There were three others at the round table besides him, each cloaked in a faint, hazy blur. Only their silhouettes could be seen—enough to make out the general color of their clothing and to roughly discern their gender.
The female voice that had just spoken corresponded to the symbol of Aries. Judging by her posture, she carried herself with grace. Her voice was calm and measured, tinged with gentle warmth. She likely came from a loving home—one filled with peace, good education, and solid values. Girls raised in such environments were usually kind yet clever, and often bore a faint streak of adventurousness.
Not far from Miss Aries sat Mr. Taurus. His silhouette was tall and rugged, even while seated he loomed a head above the rest. Arms folded across his chest, he was watching Li Xin closely. That posture revealed a deeply cautious nature, as well as a commanding presence. He gave off the unmistakable air of someone used to being in charge.
To his right sat Mr. Cancer. Even through the blur, he radiated a kind of luminous aura—his attire must have been elaborate. His chin was lifted slightly, a posture common among those who were used to judging others from a position of status. Clearly, he didn’t come from humble origins.
None of them were in a rush to speak. In the brief silence that followed, each one seemed to arrive at their own conclusions. They were observing him—but also allowing Li Xin time to adjust. It was as if they wanted to see how he would react to such an inexplicable encounter.
A few breaths later, Miss Aries spoke again. Her soft, pleasant voice rang out once more.
“Mr. Gemini is remarkably composed,” she said. “You must be someone accustomed to facing strange and mysterious events. That makes things much easier. If you’ll allow us, we’d like to give you a brief introduction.”
“Miss Aries was the first to arrive here,” continued Mr. Taurus, his voice deep and steady. “Then came me—you can call me Taurus. And this is Mr. Cancer. Following the order of the Zodiac, you should have arrived before us. But you were late. Of course, it’s possible Mr. Cancer arrived earlier than he was supposed to.”
Mr. Taurus spoke just as Li Xin had guessed—calm, measured, and grounded.
“You’re being imprecise, Taurus,” Mr. Cancer replied coldly. “The order of our summons is uncertain. Perhaps I was meant to arrive first. Mr. Gemini, here we address one another by the names of our constellations. Miss Aries will explain the rules.”
Li Xin gave a nod and cleared his throat. “Miss Aries, what is this place? Why was I summoned here?”
“There’s no need to put on an air of mystery,” Mr. Cancer interjected, cutting him off. “We’re only connected here through a dream. In reality, we might live in different countries—or even on separate continents.”
Everyone here was speaking in the common language of the continent, which made it impossible to guess their origins.
Li Xin gave a helpless smile. This place wasn’t what he’d imagined. It didn’t feel like it had anything to do with the deity linked to the Die. The three others gave off no ill intent either.
“So this place only appears when we sleep?” he asked.
Miss Aries smiled. “We don’t know yet, Mr. Gemini. Even though I was the first one summoned here, I still don’t know exactly what this place is. I’ve done some research and we’ve had long discussions. The most likely explanation is that we’re inside the ruins of a deity—or some incredibly high-level sealed artifact. The three of us decided to call it the Zodiac Celestial Disc. When the constellation above a seat lights up, it summons the person linked to that sign. What’s interesting is that your seat flickered a few times before this—this is your first time arriving.”
“Miss Aries,” said Mr. Cancer in a surprisingly gentle tone, “that suggests Gemini has a strong respect for uncertainty. A cautious nature. Likely a conservative thinker.”
It was a stark contrast from how he’d spoken to Li Xin earlier.
Li Xin didn’t argue. He nodded. “That’s true. But I still got dragged in regardless. Would it be rude to ask—when did you each arrive?”
“I came a month ago,” said Mr. Taurus, his voice like rolling thunder. “I was the second.”
“I was the first,” Miss Aries added softly. “That was two months ago. The first two times I came, I was alone. It made me nervous. But once Taurus and Cancer arrived, everything started to make more sense. And now that you’re here, Mr. Gemini, I believe we’re getting closer to uncovering the truth.”
By the end of her sentence, her voice was tinged with excitement—like an adventurer on the cusp of discovery.
“I came just a few days after Taurus,” Mr. Cancer added. “And my arrival already challenged one of the theories that Aries and Taurus had. The Disc doesn’t necessarily summon people in order.”
