Pushing open the grand doors, Yu Yu was taken aback. This wasn't a bedroom—it resembled a meeting room.
"Was Her Grace Tartar a Council Speaker or something?"
Why else would she have such an enormous hall in her home?
Contrary to Yu Yu's expectations, the building wasn't residential—it felt more like an office complex. Upstairs held offices and small meeting rooms, while the ground floor was a sprawling council chamber.
Time had dulled the once-pristine white floors to a dusty gray, and the red carvings had faded, but traces of its former grandeur lingered.
"Seems like it," Chang said, searching again. "Yup, Her Grace was indeed a Speaker, though her term was short—just twelve years."
Soon, Yu Yu had explored the entire living quarters.
The building with the meeting room wasn't Her Grace's residence. She found several smaller, elegant buildings scattered gracefully around the lake's edge, arranged with deliberate charm.
Say what you will, Her Grace Tartar had impeccable taste—and plenty of leisure. Even in its current decay, Yu Yu could glimpse the beauty it once held.
"But why so many?" Yu Yu wondered aloud. "Did others live here besides Her Grace?"
Meng replied, "Naturally. Her Grace had students, attendants, guards, and family. They all needed places to stay."
"Plus, she likely had friends," she added casually. "Guests need accommodations too, so it all adds up."
Standing before the tallest building by the lake, Yu Yu gazed into the distance.
"It's gorgeous. I love it!" she exclaimed.
With that, she opened her interface, eyeing her remaining gold. Nodding firmly, she said, "Time to build my home. Good thing I've got some cash."
Everyone knew homestead systems were gold-sucking black holes.
What? A viscount's estate?
That could wait—her home came first!
Yu Yu turned to her "indentured labor." "Senior, how much would it cost to hire someone to renovate?"
As Silver Moon's High Steward, Chang had a solid grasp of local prices.
She calculated, "Based on the current area, at least 5,000 gold."
"And this lake," she added, eyeing the dry lakebed and the stumps of ancient trees, shaking her head. "You've got your work cut out."
"Five thousand?" Yu Yu fell into thought.
She had just over 220,000 gold—that was a forty-fourth of her funds!
No way, no way.
She had too many plans.
She wanted ornamental fish, cute animals, and to plant Roland grass!
Time to find a way to mooch!
Yu Yu: "Can I use Fire Lord to burn the stumps?"
Meng's lips twitched. "I wouldn't. Fire Lords are sentient—they'd get mad."
Yu Yu clapped her hands. "Got it—Lynn!"
The half-elf was still at home!
A high-tier warrior, surely better at manual labor than Zishu!
Meng: "…"
Chang: "…"
You sure know how to exploit people.
Fire Lords get mad, but Wind Singers don't, huh?
Staring at the dry lakebed, Yu Yu mused, "If I summon Rainfall, how long to fill it?"
Meng studied it, replying seriously, "Months, probably."
"What about summoning water elementals?"
Meng: "Unless it's a Water Elemental Lord, it won't speed things up much."
Yu Yu muttered, "Time to gamble on luck…"
Good thing she had her "labor force."
Suddenly, her eyes darted to the two big shots beside her.
Meng, knowing her too well, met her gaze. "…You're not thinking of reserving a building for me to live here and teach you, are you?"
Yu Yu blinked.
Meng: "Then, to make my stay comfy, I'd have to fill the lake for you?"
Yu Yu: "!!!"
Caught red-handed!
She hadn't said a word!
How did Senior Meng guess everything?!
The petite spellcaster, now in her sleek black high-tier magic robe, looked refined and delicate, her gentle demeanor perfectly fitting the Magic Circle's aesthetic. But her lively, scheming black eyes betrayed her—she'd been caught scheming and was ready to dodge.
Meng smirked. "Go on, let's hear your excuse."
Chang glanced over, grinning. "Reserving a building for me too, Little Yu?"
