"Ahem, you can't pin this all on me. You were the one who lunged forward."
"You!" Fu Xuan was nearly driven to fury and shame.
How could this man be so shameless? Ever since she could remember, she had always presented herself with a cold and lofty image, and all the times she had been angry combined did not amount to what she felt today.
"Uh, actually, there's still a way to fix this." Sylvester eventually felt guilty. It had started as a joke, but if this incident brought her trouble, or even affected her life, that would go against his principles.
Fortunately, there was still room for remedy. He pointed at the [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav] that had just been pulled out of the trash can.
That's right! I still have this thing! The Reignbow Arbiter be praised!
Fu Xuan's worry turned to joy, her heart swelling with huge expectations.
Opening that trash can earlier had truly been an exceptionally wise choice.
She shot Sylvester a glare and asked, "Shall I swallow the bullet, or fire it at will?"
Sylvester said, "Aim at the temple. With your strength, this gun won't harm you in the slightest."
Fu Xuan took a deep breath. The damage she had taken from the trash can had mostly recovered by now, and she quietly awakened the power of her Path.
"Together as one, converge and awaken." For caution's sake, Fu Xuan still activated [Matrix of Prescience].
Tilting his head, Sylvester admired the purple array formation rising with Fu Xuan at its center. So, this was what the array looked like in reality, compared to what he'd seen on his phone.
Mysterious runes slowly rotated around her. With a wave of her hand, specks of light scattered and reformed.
If there was something off…
It was that Fu Xuan, in her rush to amend the past, had seemingly forgotten she was still sitting on him.
Looking up at the purple-haired loli straddling him while setting up her array—well… it was quite the peculiar feeling.
Sylvester took the chance to appreciate the softness of her calves, only to feel a sudden doubt.
Wasn't the array meant to distribute damage?
Why bring that up now?
As he wondered, he saw Fu Xuan lean down, pressing the cold barrel of the gun right against his temple.
Because of her shorter height, she had to press very close to him to reach that distance.
Her breath was warm against his skin. To say Sylvester wasn't excited would be a lie, but he couldn't deny there was fear too.
After all, he was just an ordinary person now. And he remembered clearly: [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav] only worked on Tokisaki Kurumi.
If the array couldn't transfer that special effect… wouldn't he just be taking a bullet to the head?
His skull wasn't as thick as Trump's!
"Actually—"
He tried to warn her, but Fu Xuan immediately cut him off.
She chuckled softly. "Worry not. This seat has fought countless battles. This method is flawless and will surely protect you."
This was revenge, wasn't it? It had to be revenge.
Seeing the sly glint hidden in her eyes, Sylvester was certain—the little loli was doing this on purpose.
"Huuh~" Sylvester exhaled.
Forget it. The system wouldn't screw him over, right? Besides, he knew exactly how strong Fu Xuan's arrays were. Even if he took the shot directly, the majority of the pain would be borne by her.
She had measured this with perfect precision.
"Mm." Sylvester smiled faintly, feeling a deeper respect for her.
Things had gotten rather excessive, even in his own eyes, but Fu Xuan still accounted for everything.
If it was to restore her reputation, why shouldn't he make a small sacrifice?
Sylvester decided to use a little provocation.
He wrapped his arms around Fu Xuan's slender waist, his face painted with a tragic resolve of noble sacrifice.
"Do it. Shoot me!"
Fu Xuan stared at him speechlessly.
Feeling his large hands around her waist, Fu Xuan once again felt heat rushing to her head.
How could this man be so insufferable?
She had only wanted to scare him a little, but in an instant she changed her mind.
How could she let this rascal take advantage of her for nothing?
Her heart hardened, and her finger squeezed the trigger.
Sylvester enjoyed the sensation of a beauty in his arms, but then came a sudden, searing pain.
"Aah~"
In all his years, this was the first time he had been shot.
People who attempted suicide often said the pain was unbearable—and indeed, it was.
Clutching his temple, Sylvester barely managed to ease the pain. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting across from Fu Xuan.
