Stars, the False Sky

"Eh!" Katheryne looked at Ali in surprise, making Ali's skin crawl.

"What is it?" Ali could not help feeling a little guilty under Katheryne's gaze.

Seeing this, Katheryne shook her head and explained, "Nothing. It's just that this is the first time someone has asked me that question, so I was a little surprised."

Everyone was puzzled...

Katheryne did not keep them guessing and explained, "The Adventurers' Association's footprints span the land, even reaching places of extreme danger... The Adventurers' Association has branches in every nation of Elven Civilization, coordinating adventure commissions from all regions and recruiting capable adventurers."

"Our Association's motto is: To Stars and Abyss."

"It means, 'Above, the starry heavens; below, the nine abysses.' In truth, our Association's work includes everything from finding cats to exploring secret realms. Whether gazing at the stars or staring into the Abyss, you must keep your feet on the ground."

"So that's what stars and the Abyss mean?" Ali found it somewhat unbelievable. It was like the empty promises bosses fed their employees every day at work.

The employees had almost believed it, only to learn it was merely a slogan. Anyone would be disappointed.

Ali made no effort to hide the disappointment on her face. Katheryne did not need to think to know what Ali was feeling.

Katheryne covered her mouth and chuckled. "I was somewhat doubtful when I heard that the Travelers came from another world, but after seeing how you all behaved, I understood that you truly are from another world."

"Why?" That was the thought in all four of their minds.

Katheryne explained with an odd expression, "Stars and the Abyss are common knowledge. Even children know about them."

"It's like how cultivation requires Spiritual Energy."

Seeing that they were all listening attentively, Katheryne cleared her throat and looked up at the sky.

"Travelers, do you know? Our sky is false."

As everyone listened to Katheryne's explanation with expressionless faces, the system's party chat was quietly buzzing behind the scenes.

[ID Young Mistress: The sky in a game was false to begin with. Nothing wrong with that.]

[ID Tianhe Sheriff: But one day, the characters in the game discovered they lived in a false world. That felt so novel.]

[ID Ali: Maybe this is some hidden Easter egg in the game.]

[ID 'Dun Qu Qi Yi': ...]

Seeing how calmly they accepted such news upon hearing it for the first time, Katheryne nodded in satisfaction. As expected of Travelers summoned by Mother Goddess. Though their strength was low, their composure was remarkable.

Ali saw that the system prompt before her had changed again.

Choice 1: [If it is false, then what exactly is this sky?]

Choice 2: [If it is false, then what lies beyond the sky?]

Ali found the two choices before her rather difficult and immediately took a screenshot to send to the party chat.

[ID Ali: Which one should I choose? Screenshot.]

[ID Young Mistress: They're both about the same. Ali, just pick one.]

[ID Tianhe Sheriff: Ali, you choose.]

[ID 'Dun Qu Qi Yi': Sister Ali, I support you.]

"Fine." Seeing everyone's responses, Ali looked over the two choices and selected Choice 1.

Following the system prompt, Ali asked, "If it is false, then what exactly is this sky?"

Hearing Ali's question, Katheryne explained, "Our sky was created by Mother Goddess. Its purpose is to filter the violent Primordial Qi and transform it into gentle Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy for us to cultivate and grow with."

"Can't we refine Primordial Qi instead?" Ali asked.

Katheryne shook her head. "No. To us, Primordial Qi is like a fish from a freshwater lake swimming into the vast ocean."

"Overly violent Primordial Qi would draw the lower-grade Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy out of our bodies. In the end, we would return to dust and earth."

"Then why not use Primordial Qi from the very beginning of cultivation?" Dun Qu Qi Yi, who had been listening nearby, could not help interjecting. This question had been buried in her heart for a long time, but her elder sister had never explained it to her.

Katheryne glanced at Dun Qu Qi Yi, who had interrupted, and frowned in displeasure. But upon seeing that it was Dun Qu Qi Yi, she smiled and nodded instead.

Seeing this, the others could not help complaining inwardly, Could this be because of her luck? Katheryne actually didn't get angry.

Hearing Dun Qu Qi Yi's confusion, Katheryne patiently explained, "Beyond our world, there is another world as well. Our Mother Goddess calls it the Primordial World."

"Legend says that the Primordial World is extremely barren. Mother Goddess carved out a world and created life within it."

"Violent Primordial Qi makes it difficult for life to emerge. In the Primordial World, even the birth of a single life takes at least tens of thousands of years. Therefore, when Mother Goddess created life, she broke down the violent Primordial Qi into gentle Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Energy."

Ali spotted the flaw in this and asked doubtfully, "Miss Katheryne, didn't you say it is impossible to survive in the Primordial Qi outside? Then how can you be so certain that the outside world is like that?"

Katheryne explained, "That is why we cultivate. Once we become immortals, we can travel beyond this world."

Become immortals! What level would that take? After hearing Katheryne's explanation, that question arose in everyone's mind.

Qi Lin recalled browsing the game forums before. There had seemed to be discussions about the level system of World Tree, so she spoke in the party chat.

[ID Tianhe Sheriff: I saw it on the game forums before. I think becoming an immortal requires level one hundred.]

Not long after, everyone who saw the message replied.

[ID Young Mistress: Level one hundred will probably only happen several versions from now.]

[ID Ali: We're only level ten right now. The outside world is just background lore to us.]

While typing in the party channel, Ali suddenly thought of something and asked Katheryne, "Miss Katheryne, since you know so much about the outside world, have you already become an immortal?"

Only then did everyone remember that they had not used Appraisal Technique on Katheryne.

No time to waste. Appraisal Technique activated.

[Name: Katheryne]

[Race: ?]

[Level: 1]

[Description: Katheryne is an Adventurers' Association receptionist. She can be found at any hour of the day, and she seems to possess endless energy. Rumor has it that there is more than one Miss Katheryne on the continent.]

"Eh! She's only level one." Everyone was surprised by Katheryne's low level. Among all the NPCs they had met, Katheryne was the lowest-level one.

Katheryne blushed furiously and stammered, "I... I actually heard it from someone else."

"Someone else?"

"Yes. Mister Albedo of the Mondstadt Alchemy Association has recently been training beyond this world. He even compiled his experiences into a book," Katheryne explained.

"If you have the chance, Travelers, you can visit the Mondstadt Library and read that book."

"If we get the chance, we definitely will." Ali nodded.

"Then, Miss Katheryne, what about the Abyss?"