Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 14 Astral Symbols

Snow did not respond immediately. He turned away from the window, walked to the desk, picked up the still steaming cup of black tea, but did not drink it, only feeling the warmth emanating from the cup.

"The situation in the spirit world is too complicated." He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet clear and logical. "There are too many beings involved, the seven lights of the spirit world... and far too many eyes watching. Being too active in the spirit world will only attract unnecessary attention."

"As for the Underworld and the Abyss..." He paused, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, "The Underworld clearly belongs to the Underworld Emperor, and the Abyss is the private domain of the Demon Lord, with gods in charge and angels everywhere, so there's not much room for profit."

Xalatas raised an eyebrow, the light on the void coordinates at his fingertips dimming slightly, as if awaiting his next words.

"I'm not in a hurry to advance my sequence." Snow shook his head, skipping the three options she had given him. He met her gaze, his eyes revealing a unique understanding of the rules of this world, a quality possessed only by a transmigrator. "Don't forget, the Black Emperor Solomon has fallen. Now the gods are all vying for interests in the real world. The Church, the Sanctuary, the Divine Kingdom... all the cards are laid out on the table, and their eyes are focused on this land... while the Astral Plane is relatively peripheral."

"There are huge profits to be made there, and now is the best time."

He put down his teacup, his tone now more resolute.

In the Fourth Age, the gods walked the earth, and their kingdoms resided in the real world.

In the Fifth Age, the realms of the Seven Gods reside in the Astral Plane, which would be the absolute forbidden zone for Earth.

You have to convince me.

Saratas looked at Snow, a hint of interest and anticipation flashing in his dark red eyes. His previously casual posture straightened up a bit, and his tail stopped wagging.

"The interpretation of the astral realm has long been clearly defined in this era. It is more abstract than the spirit realm and corresponds to various symbols and authorities. We must admit that compared to the true top beings of this world, our current weakness is almost laughable. Perhaps the only thing we can offer is the high rank of the Blade of the Dark Empire."

"And right now, we can say we have nothing, no foundation. We can neither monopolize the original symbol of the astral plane, nor forcibly create a mark out of thin air and attach ourselves to the astral plane. This is too dangerous. If we are exposed, our fate will undoubtedly be very terrible."

"But perhaps we can inscribe our mark on a secondary, derivative, non-mainstream symbol, so that the Dark Empire's Blade, in addition to its high status, can also be linked to a certain symbol, and status plus symbol equals authority."

Snow Serin briefly outlined his ideas and plans.

To be honest, this step was a bit risky, but it was indeed a rare opportunity. In this post-Solomon Empire era, there were no great beings constantly watching the Astral Plane. If we missed this opportunity, there would be no perfect chance like this later, whether it was during the United Empire era or the War of the Four Emperors.

Now... while Snow hasn't yet come into anyone's sight.

"You've convinced me, darling."

Xalatas's smile deepened. "That is indeed a good idea. So, do you have a chosen symbol? Or shall we simply choose the Void symbol that is closest to us? Since there have been Void Demons, there should be a corresponding symbol for the Void in this astral plane."

Snow's words were quite clear: they could only consider some non-mainstream derivative symbols, such as darkness, a powerful, ancient, and primal symbol that had already been taken over by the goddess of night. Of course, Xalatas had never even considered it.

"No, if you are too compatible with the symbol, it may not be a good thing for us."

"Furthermore, we'd better avoid choosing secondary symbols associated with those deities."

"Ideally, it should be an ancient deity who has died. With our current limited knowledge, the most suitable target is the vampire god, Lilith, the progenitor of the vampires, who has long since perished but is still worshipped and sacrificed to by vampires."

Snow rejected Xalatas's proposal. He would not accept the concept of Xalatas having too much control over the Void. At the very least, Xalatas should not be allowed to touch the Void symbol of this world by himself. Otherwise, Snow might become an unlucky guy like Agarito, the "Undead King" of later generations, and be completely reduced to a puppet manipulated by the Dark Empire's Blade.

The introduction of Lilith, the progenitor of the vampires, is partly due to the fact that the vampires are indeed still "promoting" their past history and glory, and Lilith's name is prestigious enough that Xalatas would not doubt the source of Snow's information. On the other hand, it is also a way to take advantage of the information gap and lay an ambush in advance. If Xalatas wants to do something bad, Snow will not let this woman get away with it either.

"The moon? But the moon of this era is also bound to the goddess who rules the night."

Xalatas knew that Snow would most likely not agree to her coming to make contact with the symbol of the void in the astral plane, but similarly, she would not easily adopt Snow's opinion.

"Personally, I think the goddess of the night doesn't have enough control over the moon."

"Otherwise, some of the vampires might switch to the Church of the Night. The Church of the Night isn't showing enough strength, at least not as much as other churches and supernatural forces."

"Isn't this situation—where the moon is owned but lacks control—perfect for us to fish in troubled waters?"

"The existence of the goddess of the night might also help block some of the gaze directed toward the moon."

"Moreover, I believe that no matter which world it is placed in, the moon is sacred and powerful enough, and the moon's derivatives, secondary positions, and related symbols are also vast enough that there will always be choices that we can reach a consensus on."

Snow spoke calmly, knowing that Xal'atath had no choice but to compromise. On one hand, they didn't have many options and didn't know much about the fallen gods and the symbols of the vacant positions. On the other hand, the symbol of the moon was indeed powerful enough. Elune, the moon goddess in Azeroth, was the best example. When the void couldn't choose its own power, the moon was the optimal solution that was both strong and beautiful.

The Void can only be abandoned. Snow is currently a Void Demon, and he would rather do nothing than allow Xal'atath to have too much connection with the Void symbol of the Astral Plane, otherwise he would be reduced to a tool from beginning to end.

Even Xaratas couldn't completely block his path.

"Okay, I agree to choose a symbol based on the moon—but the final decision on which symbol to choose is up to me."

Saratas did not argue with Snow. The long time they had spent together had smoothed out their initial rough edges, allowing them to understand each other's bottom lines. A calm smile played on her lips as her fingertips casually traced the hem of her skirt, the tip occasionally brushing against the chair. A determined glint flashed in her dark red eyes.