Chapter 104: Strange Prophecy

Aclyris was an incredibly ancient Alien. They weren’t a common type of Alien at all, but an exceptionally rare and difficult species to find.

Only a handful of them were scattered across the entire universe, and each one carried a single, unwavering purpose. To wander the entire universe, observing how various civilizations developed, trading with each of them, and, above all, remaining strictly neutral until the very end.

They were beings who had lived for an incredibly long time, witnessing countless forms of life born and extinguished, having observed vast stretches of history, storing enormous amounts of information, and above all else, every form of life held a genuine respect for a being like Aclyris.

They deeply valued how Aclyris always traded fairly, understanding each civilization’s unique circumstances.

Aclyris never discriminated, never played favorites.

But even something like that couldn’t last forever.

Because of that neutral stance, even though they’d claimed to remain neutral until the very end, even upholding that principle to the highest degree.

Certain existences had eventually stopped respecting Aclyris’s principle, choosing instead to turn Aclyris into an enemy.

The core issue was that Aclyris and other Aliens similar to them were no longer in a particularly favorable position.

They might have been fine facing off against a moderately powerful Alien. But no, the existence hunting down Aclyris and their kind was something far heavier, far more terrifying.

Eventually, Aclyris and the rest of their species had no other choice left. They struggled to find help against that existence, and their only remaining hope lay in the invaded planets, worlds currently in desperate need of assistance.

All Aclyris could do was help them and hope some potential capable of defeating that existence would eventually emerge, and Aclyris, along with their entire species, was willing to pour everything they had into nurturing that potential’s growth.

Which was exactly why Aclyris found themselves here now.

They’d wandered countless places, witnessed a great many things. But had they ever encountered something quite like this?

’A strange human,’ Aclyris thought.

At first, Aclyris had assumed what they’d felt back then, and now, was purely their own imagination. But, having met this human again, they once again sensed that same unsettling feeling.

The human standing before them, a male human with a completely blank, indifferent expression.

That itself wasn’t new, since plenty of cosmic beings shared a similar trait. What genuinely caught Aclyris’s attention was how this human radiated something so dangerous that... it was enough to set off a warning alarm ringing in their own mind.

’Dangerous... incredibly dangerous...’

Something unknown resided within this human’s body, or perhaps, their very soul?

Aclyris couldn’t perceive it clearly.

They were curious, but that hardly mattered.

What mattered was the aura of that presence itself.

’It feels just like "them."’

Aclyris couldn’t help but entertain that unreasonable thought. Their expression tightened slightly, then they lowered their gaze, eventually settling on a blind human girl standing nearby.

Aclyris studied the girl in silence, lost in a long moment of contemplation.

’This feels familiar.’

Unlike the presence of that male human, this girl carried an existence that felt genuinely familiar to Aclyris.

They had no idea what that feeling actually meant. But they held back all that curiosity, at least for now.

Yes, at least for the time being.

Their principle was equivalent exchange. If they wanted to know something, they had to pay for it with something of equal value.

Eventually, their gaze returned to the male human, who was pulling out a book with a distinctly childish cover.

"I need a weapon."

That’s what he said.

***

Before Ilunia met Julian.

Ilunia had occasionally received strange prophecies. It wasn’t something she could understand within a short span of time, even receiving countless fragments of that same prophecy.

Each vision only lasted a few seconds. It felt like standing before a massive board, the size of an entire building, and Ilunia had to piece together every tiny fragment of that puzzle to uncover its true meaning.

This particular prophecy had also stunted the growth of Ilunia’s prophetic skill, given how genuinely difficult it was to interpret.

Which was exactly why Ilunia had, at one point, nearly given up, believing she’d never manage to understand that prophecy anytime soon.

That’s what she’d thought, until eventually, the figure she worshipped finally appeared before her, changing so much, and ultimately bringing Ilunia far closer to the answer she needed to interpret that entire prophecy.

And meeting Aclyris was part of that.

’So, what exactly should I do next?’

She’d already met Aclyris.

Ilunia tried to recall.

Her purpose in coming here with her Master wasn’t just to try interpreting the prophecy. But beyond that, Ilunia had come here with the intention of preventing "that."

And the only path she could think of was obtaining a specific item possessed by the Alien species standing before her.

"Is this a skill you created yourself? Even in my own lifetime, as a wanderer of this universe, someone who creates their own skill is genuinely quite rare. You must be an extraordinary individual. Because of that, I believe I have a weapon perfectly suited to your needs."

Ilunia lifted her head slightly toward the source of that voice. Her Master seemed about to wrap up his own trade. That made Ilunia shift her position slightly, tugging at the sleeve of her Master’s coat, right beside her.

"...Ilunia?"

Hearing her Master’s voice, Ilunia lifted her gaze slightly.

"Master... could I trade some information with this merchant first?"

"Of course, is this urgent?"

Her Master’s voice carried a note of confusion. But Ilunia didn’t elaborate further, simply nodding gently a few times.

"In that case, alright."

Her Master’s voice rang out. Ilunia flashed her sweet smile again and thanked him.

After that, Aclyris, having overheard their exchange, could understand exactly how this would proceed.

Which was why Aclyris spoke up, redirecting who they were now addressing.

"So, as Lord Julian mentioned, the Lady wishes to trade information, correct?"

Ilunia glanced toward the source of that voice and nodded again. "Yes, please."

Since this was an information exchange between two individuals, the procedure would naturally differ slightly from simply trading goods.

"Lord Julian, my apologies. But I’ll be using an artifact to create a transparent chamber that prevents our voices from leaking outward."

Ilunia immediately heard the sound of her Master’s footsteps, stepping back a short distance to give them space.

"Of course... just make sure it’s genuinely transparent."

"Understood, Lord."

The next instant, Ilunia sensed Aclyris doing something she couldn’t quite comprehend. And, not long after, Ilunia heard Aclyris’s voice once more.

"So, what is it the Lady wants from me?"