Chapter 920: Chapter 920: When I’m With Sandora
Actually, I’ve always wondered why I keep getting tricked by mischievous ones like Bingdisi and Lilina with fake morals. After much painful meditation, I concluded that I’m just a good person, and those two darlings are already black to the supreme realm. Remember this phrase, right? Lilina’s natural blackness isn’t only inside, but it’s even in the folds. If natural blackness could dissolve in water, grab her ankle and dip it in Daming Lake, the lake water could be used to paint the Qingming River Painting. I think this metaphor could also apply to Bingdisi…
She might be a god capable of shouldering great responsibilities, having once sealed the Abyss Gate with her life to protect the world, but she’s definitely the most irresponsible god in history. It’s the first time I’ve heard of a god ignoring prayers from the lower realm just because they sound like complaint calls. Looking back at those early times when I believed that fellow’s claims about divine responsibility, I must have been out of my mind. If gods really could ignore prayers from the lower realm, then why would Yelsen bother with a roaming prayer acceptance service—by the way, it seems Yelsen’s roaming prayer service has upgraded to a family N package, with the remaining three shameless members of the Tiaozi Five bound to Yelsen’s roaming number. I can’t even imagine how shocking it would be if, when one of their followers prays to their god, a voice from the sky replies, “Please dial the extension number.” Now that I think about it, the followers of the Life Goddess Sect seem relatively happier. After all, they only need to mention their home address and name when praying.
Regarding the secret of the starship debris that the Imperial Army reclaimed from the Ruins World, we’ve made tremendous progress. Although it’s unfortunate that we can’t directly dissect it, discovering that it was once used to explore the Abyss Gate is a gigantic unprecedented revelation. This sends a series of positive signals to the Command Center, allowing us to make clearer speculations about the Fallen Apostle’s actions. It’s like a massive, chaotic jigsaw puzzle; we occasionally pick up a piece. Even though the significance of this piece isn’t immediately apparent, they indeed continuously refine the entire picture. However, integrating this part of the intel into the strategic analysis of the Fallen Apostle is a task for experts, and I won’t worry about it.
After leaving the research center, I didn’t return to the Outer World, and Sandora wasn’t in a hurry to return to the Command Center either. In this rare leisure time, we strolled aimlessly near the Shadow Fortress, like the most ordinary couple, just walking together, filled with joy.
“Ah Jun, how long has it been since we took a walk alone like this?”
After moving a short distance away from the military isolation zone, Sandora hugged my arm and suddenly tilted her head to ask.
I paused for a moment, scratching my chin: “I can’t say, but it does feel like it’s been a really long time. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to open my eyes to a ceiling instead of a spaceship’s steel-plated bedroom. It seems like we’re always busy, fighting, or traveling around.”
“Yes, there’s always no way to find some leisure,” Sandora quietly said. “Enemies, war, crises, and the Abyss, countless things emerge one after another, leaving no chance for a break. Long, long ago, I thought I was already used to such a life, but now I feel like… I really don’t like it anymore.”
I couldn’t help but smile and reached out to rub the soft golden hair beside my shoulder, “Has the Battle Song Princess’s war fatigue not passed yet?”
“War fatigue? That kind of thing is meaningless to me~~” Sandora said exaggeratedly, then laughed as well, “Maybe it’s because I’ve habitually tried to share the pressure with Ah Jun, which made me become lazy instead. This won’t do.”
Sandora tends to speak her mind at these times, and I had to admit feeling a bit embarrassed: Habitually sharing the pressure with me? Her Majesty the Queen is really being polite, but if you look at it the other way, it might be closer to the truth. As a mortal who, apart from wild fantasies and fighting, aligns infinitely with Little Baobao’s level in all military and political fields, I really don’t know who’s sharing whose pressure between Sandora and me.
Maybe my self-deprecating expression was too obvious, or perhaps the spiritually connected Sandora noticed my thoughts. Anyway, just as this idea flashed through my mind, the girl beside me pinched my arm, her habitual way of drawing my attention: “Ah Jun, don’t you think so? That shows such a lack of confidence… We can only move forward by supporting each other. We’re the Empire’s last two Emperors. Aside from you, I have no one else to rely on. Of course, it works the other way around too~!”
“I… never mind, you’re right.” I opened my mouth, but in the end, admitted defeat and surrendered, since the person next to me spoke with undisputable truth, especially the part about being the Empire’s last two Emperors. No matter how strong one seems usually, it remains something Sandora can’t easily let go of.
“Ah, actually, there are supposed to be three Emperors left,” I suddenly remembered after a few seconds, slapping my forehead, “Isn’t there still a Silver-haired Mole in our city?”
“Mole…” Sandora stumbled a bit, then kicked me lightly, “You’ve completely treated that as her name, haven’t you?”
