After more than ten seconds, the silver-haired girl finally spoke: "Just a mirror image."
Angel: "So, this isn’t your true body?"
The silver-haired girl nodded: "It is not."
Angel: "Then why did you previously use Temporal Bodies rather than a mirror image? Was it purely to test us?"
The silver-haired girl fell silent once more.
If she were merely silent, it might mean she was unwilling to answer. Yet, her demeanor suggested deep in thought, seemingly indicating a willingness to respond but hadn’t settled on the phrasing.
Angel could do nothing but accompany her in silence.
On the other side, Dox observed the atmosphere returning to the previous standoff and couldn’t help but sigh. However, while taking this opportunity to savor the silver-haired girl’s earlier answers, Dox detected a hint of puzzlement.
The silver-haired girl’s answers weren’t particularly complex; why would she ponder so long for such straightforward dialogue?
When she previously locked eyes with Angel, was she contemplating Angel’s inquiries or merely gazing at him?
A strange feeling suddenly crept into Dox’s mind: Could this girl be yet another admirer like Vay? Or rather, a fangirl?
Thinking carefully, it wasn’t impossible. Like before, despite others facing trials, why did Angel not, and the Rabbit Girl directly offered mask shards? Furthermore, the silver-haired girl explicitly stated that those three were her temporal bodies, in a sense, they were all her.
The Rabbit Girl’s behavior towards Angel, isn’t it a reflection of the silver-haired girl’s actual demeanor?
Moreover, the silver-haired girl exchanged words with Angel multiple times without any hint of disdain, which seems to explain something?
The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed, and Dox became increasingly dissatisfied.
On what grounds? If Angel revealed his true face or held up a sign declaring himself as an Alchemy Master, he indeed would have the charisma to attract people.
Yet now, Angel utilized shapeshifting technique, even his relatives probably wouldn’t recognize him, anyone seeing him would purely see him as a "passerby," right? So why does he attract such admiration?
Dox couldn’t help but lean in to Kaier, earnestly asking, "Honestly, do you think I’m more handsome, or is that red-haired guy there more so?"
Kaier had no idea why Dox suddenly posed such a question, he paused for a moment, weakly saying, "Actually, sir, you also have red hair, and moreover..."
Observing Kaier’s evasive glance, Dox realized pressing further wouldn’t yield a clear answer, he sighed, continuing to lament the injustice.
At this moment, the silver-haired girl seems to have figured out her words, finally speaking, "Bond."
"Bond? What do you mean?"
"Temporal body as the bond, mask as the Bridge of Fate." The silver-haired girl spoke as she extended her hand from her lengthy sleeves.
In her hand rested a mask steadily.
Seeing this mask, Angel was momentarily stunned, summoning the Hand of Magic to take the previously assembled mask.
Upon careful comparison, he discovered these two masks undoubtedly came from the same source!
In Angel’s hand was a male face mask, while she held a mask with feminine features. Judging by the color and sheen, it should also be an old stone mask.
The two masks, one male, one female, held respectively by Angel and the silver-haired girl, stared at each other through the prism.
The scene inexplicably radiated a sense of eeriness.
More bizarrely, the silver-haired girl suddenly lowered her hand, and Angel simultaneously did the same.
In the following moment, both the silver-haired girl and Angel did exactly the same thing, flipping the masks around to face the grey-white eyes toward themselves.
Neat, it appeared just like an actual mirror.
"Be careful." Black Earl warned in the Mind Ribbon, if the silver-haired girl were to don the mask next, wouldn’t Angel also do so, receiving those surging memories?
However, Black Earl’s warning proved unnecessary. Because the premise for all this was Angel becoming the silver-haired girl’s puppet, his body being controlled.
Yet in reality, this wasn’t the case.
All of Angel’s movements earlier were manifestations of his subjective will, without any external interference altering his intentions.
Exactly because Angel was so aware that he wasn’t being controlled, he felt even more shocked.
Was the silver-haired girl mimicking him?
Or did she guess his subconscious thoughts?
In Angel’s shock, the silver-haired girl suddenly withdrew the mask, gently sighing, "As expected, it’s still impossible."
Angel rehanded the mask to the Hand of Magic, casting a puzzled gaze at her, "What do you mean?"
Silver-haired girl: "This is the Bridge of Fate."
Angel could comprehend each word she said, but pieced together, it made no sense.
What Bridge of Fate, what bond? And why mimic him earlier?
The silver-haired girl didn’t respond to Angel’s inquiry but instead turned her gaze towards... Vay.
Vay, suddenly the focus, appeared bewildered.
Weren’t they speaking with Lord Chaowei? Why suddenly look at me?
Could it be, could it be... there really is an apprentice’s trial?
Amidst Vay’s tangled thoughts, the silver-haired girl said faintly, "The lone one hidden among the crowd must shed the sanctuary of night and embark anew on the long journey, lest abandoned by old friends, drowned by stardust."
Vay paused, what does this mean?
"A parting word." The silver-haired girl paused, uncharacteristically adding, "The Sage requested it, a favor returned, but now..."
The silver-haired girl didn’t continue, suggesting hidden circumstances. But, judging by the literal meaning, they roughly understood the current situation.
Previously, they thought the surprise mentioned by Wise Sovereign was the mask, but it wasn’t. The mask wasn’t the surprise; the surprise was supposed to be the silver-haired girl’s words, arranged by Wise Sovereign.
But what implication does this parting word hold? Or is it actually a prophecy?
Vay cautiously asked, "What does this sentence mean..."
The silver-haired girl regarded Vay, as if gazing at specks of dust.
"I am responsible only for the words."
Upon finishing, the silver-haired girl directly turned her head to gaze at Dox beside Vay.