On the eighteenth day of the game, the invasion of the prisons had reached 30%, and their efficiency was still increasing.
Yu Xunge had accumulated more Soul Fire than she could possibly use.
She used most of it to envelop the Cube Prisons she had already unlocked, trying to lower the Eye of Surveillance's vigilance this way, and spent the rest unlocking the Arbiter Game players' skill slots and Soul Fire Limits.
This was all Soul Fire the Exile Grounds had accumulated before, left by dead prisoners. Once every prison had been conquered, she could theoretically obtain an entire epoch's worth of accumulation from these Exile Grounds.
During their idle conversation, she shared her thoughts on this with the Ash Inspector without any reservations.
Ash Inspector: [Was it that obvious? Perhaps I calculated it or overheard it?]
Its words were vague, but Yu Xunge knew what it meant.
The Ash Inspector's remark, "Have you ever considered that perhaps it's because it knows you and it have plenty of time, while I know I only have 30 days with you?" had been an indirect reminder of when the next catastrophe would strike these Exile Grounds.
Twelve days from now, the Arbiter Game would end, and so would the Third Epoch.
The Soul Fire she obtained would naturally be an entire epoch's accumulation.
Star Sea Prisoner: "I wasn't certain before. Now I am."
Ash Inspector: [Sometimes you make me feel like a fool.]
Star Sea Prisoner: "I know. You were willing to play along."
As they spoke, her final brushstroke landed on the Order Clock's Time Pointer. Over these past days, she had grown used to painting while chatting with the Ash Inspector, and now, at last, the painting was finished.
The fathomless Star Sea, wisps of Star Smoke like the Milky