Chapter 476: Third Person
When Fischer heard what Margaret said, the first thought that crossed his mind was: Here we go again?
He didn’t know if there had been a precedent at Lord Shiran’s place, but Fischer always felt that this era constantly produced inexplicable strange entities, leading him to subconsciously think that there was a person from “Dragon Continent Shiran” here, who would dare to commit such atrocities against passing subhuman women?
“Attacking subhuman women?”
“Ah, yes, but strangely, the accompanying subhuman women were neither killed nor insulted. According to them, they simply lost consciousness entirely, and when they woke up again, they found themselves lying alone in the wilderness, unaware of what those evildoers had done to them.”
“Is it possible they did nothing?”
Margaret shook her head upon hearing this and explained to Fischer,
“That’s unlikely; otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to abduct and return them? I’ve heard that the attacks have decreased since they switched to male subhumans for transport, and those males did not lose consciousness when abducted and returned. Mr. Fischer, are you interested in this matter?”
Just as Fischer was about to shake his head, Tang Zeming Asuka, who was still a bit miffed from having her head tapped by him, whispered,
“Of course, Mr. Fischer loves subhumans the most; this kind of thing… Ouch.”
She was lightly tapped on the head by Fischer again, interrupting her spellcasting.
Margaret’s light blue eyes glanced over the subtle relationship between the master and apprentice, and after that, she clapped her hands and stood up, heading to the water pool Fischer had just observed.
“But regardless, this matter impacts us significantly. The items being transported are salt and sugar the residents need; although the amount stolen isn’t much, their mysterious disappearance leads them to think that some kind of wilderness spirit might be targeting them, making trading complicated. Asuka, come here; I will teach you how to help me control the loom and also demonstrate its uses to you.”
“Uh-huh, okay!”
Tang Zeming Asuka promptly stood up and moved beside Margaret, cautiously glancing at the seemingly bottomless pool of water in front of her.
For some reason, standing before this pool always made Asuka feel an indescribable thrum in her heart, as if she sensed something unimaginable lurking beneath the water.
She swallowed nervously, taking a step back, then looked at Margaret, signaling that she was ready.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll go out and gather some information and see if I can catch those little thieves.”
Seeing them begin to move, Chuan stood up and led the group of downtrodden subhumans who had come to report, while Margaret smiled at him as he left, saying,
“Be careful on the road, Chuan.”
Chuan turned to glance at her, waiting a second before nodding,
“Uh-huh, got it.”
Tang Zeming Asuka peeked to see Chuan’s reaction at that moment but was interrupted by Margaret’s gentle voice pulling her focus back to the dark water pool.
“Alright, focus, Asuka. We’ll start with the basics.”
With Margaret’s soft voice, Tang Zeming Asuka quickly noticed that the water pool subtly revealed layers of golden light, as if something was slowly approaching the water’s surface.
As the golden light grew more intense, Asuka faintly saw what appeared to be a writhing golden sphere being dragged up by countless black threads from beneath the pool. The golden sphere, seemingly alive, was connected to a teardrop-shaped object Fischer was extremely familiar with, which was their goal, the tears of the World Tree.
But soon, Asuka discovered that the golden sphere was tightly bound by pure black threads below, unable to break free from the surface, as if the water had transformed into a solid barrier blocking its path.
“Those black threads are the powers of death. It’s because the loom is entangled with them that it can influence the rules of death. The reason we can’t extract the loom right now is due to them. My power isn’t strong enough, so I need your strength to help control the loom. Let’s begin the first step and establish a connection between you and the loom, Asuka; extend your hand.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Zeming Asuka immediately obeyed and extended her hand toward the abyss.
As her hand reached toward the abyss, the golden light beneath the water also grew increasingly vibrant, as if an invisible force was slowly wrapping around it.
The next moment, a spark of golden light suddenly burst forth in Tang Zeming Asuka’s eyes, and then her soul seemed to exit her body, sinking downwards.
“Ah ah ah ah!”
It felt as if she had suddenly fallen from a height of ten thousand meters, accelerating faster the deeper she fell, yet this descent seemed endless. She wanted to scream loudly but found she had lost control of her body, her soul silently screaming in anguish.
In that seemingly infinite fall, she first heard an irritating noise resembling nails scratching a rough wall, and then, songs whispered by unknown voices, but when she looked around, she only saw a deep darkness.
Soon, she felt as if she had reached the edge of a silent coast, with the sounds of waves hidden within the endless blackness.
Trembling, she extended her hand but found that the surrounding darkness seemed to disperse as if it were tangible. She quickly looked up and suddenly saw Fischer’s back; he stood in the darkness, the surrounding dense and terrifying shadows becoming lighter against his silhouette until they slowly vanished, and the pitch-black sea gradually brightened.
In that distant, ancient darkness, Tang Zeming Asuka saw the light of the moon rising gently before Fischer’s back.
That moon was so bright and round, more stunning than any moon Tang Zeming Asuka had ever seen throughout her life, especially as it rose from the black darkness, descent, and noise.
