"Hm?"
Leonie turned her head, gazing at the world behind her, which was gradually fading into black and white.
"Did something fall? Or is this just one of those peculiar Void phenomena?"
It was her first day on the Time Continent, and the Orange Dancer was still fumbling her way through unfamiliar terrain. Everything felt strange and unique to her. But even as a newcomer, she knew one thing—she needed to run.
If not, she'd be caught by time.
...
...
"Can't believe I didn't die…"
Ash sat up on the grass, shaking his head to recalibrate his sense of balance.
After entering the Golden Sea, both he and Sonia had completely lost their sense of direction. The entire world seemed to transform into a dice cup, constantly spinning and flipping. Flying became impossible, and they had no choice but to succumb to the Void's gravity, plummeting straight downward.
Ash had already resigned himself to a humiliating end. After all his grand declarations, he was ready to eat his words and fall back into the Sea of Knowledge. But as his hands touched the soft grass beneath him, he realized his dignity was still intact—barely.
"Watcher, look."
Hearing Sonia's voice, Ash lifted his gaze and was greeted by a sight that rivaled the golden scales of the fish they had encountered before.
Golden rain fell upward, toward the sky.
They were in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees that had likely stood for centuries, their thick canopies blocking out the sun. Yet even through the branches, Ash could clearly see a massive white pillar piercing the heavens and earth. Around this pillar, countless drops of golden rain rose, defying gravity, toward the sky.
He murmured, "So… this is the world of the strong?"
"That's the Golden Rain of Time," Sonia explained. "It's similar to the white mist of the Sea of Knowledge. If we want to absorb golden arcana and condense our second Void Wing, we'll have to follow the path of the Bull's Foot and bathe in the golden rain."
"The Bull's Foot?"
"That white pillar is one of the Bull's Feet. Look closely—can't you see it moving?"
Ash squinted. Indeed, the pillar was shifting, albeit with subtle movements. However, this "subtle" was likely an illusion; given the vast distance between him and the pillar—several kilometers at least—the actual speed of its movement was likely dozens of meters per second.
"Why call it the Bull's Foot?"
"Because it's literally a bull's foot. There are three more just like it, far beyond our sight. Together, they belong to the Void Beast of the Time Continent—'the Bull.'"
Sonia elaborated, "The Bull has many titles: Weaver of Fate, Celestial Cart, Walker of Time… but most people just call it the 'White Bull.'"
"The tracks it plows into the earth become rivers of molten gold, and these golden rivers possess the power to influence time itself. Plants and animals nourished by the rivers grow at an unimaginable speed, and these living things, in turn, produce the Golden Rain of Time that falls upward."
She stroked a stalk of grass nearby. "If we had arrived earlier, we might've been able to bathe in the golden rain ourselves."
"A golden river, inverted rain, the White Bull…" Ash looked at the golden-drenched sky. "So, this is the Time Continent?"
Drip.
Suddenly, both of them heard a sharp, clear droplet sound. At the same time, their Silver Wings emerged involuntarily, radiating dazzling brilliance!
"Silver Blessing!" Sonia exclaimed in delight, closing her eyes to focus on the newfound power. Meanwhile, Ash opened his Operator Interface.
"Mad Swordmaiden"
Race: Human, Female, 18 years old
Bond Level: 3 (50% EXP Sharing)
Bond Resonance - Insatiable Greed: While acting together, there's a chance to obtain better loot.
Class: Silver Arcana Master - Soulbreaker
Class Perk: Recover 0.5% of max arcana with each effective attack.
Silver Blessing - Revelry/Tyranny: For every defeated enemy (including, but not limited to, Arcana Projections, Knowledge Creatures, Monsters, Constructs, etc.), increase critical hit rate and critical damage. Specific traits activate based on development path.
Extra Blessing Trait - Revelry: The Swordmaiden derives joy from victory itself. This route activates the "Revelry" effect, granting bonus critical damage. The better her mood, the higher the boost, up to a maximum of 250% critical damage.
Extra Curse Trait - Tyranny: The Swordmaiden's hunger can only be satiated through death and despair. This route activates the "Tyranny" effect, increasing critical hit rate. The worse her mood, the higher the boost, up to 100% critical hit rate.
Knowledge Curses: Vortex Poison, Exile Poison, Golden Fish Poison
"It feels like a growth-type blessing…" Sonia mused after a moment of reflection. "Since blessings are deeply personal secrets for each Arcana Master, schools don't teach detailed data on them. Developing a blessing is something we must figure out on our own… Do you know what my blessing does?"
Ash glanced at her. "Your blessing is called 'Revelry.' The more enemies you defeat, the higher your critical hit rate and damage."
While it sounded impressive, critical hits weren't exactly rare among Arcana Masters. Essentially, it meant that an Arcana Spirit decided to go the extra mile during its work, producing a "critical hit." Critical hit rate was how often the spirit worked overtime, and critical hit damage was how productive it was during those hours. In simpler terms, the blessing could be summarized as: The more rival companies the Swordmaiden absorbs, the more efficient her internal staff becomes.
Sonia frowned. "Revelry? What a strange name. I'm a refined swordmaster, so why does it sound so wild?"
"Maybe the Void misread your personality a bit," Ash said with a straight face. "You're so quiet, sweet, kind, and approachable. Even I think this blessing doesn't quite match someone as elegant as you."
Sonia flushed slightly at his praise. "It's not that great… but this growth-type blessing does seem useful. Once I figure out how to develop it, it should really help with Void exploration."
Ash secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Swordmaiden's Silver Blessing had two developmental paths: Revelry and Tyranny. Naturally, Ash wanted her to follow the Revelry path, as the Tyranny path was steeped in negativity.
This wasn't a mobile game where everything could run on auto-pilot. Since Ash would be accompanying the Swordmaiden on countless Void explorations in the future, the last thing he wanted was for her to become a walking storm of blood and chaos. That would definitely ruin the vibe.
But steering her development wasn't as simple as selecting an option. It required long-term daily guidance, much like raising a daughter. And as a first-time "dad," Ash was fumbling his way through. His plan? Keep feeding her positivity and reinforcing the idea that she was a charming, innocent fairy princess. Anything to prevent her from going dark.
On top of that, her Bond Level had increased to 3, raising the EXP sharing rate to 50%.
This raised a curious question in Ash's mind: What exactly did Bond Level represent? Was it her affection for him? His affection for her? Or some combination of the two?
Come to think of it, why had he instinctively chosen the Revelry path for her without hesitation?
The Tyranny route wasn't bad in terms of benefits, and "maintaining a bad mood" seemed far easier than "maintaining a good mood." Yet, he hadn't even considered it for a second...