Yu Yu gritted her teeth inwardly. Darn it, how do they know me so well?!
"Senior!" She hugged Meng's arm. "I really want to reserve one for you! Look at this view—so stunning! It'd be convenient for you to teach me, right?"
Chang piled on, "So, for the beautiful scenery, you'll have us fill the lake? Want us to yank the stumps too?"
Yu Yu: "No, no, just the lake—I don't know how to fill it! There's gotta be a fourth-ring spell with lots of water, right?"
She looked at Chang expectantly. "My points are limited, and I can't learn fourth-ring spells yet, Senior~~~"
The two were swayed by her pleading, dizzy from her antics.
Listen to her—calling them "Senior" and "Big Sis" so sweetly, how charming.
Meng caved first, shoving Chang. "Go, fill the lake!"
Chang, an elemental specialist, was perfect for the task.
Chang rolled her eyes dramatically. "Why don't you do it?"
Still, her spirit flared, signaling the start of her casting.
Yu Yu's eyes sparkled, clapping like a seal. "Senior! Senior! You're the best!"
[Tidal Surge]
The air grew humid, and in an instant, boundless water surged from nowhere.
Chang timed it, halting the spell and dispelling her mana.
Yu Yu, hoisted by Meng, gaped at the lake.
"Whoa, what spell is this? That was way too fast!"
Three seconds, tops?
Chang secretly sighed in relief. Phew, didn't overflow.
Though the water was a tad high.
She snuck a guilty glance at the surface, barely three centimeters from the shore.
It was her first time filling a lake with a spell—hard to gauge.
Meng: "Fourth-ring elemental, Tidal Surge."
"A peculiar spell with little combat use."
Yu Yu: "I love non-combat spells!!!"
"It's just a big water dump, right?!" Her eyes gleamed. "Perfect for all sorts of things!"
She opened her Magic Circle interface, adding Tidal Surge to her to-do list.
To buy later.
But fourth-ring spells supposedly took twenty minutes to cast, yet Senior Chang did it in seconds?
Three, maybe?
Yu Yu realized her power was still far from a traditional spellcaster's.
Senior Chang was likely among the strongest high-tier spellcasters, wasn't she?
No, top-tier now.
Yu Yu shook her head, sighing.
Her spirit had surged recently, showing no signs of stabilizing.
If her original spirit body was a soccer ball, at mid-tier, her spirit filled only a fraction of it.
Now, with the ball's size unchanged, her spirit overflowed, roughly five times the ball's radius.
The excess spirit spilled because her spirit body couldn't contain it.
Her soccer-ball spirit body was slowly growing, but far slower than her spirit's expansion.
Yu Yu figured she'd be dealing with this overflow for a while.
Her coma had been triggered by the sudden spirit surge, activating a protective mechanism that knocked her out.
Post-high-tier, she could gauge others' strength through her surging spirit.
Everyone was a sphere, but Senior Meng and Senior Chang were dozens or hundreds of times larger.
Standing by Meng, Yu Yu felt Meng's spirit like a dense, restrained rubber ball, tightly controlled.
Next to her, Yu Yu was a moon to Meng's Earth—smaller, since her spirit body was nowhere near containing her overflow, while Meng's was denser, like a white dwarf star.
Senior Chang was even grander, her spirit spilling like Yu Yu's.
Compared to her, Yu Yu was a moon to Chang's Jupiter.
Though less dense, Chang's sheer size was staggering!
Like Yu Yu, her spirit grew constantly, outpacing her spirit body. Yu Yu's overflow was a trickle by comparison.
A little moon cozying up to Jupiter.
Was this what top-tier spellcasters were like?
Yu Yu had wondered how to gauge strength post-high-tier.
Could she punch above her weight, challenge seniors?
But advancing showed her Meng's overwhelming presence.
Then Chang.
Then Xue and the Grand Archon's level.
Why did Yu Yu liken them to celestial bodies?