Yet at this moment, Tang Zeming Asuka felt that this moon was both of the same root and vastly different.
She stared at the pale moon and the extremely distant back of Fischer beneath it, until several seconds later, she wanted to stretch out her hand to call out to Fischer,
“Mr. Fischer, gulu gulu!”
But the moment she reached out, the scene before her suddenly changed drastically, as if she had instantly plunged to the deepest part of the ocean, to a place unknown to humans.
The turbulent waters around her were so deep that they could instantly frighten someone with a fear of the ocean, causing her to anxiously survey her surroundings, afraid that any prehistoric oceanic monster might swallow her whole.
But for some reason, Tang Zeming Asuka felt strangely warm and safe, as if she were in amniotic fluid still inside her mother, like returning home, causing her to linger longer than she should, filling her thoughts with maternal reliance.
“Tang Zeming? Tang Zeming!”
“!”
The call from afar suddenly roused the confused Tang Zeming Asuka; her pupils abruptly narrowed, the deeply-rooted golden power fading away little by little. She blinked in surprise, looked around, and was astonished to find that she was lying in Margaret’s arms without knowing when it had happened, while Fischer looked at her with a serious expression.
“Mr. Fischer? What happened to me?”
“What on earth happened to her that made her suddenly lose consciousness?”
Fischer also glanced at Margaret, who smiled apologetically, then lowered her head to Tang Zeming Asuka and said,
“I’m sorry; I didn’t expect the loom to accept you so well. Its power briefly unsealed under your influence, allowing your consciousness to merge with its power. It accepted you, which means we now have the ability to compete for ownership of the World Tree. How are you feeling now? Do you feel unwell?”
Just as Tang Zeming Asuka was about to say something, her throat uncontrollably started to retch, but she quickly waved her hand and said,
“It’s okay; I just saw some images that I didn’t understand earlier and noticed Mr. Fischer in the images, so it’s a bit…”
Upon hearing this, Margaret was momentarily taken aback, her expression puzzled. She scanned in Fischer’s direction with a barely noticeable glance and said,
“That’s strange; when my consciousness merged with it before, I didn’t see anything. Could it be that your compatibility with it is better? You can try using the loom to see.”
“Ugh, I don’t think so.”
Tang Zeming Asuka responded with a retch; the previous situation seemed entirely unlike the loom welcoming her with open arms. At this moment, Tang Zeming Asuka felt exceedingly faintly linked to the entity in the water, not even knowing if what she saw earlier was truly the loom’s power.
However, since Margaret had already stated that she succeeded, it should have indeed been successful.
Tang Zeming Asuka rubbed her temples and turned to look at Fischer, who was clearly worried about her. Just then, she unexpectedly noticed her gaze penetrating through his clothing, spotting something sexy underneath — oh no, not that; it was the faintly glowing area of his waist and chest sparkling with little crystalline purple light.
Fischer watched as his student stared blankly at his lower body, causing his concerned words to get stuck in his throat, forcing him to frown and lightly tap her forehead, saying,
“It seems you’re alright now, right?”
Tang Zeming Asuka blinked; she felt that the items on Fischer’s chest and the power residing in his waist seemed to resonate with the loom’s internal mechanism or enhance it. However, following her blink, the light on Fischer quickly vanished, as if it had been an illusion.
She rubbed her eyes, unsure if it was a hallucination, making her even more dizzy.
But just as she swayed unsteadily, almost about to topple over, Margaret suddenly leaned over, letting her head rest in her soft embrace. As that gentle touch passed over her, Tang Zeming Asuka quickly realized she wanted to lift her head to apologize, but Margaret gently wrapped around her, slowly helping her sit upright,
“It’s alright; take a break. There’s no need to push yourself; we can take it slow. I can also use this time to look for the thieves and demonstrate the loom’s usage to you.”
“Uh-huh, thank you, Ms. Margaret.”
“Just call me Margaret, Asuka.”
Margaret slowly helped Tang Zeming Asuka to her bed. This place was both Margaret’s bedroom and office; while it looked rather simple, it had everything essential, missing nothing.
After laying Tang Zeming Asuka, who seemed a little reluctant to leave, on the bed, Margaret raised her hand and looked at the slightly glowing water pool. At this moment, not only the frenzied power of destiny emerged with the golden light, but also illusory golden branches.
As both Fischer’s and Tang Zeming Asuka’s gazes followed, Margaret explained,
“This is the trace left by the World Tree in the loom; even true god-level items can leave behind some of her power. It is these powers that obstruct both others and myself from fully utilizing it, which is why its power is not complete so far, and we can only use part of it.”
As she spoke, her delicate hand gently raised, and a golden power slowly seeped out from the water pool, covering the completely hollow high tower’s top and forming a golden space resembling a cocoon.
“The loom possesses the power of a true god, making it nearly omniscient and omnipotent, especially in terms of fate perception. Through its power, I can trace destiny like an elf, seeking the truth of the past and guidance regarding the future.”
