Final Chapter: A New Journey

Beneath the afterglow of the setting sun, a silver shadow pierced through the clouds. It descended slowly, carrying an elegance and serenity that transcended this world's understanding.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Xia Yi cried out repeatedly, pointing at the sky with her tiny finger. Her mouth was wide enough to swallow a dragon egg.

“Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!” Liyana shouted in disbelief, hopping around like a rabbit whose feet had landed on scorching ground.

“Wow...” Mo Lini tilted her head back and let out a long sigh of amazement, too stunned to say anything else.

Even the usually dignified Luo Lun couldn't help opening her mouth wide in astonishment. Gazing upward, she drew an elegant curve with her slender neck.

A silver spacecraft slowly descended before them.

It was neither a magic-powered airship nor any known alchemical creation.

The vessel was roughly one hundred meters long, its entire body a silvery white reminiscent of Aina's hair. Its lines were elegant yet brimming with power, reflecting a cold and captivating sheen beneath the setting sun.

There were no visible masts, sails, or exhaust ports on the hull. Only several deep-blue bands of light, pulsing gently like breathing, flowed slowly along specific paths across the ship. Its descent was utterly silent. The enormous vessel bent the blades of grass beneath it without stirring up even a speck of dust, as though its weight were completely controlled by some unseen force.

“Aina... what is this...?”

Staring at the interstellar spacecraft before him—a vessel utterly out of place in this world and filled with a futuristic, science-fictional aura—Xia Lun couldn't help widening his eyes as well.

“The Star Traveler VII-7, the most advanced spacefaring vessel available. I bought it from the Mechanical Prophet and the others for thirty thousand magic stones.” Aina casually smoothed a strand of hair over her chest. Still, the faint upward curve of her lips revealed that she was quite pleased with Xia Lun and the others' reactions.

“Are we going to use this thing to go adventuring from now on?” Even Liyana, with her more than thousand years of experience, was jumping up and down excitedly. “This is so cool!”

“We can't exactly have Big Black pull us through the sky. Big Black can't fly,” Mo Lini said, glancing at the earth dragon nearby.

Aina nodded slightly. “In theory, it can carry us on interstellar journeys. It has a complete ecosystem-support system, simulated gravity, entertainment modules, and basic scientific research units.”

Everyone around her looked impressed, though none of them truly understood what she was talking about.

In truth, Aina herself didn't fully understand it either. She was merely repeating the Mechanical Prophet's introduction.

Nearby, Big Black drooped its head, seemingly rather dejected. It had more or less realized that it might be out of a job.

“There’s an animal-raising compartment inside the ship, so we can bring Big Black along too.” Aina cast a casual glance at the earth dragon that had accompanied them for so many years. “Besides, once we reach other planets, we'll still need a mount when we go exploring.”

Big Black immediately lifted its head, its spirits returning as it let out a high-pitched bellow.

“Aina, Aina! How do we get inside? Where's the door? Does it even have a door?”

Liyana was already unbearably eager. Like a bee circling a jar of honey, she paced back and forth before the ship's smooth outer shell. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but she was also afraid of triggering some unknown mechanism.

“Just call its name. It can understand you... Serry, open the door.”

Aina looked up and gave the spacecraft an order.

A tiny crack suddenly appeared across the mirror-bright surface of the ship, sliding silently open in both directions.

“Hummmmm—”

A staircase shimmering with a metallic sheen slowly extended from the opening, landing precisely on the grass before them. Guiding lights flowed along its edges.

“Wow!”

“Holy crap!”

Xia Yi and Liyana, the two children—one big and one small—were the first to rush into the spacecraft, shouting excitedly.

Mo Lini and Luo Lun were much more composed, but even they could no longer restrain their curiosity and hurried in after them.

“Serry is...?” Xia Lun looked toward Aina.

“Yes. It’s the little one I left at my residence in the Academy of Truth.” Aina stuck out her tongue. “It’s one of the most advanced artificial intelligences in existence, so it’s perfectly capable of serving as this ship’s AI... Its main body is also inside the ship. From now on, it’ll be the ship’s steward.”

“Is that so?” A gentle light appeared in Xia Lun's eyes as he looked at his wife.

The Aina of today had truly changed greatly compared with the past. She had become far more human.

