Beef, or roasted whole beef
Seeing Senior Jin Che's stunned gaze, Yu Yu explained, "You know, the Legend who visited before, the one who stuffed notes in your bookshelf…"
The more Yu Yu clarified, the more Jin Che's spirit crumbled.
Thanks, I can't even escape…
After ages, forced to absorb the saga of the fugitive Legend, Jin Che looked drained of color.
She muttered weakly, "I get it… stop talking…"
Yu Yu's details were relentless, and Jin Che couldn't tune her out. Even her rants about the Grand Archon's abandonment flooded Jin Che's mind. If Yu Yu's words could dilute memories like water, Jin Che's brain was now a perfect puddle, leaving her wearing a mask of pure agony.
Erisbo's condition was rough. He flew silently into the deserted left hall upon arrival, erecting a mana barrier to keep everyone out. Then came earth-shaking tremors. Yu Yu briefly thought the Night Sovereign had invaded, only to realize Erisbo was summoning a meteor shower to vent.
Like a tantruming kid, he smashed everything that irked him.
Yu Yu peeked outside, greeted by billowing smoke and towering pillars of flame piercing the sky. It was as if Yan Mound had sprouted seven or eight fire giants, their blazing light nearly igniting the dim horizon.
Yu Yu was dumbfounded.
This is a Legend's might?
Sitting at home, meteors rain down.
Wreck whatever, whoever you want.
If she had this power, wouldn't the Federation grovel and call her ancestor?
Yu Yu spent ten solid minutes weighing modern weapons against a Legend's spells.
High-tier spellcasters could Teleport and turn Invisible…
With other survival spells… uh.
"Senior? Senior? Decided yet?"
Jin Che was tweaking a spell.
After scrapping seven phones and eighteen power banks, they'd finally crafted a semi-stable Charging Spell.
Yup, Charging Spell.
Not a charging enchantment. They'd started discussing a charger device, but Jin Che veered off mid-talk.
Muttering, "A stable discharge? Why bother with a gadget? A cantrip will do."
Maybe all Archons could handcraft cantrips. She whipped up a 0th-ring cantrip—Charging Spell—on the spot. Thanks to a pile of sacrificial phones, Jin Che's Charging Spell was now near perfection. Yu Yu's spell list gained a vital new 0th-ring cantrip.
Jin Che's Charging Spell!
Jin Che: "Told you it's easy."
Yu Yu: "…Senior, you're a beast!"
For a spellcaster who could spark lightning, it was easy…
Perched on the bed's edge, Jin Che flashed a confident smile. Yup, Yu Yu had hauled in furniture, turning the right hall into a cozy bedroom. Spellcasters valued quality of life—even dead ones! Though Jin Che stayed quiet, her affinity crept up.
Now at 85!
The highest in all Eternal Darkness!
Unlike a certain stingy Senior who still hadn't hit 60 affinity. Trash!
Yu Yu even mused, If I max Senior Jin Che's affinity, could I lure her from Yan Mound?
Make her my library curator?
Why's this game got no spirit summoning system?
A scholar like Jin Che, moldering here? What a waste!
Then Yu Yu remembered she had no library or manor…
Her heart ached.
Gotta snag a big house before maxing Senior Jin Che's affinity!
Yu Yu: "With Charging Spell, Senior can keep going nonstop!"
"Once I teach you a few more words, you can self-study!"
"Operation Memory Flood, begin!"
Moments later, Senior You Feng strolled down from upstairs, joining in. Hilariously, You Feng hadn't learned Allen script first—she'd picked up real-world languages from Jin Che. Now she sprinkled Xia speech into her words. Yu Yu found it delightfully weird.
Soon, she bid farewell. "I'll be back tomorrow!"
Jin Che waved.
~
Silver Moon.
