"No gold coins?!?" Yu Yu's head buzzed with question marks.
Meng couldn't hold back her retort. "Gold coins would be the real issue, wouldn't it?"
Who stashes a treasure chest in a tomb, let alone stuffs it with coins? That's practically begging grave robbers to dig up your ancestors.
No gear. Disappointing.
No money. Disappointing.
Just two books.
With a heavy heart, Yu Yu opened one of them.
"Huh?"
It wasn't a book?
[Grimoire (Exquisite)]
[Remaining Spell Slots: 6/6]
[Maximum Spell Tier: 4th Ring]
[Owner: None]
[Temporary Authorization: None]
Reading the description, Yu Yu's dark eyes widened to saucers. "High… high…"
"High what?" Meng asked, curious.
Yu Yu's pupils gleamed. "High-tier spellcaster trial card!!!"
Meng: "???"
"Look, Senior!" Yu Yu thrust it forward. "It's called a Grimoire! It's actual gear!"
Meng took the Grimoire, flipping through it. "…I can't see anything."
Yu Yu eagerly explained, spilling every detail she'd gleaned. "Isn't this way better than some busted staff?!?"
"If I could cast 4th-ring spells, I'd… wait!" Her eyes sparkled. "Senior, try slotting a spell into it!"
"Alright," Meng said, giving it a shot. After a moment, she shook her head. "No response."
Yu Yu joined her in puzzling over it, muttering after a while, "Guess it needs to be bound first."
Channeling her mental energy, Yu Yu triggered a change in the Grimoire. What was once a dull, gray tome now radiated light, revealing a silver-white book adorned with intricate, hollowed-out reliefs. It floated beside Yu Yu, flipping its pages at her mere thought, exuding an air of undeniable prestige.
[Grimoire (Exquisite)]
[Remaining Spell Slots: 5/6]
[Maximum Spell Tier: 4th Ring]
[Owner: Yu]
[Temporary Authorization: Meng]
[Spell Slot: 'Meng's Teleportation' (1/1)]
Yu Yu mused, "Only one use, huh? Knew it was too good to be true."
Meng suggested, "Give it a try?"
The top-tier spellcasters watching the stream: "…"
Feng Ye crossed her arms. "Never heard of such a thing. Using someone else's spells? Can she even pull it off?"
She was deeply skeptical.
Guang Chen, equally baffled, turned to her team. "Have I heard of this? Is it lost knowledge?"
Xue said calmly, "No. The magic circle's records mention no such thing."
Chang Ming noted, "The issue is, this doesn't seem like something outsiders brought. Look at the notebook—it's from twenty-something years ago, something His Majesty picked up!"
Chong added, "Let's keep observing. If it works as we imagine, it could be a game-changer for spellcasters, like the Nightingale Psychic Construct."
Qiong scoffed, "Without a crafting method, what's one copy worth?"
Yu Yu, eager to test it, was stopped by Meng. "Hold on. You don't know Teleportation. I don't want you porting into the ground and flattening yourself. I'll swap it for another spell."
Moments later, Yu Yu opened the Grimoire with confidence. "Mass Invisibility!"
"Did I do it?"
A voice echoed in the air, but the hall was empty.
Meng, sensing trouble brewing, said, "Yes, you did it. Now undo the spell."
"How? I don't know how!" Yu Yu giggled. "This is great—no one's home!"
Meng coughed dryly. "No way. I'll teach you."
Feng Ye gaped. "…Instant casting? How? What's the mechanism? It's someone else's spell!"
Chang remarked, "At least the kid's a bit safer now."
Xue mused, "Temporary authorization… If seniors could authorize juniors to cast spells, and every student had a Grimoire, their safety…"
Qiong cut in, "Wake up. We don't have Grimoires."
Chong sighed, "Nice dream, but drop it. Forget students—even for us, one Grimoire would skyrocket our combat and survival capabilities."
She added, "If it can store mental energy for instant casting, key spells could massively boost our safety—especially for students."
Guang Chen wondered, "What's going on? I've never heard of this. Can an outsider's will just… conjure things from nothing now?"
Xue said, "If we had a crafting method, it'd be huge. One copy? Novelty at best."
Their verdict: immense potential, but currently just a curiosity.
If only there were a crafting method. They'd need to nudge Yu Yu to dig for one.
Feng Ye prompted, "Test it outside. Focus on the mission."
Meng echoed, "Test it outside. Mission first."
Yu Yu eyed her equipment slot, trying to equip the Grimoire in her off-hand. Her staff got bumped out. She tried again. Bumped again.
Yu Yu exclaimed, "It's a main-hand item!"
