"Mr. Navigator, what would be the best way to put this..." Amber's expression did not change in the slightest, but she felt somewhat lost inside.
Counter Force
"The Counter Force," Amber said.
"I see. My apologies for asking an unnecessary question." Roman's expression did not change either, as though he had known this all along. What he truly wanted to say came afterward. "As you can see, we currently lack the power to stand against a god. Though Ritsuka is an outstanding Master and Mash is an outstanding Servant, the difference in Spirit Bases has created a gap that cannot be crossed."
"So, could you please assist Chaldea's operations for the time being?"
"I cannot guarantee that I will remain by your side at all times," Amber said frankly. "But if you encounter danger, I will not stand by and watch."
After all, they counted as the main cast. No matter how she looked at it, helping the main cast suited both her personality and her feelings.
This should raise recognition too, right? Either way, it's a win-win.
"Thank you for your assurance." Roman nodded.
Da Vinci relaxed slightly. Bringing this up so suddenly at a time like this could have been troublesome if the other party had been hiding something or harbored negative feelings, then suddenly lashed out.
Just as Roman had said, they currently had no power capable of dealing with a god, and Crimson Kite, who possessed such power, was likewise someone they could not contend with.
Upon hearing Amber agree, Ritsuka broke into a delighted smile and clenched his fist. "Thank you! That helps a lot!"
"A strong and dependable ally has joined us." Mash had long since considered Amber one of them. Now that it had been made official, she smiled happily at Ritsuka as well.
Everyone liked being looked at with admiring eyes, and Amber was no exception. However, she was more concerned with her new toy right now. Thinking of Feathered Dust's many possible uses, Amber ended the communication, greeted everyone, and returned to her room alone to properly study Feathered Dust.
With the Navigator's help, she had already learned, more or less, how to use the invisible power within her body—Honkai Energy.
Using Feathered Dust meant controlling Honkai Energy to activate it. It sounded rather mystical, but after actually trying it, she found it far easier than a beginner wielding a weapon by hand. On her very first attempt, she sent her consciousness into Feathered Dust.
Yet what she found inside left the excited Amber stunned.
Its interior was not empty. A wisp of shattered, incomparably weak consciousness floated within it.
"This is... Immortal?"
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Fu Hua, Whose Worldview Was Completely Shattered
Amber had never expected to encounter this consciousness bearing the Immortal's appearance here. Moreover, she was currently in Crimson Kite's form—the appearance of the Phoenix armor.
"Mr. Navigator... what is going on?"
This system is a Gacha System. All drawn items are replicas of the original items. Character cards are information recorded by the original characters within the world.
"Huh? So this is the original Immortal's Feathered Dust? Then what period does this Feathered Dust come from?" Though Amber asked aloud, she had already formed a rough guess. "Is it... from when Xiao Shi was born?"
If it was merely from that period, it would not be a problem. But if it was the Feathered Dust in Kevin's possession, that would be interesting.
The system will not pass off inferior goods as superior ones. Please rest assured, Host.
"Is that so...?" Amber was still somewhat doubtful, but since the Navigator had said so, she relaxed.
It was good that this was not Kevin's Feathered Dust. Other than that one, the consciousness within every other Feathered Dust could not even truly be called consciousness. They were merely memories capable of preventing others from peering inside. Only the one in Kevin's hands contained the true consciousness of the Immortal.
She liked fictional wives very much, but if she really met one and even spoke with her, then with her personality, she would probably leave the other person with an extremely bad impression.
Not to mention that she was currently wearing the other woman's face. That was another thing she would have difficulty explaining.
This is not a single Feathered Dust. Through the system's intervention, it is a complete Feathered Dust formed by fully integrating all of Feathered Dust's feathers. Its point on the timeline is the moment Herrscher of Reason was born.
"..."
"So the one before me is not a fragment of memory, but the real Immortal?"
Correct.
The Navigator gave an affirmative answer, its mechanical voice continuing. Due to the Host's current condition, the system specifically selected the timeline most capable of providing the Host with assistance.
...In that regard, it was indeed correct.
Amber understood Fu Hua well enough. She knew Fu Hua was an exceptionally kind person, and she knew how hard Fu Hua had worked for humanity's survival. If Fu Hua learned of her current circumstances and the difficulties she faced, she would surely help her without sparing any effort... but could the system at least consider Fu Hua's feelings a little!!
No matter how lost she felt inside, Amber could not bear to watch her fictional wife drift through Feathered Dust like rootless duckweed.
Without hesitation, she activated her True Qi and poured power into the floating consciousness.
With the power of Crimson Kite Immortal at her peak, the True Qi that the fourth level of Sword Heart could mobilize was endless and torrential for Amber. In mere seconds, it had already surpassed everything an ordinary Herrscher could contain.
And such immense True Qi naturally produced excellent results.
Amber could feel the other woman's presence becoming increasingly solid. Finally, at a certain moment, the white-haired Immortal opened her eyes.
"My... my fictional wife woke up!"
