Chen Fan's gaze locked onto the weapon before him—a black scythe unlike any of the others. His senses sharpened as he tried to confirm the origin of the voice he had just heard.
"Who are you?" he asked cautiously, voice steady but eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Who are you?" the scythe echoed back, its voice deep and distinctly masculine, carrying a strange resonance as though it came not from the air but from inside his own mind. The repetition of his question caught Chen Fan off guard, rendering him silent for a moment.
"I'm Chen Fan," he answered at last, furrowing his brows. "And you?"
"Who am I…?" the scythe repeated, this time with a note of uncertainty. Its voice dimmed slightly, as though confused. "I… don't know."
Before Chen Fan could press further, the voice of the king interrupted, pulling his attention away from the mysterious weapon.
"Well then, have you chosen the weapon you desire?" the king asked, his tone calm but his gaze sharp, shifting from the scythe to Chen Fan.
Turning his eyes to the five regal weapons on display—each powerful in its own right—and then back to the enigmatic black scythe, Chen Fan felt an odd pull of curiosity.
"I will choose this scythe," he declared firmly.
The king raised a brow, clearly surprised by the choice. "Are you sure? That weapon is shrouded in mystery. If no answers surface, it may prove useless to you."
"Yes, Your Highness," Chen Fan replied with conviction.
The king studied him for a moment longer before letting out a soft breath. Then he raised a hand, and one of the treasures behind him began to hum and vibrate. It floated toward him with a soft golden glow. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the item to Chen Fan.
"Consider this a gift," the king said. "Not just from a monarch—but from a father grateful for what you've done for my daughter."
Startled, Chen Fan caught the object with both hands. It was an earring—small, delicate, and adorned with a glinting red gem that looked like crystallized flame.
"This earring holds a condensed archive of knowledge," the king explained. "It can absorb the contents of any book in mere seconds, and it already contains all the information found in this palace's library. Simply think about what you wish to know, and it will present the answer to you."
Chen Fan's eyes lit up with amazement as he studied the earring in his palm. This… this will save me so much time. He bowed his head slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I accept it with respect."
The two soon departed the treasury vault. Outside, Chen Fan slipped the earring onto his right ear while still carrying the scythe in hand. Unable to shake his curiosity, he tried speaking to it again.
"Do you have any memories?" he asked as they walked.
The voice answered, distant and slow. "As far as I recall… no."
"What about your name?"
"I believe I had one… but I cannot remember it."
Chen Fan's eyebrow twitched in frustration. "If you can't remember your name, how are you so sure you even had one?"
"If I don't remember it, how can you be sure I didn't?" the scythe retorted smoothly.
Chen Fan exhaled, shaking his head. This thing talks a lot, but there's nothing useful in its words…
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll just call you Black from now on."
"Is it because of my color?" the scythe asked, its tone utterly deadpan.
Chen Fan ignored the remark. "What about your powers?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Is it because of my color?" the scythe repeated, using the same phrase but somehow making it sound like a joke.
"..."
Ao Xue let out a soft laugh. "Heh… good one, Black."
Without missing a beat, the scythe responded in its monotone drawl, "Why are you laughing, you ugly-ass lizard?"
"..."
"..."
"Pft—" Chen Fan stifled a laugh, a hand quickly raised to mask his expression.
The king, noticing the flicker of amusement, gave him a puzzled glance. "Is something the matter?"
"No, Your Majesty," Chen Fan replied smoothly, straightening his posture. "I was just testing the earring's function and… the answer I got was a bit unexpected."
The king raised a curious brow but ultimately chose not to pry. "I see."
Ao Xue's voice rang out with a shout. "What did you just say, you rusted old blade?!"
The scythe, as emotionless as ever, responded in its flat tone, "Not only is your appearance a disgrace, even your brain seems to match—dim and underdeveloped."
Chen Fan bit back another laugh as Ao Xue's face contorted with rage.
"You little brat," Ao Xue snapped at Chen Fan. "Let's switch—give me that thing. I'll break it in half and be done with it."
"Come out here, you dimwit lizard," the scythe retorted. "I'll make sure to slice you into scales and dust."
The two continued trading insults, their back-and-forth filled with venom and strangely comedic timing. Chen Fan couldn't help but be entertained, though a part of him wondered why the weapon seemed particularly hostile toward Ao Xue.
"You're really sure you don't have any memories?" he asked the scythe, still watching the verbal sparring. "You act like you've got a personal grudge against him."
"If anything, you should be questioning yourself," Black replied without pause. "How could you allow such a foul creature to live under the same sky as you? I may not have memories, but even with basic instinct, it's only natural to want to kill a lizard like this on sight."
Chen Fan fell silent at the scythe's words. Whether it was from a previous wielder, or the weapon itself retained some lingering hatred, it was clear that there was an old feud buried in its essence. Whatever the truth, it wasn't something he could untangle now.