After a moment's thought, she stashed her staff in her bag and equipped the Grimoire.
"Kinda cool…"
The elegant silver book floated beside her, emitting faint, illusory page-turning sounds.
Feng Ye: "…" It is, a bit.
Yu Yu opened the second book. "Oh, here's the big mission!"
[Discovered Anomaly: 'Emotion Devourer']
[Its behavior deviates from records. Memory consumption is negligible; it significantly devours emotions, inducing at least three months of emotionless states, greatly slowing corruption growth.]
[The anomaly typically shows no intelligence, remains stable, neither growing nor weakening, with a cyclic state. Power distribution points are as follows: [Image] [Image] [Image] [Image]]
[Its core is fragile and obvious, with extremely low attack and mobility, highly self-limiting. Killing is not recommended.]
[Sealing attempts yield little value.]
[I've used this anomaly four times. While sorting memories, I noticed slight memory loss—this book.]
[Stored among my collectibles, it's not an ordinary book. No content, but durable material, no corruption. Yet I can't recall where I found it or its purpose.]
The handwriting grew agitated, pressing hard into the page.
[As a Legend, my memory should be flawless. This is its fault, so I left it here.]
[It can consume excess emotions to slow corruption growth, but overfeeding may cause unknown changes.]
[If using it to delay corruption, allow digestion time. Beware side effects, like random minor memory loss.]
[Due to its unique nature, I didn't report it to the magic circle. If successors encounter it, do not attack rashly. Heed this, heed this.]
Yu Yu was floored. "This chest isn't mine? The Flame Sovereign Majesty set it up?!?"
"He's way too stylish!"
She handed the notebook to Meng.
The hall felt eerily empty, with only Yu Yu standing there, a bit creepy.
This was the third Attunement point, and even Senior Jin Che hadn't followed.
Yu Yu rubbed her arms. "Senior, can you show yourself? It's spooky."
Meng reached for the notebook, but someone else snatched it.
Meng: "."
Gui Fan extended her hand, only to have it slapped away.
Gui Fan: "?"
Who?
Moments later, Gui Fan grumbled in the stream, "It wasn't me, wasn't me. Meng, was it you?"
Meng: "Not me either…"
Feng Ye hissed, "Shut up."
Meanwhile, someone finished reading, catching Yu Yu's gaze and hesitating to pass it to Gui Fan.
"What do you think?" she said, mimicking Meng's voice.
Yu Yu rubbed her chin. "His Majesty… didn't find the issue our way, did he?"
The notebook floated, letting Meng and Gui Fan finally see it.
Gui Fan read aloud, relaying it to the stream's colleagues.
Someone's mood grew complex.
Did Teacher's later personality shifts—flip-flopping, forgetfulness—stem not from corruption, but this anomaly?
Yu Yu pointed out, "Senior, look at His Majesty's sketches. Don't the locations overlap with the seniors' positions?"
'Meng': "They do."
Yu Yu: "If he didn't know Wu Feng Grand Archon's location, how did he know the others'? How'd he slip the notebook onto Senior Jin Che's shelf?"
'Meng' said candidly, "Good question. I don't know."
Meng, having finished reading, overheard someone chatting with Yu Yu in her voice, back and forth.
'Meng': "Let's say His Majesty had special methods."
Yu Yu sighed. "He didn't know the anomaly was Senior Wu Feng His wording's brutal."
"Fragile, obvious core, extremely low attack, extremely low mobility, highly self-limiting…"
Her expression twisted. "Did Senior Wu Feng find a way? To turn herself into… that?"
'Meng' sighed softly. "They upheld their duty. If you can, find their remains and bring them back."
Yu Yu sensed an odd, commanding edge in Meng's tone—maybe her imagination.
Did they uphold their duty?
The high- and top-tier spellcasters pondered silently.
They did. But what about us?
Unaware, Yu Yu waved the notebook. "See? Legend-stamped harmless anomaly."
"If it can't alter his words, Senior Jin Che's safe!"
'Meng': "The Legend's mental imprint can't be mimicked by anomalies. It's unaltered."
Yu Yu lit up. "Then can we tell Senior Jin Che the good news?!"
'Meng': "…Got the staff yet?"
"Oh, almost forgot," Yu Yu muttered, checking her mission list. "The Unopened Door is done. Just Unveiling Secrets, The Lost One, and the staff left."
"I'll turn in missions first. If I get face-to-face killed later, it's not a total loss."
'Meng': "Fair enough."
Feng Ye: "…"
Thank the Legend's good temper.
