Chapter 223 — Beneath a Sky Full of Stars

"...That's probably impossible," Gao Yang spread his hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "The true size of the stars is far greater than you imagine. Of course, that's also my conjecture."

Heddy wore a thoughtful expression: "Ancestor, then would you say 'Ao' is also a burning great fireball?"

"Ao... probably is too."

Gao Yang crossed his arms and raised his head to gaze at the brightest star in the night sky.

He of course knew what it was—or rather, he could probably guess what it was.

It was the "sun" that this planetary system truly revolved around.

The planet beneath his feet (presently assumed to be a planet) was not a standard planet, but most likely merely a satellite orbiting some gas giant. That gas giant was what people commonly called the "sun," but this gas giant was itself orbiting yet another celestial body, and according to the intelligence gathered thus far, the true identity of the latter was most likely "Ao"—the brightest star in the night sky, the mysterious lone star occasionally visible even by day, the "ultimate star of mystery" that held a special place in the minds of mages and dedicated astrologers.

The transcendents offered various and sundry explanations of "Ao," but whoever they were, all seemed to agree that it played a special role in the field of the occult: it was the baseline reference point for nearly all astral observation, the "spiritual focus" most commonly used by mages in meditation, and even in certain religious legends, "Ao" was connected to the dwelling place of the gods—it was the guiding beacon leading to the abode of the gods.

Rebecca looked at the sky and suddenly made a discovery: "Speaking of which... 'Ao' seems brighter tonight than usual."

"After winter sets in, Ao's brightness increases—didn't you know? This is common knowledge in astrology!" Heddy shot Rebecca a helpless glance. "I really don't know where all the things you learned as a child have gone."

Rebecca stuck out her neck: "I know that! But this winter, on the Day of the Myriad Stars, 'Ao' seems even brighter than in previous years!"

"Is that so..." Heidi eyed the sky with suspicion. She could not discern such minute changes with the naked eye, but she knew that Rebecca possessed an astonishing sensitivity in these baffling matters of detail, and so she too began to half believe it. "Perhaps there has been a change... Speaking of which, I recall reading in some rather obscure grimoires that when the stars are in the correct alignment, the connection between the ultimate mysterious star 'Ao' and the mortal world grows strong, the gates between the realm of the gods and the human world loosen, and the year foretold in prophecy when the stars would be in the correct position—well, that seems to be within the next few years."

Hearing this sudden burst of mystic rambling from Heidi, Gao Yang felt an inexplicable sense of deja vu.

The stars in the correct alignment... Why did that phrase sound so ominous?

And just as he was pondering whether this "correct alignment of the stars" was some wilderness tall tale or a genuine magical phenomenon, the terrace door was abruptly flung open, and the siren lady's panicked shrieks came tumbling through: "Oh no, we're doomed, doomed, doomed!!"

"Doomed how?!" Gao Yang had never once seen Tyr in such a flustered, screeching state. This seafood who spent most of her time in a state of hibernation was lazy and listless about everything she did, and this sudden outburst gave him quite a fright. "Is someone going to stew you?"

"The star alignment! The star alignment!" Tyr bounced over to Gao Yang with vigorous thrusts of her fish tail, gesticulating wildly. "Today is the day the stars return to their places! Once the stars reach the correct position, the great squid in the deep sea... the great squid..."

Gao Yang had just been mulling over that whole sorry business about the stars and the deep-sea evil god, and now hearing this deep-sea creature so frantically bring up that thing which was suspected to be an ancient god, cold sweat broke out all over him. "Say it clearly! When the stars are in the correct alignment, what happens to the 'great squid' in the deep sea?"

"The great squid becomes unlimited!" Tyr was so agitated tears were nearly spilling from her eyes. "I missed mealtime!"

Gao Yang: "...What?!"