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In the end, Viya chose a plain longsword as her weapon. The reason was something she didn’t fully understand—something about “the attack module being convenient.”
“A very typical choice,” Mithra commented neutrally.
While Viya made her selection, Mithra wandered around and noticed that most of the remaining candidates had already formed teams after reviewing the rules. There were no suitable candidates left who weren’t already taken.
As for acquaintances, many of them declined directly when asked to team up with her.
Watching the candidates file into the stargate one by one, Mithra couldn’t help but urge: “Are you ready?”
“…” Viya gave a practiced flourish with her sword, letting her actions speak for her.
“Good…”
Mithra’s words were cut short.
The next moment—
The chilling sound of cold metal slicing through flesh rang out.
Mithra froze, looking down at the longsword piercing through her chest. Her breathing grew ragged as she struggled to lift her head. The person holding the hilt was none other than her seemingly emotionless teammate.
Her lips trembled, trying to form words, but nothing came out. Her wide eyes questioned why this had happened.
Her heart shredded, her hands went limp, and within two seconds, the noble-born Ascender became a lifeless corpse.
Everyone present froze—staff signing documents, chatting candidates heading toward the stargate, even the guards at the entrance—all movement halted.
They quickly snapped back to reality, hurling spells toward Viya: paralysis magic, magical cages, countless attacks closing in on her from all sides.
“Pity, she wasn’t the one.” A chorus of overlapping murmurs echoed endlessly. She didn’t understand their meaning, as usual.
Viya’s vacant blue eyes reflected the terrified and enraged crowd surrounding her. The incoming barrage of spells sealed off every possible escape route.
A noble heir was dead.
Without hesitation, everyone immediately thought of political rivalry. They would capture her, and Judicature would subject her to the harshest interrogation methods to extract information from this murderer.
No reason, no buildup, no context—Viya was utterly confused. She couldn’t even recall meeting this noblewoman before.
What should have been terrifying instead filled her with exhilaration. For a brief moment, this small world revolved entirely around her.
As the spells closed in, Viya could feel her heartbeat quicken—not out of fear, but anticipation.
Anticipation for another miracle like the last time.
Tick—
It was a peculiar sound, crisp like someone flicking a clock beside her ear or a raindrop falling into a lake.
Just like at the station, everything reversed, the ground shattered like a mirror, and she plummeted downward.
---
In the real world.
“Pity, she wasn’t the one.”
Lin Qi loaded the most recent save file while taking a strategic sip of water.
From the moment they first met, he knew Mithra wasn’t just an ordinary NPC—she was at least a supporting character.
How did he deduce this?
Looks.
With such high-quality modeling, even a fool could tell she wasn’t some throwaway extra.
The next step was determining whether she was friend or foe.
And that was simple.
Kill her, search her body—if she carried anything labeled “mysterious relic” or similar, then she was undoubtedly a key NPC.
If she said something dramatic before dying, like “How did you find out?” or “Long live the organization!” or “For the eternal faith,” then she was definitely a double agent hiding in plain sight.
In short, if you see an attractive NPC, kill them, listen to their death speech, and loot their corpse—it almost always yields unexpected surprises.
Unfortunately, Mithra turned out to be just a background NPC.
After killing her, Lin Qi opened her inventory and skimmed through it quickly. Aside from gold coins, a longsword, and miscellaneous trinkets, there was nothing special.
She might have had a role, but likely not a major one.
---
The Hall.
“Are you ready?” Mithra asked, seeing Viya had chosen her weapon.
“Mm.” Viya sheathed her longsword and nodded.
Around them, people continued chatting and smiling. Staff members furrowed their brows over reports. Everything that had just occurred felt like discarded footage from a movie, crumpled up and tossed away.
They walked toward the stargate.
Upon stepping through the starlight-filled portal, Viya’s vision went black. She felt a tremendous pull, as though countless invisible chains wrapped around her wrists, dragging her toward the unknown.
Her soul seemed to ascend toward the heavens, yet her body remained tethered to the earth. The disorienting sensation left her momentarily dazed, unable to tell if she was rising or falling.
---
When she opened her eyes, the sky above was a far deeper blue than any starlight.
“The sky rendering is truly beautiful.”
Viya heard the deity’s voice praising their surroundings. As the origin of all supernatural phenomena, the Void Domain deserved such acclaim.
What exactly was “rendering”? Was this world merely a painting waiting to be colored? She mused silently.
“You’re adapting quickly.” Mithra’s figure appeared in the Void Domain, smiling faintly. “Come to think of it, this must be your first time visiting an artificial Void Domain, right?”
“?” Viya tilted her head slightly.
Mithra glanced nervously at the clouds beneath her feet, stomped on them to reassure herself, then looked up and explained: “If we compare the Void Domain to the sun, then the artificial Void Domains are stars. Numerous, but forever unable to rival the brightest, most radiant sun.”
“Fun fact: the largest observed star is over two thousand times bigger than the sun.” The murmuring voice in her ear carried a rare hint of amusement.
That big?! Viya was stunned. An enormous, twinkling star flashed in her mind—one so vast that people might gaze upon it unknowingly.
Mithra leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially: “Here’s a secret that isn’t really a secret: these ‘stars’ fall constantly. Maintaining the artificial Void Domains costs astronomical sums.”
“If you ever run out of money and hit rock bottom, consider targeting related industries.”
Her advice sounded like pointing at an armored truck and saying, “Why don’t you try this?”
Viya looked into the distance. The area was empty, with only a few glowing orbs visible at the edge of the clouds.
“?” She turned her gaze back to Mithra, her unspoken question clear.
Do you think I’m your tour guide now? Mithra understood what she meant and pointed to the glowing orbs: “Through these, we can access different islands.”
“The green orb leads to the Tranquil Island. It’s safe, but the rewards are minimal. Mostly chosen by non-Ascenders.”
“The red orb leads to the Lord’s Island. We’ll face a powerful, tyrannical beast. Typically chosen by full four-person teams. Clear it once, and you’ll earn a high score.”
“The blue orb leads to the Past Island. It has moderate danger, testing wisdom and experience. The rewards are balanced. I recommend choosing this one.”
Viya listened intently, nodding in agreement with Mithra’s suggestion.
Then—
She reached out toward the crimson orb.
In an instant, scarlet light engulfed the two figures standing in the artificial Void Domain.
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