Yu Yu zipped through Senior Chong's turf, whooshing home. She peeked at the forums, spotting player reports of her half-elf in the papers. Lynn was out crusading again, extra cranky, wiping out nine waves of wanted criminals in a day. Noting the direction, Yu Yu curiously veered that way. Silver Moon, Allen Peninsula's capital, sat oddly far north, in the peninsula's northeast.
In a way, it was "the sovereign guarding the gates."
Or rather, the wolf pup guarding the gates.
Yu Yu shared Charging Spell with Senior Xue.
She'd gotten Senior Jin Che's okay to spread it freely (sort of).
What she didn't know…
Chong: [Why'd she bypass Silver Moon for the south?!]
Xue: [Who?]
Chong: [Yu.]
Feng Ye popped in. [Where'd she go?]
Chong roughly explained, [I didn't show myself, but sent a Mage's Eye. She paused midway, then bolted past Silver Moon…]
The big shots analyzed the Legend issue, agreeing Yu Yu had a new mission.
Guang Chen mused, [South's Roland Territory. It's prosperous, low-risk. Let her go.]
Everyone nodded, except Feng Ye, who felt a faint unease. Her little pup was Roland's Marquis. Should be fine, right?
That pup thought herself clever but turned dumb at critical moments. Silver Moon's Sky Wolves had a cursed trait: too trusting, stubborn, charging headlong till they hit a wall. Countless Sky Wolves died for it historically, yet her pup learned nothing.
Not even as obedient as Fufu!
Fufu was dim and timid but listened.
When told to avoid Yu Yu, she did.
Hmph, wolf pup's grown and stopped listening.
Feng Ye's thoughts wandered eight thousand miles…
Meanwhile, Yu Yu galloped out of the forest.
Gazing at the lush plains ahead, she gawked, awestruck. "Wow!"
Leaving Silver Moon's woods, the south unfolded into a boundless flatland. Streams wove like ribbons, winding and clear to the bottom. Squinting, Yu Yu realized the "grass" wasn't grass—some unique plant, grassy from afar.
Beyond Silver Moon, life bustled. On the official road, she spotted caravans: some bore Silver Moon's crescent emblem, others were merchant trains. Travelers with blades—solo, in groups, or pairs—stretched endlessly.
Yet, without fail, they glanced at her, then looked away, avoiding a second peek.
Yu Yu blinked, then remembered her spellcaster's robe. She considered stashing it but recalled she was riding a spectral horse, not a real one. Swapping robes now would be pointless.
Sighing, she gave up and scanned her surroundings. Beyond the road, distant smoke rose from dotted, lively towns speckling the horizon.
Wow, this is way comfier than Silver Moon!
Silver Moon was all mountains and forests—rugged, barren. Nothing like these gorgeous plains!
Yu Yu trotted off, steering her spectral horse off the road, onto the "grass," and toward a town in sight.
Road travelers: "!!!"
Isn't trampling Roland grass forbidden?!
Oh, magic circle? Never mind.
Rolling their eyes, they resumed chatting in twos and threes, Yu Yu becoming their gossip. These black-robed spellcasters were rarely seen, elusive as shadows. Spotting one, even an unremarkable one, was worth sharing with friends. Yu Yu galloped gleefully, checking her minimap. The fog cleared as she moved, revealing the area's name.
Roland Territory - Saint Florian City.
She tapped it, then remembered the game's allergy to explanations.
Roland Territory? Isn't that Senior Felix's domain?
Wow, her land's stunning!
Buzzing with excitement, Yu Yu snapped photos.
Click, click, click, she posted, [First Look at Roland Territory!]
[Let's be real, this beats Silver Moon's backwoods! Look! Look!]
[Image] [Image] [Image]
Meng: [? Weren't you on the mainland?]
Yu Yu: [I'm back! Want the full story, Senior?]
Meng: [No, no, I'm good.]
I ate without washing dishes: [I'm here! Big Shot, I just logged off for dinner, and you're still grinding?!]
[Wow, it's gorgeous! Silver Moon? Dogs wouldn't stay! Can we move the capital?!]
[This is player hub material!]