'Meng' trailed Yu Yu, watching her Attune and dart around, her tone casual. "How'll you turn in missions back home?"
Yu Yu blinked. "Back home? The staff?"
"Obviously, I'll toss it to the Grand Archon. She'd have to beg me to deliver it elsewhere."
Feng Ye's face darkened.
The stream chat filled with stifled laughter emojis.
"The Grand Archon?" 'Meng' mused. "Alright, I suppose."
[The Unopened Door (Completed)] [Gained Experience +10,000]
Mission Updated—[Trace the Source (Epic)]
Yu Yu closed the prompt so fast she missed the new mission. She'd Attuned to the first floor—the safest, most harmless one—and bolted straight for Senior Dai Dai.
Waving three books, Yu Yu called, "Senior Dai Dai, I found your books!!!"
The pale blue phantom's features seemed slightly clearer than before. She stared sluggishly at the books, then hurried over, her movements surprisingly swift.
"My… books… my…" Her voice was slow, but her actions weren't.
Recalling the sharp Jin Che below and this dazed Senior Dai Dai, Yu Yu said fondly, "I got them. Are these the ones?"
[Lost Books (Completed)]
[Gained Experience +10,000, Jin Che Affinity +75, Acquired Spell 'Silent Domain']
Watching Senior Dai Dai shelve the books, Yu Yu gasped, "Missions give spells? What's Silent Domain? Never seen it!"
"It's…" The phantom spoke slowly, "the Grand Archon's original spell. She hates noise. When annoyed, she casts Silent Domain. You could bang a drum by her ear—no sound."
"Wow, awesome!" Yu Yu gushed. "Thanks, Senior Dai Dai! I'm heading upstairs!"
"Dai what?"
Her sudden question nearly made Yu Yu trip. She gawked at the phantom, noticing her sluggish movements growing smoother, her faint blue face gaining faint contours.
"…Digging books from my own shelf? You're quite the quester," the phantom said, half-angry. "I told you my codename. Thought I couldn't hear?"
Yu Yu clung to the wall, feigning innocence. "Slip of the tongue, Senior! I'll be right back, haha…"
She bolted, vanishing in a blink.
Jin Che huffed.
'Meng': "…"
Spirited kid. Bit of a headache.
That wolf pup's a handful too… nose too sharp, catching every mood shift.
Sighing inwardly, she followed.
Meng kept her distance, wary of bumping into the Legend.
Gui Fan did too.
By the time they reached the upper floor, Yu Yu was already deep in conversation with Senior You Feng.
You Feng, dazed: "I… had a beloved?"
"Yes!"
"She was… Wu Feng?" She recalled Yu Yu's earlier visit. "So I'm not the Grand Archon…"
Yu Yu consoled, "Your wife was the Grand Archon. Close enough."
Guang Chen: "? Can you round it like that?"
Feng Ye: "I don't think so."
Chang Ming: "Me neither."
Gui Fan: "She's dead… doesn't matter."
You Feng mused, "I see."
"My wife…" She stood, murmuring, "I, You Feng, she, Wu Feng… my wife…"
"Still have the badge?" Her voice, always gentle, carried a visible joy as she smiled, making Yu Yu feel a twinge of guilt.
What if they weren't lovers?
[The Lost One (Completed)] [Gained Experience +10,000, Acquired Spell 'Mass Serenity', You Feng Affinity +70, XX Affinity +60]
It actually completed?
Wait—XX?
You Feng was clear, but who was XX?
Yu Yu's expression twisted as she handed over the badge. "Returned in perfect condition."
Jin Che had given it back after using it.
You Feng held it, beaming, her pale blue form practically sparkling.
Yu Yu said, "Senior, I'll see you later. Off to turn in missions!"
You Feng smiled gently. "Go on."
At the bickering seniors' side, Yu Yu didn't waste words. She flashed the core before them.
They stopped instantly. "The core!"
"The core!!"
Yu Yu announced, "Seniors, we found the core. No need to fight."
Both exhaled in unison.
The junior grumbled, "Told you I didn't lose it."
The senior huffed, "Fine, I get it."
Their intelligence was clearly lower than You Feng or Jin Che's. After two sentences, they began to fade.
Yu Yu gasped, "Seniors? Seniors?"
'Meng': "No need to hold them. Their obsession's gone. It's a good thing."
Yu Yu hesitated. "What about Senior Jin Che and You Feng?"
'Meng': "Their obsessions run deeper."
Yu Yu pressed, "And the patrolling seniors…"
'Meng': "Their obsessions only sustain patrols. They lost their intelligence long ago."
