"Who... is... awakening... 'Starlight'..."
That ancient, frail consciousness was like a spring stirring beneath ice for the first time, carrying the silence and vicissitudes of hundreds of millions of years as it sent faint ripples through Ming Xin's nearly shattered sea of consciousness.
Ming Xin endured the soul-rending pain and extreme weakness of his body, forcing himself to raise his head and look toward the crystal container.
The pale golden halo had completely withdrawn into Starlight's body. Within those newly opened eyes, pale golden star vortices slowly revolved.
At first, they were hollow and confused, as though he had just broken free from the deepest dream and had yet to focus on reality.
But soon, the star vortices spun slightly faster, and an extremely faint yet unmistakable sense of scrutiny
fell upon Ming Xin, as well as the nearly imperceptible shadow fluctuations of Shadow Fiend concealed within his sleeve.
"...Not of my race... not of the Watch Alliance... carrying the 'Covenant' of the Observer Sequence... severely injured... origin corroded by the Law of Finality..."
The consciousness spoke in fragments, seemingly drawing upon its remaining protocols for rapid analysis. The confusion in its tone was swiftly replaced by deep vigilance and assessment.
"...Who are you... Why are you here? Why... were you able to pass the Ancient Oath Trial?"
Each question was like an icy needle piercing Ming Xin's taut nerves. He could sense that although Starlight had only just awakened and was terribly weak,
his fundamental status was immensely high. That scrutinizing gaze seemed capable of penetrating Ming Xin's broken shell and directly glimpsing part of his origin.
Moreover, the other party was clearly exceptionally sensitive and wary of traces of the Purification Protocol's power.
He had to establish communication and dispel the misunderstanding as quickly as possible.
Ming Xin