Inside the Silver Moon Observatory, the sunlight remained warm and gentle, and the sea of stars outside the window continued to flow quietly, but Artoria's heart could no longer remain as calm and peaceful as before.
The cosmic spectacle of a million Ancient Angels returning, and the resulting tremors in the galaxy, could not be completely isolated, even by the secluded Silver Moon Observatory.
Heavenly Base King Hexi did not hide it from her; instead, through an encrypted information stream, she briefly informed Artoria of the general situation, the reactions from the outside world, and the initial stance that she and Queen Keisha had taken on the matter.
Watching the breathtakingly grand scene in the information stream—countless ancient and powerful Angel Warriors, like stars returning to their nest, gathering outside the Merlot Heavenly Court to render the most solemn military salute to Queen Keisha and Heavenly Base King Hexi—Artoria felt dizzy, and her hands and feet turned cold.
She knew that her "spoilers" and suggestions might cause some changes, might make Heavenly Base King Hexi and Queen Keisha adjust their strategies, and even awaken a portion of the Ancient Angels as a trump card.
But she never imagined that things would develop into this!
Not dozens, not hundreds, not thousands... but over a million!
Living, elite among elite Angel Warriors who had survived the ancient blood wars!
Just because of a "kindling" summons from Senior Flowing Moon, they all came running back?!
This was completely contrary to the plan she had envisioned of "secretly awakening, acting low-key, and serving as a strategic deterrent"!
This was simply like using a loudspeaker to broadcast to the entire Universe: My lady has a million celestial soldiers hidden at home, so everyone watch yourselves!
"I... did I... cause a huge disaster?" Artoria hugged her knees, sitting on the cushion of the observation deck, burying her face in her arms, her voice muffled and filled with obvious unease, "Now the whole Universe knows... Karl, Morgana, Lieyang... they must be scared silly, and they must be staring right here... the plans of Teacher and the others..."
She felt like a little rabbit scurrying through the forest, accidentally kicking a small stone, resulting in a chain reaction that caused the entire mountain to avalanche.
This situation, completely out of control and far exceeding her expectations, made her feel both absurd and full of self-reproach.
She just wanted to give a reminder and avoid some tragedies, so how did she manage to turn the plot upside down?
How should things play out next? Will Queen Keisha still go to Earth for the "appointment"? Will Morgana and Karl still dare to act according to the original plan? Will the layout of the known Universe head towards a completely unknown, or even more dangerous, direction because of the wings of this "butterfly" that is her?
"No, it is not your fault." Minerva's projection sat gently beside her. Although she could not truly touch her, she tried hard to mobilize the surrounding energy, forming a soft halo that enveloped Artoria, attempting to convey comforting emotions, "You just... spoke of a possibility you saw. It is Senior Flowing Moon and the others... they love Angels too much. When they heard 'kindling', they returned without hesitation, in their own way. This is very... Angel, isn't it?"
In the soul link, Minerva's thoughts were clear and firm, carrying the power to soothe the heart: "Moreover, Queen Keisha and Teacher Hexi did not blame you; instead, they seem to... value you even more. This shows that your words have value, and they saw the positive side of your suggestion. As for the situation being out of control... with the abilities of Queen Keisha and Teacher Hexi, they will surely have a way to deal with it. We must trust them."
"But..." Artoria looked up, her face filled with worry, "In this way, all the plans have been disrupted. Teacher and the others must be very troubled..."
"They are indeed troubled, but more so, they are excited." Heavenly Base King Hexi's voice suddenly came from the side, carrying a hint of helplessness, but more of teasing and some kind of... relief?
Artoria was startled and looked up to see that Heavenly Base King Hexi had arrived at the observation deck at some point, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed, looking at her with a half-smile.
Behind her, there were two unfamiliar female Angels. One was Flowing Moon, whom she had met before, still looking calm with sharp eyes. The other was a female Angel who looked gentle and had clear, compassionate eyes; she was the "Watcher" Silent Sea.
"Tea... Teacher!" Artoria stood up in a hurry.
Heavenly Base King Hexi waved her hand, walked up to her, and ruffled her hair—this time she actually touched it—her tone carrying a rare ease: "Don't look like the sky is falling. Yes, the commotion is a bit big, and the plans are a bit messy, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. At least now we have the absolute strength to flip the table, and many things that we had to worry about before, we don't have to worry about so much now. Karl and Morgana are scared like quails; isn't that pretty good?"
Flowing Moon also stepped forward and nodded slightly to Artoria, her tone softer than before but still carrying the clang of a soldier: "Little friend Artoria, do not blame yourself. It was I who acted on my own initiative and disrupted the deployment of the Heavenly Base King. But in this matter, your contribution is indispensable. If not for the hope you brought, us old folks might still be sleeping and lost in our respective corners. It was you who allowed us to rediscover the meaning of returning and fighting."
Silent Sea did not speak, but just gave Artoria a gentle and kind smile, a smile that seemed to be able to wash away the unease in one's heart.
Artoria was a bit embarrassed by their words, and the panic in her heart dissipated quite a bit. Indeed, from the results, the power of the Angel Civilization had been strengthened to an unprecedented degree, which was by no means a bad thing. It was just that the process... was a bit too stimulating.
