The Grand Archon's gentle smile, in Yu Yu's eyes, carried a singular meaning.
Try jumping ship? You'll be gone in a heartbeat.
Yu Yu immediately launched into a display of loyalty. "It's my honor to serve under the Grand Archon! How could I ever refuse?"
She darted behind Feng Ye, massaging her shoulders with a sweet whisper, "Boss! I'm your adorable little subordinate!"
Meng and Chang exchanged amused glances.
Yu Yu, trying to escape?
Not a chance—they'd lock the door before she could blink.
Feng Ye moved to seal the deal. "Meng—no, Chang, take her to Xue. Get her high-tier gear, then bring her back."
"Chang Ming returned yesterday," she added, "but who knows where he's at now."
Compared to Guang Chen and Gui Fan, Chang Ming's shamelessness was Feng Ye's real concern.
Yu Yu was her hand-picked prodigy, nurtured by her subordinates through grueling efforts. If someone poached her mid-journey, Feng Ye might just start a brawl in the city. Yu Yu blinked innocently, deeply aware of the Grand Archon's regard for her.
With rare sincerity, she said, "Don't worry, Grand Archon. I'm not jumping ship this time."
Feng Ye's face twisted for a split second. "…Shut up."
Yu Yu pressed, "Grand Archon, since Senior Chang is your subordinate, can I work under her? It's not about slacking—her elegance inspires me, and I want to contribute to Silver Moon's security."
Chang: "…"
Meng snorted, "Admiring her newspaper-delivery elegance?"
Chang, salvaging her dignity, retorted, "Newspapers? Am I not impressive? Look how well I've governed Silver Moon!"
Feng Ye's voice was icy. "No."
Yu Yu: "!!! Why not?!"
Ignoring her protests, Feng Ye instructed Chang and Meng, "Go quickly and return. I have more questions for her."
Yu Yu opened her mouth to argue, but Chang grabbed her collar, and with a teleport, they vanished.
Meng followed, chuckling, her mood sky-high.
The Academy
"Why's everyone here?" Xue looked up, surprised to see them.
Her gaze settled on Chang, offering a brief, "Not bad, top-tier. Planning a new codename?"
Chang: "Haven't decided. Keeping it for now."
Besides, didn't they all use single-character codenames despite two-character names? Same deal.
Xue turned to Yu Yu, pausing before saying, "Your spirit is like water sloshing in a bottle. You wobbled into the Academy, spilling it all along the way. Know what I mean?"
Yu Yu's face grew serious, mimicking Xue's past tone with uncanny accuracy. "Useless! Foolish! Hopeless!"
Xue: "…"
Chang: "…"
Meng: "…"
After a long pause, Xue muttered, "…Well said. Good you know."
Only then did she ask, "You're high-tier?"
Yu Yu puffed out her chest proudly. "Yup! I'm a high-tier spellcaster now!"
"In your dreams."
Yu Yu: "?"
Why the sarcasm?
Xue's expression remained stern, her voice raspy. "Have you studied spell structures? Built your magic circle?"
"The magic circle is a spellcaster's spellcasting core. All spell models are constructed within it," she said coldly. "Spirit is just the entry ticket. The magic circle is the standard."
"No magic circle," Xue waved dismissively, "no high-tier spellcaster."
Yu Yu's mood didn't waver—she grinned. "Oh, Senior Xue said it herself: no magic circle, no high-tier status!"
Chang interjected, "Foreigners can't be judged by our standards. They lack the time."
"Besides, spellcasters build magic circles to cast fourth-ring spells. Yu Yu can cast fourth-ring spells without one—maybe even fifth-ring."
"Letting a spellcaster who can wield such spells roam without high-tier status seems unreasonable, no?"
Xue frowned, irritated. "I've argued with her plenty. She's stubborn, but I don't care. I won't let an unqualified high-tier spellcaster slip through my hands."
Seeing them bicker, Yu Yu stepped back beside Meng, whispering as she watched the drama unfold. "Why's the Grand Archon so eager to make me high-tier? I'm fine staying non-high-tier for now! I've got 200,000 gold!"
Her points and gold were more than enough—she wasn't in a rush.
Meng shrugged. "The Grand Archon has her reasons."
Yu Yu: "Senior, do I need to buy land later? I don't even know where to put my manor."
Her imagination ran wild. "Can I buy land in Roland Territory? I wanna live there and see the flowers!"
Sure, people called Roland's grass plain, but to Yu Yu, glowing, gradient grass was a flower—a flower!
