Stargazing Notes[]
1. Star Pavilion[]
- Requirements unknown.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
This Star Pavilion was recently built as the venue for the annual prayers for good harvests on Qixi, and a place for people to watch lanterns and enjoythe festival.
The building looks nice, and lantern lights are beautiful. But the rituals are so lengthy and complicated. I heard that one of our royal musicians had even invented a dance for the prayers…
Ugh. I am not going to do that boring dance. I have to think of a way to get out of this.
2. Strange Girl[]
- Requirements unknown.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
I met a strange girl today.
I sneaked out of the palace and was on my way to see the Qixi lanterns, when a strange girl stopped me and claimed that I was a relative of hers. There were several men (very strong) chasing after her, and they asked me for compensation.
I didn’t want to attract guards, so I have them some money just to send them away. It turned out that the girl knocked over a shelf at a pastry stall by the road but had no money on her.
Later I learned that she sneaked out of her home for the Qixi lantern fair, just like I did… She told me that her parents who made bamboo fans for a living were very strict with her and wouldn’t let her go to the fair, so she climber over the wall and sneaked out, every year…
I cannot believe this reckless little girl just left home without bringing any money. The first time I sneaked out of the palace, I packed all Rita’s savings.
…Although she then scolded me for that for a few days…
3. Bamboo Fans[]
- Clear [The List] in Estranged Stars first.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
I met that strange girl again this year. It seemed that she got herself in trouble again, and was being scolded by a shopkeeper. She looked relieved the second she saw me, so I had to save her with money again.
She insisted on paying me back – by borrowing more money from me. I was curious. After a while, she returned with a pile of blank bamboo fans, took out a knife and carved some patterns on them.
She told passers-by that if they wrote their wishes on a bamboo fan and carried it with them all the time, their wishes would come true.
No one would believe such childish nonsense. But the girl insisted and asked me to sell the fans with her.
To my surprise, moments later, a group of people actually came to buy the fans.
Then I suddenly noticed – our “customers” were all wearing the castle guard uniforms under their coats.
I looked up, and saw Rita waving at me from the other side of the street, smiling.
In the end, I bought the rest of the bamboo fans. I picked one from them, and thought for a long time before I wrote anything on it.
…I’ll find a chance to give it to Rita, as a thank you gift.
4. Red Bean Mochi[]
- Clear [Lantern Light] in Estranged Stars first.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
I didn’t go to the lantern fair tonight. I caught a bad cold during the northern expedition years ago and seem to be suffering a relapse these days. Rita forced me to rest in bed.
The festive noises from the fair and the fact that I could not be a part of it tormented me.
Just when I was hatching a scheme to distract the bodyguard and sneak out, Rita suddenly came back with some red bean mochi.
They didn’t tase like the ones from Feng’s Sweet Shop that I used to have. She must have made them herself.
I’m not surprised – Rita’s mochi taste even better.
5. The Ruins[]
- Clear [The Setup] in Estranged Stars first.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
It’s so boring here, the ruins. I should have brought more books.
Ah… I really miss those red bean mochi from Feng’s Sweet Shop… Ooh and Smiley Face, and osmanthus pudding, lotus pie, golden milk tart, glace plum, fish-stuffed lotus bun, crab-stuffed orange…
It is a pity that I have to miss this year’s lantern fair.
Rita and Theresa must be performing the ritual on Star Pavilion at the moment.
6. Lantern Lights[]
- Clear [Fireworks] in Estranged Stars first.
Imperial Year □□, Qixi.
I don’t know when it started, but there are more and more people selling bamboo fans at the lantern fair in recent years. I cannot believe such a sloppy made-up story about attaching wishes to bamboo fans has now become a festival tradition…
I had so much fan tonight. After all these years, he finally came back to visit me again. We went to the lantern fair and watched the boat parade together, and I ate a lot of delicious snacks.
He clearly wanted to have some snacks too, but was too proud to ask. The way he stared at the snacks… so cute.
He also bought me an orchid pin, and told me to wear it for “festive mood”.
