Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

[Dahlia: Female devil... Hmm~~ Although she herself would probably strongly object, it really does strangely fit her tumultuous life...]

[Fireworks: So far, there have been quite a few ups and downs, but not many.]

Himeko made up her mind that she would protect March 7th, no matter the cost.

But March 7's illness was too strange, and before Walter and the others could move to the rescue, she had no choice but to place her hopes on Black Swan, the "professional" memory maker.

"Tell me your guess?"

Black Swan rested her hand on her chin, her eyes already showing a high degree of certainty: "Although the evidence is not yet sufficient, based on the current situation..."

"On March 7th, her memories may have been hijacked."

"Kidnapping?" Himeko frowned.

The Black Swan coaxed, "Miss Himeko, imagine what would happen if someone lost their [ability to remember]?"

Himeko pondered for a moment: "I'm not a biologist. I've heard that there's a type of fish in Omvak whose memory capacity is less than a second; they forget what they've seen instantly. Perhaps something similar happens?"

[Star: Forget everything you see? That's pretty much how March 7th usually is.]

[March 7th: How can you forget something you've just seen? You can at least remember it for half a day, right? I remember clearly the warm, fragrant, crispy, and soft pie I ate this morning.]

[Silver Wolf: Is it similar to a hacker breaking into a computer (or a person's brain), copying critical data like the registry, deleting it in its place, and then causing the person to develop a bunch of bugs and become unable to restart?]

Black Swan shook her head at Himeko's guess.

"Unfortunately, short-term memory and the inability to remember are completely different concepts. Perhaps you can't imagine..."

"An individual who loses their memory function becomes nothingness."

"Emptiness?" Himeko hadn't expected the outcome to be this serious.

In her mind, many people suffer from amnesia due to a severe blow to the head. It shouldn't be associated with those two words at all.

Could it be that the fate of "Memory" and "Memory" are only similar in name, but actually have subtle differences?

Black Swan demonstrated her top-notch qualities as a high-level memory user, recounting a secret unknown to others: "Everything in the universe can be interpreted through memory. This is the creed of the Memory Court, and the driving force behind the continuation of this destiny."

"The past is composed of memory, the future is also a possibility that will eventually be transformed, and the present... it never truly exists, it is just an abstract expression."

[Qingque: Goodness, is it really that mysterious? So, remembering one's destiny is actually a method of understanding the universe, and a power, that is different from science?]

[Black Swan: Pretty much. Otherwise, how could the god of memory be omnipresent?]

[Star: Oh, I see! I always thought He was just a super voyeur who carried a camera around taking pictures.]

Himeko seemed to understand, yet felt as if she had grasped something, but found it difficult to put into words.

Black Swan silently gazed at March 7th sleeping soundly on the bed and calmly stated her diagnosis: "Therefore, when a person is affected by fate and loses the ability to remember... his physical body will also be affected."

"These ice crystals are one of the signs."

Himeko finally understood: these ice crystals might be the remnants of March 7's memories that had spilled out.

But why? He didn't even enter Onphalus on March 7th, so why did he suffer this unexpected disaster!

A glint flashed in her amber eyes as she swept her gaze over the person in front of her.

"...There's something I've never really investigated, Miss Black Swan."

"You led us to Onphalus, yet you've consistently refused to discuss your true purpose. [Collecting memories]... is not an answer that I find convincing."

Black Swan lowered her hand from her chin: "Miss Himeko, are you doubting me?"

"No offense intended, I was just offering a conjecture. But if possible, I would appreciate your honesty." Himeko's words were tactful, but her meaning was quite clear.

Yes, it's because I doubt you.

But I'll give you a chance.

"In other words, it's time for me to prove my innocence..."

Black Swan nodded; she was always pragmatic. She'd learn from her mistakes, but how she hit that wall was none of your concern. And whether she'd hit another wall later was also none of your concern!

"Of course, no problem. The real reason is: Onfaros has special significance. In the eyes of some members of the Memory Court who hold extreme ideologies, it is... a perfect example."

She slowly revealed the unspoken desire of the Memory Court: "A world that can only be reflected in the Mirror of the Memory Court means that those who remember have the right to keep it to themselves. If those who travel through memories were to grasp the secrets of Onpharos first..."

"They may unleash their ambition to transform more worlds into the same shape."

[Yao Guang: Oh? There's an extreme faction within the Memory Court who's no longer satisfied with just collecting memories; they want to turn planets into glass beads in their hands? Memory Thieves or Incinerators? But whoever it is, they're quite audacious. I just wonder if they have the corresponding abilities.]

[Laigushi: Ha~~ Excessive ambition fuels excessive confidence.]

[Black Tower: They're probably going to be disappointed. Although their positions are diametrically opposed, how could they possibly master the techniques of their predecessors?]

[ScrewGumm: Perhaps describing it as overestimating one's abilities is a bit of an overstatement, but it's not entirely inappropriate.]

[Star: So, the Black Swan was the vanguard of Yi Ting's evil plan? How terrifying! Indeed, the bigger the shield, the more wicked the demon king!]

[Black Swan: Is it possible that I am actually their opposite?]

Himeko nodded: "You went to great lengths to persuade the train to come to this star system in order to uncover the secrets and thwart these people's plot?"

Black Swan crossed her arms: "I kept quiet before because I didn't want to drag you all into the internal strife of Yiting."

Himeko sighed softly, "However, changing the world is no easy task. Those extremists are probably not ordinary travelers of destiny; do they possess the power of messengers?"

The black swan shook its head.

Things are far from being that optimistic.

"Let's be even bolder. The person I'm talking about... isn't an isolated case, but an entire [organization]. They've already taken Fu Li's little finger."

Himeko's expression was solemn. Upon hearing the name "Fuli," she showed no fear, only worry: "Could they be the ones who kidnapped March 7th?"

The black swan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I'm not sure. At least, they can do it."

[Star: Seriously, just how popular is this huge online corner that Lai Gu Shi made? Why do all sorts of weirdos want to come here? And participating in the game isn't enough, some are even using dirty tricks to attack players offline.]