Chapter 127: An Auspicious Start

A low chuckle escaped Chen as he held the small, cube-shaped Geo-Map up to the sealed door’s lock mechanism.

“Alright, Geo-Map,” he murmured, “Scan the door and its lock. Find me a way in.”

The little robot’s single, luminous optic swiveled, focusing intently on the complex lock. The miniature gears whirring on its chassis spun into a blur. A few seconds later, it emitted a soft beep.

[Scan complete. Target identified: Standard Composite Restriction Door. Analysis: Physical bolt jamming and circuit overload due to ambient energy disruption. Regular opening requires sequential…]

Chen flicked one of the spinning gears with his finger. “The short version, please.”

[Point! Residual maintenance interface from the Department of Craftsmanship’s Standard Annual Inspection Protocol detected!]

The Geo-Map’s tiny mechanical arm extended, pointing to an inconspicuous blue brick in the upper left corner of the door frame.

[Physical Layer: Pressing this brick for three seconds will release the auxiliary mechanical bolt.]

“You hear that?” Chen glanced at Qing Que, gesturing toward the brick with his chin. “Press there. For three seconds.”

Qing Que shot him a look brimming with skepticism, but the door was still very much locked. With a sigh, he shuffled forward and pressed his palm against the designated brick as instructed.

“One… two… three…”

The moment he finished his count, a faint click echoed from within the door.

In the next second, the barrier that had been utterly impenetrable just moments ago swung inward with a soft groan.

Qing Que stared, dumbfounded, at the newly opened gap. He then looked down at the little robot in Chen’s palm, which was still proudly spinning its gears as if preening. His jaw hung open. It took him a long moment to find his voice.

“…Little… little brother,” he stammered, his eyes wide with awe, “Where did you buy this contraption? It’s… it’s a miracle worker! Could you… could you introduce me to the source?”

Stars were practically sparkling in his eyes, as if he had just discovered the ultimate tool for a life of perfected slacking.

“Exclusive custom-made. Not for sale.” Chen smugly retrieved the Geo-Map, brushing off a speck of non-existent dust from its casing. “Let’s go, Qing Que. We shouldn’t keep Minister Fu Xuan waiting.”

Qing Que jolted as if waking from a dream and hastily pulled the heavy door wide open. “Right, right, right! Quick, quick! Please, everyone, come in!”

‘Showtime,’Chen thought, a grin spreading across his face as he cheerfully followed the others into the Divination Commission.’Next stop, the main event. Kafka, I’m coming for you!’

Having handled the minor trouble of a locked door, Qing Que led the Astral Express crew through the winding corridors of the Divination Commission. The peace, however, was fleeting.

Just as they were crossing an open-air covered bridge that connected two grand halls, a sudden disturbance shattered the tranquility.

A spray of water erupted from the pool below as a twisted shape launched itself from the shadows of the rockery. The figure could vaguely be recognized as having once been a Xianzhou native, but its form was horribly warped. Its skin was a deathly, bark-like gray, stretched taut over a frame that bent at unnatural angles. In its eyes, a chaotic, dark red light burned with mindless fury.

With a guttural roar, it lunged straight for Qing Que, who was leading the way at the front of the group.

“Look out!”

Ms. Welt was the first to react. The end of her cane struck the bridge’s floor with a sharp crack. An invisible field of immense gravity instantly unfolded, slamming the charging figure down and pinning it to the ground.

In the same heartbeat, March 7th had his bow drawn, an arrow of pure ice nocked and ready. The ice-blue projectile struck the floorboards just in front of the creature, erupting in a burst of frost that further impeded its struggles.

Qiong’s bat cut through the air with a heavy whoosh, smashing into the joint where the creature’s shoulder met its neck. The thing let out a pained, inhuman howl.

Startled by the sudden assault, Qing Que scrambled back two steps. When he got a clear look at the attacker, his face turned grim. “Mara-Struck?! How… how can something like this be here?!”

March 7th lowered his bow, his lips pursed in a way that spoke of weary resignation. “I’m not surprised at all, really,” he sighed. “A Xianzhou specialty, right? What an auspicious start.”