Because the Grand Archon and Xue's spirit bodies felt like stars—gravitational ones.
Her spilling spirit was drawn to them; she didn't dare get too close, lest her hard-earned spirit get devoured.
If they were like that, what about legends?
Black holes?
If so, she understood Meng and the others' awe of legends.
No sensible star would challenge a black hole.
Looking at her little soccer ball, Yu Yu felt despair.
Look at them! Look at you!
She wanted to shake it. Grow, darn it, grow!
Using Gust to ripple the lake, she said, "I need a built-in monsoon magic circle, ideally simulating weather—rain, snow, the works."
Meng crossed her arms. "I could design one, but materials and labor costs…"
Yu Yu backpedaled instantly, too scared to ask the price.
She'd thought 200,000 gold was a fortune.
Now?
Ermmm.
Prices had entered a new stratosphere.
Meanwhile, Team 2's "labor force" arrived at the western suburbs, scouring for the so-called "big house."
[I ate without washing dishes]: "Holy crap!"
Qing Qian: "Whoa!"
In the desolate suburbs stood a massive manor.
"It's huge," [I ate without washing dishes] murmured. "I've been living under a rock…"
Shang Wei hadn't logged in lately, for some reason.
Yu Yu, meanwhile, had recruited a minor player on the forum to fetch Lynn.
Yu Yu: "My spirit only unlocks the living quarters and library?"
She looked crestfallen. "What about my fields? Can I dig up the living quarters to farm?"
She wanted to blanket the area in Roland grass, plant maples by the lake, and grow fruit trees and veggies on the other side.
Yu Yu scribbled in her notebook. "Senior, can I buy fish from the Magic Circle for the lake?"
Chang: "Oh? You could swim a few laps yourself."
Yu Yu's face darkened. "Senior! Pun fines!"
Meng, stifling laughter, said, "They exist—pretty, useful materials, but the price…"
Yu Yu's expression twisted. "How much?"
Meng: "The cheapest tier, basic materials, about 37 fish types—like Dream Flatfish—1,000 gold each."
"And they're hard to raise. You'd need at least twelve for a school."
Yu Yu calculated, nearly fainting. "Sob, I was so naive! I'm still poor! Broke!"
Why couldn't she bring Federation fish?!
"Horses—expensive?" Yu Yu asked, clinging to hope.
Magic-related materials were pricey, but plain pretty horses shouldn't be, right?
Meng thought. "Ordinary horses are cheap—tens or hundreds of gold. But…"
"Those with special bloodlines get costly," she said, turning away to hide her grin. "Like unicorn or nightmare bloodlines…"
"Higher-tier ones are stronger and prettier."
"If you don't want to hire guards, combat-ready pets are a good alternative."
Yu Yu, dazed: "Price…?"
Meng: "Three to five thousand, sky's the limit."
Yu Yu got it—she'd trick the Duchess into visiting, pretend she'd already owned them.
"No pets, no pets," Yu Yu went zen. "A destitute spellcaster doesn't deserve horses."
Her funds couldn't cover anything.
This was the Grand Archon's consumer trap!
Resist!
"Boss, is this the legendary homestead system?!"
Most of Team 2 had shown up, gawking at the manor. "It's got a lake!! And tons of buildings!"
"That's for planting flowers, right?"
"Could add a slide."
"The stone path looks high-end!"
Qing Qian stared at Yu Yu's outfit, lips trembling. "High…"
[I ate without washing dishes], splashing in the lake, exclaimed, "So cool! Can we make a pool?!"
Yu Yu had a brainwave. "Senior, how much for a hot spring?"
Meng: "Not hard. Depends on whether you want a natural hot spring or just a heated bath."
Yu Yu: "…Stop. It costs money, doesn't it?"
Meng smiled. "A simple bath is cheap—just material costs."
"You've studied with me so long—can't you make a basic heated pool?"