I thought for a moment and realized it took me several seconds to recall Silvia and Bellavilla’s names, whereas the words Silver-haired Mole just came naturally, so I nodded seriously.
“Alright, you win,” Sandora grinned at me, “But it’s evident that she can’t be relied upon. Are you expecting her to help revive the Empire?”
Imagining Silvia, that slow-paced person, suddenly one day magnificently issuing orders to rebuild the Empire from the throne unsettled my worldview, so I quickly dismissed the thought.
Walking aimlessly down the streets with Sandora, we unknowingly reached a place far from the military zone. Yet, despite coming to the civilian area, the pedestrians around were as scarce as near the military zone, with hardly any casual wanderers seen: it’s understandable, as almost all departments in Shadow City were working at this time. Even in this unique city, residents are required to work, and since there are almost no idle civilians, except for a few, all residents basically hold important positions, making many areas quieter during work hours than cities in the Outer World.
If it were Qianqian, she would surely find the quiet and boring time disheartening, but for Sandora, this silent atmosphere was just right, enough to let go of the pressure accumulated daily—of course, the same goes for me.
The two of us tacitly maintained silence, not talking, not even whispering within our spiritual connection, just walking hand in hand. Then, something seemingly magical happened.
It was an extraordinary state. We were just shoulder to shoulder, slowly walking together, but it felt like the world held nothing more to seek. The souls, intertwined, unconsciously approached each other, slowly merging. When I suddenly realized this, I found many new things in my heart. It was a tranquil happiness, unfathomable with no substance, yet it continuously sent waves of peace. This strange but relaxing sensation left me slightly stunned, then Sandora’s soft whisper came through our spiritual connection: “Ah Jun, did you feel it?”
“What’s this?” I was a bit surprised. The mindmelding with Sandora was nothing new to me as we could sense each other’s souls from the spiritual depths since our first meeting, but now this peaceful, harmonious… I didn’t know how to describe this feeling. It was like every regret in my heart was instantly filled. An unprecedented sense of satisfaction enveloped my body and mind; it was just so wonderful. And listening to Sandora, it seemed that our current state had some deeper meaning?
“It’s just a small resonance,” Sandora’s face bore a smile, though her words directly sounded in my mind, “A special phenomenon based on the racial talent of the Spiritual Network. Clearly two people, yet creating the illusion of becoming one. It’s only the closest people, who could completely entrust their hearts to each other, that can enter this state, but it’s rare even then, almost entirely a matter of luck, and it doesn’t have any substantial function. In the Xyrin Apostles, it’s like a game frequently played among couples because, even as Xyrin Apostles, we have the concept of loved ones. Unexpectedly, I just happened to enter such a state with Ah Jun; I’d thought our unique life forms wouldn’t allow this between us.”
I laughed; is this an alien way of romance? Well, once again, I realized the diversity of life forms…
But honestly, I found this feeling quite interesting, though it’s a pity that it seemed to only last for a while. As our spiritual waves intensified, the wondrous experience of soul fusion quickly dissipated, leaving both Sandora and me involuntarily expressing regret.
“It seems to require both people to completely relax to achieve,” Sandora cutely stuck out her tongue, “I’ve only heard about this illusionary phenomenon of soul fusion before but experiencing it for real is a first, seems like I lack experience.”
“I think complete zoning out might be necessary to merge,” I enthusiastically joined the analysis, “Just now I zoned out to the point where I didn’t know where I was, then suddenly realized my soul felt as if it had been completed.”
Sandora glared at me: “Your brain just turned to mush.”
“Maybe,” I chuckled, “it seems like being with you takes up a lot of memory. I barely react to my surroundings.”
Sandora snuggled into my arms, leaving a flirtatious bite mark on my neck, then licked her lips and said, “…Blaming me because your memory is insufficient for my large data packets?”
Alright, it seems I can’t let Sandora hang out with folks like Lin Xue and Bingdisi all the time, I’m almost losing in conversations!
The once naive girl-like Sandora is long gone…
“Wow! Shopping trip and I stumbled upon a scoop!” Just when I was gently holding Sandora, whispering sweet nothings, a girl’s surprised voice came from behind us in midair. I turned my head to see a black-haired girl with black wings, holding a camera floating in the air. Seeing me turn around, she cheerfully waved at us and said, “Haha, Your Majesties, give us a smile! Tomorrow’s morning paper’s got a new headline! Two leaders of the Empire caught flirting openly, with Lady Qianqian nowhere in sight, sparking suspicion…”
Before this gossiping tengu could finish, I decisively jumped over seven meters high and swiftly chopped her down with a hand strike: “Why don’t you give it a rest! You barely said two sentences and it sounds like a marriage scandal!”
The paparazzi tengu, addicted to sneaky photography, held her head with one hand and clutched her camera to her chest with the other, looking just like an underground comrade caught by the Pseudo Army: “Even if it’s you, I won’t give up the dignity of a journalist!”
