Chapter 55: Don't Look at Me, I'm Shy
"Star God of Life?" Xia Feng startled. "I'm being watched by Him?"
Black Crow sniffed at his neck again before stepping back and shaking her head. "Not exactly. I only detected a trace of His presence."
Xia Feng frowned in confusion. "Isn't having a Star God's attention supposed to be good? I thought only their chosen agents received their gaze."
"Normally yes, but the Star God of Life is... different." Black Crow's voice carried reluctant explanation. "This deity is an anomaly among gods, constantly creating bizarre phenomena. Rather than calling Him the Star God of Life, 'Star God of Death' would be more accurate. Being marked by Him is never fortunate."
She continued, her tone growing graver, "All living beings have corresponding stardust in the celestial realm. When one awakens their spiritual tool, it becomes a star spirit. From what I know of Him, He mass-marks countless star spirits - though His ultimate purpose remains unknown."
Her golden eyes narrowed. "Which means your spiritual tool has likely been marked."
"Ah... that tracks." Xia Feng suddenly recalled the Forest Scepter's description: 'As the ruler of this game, the Star God of Life watches you eternally.'
"Unfortunate, but not catastrophic." Black Crow ruffled her feathers. "Just remain cautious these coming days."
"You can't just drop this bombshell without solutions!" Xia Feng's eye twitched.
"Life and death are intertwined - crisis often bears opportunity. It may not be entirely bad."
"You literally just said it was bad!"
"Worry not~" Black Crow preened her wing feathers with regal amusement. "Should true danger arise, simply return to me. I'll chase away that meddlesome Star God myself."
Xia Feng gave her a flat look. "Says the bird who may or may not be a Star God herself."
"Guess~" she deflected with avian smugness.
Shaking his head, Xia Feng approached the throne. After consuming hours' worth of evil energy at Bloodnight Street, he needed replenishment.
The Evil Dragon Princess remained motionless upon her black-and-gold throne. Her mist-gray hair cascaded like silk over shoulders and hips, the translucent starlight gown clinging to her willowy frame. Even in sleep, her frost-pale features exuded untouchable majesty - the dark golden cross mark upon her forehead only heightening her otherworldly aura.
Xia Feng caught his breath, as he always did before this vision of frozen elegance. No matter how often he saw her, that cold fairy-tale beauty never failed to awe him.
Fluttering wings announced Black Crow's return as she perched nearby, her piercing gaze making Xia Feng shift uncomfortably. "Must you stare? It's embarrassing."
"I remain fascinated," she mused, "how you absorb such concentrated evil energy without adverse effects."
Ignoring her, Xia Feng stepped forward. With practiced shamelessness, he tilted the princess's chin and brought his lips within inches of hers. Dark mist immediately streamed from her mouth to his, the connection humming with power.
"Ah—!" Xia Feng shuddered violently, eyes flying wide as euphoric currents raced up his spine. The addictive rush flooded his senses, leaving him trembling with pleasure.
"Must you be quite so... intimate during absorption?" Black Crow observed dryly.
Panting, Xia Feng broke contact and patted his satisfied stomach. "Ahhh, that hit the spot."
Truthfully, such proximity hadn't been necessary since he'd mastered remote absorption.
But—
"This is a necessary procedure," Xia Feng declared solemnly, lifting his chin with professional dignity. "Ms. Black Crow, please don't question my methodology!"
After all, he remained a pure-hearted eighteen-year-old—what ulterior motives could possibly exist?
"Heh~ You'd better mean that," Black Crow threatened with a frosty glare before returning to her perch. The implied warning hung in the air like unsheathed claws.
"Ms. Black Crow, is there nothing else you can share about the Star God of Life?"
"Since you've awakened the Alpha, take this." She plucked an obsidian feather from her right wing and tossed it down. "Human child, my feathers are priceless. Use it only when facing insurmountable danger."
Xia Feng caught the feather, which dissolved into his skin upon contact—leaving only a faint luminescent mark that gradually faded. "So you'll appear when I activate it?"
"Hardly. It grants instant passage to this realm for you and anyone you touch—no tedious rituals required. Impressive, no?"
"..."
Could he admit it wasn't? Xia Feng swallowed his sarcasm. Still, better to have emergency transport than not.
...
The following days passed uneventfully.
Yet across District 51, fervor over the Divine Evil Society's invasion reached fever pitch. Every conversation orbited around the incident, with the so-called "Peach Organization" dominating eighty percent of trending topics.
The Spade Man and Red Heart's very public interventions had birthed this grassroots nomenclature. Watching the viral discourse, Xia Feng rubbed his neck sheepishly. Had he really become legendary by stealing mere 500 grams of Infinite Stones?
On his first campus visit in days, theology elective in mind, Xia Feng gaped at the cityscape transformed into his own shrine. Every digital billboard cycled through Spade Man footage—including a heroic slow-motion shot of his black-robed figure mid-air, captioned "WHO IS HE?" in blazing typography opposite the declaration: "OUR SAVIOR."
Bullet comments flooded the screens:
[Marry me Spade-sama!]
[That cape flip lives in my mind RENT FREE]
[51st District's Dark Knight!]
Tucking his hands in his pockets, Xia Feng admired the adulation with a small smile. Ah, another day saving the world~
"Kyaaa! That's my future husband!" Nearby seniors squealed like concertgoers.
Xia Feng nodded approvingly at their discerning taste—these ladies clearly recognized transcendent charisma beyond mere masks.
After basking in their praise for ten glorious minutes, he strolled toward class—only to freeze in the doorway.
The lecture hall resembled a villain convention. Dozens of students clad in replica black robes turned in eerie unison, their spade and heart masks tilting toward him.
"WHAT SICK COSPLAY IS THIS?!" Xia Feng backpedaled toward the exit.
"Feng! You're here!" A petite figure broke from the crowd, yanking off her mask to reveal Mushroom's beaming face. She thrust a folded robe and mask into his hands.
"Your uniform!"
Xia Feng accepted the bundle mechanically. "What's going on?"
(End of this chapter)