Yu Yu donned a mask of pain. "Materials, building the pool…"
Quality bricks, magic circle materials, elemental stones for maintenance—all cost money!
She felt nickeled and dimed at every turn.
"Spellcasters are money pits," Yu Yu sighed. "I'm not rich anymore. I'm poor, truly."
Time to nag the Duchess for her viscount title, or she'd starve!
"High-tier spellcaster!!!" Qing Qian finally shouted.
His outburst drew everyone's attention.
What?
Everyone knew NPCs were high-tier—what's the big deal?
Qing Qian gritted his teeth. "Crimson, Yu—she's high-tier!"
"What?!" [I ate without washing dishes] sprinted from the lake, incredulous. "For real?!"
"Such a huge deal, and Boss didn't say a word?!"
The black-robed woman looked much the same, save for her new high-tier magic robe.
The intricate Magic Circle embroidery on her chest drew their spirit, mesmerizing them.
In an instant, Yu Yu's photo hit the forum, sparking a riot.
A black-robed woman by the lake in her big house, standing on muddy ground with barren stone paths and broken magic lamps, old stumps lining the shore.
Yet none of it dimmed her radiance.
High-tier spellcaster!!!
The world's first high-tier!!!
A spellcaster!!!
The forum erupted.
Federation forum-watchers nearly chipped their teeth, scrambling to alert their bosses.
In the photo, beside the striking spellcaster were familiar NPCs.
They often appeared where Yu Yu was, clearly close.
But not everyone knew their identities.
Then a Team 2 member spilled.
One was Meng, a high-tier spellcaster and High Steward.
The other, even bigger—Chang, Silver Moon's High Steward.
What's that mean?
The capital's mayor.
Got it?
The forum went berserk, but Yu Yu was directing her crew to sweep. "Yup, homestead system."
She spun a grand tale. "You'll see when you hit high-tier. I'm the first, so mine's a bit bigger."
Gazing skyward, her conscience unscathed, she said, "Homestead chores are too tedious, so I need your help."
"Use Gust and Stream to clean—thanks, everyone," she continued, dangling bait. "Once we're done, I'll teach you how to make money."
Qing Qian, numbly sweeping, perked up. "How?"
They were all strapped for cash—no player wasn't.
Team 2's 200-gold salary was generous, but payday hadn't hit.
They'd earned event rewards, but who'd say no to more?
Yu Yu: "Scrolls! Healing scrolls!"
"Haven't you noticed there's no restoration scrolls out there?"
"But the market's desperate for Healing."
"And the Duchess needs scrolls too—a guaranteed seller," Yu Yu said, feigning concern. "You're Team 2—I can't let you stay broke, so I studied Healing's model and got it onto scrolls."
"This is teaching you to fish!"
Chang glanced at Meng, surprised.
Meng, unfazed, said, "She brought it back. Didn't ask me—let her teach."
With rewards on the line, the team sprang into action, working with gusto.
Though Yu Yu was the leader and could order them, players scoffed at unrewarded tasks.
Now, with the boss offering cash—er, a path to riches—they worked like they'd been injected with adrenaline.
Yu Yu privately messaged Zi Shu and Shu Tu. "Can you bring your squads for training?"
Zi Shu replied with a question mark. "? Never tried. I'll ask the commander."
Moments later: "Can do. What's up?"
Yu Yu grinned. "Help me chop stumps."
Zi Shu: "???"
She nearly refused, but Yu Yu sweetened the deal. "Five gold per person daily, plus potions for rewarding your team."
"You need Gravity Enchantment gear, right? We can negotiate," Yu Yu added. "Or I'll talk to the Duchess."
Zi Shu: "Deal!"
As a centurion, she had to look out for her team, or trouble would be hard to explain.
Shu Tu was easier, only asking Yu Yu to secure their enchanted arrow supply.
Team 2 rarely did quests anymore—work rules meant they earned 2,000 experience and cash just by sitting in the office daily.
