The Wandering Fairy [LitRPG World-Hopping]

"The Temple of the Stars?" He squinted his eyes, as if trying to imagine how that was even possible. The Temple of the Stars was said to reside in the Upper WInds of Mount Tolarion—a colossal ridge that stretches up to the heavens and was said to be the nearest landmark to the Celestial Heights.

But then he quickly recalled the dream he just had… The usual dream of the celestial mountain. It had truly changed once again—he was far closer to the mountain than the last vision he saw.

Have we really made it to the Temple of the Stars?.. How? When?!

"I will answer all your questions promptly." The cold yet soothing voice assured him. "I have been assigned as your guide for now. Has your body recovered enough to walk?"

Before he could ask, "Who are you?" Soren paused and tried to stretch his limbs once again. This time, there was a bit more movement than before.

"My name is Venissa Yvain. It is a pleasure to meet you, Soren."

"Yvain?" He slowly inched himself off the bed, squinting in the girl's direction.

"Indeed," She nodded. "Yvain is the name of the first Witch who obtained the Vessel of the Stars. Our beloved ancestor. All sisters who swear upon the Orbits must take up that name."

"I see…"

Soren finally stood up, only to realize his clothes were missing—only some parts were covered by the few bandages he was wrapped in...

The fur blanket had been shielding from more than just the cold all along!

"Oh my…" Tazzith's voice reached him. "Have you forsaken your shame alongside your sanity?"

Cursing inwardly, he quickly moved his hands to shield what remained of his privacy.

Venissa giggled. "No need to fret. It is far too dark to see anything… Although…"

Soren smiled nervously, "Miss Venissa, the weather is far too cold to move around like this… Could you tell me where my clothes are?"

There was a slight pause before she answered, "Who knows. Perhaps they are still being cleaned?"

"....."

"Do not worry." She chuckled. "I brought you some other clothes instead." She tossed them in his direction.

Feeling around in the darkness, Soren was able to slowly figure out how to wear them. It was a light-weight cotton robe that reached down to his feet. Though he couldn't see its details, he could feel the embroideries it was fashioned in wrapping around him.

Before he could check any further, he heard Venissa snap her fingers and with it, came light.

His vision was blinded for a few seconds as a vibrant white star manifested in the room. It levitated close to the young lady's palm. Squinting his eyes, Soren was finally able to get a good look at the woman.

Venissa wore a similar robe to the one he was wearing—decorated in countless silver star embroideries that revolved around her waist. With a luscious crown of curly red hair intertwined with strands of silver, she smiled vibrantly in his direction. Her eyes twinkled like stars, brilliant yet illusively dim unlike Sienna's.

Letting the star orb illuminating the room on its own, Venissa bowed ceremoniously with her robe.

"Once again, it is a pleasure to meet you, Foolish One of this Era."

Soren picked up The Records and glanced at her briefly once again. "It seems you know a lot about me."

She covered her lips while chuckling. "Your Mistress is not one to hide the facts. Her letters to the Temple have grown numerous over the past few months.

"Come," She pointed at the door, "Let me lead you to your friends."

"Friends?" His eyes widened. "Myrin and Cassia? They really are here?"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Of course," She nodded solemnly, walking straight out of the door. Soren hesitated for a second but decided to follow her anyway.

"What about Uruk and Isha? Are they here as well? How did we arrive here? How do you know the Mistress?"

"One! One question at a time!"

"Ah…" He scratched his hair. "Apologies."

Walking ahead, Venissa sighed before answering back. "Firstly, I do not recall anyone arriving here by the name of Uruk and Isha. It is already rare enough that the three of you are here."

"I see…" For a second, he wondered what the state of the village was like at the moment. It couldn't be that good—most of the tribe's members had either died or turned back into Fallen. Their fates still hung in the air.

"Secondly, your arrival here is somewhat of a mystery, but I as well as my sisters believe it may have something to do with the Blossom Sword Flower you faced. She might be responsible."

Soren glanced at the ground, his mind full of distant thoughts.

Perhaps my gamble worked?...