[Why call her Senior?]
Yu Yu: [It's my nickname for her. You can too.]
I ate without washing dishes: [Nah, that name's trauma for me.]
Still, she tentatively clicked Meng's profile.
By now, she was suspicious.
[Access Denied!]
Dishes-Unwashed: [? Who locks their profile?!]
Then, Yu Yu spotted a new update!
Beta version, exclusive, from Senior Xue!
She hit update, studied it, and gasped, pinging Xue, [Senior Xue, you're a god! Your update speed's superhuman!]
She could now browse forums in-game, no logout needed, making info-gathering a breeze.
Xue: [Just takes hands.]
Senior Xue was always the cool type. Yu Yu was used to it.
She dove into the forums, riding and flipping pages, pinning her post on a split screen.
Felix: [.]
As Yu Yu saw it, Felix added, [Like Roland?]
Yu Yu fired back, [Love it! LOVE IT! Absolutely love it!!!] [Heart.jpg]
[Senior's territory is way prettier than the Duchess's!!!]
Fufu: [FakeSmile.jpg] [Caught you! Spilling bad gossip? Spill it!]
Felix: [Hit high-tier, and I'll let you park your viscount land in Roland. I'll pick you a pretty, rich town.]
Meng: [Meltdown.jpg] [Bet you want Silver Moon Laws?]
Fufu: [I recall high-tier spellcasters don't get real fiefs!!! Just viscount-level funds! Felix, snap out of it!!!]
By now, their chat was player-hidden by a passing senior.
Felix: [Why so worked up? I meant what you meant.]
Fufu, skeptical, said, [Really? Your tone didn't sound like it.]
Yu Yu, pondering, agreed Felix wasn't offering a town. [Duchess, you're overthinking. Senior just misspoke!]
Felix went quiet.
In-game, dusk fell. Yu Yu rarely saw night shift in-game. Silver Moon's arrays flipped day to night fast—lights on, lights off.
But outside Silver Moon, it was different.
Even with starlight's protection, Silver Moon stayed dim, never brighter than a real-world overcast day.
Nights were darker. Yu Yu gazed curiously at the sky.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, awestruck.
The grass glowed.
A breeze swept through, bending the grass. Colors shifted from verdant green to pale yellow. Another gust, and yellow faded back to green…
Across the plain, the grass shimmered like a glowing sea, waves of color rippling with the wind.
Yu Yu, astride her spectral horse, felt her twenty-odd years had been wasted.
No one told her grass could glow, change colors with the breeze, and look this stunning!
Her screenshotting hand trembled—
[Image] x9
[Image] x9
[Mom asks why I'm kneeling to screenshot… because…]
[So pretty so pretty so pretty SO PRETTY!!!]
[Senior Xue! SENIOR XUE!!! I need this!!!]
[I'm gonna die of beauty here!!!]
She reined in her horse, forgetting her mission, the town, the half-elf. Dismissing the horse, she rolled on the grass, watching yellow waves flow past, shifting to soothing green with each gust…
So pretty, wah, so pretty…
Wanna dig this grass up and plant it! It's a paid attraction!
Wake up beautifully, die beautifully in bed.
Half an hour later, Yu Yu snapped out, lying on the grass, browsing forums.
[Sorry, I shamed outsiders QAQ]
I ate without washing dishes: [AHHH I hit my login cap and feel sick! I'm going!!!]
[Migrating to Roland today! Silver Moon can keep whoever wants it!]
The post exploded, replies surging.
Meng, stifling laughter, said, [That's Roland for ya~]
Xue: [Working on it, but it's useless. Lie there longer.]
Felix, poised, replied, [Mm.]
Fufu: [Hmph.]
Yu Yu clutched her face, struck by a thought.
Fact: her wolf pup glowed, her fur brightening with mood swings.
Could a breeze make her fur shift from moon-silver to gorgeous lunar blue?
Imagining it, Yu Yu bolted upright.