Yu Yu stared into the air. "Dunno why, but Senior, you suddenly sound like a big shot."
Calm, detached, with a hint of zen and an odd, lofty perspective.
'Meng': "…"
Meng, prodded by the Grand Archon, said reluctantly, "Can't I have some flair? Am I not a big shot?"
Yu Yu nodded. "That's the vibe."
She turned. "Let's go see the Wu Feng Grand Archon!"
Attuning to the third segment, they faced a pale blue spell wall behind the chest.
Yu Yu faltered, popping a red potion in her mouth. "Senior, can you show yourself? I'm nervous."
Meng: "…No. Move."
'Meng' and Gui Fan followed, nudging her forward.
Clearly, the Flame Sovereign hadn't unraveled things like an outsider. He'd brute-forced it with his own methods, clueless about the backstory.
Only an outsider could do this.
If Yu Yu didn't go in, they feared missing something critical.
Inside, Yu Yu saw a massive glowing orb floating in the room, with objects drifting within.
A closer look hit her sanity like a sledgehammer.
What is that? Twisted insect bodies? Segmented rings? Eyes?
Ugh.
Averting her gaze, Yu Yu checked her corruption. In that instant, it had spiked to 15 and was still climbing.
At 0.1 points per second.
Hearing no word from Meng, Yu Yu gritted her teeth. "Senior Wu Feng have you seen a staff?"
The orb flared, and a staff floated toward her.
Yu Yu grabbed it without looking, forcing out, "Senior, do you know where Senior Jin Che and the others' remains are?"
After a long pause, a distant, eerie voice echoed—not human, with a haunting penetration, as if whispering in her ear.
But Yu Yu couldn't understand it.
'Meng', maintaining a Mass Will Aura, avoided the orb, scanning the room.
Soon, she spotted ten figures near the orb.
Their black robes had lost all luster. Heads bowed, emaciated, they stood silently.
Two were especially close, as if leaning on each other.
Yu Yu asked cautiously, "Senior, can I take them?"
The orb surged, ejecting Yu Yu so abruptly she nearly dropped the staff.
The space vanished!
Drenched in sweat, heart aching, Yu Yu collapsed, gasping.
So uncomfortable.
She'd done nothing, and Senior Wu Feng's anomaly bore no malice, yet it was unbearable.
Like facing a mortal enemy, every muscle tensed, urging her to retch.
Is this the erosion of an anomaly's aura?
Recalling that fleeting glimpse, Yu Yu clutched her throat.
She'd liked Senior Wu Feng, but now… she was this.
That terrifying form…
Yu Yu realized she'd been naive, thinking she could reason with an anomaly.
The moment it became an anomaly, it ceased to be human.
The realization made her shut her eyes tightly.
How can a world be so hopeless?
Would she, one day, fall to this?
Become an anomaly, forever severed from humanity?
Her body mutating, so horrifying that others collapsed in fear, her mere presence spiking their corruption, assimilating them into monsters…
The thought choked her.
And this was Senior Wu Feng's reality…
She hadn't turned in an instant.
Did she feel You Feng's changes? See Jin Che and the others' fates?
If senior Wu Feng had truly succeeded, why were Jin Che and the others trapped here forever?
Regardless…
Meng broke in, "What's your corruption? Why's the potion in your mouth? Drink it!"
Yu Yu's voice was flat. "Not much, just over 20."
Meng: "How much?"
"21.2," Yu Yu said. "Senior Wu Feng kicked us out fast."
Clutching the staff, her mood was heavy. "So what did His Majesty want me to do here?"
'Meng': "Maybe he had no plan, just acting on a whim."
Meng: "…" That's not remotely what I'd say!
Yu Yu, unsuspicious, said, "Really?"
"Ugh, whatever. I can't fathom a Legend's thoughts. Let the Grand Archon deal with it."
Feng Ye: "?"
You really trust me, huh?
Yu Yu slapped her cheeks. "Anyway, it proves Senior Wu Feng's anomaly is stable. No outburst, just a kick-out."
"I suspect she's still intelligent but didn't speak for some reason," Yu Yu said, eyeing the XX affinity. "Or maybe she did, but I don't speak anomaly."
'Meng': "Let's head back."
Feng Ye began to smirk. Back? Good.
Suddenly, someone crashed their stream.
[Night Sovereign] entered the stream.
Everyone froze. You?
Night Sovereign: "Quite entertaining."
"Feng Ye."
"Yes, Your Eminence," Feng Ye said, deeply respectful.
"Since outsiders are steadily reaching mid-tier, prepare to open the mainland," she paused. "Start by reclaiming Lynx City. It has our mana furnace and a main warehouse."
