Chapter 128: Beyond the Script

As Fu Xuan’s voice fell, a web of cerulean light flared to life across the floor. The complex patterns of the Matrix of Prescience pulsed with an arcane energy, and she began her deliberate walk toward its center.

“However, I must conclude my questioning first.” Her voice was crisp and authoritative. “The Matrix of Prescience is now active. Its power will ensure that every word spoken within is truth. You will all remain outside the perimeter.”

The members of the Express crew and the surrounding Cloud Knights stopped at the edge of the glowing diagram, their gazes collectively fixed upon the Master Diviner’s back. They watched as she strode into the heart of the matrix.

There, a figure bound by pale golden chains materialized within the light. It was Kafka.

She still wore that infuriatingly nonchalant expression, her hands folded demurely before her, the faint, knowing smile at the corners of her mouth entirely undiminished. She even had the audacity to tilt her chin in a silent greeting toward the crowd on the periphery.

Strangely, no matter how intently everyone strained their ears, they couldn’t hear a single word of the conversation that followed. It was as if a pane of impossibly thick, invisible glass had descended around the two women at the matrix’s core, isolating them completely. All the onlookers could perceive was the sight of Fu Xuan’s rigid posture and the occasional, unhurried movement of Kafka’s lips.

March 7th stood on his tiptoes, craning his neck and peeking from side to side before scratching his head in sheer frustration.

“What’s the deal? Is the soundproofing here that good? What in the world is Lady Fu Xuan asking her?”

Chen, meanwhile, was clinging dramatically to Ms. Welt’s arm, using her as a human support pillar. “It’s probably a feature of the Matrix,” he mumbled into her sleeve. “Keeps the juicy details from getting leaked, I guess…”

Before long, Fu Xuan emerged from the pillar of light. The Master Diviner’s usually placid expression was fractured, replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated astonishment and disbelief. Her eyes were wide, her composure momentarily shattered as she subconsciously muttered to herself, the words barely a whisper.

“…How is this possible? The Matrix of Prescience gives a clear warning for falsehood, and yet her words… they contain none?”

This conclusion was clearly far outside the world of what Fu Xuan had anticipated. Her brows knitted together as she fell into a brief, intense contemplation, her mind visibly racing to process and weigh this startling new information.

A moment later, she looked up, her gaze sweeping over Ms. Welt and the others. Her tone had returned to its usual calm, but it was now laced with a gravity that hadn’t been there before.

“Everyone, the situation is somewhat… unexpected.”

“I require time to perform a new divination.”

“Before that,” she continued, gesturing toward the center of the matrix, “if you have questions of your own, you may speak with Kafka through the core. The Matrix of Prescience will naturally filter out any lies for you.”

She paused, her gaze unreadable. “As for how much time you take… that is up to you.”

Upon hearing this, Ms. Welt pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She pondered for a moment, then turned her gaze to the quiet girl standing beside her.

Ever since hearing Kafka’s name, the grey-haired Caelus had been standing in a world of her own, her gaze distant and unfocused.

“Caelus,” Ms. Welt said gently.

“Go on. I believe… you have many doubts in your heart that you need to ask her yourself.”

“Eh? Let Caelus face that bad woman alone?” March 7th immediately protested, his expression one of clear disapproval. “Auntie Welt!”

“That Kafka is clearly full of bad intentions, always talking in circles! Caelus is so innocent, what if she gets tricked?”

He then turned to Caelus, his tone earnest and full of brotherly concern. “Caelus, you have to be super careful! Don’t let yourself get fooled by one of those beautiful, mysterious, mature-but-totally-evil types!”

He punctuated his warning with a vigorous nod. “She definitely means you no good!”

Caelus looked from Ms. Welt’s encouraging face to March 7th’s worried one, her gaze finally landing on Chen.

Chen offered her a warm smile, stepping forward to give her shoulder a reassuring pat.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

“I’ll just stand right by your side, I won’t say a word. Think of me as a background character and a bodyguard, all in one.” He puffed out his chest slightly. “If she dares to spout nonsense and lie to you, I’ll… I’ll smack her!”

A flicker of light seemed to return to Caelus’s eyes, and she gave a small, firm nod.

“Then… alright.”

Seeing that Chen would be accompanying her, March 7th seemed slightly relieved, but he still shot Caelus a final, emphatic “stay alert” gesture with his hands.

And so, Caelus and Chen walked together toward the core of the Matrix of Prescience.

Kafka was still there, her posture as elegant as ever, though her hands were now visibly bound by specialized energy shackles that pulsed with a faint light. When Caelus and Chen stepped into the range of the light pillar, Kafka looked up.

Her gaze fell first upon Caelus, and a smile blossomed on her face—a smile entirely different from the one she had shown the Cloud Knights and Fu Xuan. This one was softer, almost bordering on gentle.

“Hi, Caelus.”

Kafka’s voice had lost some of its lazy, magnetic quality, replaced by a tone tinged with a complex mix of emotions.

“You… don’t seem to have changed at all.”

She then adopted a look of faint apology. “I’m truly sorry for letting you see me in such a… pathetic state.”

Caelus simply looked at her, silent for a few long seconds before asking softly, “Are you… not hurt?”

Kafka seemed to startle for a moment, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Then, her smile deepened, and her gaze softened even more.

“Are you worried about me? Don’t worry, the Xianzhou treats its captives very well. At least I’m not missing any limbs.”

Her gaze remained fixed on Caelus’s face, unwavering.

“When we were on the Express, I didn’t speak with you.”

“Because I knew… that here, we would have plenty of time.”

The ensuing dialogue didn’t deviate much from the game’s plot as Chen remembered it. In a guiding, almost nostalgic tone, Kafka began to recount Elio’s prophecy, explaining that the Stellaron Hunters were not mere agents of destruction, but actors following a much larger, more complex script.

Chen stood half a step behind Caelus, fulfilling his promise to be a dutiful background character. While his ears took in the conversation, his mind began to wander.

‘Hmm… heard this part before… this bit is about the same… oh, and now she’s starting to play the family card. The classic ‘I practically raised you as my own daughter’ segment…’ he thought, silently comparing the scene to the original plot in his head. He felt neither particularly surprised nor touched by the performance.

Most of his attention, in truth, was focused on a far more pressing matter.

‘How in the world am I supposed to touch Kafka and unlock that five-star codex?!’

He was only two or three meters away from her, with nothing but a pillar of light between them. Should he just make a mad dash for it and tap her on the shoulder? He’d probably be blasted into next week by the matrix’s defensive systems, or worse, be tackled by Fu Xuan herself for attempting a jailbreak.

No, he needed a reasonable excuse. He had to manufacture an accident…

Just as Chen’s mind was racing through a dozen different half-baked plans—from offering her a non-existent glass of water to “accidentally” tripping to feigning concern about the integrity of her shackles—the conversation between Kafka and Caelus was gradually drawing to a close.

Kafka’s gaze finally shifted away from Caelus. It drifted past the girl’s shoulder and landed squarely on Chen’s face.

Those amethyst eyes, carrying a hint of elusive, dangerous playfulness, looked straight at him.

The corners of Kafka’s lips curled into that familiar, lazy smile. Her voice, regaining its usual magnetic purr, slid through the air.

“And you, my little friend who has been listening so quietly… what are your thoughts on this little reunion of ours?”

Her words were one thing, but her gaze seemed to imply something else entirely. It was a look that pierced right through him, a silent question hanging in the air.

‘How much do you know… about existence outside of the script?’

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]