Hiss!
Wolf pup could coast on looks but chooses skill!
Her, on glowing grass under moonlight? Stunning.
Yu Yu flopped back, [Not going back tonight. Sleeping here.]
Meng: […Aren't you on a mission?]
Yu Yu: [What mission? Food delivery? Tomorrow's fine!]
Meng, puzzled, asked, [Then why're you in Roland?]
Yu Yu, unhesitating, said, [Finding the half-elf! She stormed off mad. Saw her in the papers here, so I came.]
Meng: […]
Felix: […]
Fufu: [Ever consider you can't keep up with Wind Singer's Teleport speed?]
Yu Yu mused, [Then I'll check papers tomorrow. Done. I'm staying.]
The big shots' chat: [?]
We thought you were on a Legend mission, too scared to bug you, and you're… sleeping on the ground?!
You're Yu Yu, not Salted Fish!
Feng Ye inhaled deeply, again, then again. She flicked open Yu Yu's private chat, scanning fast.
Good, no bizarre topics.
[Yu Yu.]
Yu Yu peeked, [Grand Archon, what's up?]
You ghosted me today, so I'm ghosting you!
Feng Ye: [Silver Moon's forming Mage Corps 2. Interested?]
Yu Yu: [Can I say no?]
Feng Ye: [No.]
Then why ask?!
Feng Ye: [I'm naming Meng as commander, you as deputy, leading outsider spellcasters into battle with us.]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
[It's not just Senior Meng carrying the fight, right?]
Feng Ye: [That's your problem. The magic circle wants results.]
[Also, Felix and her team will be released by Her Eminence to serve as chroniclers,] she added. [Every move you make will be under Her Eminence's eyes. No slacking!]
Yu Yu pondered.
Mage Corps? Player Mage Corps? Me and Senior Meng leading?
She'd just set her sights on players, barely starting, and the Grand Archon handed her a ladder?
What's she thinking?
Same as me?
The black-robed woman lay in the Flan Sea, frowning in thought.
Mission: [Establish Mage Corps]
Sub-Missions:
[Mage Corps Preparations]
[Recruit Mage Corps Members]
[Request Internal Affairs Support]
[Pass Purification Department Inspection]
[Register with War Department]
[Report to Silver Moon Grand Archon]
[Apply to Silver Moon Archon for Office Space]
…
Yu Yu's quest list ballooned, leaving her stunned.
Seriously?
Shouldn't the Grand Archon handle this?
I have to apply for everything?!
Is the magic circle copying the Federation's red tape?
Yu Yu flopped flat.
Silver Moon was dim, but the grass glowed, breathtakingly beautiful.
Wolf pup's gorgeous, and her land's this stunning.
Yu Yu rolled over, dismissed her horse, and decided to sleep in-game, skipping logout.
Next morning, she woke surrounded by guards.
"???"
"Did I break the law again?" Yu Yu blurted.
A guard respectfully presented a token. "By Her Highness's order, we deliver the Chief Mage of Roland's token."
"You may freely command Roland's guards and receive treatment equal to Roland's lord in any town."
Yu Yu: "Chief Mage?"
The guard's explanation flew over her head. She pinged Senior Meng.
Meng: […Long ago, the magic circle didn't handle governance, but lords hired spellcasters for protection. Those living in the lord's palace were Chief Mages, overseeing non-circle spellcasters in the domain.]
[Back then, freelance spellcasters were common, not all could join the circle. Now it's just symbolic.]
[Your title's full name: Chief Mage of Roland's Lord.]
Yu Yu: […But Senior's a high-tier spellcaster herself!]
Meng: [Hence, symbolic~]
Yu Yu took the token. "Got it, I accept."
Her profile updated. She peeked, then pinged Felix, [Senior, I'm Chief Mage now!]
Wolf pup was up early.
Felix: [For ease of movement. Don't disrupt domain peace.]
Yu Yu: [Got it!]