Aside from Xia Lun, she could now treat others with gentleness as well.

Xia Lun wiped at his eyes, feeling as though his child had finally grown up...

Aina looked at him with an odd expression.

“Musen, are you really not coming with us?”

Xia Lun suddenly looked down at the book in his hands. The pages turned by themselves, radiating a gentle, milky-white glow.

Musen's figure slowly emerged from within.

“Mm-hmm. After all, other worlds don't have a Goddess Church, so I wouldn't be able to replenish my faith. I might as well stay here in peace.” Musen grinned cheerfully. “Besides, rebuilding the Goddess Church still requires manpower.”

The damage caused to the Goddess Church by the Dusk Apostle had been far too severe. Even after all these years, it had yet to recover its former strength.

“Then take good care of yourself, Musen.” Xia Lun gave Musen a big hug. He respected his companion's decision and did not try to persuade him any further.

“If anything happens, I'll contact you. You don't need to worry about this world.”

Aina looked at Musen's current spiritual form and suddenly spoke up. “We'll keep an eye out for you and find you a new body.”

“Oh?” Musen raised his thick eyebrows, showing a great deal of interest.

“The Mechanical Prophet's planet has advanced cloning technology. Perhaps they can prepare a suitable body for Musen.” Aina gently squeezed Xia Lun's hand.

“Then I'll look forward to it,” Musen said with a brilliant smile. “This state is rather inconvenient, after all.”

“Xia Lun! Father! Come up quickly! This place is so—amazing! The walls can turn transparent! And the chairs come out by themselves!” Xia Yi's excited voice rang out from inside the spacecraft.

The place that had originally been a silver metal wall had now become completely transparent, as though it no longer existed. Xia Yi had pressed her entire little face against the “glass,” squashing it flat as she waved vigorously at them from inside.

Liyana was waving at Xia Lun and shouting as well. Mo Lini and Luo Lun stood behind them, curiously examining the other facilities inside the cabin, their faces glowing with delighted wonder.

Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a smile before boarding the spacecraft together.

The hatch closed silently behind them, cutting them off from the outside world.

The interior of the spacecraft was far more spacious and bright than its exterior suggested. The color scheme was primarily silver-white and pale blue. Soft light seemed to seep from nowhere, illuminating every corner without being the least bit harsh.

Passing through the metal corridor, they emerged into a spacious, circular antechamber. At its center stood a faintly glowing holographic console displaying intricate star charts and streams of data. The walls and parts of the floor seemed capable of changing their transparency or displaying information at the command of the user.

Streamlined seats rose smoothly from the floor, inviting them to sit. In the distance, passageways leading to different areas could be seen, marked by glowing words: “Bridge,” “Lounge,” “Research Module,” “Eco-Garden,” and “Hangar/Livestock Module.”

“This is really something…”

The ship’s strikingly high-tech interior left Xia Lun stunned all over again.

“Father, where are we going next?” Xia Yi came trotting over and grabbed Xia Lun by the corner of his clothes. Judging by his excitement, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. “When are we taking off?”

Aina reached out and gently ruffled her son’s soft hair. The affectionate gesture made Xia Yi narrow his eyes in contentment.

“First, we need to fly to Olifendo.” Aina’s tone was calm, but she deliberately paused, watching Xia Yi’s little face stiffen instantly. A hint of mischief flashed in her eyes. “We’ll leave you at the magic academy there, where you’ll board. Then your father and I can enjoy a romantic interstellar journey for two.”

“Our first stop should be the Frost Queen’s planet. She said she wanted to thank us properly and warmly invited us to stay as her guests.” Aina linked her arm through Xia Lun’s.

Xia Yi looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He turned to stone on the spot, mouth hanging slightly open and eyes wide with shock, as if the end of the world had arrived.

“Just kidding.” Aina suddenly gave her child a faint smile. “You’re still too young—you haven’t reached the age to enroll at Olifendo yet. Come adventuring with us for a few years first. But later, you’ll have to come back and attend school properly…”

“Okay!” Xia Yi nodded vigorously. The sudden turn from hell to heaven brought him back to his senses, and his face immediately lit up with joy.

The spacecraft slowly rose into the air, giving off a pleasant hum.

Trailing an icy-blue tail like a shooting star, the silver spacecraft quickly vanished into the vast sky.