She held the gun calmly, with only two bullets remaining, as if nothing had happened.
It worked? He had surely returned to a few minutes earlier—but did Fu Xuan, who hadn't taken the shot directly, still retain the memory?
"Fu Xuan, you're so cute!" Sylvester blurted without hesitation.
Her face instantly flushed red as she pointed the gun at him. "If you wish to take another bullet, this seat will gladly oblige."
Ah, so it really had worked.
Sylvester nodded in satisfaction. Glancing outside at the gathering crowd, the Cloud Knights, and Guinaifen peeking with her Jade Talisman, he was certain—the Sixth Bullet had activated perfectly.
"One shot is enough. Best keep the rest, Master Diviner. It may one day save the Xianzhou. To take even one bullet is already a great disservice to its people."
"Hmph. If you had understood this from the start, none of this would have happened."
Fu Xuan snorted softly and put away the gun.
Sylvester cleared his throat, acting as though the earlier ordeal had nothing to do with him. "Well then, Master Diviner, are you satisfied with this Curio Trash Can?"
Fu Xuan nodded. Though she had been toyed with, the Curio's effect was indeed most satisfying.
She even fantasized—if it could fire without limit, how great would that be?
With the Divination Commission's arts combined with such a Curio, the Xianzhou could be unstoppable among the stars.
Ha, greed knew no bounds. To be granted even one chance to amend reality was rare enough—seeking more would only lead to delusion.
"Then why don't we open a few more cans?"
Sylvester hadn't forgotten his true task.
"This seat was thinking the same."
Only now did Fu Xuan fully believe that these trash cans could contain items surpassing even the Aeons' gaze.
She recalled faintly: most were green, some blue, very few purple, and gold the rarest.
Perhaps the rarer the color, the better the item?
No, she couldn't conclude so rashly.
She stood and selected one green, one blue, and one gold trash can.
Opening them, three items appeared: a scroll, a pill, and a peculiarly shaped bone arrow.
Seeing these strange things, Fu Xuan's eyes turned to Sylvester again. Her meaning was clear—she awaited his explanation.
Sylvester, upon seeing them, sighed.
Fu Xuan frowned lightly. "Are they useless trinkets? No need to spare my feelings—speak plainly."
Sylvester shook his head, his tone tinged with envy. "No, these are anything but trash. On the contrary, I never thought you'd draw these."
He read the detailed descriptions from the system panel, inwardly muttering: Fu Xuan, are you hacking? How could her luck be this absurd?
[Teleportation Scroll — Ignores distance, transporting up to 24 living beings to the location envisioned by the user.] (Note: The destination must be visualized vividly; text descriptions are invalid.)
[Fenglong Pill — A special pill crafted by an unknown alchemist from an unknown world. It enlarges any chosen body part of the consumer by one size.]
[Imagine Breaker — A unique item that nullifies all magic or supernatural abilities. Upon entering this universe, it adapted peculiarly, now capable of nullifying Path powers. Born from the fear and desire of all the "gods" of another world, it can only be utterly destroyed by an Aeon's conceptual devouring.]
Of the three, only the second was useless to Fu Xuan.
The Teleportation Scroll, for a force like the Xianzhou Alliance—locked in pursuit of the Denizens of Abundance across the stars—could, if used wisely, sway the outcome of an entire battle.
But Imagine Breaker…
The ability to nullify Path powers was simply broken.
Whoever possessed it could only be killed by technology—or by an Aeon THEMSELF descending.
The Denizens of Abundance would be utterly crushed by this. Their prized regeneration, once touched by this item, would be instantly severed. How could they ever stand against the Xianzhou then?
Fu Xuan, seeing Sylvester's long silence, furrowed her brows deeper.
She could not make sense of these items. Aside from the pill, the others were utterly foreign to the Xianzhou.
Her gaze fixed on Sylvester, watching his quiet admiration. These items were clearly not ordinary, and she wanted to hear what he had to say.