Yu Yu wandered aimlessly, unaware of how far she'd traveled, until a sudden realization struck her. The distance between her and those entities was vast—immeasurable by any known scale.
She froze, instinctively gazing into the distance.
Their forms were otherworldly, their colors and shapes surpassing the limits of her comprehension, each one drifting in an endless abyss of darkness. An ominous aura radiated from them, a subconscious malice that seemed intent on unraveling existence itself, pressing down on her like a tidal wave.
Among them, those without malice were exceedingly rare. They were everywhere, scattered across the void.
Only when Yu Yu paused did she notice something peculiar about herself. A faint shimmer of starlight cloaked her body, delicate and fragile, shielding her from the entities' corruption.
Corruption…?
Yu Yu snapped awake, staring in disbelief at the beings before her. She whipped around, her eyes locking onto the scene behind her.
A kaleidoscope of darkness—black fog roiling with indistinct shapes, pierced by murky yellow pupils vying to peer at her. This entity was the closest, nearer than any other. Its black fog was the densest, billowing in relentless waves, threatening to engulf her.
Instinct screamed at Yu Yu to run.
Flee!
Escape its corrupting reach!
As far as possible.
Flee!
Her eyes widened as she scanned for a direction, quickly settling on the east. There, the starry sky was serene, untainted by these chaotic horrors. If she could reach it… perhaps she could shake them off. The cosmos was vast—surely there was a sanctuary somewhere. Yu Yu pivoted and sprinted desperately toward that pristine haven.
"Hm?"
At the Magic Circle headquarters' stargazing platform, a black-robed figure, previously dozing, jolted awake. She studied the star chart before her, her immense spirit calculating the results in an instant. Without hesitation, she began summoning others.
The plane's movement had inexplicably accelerated. The shift was subtle, but this was an entire plane. Had something gone awry with the stars again?
She looked up, tracking every nuance of the celestial shifts—orbital intersections, fluctuations in radiance.
No changes detected.
The stars were stable, and the Magic Circle…
She plunged her spirit into the Magic Circle's depths, probing its subconscious sea. After thorough scrutiny, nothing seemed amiss.
So where was the anomaly coming from?
Was an unknown force propelling the plane?
The magnitude rivaled the Magic Circle's full energy output.
A grim possibility surfaced.
Having just escaped the core capture zone of one pollution source, had they stumbled into another's grasp?
Within moments, six more black-robed figures materialized on the platform. Without a word, their vast spirit surged, analyzing the star chart's data in unison.
Soon, their expressions soured.
The plane's mean deviation was steadily increasing—they were indeed moving, and toward an uncharted direction.
Damn it.
Had they truly encountered another pollution source?
Was Hvar's luck really this cursed?
A hoarse voice rasped, "It's not just us. Foreign planes, including the Shadow Plane and other subsidiaries, are being dragged along…"
"Are we caught again?" The youngest legend's voice trembled with despair.
It had taken five hundred years of meticulous adjustments to escape the last pollution source's reach. They'd barely tasted freedom—how could they face another so soon?
Five hundred years. How many more did they have?
If the pollution intensified, bolstered by the source, the anomalies on the main continent would surge in power, undoing centuries of their hard-won defenses in an instant. Before such pollution sources, the will of the stars was but a fragile bubble, burst by a single breath.
"How much time do we have?"
After a flurry of tense calculations, the group fell into stunned silence.
"Where's Felte? Where's she off to at a time like this?"
"It doesn't feel like a pollution source. Pollution levels haven't spiked. What's happened recently?"
"…Does the Lord of Shadows and Dreams count?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
The black-robed figure's lips twitched. "That entity has ascended to a higher shadow being, with the power to forcibly convert others. Her sudden appearance had a massive impact. Felte caught wind of it and went to investigate the Shadow Plane."
"Could that senior be single-handedly shoving planes around?"
"No clue."
"Want to test her, Wanderer?"
A tall black-robed figure crossed her arms. "Got it."
