Thanks for Exalted, Gallerhad and Michael Thunder for becoming as Supporters!
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Lumina Square, COFF Café.
"What!? Arden and Miss Miyabi are engaged and inviting you to their engagement banquet?"
Seeing the message from Nicole, Belle could sense just how proud Nicole was on the other end of the phone. Being invited to an event by such prestigious powers as Yunkui Summit and the Hoshimi family—that was brag-worthy for years.
But what caught Belle's attention more was the "Miss Miyabi" mentioned in the message. Was she really the same Void Hunter, Hoshimi Miyabi, that she knew?
[Ding-dong! You have a new message. Please check it!]
Soon after, Belle received invitations from both Arden and Miyabi, confirming her suspicions.
"Oh my goodness… Arden… you didn't specialize in Joyful Zen or something, did you?"
Belle was flustered, barely able to form words.
It wasn't her fault. Only a few days had passed since Bringer's execution, and Arden had already won over Miyabi—and was holding a public engagement banquet!?
Belle even suspected Arden had used some less-than-proper Daoist method to charm Miss Miyabi.
Cough cough! In a sense, her guess wasn't entirely wrong.
"Brother, we need to prepare properly—new outfits… something formal. Oh, and we need gifts too!"
Belle saw this as an opportunity.
Her thinking aligned with Nicole's: if she could latch onto Arden and Hoshimi Miyabi, two of the most influential figures around, the future of Phaethon was guaranteed to soar!
Most importantly, they could likely provide vital information about their teacher's whereabouts.
"Belle! Calm down… Arden and Miss Miyabi's engagement ceremony is still over a month away."
Her brother, Wise, held Belle back from getting too worked up.
"Ah? Oh!"
Belle glanced at the messages again. Indeed, the engagement banquet was still over a month away.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Belle noticed a new notification: a friend request from someone called "Chaotic Fried Rice."
Suspicious, she immediately rejected it. But soon after, her phone rang from an unknown number. Though wary, she answered.
Perhaps it was an old customer from the video store—she couldn't remember every number.
"Dear VR expert, why did you reject my friend request?"
A very pleasant female voice came from the other end.
Belle froze for a moment, then quickly realized it must be the same "Chaotic Fried Rice."
"Whoa! She… came straight to me?"
Belle was shocked, quickly turning to annoyance.
As the self-proclaimed strongest Proxy in New Eridu, she was used to finding others via the network, not being found herself.
This was unacceptable.
"Just wait! I'll have Fairy talk to you. Don't run—clean your neck and stay put at home!"
In the past, Belle might have tolerated this. After all, the strongest at home was Eous; with her and Wise together, their combined strength was roughly equivalent to a big goose.
But now it was different. With Fairy joining and meeting powerful friends like Arden and Miyabi, any little bug hiding in its box would soon be boxed itself!
"Haha, you're funny. No wonder you're a VR expert. By the way, your voice sounds familiar—have we met before?"
The woman's tone was casual and cheerful. Belle could picture a stylish, beautiful woman lounging on a sofa in a spacious luxury villa, chatting with her.
Hmm…
Belle thought carefully, the voice did seem familiar… like she had just heard it somewhere.
"Ah… Brother, let me listen!"
Realizing something, Belle snatched Wise's earphones and plugged them into her ears.
La la la…
A melodious song immediately played—the theme song of Gunblade Online.
"You are… Astra Yao?"
Thanks to Arden, Belle had attended several of Astra Yao's concerts and even taken photos with her. Not close friends, but acquainted.
"Store Manager?"
Astra Yao recognized Belle's voice on the other end and was equally surprised.
As Arden's friend, particularly a female friend, Astra had noticed Belle during their photos.
Recently, the Hollow Investigative Association launched a civilian version of the VR Combat Simulation System to recruit skilled players, and Astra registered to play.
At first, she enjoyed winning most matches—until she met a player with the ID "Store Manager."
She was beaten soundly!
But Astra wasn't upset; instead, she became very curious about this VR expert.
She recruited the hacker Yiji, hoping to trace the player via the network. Unexpectedly, she ended up finding Yiji's "teacher."
"Cough! Knowing each other or not, VR expert… you're flattering me too much."
"I'm not flattering you, just stating the truth."
"Is that so?"
Belle's mood lightened, but she didn't let Astra off easily. "By the way, how did you find my phone and KnockKnock? You opened my box, didn't you? Clean up and wait right there!"
"Uh… it was Yiji. She traced your progress records left at the HIA Club…"
Astra promptly "sold" Yiji out.
"Ah, so it was Yiji! Those wings of hers are strong, yet she still found her master?"
Belle felt a bit odd. Yiji had spent months at the video store and knew about Phaethon and the siblings, but she hadn't told Astra.
"Could it be… you contacted me for a reason?"
"Hehe, store manager, you're sharp!"
Astra laughed sheepishly. She did want to meet the VR expert, but there was another matter as well.
"Hmph hmph, tell me."
Belle proudly patted her chest, refusing to decline.
Arden had helped her many times, and Astra was a star of Suibian Entertainment, while Yiji was Arden's wife. Belle had no reason not to help.
"Here's the thing. I encountered a patient—an intellectually disabled one—whose consciousness got scrambled in a private experiment. They can't awaken from the VR game… I asked Yiji for help, but she said her ability is limited. This kind of thing needs her invincible teacher."
While explaining, Astra flattered Belle slightly.
Still, Belle could hear the seriousness in Astra's words—it wasn't a joke.
She didn't know Astra well, but Yiji… that girl, complicated as she was, seemed kind at heart, likely influenced by Arden.
"Alright, so… should I come over to discuss this, or—"
"Wait, I'll be right there."
"Mm, no rush. My brother and I are still at Lumina Square. We'll head home soon."
"Okay."
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