"Fictional wife?" The white-haired Immortal was unfamiliar with this term. She knew what a fictional character was, and she knew what a wife was, but putting them together made it strange. Still, from the current circumstances, she could tell the title referred to her.
"Huh? You heard my thoughts?"
Amber was startled by the situation.
"It was not my intention to listen to your thoughts." Seeing that the girl before her bore no ill will, Fu Hua's furrowed brows relaxed, and her tone became soothing. "It is merely that within this consciousness space of Feathered Dust, as long as one does not deliberately conceal their consciousness, it is perfectly normal for you and me, who are within the same consciousness space, to hear each other's thoughts."
"Is... is that so?" Amber did not know much about things the plot had never mentioned, so she nodded upon hearing that.
"Please tell me, young lady, where are we now? Why is Feathered Dust in your possession? And why can I not sense the situation outside Feathered Dust?"
Fu Hua was naturally grateful to this girl who had saved her, but she inexplicably felt her control over Feathered Dust weakening. She could not even sense what was happening outside it.
"Uh... we're in Uruk right now." Amber did not know how to explain it at first, but she quickly realized something was wrong. Why was Fu Hua calling her young lady? Did Fu Hua have no doubts about her appearance?
"Generally speaking, one's appearance within Feathered Dust is their truest appearance, since this is a space of consciousness." Fu Hua knew little about Amber and merely assumed there was something wrong with Amber's outward appearance. She patiently explained, then asked, "What is Uruk?"
Amber looked down and only then realized that she was wearing modern clothes, with black hair and a height that prevented her from seeing the tops of her feet. It was clearly her original body.
"Ah... it's the country ruled by King Gilgamesh, in 3100 BC." While wondering how Feathered Dust could explain everything, Amber answered.
Now it was Fu Hua's turn to be confused.
"As for Feathered Dust..." Amber hated her own poor way with words and could only say, "How about... you directly look through my memories, Immortal?"
"Look through your memories?"
Fu Hua grew even more confused. She had seen honest people before, but this was the first time she had met someone so honest. Allowing her to inspect her memories directly? Even knowing of Fu Hua's former reputation as Crimson Kite Immortal, trusting her so much upon their first meeting was truly difficult to understand.
Amber did not think that much about it. What was there not to understand about Fu Hua? She was a top-tier good person.
Besides, Amber had nothing to hide from Fu Hua. If anything, Fu Hua directly examining her memories would be a good thing for Amber. At least she would not need to think up a pile of wording before explaining the situation.
Fu Hua, who could hear Amber's thoughts, naturally heard that utterly unreserved trust as well.
It had to be said that even after experiencing so much and living for ten thousand years, Crimson Kite Immortal had rarely been trusted in such a way. Perhaps only those comrades with whom she had once shared life and death had trusted her like this.
Yet her first feeling was not a positive emotion such as gratitude. Instead, it was guilt and self-reproach.
The other party trusted her so much. She should not respond by inspecting the other party's memories. No matter how it was justified, probing another person's memories was an extremely despicable and contemptible act. But as she had said before, she was truly short on time.
She wanted not only to know Kiana's current situation, but also how far Kevin's Stigma Plan had progressed.
Fu Hua descended from midair. As she walked toward Amber, she apologized inwardly and decided that, if Amber was not a bad person, she would certainly repay her with every effort she could make.
But very quickly, even with five thousand years of experience, Fu Hua's expression could not help becoming increasingly strange.
To Fu Hua, whose memories were so vast, Amber's life of less than twenty years was incredibly brief. Looking through it required only an instant.
Yet in that instant, Fu Hua's worldview was nearly shattered. Then she became comforted and relieved, before finally returning to calmness.
She looked at the foolish-looking, guileless girl with a complicated expression and finally let out a long sigh.
"I now understand everything. As repayment... allow me to accompany you and witness the journey ahead."
Sorry for being late! I was truly too busy today. Not only did my birthday yesterday leave me poorly rested, I also spent a long time traveling by car. My head is still foggy from motion sickness, so there may only be one update today. I'll find a chance later to post three updates and make up for these past two days. 2
Another Companion Joins
In truth, she had not intended to view so many memories at first. She had merely planned to look over the recent memories—the period before Amber met her—to understand Feathered Dust's current abnormality and the situation of this world.
But once she started, she could not stop at all. The information was simply too overwhelming, leaving her unable to react for a time. She could only continue watching.
In the end, she directly viewed all of the girl's memories.
"That's wonderful!" Amber said happily.
With Fu Hua helping her, it was like gaining one of those legendary old grandpas who lived inside a ring.
"..." Hearing Amber's thoughts, Fu Hua opened her mouth, but ultimately held back the urge to complain and instead brought up another matter. "Though in your world, our existence is merely a game, for you now, all of this is real."
"I have already laid down my duties and have no remaining attachments. Fortunately, I still possess some modest ability. Though you and I are not master and disciple, and I have no intention of taking on more disciples, I can still guide you along the path of Tai Xu Sword Qi."
