Amber never expected to encounter this consciousness bearing the appearance of the Celestial here, especially while she herself was currently in the form of the Phoenix—the Taixuan Impression armor.
'N-Navigation sir? What's going on?'
[This system is a gacha system. All items obtained are replicas of the originals, while character cards are derived from information about the original individuals recorded in the world.]
'Huh? So this is a replica of the original Celestial's Fenghuang Down? But from which period does this Divine Key belong to?'
Though Amber voiced the question, she already had an inkling in her heart: 'Is it... from when Little Senti came into existence?'
If it was only from that period, it wouldn't be a big deal. But if this were the Fenghuang Down that Kevin had in his possession, things would get... interesting.
[The system does not provide inferior substitutes. Please rest assured, host.]
'Is that so..?' Amber still had her doubts, but since Navigation said so, she let out a sigh of relief.
As long as it wasn't the Feather from Kevin, it was fine.
Aside from that particular Feather, the consciousness within the other Feathers couldn't even be considered true consciousness—they were merely fragments of memory meant to prevent others from prying.
Only the Feather in Kevin's possession contained the true consciousness of the Celestial.
Though she adored her two-dimensional waifus, if she were to actually meet one and hold a conversation, given her personality, she'd likely end up leaving a terrible impression.
Not to mention, she was currently borrowing the Celestial's appearance—something she couldn't easily explain.
[This is not a single Fenghuang Down Feather. It is a complete Fenghuang Down, fully integrated from all Fenghuang Downs by the system. The timeline corresponds to the moment when the Herrscher of Sentience was born.]
'...'
'So, what I'm facing isn't just a fragment of memory, but the actual Celestial?'
[Yes.]
Navigation confirmed with its mechanical tone, then continued: [Due to the host's current state, the system has specifically selected the timeline that can provide the greatest assistance to the host.]
...Well, that part was certainly true.
Amber knew Fu Hua well enough—she knew she was a kind-hearted soul, and she knew how fiercely she had fought for the survival of humanity.
If she learned about Amber's current situation and the challenges she faced, she would undoubtedly spare no effort to help... But could someone please consider how awkward this was for her?!
No matter how flustered she felt inside, Amber couldn't just stand by and watch her beloved two-dimensional waifu drift aimlessly like rootless duckweed within the Feather.
Without hesitation, she channeled her spiritual energy, pouring power into the floating consciousness.
With the power of the Phoenix Celestial in her prime, the spiritual energy mobilized by the Fourth Taixu Sword was as boundless and torrential as a raging flood for Amber.
In just a few seconds, she had infused more energy than an ordinary Herrscher could contain.
And such a vast amount of spiritual energy naturally yielded remarkable results.
Amber could feel the other's presence growing more and more solid until, in an instant, the white-haired Celestial opened her eyes.
'My... my two-dimensional waifu is awake!'
"Two-dimensional waifu?" The white-haired Celestial was unfamiliar with the term.
She knew what "two-dimensional" meant, and she knew what "waifu" meant, but put together, it was strange. Still, given the circumstances, she could tell the term was directed at her.
'Huh? She can hear my thoughts..?'
Amber was startled by this realization.
"It is not my intention to eavesdrop on your thoughts," Fu Hua said, her furrowed brows softening as she sensed no malice from the girl before her.
Her tone was reassuring. "But within the conscious space of the Fenghuang Down, if one does not deliberately conceal their thoughts, it is natural for us to hear each other's minds, since we share the same conscious realm."
"I-Is that so?" Amber wasn't aware of things not mentioned in the storyline, so she simply nodded at this explanation.
"Could you tell me, miss, where we are now? Why is the Fenghuang Down in your possession? And why can't I sense anything outside the Feather?"
Naturally, Fu Hua was grateful to the girl who had saved her, but she couldn't help feeling that her control over the Feather had diminished inexplicably.
She couldn't even perceive what was happening outside the Feather.
"Um... we're in Uruk," Amber replied, unsure how to explain everything. But then she realized something was off—why had Fu Hua addressed her as "miss"? Wasn't she puzzled by her appearance?
"One's appearance within the Fenghuang Down is generally their truest self, as this is a space of consciousness," Fu Hua explained patiently, assuming Amber was confused about her appearance.
Then she asked, "Uruk?"
Amber looked down and saw that she was now dressed in modern clothing, with black hair so long she couldn't see her feet—clearly, this was her own body.
"Ah... it's the kingdom ruled by King Gilgamesh. Around 3100 BCE," Amber answered, all the while wondering how the Fenghuang Down could explain everything so effortlessly.
Now it was Fu Hua's turn to be baffled.
"As for the Fenghuang Down..." Amber cursed her own inability to articulate things well and could only say, "How about... you just take a look at my memories directly, Celestial?"
"View your memories?"
Fu Hua was even more perplexed. She had encountered honesty before, but this level of transparency was a first.
To openly offer her memories—even knowing Fu Hua's reputation as the Phoenix Celestial—to trust so completely upon their first meeting was truly beyond her comprehension.
Amber, however, didn't overthink it. She knew Fu Hua was a genuinely good person.
Besides, she had nothing to hide from Fu Hua. In fact, having Fu Hua directly view her memories was preferable—it saved her the trouble of struggling to explain everything.
Fu Hua, who could hear Amber's thoughts, naturally picked up on this unreserved trust.
It had to be said, even after all she had been through, even as the Phoenix Celestial who had lived for millennia, she had rarely been trusted so implicitly.
Only her former comrades, who had entrusted their lives to one another, had shown such faith.
But her first reaction wasn't warmth or gratitude—it was guilt and self-reproach.
Such trust deserved a better response than invading the other's privacy. No matter how one justified it, prying into someone's memories was a despicable and shameful act. Yet, as she had thought earlier, she was truly pressed for time.
Not only did she want to know how Kiana was doing, but she also needed to know how far Kevin's Stigma Project had progressed.
Fu Hua descended from mid-air and approached Amber, apologizing silently in her heart. She resolved that if Amber wasn't a bad person, she would do everything in her power to repay her.
But soon, even with five thousand years of experience, Fu Hua's expression grew increasingly peculiar.
To Fu Hua, with her long memory, Amber's less-than-twenty-year life was incredibly brief—reviewing it took only an instant.
Yet that instant nearly shattered her worldview, before giving way to relief and acceptance, and finally, calm.
She gazed with complex emotions at this simple, guileless girl who looked rather silly, and let out a long, deep sigh.
"I understand everything now. As repayment... allow me to accompany you on your journey and witness it alongside you."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.