A Sudden Change

This time, Astesia had clearly succeeded. After all, there was no god or system behind Texas that especially enjoyed setting people up.

"Why do their fates both intersect with mine... Will something major happen three years from now?"

After reading Texas's stars, Astesia fell into deep thought as well. One person might have been a coincidence, but two...

Astesia did not know what it meant, but through their star charts, she could foresee a storm that would sweep across the world in the future—no race and no nation would be spared.

"I wonder what she saw..."

Watching Astesia's expression constantly change, Bai Ye raised his head and looked toward the deep starry dome. Long ago, he had heard an old dragon say something like this:

"Every fragment of the future is only one possibility. It may happen, or it may not. When I observe the future, I may see thousands upon thousands of possible futures. As for which one will come to pass, that is fate's arrangement. And fate is a power beyond my capabilities."

"The more I think about it, the more complicated it gets... This isn't something I can deal with right now. At the very least, I'd need to reach the ominous rank—Legend of Fate—before I was qualified to consider it."

Putting away the distracting thoughts brought on by Astesia's astrological ritual, Bai Ye found a raised platform and sat down on it. The exhibition area was fairly small, so he could see everything from here.

Texas sat down beside Bai Ye, took out a box of Pocky from her pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to him.

"What did she tell you?"

Bai Ye took the Pocky and asked curiously.

Texas put another stick into her mouth, then replied indistinctly:

"Staying in Columbia will be dangerous."

"That's true..."

Bai Ye glanced at Astesia in the distance in surprise. He had not expected her astrology to be so accurate.

He had always thought that the divination abilities of operators like Skyfire, Astesia, and Lianrong in the game were merely cute character traits. He had not expected such techniques to actually exist.

"This world really is fascinating..."

As the technology exhibition opened, large crowds began pouring into the venue. However, few entered the area where Bai Ye was stationed, since it was filled with dull documents and reference materials, with only a handful of videos and pictures.

"Sure enough, this is easy work..."

Most of the people who entered this exhibition area were elderly, or scholars who specialized in the field.

"I'll leave once this commission is done..."

Texas finished the last chocolate biscuit, then clapped her hands together.

"Where will you go?"

Bai Ye sat on the platform, swinging his legs. Even if Texas had not made any plans, he would not have taken the girl to join Rhodes Island—at least, not yet.

Right now was probably the Doctor's most frenzied period. The entirety of Rhodes Island had become a war machine. People were constantly dying, and sacrifices never ceased.

Joining Rhodes Island now would be no different from courting death.

"I want to go to Syracuse. There are some things I need to confirm. What about you?"

Texas spoke softly, brushing her fingers through her hair and smoothing her slightly disheveled long locks.

Bai Ye blinked, then answered with a smile:

"I don't really have anywhere to go, so I'll follow you for now."

Texas was somewhat surprised by that. She looked at Bai Ye and asked curiously:

"Your adoptive parents... Are they all right?"

"...I can't see them for the time being."

Since he could travel here, there would naturally be a way to travel back someday. It was just that for now... a dimensional crystal wall stood between Bai Ye and his family from the past.

Just as Texas was about to say something, she suddenly turned to look outside the exhibition area. Bai Ye also sprang to his feet.

All of a sudden, the alarms in Exhibition Area Nine, where Bai Ye and the others were stationed, began blaring. The shrill warning pierced through the previously quiet area.

"Something happened!"

Texas and Bai Ye exchanged a glance, then leaped down from the platform.

"What happened?"

"Why did the alarm suddenly go off?"

The visitors touring the exhibition looked at one another. The quick-witted ones had already begun running toward the emergency exits.

Most people, however, remained frozen in place. It was one of the normal reactions people had when facing danger, as though their brains had crashed.

"Let's evacuate the visitors first... There aren't any valuable exhibits here anyway."

Astesia, who had been organizing documents, ran out from behind the display boards. She held an Originium sword in one hand and an astrolabe in the other, stars circling around her.

"You and Texas evacuate the visitors first. I'll go outside and take a look!"

As Bai Ye spoke, he picked up the holy emblem and positioned Hagiri where it could be drawn most easily, then ran out of Exhibition Area Nine.

"Please remain calm. The emergency exit is this way!"

Astesia's voice was elegant and cool, as if it possessed a strange magic that instantly soothed the restless crowd. Under the girl's guidance, they quickly left the exhibition center through the nearby emergency exit.

"Good thing our exhibition area is on the outer edge of the exhibition center... Shall we leave too?"

There had not been many people in Exhibition Area Nine, and everyone had been evacuated in no time. Astesia wiped the sweat from her face and turned to Texas.

"Wait a little longer."

Texas placed her hand on the hilt of her Originium sword and stood quietly, ready to draw it and face danger at any moment.

"She's waiting for that boy, isn't she..."

Astesia stayed behind as well. She was practically half an employee of Rhine Lab, so she could not just abandon everything and run away on her own.

"Something bad really did happen..."

Bai Ye followed the passageway out of Exhibition Area Nine.

From afar came faint roars, along with all manner of shrill screams and cries. Bai Ye pursed his lips and ran toward the source of the noise.

"I could just run away, but then I wouldn't get a single cent. Even the mission issued by the system would fail..."

Bai Ye glanced at the system. The mission he had accepted earlier had now changed.

[Mission Changed]

Mission Name: Wandering Cerberus

Mission Description: An accident has occurred during what was originally an easy commission. Stop the rampaging modified creature and find the mastermind behind it.

Mission Rewards: Storage Bracelet*1, EXP, Blacksteel International Gun Shooting Theory

Mission Failure: Rhine Lab reputation decreases, Blacksteel International reputation decreases, Bounty Hunter Guild reputation decreases

The original mission rewards had only included some general experience and lottery attempts, but now the rewards had become much more generous.

"I'll go take a look and see what exactly happened, that even Blacksteel International's agents couldn't handle it!"

Bai Ye firmly clasped the holy emblem in his left palm and charged toward the central exhibition area—the source of the terrifying creature's roars.

At the same time, he informed Texas of the situation outside through his terminal. At this stage, the girl was still the better fighter.

Bai Ye firmly believed that he would become someone others could rely on in the future. As for now, he would just have to cling to Texas's thigh for a while...