Crossing through countless burning sheets of paper, Noah leaped out, and everything before his eyes suddenly became clear.
The setting sun melted into gold, and the evening clouds merged like jade.
A graceful figure turned her head. The golden sunset dyed her long golden hair with vivid color, her soft cheeks complementing the fiery red of the morning glow.
Cartethyia gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Upon seeing the arrival, an involuntary joy appeared on her face:
"Laureate, you're here."
She had been fighting intensely against a large number of Tacet Discords in the script world. Just as the battle was reaching its peak, the script world suddenly turned into countless manuscript pages and scattered away.
After releasing his perception and confirming that Cartethyia was completely fine, Noah breathed a sigh of relief:
"Little Cart, good thing you're okay."
Stepping to Cartethyia's side, Noah looked around left and right before asking:
"Did you see Lupa and Imperator?"
"The Sentinel came too? I just came out as well and don't know what's going on."
Almost right after Cartethyia finished speaking, the two of them heard footsteps sounding behind them.
Turning around, they indeed saw Lupa and Imperator walking out of the cave entrance together.
"Teacher!"
Lupa's sharp eyes spotted Noah, and her face immediately lit up. She quickly ran over to Noah. The originally tense expression on her face instantly relaxed:
"It's so great that you're okay. Today was supposed to be my big day to claim the championship, but in the blink of an eye Avidius just..."
"Just what?" Noah asked with feigned confusion.
"He died..."
Speaking of this topic, Lupa's eyes dimmed again. She then raised the long spear in her hand:
"He sacrificed himself to protect Septimont. I plan to plant his spear on the Hill of Glory."
"Hey, Lupa——"
A bright and clear voice came from not far away. Everyone turned their heads at the sound and saw Avidius walking over slowly with a smile on his face:
"Heard you've been telling everyone I'm dead?"
Seeing the returned Avidius, the expressions of the group varied.
Cartethyia and Imperator looked puzzled, Noah gave a faint smile, while Lupa's face showed extreme horror:
"Ghost!!!"
Time passed minute by minute.
Basking in the warmth of the sunset, the group talked for a while and finally sorted out the full sequence of events.
"Such an exciting thing, Teacher, why didn't you tell me earlier? You made my emotions go up and down so much."
Feeling Lupa's resentful gaze, Noah smiled and explained:
"You yourself said you can't keep a secret. Actually, you didn't need to worry just now. I contacted Imperator long ago and had Imperator secretly watching."
In truth, it wasn't just Imperator. He had also arranged for Buling to observe the situation from nearby. If anything happened that even Imperator couldn't handle, the Black Shores forces on standby would arrive immediately.
Backup insurance like this could go unused, but it absolutely could not be absent.
Seeing Lupa and Noah chatting, Cartethyia beside them couldn't help but poke Noah's waist, successfully drawing his attention:
"Laureate, to save me from the Playwright's script, you owe the Ephor a huge favor."
Cartethyia smiled slightly:
"We'll repay this favor together. In the upcoming hunts in Septimont, you won't be fighting alone."
"Yo~ Little Cart, you fought so much in the script world and still haven't had enough?"
"W-what are you saying... I was very civilized in there. It's not like I was having a great time fighting."
Wait — who asked if you were having a great time fighting or not?
Turning his head, Noah looked toward Imperator, who finally spoke:
"Righteous One, on behalf of Rinascita, I thank you once again for what you have done."
"Thank Mya. Without her, Septimont would have been gone long ago."
Noah shrugged indifferently and asked about another matter:
"Imperator, how is the central beacon of Septimont? Do you need my help to repair it?"
"No need. It was only some minor physical damage. I have already repaired it and retrieved the fragment of knowledge I left behind earlier."
Imperator nodded slightly:
"I plan to personally head to the Septimont hunting grounds, so I'll take my leave now."
Without further pleasantries, Imperator departed.
"I didn't expect the Sentinel of the legendary Rinascita to be so... um... so petite."
Avidius sighed with emotion. His gaze toward Noah carried a hint of respect:
"Mr. Noah, thank you for giving me life once again. I never expected I was just a creation fabricated by an evil person..."
"Everyone's birth is not something they can choose." Noah nodded slightly and asked, "Avidius, what are your plans going forward?"
"Me? I don't know."
Avidius shook his head.
His fate, his goals — from the very beginning they had been fabricated by others. After learning all this, he instead became lost about the meaning of his own existence.
Especially since Cristoforo, who had written him into being, was already dead. Now he had nowhere to even search for his own origins.
"I have no past, and I don't know where my future should go. Mr. Noah, what do you think I should do?"
"Go to Ragunna, or Huanglong, or the New Federation. The Playwright only wrote verses about you in Septimont."
Noah patted Avidius on the shoulder and encouraged him:
"Outside of Septimont, you can freely write and define your own existence, construct your own truth. I believe that no matter where you are, you will shine with your own light."
Hearing this, Avidius felt somewhat moved and nodded:
"After the high tide period in Septimont, I will do that. By the way, may I know what level of power I currently possess?"
"Uh... you should be able to defeat Thundering Mephis."
"What level is Thundering Mephis? How does it compare to Augusta?"
"Overlord class. It can't beat Augusta."
A pair of large hands boldly pulled the two into an embrace as Lupa's voice cut into the conversation:
"Aiya, let's not talk about these things during this great time after victory. Come on, let's go back to the Capitoline Hill district. I'll treat you all to wheat berry juice!"
The sunset gradually sank. A few petals of Red Spider Lily drifted past in the wind.
...
Inside Septimont City.
In a spacious room, a group of Fractsidus craftsmen bowed in unison toward the magnificent crimson figure who had just entered:
"Supervisor Phrolova!"
"Mm." Phrolova responded, then carefully examined the room and gently shook her head.
Dark, damp, like a deep rat hole, but it was indeed sufficiently hidden.
"Where is Cristoforo?"
"Reporting to the Supervisor, Supervisor Cristoforo hurriedly broke through the window and left earlier and has not returned yet."
Upon hearing this, Phrolova took out her terminal and dialed Cristoforo's communication.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
No answer.
Looks like he's dead.
Good riddance!
A rare arc rose at the corner of her mouth. Phrolova put away the terminal and asked again:
"Where is the anchor point of Cristoforo's script?"
"You mean that gem? It should be in Supervisor Cristoforo's room, but he said no one is allowed to enter."
The craftsman answered fearfully. Phrolova said nothing more and walked straight into Cristoforo's room.
In the dim room, several luminous stones served as light sources. In front of a bookshelf filled with books stood a redwood desk.
Just looking at this desk, one could almost see how the former Cristoforo had once leaned over it, face full of intoxication as he wrote those stories he thought were romantic.
It was unknown whether, after experiencing the contents of his own script, he would still find the story romantic and poetic.
Flipping open the reference books on the desk, a gem emitting a faint blue glow appeared before her.
Phrolova picked up the gem. As if breaking some protective restriction, an evil and chaotic frequency immediately emanated from it.
"Very good. The Threnodian power cultivated by the script still remains. Noah is still in Septimont. This place is not safe to stay for long."
Putting away the gem, Phrolova placed a Red Spider Lily in its original spot, turned around, and hurriedly left the bedroom. Several craftsmen came forward again.
Clearly, whether it was Cristoforo's earlier window-breaking departure or Phrolova's sudden taking of the gem, they had smelled something unusual.
"Supervisor Phrolova, do you have any instructions?"
"Instructions? Of course I do——"
Phrolova paused in her steps, left a single sentence, and left without looking back:
"If the Grand Architect comes, tell him for me that I took the Threnodian gem."