Guard: "We know where Lady Wind Singer is. Shall we guide you?"
"Yes."
Yu Yu summoned a spectral horse, following under their respectful gazes.
When Wind Singer spotted Yu Yu, she was perched on a rooftop, chatting and laughing with friends.
Seeing Yu Yu, flanked by silver-armored guards, the half-elf's face fell.
Eyeing her escape, she stood to bolt.
Yu Yu: "Lynn! Stop! When're you paying me back?!"
One line froze her. Ears perked in fury, she snapped, "When did I owe you?!"
Yu Yu strolled to the eaves. "Come down, why're you on someone's roof?"
Lynn jumped down, fuming. "Explain! When did I owe you?!"
Yu Yu grabbed her arm, grinning. "Kidding. You never owed me."
Lynn blinked, then exploded, ears fully erect. "YU!!!"
Easily reeling in the half-elf, Yu Yu explained en route, "I didn't ditch you. The magic circle's tasks hit out of nowhere. You know how cranky the big shots are—if I dawdle, the Grand Archon's got a whip ready, and one misstep lands me in Enforcer custody. I had no choice…"
Trashing the magic circle perked Lynn up. Her pointed ears relaxed, green eyes faintly aggrieved. "Then why tell me to wait at home? I waited half a day, only to find you left me."
"You're just mid-tier. Why so many tasks?"
"Doesn't the circle cherish young spellcasters?"
"Are they bullying you as an outsider?"
"Not yet," Yu Yu said, seeing her calm. "Why'd you come here?"
Lynn's green eyes darted. "I was mad, so I wandered. Saw some wanted criminals, couldn't resist…"
And took out nine waves?
Yu Yu mentally lit a candle for them. "You hurt?"
Lynn lifted her chin proudly. "Nope. Your scroll's awesome. When're you selling?"
"I've got friends lined up to buy!"
Yu Yu: "Tweaking it a few days. Soon, soon."
If the Mage Corps formed, Meng would likely just oversee, leaving Yu Yu to wrangle players.
The circle barred sharing most secrets, so what could she share?
Healing scrolls.
Technically, she brought the spell and crafted the scrolls herself. The circle wouldn't care who she gave them to. She'd planned to refine versions, posting the weakest on forums to win hearts, boost rep, and share the love. Now, with the Grand Archon's ladder, she'd save effort.
She'd long eyed these player spellcasters—her "black slaves" (crossed out).
Circle spellcasters were lofty, high-maintenance. Players? Easy to manage!
Her research was piling up, and she was always on the move. But with a title, she could openly squeeze (crossed out) utilize players.
When the Grand Archon spoke, Yu Yu was raring to go.
~
Home.
Lynn lounged in a chair, munching an apple. "Whatcha looking at?"
Yu Yu: "Lynn, are all elves as easygoing as you?"
Lynn, mid-bite, flicked an ear. "Huh?"
Yu Yu: "I finished reading about the Great Purge."
Lynn forgot her question, turning serious. "What'd you think?"
Yu Yu, solemn, said, "Fighting's bad. If it were me, I wouldn't."
Lynn, expectant, asked, "What would you do?"
Yu Yu mused, "They'd have to wrong me first. I'm so mild-mannered—why would I start a fight?"
She added, "Have you seen me argue?"
Lynn thought. "Not really."
Yu Yu, grave, said, "I don't even bicker. Would I start a war?"
"If I did, they provoked me first!"
Lynn nodded, convinced. "Makes sense."
Compared to other spellcasters, Yu Yu's temper was shockingly good—humble, warm, quick to smile. She respected others, owned mistakes, and lacked the haughty spellcaster's arrogance.
She rarely got mad, except with a few outsiders?
They must've ticked her off.
Recalling, Lynn bought it. "You're right."
Yu Yu: "Lynn, where can I buy that glowing Roland grass?"
Lynn tilted her head. "Roland grass?"
Yu Yu gasped, "That's its name?!"
Lynn: "Not pricey, but it only shines in patches."
