Chapter 78: It’s Your Turn to Open Up to Me
The sun rose in the east, reached its highest point, and then began to sink toward the west.
As a university that gathered a vast number of transcendents, Starfall University’s anniversary celebrations naturally differed from those of ordinary universities.
Among the Four Great Faculties, the Ruins Institute temporarily opened the first floor of the Arcane Tower and held an exhibition there.
It was used to display their newly written Chronicle of the Old Era within the Nightworld.
They even adapted some fully deciphered historical fragments from the Nightworld into stage plays.
Unfortunately, this did not include the Sixth Era involving Deep Blue Port, Frostwater Town, and the Shorekeepers...
As perhaps the closest Old Era to the present age, historical remnants based on the Sixth Era only began to appear sporadically in the Nightworld in recent years.
Even the Ruins Institute knew little about the Sixth Era, possessing only fragmented records.
To this day, the complete history of the Sixth Era remained shrouded in mist, making it difficult for wanderers to grasp its full picture.
The Ashen Institute exhibited a great number of new types of equipment, though most of these were technological weapons, which did not interest Shiltina much as a swordswoman.
However, they were quite appealing to Rast.
He gazed longingly at the anti-materiel sniper rifle on stage, brimming with sci-fi vibes, wishing he could swap out his current birdshot-style weapon with this new powerhouse.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t an Emblem Armament and couldn’t be brought into the Nightworld.
As the only type of transcendent weapon usable within the Nightworld, the production of Emblem Armaments was strictly restricted by the Nightworld itself—
According to Shiltina, the Ashen Institute’s greatest current research focus was finding a way to break free from the Nightworld’s limitations and produce artificial Emblem Armaments...
However, even with massive resource investment, progress on the artificial Emblem Armament project was painfully slow.
Of course, in the process, the Ashen Institute also accumulated a wealth of experience in repairing, modifying, and even producing by-products such as alchemically enchanted ammunition for Emblem Armaments.
If not for that, it would have been far from easy for someone like Shiltina to repair a half-destroyed Emblem Armament, as she had done before.
Naturally, along with showcasing new equipment, the Ashen Institute also hosted corresponding events, such as a new firearm target shooting challenge.
Unfortunately, after Rast claimed a round of prize money, just as he was about to disguise himself and pose as another student to enter the challenge again, he was dragged away by an exasperated Shiltina.
This left him a bit regretful.
Though the challenge allowed only one attempt per person, Rast had absolute confidence in his makeup skills.
While playing as multiple male identities might have aroused suspicion, he could easily disguise himself as a woman...
If he repeated that seven times, he could pay off the 1,600 gold Korr debt he owed Shiltina.
Of course, aside from relatively normal events from the Ashen and Ruins Institute, there were also activities with far less conventional vibes.
Perhaps sensing from Rast’s prior serious injury that the Nightworld couldn’t be entirely relied upon for healing, and that a solid foundation was needed, too...
The School Hospital and the Alchemy Department of the Clockwork Institute jointly launched the “Who Is the Drug King” challenge.
Anyone who could ingest multiple alchemical potions within the specified time and provide periodic feedback afterward would receive a series of generous rewards.
The most enticing benefit was that simply participating as a student would directly earn credit points.
In addition, the event notice thoughtfully included a warm-hearted tip, recommending that “Fertility” sequence transcendents with strong vitality, or students with healing-type, recovery-type, or body-enhancement-type Night Blades sign up enthusiastically.
Of course, the “Who Is the Drug King” challenge was urgently halted by the school less than an hour after its launch, preventing a group of naïve university students from proudly becoming lab rats.
Naturally, with Shiltina’s fame on campus, and her unwillingness to disguise herself, choosing instead to appear openly in her usual form...
Attending the school anniversary so publicly inevitably drew many unusual stares.
The sacrifices within the Nightworld could not be hidden from everyone.
For confidentiality reasons, the detailed strategies of the prior Catastrophe Remnants event were not disclosed to outsiders...
However, the names of the fallen team members that faded out on the Obelisk were accessible to all students.
Moreover, as the second-year student just beneath Shiltina in brilliance, Flan was already well-known at Starfall University due to her extroverted and sociable nature.
With even her perishing in the Nightworld, and with their former friendship...
The rumors surrounding Shiltina, already present, only grew worse—there were even whispers that she had purposely sent Flan on the most dangerous mission out of hatred for her betrayal.
As a result, even Rast, who appeared beside Shiltina, couldn’t escape judgmental speculation.
But clearly—
Neither Shiltina nor Rast were the type to care about others’ stares or idle gossip.
Shiltina had never placed her hopes in others to begin with and had long grown used to such looks.
As for Rast, he upheld the principle of energy conservation.