“Mr. Gemini,” Miss Aries said warmly, turning to him, “now that you’re here, I think it’s fair to assume we all agree on two priorities: safety—and exploration.”
Li Xin nodded. Whether this place was like the castle or something else entirely, safety came first. So far, these three didn’t seem to be lying. There was no sign of deception. Still, it was too soon to drop his guard.
“You’re lucky, Gemini,” Mr. Cancer said. “Before you came, we’d already gone through a few rounds. We’ve uncovered a few patterns. Hopefully, you’ll be honest with us too.”
“I’ll start by sharing what we’ve figured out so far. First—right now, we can only perceive each other as vague outlines. That’s all the Disc allows. It also hasn’t shown any signs of hostility. The atmosphere here doesn’t resemble anything from the Abyss, nor does it feel like a relic from a malevolent god. Quite the opposite—we believe our Divine Relics have formed some kind of connection to the Disc. The idea that a relic blessed by a true god could be summoned by an evil seal is almost impossible. There’s no precedent for it in any record we could find. So whatever this is, it’s something completely new—and immensely powerful. We may be taking part in a divine event that could rewrite history,” Miss Aries said, visibly energized.
The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac—just hearing the names stirred something powerful. Even after several visits, the three couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. It was as if they had been chosen. And perhaps, in some way, they had.
To be summoned here despite possessing a Divine Relic—and to feel no resistance from it—was nearly unheard of. Relics were bound to the authority of their own gods. If they were incompatible, there would be a reaction. But here, there was none. That meant the god tied to this place must wield extraordinary power.
Li Xin listened silently. Miss Aries clearly hadn’t seen much of the world’s darker side. The line between benevolent and malevolent gods wasn’t always so clear.
Still, maybe it wasn’t all bad. His Die didn’t seem particularly sinister—no need to frighten himself for no reason. Judging from Aries’ confidence, she likely had access to more “official” sources of knowledge.
“Second,” she continued, “the Disc summons us at irregular intervals, so far only during dreams. That might mean it’s connected to a god who governs dreams or souls. The three of us have discussed the pros and cons. For now, we’ve agreed to exchange information and insights when possible.”
“I’d be glad to,” Li Xin replied. He had too few sources for hidden knowledge. The Night Watchmen were warriors—not scholars. Their paths to deeper knowledge were limited.
“You’re new here, Gemini,” Mr. Cancer said. “So, as a sign of goodwill, we’ll start by answering your questions. We’ll each ask you one question—nothing personal—and then you get to ask us one. That’s the rule we’ve agreed on. We’ll keep using it when new people arrive.”
Li Xin nodded without hesitation. “Please, go ahead.”
Miss Aries smiled. “Then I’ll begin. Mr. Gemini, can you read the symbols shown in the statue’s hand?”
All three turned their attention to him. Even through the haze, he could sense their focus.
Li Xin studied the symbols carefully. He’d noticed them immediately upon arriving. The clearest and most important source of information in the room was the statue’s book—the one held in hands whose face could not be seen. The characters were vivid, yet unreadable.
Suddenly, Li Xin stood up and began walking around the statue, though he took care not to move near the other three—he didn’t want to alarm them. He soon realized that no matter where he stood, the statue always seemed to face him. He also noticed the chairs—each one bore an engraving of the corresponding constellation on its back.
The others looked visibly startled. Out of respect for unknown deities, none of them had dared leave their seats during previous visits.
The room trembled slightly.
Startled, Li Xin immediately sat back down—and the shaking stopped.
“I think the symbols are a kind of language,” he said. “But I don’t understand them. If we could decipher them, they’d probably help us make sense of the Disc. Sorry—I didn’t know we weren’t supposed to stand.”
Miss Aries glanced at Mr. Taurus, who gave a small nod. She smiled.
“My question is done. Don’t worry about it, Mr. Gemini—you’re braver than we expected. We just gained a new piece of information.”
“You’re too reckless,” Mr. Cancer cut in, his sharp gaze fixed on Li Xin. Inwardly, he was already making a judgment—this man lacked proper reverence for the divine.
Whether it was a god he believed in or not, mortals owed their respect. In the Daoyuan continent, no kingdom was more notorious for its lack of faith than the Lilon Unified Kingdom.
Gemini was most likely from Lilon. Time would tell.