Chapter 332: Gilgamesh Receives an Invitation

Campus novel Blue Star Blue Star Text / Chapter: 6017:

A coastal small town, though it is winter, severe cold rarely occurs.

Weigong Shilang stood at the center of the new city square, a concrete forest, watching the white chrysanthemums and offerings placed by passersby beneath the stone monument, his mind recalling the scorching, breath-stealing "hell."

"It's been ten years already."

As if from another lifetime, he turned around, took off his scarf, and placed it atop a stuffed doll.

Is this an item left by parents for a child, or by siblings for a family member who couldn't escape the flames?

Unknown—perhaps a passing child, moved by pity, left it as a token of remembrance.

"The children who survived the disaster ten years ago must all be grown up by now."

Dark clouds drifted from afar; they would reach this area soon, and beneath the city's lights, delicate, glistening white flakes drifted gently down.

Tonight is a snow night.

"Do you remember this place?"

Weigong Shilang spoke as if to himself, addressing the distant statue.

"So, it seems you've forgotten everything."

Without response, Weigong Shilang's figure gradually faded and vanished; behind the statue, a man with white hair and a face resembling Red A, but covered entirely in golden cracks like fused black skin, slowly stepped forward.

This city was indeed familiar to him, but he couldn't recall why.

His mission was merely reconnaissance—to monitor the man who had just passed by, someone he felt he'd seen somewhere before, someone eerily familiar.

The Weiyuan River cut through the entire city, dividing it into two distinct architectural zones, connected by the Weiyuan River Bridge.

The east side is Xincheng, a highly modernized city with everything imaginable.

The west side is Shenshan Town, an old city consisting mostly of residential areas.

Both the Weigong Estate and Liudong Temple lie in the western zone, so reaching Liudong Temple took little time.

Unprecedentedly, all Masters and Servants traveled together, no conflict arising over the Holy Grail, marching forward under the leadership of the red-haired youth.

But why had he specifically changed into an ancient long robe? It was said to be a magical ceremonial garment with decent defensive properties—but why had his hair suddenly grown so long?

Dada Liya had also changed into a pure white evening gown, cheerfully perched on Heracles' shoulder, swinging her legs.

At the gate of Liudong Temple, Sasaki Kojirou leaned against the gatepost, embracing his long sword, eyes closed in rest; occasionally, a few snowflakes drifted down. He reached out, caught one, opened his eyes, and watched it melt on his fingertip.

"Sometimes, when facing an opponent beyond one's strength, preserving one's life is the wisest course—surely you won't blame me for this?" Sasaki Kojirou smiled as he saw Weigong Shilang's party arrive.

"The replicas inside have been waiting a long time—though I myself am also a replica."

He pointed the hilt of his long sword toward the open gate behind him.

When Weigong Shilang's party reached the final step, over a dozen Servants already waited in the empty courtyard of Liudong Temple.

The two sides stared at each other; the atmosphere grew strangely tense.

"I already heard this from you," Yanbei Lin said, feeling uneasy at the sight of the several "herself," pointing to the Chaldea group: "This is absurd—it's like they've bundled up every single Master and Servant from the Fifth Holy Grail War!"

"Can't these gods find anyone else to possess?!"

"Maybe otaku really like tsundere tropes? Though they're outdated," Dada Liya, standing on Heracles' palm, said as he gently set her down: "Otaku bait plus cosplay can fool plenty of payers—that's what marketing is."

She noticed Weigong Shilang's gaze fixed on the "Dada Liya" dressed as a magical girl, narrowed her eyes, took a small step to his side, took his hand, interlocked their fingers, and assumed an affectionate pose.

Her action made all three "Dada Liyas" stare wide-eyed.

"Do you like that strange outfit?" Dada Liya whispered: "I'll wear it for you every night from now on, okay?"

All eyes turned toward him; Weigong Shilang's previously calm expression shattered like armor-piercing rounds, his face shifting rapidly, his foot pressing down as if he could lift the entire Liudong Temple.

He whispered to Dada Liya's ear: "I'm live-streaming."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? You're such a bad boy, Shilang!"

Dada Liya blushed and ran off; but to the confused onlookers, the two's interaction only confirmed something.

The elementary-school Dada Liya bled from the nose and fainted.

Chaldea Servant count reduced by one.

Su Lin requests entry into your world. Accept/Reject

Intuition told Weigong Shilang it was better to reject.

That guy was spamming "Boring, I want to see rivers of blood" in the livestream—he'd cause trouble if brought over.

Chaldea side.

Tenzan Lixiang stared at the group across from her—the Masters and Servants, fewer in number but nearly identical in face—and suddenly had a thought.

Normally, she shouldn't have had such a thought…

But she looked at the collapsed Caster Dada Liya, at the tearful Shidounei, then glanced at the two "Weigong" figures.

Tenzan Lixiang asked: "Mr. Kongming… there won't be a mutiny inside the tent, will there…?"