As Margaret’s gentle voice continued, the cocoon began to manifest rules not to be seen by outsiders. Only mythical beings might perceive the subtle distinctions within it, but within the cocoon, Fischer’s perspective slowly elevated under the loom’s influence as if transcending human view, and he began to see thousands of golden threads growing from the countless beings surrounding them.
These golden threads were exceedingly massive yet not chaotic, adorned with harmonious beauty, twisting and intertwined in mid-air, linking all existences in the same time and space together.
“Asuka, why don’t you give it a try?”
While the dazed Tang Zeming Asuka stared in astonishment at the breathtaking view above them, Margaret noticed her curiosity and smiled gently, moving a bit closer as she said,
“Uh-uh, Ms. Margaret, I… me?”
“Yes, give it a try.”
Margaret slowly extended her hand, and a golden light ball appeared on her palm, seeming to have grown from within her.
Facing Margaret’s gentle and trusting gaze, Tang Zeming Asuka couldn’t help but bite her lip. She glanced at Fischer, then cautiously took the light ball from Margaret’s hand,
“Okay, I’ll give it a shot, but I’ll do my best!”
“It’s alright; I’ll be here to teach you. First, we need to determine the time; the events happened in the past, so imagine a specific time in your mind. Can you sense that vibration?”
Tang Zeming Asuka slowly closed her eyes, and as her eyes shut, her thoughts began to turn. The time and situation outside and within the cocoon seemed to gradually start reversing. The sun fell from the east and rose in the west; the sky shifted from day to night, and with a sudden twist, it returned to day again. The beings exiting began walking backward to their homes, waking sleepily.
The gears of fate continued to rotate, and the threads above finally began to intertwine due to Tang Zeming Asuka’s thoughts and exploration, forming a small, disjointed knot.
“Well done, we’ve found it; that’s the day. Our question has found its answer. Do you see that [knot]? That’s where the issue lies. While you can see it clearly now, it’s essential to note that this is only possible through the true god’s loom. In reality, only beings above mythical rank can perceive its presence, and to see them clearly, one would need to be above demigod rank.”
“Uh-huh, demigod? That’s a being like the World Tree?”
“Exactly; it’s quite fascinating, right?”
Margaret smiled, but she gently grasped Asuka’s hand and softly encouraged her,
“Now, let’s go look for answers and resolutions to the knot. Generally speaking, even the loom can only see the causes and trajectories of the knots but won’t tell you how to solve your problems. Thus, we must make decisions on our own, but you must understand that any decision you make will affect destiny, potentially unraveling the knot or complicating it further.
“Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes the vision of fate can be quite narrow. When you perceive destiny holding onto problems, the knot you see may not be the only one. It could be part of another knot, or it might be a false knot, merely tangled due to specific timeframes that will resolve themselves after a while.”
Tang Zeming Asuka nodded, seemingly understanding some of the principles involved.
Her comprehension ability was indeed quick, but she still hadn’t entirely grasped how to master the loom.
In the corner of Fischer’s observation, he noticed that the loom was still being controlled by Margaret; she was guiding Tang Zeming Asuka’s involvement through her words. Otherwise, they likely wouldn’t have discovered the knot so quickly.
Also, as a side note, Fischer had heard of the concept of knots before; the Moon Princess had used that terminology. But just as Margaret said, he only had a very vague sensation of such knots.
“Ah, I found it; there are four subhumans who attacked the caravan: one elephant person, one lion person, one werewolf, and one brain demon. They were once slaves raised by a [Great Crocodile] that produced sea salt near the coast, but somehow they escaped. I’ll inform Chuan about this and ask him to handle it.”
With the origins of the knot unspooled, Margaret received the information she wanted. The time outside the cocoon quickly began to spin back to the present, and it was in that moment as he observed the scenery outside the tower and listened to the distant sounds that, as time approached the present, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a black-haired figure walking alone on the streets of the Ideal Nation.
His gaze narrowed slightly, and he quickly straightened up to look in that direction. The figure was so familiar that it was hard for him to forget.
Chuan!
How did she appear here silently again?
Fischer’s gaze wanted to chase after her, but that was, after all, a scene from some time ago. As time slowly returned to normal outside the cocoon, that figure resembling Renee quickly disappeared among the settlements of the Ideal Nation.
“Ms. Margaret, I need to go back for a bit. I’m leaving Asuka in your hands for now; I’ll be back soon.”
“Eh, Mr. Fischer?”
Chuan was still in the Ideal Nation; he had always felt that she was connected to the matter at hand, and rather than guess, he could clearly acquire more information from the direct subject.
Margaret appeared puzzled, not understanding why Fischer wanted to leave. Even though she possessed the loom of fate, she had not noticed such an elf appearing in her Ideal Nation, just as Hela easily blended in earlier using the mask presumably left by Chuan.
“No problem; if possible, please share the information we just gathered with Chuan for me; he should be at the entrance of the barrier.”
“Sure.”
Fischer looked in the direction where Chuan had just left, then quickly turned and rushed down the spiral staircase, running below.
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(The End of This Chapter)