Meng grew envious. "A legend's residence is a treasure, packed with magic circles personally crafted by one. It's got spatial folding, top-notch defenses, and all sorts of perks."
"If Majesty included a garden, it'd likely have Vine Growth and Rainfallmagic circles," she said, her tone dripping with longing. "And if the legend's library wasn't cleared out…"
Meng added, "Best part? You can carry the residence anywhere, but no living creatures can stay inside."
Yu Yu's eyes sparkled. "Is there a one-click recall function, like a built-in teleportation circle? Pop home from anywhere, then zip back out?"
Meng blinked, stunned. "…No one's tried that."
As Chang and Xue continued talking, Xue chimed in, "Teleportation circles are typically tied to mana nodes. Powering them solely with elemental crystals is exorbitant and material-heavy. Plus, unguarded circles left outside are easily sabotaged, but…"
Yu Yu's eyes blazed. "But it's theoretically possible, right?!"
"Just a bit pricey?"
She clenched her fist. "Senior! I know my next goal!"
She declared, "I want a homestead system!"
The trio fell silent.
Having surfed the internet, they vaguely recognized the term "homestead system."
For a moment, they were at a loss for words.
After a long pause, Xue said coldly, "Then you've got your work cut out."
"First, your spirit can't fully power a legend's residence."
"Second, legends can sustain magic circles round-the-clock with their spirit and wealth. You can't—you're broke."
"Third, teleportation circles are insanely costly, millions at least, and portable ones cost double," Xue calculated. "The Majesty likely didn't leave space for a spatial circle. You'd need someone to reconfigure the legend's magic circles and design it. You can't afford their fees."
In short, even with a legend's manor, Yu Yu couldn't maintain it due to various limitations.
She had the deluxe edition but could only use the beggar's version.
Yu Yu was undeterred. "I'm not scared. Heh, once I'm out, I'll find a kind senior to help for free!"
Why spend money? Freebies were the ultimate joy!
Yu Yu dreamed aloud, "I want the world's most complete library! I want my manor to grow every plant and herb! I want to raise cute cats, dogs, and gorgeous horses! I want a lake view, a maple grove, white jade railings, and a hot spring! I want it filled with Roland grass! I want it portable, maxed-out defenses, and active offense would be even better! Flying would be the best!"
Planting system! Breeding system! Pet system! Decor system! Defense and attack systems! Teleportation system! Library collection system! And a flight system to top it off!
Chang: "Guessing you're hunting for the Pugris Light Cone?"
Meng teased, "Why not just salvage Sky City?"
"It's got everything you want."
Yu Yu's eyes lit up. "Where's Sky City? Can I dismantle it and attach it to my manor?"
The trio: "…"
Yu Yu's mind was no longer on high-tier spellcaster matters. She grabbed Meng and bolted. "Senior, let's find a spot to place my manor!"
She had to see her big house!!!
Chang yanked her back. "The Grand Archon meant we can create a temporary status for foreigners: Pre-High-Tier Spellcaster, Temporary High Steward, half benefits."
She added, "Yu's spirit meets the mark, and she can cast fourth-ring spells. She'll be high-tier soon enough."
Yu Yu's manor-fueled excitement screeched to a halt. "No! Half benefits won't do!"
She wailed in anguish.
Xue mused, "That's not impossible."
Yu Yu: "No!!!"
Chang turned to console her. "Go back and study with Meng to build your magic circle. You'll be a high-tier spellcaster in no time."
"It won't take long."
Yu Yu teared up. "I get it—the Grand Archon just wants to dock my pay."
Xue snapped, "Foolish!"
"High-tier spellcasters can represent the Magic Circle in critical moments, with authority and status far beyond mid-tier."
She added, "Feng Ye's cunning. She said half benefits, but you'll still be recorded as a high-tier spellcaster in the Magic Circle."
"You can be ennobled as a viscount, wield Magic Circle privileges…"
Chang stayed silent.
Yu Yu pondered.
So you knew all along? Why block it before and agree now? What's going on that I don't know?
Chang: "The Council demands Yu Yu head to headquarters for advanced training soon."
Xue: "Understood."
Yu Yu: "…I don't understand!"
"Hasn't Her Majesty the Night Sovereign returned yet?" she asked. "Why rush me to headquarters?"
Meng mused, "Once you're there, I won't have to teach you anymore, right?"
