As the ship drifted through the quiet dark of space, everyone inside finally had a mont to breathe. Silva reclined lazily in his chair with Snow sitting comfortably on his lap. He looked down at her small, expressionless face and gently poked her cheek.
' i really wonder why she still can't talk…'he thought.
Ever since he had gotten Snow back from the Celestials, not a single word had co out of her mouth. No sound. No whisper. Not even a hum.
Silva didn't know whether sothing had been done to her… or if this was simply how she existed now. Still, he hoped, one day, she would speak. Or at the very least, he wanted to know if she even could.
"I have a question," Drake said suddenly.
Silva raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."
"Does ti work the sa here as it does on our planet?"
It was a simple question, but it imdiately caught Silva's attention. He leaned up slightly, Snow bouncing on his lap.
"That's actually a pretty good question," he said. "We never checked how ti works here. And as far as I rember, the days on that planet we were stuck on were way longer than normal, so there's no way they're using the sa ti we ca from."
Aris folded his arms and spoke calmly.
"The ti used in the Lumis Region is called the Arcane Ti, or the Arcane Calendar," he explained. "It follows an entirely different tric from your world."
Silva blinked. "Different how?"
Aris pointed at their translator earpieces.
"Even if I say a duration in my language, the translator will convert it into sothing that makes sense to you. But Arcane Ti itself doesn't translate like that, it's special, It uses cycles, massive cycles."
"Okay, so… how long is an arcane year?" Drake asked.
"One arcane cycle equals one arcane year," Aris replied. "And that would be approximately one hundred of your years."
Silva almost choked on air"One HUNDRED years? That's insane!"
Drake's jaw dropped.
" Days are still counted as you perceive them. The arcane calendar only records years and their divisions. Each arcane year has four sectors, each sector is roughly twenty-five of your years."
"So basically…" Silva rubbed his forehead. "If soone says they're twenty arcane years old, they're actually two thousand years old?"
"Correct," Aris said casually.
Silva groaned. "Great, crazy math."
Aris continued, "Most travelers just run two calendars at once. You can keep using your own personal ti system, and get gadgets that translate between the arcane calendar and your standard one. Most planets in the Lumis Region sell them."
Silva nodded slowly, trying to make sense of it.
"Well, speaking of planets… we kinda don't have any credits. At all.
The mission the Arcane Council gave us, the one we would've been paid for, ended with them trying to kill us. So yeah. No money."
Aris shrugged. "Which is why we take a side mission. You're still a Five-Star Platinum Hunter. Planets all across the region will hire you."
Silva smirked. "So where do we start?"
"There's a planet halfway between here and Orion," Aris said. "It's… a hotspot."
"A hotspot?" Silva repeated. "For what?"
"Underground battles," Aris answered. "Though not exactly underground. More like, unregulated combat arenas. Person-versus-person, people-versus-rift monsters, beasts, chs, awakened creatures… even golems. The winners get credits."
Silva's eyes glead.
"So basically a giant interplanetary fight club?"
"Essentially."
"And you waited until NOW to tell this?" Silva grinned. "Aris, you're becoming my favorite person."
Aris ignored the comnt. "We can also refuel there. It's the most convenient stop on the route to Orion."
Silva leaned back, looking satisfied.
"A combat arena, free money, and a pit stop all in one? Not bad at all."
He glanced at Snow again, patting her head.
"And who knows… maybe we'll find sothing there that helps you talk."
Snow blinked up at him with wide, calm eyes.
[..... ]
Planet Luria.
Silva's ship drifted into range, and the massive world filled the view through the front glass. Compared to Argon, this planet looked like a giant, at least five tis larger. From space, Luria had far more landmass than water, its continents sprawling and almost interconnected like a gigantic puzzle. Bright blue oceans cut between ancient continents, and strange storm patterns swirled in the upper atmosphere.
Aris pointed forward from his seat.
"That is our stop for now. Planet Luria. It is mostly filled with mages, with magic type people. Cultivators rarely co to this side. Oh, and there are also martial artists. The world is basically split between martial artists and mages."
Silva leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "And who runs the place?"
"Sa old powers," Aris answered. "The Arcane Council and a few other organizations."
Silva raised a brow. "If the Arcane Council is involved, how do they allow fight clubs like the one you ntioned?"
Aris chuckled. "Because it is legal. That is why I told you it is only called an underground fight. It is not literally underground. Anyone can enter. But once you sign your na, you are stepping into a no rules zone. No law, no authority, no logic is going to save you. If soone kills you in the arena, nobody cares. It is written in the contract."
Silva smirked. "Sounds fun."
"We will land soon," Aris continued. "And I will find us so accommodation before signing you all up for the fights."
"Us all?" Lily snapped her head toward him. "Nobody said I was fighting."
Silva turned to her with a grin. "Co on. Anything below demigod level, you and Drake would dominate. It would be easy money."
"I do not feel like participating," Lily replied flatly. "Besides, you are here. You can make enough credits for all of us."
Silva clicked his tongue. "Boring. I am itching for a good fight. Hopefully they have soone decent. It has been a while."
"So rogue demigods show up there," Aris said. "Those matches bring in the real money. Demigod fights are the highlight. And if people realize you are one too, you will draw half the planet's attention. Probably a fortune."
"Unless you want to hide your identity," he added.
"No need," Silva said casually. "If I was trying to hide, I would not need to change nas or anything dramatic. I could simply change my appearance."
Aris raised an eyebrow. "This planet is big, Silva. You think so people here cannot see through disguises?"
Silva's smirk widened. "The way I change my appearance is not sothing anyone can see through. Not with eyes. Not with magic. My thod is secure."
He leaned back, patting Snow lightly as she sat in his lap, staring quietly at the approaching world.
Planet Luria grew larger and larger in the ship's view, its sprawling magical civilization waiting sowhere down below.
Silva's grin sharpened.
"Oh, also, who is the God of this planet?" Silva asked.
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