She added briefly, "Raising young spellcasters takes resources. After all this scouting, it's time to reclaim it." Casually, she said, "As for specifics, ask this kid. She's good at guiding outsiders."
With that, she went silent.
Feng Ye: "Yes, Your Eminence."
No [Night Sovereign] has left the stream prompt came. Feng Ye didn't dare ask, waiting before saying, "You heard her?"
Chang Ming: "Heard it. Big moves incoming, tsk."
Chang: "In outsider terms, this is… a version event?"
Feng Ye eyed the oblivious Yu Yu, head aching. "This kid, always giving me work…"
Outside, Yu Yu spotted her unconscious teammates and smacked her forehead. "I almost forgot my team!!!"
Meng deadpanned, "No 'almost.' You straight-up forgot."
Yu Yu squirmed. "I knew they got out! Staying separate is safer for them!"
After all, spellcaster seniors wouldn't hit her but would clobber her teammates.
So tragic.
If she got the chance, Yu Yu vowed to help Shu Tu and the others switch to spellcasters. Otherwise, relics like this were a beating waiting to happen.
Waking her team, Yu Yu roughly explained the events as they walked.
Meng stayed Invisible, possibly gone.
Zi Shu: "So what did we do here?"
Fuyu grinned, "Exploit bugs, duh!"
"We came to make money!" Fuyu said confidently. "We earned it, no danger—could it get better?"
Wei Zi Shu was momentarily speechless.
Shu Tu sighed, "These seniors…"
She couldn't stay mad.
Sure, they were discriminatory, but their contributions… left her speechless.
At the teleportation array in a blink, Yu Yu blinked in surprise. "New face?"
"Hm? Me?" The figure flipped back her hood. "Oh, it's you. The other one's corruption was too high, so she got swapped out. I'm running the array now."
Yu Yu, intrigued, asked, "Senior, which Grand Archon do you serve?"
The high-tier spellcaster paused, then laughed. "Bold question! I'm under the War Grand Archon. Archon Chong's my boss."
"Kid's got guts, asking about Grand Archons right off," she chuckled. "What, met ours yet?"
Yu Yu shook her head honestly. "Nope."
The spellcaster nodded, unsurprised. "Figures. I've barely seen her myself."
"Alright, you're out. Move along, don't block the way."
Yu Yu waved. "Next time, I'll bring you snacks, Senior!"
"Oh? I'll hold you to that." The spellcaster clearly didn't take it seriously.
Gui Fan, in the stream, griped, "…I'm still here, you know."
Feng Ye smirked. "She's got some nerve, asking who serves which Grand Archon."
Chong muttered, "Skipped right over me."
Meanwhile, Yu Yu was back on a carriage.
She tallied her haul.
Before leaving, she'd bid Senior Jin Che farewell, promising to return in a few days with the new high-risk anomaly observers, bringing tasty treats, fun trinkets, and a systematic language-learning method.
Jin Che was reluctant to part, even mentioning she'd go upstairs to chat with Senior You Feng.
Yu Yu tried to dissuade her, unsure if it sank in. Hope Senior can hold back.
The Grimoire floated beside her, caught by Shu Tu. "Kinda pretty."
Yu Yu agreed, "Yeah, everything's great, except Senior's spell only works once."
Sorting her inventory, she spotted a big item.
"I forgot to ask Senior—does the golem know Vine Growth?"
Meng: "?"
Feng Ye: "?"
Everyone: "?"
You're still on that?
They'd reached the docks.
Fuyu: "Off, off!"
Yu Yu, lost in thought, followed her team ashore.
"Senior, Senior, you still there?"
Meng: "…Yeah."
Shu Tu: "?"
Zi Shu: "?"
Fuyu: "??"
Why?
Why does she get an NPC bodyguard on a trip?
Lemon tree, you and me.jpg
Chong arrived, her lively robe in tow.
Gui Fan kept griping, "I can't wrap my head around it. Something that valuable, and her first thought is Vine Growth?"
"What's going on in that head of hers?"
Meng, hounded by Yu Yu's relentless "Senior, Senior, Senior," felt her brain about to explode. "Why not ask the Grand Archon?"
Yu Yu gasped, "Ask her? No way!"
Feng Ye narrowed her eyes.
Yu Yu: "She'd probably confiscate it!!!"
Feng Ye: "Heh…"
Chong: "Long time no see, little friend."
Yu Yu blinked, puzzled. "Senior, didn't we just meet?"
Her eyes flicked to Chong's robe.
Oh! Senior Chong's robe is as lively as ever today!!