Chapter 162: The Fragrance of Hyacinths
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 162: The Fragrance of Hyacinths
For a moment, Maomao held her breath.
"That... well..."
The moment she saw Xie Bai, she suddenly found herself completely tongue-tied.
Before Maomao could get the words out, Xie Bai spoke first.
"Hmm... is this about Taro Ball?"
Hearing Xie Bai speak, Maomao hurriedly responded.
"Yes! Right, exactly! We suddenly lost contact with him just now. Little Yu told me to come find you guys for help."
As she spoke, a sense of oddity flickered in Maomao’s mind.
If we lost contact with Taro Ball, doesn't that just mean he logged off? Even if we're worried about where he went, shouldn't we be calling the police? Why come into the game to ask an NPC for help...
However, because Yu Yunsheng had seemed so desperate at the time, Maomao hadn't found it easy to refuse. She had simply braced herself and come to try and find Thanatos and the others.
But she truly hadn't expected to run into Xie Bai here...
It was quite a surprise.
Or rather... a pleasant surprise?
"Ahem..."
At that thought, Maomao quickly turned her head to the side, trying her best to calm down.
Once her heart had settled slightly, she looked at Xie Bai and asked tentatively, "Um... Senior Bai, do you know where Taro Ball went?"
Facing Maomao’s inquiry, Xie Bai’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke.
"Mhm... I saw that he performed excellently just now, so I sent him to a certain place for training. The next time you see him, he might have undergone a complete transformation."
Hearing Xie Bai’s explanation, Maomao nodded gently.
"Is that so? That guy really is lucky to receive training from you, Senior."
Xie Bai gave a soft smile at Maomao’s words.
"Perhaps..."
With that, Xie Bai hopped down from her seat.
"By the way, I have something I need your help with as well."
Maomao instantly snapped to attention, her tone solemn.
"Yes, Senior! Whatever you need, just give the word!"
Seeing Maomao agree so readily, Xie Bai’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well... it’s nothing major. It’s just that now that Taro Ball is away for training, the Wheel of Fate is short on suitable hands. I was wondering if you could help out."
As she spoke, Xie Bai leaned forward slightly, tilting her head up to look at Maomao.
Those crimson eyes were clear and bright, reflecting Maomao’s slightly nervous face.
"Would that be alright?"
The gentle voice drifted into Maomao’s ears, making the tips of her ears twitch.
"I-It would..."
Maomao lowered her head, her hands unconsciously twisting together.
"Heh~"
Hearing Maomao agree, Xie Bai’s movements became even more cheerful.
She stepped up to Maomao, drawing close, and looked up at her downcast face.
"Then it’s a promise."
Xie Bai took Maomao’s hands and placed ten freshly condensed Soul Proofs into her palms.
"I heard you recently recruited ten newcomers for the Wheel of Fate. Please take these Soul Proofs and distribute them to them."
After letting go, Xie Bai walked toward the door.
"Additionally, I have some matters at the World Tree that require your assistance. Once you’ve settled the newcomers, go there and find Thanatos."
With that, Xie Bai departed, leaving Maomao standing there alone.
A long while passed.
Maomao finally snapped out of it.
"Just now... did Senior Bai... touch my hands?"
She held the Soul Proofs in both hands, pressing them gently against her chest as she savored the memory.
Just now, Xie Bai’s petite frame had looked so soft and delicate as she stood close to her.
They were near, yet not quite touching.
She could smell a faint, lingering fragrance—sweet and light, like the scent of hyacinths.
Lingering on the scent gave her a feeling of mild intoxication; if she wasn't careful, she would find herself completely immersed in it.
"Um... Miss, are you alright?"
Strife’s voice rang out in Maomao’s ear.
"Ah...! I'm fine!"
Coming back to her senses, Maomao hurriedly ran out of the room.
She left only a bewildered Strife standing in her wake.
"Huh?"
*
After leaving the command room, Xie Bai arrived in the sky above Heavenly Mountain.
In the sky, the Heavenly Domain Rift that Virgilis had opened still remained, not yet fully closed.
Looking at the lingering crack, Xie Bai slowly pulled out a codex that flowed with liquid gold.
[Book of the Heavenly Domain]
"Maomao should have everything arranged on her end, right? I don't know how many of those ten players will be able to accept my Class inheritance, but there should be at least three."
As long as there were three more players who accepted the Reaper inheritance, she could have Aisarakus act as an assistant to send those players to the Land of Storms for advanced training.
When that time came, she could naturally rise to Level 150 and unlock the fourth ability of her Divine Authority of Void.
With a new Authority of the Void, Xie Bai would have more security to support her adventures on the Western Continent.
After all, even now, she knew very little about the "Wheel of Fate" on the Western Continent. She wasn't sure if the opposition had any means she wouldn't be able to handle.
"But while waiting for Maomao to settle those players, I should first get to work on the matter of the Angel Race."
Xie Bai opened the Book of the Heavenly Domain.
Relying on the negation effect of Pride's Blessing, she flipped through the holy book of the Angel Race without any pressure.
Under the guidance of the Book of the Heavenly Domain, the Heavenly Domain Rift expanded slightly, just enough for Xie Bai to pass through.
A moment later, Xie Bai crossed the rift and arrived in the space on the other side.
[Heavenly Domain]
Originally, the Heavenly Domain was merely an incorporeal energy space, lacking an actual physical foundation.
However, under the influence of the Heavenly Domain Rift, the Heavenly Domain was gradually connecting with the physical world, beginning to convert part of its energy into actual matter.
Currently, twenty percent of the Heavenly Domain’s space had been converted into physical matter.
The remaining space was still a blank void.
This caused the current Heavenly Domain to look somewhat fragmented, as if it had just experienced a great catastrophe.
"If I just wait slowly, it’ll be a bit of a waste of time."
Xie Bai opened the Book of the Heavenly Domain, and a gentle power simultaneously surfaced on her body.
[Lord of the Heavenly Domain]
[The Angel Race's loyalty to you will not fall below 500; you may directly use the power of every member of the Angel Race. While within the Heavenly Domain, you can mobilize all energy within the domain for your own use (Source: Sacred Light)]
Instantly, the originally gentle Heavenly Domain began to surge violently.
Under Xie Bai’s control, the energy conversion efficiency of the Heavenly Domain immediately accelerated to an overloaded state.
In less than a moment, the Heavenly Domain’s integrity reached forty percent.
However, under such high-load operation, eighty percent of the energy used for material conversion was directly wasted.
After pushing the integrity to forty percent, the Heavenly Domain no longer had any surplus energy to drive the material conversion.
"But if it's just a lack of energy, that's not really a problem."
Xie Bai pulled out Funeral Rites once more and gave it a light swing.
In the next second.
Beneath the blade of Funeral Rites, a spatial rift was carved into the Heavenly Domain.
And on the other side of that rift lay the Void.