During dull office hours, crafting arrows or scrolls was about the same.
They'd earn, others would benefit—win-win.
Plus, players were pros at making elemental arrows now.
Yu Yu, with her shop quota, bought materials for players to process, handling Shu Tu's arrows herself.
No cost—players barely broke a sweat, and arrows were easier than scrolls.
As for scrolls, Yu Yu would release them. With such high Healing demand, she couldn't supply the market alone. Sharing let players profit, and those in need got scrolls.
For herself, Yu Yu had plenty of income streams—why fixate on Healing?
Soon, Lynn arrived, her emerald eyes blazing. "You actually got it!"
"And it's huge!!!"
Yu Yu pointed, smiling. "Pick any building. I'm having the outside cleaned, then the buildings."
Lynn zipped off, soaring over the lake like a freed bird, buzzing with excitement.
Clearly, city life had stifled the half-elf.
Meng mused, "What about me?"
Yu Yu: "Senior, you and Senior Chang pick! I'll prioritize cleaning yours!"
Meng chose a building near Yu Yu's for easy homework nagging.
Chang picked one next to Meng's, while Lynn nabbed one by the (currently stumpy) forest.
Soon, Zi Shu and Shu Tu arrived with their squads.
Like clockwork, they started cleaning.
Yu Yu gave each 500 gold and divvied up potions. "I don't need these—use them to reward your teams."
Though appointed centurions, they needed strength and wealth to stand out.
Charisma alone took too long.
Now that Yu Yu was flush, helping her pals was only right.
Where else would she find reliable, cheap cleaners (just kidding)?
As expected of the Duchess's guards, their silver armor gleamed, lined up at the gate like a forest of spears, exuding valor.
Zi Shu must've briefed them—no one complained.
Zi Shu, taking the gold, teased, "Call me for the next gig."
"I need to push Fuyu to recruit more rogues out there," Yu Yu muttered. "Maybe form a wild thief crew."
Could come in handy.
Zi Shu: "I've told her already."
Shu Tu, with potions and promised arrows, was in high spirits.
Meng: "…The Duchess allows this?"
She was baffled.
The Duchess ran a tight ship—how could she permit this?
Bringing guards to clean for Yu Yu?
Chang: "…Yu's different."
"She could ask the Duchess herself and still borrow them, believe it?"
Meng pondered, then sighed, "I don't get why the Silver Moon family loves Yu so much."
Chang didn't either. "Ask Felix. The Duchess must be influenced by her."
Before, the Duchess was polite but distant with Yu Yu—her usual demeanor.
Respectful, courteous, but aloof.
Not with Yu Yu, though.
Yu Yu had assigned buildings to Meng, Chang, and Lynn, reserving one for Senior Chong in case she wanted to visit.
Tail or no tail, Yu Yu didn't care—she just wanted Chong to feel at home (sort of).
Yu Yu headed to the library.
As expected, it was empty.
Pulled from the Magic Circle's inventory, they wouldn't let her snag such a bargain.
She placed her few books inside, then uploaded Senior Jinche's enchantment blueprints. Seeing a few books and stacks of blueprints, Yu Yu felt a cozy satisfaction.
The library's shelves stretched floor to ceiling, seemingly expandable.
But Yu Yu couldn't even fill the first shelf.
Yu Yu: "I'm off to discuss something with the Duchess. Wanna come, Senior?"
Meng, engrossed in the blueprints, waved her off. "Nah, go. We're eating here at noon. Do your thing."
She flipped through blueprints while Chang dusted the room, opening windows to let dust billow out. Water elementals rolled across the floor, Chang drying behind them with wind, working up a storm.
The library's treatment was top-notch.
Yu Yu told Zi Shu and the others, then left her big house.
Healing scrolls weren't hard. Though Yu Yu's focus had been elsewhere, she'd iterated dozens of versions.