Yu Yu eyed her tiny yard, deflated. "Okay."
With the half-elf retrieved, Yu Yu logged off.
In-game sleep was cozy, but reality's hunger wasn't.
Any longer, her stomach would revolt.
Shu Tu and the others were online. Yu Yu opened the fridge, finding food left for her.
Peeling off a note, she read carefully.
Shu Tu reminded her to reheat—empty stomachs couldn't handle cold.
After eating, Yu Yu prepped another meal for Erisbo.
While heating, she squinted.
How's my food lowering corruption?
What's special about it?
Does Blue Star food have magic?
Or some unknown factor?
Pondering fruitlessly, she packed the food into her satchel, then realized it was her massive new one.
Could I… bring a cow in?
She recalled the Material Transfer Permit, pulling it out.
Vivid, pale yellow parchment, etched with elegant Allen script.
Yu Yu could write and read it.
Faint, intricate magic circle patterns shimmered.
Gorgeous.
She read it aloud in Allen, finding the language crisp, each sentence ending in a lilting cadence, almost musical. Satisfied, she stashed it, debating whether to try the cow.
Her cow, or the Federation's?
In three seconds, she decided, typing a message.
Suddenly, she paused.
Did I forget something?
After racking her brain, she resumed messaging.
Then stopped, trembling, and grabbed the Material Transfer Permit.
"Holy—?"
She logged in at lightspeed, yanked off her spellcaster's robe, stuffed it in her satchel, and—under Lynn's "you're a creep" stare—logged out.
Holding her breath, Yu Yu tricked her brain.
Act casual.
Catch the satchel off guard.
She reached in.
A soft, cool touch met her fingers. She pulled, dragging out her spellcaster's robe.
Yu Yu: "?"
"??"
"!!!"
The jet-black robe, still warm from her body, bore the silver magic circle emblem on its chest.
It brushed the floor, yet stayed pristine when lifted.
This was it—her obsession.
Winter-warm, summer-cool, silky soft, pajama-comfy!
The magic circle's spellcaster robe!
"Mom, I brought the robe out!!!"
Yu Yu leapt three feet, startling her big cat awake.
"Meow?"
Yu Yu pounced, "Er'er' Er'er, my sweet kitty!! Hehe! Hehe! Kitty hehe!"
The cat blinked, baffled.
When Yu Bai arrived with the cow, Yu Yu was on the couch, cuddling the cat, giggling idiotically.
Yu Bai, once wary of the cat, was now unfazed.
"Brought the cow. What's it for?"
Glancing, she saw nothing odd.
Yu Yu's black robe was coated in cat fur. Beaming, she said, "That material from before works. Send more. I think I'll crack the Healing scroll in days."
"But that paper you're researching needs to keep up. Didn't Elder Li say it's tough to make?"
Yu Bai lit up. "Really? Really?! The Institute's got medical bigwigs waiting for your scroll!"
"Once it's out, no one can say you're unworthy!"
As Yu Yu's liaison, Yu Bai felt their fates intertwined.
Without Yu Yu, she'd never have gotten a wristband.
Yu Yu shrugged, "Sure, got it."
She didn't care. Outsiders' opinions never reached her.
Yu Bai left the cow and bounced off happily.
Yu Yu grabbed the food box, stashed the cow, and logged in.
She grabbed Lynn. "Lynn, to the farm!"
Pre-satchel, she didn't know if the cow was alive or dead.
No worries—her bag had a full spice rack. If it was dead, Lynn could butcher it, and they'd roast a whole cow!
Lynn, caught, hinted, "Your clothes?"
Yu Yu: "Just one outfit, don't sweat it, let's go!"
Time's money!
Who needs clothes?
In her starting linen undergarments, Yu Yu was dragged out of town by Lynn.
Without her robe, they drew even fewer glances.
Landing, Yu Yu whooshed open her satchel, releasing the cow.
"Brave moo-moo, come forth!"