Yu Yu remained unconscious, a concern weighing heavily on many within the Magic Circle. They'd invested immense effort in her. If something went wrong, their work would be for naught. But before Yu Yu awoke, the Council's inquiries arrived.
What?
What major events had occurred?
Well, quite a few.
Like that Yu Yu, and that Yu Yu, and…
Yu Yu's name was once again dragged into the Council's spotlight.
Dream Lord: "…Felte's been keeping tabs on her. Seems she freed her teacher."
Mirror: "The one always griping about Eternal Darkness being subpar?"
Scribe: "One minute she's saying I skimp on intro word counts, the next she's complaining Abe's quest wording is too intense, then demanding this and that…"
Dream Lord: "I've waited ages for her to file a formal complaint about 0007. All talk, no action. Hmph."
Storm Sovereign,: "The one who wanted pockets sewn into magic robes?"
Blood Lord, lounging with legs crossed: "That's her. Her little golden glow is cute. When's she hitting high-tier? Wanna pull her up for some fun."
Dream Lord: "Soon. Ask Feng Ye."
Blood Lord nudged the woman beside her. "Sleep, sleep, all you do is sleep! Are you here for the meeting or a nap?!"
With the Council pressing, Feng Ye didn't dare slack, dutifully sending a full report of recent events.
Yes, she'd previously only briefed her teacher.
"Huh? When did she fall unconscious?"
Scribe: "…Probably a coincidence. She's barely high-tier. Better wait for Wanderer's report. How's that ancestor survived this long?"
Mirror, musing: "His Grace Pugris… Given Yu Yu's questing style, could she have unearthed Pugris and her disciples?"
Even a sliver of those ancestors' consciousness, if manifested, wouldn't settle for being quiet NPCs. Stirring up chaos was par for the course.
Scribe: "…It's possible."
The five still-awake Council members exchanged glances, sensing a storm brewing.
Yu Yu was exhausted from running.
Ugh, even dreams were this tiring?
By now, she knew she was dreaming—pinching herself didn't hurt.
She flopped onto the ground. "Done. Let it all burn."
Lying there, dazed, she heard a voice.
"Little Yu."
The voice brimmed with worry. Yu Yu jolted awake. "Shu Tu, I'm fine!"
Shu Tu's fatigue vanished. "Finally awake."
Zi Shu: "Those big shots kept pestering me, and the Federation too. I've been kicked offline every time I logged in these past few days."
Shu Tu hadn't even tried logging on.
Fuyu sighed, "I just left Silver Moon, and you're already high-tier."
Yu Yu struggled to sit up, her body sluggish.
No, something was off…
She stared at the carpet in shock.
She was floating.
Fuyu yelped, "Yu Yu! What's happening?!"
Yu Yu, stunned, crashed back down after a long pause.
Her spirit—how had it changed so drastically?
She glanced at Fuyu.
Fuyu's hair stood on end as an invisible force lifted her.
She shadow leaped from the bed's foot, shrieking, "What are you doing?!"
Yu Yu tested again, hoisting herself with her spirit.
And she had power to spare…
It was as if she'd gained new eyes and ears. The world bloomed with vibrant, intricate colors and details.
Her spirit felt tangible, capable of lifting objects, eavesdropping, even striking someone…
A peculiar sensation.
Yu Yu glanced at Shu Tu.
Shu Tu clutched her collar protectively. "…Don't mess around. You've been out five days—aren't you hungry?"
The reminder hit Yu Yu like a brick. "Starving, exhausted, I'm dying…"
Zi Shu: "Eat first, then tell them you're awake."
Otherwise, Yu Yu might not get a bite. The Magic Circle valued her, but having seven or eight people ask dozens of times a day was absurd. Zi Shu was nearly neurotic from the barrage.
Yu Yu eating.jpg
Sated, Yu Yu flopped back, waving. "I'm fine now. Logging in to check things out."
She had to share the good news with her seniors!
Wait—five days? Senior must've returned to headquarters!
The thought brought a grimace of despair.
Logging in, she found herself in the castle, exactly where she'd dropped offline, surrounded by onlookers.
She fired off a message to announce her return, then plopped onto a bench, gleefully admiring her stats.
