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In the quiet courtyard.
Xueyi, Hanya, and Huohuo sat at a stone table beneath the bamboo grove.
A cool breeze swept through.
The surrounding bamboo rustled softly.
Huohuo couldn't help but hug her arms and move closer to Hanya.
"Lady Hanya, didn't we agree to find a bright place? This spot…"
"It's so desolate and feels so eerie…"
Hanya glanced around, sowhat puzzled.
"Is that so? Compared to the Ten-Lords Commission, this place isn't bad. It's comfortable and quiet, perfect for focusing on the ga's storyline. Isn't that great?"
Huohuo was about to say sothing more.
Suddenly, the fla on her tail flickered.
A sign that Tail was feeling particularly excited at the mont.
It imdiately spoke up, "Quiet!"
"Pay attention to the story! It seems like I'm about to make an appearance!"
Hanya placed her Jade Abacus on the stone table.
She pulled up a projection.
In the dimly lit courtyard, a glowing screen appeared before them.
In the bottom right corner was the strear, Little Gui.
The main screen displayed the ga's storyline.
And at that mont.
The three judges indeed appeared in the story.
They were seen conversing with Guinaifen and the Trailblazer, who had trespassed into a forbidden area.
"Miss Guinaifen, although it's hard to explain in a short ti, those things aren't the ghosts or spirits you think they are. Please don't apply the legends from your hotown to the affairs of the Xianzhou…"
"Those things causing trouble are dangerous energy parasites known as Heliobus."
Huohuo patiently explained.
Guinaifen, however, responded sowhat dismissively, "Really? I don't believe it. Heliobus? What's that? I get it—on the Xianzhou, Heliobus is just another na for ghosts, right? That must be it."
"It seems we'll have to bring Tail out… Tail, Tail?"
"Whoosh!"
A flash of fire.
[Tail] appeared in the form of a green fla sphere on the screen.
As if to emphasize its sentience.
The fla sphere was adorned with a pair of simple, large eyes.
A small black nose and a mouth made entirely of lines.
"Loud and clear! Stop shouting… I'm not so exotic beast here to serve humans."
Guinaifen was stunned, "Tail… sir?"
[Tail] then conjured a simple hand made of spiritual flas, touching its nose as it said, "I'm a Heliobus, the ghostly spirit you're imagining. Got it? Now scram!"
Guinaifen gasped.
Then she let out a scream.
"A ghost!"
Hanya sighed helplessly, "Oh, what a strange girl. She ca here to film ghosts and spirits, yet when she actually sees one, she screams like this…"
Seeing this scene.
[Tail] burst into a triumphant laugh.
"Ha!"
"See that, little girl?"
"Just my appearance alone scared them out of their wits!"
"I, a renowned mber of the Heliobus clan... ahem, anyway, the plot is quite decent."
"I admit I underestimated it before."
At that mont.
Hanya skillfully turned on the barrage comnts.
...
"Wow, is this the legendary Heliobus!?"
"Damn, it's actually kinda cute!"
"The design seems a bit rough though..."
"Do all Heliobus look this casual...?"
"What an adorable old man!"
"Is this even from the sa dinsion? Hahaha..."
...
Seeing the barrage of comnts.
Tail, who had been feeling quite proud, suddenly froze!
"What do they an!?"
"Do these people think I'm... cute!?"
Tail imdiately bared a pair of fangs.
His entire form twisted in anger!
"Damn it! If I weren't sealed, would I only be able to show this simple form?!"
"If I revealed my true form, I'd scare the life out of you ignorant fools!"
Huohuo was on the verge of tears.
"Lord Tail... please, calm down."
"I never thought you were cute..."
"It's just... everyone is watching the story through the Jade Abacus."
"If they encountered you now, they'd definitely be terrified..."
Hearing Huohuo's reassurance.
Tail finally cald down.
"Hmph... you know how to talk."
"Let's see how this story unfolds. If it dares to tarnish my reputation, I won't let it off!"
Hanya rolled her eyes in the background.
Thinking to herself that the ga's story was created by the developer, Yu Ling.
What could a Heliobus like you do to retaliate?
Could you really have Huohuo leave comnts online to clear your na?
Of course.
She couldn't say this out loud.
Otherwise, today would be anything but peaceful.
Back to the story.
After calming down, Guinaifen asked again, "Judge, may I ask, what exactly is this fla orb? How can we prevent it from suddenly attacking? And also... why does the Judge carry such a thing with them..."
Xueyi coldly replied, "You've seen enough. The Judge has important matters to attend to. Huohuo, see them out."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
Hanya advised, "Sister, don't be angry. You're usually out on missions and rarely deal with people. Why not let handle this? If I can explain the reason, they'll leave on their own."
"You two must have heard about the damage to the Creation Furnace in the Artisanship Commission. The Heliobus sealed within escaped and has been lurking here. The Ten-Lords Commission is tasked with capturing it. We're urging you to leave for your own safety."
"If you have questions, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to satisfy your curiosity. But after that, I hope you'll keep this secret, leave Fyxestroll Garden, and never return."
Little Gui naturally wouldn't miss this rare opportunity.
First, she asked, "What exactly is a Heliobus?"
"According to the Divination Commission's classification, they are energy parasites from beyond the heavens, appearing as eerie flas—Starfire Essences."
"To put it taphorically, they are like moths drawn to heat. But the heat source isn't just anything—it's the thoughts of sentient beings."
Next, she asked, "Is this thing dangerous?"
"Yes. They love to parasitize intelligent life, feeding on their experiences and savoring their emotions."
"Gradually, the Heliobus takes root in the host's nervous system, exploiting their desires and weaknesses, causing them to develop delusions, manipulating them like puppets. The host becos completely subservient to the Heliobus, a state we call 'possession.'"
"At this stage, the mind of the host is no longer their forr self, but a Heliobus that resembles yet is entirely different from them. The host's body will soon be drained dry by the Heliobus, like firewood consud by flas."
Finally, soone asked, "So, Tail is also dangerous?"
Tail imdiately interjected, "How are you talking, little girl! What do you an by 'also dangerous'? I am the most dangerous of them all!"
"Tail... has been subdued by Lady Hanya on my tail and won't harm others," Huohuo timidly explained.
"The headache is that Heliobus are not flesh and blood, making them difficult to destroy. So, before repairing the Creation Furnace, the Ten-Lords Commission plans to set up a Binding and Exorcism Array in this abandoned garden to imprison these demons."
After this part of the story.
Little Gui couldn't help but let out a long "Oh~".
Suddenly, it all made sense!
"So that's what Heliobus are..."
"There are no ghosts on the Xianzhou, just so alien parasitic creatures that have been imprisoned for thousands of years and have escaped."
"Ah, this, this, this... isn't that even scarier!"
"It's gone from a horror movie to a sci-fi flick!"
...
"Earlier in the main storyline at the Artisanship Commission, Master Gongshu ntioned the Heliobus inside the Creation Furnace. So, the foreshadowing was there all along!"
"Thanks to the judge for the enlightening explanation!"
"I'm starting to feel that the judges of the Ten-Lords Commission are more approachable. They're good-looking, speak well, answer all questions, and never act like The Riddlers!"
"No wonder I've been feeling so listless lately, with no interest in work at all. I suspect I've been possessed by a Heliobus!"
"I have a friend who always falls asleep in class. Is he about to be taken over by a Heliobus?"
"Oh no! The Heliobus are among us!"
"[The Ruthless Divination Machine] gifted 10 Super Starskiffs to strear Little Gui with the ssage: Netizens, please be cautious with your words. The internet is not a lawless space, and spreading rumors will lead to legal consequences."
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