"From the sound of it, that old geezer Gopher Wood is planning to move up the date of the Charmony Festival? Or perhaps launch a surprise attack outright?"
Now fully awake and no longer sleepy, Yun Fan propped himself up with one arm and sat upright on the sofa. Rubbing his chin, the black-haired youth began pondering the meaning behind Gopher Wood's actions.
By ordinary rational standards, the timing of the Charmony Festival was meticulously planned—not too early, not too late, perfectly balanced.
If the Oak Family truly intended to change the date of the Charmony Festival, there were only two possibilities.
The first: the numerous factions and Emanator-level figures that had recently appeared in Penacony had placed far too much pressure on the Family. Thus, Gopher Wood intended to go all-in—succeed or perish.
The second: Sunday had already successfully usurped the power of [Harmony]'s incarnation, gaining the ability to transform into the god Sunday. In doing so, the lineage of [Order] had obtained a measure of confidence—the confidence to flip the table.
"How about… I add a little fuel to the fire myself? Simply being a bystander would be far too boring."
After thinking for a moment, the youth clapped his hands together and decided to actively involve himself, adding fuel to this festival that had yet to arrive.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work—and if he threw in a leg as well, things would surely develop in an even more interesting direction.
"But how exactly should I add that fuel?"
Furrowing his brows slightly, Yun Fan began to contemplate how he could make this fire burn brighter and fiercer—without letting it rage out of control to the point of no return.
Just as the youth was deep in thought and hesitation, the door to the room creaked open. Miss Sparkle of the Masked Fools entered with a yawn, swaying casually as she strolled in from outside.
"Heehee~ Good evening, oh esteemed Lord Yun Fan~"
Looking at the black-haired youth leaning on the sofa, Sparkle gave a playful giggle before greeting him in a teasing tone.
Upon seeing Sparkle greet him, Yun Fan's eyes suddenly lit up. The corners of his mouth curved into a meaningful smile.
"Little Sparkle, come here~"
Calling her name affectionately, Yun Fan crooked his finger toward the girl, then patted the sofa beside him, gesturing for her to come sit.
And it was precisely these words from Yun Fan that caused Sparkle—who was usually all giggles and ever-changing masks—to freeze. She couldn't help but shiver.
"Um… Lord Yun Fan, is there something you need?" Forcing a smile onto her face, Sparkle cautiously observed Yun Fan's expression as she asked.
"Haha, it's nothing much. I just wanted to take a good look at little Sparkle, that's all. Come on—come sit beside me and let me have a proper look at you."
Yun Fan's smile remained unchanged. Seeing that Sparkle still hadn't moved, he patted the sofa again and urged her.
"Come here, little Sparkle."
"Then… pardon the intrusion."
Under the pressure of Yun Fan's presence, little Sparkle ultimately chose to submit. Obediently, she walked over to his side and—following his gesture—sat down on the other end of the sofa.
"I've heard that these past few days, little Sparkle has been placing all sorts of interesting little toys around outside. How's progress going?"
Once Sparkle had sat down, Yun Fan didn't beat around the bush. With his overwhelming strength, he preferred to get straight to the point and directly asked about the progress of her plans.
"Ah? That matter—that matter—if Lord Yun Fan doesn't like it, I can…"
Though her mouth said those words, in her heart Sparkle was a thousand times unwilling. After all, to place those Sparkle dolls loaded with Imaginary Neutrino Bombs, the girl had spent nearly half a month—hundreds of system hours in total.
If she had to dismantle them now, that would mean spending another several hundred system hours, not to mention the risk of exposure in the process.
"No, no, no—of course not. Actually, I think what you've been doing is quite interesting. So…"
As he spoke, the corners of Yun Fan's mouth curved into a smile. Then the youth's eyes widened slightly, and within his pupils emerged a sigil representing the power of [Causality]—the imprint of the Path.
Buzz——!
Surging power of the [Causality] Path condensed under Yun Fan's control, compressing and coalescing until it formed a spherical energy body—a form similar to that of a Stellaron. For convenience, it could be called the 'Core of Causality.'
This scene naturally fell into Sparkle's view. Though she didn't understand Yun Fan's actions, she didn't ask any questions.
Her kaleidoscope-like eyes simply remained fixed on the 'Core of Causality' in Yun Fan's hand, as though staring at Pandora's box—unable to look away.
"Ah——!"
Taking advantage of the moment when Sparkle's gaze was drawn to the 'Core of Causality,' Yun Fan suddenly moved without warning. He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her toward him.
Then, with a swift reverse grip, the black-haired youth restrained Sparkle's movements. His other hand reached forward and directly pressed the 'Core of Causality' against her chest.
Feeling the sensation at her chest, the usually sly Masked Fool rarely showed a shy expression.
Yet before she could let out a scream, a massive surge of power suddenly erupted within Sparkle's petite body. Vast energy washed through her limbs and bones, granting this fragile frame an entirely new form.
"You…"
Sensing the exponential leap in the power of the Path within her body, a complicated look flickered through Sparkle's eyes. She had thought Yun Fan was taking the opportunity to take advantage of her—or at least tease her—but she never expected him to bestow upon her even greater power.
To Sparkle's question, Yun Fan simply gave a light chuckle before replying very casually:
"The reason? Actually, I don't really have one."
'When you're just having fun, who needs a reason? Do well, and it won't have been in vain that I granted you a blessing second only to that of an Emanator of [Causality].' Yun Fan murmured silently to himself.
Of course, Sparkle had no idea what the youth was thinking. But when she heard the words "no real reason," an idea suddenly emerged in her mind.
'Could he… actually like me?'