"Forget it. Just wait until my skill reveals drop—you'll all come crawling back to beg for my attention!"
After a moment's contemplation, Lumina abandoned her plan to enhance her abilities. Those who mock me as "weak" are just ignorant fools who don't understand true strength!
This isn't my problem; it's their flawed perception!
How dare they call me useless? I curse them all to lose every pity pull!
Lumina snorted inwardly, venting her anger at those ungrateful fools. Her gaze then fell upon the young girl before her.
An Automaton body... I wonder what it feels like to touch...
The girl sensed Lumina's gaze and turned to look at her curiously.
"!"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of wariness flickering in her expression as she recognized Lumina. However, upon noticing Cloud Knight Sushang beside her, the girl relaxed.
Her own identity was highly sensitive; she shouldn't even be on the Xianzhou. But with a Cloud Knight escorting her, there likely wouldn't be any trouble.
The girl dismissed her worries. If Lumina had managed to reach Xianzhou Luofu, she must have received permission from the current Cloud Knight General.
And if permission had been granted, it wasn't her place to question it.
"Are you alright, miss?" the Cloud Knight asked, stating the obvious.
The young girl clutched her arm and glanced at him indifferently. "Must you ask the obvious?" she retorted. How could I possibly look alright in this state?
"Ahaha, my apologies," the Cloud Knight said awkwardly. "I didn't realize you were an Automaton. I didn't see any blood, so I assumed you weren't injured."
Sushang felt a wave of embarrassment at the girl's words. Ignoring Sushang's awkwardness, the girl continued, "My motive core is damaged. I can't move..."
"You're a Cloud Knight, right? Please take me to the Realm-Keeping Commission."
"Um..." Sushang hesitated, thinking briefly before turning to Lumina and the others with an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, everyone. It looks like we'll be delayed again," she said. "This young lady is a Judge from the Ten Lords Commission. As a Cloud Knight, I'm obligated to prioritize her requests..."
Sushang's face was filled with genuine remorse, deeply embarrassed by the situation. "If you had gone on without me, you probably would have arrived long ago..."
The others remained silent. Luocha glanced at Lumina, and seeing no reaction from her, he stepped forward. "I have some medical knowledge. Allow me to examine your injury."
"Um..." Sushang stammered, momentarily speechless at Luocha's words. She quickly explained, "You see, she's an Automaton. We should take her to the Realm-Keeping Commission."
"Don't worry, Miss Sushang. Leave her to me," Luocha replied with a faint smile. He offered no further explanation and strode toward the black-haired girl.
[ Are you really letting Luocha have this perfect chance to show off? ] the System asked, puzzled by Lumina's inaction. [ Lumina, the ultimate showoff, would actually pass up such an opportunity? ]
Reading the System's thoughts, Lumina replied calmly, "This is Luocha's moment to shine in the story. I wouldn't stoop to stealing his spotlight."
"If I ever had to resort to snatching another character's highlight, I wouldn't deserve to be a Super Popular Character anymore. I wouldn't be worthy."
Though her tone was casual, the sincerity in Lumina's words was unmistakable.
[ So you're actually this honorable... ] the System thought, its impression of Lumina undergoing a significant shift, its affinity meter skyrocketing.
After explaining to the System, Lumina turned her attention back to Luocha.
A golden pendant materialized in Luocha's hand as he held it out to the black-haired girl.
"It's no use," the black-haired girl explained, seeing Luocha's earnest expression. "I'm an Automaton, a construct of intricate mechanisms, not flesh and blood."
"Whether Automaton or flesh, all tangible things can be healed," Luocha replied with a gentle smile, the pendant in his hand emitting a soft green glow.
"It shouldn't hurt, but you'll feel other strange sensations—tingling, numbness. Can you endure it and stay still?"
"!"
As time passed slowly, the girl's eyes widened with astonishment as she felt the tingling and numbness spreading through her body.
"All done," Luocha said, the green light from his pendant fading as he put it away. He smiled at the black-haired girl.
"Amazing..." She flexed her limbs, sighing in wonder.
"How... how did you do that?!" Sushang's mind reeled at the sight.
"The Abundance..." Dan Heng crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and glanced between Luocha and Lumina, a flicker of suspicion in his gaze.
If my hunch is correct, Lumina and Luocha had already met at Cloudford before this Cloud Knight arrived...
Dan Heng harbored no prejudice against Pathstriders of the Abundance.
His concern stemmed from the sheer coincidence of Lumina and Luocha's "chance encounter."
It just so happened that they were in the deserted Cloudford, and it just so happened that they were both Pathstriders of Abundance... Was this intentional, or just a coincidence?
"..."
Lumina took in Dan Heng's appearance, her heart brimming with delight.
The player experienced the scene from Dan Heng's perspective. Therefore, the doubts and suspicions swirling in Dan Heng's mind naturally mirrored those of the player.
Lumina relished this confusion and uncertainty.
Just when everyone thinks I'm the mastermind behind it all... they've already fought me, cursed me, and then BAM! A massive plot twist hits them like a brick, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.
They'll recall all the things they did to Lumina and feel so guilty that they wake up in the middle of the night, slap themselves twice, and silently beg the great Saintess for forgiveness...
[You've got quite the imagination!]
"Thank you for the compliment~"
Understanding the message as praise, Lumina offered a cheerful acknowledgment.
She then turned her gaze to the black-haired young girl before her and asked, "What happened here?"
"My name is Xueyi," the girl replied. "I'm a Judge from the Ten Lords Commission, here to restore order and apprehend the Stellaron Hunters."
Since this wasn't confidential information, Xueyi readily shared the information.
"This person wields a divine weapon, possesses extraordinary swordsmanship, and is extremely dangerous."
Upon hearing Xueyi's words, Dan Heng's expression instantly turned grave.
"If not for an unexpected turn of events, my lifespan would have ended there."
Xueyi lowered her head, her voice tinged with solemnity. It seemed the Stellaron Hunter's strength had far exceeded her expectations.
"An unexpected turn of events? What happened?" Dan Heng asked, startled.
Xueyi glanced at the group before turning and saying, "Follow me."
Without hesitation, the others fell into step behind her.
After walking a short distance, Xueyi stopped. She looked up at the Roots of the Arbor in the distance, which radiated an unceasing aura of Abundance, her expression complex.
"I've never seen anything like this before..."
As Xueyi spoke, the others turned to look as well.
"Is that the Ambrosial Arbor?" Lumina's eyes lit up as she stared at the tree bathed in the aura of Abundance, an enigmatic smile playing on her lips.
From the players' perspective, the scene froze on Lumina's mysterious smile...