Do nothing unnecessary, and simplify what must be done.
Just like that old saying from his past life—
“Don’t argue with fools.”
“Master, I strongly disagree with your view!”
“You’re right.”
Rehabilitating his image among the student body… would that help him learn how to unlock the True Name of his sniper rifle and unleash a world-ending beam cannon?
Obviously not.
……
By the time Rast and Shiltina had roughly explored all the anniversary events hosted by the Four Great Faculties, it was already evening.
The setting sun bathed the sky in fiery hues.
They walked side by side along the streets of Starfall University.
At this hour, most events had ended, and students were gathering in the auditorium to await the evening’s celebration ball.
The main avenue, so lively during the day, was now rather quiet.
“So this is what the academy looked like in Flan and the others’ eyes... the kind of school celebration she had looked forward to,” Shiltina said.
She held a cloud-like cotton candy in her hand, nibbling at it gracefully.
Their shadows stretched long along the street in the sunset.
“Why do you say that?” Rast asked.
“Well... to me, the academy had always been a massive supply base... or rather, a safe zone.”
“Just like the human villages in adventure games, each time I returned from the Nightworld, I would repair my gear here, gather intel, sort my consumables, and prepare for the next dive into the Nightworld.”
“The purpose of the academy’s existence was solely to help me better conquer the Nightworld—nothing more.”
Shiltina stopped walking and turned to watch the sun gradually withdraw its light from the land.
The once scarlet-red buildings of the academy had turned dark red and black in the encroaching night.
“But now I understand.”
“To Flan and the others, this wasn’t a game’s rest stop, but a true home where they lived.”
“And the people in the academy weren’t like the clearly assigned game NPCs—blacksmiths who forged gear, potion vendors, or quest-giving village chiefs—but real, flesh-and-blood individuals.”
“The meaning of a journey isn’t just the destination, but the process itself—this is why Flan and I parted ways.”
“She wasn’t afraid of death... she just couldn’t accept abandoning the journey for the sake of the end goal alone.”
Shiltina’s voice paused briefly, and Rast saw the sunset reflected in her eyes.
“Yes, this is how they saw Starfall University... and this world. What do you think?” Rast continued.
“It’s a bit different from what I imagined... but I don’t dislike it.”
Shiltina spoke softly, “It’s precisely because the future is uncertain and life is short, that we must run hard while we’re alive, laugh loudly, love boldly... leave our mark on this world, and embrace all its beauty.”
“That was what Dean Silver told me when I first enrolled, and also the ideal that the headmaster infused into Starfall University.”
“But only now do I truly understand it.”
Rast smiled: “Aren’t you afraid that understanding all this will make you soft, like those who oppose you?”
“Unable to ignore gossip and danger anymore... no longer charging blindly toward the goal?”
“No. I won’t,” Shiltina shook her head lightly.
“The me from before acted for the ideal left by my mother...”
“I became a transcendent, inherited the Chariot sequence, all because of that obsession with being a Forest Ranger.”
“But now, I’ve found another reason to move forward.”
“Not for the obsession of the deceased, but for a world that has made me feel anticipation.”
She looked at Rast. “And for the one who made me feel that anticipation again.”
At that moment, the sun fully set, and the veil of night enveloped the world.
In the deepening night, Rast saw the light in Shiltina’s eyes.
Her gaze shone brighter than any star or moon in the sky.
The familiar notification of Bond Level Up from the Yhe Fool’s Library did not appear.
Yet somehow, Rast could sense that his relationship with Shiltina had subtly shifted.
A change so faint that even his extensive experience as a host couldn’t define or explain it.
……
“I’ve told you so much about myself.”
“Now, it’s your turn to talk about you, isn’t it?”
When Shiltina spoke again, her voice was free of all gloom.
In an instant, she had returned to being the gallant Silver Sword Saint.
“Me?” Rast blinked.
“That’s right.”
Shiltina crossed her arms.
Her chestnut hair flowed freely in the night breeze, rustling with the wind.
“You’ve heard all of my inner thoughts... yet I know nothing about you. That’s not fair at all.”
“I chose to become a Night Traveler because I inherited my mother’s ideals, and I fight in the Nightworld for the Forest Ranger’s obsession.”
“Flan and the others, perhaps they started because they wanted power or social standing—but in the end, they still fought to protect this beautiful world and those they cared about.”
“But you, Rast?”
“You’re not a resident of this era. Maybe you were from here once, but three hundred years is enough to make anyone lose their sense of belonging.”
“You, who roam so freely—what is it that makes you fight so desperately in the Nightworld?”
She stared into Rast’s eyes with those light brown pupils.
“Back when we entered the Catastrophe Remnants...”
“You said to me, ‘We’re the same kind.’”
“What did you mean by that?”