Yu Yu spun around. "Then I'll beg Her Majesty to bring Senior along! I can't survive without you!!"
She'd grown used to asking Meng for everything.
Though it started with enchantment, her lessons now spanned far beyond.
Who could blame a certain scoundrel for dumping every task on Meng?
Meng's eyelid twitched. "No need, absolutely not. Her Majesty are far more learned than I. Seize the chance to learn from them."
Yu Yu: "Can I ask Her Majesty to teach me music?"
Meng: "…"
Using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut? No need.
You'd get thrashed.
Chang and Xue, overhearing, smirked.
Chang: "Maybe the Night Sovereign arranged it in advance."
Yu Yu, unwilling to give up, said, "I still have to deliver food to the Majesty Eirisbo!"
Chang, merciless: "Someone's been assigned to cover for you. Senior Jin Che says she's enjoying it."
Yu Yu: "…She's been rushing me to finish."
Chang: "No such thing."
After "friendly" negotiations, Senior Xue conceded defeat.
She handed Yu Yu a high-tier spellcaster's magic robe, her face expressionless. "Here's your pocket."
Yu Yu: "Aaaah! Senior Xue, you're the best!!!"
Xue said coldly, "A few days ago, Chong asked me to leave a hole in hers for a tail."
"Compared to that, your request is almost normal."
Ever since Chong's visit, the transformation school's silly dogs had swarmed the logistics department, treating it like a tailor shop.
Wings, tails, fur—every request imaginable.
Xue's blood pressure had been sky-high, and everyone looked like a lunatic to her.
But the root of it all was Yu Yu.
Xue: "Thanks to you," she said, "I dread to think what high-tier spellcasters will look like in the future."
Yu Yu pictured it.
Black-robed spellcasters: cold, haughty, ruthless… but with tails!
Sleek, black, swaying tails…
So cute!
Yu Yu: "The spellcaster aesthetic just got adorably explosive! The Magic Circle's charm will skyrocket."
Xue: "?"
Chang: "?"
Meng: "?"
Yu Yu: "Add ears, and heh, hehe, hehehe…"
"Senior Chong is so cute!"
She was picturing Chong—gosh, too adorable.
She craved tail-petting again.
Maybe a trip to Withered Wood Town soon—players were heading to the main continent, so her shop could open.
Xue's lips twitched, spitting out four cold words: "Don't. You. Dare. Agree."
Yu Yu waved it off. "Tell that to Senior Chong. I can't decide, right?"
"Has Senior Chong broken through?"
Chang sighed, "She did, but she's insufferably smug. Came to spar with me and Qiong."
"And then?"
Chang, matter-of-factly: "Qiong and I teamed up and beat her down."
Yu Yu: "?"
A righteous two-on-one?
So Chong's combat prowess was that high?
Chang: "Why'd you give her potions? Her stats are 18 across the board except Will. She's a nightmare, like a dog—infuriating."
Xue nodded subtly. "If a transformation specialist hits 20 in all stats, their power leaps qualitatively."
"Chong's strength might rival Gui Fan's now."
Yu Yu pondered, recalling senior Chong's personality. "Will she challenge Senior Gui Fan?"
Chang: "Hard to say."
Xue: "Not while the Obedience Contract is active."
"And after it expires?"
Xue thought for a second, her expression complex. "She might."
Chong… that dog had ridden Yu Yu's coattails to the top.
Before these potions, Gui Fan had grinded her stats up the hard way—brutal.
But Chong just chugged her way there.
Yu Yu asked, "What's the Obedience Contract? When does it expire?"
Chang's expression grew odd. "You'll sign one too. No rush."
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Was it that kind of contract?!
Would she have to stop secretly cursing Feng Ye?!
Xue snapped out of it, handing Yu Yu the Magic Circle's emblem. "Use it to represent the Magic Circle in critical moments. Your codename's engraved—keep it safe."
She passed over several pouches. "This is your settling-in fee, this month's stipend, this month's materials…"
Yu Yu gaped. "Whoa, 20,000 gold for settling in?!"
Enough to buy a nice property in Silver Moon—the Allen Peninsula's capital—and a garden outside!
The Magic Circle, sob, her dream employer.
Then she saw the stipend—holy crap, 2,000 gold.
She'd once asked Meng about Magic Circle wages—250 gold a week?
Now she realized that was just base pay!
Xue glanced at her. "What, expected less?"
She handed over a staff and other gear. "The shop grants a 10,000-gold monthly quota. Overspend, and you pay."