She shared a solid one with Team 2.
Logging off, she saw a message from Yu Bai.
She sent a folder. "Here are Healing's versions. Elder Li and the others have the details—I won't repeat them."
"Hope it brings good news to the Federation," she said.
"I'm high-tier now and will study sealing anomalies next. Await my updates."
Typing, she added, "I'm working on a protective magic circle. Got a lead—should finish this month."
With the Night Sovereign still away, she couldn't leave.
Once the magic circle was done, the Night Sovereign should be back.
Then Yu Yu planned to zip to the main continent to find a cure for her senior.
Rumor was she and Senior Chang were classmates, and Chang was top-tier now…
Darn it, her senior deserved top-tier too!
Finally, Yu Yu typed excitedly, "Got any stubborn enemies? I wanna test Meteor Strike!!!"
She really, really, really wanted to cast Meteor Strike!
Looking at the river, her hands itched.
But casting would cause issues, right?
Sob, this fragile little planet couldn't handle it!
Spellcaster spells could easily trigger disasters here.
Spellcasters, walking calamities (not really).
Yu Bai, reading, was about to reply when he saw her last message, breaking into a cold sweat.
"No, no, no, the Federation's fine—no need for Meteor Strike."
He'd never seen it, but the name screamed trouble.
This planet couldn't take it—smash in Allen instead.
Gazing at the calm river, Yu Yu's hands itched briefly before she logged back in, disappointed.
It was just the urge to blast something into water.
Who gets it?
The Duchess: "Heard you had my people cleaning your house?"
Yu Yu walked in to her accusatory tone.
Dodging the jab, Yu Yu reported solemnly, "I've taught Healing to Team 2."
"Soon, foreign spellcasters should master it. You know what to do, right?"
The Duchess smirked. "Yup. You foreigners are money-grubbers."
Yu Yu: "And experience."
She couldn't resist griping, "The Magic Circle doesn't care about money, but can you boss them around?"
The Duchess choked, silently shedding her armor.
After a moment, she pounced on a weak spot, her silver hair practically sparkling. "Heard your manor's huge. Bought land yet?"
Meeting the silver-haired pup's taunting gaze, Yu Yu grinned insincerely. "Placed it in the western suburbs—no Silver Moon land, free."
Duchess: "?"
How are you this cheap?
Fresh from sword practice, the Duchess was sweaty.
Grabbing a basin from an attendant, she washed her face, huffing, "You're high-tier. Ready for your ennoblement?"
Yu Yu: "I am, but I don't think the Grand Archon is."
Just then, a night raven flapped in.
It opened its beak, relaying Meng's voice, usually steady but now tinged with panic. "Yu Yu, His Grace is here."
Yu Yu: "Huh?"
The Duchess nearly dunked her face in the basin, looking up in shock. Her silver hair glowed faintly, water droplets glittering like diamonds, breathtakingly stunning.
A glowing, pretty pup was something else. Hmph.
Meng: "His Grace… returned from Senior Jinche's."
She added, "At your house."
Yu Yu: "…"
Duchess: "…"
At that moment, Yu Yu's forum inbox pinged with another message.
A farming player reported her potatoes were ripe!
High yield, too!
Yu Yu froze for a long moment.
Was His Grace no longer scared of her rebellious disciple? Or had she returned to reclaim her throne while the disciple was away?
She decided to toss this hot potato to the Grand Archon.
Firing off a message, she ignored the "?" reply.
Smiling sweetly, she invited, "Duchess, wanna come see His Grace—and the potatoes?"
Duchess: "…I, can I?"
She was nervous.
This was His Grace! A Magic Circle His Grace!
Could she, a mere Duchess, meet her?
The potatoes didn't even register.
This was His Grace!!!!
Recalling His Grace's personality, Yu Yu lied through her teeth. "Of course! His Grace is super nice."
At worst, she'd call you pup, runt, or useless puppy runt…