Amber nodded, anticipation rising in her heart.
Fu Hua knew that the girl had rarely interacted with others and had even spent a long period lying in a hospital bed. Naturally, she also knew that such a life had caused the girl to develop a habit of relying on others.
Previously, it had been her parents and doctors. Now, it was the Main Control Consciousness and the Navigator.
By a fortunate coincidence, Fu Hua had come to this world and been saved by Amber. It could be considered the guidance of fate.
Fortunately, with her meager abilities, she was at least capable of becoming someone the girl could rely on.
"Once you leave, release Feathered Dust's permissions completely. Every night from now on, I will explain the path of cultivating Tai Xu Sword Qi to you within Feathered Dust, so that you do not become overly reliant on the Navigator."
Without waiting for the girl to say something like, "I have also become familiar with using True Qi with the Navigator's help," Fu Hua continued, "Its help to you is limited. Imitating my path through instinct will ultimately remain a minor path. What matters most is forging your own path."
Amber knew Fu Hua was right. Moreover, she knew Fu Hua was acting for her own good, so she nodded again.
"Oh, right." Fu Hua recalled the girl's behavior in reality. "You need not concern yourself with my thoughts. Simply interact with others according to your own nature."
"No!" However, Amber did not nod at this. Instead, she said seriously, "That would ruin my fictional wife's radiant image in other people's eyes!"
"We merely share the same face."
"That still won't do! No one can be allowed to tarnish my fictional wife's image! Not even me!"
"...Fine."
Seeing Amber so determined, Fu Hua had no way to persuade her otherwise. Still, she did not forget to add, "But I am not a fictional character, nor am I your wife."
"Mm."
Amber nodded, but did not take it to heart. Even if Fu Hua had become real, that did not stop her from being Amber's fictional wife.
No longer wanting to dwell on this matter, Fu Hua simply changed the subject and began explaining the cultivation methods of Tai Xu Sword Qi.
Night was already approaching, and cultivation was not something to delay. Amber understood this principle. Since she was quite enthusiastic about cultivating Tai Xu Sword Qi, she immediately listened attentively. Yet after barely an hour had passed, her scalp began to tingle.
Why did Tai Xu Sword Qi also require memorizing texts and practicing horse stance?
"The foundation of any martial art is of utmost importance. Moreover, Tai Xu Sword Qi itself evolved from Divine Sound. Are you not well aware of that?"
After leaving behind those words, Fu Hua directly concealed herself. She wanted to observe Amber's self-discipline, and she also feared that her presence would distract Amber and cause her to become overly dependent.
Besides, Fu Hua herself felt somewhat lost about the current situation.
Fu Hua's sudden disappearance made Amber somewhat uneasy. She worried that she had angered Fu Hua, so naturally she did not dare slack off. Besides, she knew Fu Hua was right. She had never intended to cut corners in cultivation; it was only because she had finally found someone trustworthy standing before her that she could not help relaxing.
Fortunately, the awkwardness did not last long. Before long, Amber noticed a knock at the door, followed by Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice. "Immortal, dinner is ready. Some of the others have also come over to visit. Would you like to come downstairs and eat with us?"
Other companions?
Dinner would not delay her cultivation, and she could use it to avoid the awkwardness for a while. With that in mind, Amber left Feathered Dust's space and granted Fu Hua access to use Feathered Dust.
When Fujimaru Ritsuka saw Amber emerge from her room, his body instinctively tensed before relaxing again.
The Immortal doesn't seem to be in a very good mood? She seemed fine when she went upstairs earlier.
Though he was somewhat puzzled, he was not the sort of person who liked prying into others' affairs. Thus, he did not think much of it and led Amber downstairs.
Just as Ritsuka had said, the house, which had originally felt somewhat empty, immediately became much livelier after three more people arrived. It was not merely because their numbers had increased, but because these three had just returned victorious, and this meal was also meant to celebrate them.
"Oh! So this is Crimson Kite Immortal, the one who made the goddess lose her ability to resist in an instant!?" At the sight of Amber, a girl dressed in clothing that seemed more substantial than Ishtar's, yet somehow made Amber even more uncomfortable, wore a delighted expression.
"To gain such a powerful ally at a time like this is truly the most reassuring thing possible." The burly man wearing a headscarf beside the girl nodded in greeting.
The bronze-skinned, crimson-haired man beside them also smiled and dipped his head slightly. "Please treat me kindly, powerful one from another land."
"Let me introduce everyone." Ritsuka had already explained the situation to the three of them, but apparently he had not yet explained them to Amber. Now that both sides had met, it was the perfect time for introductions.
First was the scantily dressed girl in Amber's eyes, Ushiwakamaru. Though Ushiwakamaru was her current name—more precisely, her childhood name—her true name was Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a military commander known to every household in Japan.
Amber vaguely knew of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but she had absolutely no impression of Musashibo Benkei.
Still, she nodded naturally, maintaining the detached calmness that suited her persona. Naturally, no one found anything strange about it.
Before you continue