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“You’re spacing out again.” Mithra poked Viya’s shoulder. She had already rummaged through the wolves’ corpses but found no crystals.
The remains of Void Domain creatures couldn’t be brought back to reality, but there was a minuscule chance they would condense into crystals—substances that could bypass the rules and be carried into the real world.
These crystals contained fragments of the lord’s memories, serving as the primary source of knowledge about the behavior, hunting habits, and lifestyles of Void Domain creatures.
Mithra didn’t expect to sell it for money; she just wanted to collect it as a keepsake.
“Hallucination,” Viya mumbled vaguely. “I saw an old man who kept sighing.”
An old man who kept sighing… Mithra didn’t dwell on it too deeply and casually replied:
“If it’s a side effect of your abilities, we should leave. Clearing two Lord’s Islands is already impressive for a freshman. Professors will definitely take notice of your talent, and your future will be bright.”
She wasn’t surprised at the possibility of side effects because Viya’s performance was extraordinary. Her speed alone rivaled that of Second Ring Ascenders specializing in physical prowess.
And then there was her uncanny ability to react preemptively to attacks.
“You seem quite concerned about me?” Viya asked.
“Of course! You have immense potential!”
Mithra didn’t hide her thoughts and stated them matter-of-factly.
With such performance at the First Ring level, with just a bit of time, luck, and effort, Viya could easily ascend to the higher tiers, becoming one of the era’s greatest figures.
So befriending her while she was still in her nascent stage was crucial.
Besides, Mithra had plenty of resources to spare.
“Then keep being concerned,” Viya said indifferently.
If you can’t chat, don’t bother… Mithra’s lips twitched slightly, but her attention was quickly drawn to the glowing orbs that appeared on the island.
As usual, there were three orbs—red, blue, and green—each leading to a different island.
“Wait!” Mithra hastily slapped away the hand reaching toward the red orb, speaking rapidly:
“You want a higher score, right?”
Viya nodded.
“Well, there’s another way!”
“?” Viya tilted her head.
“The Past Island. The score isn’t fixed—it depends on completion speed and how thoroughly you finish the challenge. But it demands a lot from the participants.”
It was simple logic: those capable of scoring high in the Past Island would usually opt for the more straightforward Lord’s Island challenges, which at least guaranteed some points instead of risking failure entirely.
Mithra looked at Viya, hoping for an affirmative response.
She assumed Viya must have some compelling reason to relentlessly pursue scores, eager to thrust herself into the spotlight.
Otherwise, no one would overexert themselves by consecutively challenging two Lord’s Islands.
After a long silence, Viya slowly uttered a single word:
“Fine.”
The next moment, a deep azure light engulfed them.
---
A roaring train sped through a narrow valley. Hundreds of passengers sat in their seats, the cries of infants, the smell of cheap cigarettes, and the chatter filling the carriage with noise.
Drawing from her previous experience, Viya instinctively reached for her sword upon regaining consciousness.
But this time, her hand was stopped before it could move.
“You don’t want others looking at us strangely, do you?”
“In the Past Island, inappropriate items are twisted into something reasonable.”
“For example, in the eyes of these passengers, our swords might just appear as brooms.” Mithra muttered, “Though even holding a broom looks odd in this context.”
Viya quieted down. She was seated in the corner of the carriage, giving her an excellent vantage point.
The sound of steam hissing outside briefly drowned out the passengers’ clamor, surprising Viya. This type of vehicle, which relied purely on boiling water, had been long obsolete since the second magic revolution.
“The Past Island… ‘Past,’ as the name suggests, means we’re likely inside a historical event right now.”
Mithra explained promptly.
By now, she had reclined comfortably in her seat.
Who would’ve thought my painstakingly learned micro-expression skills would be used to read the face of someone so expressionless… She thought wryly, reaching into her pocket and producing a crinkling sound. A letter was pulled out.
Mithra waved the letter in front of Viya:
“You probably have one in your bag too. It contains the requirements for clearing the challenge.”
“When we open this letter, the mission starts officially.”
Hearing this, Viya opened her inventory, noticing the new item that had suddenly appeared. Flipping her palm, the letter rested quietly in her hand.
She opened the envelope and began reading:
“Year 412 of the New Calendar, a train carrying hundreds of passengers headed toward Poye. They laughed and talked, dreaming of a bright future, unaware of the looming danger.”
“Sixteen hours after departure, an explosion erupted within the train, derailing it and killing 98 passengers while gravely injuring 32 others…”
“Objective 1: Find the cause of the explosion.”
“Objective 2: Prevent the explosion (optional).”
“This challenge’s score will depend on completion speed and the number of surviving passengers.”
---
“So it’s this one…” Mithra amused herself by playing with popping candy in her hand, speaking nonchalantly:
“The North Canyon Train Incident. We can confirm the culprit was an Ascender because conventional explosives back then couldn’t achieve this effect—it had to be an Ascender specialized in a related field.”
She sighed:
“I remember this incident caused quite a stir in official records, straining relations between non-Ascenders and Ascenders.”
“Shouldn’t non-Ascenders have been minced into pieces?” Viya asked.
“No, no, no.”
Mithra raised a finger and shook it, adopting the demeanor of someone experienced:
“Back then, Ascenders didn’t have the same conditions we do now. Without rituals to assist them, ascension relied entirely on luck. Most became Ascenders overnight without understanding why.”
“Those wild Ascenders were loose, unorganized, and lacked laureates. Ordinary people armed with a fork could turn it into a life-or-death battle.”
That sounds terrible… Viya’s lips twitched slightly. Perhaps due to divine grace, she could now make subtle facial expressions, imperceptible to others but enough to alleviate her sense of being trapped.
“All right, the plan is clear now.” Mithra summoned a waitress and spoke casually:
“Ma’am, five wheat pancakes, three bottles of Huohu wine, thank you.”
A few minutes later, after receiving the tray from the waitress, Mithra nodded in thanks and discreetly slipped the third bottle of Huohu wine to the waitress as a tip. She watched her walk back to the rear hall with a smile.
Turning back to Viya, she asked:
“Do you drink alcohol?”
“No,” Viya replied.
“Funny, I never drink either.” Mithra gave an approving nod.
Then why did you order all that… Viya hadn’t seen Mithra pay, so she could only assume it was part of the train’s unique economic system.
“It’s obviously for…”
As if sensing Viya’s confusion, Mithra jingled the key she had “borrowed” from the waitress. The metallic key gleamed under the warm lighting.
The duke’s daughter grinned mischievously:
“To ensure smooth sailing for our next move.”
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