After instructing her subordinates to keep a close watch on Welt and the others, Tingyun led Felicity away, guiding her into the shadowed corner of the street.
Welt instinctively moved to follow, but was halted by the cold gleam of Cloud Knight spears barring his path. He watched, tense, as the two figures disappeared into the distance.
For a moment, he hesitated—then, with a tight breath, he stayed back. This was the Xianzhou Luofu, after all. Reckless action would only court disaster. All they could do now was hope—hope that Felicity would return bearing good news.
"The Emanator of Abundance, is it?"
In the dim corner, Tingyun's voice was laced with amusement as she turned sharply to face Felicity. Her emerald eyes shimmered with a dangerous light—brimming with self-assurance, yet laced with a cold, calculating darkness, a stark contrast to the gentle Foxian demeanor she had worn before. It was as if an entirely different soul now stood before Felicity.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Felicity's temple. She forced a faint smile, heart racing, mind spinning—where had it all gone wrong? Something was off. Very off.
Yet when her expression barely flickered, Tingyun's smile curved slightly, a glint of understanding in her gaze.
"I know them," she murmured, voice low and almost indulgent, as if savoring the moment. "The Nameless of the Astral Express. Bold, stubborn pioneers, ever eager to unearth the universe's secrets. I imagine they learned of the Xianzhou Luofu's plight mid-journey and rushed here in haste."
Her gaze sharpened, voice turning sly. "But the Stellaron crisis began only days ago. Who, I wonder, could have delivered word of it to the Astral Express so swiftly?"
Her smile deepened, sharp and pointed as a blade. "There is only one answer—you."
Tingyun's eyes swept over Felicity with an almost predatory gleam, her voice teasing yet laced with menace. "You displayed your healing gift before me, likely hoping I would reveal something in return. But tell me—" her tone darkened, an edge creeping in, "—how did you know I was lurking inside this little Foxian's body?"
Felicity's breath caught. Tingyun hadn't merely seized control; she had nested within the Foxian's frame, waiting—watching.
"Stay out of matters that don't concern you," Tingyun added softly, her voice like velvet concealing a dagger.
Cold sweat drenched Felicity's back. She could feel it—two opposing forces tangled within Tingyun: one, smooth and graceful, the other, fierce and monstrous, clawing just beneath the surface. Yet even now, though her true identity as the Emanator of Abundance had been laid bare, there was no immediate hostility in Tingyun's gaze.
A dangerous smile curled Tingyun's lips, a low, amused chuckle slipping out. "Heh... That attitude of yours—so much like those fools from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus." Her voice dropped, a whisper heavy with mockery. "Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am a Lord Ravager. Phantylia."
Felicity froze, eyes widening. Lord Ravager? A title she had heard only in whispers, shrouded in blood and ruin.
Felicity suddenly remembered her original goal. Even though the Doomsday Beast's all-out attack had made Felicity, who had torn off all the blessings of Abundance, feel a little threatened, then if she found a Lord Ravager, who sounded powerful enough, would she really be able to kill her?
Phantylia's grin sharpened, a flash of madness in her eyes. "I've come to tear the Xianzhou Luofu apart—make it rot and crumble from within." Her tone rose with fervor, intoxicated by her own words. "One Emanator of Destruction alone could never bring down this ancient ship that's sailed for eight thousand years... but what if an Emanator of Abundance joined the fray?"
Her gaze locked onto Felicity's face, an unsettling hunger in her eyes. "I've never seen you before. Never even heard your name. Tell me, little Emanator—when did you slip into this universe?"
Phantylia's voice dripped with twisted glee, waiting—anticipating Felicity's response.
"...Astral Express. Felicity."
Felicity blinked, offering her real name without hesitation. After all, false names were meaningless here. Her only hope was to provoke the Lord Ravager into making the first move.
Phantylia's grin widened, a glint of amusement sparking in her eyes. "Hah... Unwilling to reveal your true purpose? That's fine. I don't mind."
She chuckled softly, her tone laced with a quiet, cold arrogance. Countless civilizations had crumbled beneath her gaze—Felicity's defiance was nothing new. She had seen so many like her before—idealists, schemers, fools—and each had fallen, sooner or later.
Phantylia liked to watch the world unravel, to hide in the shadows and savor the moment of collapse, much like a craftsman building an elaborate domino trail just for the thrill of the final collapse. Felicity, she thought, was no different—a single piece on the board.
But the game wasn't over yet.
With a faint smirk, she leaned in, her voice silky smooth yet cold. "Tell me, Felicity. The 'Stellaron' has descended upon the Xianzhou Luofu. The Lord Ravager waits, hidden in the dark, ready to strike."
Her words lingered in the air, heavy with implication. "And you... the Emanator of Abundance... what will you do, now that you hold this knowledge?"
Phantylia's gaze burned into Felicity's, her words weaving a subtle trap, seeking to steer her actions like a master puppeteer. She didn't need an ally—only a pawn.
But Felicity only tapped her chin thoughtfully, her gaze distant. Her mind raced—if she could somehow draw Phantylia out of Tingyun's body, pit her directly against herself...
Almost absentmindedly, she murmured, "I plan to... deal with some beast-eared girls on the Xianzhou."
Phantylia froze, caught off-guard. Her expression twisted, as if trying to decipher a puzzle suddenly too absurd to solve. She coughed lightly, recomposing herself.
No, she must have misunderstood. Surely the Emanator of Abundance wasn't that foolish. Felicity had to be hiding her true purpose.
Her tone softened, almost coaxing. "You misunderstood me, my friend. I'm speaking of grand designs, the ultimate purpose that drives us Emanators. You infiltrated the Astral Express, infiltrated the Xianzhou, revealed your Abundance. You laid the groundwork, wove the traps. So tell me—what is your endgame?"
Felicity tilted her head, brows furrowed, as if pondering some profound truth. Then, with all the gravity of a philosopher revealing the meaning of life, she answered:
"...To get some beast-eared girls on the Xianzhou Luofu."
Phantylia's lips parted, but no words came out.
What?
No, truly, what?
Was this Emanator mad?
Phantylia's fingers twitched. A tremor of frustration rippled through her, but she caught herself, inhaled slowly. Perhaps—just perhaps—Felicity's repeated fixation on the 'beast-eared girls' was a cryptic metaphor. Perhaps she needed a specific individual, like Tingyun, as a vessel to channel the Abundance. That must be it. There had to be a deeper strategy at play.
Eyes narrowing, Phantylia massaged her brow and, with a tight smile, conceded. "Very well."
Her voice softened into a purr, and a dangerous smile curled her lips once more. "You may proceed."
--+--
T/N: If I am correct, I think that the author wrote this before the release of Fugue, which is the body of Tingyun saved by Ruan Mei, and the author assumes that Phantylia took control of Tingyun's body instead of killing her, which was disproved by the existence of Fugue.
Just consider it a small AU if you must. I mean, I haven't played far enough into hsr(stopped midway through penacony) to know about Fugue to know whether if she's important later in the story.