At some point, Sylvia snapped out of her thoughts and noticed Acheron holding up her phone, taking pictures of her.
"What's up with you? Suddenly taking photos like this."
After spending these days together, Sylvia knew that Acheron, much like herself, wasn't particularly fond of being photographed.
In fact, Acheron often zoned out when there was nothing going on.
The last time she took photos, Sylvia could understand—after all, regaining her sense of taste was surely an exciting moment.
But what was the reason today?
"I just felt like taking a few pictures, that's all."
"Is that so…"
Sylvia watched, puzzled, as the lens aimed at her again, capturing a few more shots. Still, she didn't say anything.
Mainly because she knew she looked good right now—even sprawled on the ground, she carried a certain grace—so Sylvia didn't mind being photographed at all.
Besides, it was rare to see Acheron take an interest in something, and Sylvia didn't want to spoil the moment.
Just like that, the two set off again.
--+--
Once Acheron realized that her current teaching approach was losing effectiveness, she promptly adjusted her plans.
So now, Sylvia had to battle monsters while also enduring pressure from Acheron.
Fortunately, Sylvia progressed quickly enough—she toughed it out.
But as she forged ahead, clearing the path, Sylvia didn't notice that Acheron, following behind and exerting pressure on her, kept raising her phone to capture Sylvia's movements.
Occasionally, Acheron would even jot down things Sylvia had said, turning them into memos of this fleeting encounter.
Even though she had confirmed that her body, once eroded by Nihility, was recovering—who could guarantee her memories wouldn't continue to fade?
Who could promise she would remember these days spent with Sylvia?
She couldn't, and neither could Sylvia.
So Acheron chose to document it all—something she rarely did in the past.
A few more days passed like this.
Sylvia and Acheron arrived at a massive spaceport.
Damaged giant spacecraft, vast empty grounds, and enormous equipment—everything spoke of the bustling activity that once filled this place.
"I didn't expect the Stellaron to be here at the spaceport. That's troublesome. I wonder if there's still a functional spacecraft around."
Acheron scanned the heavily ruined spaceport, easily imagining the scale of the battle that had taken place here.
Beside her—
Groowl!
Hisss!
The snarls of monsters rose all around—bird-like constructs of various attributes, Voidrangers, Imaginary Weavers, Stormbringers, and more…
Whether it was Fragmentum creatures or the Antimatter Legion, they all surged toward the source of the noise—the two of them.
"Does it matter? I should be able to withstand the environment of space by now."
Shiiing!
As she spoke, Sylvia raised a hand, and rising flames summoned a hurricane, stirring her hair and cloak.
With the force of a spreading wildfire, the flames coalesced into a greatsword, scattered sparks forming a thin layer coating the blade.
Accompanied by the melodious strains of [Da Capo], Sylvia charged into the horde like a whirlwind.
Whether ordinary Voidrangers or hulking Tramplers, Sylvia moved like a phantom, trailing blazing fire in her wake. The flames became scythes of death, her swaying cloak like a falling curtain of destruction.
She danced amid the song, the massive blade feeling weightless in her hands.
Again and again, the sharp edge sliced through the monsters' tough armor, shattering their cores.
Following behind, Acheron listened to the serene melody mixed with the monsters' dying cries, a slight smile touching her lips.
"Without the protection of Path energy, you're still not ready for that."
In fact, Acheron was being generous—even ordinary Pathstriders would struggle to traverse the depths of space unprotected.
While Sylvia's strength already surpassed that of many Pathstriders, expecting to leave the planet and journey through space unaided, like Acheron could, was still a bit naive.
"The Paths… I just don't—"
Gritting her teeth, Sylvia responded while swiftly dropping low, then launching forward like a cannonball. Her blade and flames became a combine, shredding dozens of monsters in her path.
"—have a clue."
When it came to the Paths, Sylvia knew of them, but expecting her to embrace a single Path with pure conviction was asking a bit much.
Whether it was Preservation, Abundance, Destruction, or Nihility—none felt entirely right for her.
If she had to choose, maybe the Path of Trailblaze would be easier—just find a way to join the Astral Express crew, and she'd be considered a Nameless.
But honestly, Sylvia had no idea where the Star Rail was now. If anywhere, the Herta Space Station might have leads—since the Express and the station seemed to trade periodically, they'd likely know the crew's whereabouts.
"Take your time. A Path is something each person walks with their whole life—it's not something decided overnight."
Acheron moved silently to Sylvia's side, her phone discreetly tucked out of sight.
"I know."
Sylvia shot a glance at Acheron. Over the past days, Acheron had hardly needed to lift a hand—just point Sylvia in the right direction.
"Head that way. The Stellaron's resonance is still strong."
Acheron pointed toward a collapsed transmission tower, heavily corroded by the Fragmentum, its original function barely recognizable in the wreckage.
"The Stellaron landed there?"
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. A spaceport would've had heavy foot traffic—if the Stellaron landed right there, that was pretty grim.
But the planet was already devoid of people, so dwelling on it was pointless.
"Tch, the closer we get, the worse it feels. And I can sense it—the Stellaron is trying to tempt me."
It was strange—the Stellaron's ability to sway minds made it hard to see it as just a disaster source.
"Are you okay?"
Acheron glanced over with concern, but Sylvia waved it off, continuing to tear through the monster encirclement with her greatsword and flames, pushing closer to the Stellaron.
Even while charging ahead, she couldn't resist a quip.
"I'm fine. It's just a bit noisy—but still better than the dead silence of Nihility."
Watching Sylvia nimbly dodge and press forward through the horde, Acheron felt half her worry ease.
At least the intense training of this period had paid off.
Sylvia's combat skills and willpower had clearly improved.
Of course, Sylvia's stamina wasn't limitless.
By the time they reached the base of the transmission tower, her arms were growing weary from the slaughter.
The Stellaron's glow enveloped the collapsed tower, dazzlingly bright.
And as Sylvia drew closer, the buzzing in her mind grew louder and more insistent.
Shwing—!
With the sound of a drawn blade, Acheron cleared out the remaining monsters in the area and appeared at Sylvia's side.
"What do you plan to do?"
Sylvia blinked at Acheron, then with a flick of her wrist, produced a card between her index and middle fingers.
"Let me try something first."
--+--
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.