"Master, trust between commander and troops is the most fundamental element of victory," Lord El-Melloi II corrected: "The probability of such an event is negligible."

Tenzan Lixiang rubbed her eyes—had the number on the other side increased?

"Shidounei, Chloe, what are you two doing over there?"

On either side of Weigong Shilang, a petite white-haired girl appeared.

"What?" Shidounei, hands behind her back, asked in confusion: "Does protecting the best Dada Liya route need a reason?"

Chloe said: "Exactly—how could I possibly attack my parallel-world brother?"

Tenzan Lixiang turned her gaze to Lord El-Melloi II, who remained as unruffled as ever.

"Don't worry—the other side is also experiencing internal chaos," Lord El-Melloi II said: "Emotions are a double-edged sword."

As he spoke, Yanbei Lin and Kiriha Sakura had already launched a sharp, relentless interrogation of Weigong Shilang over his recent actions.

"No, I feel it's even scarier—from the information, those two are Kiriha Sakura and Yanbei Lin, right?" Tenzan Lixiang leaned closer to Mashu: "So the Three Great Families of the Fifth Holy Grail War and the Weigong family have become one family now?"

"That face… surely… could it be a Shiva-type? I feel something strange about him," Kama said, arms crossed, to Tenzan Lixiang: "Master, what should we do? Now that we're here, I actually want to go back."

"If I could, I truly wish this were just a farce." Tenzan Lixiang's eyes, lifeless as dead fish, turned to the formation behind him and asked: "Anyone else here planning to switch sides? Parvati? Grandfather Muramasa?"

"Don't drag me into this," Muramasa said, holding up his coat with a sigh. "After this returns, my reputation will surely suffer. Sigh."

To put it simply, the initial sense of urgency had completely dissipated under the interference of these people.

It wasn't necessarily bad—after all, fighting against that Master, who was human yet felt like a monster, was already dubious. Not to mention the fact that Zidounei had made it clear he wouldn't lift a finger, and even if I used my Spiritual Base Shadow, victory was far from certain.

The local Gilgamesh who had vanished earlier had explicitly stated that the opponent appeared to possess power capable of directly annihilating all of human civilization—though he had always restrained its use.

Add to that the posture the opponent displayed last night: Master? More like the King of the Lostbelt.

"I've had enough of the antics of these vermin." Ripples formed beside Gilgamesh; his golden armor clanged against the stone tiles as he stepped forward:

"Faker, return my Ea to me. That sword alone, I do not permit you to claim as spoils."

"Otherwise, I shall show you what true Heroic Kingship truly is."

After Gilgamesh's appearance, the atmosphere instantly reverted to its original state—aside from the fact that three Servants had been lost from our side.

Weigong Shilang's eyes went vacant for an instant, as if his attention had drifted elsewhere, then he nodded and said: "I understand. You're sending him over along with the person?"

Suddenly, a blue door appeared beside him. A pure white chain, radiating boundless light, materialized abruptly and landed in Weigong Shilang's hand.

"That was... the gate that suddenly appeared when we fought the other Gilgamesh, the one that summoned Gae Bolg," Lord El-Melloi II frowned and said:

"Is it something like the Treasure of the King, or a spatial transfer gate?"

Last time it was Gae Bolg; this time it's a glowing chain. No wonder he thinks that.

But to some extent, he isn't wrong—after all, the Treasure of the King is also a gate to a treasury, a portal created by the Cross-Dimensional Rune.

What is the source of that terrifying energy and the aura of cosmic law?

Weigong Shilang spoke to Gilgamesh: "Respected Heroic King, your Ea lies within that gate. Enter, and you will see it."

He stepped aside, hands extended toward the portal, respectfully gesturing: "After you."

"That chain is a divine chain forged from cosmic law," Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Underworld, felt discomfort from the aura emanating from the chain.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old child!" Gilgamesh's eyes blazed with murderous intent as he roared: "How dare you mock me with this!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sword protruded from the portal—a blade with a circular platform divided into three segments: unmistakably Gilgamesh's Ea.

Gilgamesh: "..."

Before he could react, the Ea protruded, then immediately retracted.

"They heard of the arrival of the great Heroic King and prepared fine wine and food to welcome you, thus inviting you to the other side of the starry heavens," Weigong Shilang said earnestly, holding up the chain.

"The Ea is there. Will you go yourself, or shall I escort you?"

As the terrifying magical power surged, the night sky seemed to ripple like a golden ocean. Gilgamesh's crimson eyes locked onto Weigong Shilang; weapons from the Treasure of the King glowed with golden radiance as they materialized.

Simultaneously, Weigong Shilang's aura shifted abruptly. A gale whipped his long robe into a frenzy; piercing sword light spread across his body, and sword qi gathered like tidal waves behind his eyes.

The law-bound chain in his hand slowly melted, transforming into countless streams of light that formed behind him a dazzling pair of luminous wings.

"Wait, Weigong Shilang!" Lord El-Melloi II stepped forward. "We did not come to fight! Entering this mountain, where you've set up arrays, is already the greatest show of goodwill."