Chang grinned, and Meng smirked.
Meng: "Now you know why I've got so many pens and papers at home?"
Xue kept distributing. "These were meant to be consumables, but I figured you wouldn't eat them. Potions aren't much use to you now. You didn't keep any Deep Blue Potions, hmph. We'll send you some when we make more—drinking too many's useless."
"So I swapped them for Constitution- and stat-boosting potions. Not as good as Crimson Potions, but valuable for low- to mid-tier professionals. After a few months, when your ritual stats settle, you can drink them or gift them."
She handed Yu Yu several stacks of small potions.
Yu Yu was thrilled. "Sob, I love the Magic Circle!"
Xue scoffed, "Money's all it takes?"
Yu Yu, teary with gratitude, said, "I'd love it even without the money."
She believed a generous Magic Circle would share the wealth later.
If they threw in retirement and healthcare, it'd be the ultimate dream job—never quitting!
Xue snorted, continuing, "A carriage, exclusive to Magic Circle high-tier spellcasters. It's got decent defense and speed. Stop galloping around on horses—who does that as a spellcaster?"
Yu Yu muttered, "That's a stereotype! Why can't spellcasters ride horses? It's cool."
She eyed the miniature carriage, wondering about its interior.
With her money, she could refurbish it if it wasn't up to par.
Heh.
Salary + stipend + quota + settling-in fee + carriage + magic robes and gear + monthly enchanted materials…
Yu Yu tallied it up, realizing Xue was still handing out stuff.
She was numb. "Whoa, the benefits are too good!"
Xue: "?"
"Too good?"
She mused, "Hmm, Feng Ye said half benefits, didn't she? I forgot…"
Yu Yu snatched the pouches. "No such thing!"
Xue crossed her arms. "Standard small items—have Meng teach you how to use them."
She waved them off. "I've got work. Scram if you're done."
Yu Yu stashed five new magic robes—with pockets!!!
She poured the gold into her bag, tucked away the potions and carriage, and peeked at the final pouch, stunned by its densely packed contents. Storing the carriage with her manor and sorting the materials, Yu Yu eagerly used her quota to order magic paper, pens, and inks she'd previously coveted.
A struggling student needs fancy stationery—it's her!
No choice—it was the last day of the month, time to splurge!
Yu Yu, worried about the order, paused mid-payment. "Did I register successfully today?"
Xue, engrossed behind her desk, clearly working on a Magic Circle interface, snapped, "Can't you check yourself?"
Yu Yu looked—her status had updated.
Pre-High-Tier Spellcaster.
Leaving the Academy, Yu Yu bolted for the city outskirts, only to be yanked back by Chang. "Hold up—onboarding first."
Yu Yu: "???"
She griped, "This feels like a shady factory snatching workers."
"What's the onboarding process?"
She asked, "I remember Senior squatted at home for ages! Why do I have to rush? Can't I get a break?"
Chang: "You can ask the Grand Archon for leave, but we need to formalize your status first."
Yu Yu didn't give up. "Senior, can't I really work under you? I've admired you forever!!!"
Chang glanced at her. "I've got few High Stewards—my roster's full. You'd just deliver newspapers."
Yu Yu: "I'm willing! Happily!"
Chang: "…"
Meng, stifling laughter, said, "Like me, you'll report directly to the Grand Archon. Give it up—Chang wouldn't dare take you."
Yu Yu drooped like a dejected pup. "My dream job, gone forever!"
Chang: "I can't handle your theatrics. Besides, you've got the Grand Archon's seal. How'd you think you could slack under me?"
Yu Yu grew sadder. "You're rejecting me!"
"But we're colleagues! I can be under the Grand Archon and still help you deliver newspapers, right?"
They'd entered the castle, where Feng Ye drawled, "Wrong. Want to mooch a salary without working? What a shameful subordinate."
Yu Yu: "I slack occasionally! When I work, even you can't handle it, Grand Archon!"
Feng Ye was momentarily speechless.
Chang: "Study teleportation with Meng properly—it's quick. You're high-tier now; we shouldn't have to drag you around."
Yu Yu: "Got it, got it! I'll kidnap Senior Meng and make her teach me 24/7!"
Meng: "…"
Chang chuckled. "Meng's in deep. She only agreed casually—who knew…"
It'd become a binding commitment.
Meng's schedule was now packed, likely chasing Yu Yu's lessons for a long, long time.
Feng Ye: "Here, contract. Sign."