“Dignity my foot!” I couldn’t help but slap her forehead again, “I just don’t believe you’d dare report like that.”
The black-winged girl in front of me, known as the Guan Xiwen among tengu, Shime Maru Wen, immediately stuck out her tongue at the suggestion: “I was just joking… I know the continuous development principle; if you get pissed and ban my newspaper, it would be a loss.”
Looks like this one has some sense, not completely blinded by “journalistic passion,” knowing that all the Empire’s public opinion channels are under the boss’s control. Luckily, she has some sense, because I’m really not keen on bullying a little troublemaker, but her gossip can be truly aggravating. I have no doubt that today’s photos of Sandora and me hugging in the street would lead her to bizarre conclusions if processed. She could start with a glance between the two of us and spin it into a tale of the Empire leaders planning to elope, translating the news into various versions for different regions, including domestic, overseas, American, Equatorial New Guinea, and even a Sichuan dialect edition. When I get home, Lin Xue might be waving a newspaper, questioning me and Sandora about engaging in public fornication, and I’d be left completely dumbfounded…
Am I supposed to beat up this tengu first? Even though she hasn’t achieved anything, she looks pitiful taking a beating.
“Wenwen, I heard you’ve been wandering around the Macro World lately?”
Suppressing the urge to chop this tengu girl’s head again, I suddenly remembered something else and asked out of curiosity.
Mentioning the topic, Wenwen suddenly perked up: “Yes! Life has been at its peak recently! After leaving Fantasy Country I discovered great news stories everywhere. I’ve been collecting news in the Macro World daily. Now, publishing daily instead of on rare occasions seems still not enough! Ah, I wish I could have many clones like that woman with glasses, allowing me to interview simultaneously in different worlds… Speaking of interviews, though, it seems Imperial officers aren’t keen on them; not a single one has agreed to be interviewed…”
“Stop,” seeing the tengu get all worked up talking about interviews and sourcing, I quickly interjected, “Since you love interviews so much, would you be interested in being a reporter for the Time-Space Administration’s exclusive media?”
“Reporter?” Wenwen was stumped, “For what? Does the Time-Space Administration have such things?”
I only just thought of it and explained to her about the Empire’s official media XLTV that had just started, not yet running officially, and how this unique media, under the dual catalyst of the Macro World Network + Qianqian’s style, will become an incredible media empire. To be honest, although this plan was initially a trifle of Qianqian’s caprice, I now find it quite interesting. It’s right when I bumped into Shime Maru Wen, and this tengu loves gossip. I reckon she might have a bit of interest in this job: after all, she’s currently using the Macro World platform to publish newspapers; it’s not much different.
“Wow, you’re trying something that big?” Wenwen looked at me in surprise, “A ‘media’? I know about that in other worlds, though it seems different from what I usually do. Besides, tengus like being self-driven; we like freedom. Wouldn’t being a full-time reporter mean we can’t freely interview?”
“Then be a freelance journalist,” I shrugged nonchalantly, “Continue your usual gig roaming… I mean, sourcing, but hand over the processed materials to the Time-Space Administration for XLTV to help publish. It saves you the effort, expands your news reach, wouldn’t that be interesting?”
And while we’re at it, purifying the media channels a bit, prevents your fabricated gossip flying around everywhere unchecked, I silently added at heart, that’s the real reason!
“Ah, sounds kind of fun,” Wenwen nodded happily, “Then I accept, but before that, I must take a picture of you two! These opportunities are scarce—don’t worry, I promise to only include a title and a caption beneath the photo without adding any journalistic words, is that okay?”
Seems this one knows her reputation somewhat, bringing up such a constraint herself. Anyway, it’s just taking a picture, so Sandora and I happily agreed.
After the tengu girl flew away, Sandora nudged my waist and whispered, “Ah Jun, why do I feel uneasy letting her take our photo?”
I thought for a moment, “Shouldn’t be… It’s just a title and a caption, those are the most basic elements of a picture news, what could she possibly add?”
“Hopefully.” Sandora pouted, then looked up at the sky, “By the way, Ah Jun, shall we go grab something to eat?”
Alright, here comes Sandora’s signature move. No matter when it is, it seems every time I take this gal out for a stroll, it always ends up with her sweeping through some eatery; I just wonder which place she plans on boosting sales for today.
“How about we go to Silvia’s dessert shop?” Sandora thought for a moment, suddenly showing a look of anticipation, “Her small round cakes are really tasty.”
I thought for a moment, figuring in the end this gal eats the most of the shop’s plates anyway, and plates taste the same anywhere, so I nodded in agreement. I just wonder how long it would take for Silvia, that laid-back gal, to notice her shop has been emptied out after we leave. Optimistically speaking, the legendary Little Xi Dessert Shop of Shadow City might be entering another temporary closure period… (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to go to Qidian () to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)