Chapter 122: I'll Wait for You in the Void

Sonia asked curiously, "So, what's your Silver Blessing?"

Ash paused, glancing at the details of his newly acquired blessing.

[Silver Blessing: Observer's Facade]

Description: Your appearance is inherently deceptive. Unless you take an unusual action, others will subconsciously overlook your presence. In the Void, this blessing is enhanced: unless someone shares a close bond with you, they cannot clearly see your face.

"Can you see my face?" he asked.

Sonia blinked. "Right now, yes."

Ash shrugged and explained briefly, "Basically, my blessing makes people ignore me when they see me… But I'm not some infiltrator planning to rob the rich to help myself. Why'd the Void give me something like this? It's like the Void has it out for me."

Sonia giggled. "Or maybe the Void just sees your true nature…"

"Don't laugh. You've probably noticed too—we've got another Curse now."

When they saw the golden fish scales earlier, a hidden piece of knowledge had been imprinted in their minds.

[Golden Fish Curse]

Infected Count: 14

Curse Strength: 14%

Effect: You can convert Silver Arcana into Gold Arcana at a 64:36 ratio. (Strength dropping below 10% provides a massive benefit; reaching 51% turns this into a negative effect.)

It wasn't surprising that the Golden Fish Curse wasn't widespread. After all, even deducing its existence wasn't enough—you had to see the Golden Fish firsthand to contract it.

What surprised Ash, however, was the infection count: 14. That meant, beyond him and Sonia, six other pairs had also smuggled themselves onto the Time Continent from the Sea of Knowledge—relying on sheer chance instead of cheats like his team.

"Amazing," Sonia marveled. "I've never even heard of a miracle that could convert Arcana like this. Even at a 10:1 ratio, it would be revolutionary!"

Typically, Silver Arcana was just Silver Arcana, and Gold Arcana was Gold Arcana. Lower-tier Arcana didn't suddenly upgrade just because an Arcana Master advanced to higher Void realms, as Arcana fundamentally represented condensed knowledge. Like learning addition in first grade—it didn't magically turn into multiplication when you got to second grade.

While lower-tier Arcana could technically power higher-tier Arcana Spirits, the process was highly inefficient. Conversely, using higher-tier Arcana on lower-tier Spirits was wasteful. As a result, most Arcana Masters matched their Arcana levels to their Spirits for maximum efficiency.

As Masters acquired more advanced Spirits, their lower-tier Arcana became obsolete—left unused and unappreciated.

Currently, neither Ash nor Sonia had much use for the curse. Their Silver Arcana was sufficient for their basic one-wing Spirits. However, as they began upgrading to two-wing Spirits, the value of this curse would become apparent. Against similarly advanced opponents, their ability to convert Silver Arcana into Gold Arcana would grant them a significant stamina advantage.

"Drinking with my senior, smuggling onto the Time Continent, getting a Silver Blessing, contracting the Golden Fish Curse, and…" Sonia's gaze flickered toward Ash's face. "What a lucky night."

"And the night's not over yet. While we still have time, let's explore the Time Continent. Maybe we'll stumble across a wild two-wing Spirit—"

"We don't have time," Sonia interrupted. "We're about to die."

Ash froze. He opened his Void Map, only to find all 25 tiles displaying the same message:

"Give up. There's no escape."

"You didn't notice the change in me?" Sonia said, twirling a strand of her hair. "My hair's turned black."

It wasn't just her hair. Ash looked around and realized the once-green forest had become entirely gray. Sonia herself had lost all color, resembling a character in an old black-and-white film.

He glanced down at his hands, now ghostly pale with no trace of flesh tone.

"Arcana Masters chase the Bull's footsteps not just to bathe in the golden rain," Sonia explained, "but because outside the Golden River, time doesn't exist."

She continued, "The Golden River moves with the White Bull. If you can't keep up, you fall into a 'Static Zone'—a region where time ceases to flow. It manifests as the loss of all color, leaving only black and white."

"So, if we had just—"

"When I got up earlier, I already noticed the grass and trees turning gray. That means the Golden River here had already dried up. We were doomed from that moment on." Sonia shrugged. "Even if we tried to catch up, humans can't outrun time."

"What if we just exit the Void now?" Ash asked.

Sonia smiled wryly. "There's a massive time difference between the Static Zone and the outside world. Even though we've been talking for a while, only a few seconds have passed outside. Normally, it takes 20 seconds to exit the Void. Here, it could take us hours."

"Getting frozen in the Static Zone is the second most common way Arcana Masters die. The first is drowning in the Sea of Knowledge."

"How long until we freeze?" Ash asked.

"According to the textbooks, if we just stay put, about ten minutes. Probably less now."

Ash glanced at the sky, where the golden rain had vanished entirely. The world was silent and lifeless, draped in black and white.

"Will we return here next time we enter the Void?"

"Yes. The Void doesn't allow backtracking. Arcana Masters can't retrace their steps. Even if I open the Gate of Truth for a one-wing Spirit, I'll still end up here on the Time Continent."

"That's good."

Ash stretched out lazily, lying back on the grass. He plucked a blade and chewed on it, surprised by its faint sweetness.

A thought crossed his mind. "Does dying in the Void damage your soul?"

Sonia nodded. "It does, but since we weren't defeated by projections or killed by Knowledge Beings, the damage will be minor. We won't lose our Spirits. Until our souls fully recover, we'll feel mentally fatigued, unable to focus, and slightly sleepy—our learning efficiency will drop."

"Sounds like being perpetually groggy… but not being able to enter the Void is a big deal."

"Well, it's not like you'll be able to enter the Void for the next few days. Without you, I don't feel like exploring the Time Continent alone. I'll use this time to train, consolidate the new knowledge I've gained, and master my newly acquired miracles. After all this effort, I deserve a little break."

"A break, huh… Now that you mention it, I haven't had a proper sleep in ages. Just thinking about it makes me tired…"

Ash yawned, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, he felt his head gently lifted and rested on something soft and springy.

A soothing, melodious voice began to sing.

It was like a lover's whisper, or the sound of ice clinking in a glass on a hot summer day—cool, refreshing, yet tinged with warmth. The voice carried a delicate balance of innocence and allure, so relaxing that Ash's body went slack, his mind drifting toward sleep.

When the heavenly song paused, Ash remained half-asleep, half-awake.

"This is a lullaby my mother used to sing when I was little. You're the first person I've ever sung it to."

Ash opened his eyes to see the Swordmaiden gazing down at him, her smile so radiant it seemed to bring color back to the black-and-white world.

"I'll wait for you in the Void."

The next moment, they were frozen in time, transformed into a painting.