"Wang Jier, restrain yourself," Tenzan Lixiang stepped in front of Gilgamesh. "Didn't you yourself say the words 'admit your defeat'?"

The blue door snapped shut. Weigong Shilang withdrew his power and canceled the already activated array.

"What do you intend to do?" Weigong Shilang looked at Tenzan Lixiang. Honestly, he held no ill will toward this girl who had saved human history throughout time—this situation arose only from opposing positions.

"To witness." Tenzan Lixiang watched Gilgamesh turn and dissolve into a spiritual form, then exhaled in relief.

"In our Chaldea, there is also a Shiro who holds the grand ideal of saving all humanity—but we believe using the Holy Grail to realize such a wish is fundamentally wrong!"

"If you claim you will not use the Holy Grail to fulfill your ideal, then the likelihood of a Lostbelt emerging here must be vanishingly small—or nonexistent."

"Please allow us to witness the end of this Holy Grail War!"

So that's it.

Weigong Shilang understood her intent. Indeed, while the Holy Grail War's turning point was important, as long as no event threatening all humanity or the planet occurred, there was no conflict between him and Chaldea.

Under normal circumstances, the Force of Nature, possessing nearly infinite worldlines and future possibilities, would not react strongly to the destruction or deviation of one or two worldlines.

But this is part of the main trunk—the tree's core, not a branch or leaf that branched off.

Precisely under these conditions, Weigong Shilang possesses a certain trait: should this worldline deviate, it cannot be regenerated or replicated.

"Alright," Weigong Shilang nodded. "If it's only supervision, do as you please."

He nodded toward the sky. Medea, who had been monitoring this side, dissolved her illusionary array. A rift appeared in a region near Liudong Temple.

To prevent the Gilgamesh of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War from attacking the Greater Holy Grail, he had secretly buried numerous talismans within the body of Yuanzang Mountain, just as he had arranged the array in Fuyuki City—array patterns fused with talismans.

Under normal circumstances, anyone who rashly charged here would enter a dead end.

"Let's go."

Zhetian Trading Company

"Pity," Su Lin watched as no one emerged from the gate, abandoned his eagerness, and placed the Ea aside.

Ye Fan, Xiao Yan, Han Li, the Purple Gold Divine Dragon, and others all withdrew their actions, their expressions of regret plainly visible.

"I heard his Treasure of the King is infinite—so long as human history endures, any weapon that ever existed in the past, present, or future will appear within his treasury," Ye Fan shook his head, sighing. "I sincerely invited him to join our company as a consultant. Pity."

"May I ask weakly, Elder Ye Fan—do you plan to pay him a salary?" Song Shuhang projected the scene he'd witnessed to the nearby White Zunzhe. He simply couldn't believe Gilgamesh would receive consultant treatment here.

"Salary? I'm showing him the vast universe—shouldn't he be paying me?" Ye Fan replied as if it were obvious, then patted Su Lin, who had just arrived.

"Su Lin, how's the investigation into the matter blessed by Heaven's Will?"

"The Gold of Creation—I consulted someone who had a guide on it. This substance can only be captured and collected during the instant of the universe's birth, formation, or destruction, or under a few other rare conditions," Su Lin pulled out a small, obsidian-black object with not a single reflection, and said:

"Of course, 'precious' is relative—generally, this thing is called a precious but useless trifle."

"For beings born within the universe, it has the trait of being extremely difficult to absorb, yet fully convertible—if we absorb enough of it—"

"At worst, we could create heaven and earth?"

"That powerful?!" Zhang Chuang's eyes gleamed. "So joining the chat group comes with a free promotion?"

"Guess how many you'd need?" Su Lin tucked the Gold of Creation back into his bag. "By the time you gather enough, Song Shuhang might have already transcended several eons."

Song Shuhang couldn't help replying: "Anyone would become a Great Master after a few eons."

"How could I compare with him?" Zhang Chuyan said with his mouth, but hearing Su Lin's words, he still shook his head: "I'll just focus on my cultivation."

"Then, what about the world?" Zhong Li seized upon the unspoken part of Su Lin's words: "What benefit does it offer to the world's consciousness?"

Su Lin thought for a moment and said:

"Because it contains information from other universes—essentially, Dao—if the quantity is sufficient, it can accelerate the growth of an incomplete universe, facilitating its transformation from an artificial to a natural universe."

"Naturally, a naturally complete universe can become even stronger."

"Generally speaking, in either case, there simply isn't enough of it."

"So your Creation Gold was eaten as a kickback by your world's consciousness," Yi Leina suddenly understood, yet a new question arose: "But according to your description of the quantity, what does your world's consciousness even gain from it?"

The others, upon hearing this, were also puzzled.

"That guy heard other Heavenly Dao speak of it—it's pretty tasty," Su Lin fell silent for a moment, then found a comparison: "Like milk powder with low nutritional value but loaded with sugar."

Later on September 2nd, around 3 a. m.

(End of Chapter)