What on Earth Is Going On?

There was a saying on this continent of the Main World: the countless stars filling the sky were reflections of souls themselves. Every soul born into this world had a star corresponding to its fate and power.

And it was important to note that this was not some ancient tale passed down among astrologers, nor was it some romantic legend.

It was a fact.

Everyone on this continent was assigned a corresponding star at birth, and those stars were recorded, preserved, and used for identity verification. In Fang Zheng's eyes, this method was no different from fingerprint and DNA verification in his own world, though... there were still some differences.

And now, Fang Zheng had come to test his theory.

According to the memories of this body's original owner, Fang Zheng could be certain that if the Holy Kingdom issued a wanted notice, it would definitely include this body's Star Pattern. Just as fingerprints were compared when hunting fugitives, if your Star Pattern matched that of a wanted criminal, then no matter how you dressed yourself up or what you transformed into, you would never escape the eyes of those enforcers.

Once he understood this, Fang Zheng came up with a very bold idea.

If the birth of a soul corresponded to a star, then since this body's original soul was already dead, did his rebirth mean that a new star belonging to him had also been born in this sky?

If his guess was correct, then as long as he could obtain a Star Emblem, he could completely erase any lingering problems tied to this body. By then, even if the Holy Kingdom's Knights found him, they would not be able to arrest him so long as the Star Patterns did not match—the Holy Kingdom worshipped the Goddess of Order, so they could not openly overturn their own laws and faith.

It was the same as how prosecutors in his world could not send a criminal to court without matching fingerprints and DNA. Of course, if they insisted, they could always fabricate a false conviction—but then they should not blame Fang Zheng for being ruthless.

This was another reason Fang Zheng had come to this city. Official Star Emblems could only be issued at a city hall, and obtaining one was also part of the procedure for outsiders moving in. After all, not everyone carried identification documents everywhere they went. Sometimes, as long as their Star Pattern was verified and they were confirmed not to be on a wanted list, they could at least obtain proof of being a law-abiding citizen.

Fang Zheng clearly remembered the original owner's Star Pattern, and all he needed to do now was confirm whether his own Star Pattern matched it. If they did not match, then his plan could proceed. If they did, he could leave as quickly as possible. Joining those Cultists and mercenaries out in the wilderness was not what Fang Zheng wanted, but if it came down to it, that would be his only path.

This was the place.

Looking at the heavy wooden door before him, Fang Zheng took a deep breath, then reached out and knocked. Soon, an indistinct voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Hearing the response, Fang Zheng pushed open the heavy wooden door and entered the room.

The room was somewhat dim. Instead of a ceiling, there was a circular glass dome overhead. Bookshelves packed with thick books lined both walls, making the Astrology Chamber look more like a small library. In the center of the room stood a broad, heavy desk, behind which sat a small figure draped in a black robe. From the looks of it... they were not much different from one of those fortune-telling wizards.

"I'm here for Astral Sign verification."

Fang Zheng walked to the desk and handed over the documents in his hand. The other person remained seated, barely moving as they glanced at the papers Fang Zheng had placed on the desk, then nodded.

"Please place your hands on the Crystal Ball. We can begin."

The Astrologer's voice was somewhat low, but Fang Zheng did not pay it much mind. Following the instruction, he held both hands just above the Crystal Ball before him. Then the Astrologer extended a hand as well, placing it on the other side of the Crystal Ball before quietly chanting a few words.

"Bzzzzz—"

The next moment, streaks of light flashed through the originally transparent Crystal Ball, gradually giving way to a mass of darkness. Then countless stars appeared within it. From a distance, it looked much like the star map of the Milky Way Galaxy Fang Zheng had once seen on television. But... as for what it all meant, Fang Zheng had no idea.

The Astrologer before him, however, seemed to feel differently. Upon seeing Fang Zheng's Astral Sign, they actually let out a shriek and rose to their feet.

"Eh?!"

"What is it? Is there a problem?"

Seeing the Astrologer's reaction, Fang Zheng's heart tightened. Still, he put on a curious expression and looked at the other person as he asked. At the same time, he silently calculated what he should do next. If his identity had been exposed, should he leave immediately? Or kill this Astrologer before leaving?

"Ah, no... there's no problem... it's just..."

The Astrologer had no idea that their life was hanging by a thread. They bent down, carefully studying the Crystal Ball, then began murmuring to themselves.

"This Astral Sign... it's very rare... Um, sir, would you allow me to record it?"

"This..."

Hearing that answer, Fang Zheng finally relaxed. He furrowed his brow and put on a hesitant, contemplative expression before reluctantly asking,

"Is that a required part of the process?"

"Ah, no, no, it isn't, sir."

Hearing Fang Zheng's question, the Astrologer hurriedly waved their hands.

"It's only because such a rare Astral Sign has great research value that I wanted to ask whether you would permit me to record it."

"Hmm..."

This time, Fang Zheng did not answer immediately. He pretended to think while secretly recalling the purpose of Astral Signs. For ordinary people, Astral Signs were essentially like fingerprint and DNA verification. For professionals, however, Astral Signs were also the source of their power. There were even rumors that certain exceptionally rare ancient great astrologers could predict a person's fate through the paths of the stars.

As for rare Astral Signs, they were somewhat like celestial phenomena in Fang Zheng's world, such as the infrequent explosion of a supernova. Outside specialized circles, such things had no impact on the outside world. It was like how people in Fang Zheng's world discussed Gravitational Force waves, yet for ninety-five percent of the public, it made no difference whether such things existed or not.

"All right."

After thinking for a moment, Fang Zheng finally nodded. The Astrologer seemed overjoyed by his answer, hurriedly standing up and thanking Fang Zheng as they walked toward the bookshelf nearby.

"Thank you, sir. You're such a kind person. I promise I absolutely won't share this Astral Sign record with anyone. Now then, where is my notebook... Whoa!"

Perhaps because they were too excited, the Astrologer accidentally stepped on their own robe. They cried out and fell forward, but Fang Zheng reacted quickly, catching them in his arms.

Only then did Fang Zheng realize that something was wrong.

Because he had clearly felt something soft—something completely different from what he had expected.

"Uh, um..."

At that moment, the Astrologer raised her head. Her hood slipped from her head, revealing thick, dark brown curls and a fair, adorable little face.

She was a young girl. Judging by her appearance, she was about the same age as the owner of the body Fang Zheng had been reborn into.

Perhaps even younger.

At that moment, the girl's face was bright red as she stared blankly at him.

"Are you all right, miss?"

Seeing her expression, Fang Zheng coughed and released his right hand. The girl continued staring at him blankly. After a moment, she suddenly let out a soft cry, clutched her head, and crouched down into a ball.

"..."

"..."

For a time, the air fell silent again.

What on Earth was going on?