Chen peeked out from behind Ms. Welt, observing the Mara-Struck soldier being suppressed by the combined efforts of Qiong and March 7th. He couldn’t help but complain, “Is your facility’s security… outsourced? You’ve got monsters spawning in your own backyard.”

A mix of fury and panic twisted Qing Que’s features. While directing several Divination Commission guards who had rushed over to help completely subdue the Mara-Struck, he spoke in a frantic rush.

“Where did this thing even come from?! I’m in and out of here every day, slacking off—ah, I mean, working! I’ve never seen anything like this! Has the Stellaron’s corruption already reached this deep into the Divination Commission?! This is outrageous!”

With everyone’s combined effort, the soldier, who seemed to have only recently succumbed to the Mara, was quickly restrained and hauled away by the arriving guards.

But the small incident had undeniably cast a shadow over everyone’s mood. If Mara-Struck were appearing even within a critical location like the Divination Commission, the situation on the Luofu was likely far more severe than any of them had anticipated.

Disturbed by the encounter, Qing Que dared not delay any longer. He quickened his pace, leading the group through several more halls and pavilions until they finally arrived at the center of a vast, high-domed palace.

The floor was a single, unbroken expanse of some strange, dark material, etched with an impossibly complex diagram that pulsed with a faint, internal light. This was the heart of the Divination Commission—the Matrix of Prescience.

At this moment, two figures stood at the edge of the array, where light and shadow converged.

One was Fu Xuan, whom they had met before. Dressed in the formal robes of the Divination Commission, he possessed a calm and refined demeanor. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration.

The other was a projection, its form composed of shimmering, ethereal light. It depicted a young woman with flowing white hair, clad in light armor. A faint, perpetually composed smile graced her lips. It was unmistakably the General of the Xianzhou Luofu—Jing Yuan.

The two appeared to be in the middle of a conversation. Jing Yuan’s projected voice carried a hint of lazy teasing. “…So, Minister Fu, what is the progress?”

Fu Xuan did not turn, his gaze still fixed on the glowing array. His voice was tinged with gravity. “…The currents of fate shift between the celestial and the volatile. All paths forward are marked by misfortune…”

“Speak plainly, Minister Fu,” Jing Yuan chuckled, interrupting him.

Fu Xuan let out an almost imperceptible sigh. He turned his head to look at Jing Yuan’s projection and stated concisely, “A great calamity is imminent. That is the fortune the Matrix has revealed for today.”

The smile on Jing Yuan’s projection remained, but a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes. “Minister Fu, why do you say that? You are, after all…”

“General,” Fu Xuan interrupted again, a clear note of exasperation in his voice. “Please spare me the flattery. ‘Resourceful and infallible’?” His gaze returned to the Matrix of Prescience, his voice low. “Fortune is the manifestation of heavenly principles, not something that can be circumvented by petty cleverness. All the Divination Commission can do is present the omens of good and ill fortune; we have no power to reverse the heavens and the earth.”

He added, “This Stellaron calamity involves wide-reaching repercussions and countless variables… I fear it will not be an easy trial.”

Just then, Qing Que led the Astral Express crew closer and bowed respectfully. “Minister Fu Xuan, General. The guests from the Astral Express have arrived.”

Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan’s projection turned their heads in unison. Jing Yuan’s gaze swept over Ms. Welt, March 7th, Qiong, and finally, Chen.

Fu Xuan nodded to the group as a greeting, then his eyes landed on Qing Que, one eyebrow raised. “Why the delay?”

Qing Que seemed to shrink into himself. “Uh… on the way… we ran into a small accident. A minor issue with the door lock, but it’s all resolved now!”

Fu Xuan didn’t seem inclined to press the matter. His gaze returned to the Astral Express crew, focusing particularly on Ms. Welt.

“Ms. Welt, and everyone,” Fu Xuan spoke, his voice regaining its professional composure. “I presume Qing Que has informed you all. The reason for inviting you here concerns the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka. She has been temporarily detained within these walls. However, the interrogation requires the power of the Matrix of Prescience to discern the truth from her words.”

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]