humans anymore, they had all turned into Mara-struck.
"May the Abundance show mercy!"
On the stage, surrounded by these Mara-struck, Dan Shu's eyes showed a trace of surprise.
She hadn't expected that Annihilation Duke to have such methods.
This way, the previous losses could be greatly made up for.
Thinking this, Dan Shu continued using her hoarse voice to issue orders.
"Move out! Seize the Ambrosial Arbor!"
In the shadows, Phantylia's lips curved slightly upward as a Stellaron appeared in her palm.
Her five fingers lightly tapped it, and in an instant, the previously dormant Stellaron was activated.
The rift energy within the Stellaron swept across the entire Luofu.
On the road to the Seat of Divine Foresight, Fu Xuan suddenly looked up at the sky.
"A Stellaron!"
'Why would a Stellaron appear within Luofu territory?!'
———
[Stellaron Hunter (Silver Wolf): Bro, bro, I've arrived at the Luofu!]
[We're here to take the blame!]
———
[Herta Space Station]
Herta walked ahead, leading the way, with Ruan Mei and Screwllum following behind her.
Ruan Mei admired the starry sky outside the station as she walked, while Screwllum was deep in thought.
"Ms. Herta, did you happen to notice anything unusual about Ms. Asta earlier?"
"Unusual?" Herta stopped and turned to look at him. "What was unusual?"
Earlier, her attention had been focused entirely on choosing candidates to test the Simulated Universe, and she hadn't paid special attention to Asta.
"If Ms. Asta's usual behavioral details score between ninety and one hundred percent, then the Ms. Asta just now was only at eighty percent…"
Screwllum analyzed.
"A person's behavior isn't fixed," Ruan Mei said. "You should know that, Screwllum."
"Of course, Ms. Ruan Mei. So fluctuations within that range are normal," Screwllum said as he adjusted his monocle.
"But in the remaining twenty percent, I detected movements that should not appear on a woman like Ms. Asta."
"What movements?" Herta asked.
Under the gaze of the two women, Screwllum thought for a moment, then spoke obliquely.
"Adjusting trajectory."
This was an instinctive action, something that often occurred in men.
Sometimes, when performing this action, the person wasn't even aware of it.
This was exactly why Screwllum felt something was off about Asta.
A movement that only men would do, appearing on a woman, no matter how you looked at it, it was strange.
"..."