Chapter 164: Phainon's Invitation
"Aglaea! Wait! Don't be rash!"
An anxious shout echoed from the distance, followed by the frantic slap of footsteps growing rapidly closer.
Phainon burst into the chamber, his expression flustered and his face etched with unconcealed worry.
However, the intense, confrontational standoff he had clearly envisioned was nowhere to be found. What met his eyes was a scene of peculiar calm. Aglaea stood opposite Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng, and while the atmosphere was serious, it felt more like the quiet conclusion of a peaceful discussion than a prelude to violence.
The abrupt tranquility left Phainon frozen mid-stride. Every prepared argument, every planned intervention, died on his lips, leaving him stranded in a deeply awkward silence. In an instant, he became the unwilling center of attention.
"Uh… this is…" Phainon awkwardly scratched the back of his head, his gaze darting around as he tried to mask his rash entrance. "You… you all are… fine? What… what were you discussing? Do you… mind if I join in?" His tone was dry, still reeling from the embarrassment of his miscalculation.
Aglaea's gaze swept over Phainon, and she understood immediately. Someone, worried she might take drastic measures to ensure Okhema's security, had sent him rushing over to "mediate"—or more accurately, to "stop" her.
She understood, but she didn't call him out on it. Instead, she smoothly took control of the conversation, effortlessly dissolving Phainon's discomfort. The polite, somewhat distant smile of a leader returned to her face as she addressed Stelle and the others.
"I am very pleased to have received such frank promises from our guests," she said. "Regarding the mysteries of the Genesis Core, Phainon is more familiar with you all and will explain what follows. I must take my leave now; Okhema still has many matters that require my attention."
With that, she gave a slight, formal nod to everyone and turned to depart from the Genesis Core.
Hearing this, Phainon felt as though he'd been granted a royal pardon. He quickly stepped forward to assume the "duty" Aglaea had just assigned him. Though he still hadn't pieced together the full situation, he did his best to put on a serious expression and began to stumble through an introduction to the twelve virtual totems, each glowing with a different light, and the history of the Chrysos Heirs.
Meanwhile, the moment Aglaea stepped out of the Genesis Core's specialized space, she found Tribbie waiting quietly outside. A nearly imperceptible trace of tension and worry was visible on her small face.
Aglaea paused, looking at the woman who was both her teacher and her friend. "My teacher," she said softly, "you were the one who sent Phainon, weren't you?"
Tribbie lowered her head, a touch of sheepishness in her posture. Her voice was small. "Agy, we were also worried about you… We were afraid the pressure had become too much, and you might… might make an irrational choice…" Her words were saturated with concern.
Aglaea gently cut her off, her gaze softening. "My teacher, I understand."
She paused, and for a fleeting moment, a deep weariness seemed to settle into the lines around her eyes, though her voice remained as unyielding as forged steel. "Although… I do wish I could lay down this heavy burden on my shoulders, I know that now is not the time."
"Okhema still needs me. The future of Amphoreus still needs us to fight for it." Her eyes sharpened once more. "Our guests… they possess a power that is difficult for us to comprehend."
"Especially the one named Stelle. I can faintly perceive something slumbering within her. A roiling, destructive power, vast and unknown."
"That energy feels exceedingly dangerous. Merely sensing its existence sets off alarms in my heart. I cannot begin to estimate its full potential, but if it were to lose control, the consequences would likely be catastrophic."
Hearing this, Tribbie finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed Aglaea trusted that Stelle and the others would not bring harm to Okhema. Her greatest fear had been that Aglaea, backed into a corner, would choose to sacrifice her own principles and use force to imprison the three guests within the Genesis Core, thereby eliminating any potential threat to the city.
Now, it was clear that Aglaea was far calmer and more rational than she had feared.
Aglaea continued, her tone shifting to one of careful consideration. ", they somehow have a continuous stream of companions who can break through Agler's blockade and enter Amphoreus…"
"Since we cannot stop it, nor can we fully control it, then doing our best to befriend them might be the wisest choice for now. Perhaps… their appearance is not a disaster, but a ray of hope to save Amphoreus from its strife and despair."
Tribbie hesitated, then raised a question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time. "Agy, do you think… could there be something wrong with the Sky Titan Agler itself?"
"Is that why Amphoreus, which has not seen an outside visitor for a thousand years, is now receiving these… guests one after another?" The thought made her uneasy, yet it seemed the most logical explanation.
Aglaea, however, shook her head decisively. "No. If something were wrong with it, it would never be so silent. There would surely be anomalies in the sky, but everything remains normal."
She pondered for a moment before offering another guess. "Perhaps our guests'companions are bypassing the sky's boundaries through some method we cannot comprehend, entering Amphoreus directly from… other'planes.'"
"But the mysteries within that are something we will have to observe and explore for ourselves."
At the same time, back inside the Genesis Core, the conversation between Stelle, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Phainon was also drawing to a close.
Under Phainon's guidance, the three of them had each tried using the 'large ritual basin'to listen to the ancient whispers of the Titans contained within. Though the ancient language was beyond their comprehension, the raw impressions it left were obvious. They felt the crushing weight of one Titan, the searing heat of another, the sorrowful dirge of a third—a visceral introduction to the distinct natures of the so-called'Twelve Titans' and their deep, primal connection to the very fabric of Amphoreus.
Phainon also explained to them the noble goal and heavy mission of the Chrysos Heirs' "Journey of Fire"—to collect the Titan's Kindling, restart the Genesis process, and forge a new future for this world in its twilight.
The atmosphere grew solemn, heavy with the weight of this revelation.
Phainon fell silent for a moment. For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty clouded his usually resolute gaze, but he swiftly banished it, his jaw setting with renewed purpose.
He took a deep breath, faced the three of them, and spoke with the utmost seriousness. "Three friends, your strength, your courage, and your benevolence have been witnessed by all of Okhema."
He paused, his voice steady and powerful. "Here, I wish to formally extend an invitation to you. I earnestly ask that the three of you lend us your aid and journey with us to Suspended Blade City. Help us defeat the mad king Nikador who occupies it, and reclaim the crucial Kindling from the Titan of Strife!"
His gaze swept over the three of them, as if trying to read their reactions in their expressions. He then added, his tone tinged with a heartfelt earnestness, "Perhaps… Aglaea's earlier words and her test made you feel uncomfortable, or even disheartened."
"But I wish to ask you all… to try and forgive her caution and her aloofness. The heavy burden of guarding this Holy City, of leading the Chrysos Heirs, of maintaining this faint hope for a thousand years… it has fallen almost entirely on her shoulders."
"The long stretches of time and the endless responsibilities have eroded most of her emotions, leaving her as cold and hard as gold."
"But in a very, very distant past… she might have once been a lively and innocent young girl, full of curiosity and enthusiasm for the world. Much like Miss March."
With that, Phainon said no more. He simply watched them with his clear, sincere eyes, awaiting their answer. His posture was humble, with no hint of coercion—only a simple request and a deep expectation.
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