Yu Yu's eyes widened. "What's this?"
"Obedience Contract."
Yu Yu grabbed it, scanning nervously. It resembled a contract, detailing salary, duties, hours—even overtime pay?
Holy crap!
The Magic Circle's benefits outshone most Federation companies!
A 20,000-gold settling-in fee—enough for a sizable Silver Moon property or a countryside garden.
The money was more than ample.
She'd thought that was it, but signing the contract meant another salary?!
Good grief—working for the Grand Archon meant 2,000 gold a week!
8,000 monthly, plus bonuses and overtime.
Yu Yu couldn't resist. "Are there regular bonuses? Vacations? Year-end rewards? Can I travel?"
Feng Ye, surprisingly serious, said, "Do well, and you'll get them all."
"But slack off daily, and you'll get nothing."
Yu Yu nearly signed her name, then paused. "It doesn't say I can't curse the boss?"
Feng Ye narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Planning to curse me?"
"Maybe I should tailor an Obedience Contract just for you."
Yu Yu clutched it protectively. "No, no, would I curse my boss?"
The contract was strikingly like a labor agreement, except…
She had to obey the Grand Archon's orders during work.
She was expected to show appropriate respect to the Grand Archon.
In essence, it prevented mutiny, disrespect, insubordination, or undermining authority.
She couldn't harm the Grand Archon by any means, with detailed clauses listing every school's spells in exhaustive dropdown menus.
Like, no casting illusions on the boss.
Yu Yu couldn't imagine what the Magic Circle had endured to draft such a meticulous contract.
Illusions?
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
In summary, the contract's core was "obedience."
Subordinates had to follow the Grand Archon's orders, guaranteed by the Magic Circle and enforced via spirit. Violators faced punishment, potentially severe enough to seal or damage their spirit foundation.
But orders had countless exemptions in dropdown menus—like sending subordinates to their deaths or demanding personal sacrifices, which the Magic Circle wouldn't recognize.
Yu Yu had questions, and clicking revealed annotations.
Good grief—an ancestral contract, huh?
Though Eternal Darkness's world was unique, and Yu Yu trusted the Grand Archon and her crew, she read every word carefully given the gravity of the matter.
Unclear terms? Click, and annotations appeared.
Feng Ye didn't rush her, leisurely sipping tea and working, utterly at ease.
Nearly an hour later, Yu Yu rubbed her brow. "…My gosh, how wild was the Magic Circle to need clauses this detailed?"
The deepest she went was ten layers of dropdown menus—one term's annotation had more annotations, and more, seemingly endless.
It was about relatives—bosses couldn't coerce subordinates using their kin, followed by a dizzying array of sub-clauses.
Yu Yu was numb.
Feng Ye's earlier quip was pure bluff—she couldn't craft something this intricate.
The Obedience Contract had a five-year term, renewable.
Changing roles or promotions voided it.
The boss was Feng Ye, who'd already signed, her unique spirit signature unmistakable.
With her high-tier spirit sensitivity, Yu Yu felt it clearly—a leap from her past capabilities.
Meng coughed. "Spellcasters, you know. Normal."
Long-lived, overthinking, and encountering all sorts of weirdos—not surprising.
Yu Yu: "Sign with spirit, right? I know how."
"Huh? Why can't I sign?!"
Feng Ye, surprised, frowned. "How?"
Moments later, her face darkened. "Sign your codename, not whatever nonsense you wrote."
"Who needs your real name?"
Yu Yu, aggrieved, said, "It is my codename."
Feng Ye: "What'd you write?"
"Ye."
"What?"
"Ye!"
Feng Ye: "…"
Chang: "…"
Meng: "…"
After a long pause, Feng Ye said, "No, it's Yu."
Yu Yu: "But I don't want Yu! I want Ye! Imagine everyone seeing me and saying, 'Ye!'—so cute!"
Feng Ye's expression twisted briefly. "…Good thing Xue overlooked asking your codename and set it as 'Yu.'"
Chang mused, "I could change mine to 'Heh.' People would greet me with 'Heh?'"
Meng: "Or 'Hmph,' 'Ha,' 'Ah,' or 'Oh' could work…"
They actually started debating.
Feng Ye: "…Sign."
"Don't make me say it twice."
Yu Yu, ultra-aggrieved, wrote "Yu" while whining, "Senior Xue didn't even ask me. Can I change it?"
Feng Ye, satisfied after inspecting the contract, nodded. "Sure, level up."