How juvenile. The festival is not about hairpins or lanterns – it’s about people getting together, putting work aside, and simply having fun at the fair in lantern lights while eating sugar figures… This is what Qixi is all about.
If only I could have a Qixi night like this every year.
Estranged Stars[]
Faded Memories[]
Kongming with Rozaliya and Liliya behind her.
Captain wakes up to see Rozaliya and Liliya above him, but their figures are soon replaced by fragmented memories of his past adventures. The flux of images is interrupted by Kongming's appearance. The two talk about the three kingdoms and how the Captain found the wish granter, yet failed to return to his world. Another attempt to send him back was about to be performed and as they bid their farewells, Kongming mentions that Captain strongly reminds her of certain someone.
The formation must have failed as rather than aboard Hyperion, Captain finds himself in damaged ruins. Panicked Theresa, disguised as Kongming, runs into him and the two try to make a run for it to escape enemies on their tail. They fail and both get captured by Emberyan soldiers.
Grand Seeress[]
Kongming on the throne.
Captain and Theresa are taken by the Soldiers to the palace where Grand Seeress resides. Captain recognizes Kongming and was made clear that she's the current ruler not just of Emberya but of the entire realm as the three kingdoms unified under her rule.
Kongming mocks Theresa for trying to escape under a disguise and had her dressed in a stage outfit. To current Kongming, Theresa was nothing but a pretty songbird that was meant to sing for her and her alone.
Arch Imperator and Corsair Queen chained.
Before Captain could ask any questions, Kongming notes that there are important matters needing attending to and invites Captain to watch by. As he walks the stairs to join Kongming, Arch Imperator and Corsair Queen are brought into the room by soldiers.
Following a short and unpleasant exchange of words, the two prisoners were presented with 2 artifacts - a blade and an armor - and made to fight each other using one artifact each. Corsair Queen won the duel but was killed by Kongming after attempting to assassinate her. Theresa and Captain could only watch in shock and horror. Theresa needed to be escorted out to calm down while Captain was invited for a cup of wine.
Kongming enjoying "Spring Dance" wine.
Kongming drank first but shattered hers and Captain's cups after the first sip, calling the wine spoiled. Maid responsible for bringing it was dragged out of the scene and a new bottle was soon served. As they drank, Captain noticed the absence of Rita and asked about her whereabouts only to be informed of her death.
Chess Moves[]
Kongming recalls the events of the past 3 months over the win - Huodou broke the seal, despite Kongming reinforcing it, and attacked Emberya after it escaped. Envoys were sent to the other two kingdoms but never came back and no reinforcements arrived.
Kongming finding Rita's corpse.
Rita went to fight the beast alone as Kongming was developing a new formation. By the time the formation was finished and Kongming rushed to help Rita, Huodou was already defeated and Rita was found dead from the wounds it inflicted.
Wishing to avenge Rita, Kongming would conquer the other 2 kingdoms whose rulers both died today. Kongming nots that Theresa is unaware of Rita's death and wouldn't believe it anyway.
Captain making the first move.
Kongming invites Captain for a game of chess (Xiangqi) if he wants to know more. As they play, Kongming continues with events that followed Rita's death and hints that immortality doesn't equal invincibility. Captain notices slight changes in Kongming's condition, but she dismisses his concerns. As the game nears its end, Kongming loses her composure and collapses for the first time.
Lament[]
Alerted guards enter the scene but were told not to interfere if they didn't want to face immediate execution. Gasping for air, Kongming tells Captain the "spoiled wine" she stopped him from drinking was actually poisoned - part of a scheme created by Arch Imperator and Corsair Queen.
Kongming dying in Captain's arms.
While she didn't plan her death, she accepted it as without Rita there's nothing worth living for in this world and now she was sure that Captain was "the one" - the one who saved her when she was 12 years old, the one who surely had the power to wake up "Miss Ironfist", the one that can change the history and save everyone.
With her last breath, Kongming shared Miss Ironfist's location and plead "Mr. Assassin" to "take (her) to the distant future where (they) can meet again".