His plan was fairly reckless, but he believed it to be the only possible option they had. With the Heartdrinker Sigil, he utilized [Ophidian Transfer] to allow the Beacon of Guidance to recall its own existence. By doing so, he was able to dismantle the village's barrier without much resistance. This also caused the death of the Ashen Guide who had been hijacking the Beacon this entire time.

Soren utilized [Ophidian Transfer] instead of his own [Cards of Insight] for one main reason: the ability to stay hidden. Unlike his own ability, [Ophidian Transfer] made sure that it only injected the information without revealing how it happened. This protected Soren from one, possibly alerting the Beast of Knowledge to his presence, and two, allowing the Beacon of Guidance to remember its own identity without the need of it feeling as if that information was external.

It was for this reason that Soren believed it to be the best option available. But who would have thought that the ability's origins would go so deep? For it to be related to a spirit who once served the Serpent of Untruths was truly surprising.

"As for your third question," Venissa interrupted his thoughts. "Sienna… She was someone I competed against during our youth. The both of us strived to inherit the Vessel of the Stars. But in the end, only one person could obtain it."

"And she was that person?"

Venissa nodded with a chuckle. "Indeed. Though, she wasn't the master's first choice at all…" She reached for his ear and whispered, "Don't tell her I said this, but she was a very mischievous child when she was younger… At one point, she even ran away from the Temple!"

Soren smiled nervously. "It's somewhat hard to imagine…"

"Right?!" She beamed a smile. "She's turned a lot more stern lately. But now that I've gotten a look at all her disciples, perhaps that change was for the better."

Soren quickly remembered what he wanted to ask next:

"Speaking of which… How are they? Myrin and Cassia."

Venissa's silence stretched across the frigid air. Eventually, she sighed:

"Myrin is fine. He is busy creating art in his room it seems—the usual. But he's also been busy practicing his cooking skills. The younger temple sisters find him handsome, so they tolerate his awful meals."

I can't tell if she's praising or insulting him…

"As for the other one…" Her frown deepened. "It seems she hasn't fully healed from her trauma and hasn't left her room since her arrival."

Soren's eyes trailed to the floor. "I see…"

As they continued walking down the dim corridor, Soren and Venissa reached a door leading out of the building. The frigid wind howled endlessly, as if its cries were alive. The snow and wind were quickly illuminated by Venissa's star.

It seems what Mistress Sienna said was true… Soren noted. All the sisters in the temple are raised to have the same magecraft affinity.

He wondered if even their Inherent Abilities were the same… They had to be—after all, the Vessel demanded only those with such tight specifications.

"Come!" She smiled and waved him through the door.

In an instant, the pair were hit by the brutal breeze. But this time, the cold didn't invade his bones at all…

"This is…"

Venissa flashed a smile. "Your robes are inscribed in material runes. It's a type of Wardstone Magecraft. No one can survive in the Upper Winds without their protection."

He glanced down at the flickering robe. So it's similar to the armor Tina gave me… Though, it seemed a bit more powerful than that.

They've treated me well so far, but I cannot underestimate them… Venissa looks to be at the level of an Arcanist or perhaps a Magister… There's no knowing how powerful the rest are as well…

After making the mental note, he finally managed to get a good look of where they were. On one side, a colossal cliffside could be seen, stretching up to the heavens. On the other, a massive drop with no end in sight. All of it was covered in a curtain of blowing snow, as if the very clouds themselves were made of them.

His eyes trailed forward across the narrow path, seeing Venissa walk across it while waving for him to do the same. It was a stone bridge that seemed to lead toward a distant silhouette he couldn't exactly perceive past the fog of snow.

However, he could somewhat tell its shape… A colossal tower with what looked to be a massive dome at the top—pierced by what looked to be an even more astounding cylinder aimed at the heavens.

"A telescope?" He mumbled briefly to himself before deciding to follow after the young woman.

"There are three Temples of Stars," she explained. "The one you were resting in was the first. I will now take you to the second one where the rest of the Eldest Sisters reside."