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Feng Ye: "Think Dai Dai didn't want to change hers?"
She looked delighted, her dark eyes twinkling. "Even Xue wanted to change hers, but once a codename's set, the Magic Circle locks it—no changes."
Yu Yu deflated. "My perfect codename…"
Ye!
So cute.
Feng Ye, in high spirits, didn't nitpick. "Now, tell me exactly what happened. Why did your Will increase?"
Yu Yu didn't think twice, spilling her woes like a dam bursting. "You don't know how exhausting my coma was!"
She rambled, and the trio's expressions shifted.
Feng Ye, restraining her reaction, pressed, "Those things? You could see them? And you said you had a starlight film on you?"
"You ran for days? How many exactly?"
Yu Yu: "Five days, didn't you know?"
"I woke up, ate, and logged in."
"No idea, but they were super creepy, gross, spewing black fog."
"I can't describe their looks—just insanely gross, a multicolored black, each uglier than the last."
Feng Ye lowered her gaze. "Got it."
"You're done for now. Here's your High Steward token—go play."
She seemed eager to act, brushing Yu Yu off with a few perfunctory words.
Yu Yu: "?"
"So the dream meant something?"
Feng Ye: "…Don't you find your Will growth odd?"
Yu Yu: "Yeah, super odd. Didn't Senior say Will doesn't increase?"
Feng Ye paused. "It's not impossible, but it requires surviving near-impossible ordeals."
"Like facing an evil god and emerging alive, untainted by its corruption—then Will might grow."
"But how likely is that?"
Yu Yu: "So it's happened before?"
Feng Ye clammed up, waving her off. "It's unrelated. Weren't you going to check your house?"
Once Yu Yu left, Feng Ye uploaded the recording, her expression grave.
It couldn't be what they were thinking, could it?
What was Yu Yu?
Was this something a human could pull off?
The manor, in hand, looked slightly plain and rough.
But when they found a spot to set it down—
"Whoa! It's huge!"
"Wait, it can shrink too?!?!"
Chang gazed at it admiringly. "When will I save up for a residence like this?"
Meng, envious, said, "Not in this lifetime, unless we become legends."
Yu Yu: "Never say never—dreams are worth having."
Grinning, she added, "Maybe one day Senior and the others will all be legends, and a small spellcaster like me can lie back and get carried."
Meng huffed, "Think legends are easy? Lie back? Dream on."
Chang rolled her eyes. "You're lazier than me. All legends? You've got some nerve."
Yu Yu: "I'm rooting for you to soar! Why not? It could happen!"
Meng ignored her nonsense, addressing her earlier question. "As I said, your spirit can't sustain the manor's full power, so most areas won't unfold."
Yu Yu deflated instantly. "Isn't that torture for OCD?"
"Let's check out my big house!"
[Tartar's Lakeside Manor (Name Changeable)]
[Living Quarters] [Laboratory] [Library] [Planting Zone] [Breeding Zone] [Magic Circle Core] [Storage]…
Stepping inside, Yu Yu was startled by white exclamation marks everywhere.
"Why are there quests here?"
"And who's Tartar?"
Chang casually searched. "A His Grace, titled 'Chessmaster.'"
Yu Yu: "Before or after the Dark Era?"
Thanks to the Lord of Deceptions, she had PTSD about pre-Dark Era big shots.
"After," Chang said. "This His Grace vanished but uploaded her spells to the Magic Circle and lifted the manor's restrictions. She must've faced dire circumstances."
Or rather, was on the brink of death.
Yu Yu relaxed. "So what are these quests? Homestead missions?"
Curious, she ventured deeper, Meng and Chang following with equal intrigue.
The manor sat in Silver Moon's western suburbs, a free, barren wilderness.
They'd come here before to mess around with Meteor Strike.
Yu Yu first reached the living quarters.
"Whoa, isn't His Grace's living area a bit massive?"
Opening the Magic Circle interface, she found she'd automatically accepted a quest.
[Tour Your Living Quarters (6%)]
"Wasn't there supposed to be a lake?" Yu Yu asked.
Chang surveyed the area, sighing, "Even a His Grace's manor has fallen to such ruin."
The lake was dry, the ground bare dirt, the once-beautiful stone paths dulled by grime.
The lakeside grove was dead, a chaotic mess.
Indeed, His Grace's living quarters included at least a lake and a forest.
Yu Yu pushed open the dusty, sealed door, peering inside curiously. "Wow, it's really big."