"Alright, let's talk business." Heavenly Base King Hexi's expression became serious, her gaze turning to Artoria with a hint of solemnity, "Queen Keisha and I have discussed it. The knowledge you brought, as well as your suggestion this time, are of extraordinary significance to the Angel Civilization. Simple protection and gratitude are no longer enough to express it. Therefore, we have decided to present you with a gift."
A gift? Artoria blinked, feeling curious. Given the scale of the Angel Civilization, what would they give her? More advanced knowledge? More advanced equipment?
Heavenly Base King Hexi did not keep her in suspense; she waved her hand gently, and a faint light flashed. Immediately after, an indescribable sharp aura that seemed capable of cutting the soul instantly filled the entire observation deck!
It was not killing intent, but a "sharpness" that was pure to the extreme, noble to the extreme, and powerful to the extreme! It seemed as if even space and time would be severed in the face of this aura!
The light receded, and a long sword hovered quietly in front of Heavenly Base King Hexi.
The sword was over three feet long, the blade slender and smooth, and the entire body presented a deep, restrained dark silver color, as if a piece of the starry sky had been condensed and refined.
On the blade, complex and profound patterns were engraved; those patterns were not decorations, but flowing runes containing vast sacred energy!
A diamond-shaped gem, as if condensed from liquid light, was embedded at the crossguard, pulsing slightly with a certain rhythm, as if it possessed life.
The hilt was wrapped in unknown silver threads, and the grip conformed to the most perfect ergonomics; just looking at it made one have an urge to hold it.
This sword was not unsheathed, but that invisible sharpness and majesty already made Artoria's breath hitch, and her soul was trembling slightly.
The energy within her, and even the projection of Minerva beside her, produced an instinctive resonance and... a hint of awe because of the appearance of this sword.
"This sword is named 'star dome'." Heavenly Base King Hexi's voice carried a solemnity, "Using the top-tier dark silver alloy as the main material, fused with star core essence gold, void dust, and some 'information anchoring' materials mentioned in the new knowledge, it was designed by me personally, with Queen Keisha injecting Sacred Coding and the king's blessing, it took... well, it used some time acceleration, but it was finally rushed to completion."
She looked at Artoria, saying word by word: "It is not just a weapon, but a token, a symbol. Holding this sword, under the rule of the Angels, seeing the sword is like seeing the royal prerogative. In front of any civilization and force that knows the majesty of the Angels, it represents that you are protected and recognized by the highest level of the Angel Civilization. Anyone, any force, if they want to touch you, must first ask this sword, ask the 1.27 million Ancient Angels it represents behind it, ask the Merlot Heavenly Court, ask... Holy Keisha and me, Heavenly Base King Hexi."
Heavenly Base King Hexi's words were like heavy hammers, striking Artoria's heart word by word. She stared blankly at the king sword named "star dome", her mind completely blank.
king sword! Forged from dark silver! Forged by the joint efforts of Queen Keisha and Heavenly Base King Hexi! Seeing the sword is like seeing the royal prerogative!
This... this was no longer an ordinary gift; this was simply... a death-immunity medal, no, it was something even more exaggerated than a death-immunity medal!
This was a heavy promise that completely bound her safety to the majesty of the entire Angel Civilization!
This meant that from now on, she, Artoria, would possess an extremely special and also extremely sensitive identity in the known Universe!
Touching her would be equivalent to declaring war on the entire Angel Civilization!
Whether it was Karl, Morgana, or any other god-level civilization, before taking action, they would have to weigh whether they could withstand the monstrous fury of a million Ancient Angels, and whether they could withstand the joint pursuit of Holy Keisha and Heavenly Base King Hexi!
What an honor this was, and also what a... heavy burden!
"I..." Artoria opened her mouth, her throat a bit dry, not knowing what to say. Refuse? She couldn't say it; this was not just a gift, but the attitude of Queen Keisha and Heavenly Base King Hexi, and the recognition and protection of the Angel Civilization towards her. Accept? She felt, what virtue or ability did she have to bear such a precious and meaningful gift?
"Take it, child." Flowing Moon's voice sounded, carrying a kind of elder-like gentleness and firmness, "This is what you deserve. You brought hope to the Angels, and the Angels shall naturally shelter you from the wind and rain, and escort you. With this sword in hand, no matter where you are, the Angels will be your most solid backing."
Silent Sea also nodded slightly, her eyes full of encouragement.
Heavenly Base King Hexi gently pushed "star dome" in front of Artoria. The long sword seemed to have a spirit; feeling Artoria's aura, it emitted a slight hum like the whisper of stars, and that pressing sharp aura also slightly restrained itself, becoming much more docile.
Artoria looked at the long sword in front of her that seemed to have gathered the light of the stars and the majesty of a king, then looked at the eyes of Heavenly Base King Hexi, Flowing Moon, and Silent Sea, which were full of affirmation and expectation, and finally, her gaze fell on the projection of Minerva beside her, which was full of support and tenderness.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and panic in her heart, reached out, and slowly and firmly grasped the hilt of "star dome".
It felt slightly cool to the touch, but instantly, a warm and majestic power surged from the hilt into her body, producing a mysterious resonance with the energy within her, and even with her soul.
The runes on the blade lit up slightly, and the diamond-shaped gem also shimmered, as if it were rejoicing. A feeling of blood connection, as if it were an extension of her own arm, arose spontaneously. This sword seemed to have been born to belong to her.
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