Set Adrift[]
The palace is in chaos as servants learn of Kongming's death. Laying low to avoid guards, Captain finds Miss Ironfist in Kongming's bedchamber. Miss Ironfist activates upon Captain's touching her, but lacks the energy to properly talk and enters a low power mode. The system introduces Miss Ironfist as Tesla Zero but doesn't provide any instructions.
Unsure what to do, Captain mumbles about things he learned about today. Tesla Zero analyzes all that information and sets the transfer course to an unknown point in the past. Captain prepares to be teleported again.
Seven Stars[]
Captain finds himself 3 months in the past, with Kongming next to him. She blames her formation for failing to send Captain back to Hyperion, but can't explain what went wrong as even Liliya and Rozaliya are now missing. By this point, Huodou broke loose and Rita went after it, telling Kongming to stay and work on a formation that would stop it.
Not being able to explain the situation fully, since Kongming wouldn't believe he tratraveled to the future and back to save her, Captain tries to convince Kongming to act faster by telling her that the envoys she sent have a high chance of failing as the other 2 kingdoms could profit from Huodou attacking Emberya first. While she has suspicions that Captain hides something from her, Kongming decides to visit the Abyssal Altar in the ruins with the Captain.
The ruins are damaged and Kongming determinates that Huodou must have gotten stronger. A formation deployed by Kongming points to Moon Emberya, which is a surprise as she didn't receive any reports of Huodou's appearance in the area. A loud sound of an explosion from outside reaches the ruins and the two rush towards its source.
Impetus[]
The party reaches the outskirts of Moon Emberya and sees fire burning in the city's commercial area. As they come closer, a shop manager calls out to them. He informs the two that all citizens evacuated to the mountains as instructed by Rita, as it is where the beast and monsters it summoned are unlikely to go. Captain tells him to go to the shelter as his life is more important than the shop.
To battle the fire, Kongming uses a branch to deploy a formation that will soon summon rain. Without waiting for its effect, Kongming urges Captain to continue their initial pursuit.
Huodou[]
Rita standing on the battlefield, taunting Huodou.
Kongming and Captain follow traces left by Huodou and reach the ancient battlefield. There they find wounded Rita standing amidst the smoke caused by her battle against the beast, calling it out for hiding. As Kongming tends to her wounds, Rita started reminiscing about their many years of history.
Sometime later, Huodou re-emerges and the battle begins anew. Rita managed to knock the beast down but Kongming's formation wasn't enough to seal it. Kongming quickly deducts that the beast must have gained an ability to connect to the ruins and absorb power from it and the seals. However, having absorbed too much energy, Huodou would soon self-destruct.
With no time or thought to spare, Captain redirects the beast's attention to himself and runs towards a cliff above the sea, hoping to at least sink it before it explodes. Paying little attention to his surroundings, Captain trips and falls into a pit found just ahead of the cliff. Nonetheless, the plan succeeded as he heard a muffled explosion while falling. He also heard Tesla-Zero counting down, which he rightfully assumed was the time until he'd be teleported back into the future. With Rita and Kogming alive, the future should look brighter this time. Right?
Husk[]
Rita standing near a desert poplar.
Captain finds himself on a desolated desert, which he realizes used to be the ancient battlefield. With no way to explain what caused the landscape to change so much, he goes to the place where he last saw Kongming, only to find Rita standing alone near a tree. It was Kongming's predictions that instructed Rita to wait for Captain to show up again around this area.
She explains that the explosion caused Jormungond's sea to evaporate and Schicksal's glaciers to melt (as if monster attacks weren't enough). The two kingdoms allied against Emberya - the reinforcement troops they both send were gone and the unexpected explosion dealt extreme damage to both nations. Emberya was the least damaged by the explosion and couldn't explain what happened to the reinforcements, fueling hatred towards it. The invasion was partially successful as the capital city was taken over and Kongming died defending it, but Rita escaped with many civilians and soldiers alongside Theresa who became the new Grand Seeress.
Having finished her story, Rita took out Tesla - Zero from within the tree's branches and left Captain with a message from Kongming for Mr. Assasin to take care of the ELF and all the intel she gathered about the troops that were meant to help fight Huodou.
The List[]
Beasts[]
Plan[]
Persuasion[]
Against the Current[]