[Yu]
Identity: (Too many to list)
Class: Mid-Tier Spellcaster (+)
Title: Undertaker
Level: 11 (172,500/300,000)
Reputation: 20 (Magic Circle Rising Star, moderately famous; those following the Magic Circle know your name)
Gold: 202,526 (others omitted)
Points: 440
Magic Circle Favorability: 15.0552
Light Cone Authority: 5%
Attributes—
Spirit: 17
Will: 8
Perception: 10
Strength: 12
Agility: 12
Constitution: 12
Health: 244
Spirit: 29,280 (+2,000)
Armor: 1
Resistance: 0
Pollution: 9
—(Omitted)
Yu Yu rubbed her eyes. "Whoa, is Will wrong?! How'd it go up?!"
Chang, spotting her, hurried over. "You logged in and didn't tell us? How're you feeling? Any discomfort?"
Recalling Yu Yu's remark, she gaped. "No way!"
Yu Yu: "Whoa! My spirit is insane!!!! I can cast fourth-ring spells!!! I'm gonna smash with Meteor Strike!"
Chang teleported her straight to the Grand Archon. "Yu's online."
Feng Ye, unruffled, said, "Mm, I see her."
"Will increased, you sure?" she asked.
Yu Yu's grin was unstoppable, thrilled by her spirit. "Either Eternal Darkness glitched, or my eyes are fine."
She perked up, rubbing her hands. "Grand Archon, I'm a high-tier spellcaster now, right? Time to level up! I want a raise!"
"I've even picked my codename!!!"
Feng Ye: "…"
Meng, arriving, sighed: "…"
No need to be that eager.
Spotting Meng, Yu Yu pounced. "Senior! I'm high-tier!!!"
"This time, I'll wear your magic robe. Senior Qiong won't catch me!"
Chang coughed. "You'll get your own magic robe. Why wear Meng's?"
Yu Yu: "Just an example!"
Meng, arms crossed, teased, "Oh? What's your codename gonna be?"
Yu Yu pondered. "I want something cool, but one word doesn't cut it."
Chang laughed. "Just call yourself Cool."
Feng Ye: "…Advancement isn't my call. Talk to Xue—that's the Academy's job."
"Until we get Xue's confirmation, you're not officially high-tier."
Yu Yu sensed a trap. "High-tier has other criteria?"
Meng's expression turned odd. "There are… some."
Yu Yu's smile faded, then she brightened. "No evaluation, no problem. I can still cast spells!"
She recalled—high-tier meant real work. Better to lay low, stay a junior spellcaster.
Pitiful, weak, helpless, but adorable—and ripe for fleecing seniors!
Yu Yu's eyes gleamed. "I've got tons of lessons left." Grabbing Meng, she bolted. "Grand Archon, I'm off!"
Feng Ye, querying the Council about Will growth, glanced up. "Meng, grab her."
Yu Yu: "?!"
"What?! Why grab me? Did I break the law?!"
Feng Ye drawled, "Just waiting to discuss with Xue."
"Foreigners' advancement standards differ from ours."
"High-tier spellcasters who pass the assessment become High Stewards," she said with a sly smile. "Congratulations, Yu Yu."
Yu Yu, recalling her past antics, felt a twinge of guilt.
She was high-tier, but still a junior spellcaster!
Was this a delayed reckoning?!
Solemnly, she said, "I feel too weak for big responsibilities. Can I study a few more years?"
Meng's tone dripped with schadenfreude. "Once you advance, we're peers. The Grand Archon's ruled long, her prestige undeniable. She's lenient, rewarding merit…"
Yu Yu glanced at Senior Chang.
But my favorite boss is her!!
"Senior Chang!"
Bathed in the junior spellcaster's eager gaze, Chang puffed up slightly—but only slightly.
She coughed. "Ask the Grand Archon."
Yu Yu stared at Feng Ye.
This was bad.
Would this scoundrel agree?
Feng Ye clasped her hands, meeting Yu Yu's gaze with an overly gentle tone. "What do you think?"
Yu Yu: "…"