[Vol. 7] Chapter 82: The Abandoned Village Under the Reversed Stars
An Astrologer is a specialized branch of Mage.
Using magic requires talent. In fact, in this profession, innate ability often matters more than hard work. Except for the now-lost Faith-based Magic, every other mage follows this fundamental rule.
To determine if someone can become a mage, the first test is whether their body has the basic ability to channel mana. If they do, then further evaluations are done to measure their elemental affinity and other attributes.
Back when Violet first arrived in this world, she quickly realized that what people called "magical talent" was essentially a person’s natural affinity for a particular element. Since she had 100% affinity with Light, she was at the absolute peak of this scale. However, unlike in games where stats can be shown as numbers, this world’s academic institutions had no way to measure affinity so precisely. Instead, it had to be tested through years of training and practice.
This is why Magic Academies exist, to cast a wide net and educate students without discrimination. Even if most of the people who graduates can only reach the level of [Apprentice] or [Scholar], which is no more than level 20. They can still manage to filter out a handful of truly exceptional talents.
However, some rare branches of magic don’t follow this pattern. Though the probability of someone being born with these abilities is only one in several thousand, or even tens of thousands, those who do have them are never weak. They are guaranteed to be highly gifted, much like how the Three Divine Lineages of the Holy Empire have an inherent affinity for Light.
These rare branches are known as the [God-Chosen]. They are similar to [God's Favored] individuals, who appear at random among different intelligent races. While technically a part of the mage system, they are not categorized under conventional Elemental Magic. Instead, they are considered blessings granted by the gods.
Of course, just because [God-Chosen] Mages have exceptional talent doesn’t necessarily mean they are stronger than elemental mages of the same level. Their magic isn’t inherently superior. It just follows a different path.
An Astrologer is one such [God-Chosen] Mage. More precisely, the magic they use is called Astromancy.
This magic leans heavily toward support, drawing power from the stars to enhance allies and weaken enemies. It doesn’t offer much in terms of healing, but instead, it possesses mystical abilities that interfere with fate itself. A concept both fascinating and terrifying.
Violet had heard of this magic during her travels. People often joked:
[No matter how strong you are, never offend an Astrologer. They can steal your luck from a distance!]
Violet hadn’t expected to actually meet an Astrologer this time.
Hearing Violet call out her profession so easily, Qionghua looked a little embarrassed and admitted in a small voice,
“[Priest], I am indeed an Astrologer… but this profession isn’t as mysterious as the rumors say. There’s no need to be surprised. Besides, I’m not very good at it yet… I still have a long way to go before I truly understand astrology.”
“Heh, alright, alright. Even Priscilla wasn’t this capable when she was your age.”
Seeing that nothing serious had happened, [Tree Bow], the team leader, relaxed and took the chance to explain to the three unfamiliar with Qionghua.
“Astrologers can observe the stars and harness their power to perceive the world from a unique perspective. They can see through illusions and disguises, making them a natural counter to deception.”
“Qionghua isn’t a full-time member of our team. She’s still studying at the academy and rarely participates in actual adventures. This time, she happened to be in Layla City, on an errand with her teacher, so I borrowed her help.”
“You sure have a lot of backup…”
Violet shook her head helplessly but didn’t comment further. Instead, she turned to the quiet girl, who was usually wrapped in a large mage’s robe and hat, practically invisible most of the time.
“Just now, you mentioned that the stars look strange. What exactly do you mean?”
Qionghua instinctively glanced at her captain, and when he nodded, she let out a small breath and turned her gaze back to the night sky, partially obscured by the trees.
“The star positions… They’re all slightly off. But at the same time, they haven’t actually shifted too much. It’s hard to describe… It’s like everything has been completely reversed.”
“Reversed…?”
The swordswoman, Hongyan, frowned and repeated the key word, but before she could process it further, Le Qiaoqiao grinned and playfully punched her shoulder.
“Oh, come on, Little Hongyan, it just means left became right, front went to the back. Basically, everything’s flipped around! Not that it makes much difference to me…”
Hongyan rolled her eyes at the always carefree rogue but didn’t bother arguing. Instead, she pressed on, looking back at Qionghua.
“And then?”
“Huh? What do you mean ‘and then’?”
“…I mean, what does this change predict?”
“Uh…”
The young Astrologer suddenly fell silent, as if she had hit a knowledge gap. She fidgeted awkwardly with the corner of her robe for a while before trying to explain.
“Well… Normally, star positions only shift slightly within a certain range, with a few specific stars moving in different ways. Astrologers interpret their meaning based on these shifts and their trajectories. But something like this, where the entire night sky has completely flipped, I've never seen anything like it in any book…”
Seeing the others exchange confused looks, unsure of what to say, Qionghua quickly tried to make up for it.
“M-maybe I could ask my teacher? She’s a master of astrology, unlike me, who’s just barely getting by…”
“Silly girl… We’re out in the middle of nowhere, and we didn’t bring any way to contact Priscilla. We can’t waste your [Starlink Summon] just for this, can we?”
Enrique glanced around at the group and soon spoke in his role as leader.
“Even though an Astrologer’s readings are just predictions and don’t always reflect reality, we haven’t encountered any real danger yet. But since Qionghua noticed something off with the stars, we should stay alert… This place does feel strange.”
With that, the team adjusted their formation, weapons at the ready. Sophie the [Tree Wall] took the lead, clearing the path, while the others positioned Violet and Qionghua, both support specialists, in the center for protection. Staying vigilant, they continued their descent toward the foot of the mountain.
Just as [Tree Monkey] had predicted, there was a small village nestled below. From their vantage point, they could see about a hundred households scattered across the area.
Crossing the final steep slope, [Tree Bow] used the light spirit’s glow to check the map once more. A deep, thoughtful look flashed in his emerald-green eyes.
“This is Adelaide Village 192, no doubt about it. The location matches perfectly with the map… But this doesn’t make any sense.”
“According to the Adelaide City Adventurers’ Guild, the entire village mysteriously vanished two months ago. It was officially declared abandoned. Investigators have repeatedly checked the site since then. If the reports weren’t lying…”
He gazed at the small village, where scattered lanterns flickered in the night, its quiet atmosphere seemingly at peace.
“Then… what exactly are we looking at right now?”