Chapter 424: Meeting Gift

Oh.

A Xing replied, indicating she heard.

The conversation seemed about to go cold.

At that moment, A Xing remembered the Task—gift-giving.

She didn't think much, and her right hand naturally slipped into the pocket of her coat that connects to a special space, feeling around.

The "small gifts" the lady had given were all inside, meant to be handed over when meeting the target.

Without examining them closely, she grabbed something that felt appropriately sized, pulled it out, and handed it to Huang Quan.

"Meeting gift."

A Xing was concise, her face still expressionless.

Huang Quan's gaze fell on the item presented before her.

It was a... figurine.

A figurine crafted with great delicacy.

Its body was pink, depicting a brightly smiling, lively and cute girl with flowing pink hair, dressed in a splendid dress, and tiny wing ornaments on her back.

At this moment A Xing finally saw what she had casually taken out.

Ailixiya?

Her eyebrows twitched slightly, but the hand extending the gift was steady, showing no intention of pulling back.

What else to give but this?

The lady hadn't said this couldn't be given.

Huang Quan looked at the pink figurine, and a faint ripple seemed to flash in her empty violet eyes.

She remained silent a bit longer than before, as if scrutinizing carefully, or perhaps... recalling something?

A strange sense of familiarity, like an undercurrent beneath water, gently brushed the depths of her consciousness, yet the feeling was too vague, too subtle to grasp its source.

In the end she asked nothing, merely extending her hand, using the knife‑gripping hands, and rather solemnly took the pink figurine whose style differed sharply from the artwork.

"Thank you."

Huang Quan's voice still lacked inflection, yet seemed a shade... softer than before.

"I accept the sentiment."

She held the figurine, examined it, then seemed to think holding it like that was inappropriate, unsure where to place it, hesitated, and ultimately kept it in her hand for the time being.

She lifted her gaze toward A Xing, her empty violet eyes reflecting the other's equally expressionless face: "I have nothing to give either."

While saying so, her empty left hand also naturally rose to the area near her waist—where, aside from a sword, there seemed to be no pocket or bag—and then, as if from nowhere, she grabbed.

An object appeared in her hand.

It was a peach.

A very large peach, almost the size of A Xing's head.

The peach skin was pink and white, with a naturally graded hue, smooth to the touch, exuding a sweet, enticing fragrance; it looked astonishingly fresh and plump, oddly harmonious with the illusory feel of this dream‑city.

Huang Quan handed the oversized peach to A Xing.

A Xing's gaze shifted from Huang Quan's empty face to the absurdly large peach, then back to Huang Quan's face.

Silence.

The street's clamor seemed isolated at that moment.

Two people of contrasting temperament yet both possessing an otherworldly calm—one offering a cute pink figurine, the other returning a massive fresh peach—stood on the radiant street, conducting this silent‑yet‑louder‑than‑words "gift exchange."

A few seconds later, A Xing extended her hand and took the heavy large peach.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, realistic, with fragrance hitting the nose.

She cradled the peach, looked at Huang Quan, her golden eyes still expressionless, but said earnestly:

"Thank you."

Huang Quan gave a slight nod, as a response.

She held the pink figurine, glanced again at the peach A Xing held, and deep within her empty violet eyes seemed more indecipherable thoughts swirling.

She indeed sensed something off about the star before her—more silent than usual, her gaze emptier.

And this sudden gift.

But Huang Quan herself never liked digging to the root, especially concerning a special being like A Xing.

The universe is vast, possibilities numerous; everyone has their own path and secrets.

She didn't press "Who are you?" or "What's wrong with you?" but lightly nodded again.

"I'm leaving," she said, tone flat, as if merely ending an ordinary street encounter chat.

"Mm," A Xing also nodded.

The two exchanged no further words, each turned and merged into the crowd flowing opposite directions.

Huang Quan, clutching the pink figurine that clashed with her own, vanished quickly into the kaleidoscopic light and shadow, heading toward where she originally intended to go.

The figurine's texture rested in her palm, that faint familiarity like a weak spark, flickered briefly across the barren plain of her empty Memory.

A Xing, meanwhile, cradled the peach that almost covered half her face, and continued walking forward along the street.

The peach was fragrant and heavy, so real it didn't feel like something from a dream.

She found a relatively quiet corner, tried to stuff the peach into that pocket connecting to the special space—succeeded.

Good, doesn't occupy the hand.

Task's first step, completed.

Perspective shift.

"Ma... ster?"

In a daze, Xing seemed to hear someone shouting, the voice a bit distant.

She strained to open her eyes and first saw Pinokanni's night sky; Nihong's light pollution made the stars look dim.

She lay on the ground, beneath her a cold, smooth floor.

Her head felt a bit hazy, as if struck with a blunt weapon, also like a hangover not yet over—though she didn't drink.

Memory fragmented; she only recalled that she seemed to have drawn a Summoning Circle, recited a chant, then a flash of golden light…

After that, there was a blank.

"Are you my Master?"

The voice sounded again, this time clearer, a bright and serious female voice.

Xing struggled to sit up, looking toward the voice.

She saw, about seven or eight meters away, a tall, upright figure standing.

It was a woman, golden hair tied at the back into an elegant bun, emerald eyes as pure as jade, now bearing scrutiny and a barely perceptible…guard.

Staring at her.

She wore a silver‑blue armored dress; even against the dreamy backdrop, she exuded a dignified, unapproachable knightly aura.

Xing blinked; her neural interface was connecting.

Master? What the heck?

Oh… right! Holy Grail War!

The Pinokanni‑featured Holy Grail War event I signed up for!

Summon Servant!

She quickly looked down at the back of her hand—there indeed a red, tattoo‑like strange pattern, three strokes, clearly visible.

"Yes, yes! I am! I am your Master!"

Xing instantly caught on, hurriedly saying, trying to crawl up from the ground, though her limbs were still a bit weak, "Um… Saber? Is that you?"

She recalled the flyer saying a Summoning Circle can summon Servants of various ranks; judging by the other's attire, it looked like the legendary knight, probably Saber, right?

However, the other didn't approach immediately; even as she tried to stand, the figure shifted back a tiny step, the jade‑like eyes showing even more wariness, brows slightly furrowed.

Xing only then noticed the other was indeed standing a bit far.

Usually, when a Servant is summoned, shouldn't they appear right beside the Summoning Circle, close to the Master?

Why does it seem like they're afraid of stepping on a landmine?

"You… not coming over?" Xing was a bit puzzled, brushed the dust off herself, standing fully upright.

Just as she brushed her clothes, her hand unintentionally brushed her cheek.

An indescribable aura rushed into her nostrils!

"Ugh—!!!"