"Do you have any idea how to recover your memories?" he asked again.
"I don't remember."
"Tch. Loser," Ao Xue scoffed. The second round of insults began immediately afterward, with renewed enthusiasm on both sides.
While the two continued bickering, Chen Fan tried to search for answers through the earring. There were no hints about the scythe's origin or nature.
Looks like I'll have to take this slowly, he thought. Still, the fact that the weapon had a consciousness at all proved it wasn't an ordinary artifact. Its origins must be deeply rooted in something extraordinary.
Tuning out the bickering voices echoing in his mind, Chen Fan returned to the grand hall.
"Very well," the king said as Chen Fan approached. "I still have matters to attend to. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know."
"I will, Your Highness," Chen Fan replied with a respectful bow, watching the king take his leave.
Left alone beneath the calm, starlit sky, Chen Fan took a deep breath. With nothing more to do for now, he turned and made his way back to his room.
Tonight, he would cultivate.
---
Celestia sat at her desk, a small stack of documents spread before her as she tried to focus on her duties. But her thoughts betrayed her, drifting back to her earlier conversation with Chen Fan. A soft flush crept across her cheeks as she recalled the moment she had been caught staring—entranced by his face, lost in a daze she hadn't even realized she wore.
No… now's not the time for that, she scolded herself, giving her head a quick shake to snap herself back to reality.
She glanced down at the progress reports in front of her. "Sir Kazuki has already reached the Fifth Stage of the One-Star Realm," she muttered, her fingers tracing the neat lines of ink. "Tomorrow, he'll begin his training in divine power under the guidance of the High Priest."
Flipping to the next page, she continued, "Miss Aiko's cultivation is stable—Seventh Stage, One-Star Realm. Her talent in swordsmanship is remarkable. Her skill is almost on par with a trained knight…" Celestia's voice trailed slightly in awe.
Then came the report on Sakura. "One-Star, Fourth Stage. Her archery… it's improving rapidly."
Celestia leaned back in her chair, eyes lingering on the reports. Their growth… it was astounding. Far beyond the norm. Reaching higher stages in the One-Star Realm typically took months of arduous effort. Yet these summoned heroes had shattered that pace.
Her gaze shifted again—this time to a new name.
Wang Yue.
Her breath hitched. Instantly, her mind conjured the image of that girl in her room—the scene she had witnessed. Chen Fan and Wang Yue… They seemed very close. They even… shared a bed after arriving here.
A tightness welled in her chest.
Shaking off the uneasy sensation, she returned to the report. But her eyes widened as she read.
"She's nearing the threshold of Two-Star magic?" Celestia murmured, astonished. "Even with a mortal's body… her combat growth is ahead of everyone else."
It should've been good news. One more powerful ally against the Demon King. And yet, her emotions were tangled, her heart unsettled. She should've felt proud, relieved even—but instead, a heavy silence filled her thoughts.
Why? Why does this bother me so much?
She shook her head again, as if to banish the storm of memories and emotions. It's normal… They came from the same world. Of course they're close. Friends, maybe even more. It's natural.
But then, her thoughts came to a halt.
They came from another world… Her chest tightened again. Even if they can't return now, once the Demon King is defeated, they'll go back. The method to send them home does exist.
That thought pierced her more deeply than she expected.
So in the end… I'll have to say goodbye to him?
A hollow ache spread in her chest. Chen Fan belongs to another world. He has a family there… a life. And I— she looked around her room, filled with responsibilities, scrolls, and sacred duties—I have mine.
Still, the idea of parting from him forever felt unbearable.
Keep your distance, she decided firmly. It was safer. She didn't understand this feeling—this strange, quiet yearning—but she was too afraid to step any closer. All she could hope for now… was that it would fade with time.
Trying to distract herself, Celestia turned her attention back to the remaining reports. She worked quietly for a while, trying to occupy her mind with tasks and numbers. But gradually, her eyelids began to droop. Her head felt light, and her energy seemed to slowly drain away.
"What… is this?" she whispered, her vision blurring. Her limbs grew heavier by the second. Before she could register what was happening, darkness closed in. Her body slumped forward, resting on the desk, and the documents slipped from her hands, scattering across the floor.
When her eyes fluttered open again, she was no longer in the room.
She stood in an endless expanse of white. The ground, the sky—if there even was a sky—were all the same hue. White stretched as far as her eyes could see, wrapping the world in silence and light.
Confused, Celestia turned in place, searching for something—anything.
Then, a voice echoed gently behind her.
"Do not be afraid, my child."
She spun around. There, cloaked in radiant light, stood a figure she could not fully see. Its form shimmered, undefined, but somehow familiar… comforting.
"At last," the figure said, its voice warm and tinged with nostalgic sorrow. "We can speak… like this."
Celestia took a cautious step forward. "Who… are you?"