One Thousand Wills 8

Lynn stood with arms crossed, her gaze fixed on Yu Yu as a bleak autumn wind swept through the farm. Nothing happened.

Yu Yu poured the cow out as if nothing had happened "See? It's out now, isn't it?"

Lynn stared for a moment, her expression twisting into confusion. "This is a cow?"

Yu Yu glanced at the perfectly, tragically deceased cow, her heart sinking as she nodded. "Yes. It was alive before. Now it's dead."

"Let me see how it died…"

Lynn crouched down to inspect the carcass, quickly pointing out, "Looks like it suffocated. See its eyes…"

Yu Yu muttered, "Died with regrets?"

Lynn: "…"

A dead cow wasn't worth much. Yu Yu sighed. "Come on, Lynn, do you know how to butcher a cow?"

"Let's have a whole roasted cow!"

Lynn's expression remained utterly natural. "Never done it, but I've killed plenty of things. Shouldn't be too hard."

By now, the other players at the farm had gathered around.

"Isn't that a cow?" Tail exclaimed, awestruck. "Is this some Federation high-tech? Eternal Darkness has cows?"

"Too bad it's dead," she added, disappointed. "Otherwise, it could've plowed the fields."

The player on lookout duty ambled over. "Need any help?"

Lynn, already expertly gutting the cow, paused in surprise. "Huh? Is this a purified beast?"

"The blood's all red," she marveled. "No mutated organs either. Strange. Is this a native Silver Moon beast?"

Tail, captivated by the half-elf's stunning character model, sparkled with enthusiasm. "It's not a beast! It's a cow. You know, livestock for plowing fields! And super tasty!"

The half-elf shot her a puzzled look.

At that moment, the two Federation soldiers couldn't take it anymore. "Stop cutting! You're turning it into mincemeat!"

"Cow tenderloin, steak—ugh!" one of them groaned, slapping his thigh. "Everything in Eternal Darkness tastes awful. Finally, something edible, and…"

Lynn wasn't offended. "You know how to prepare it?"

"Of course I do! Back when I was stationed at the frontier…"

The soldier launched into a vivid recounting of his past glories—slaughtering sheep and cows in the military, leading rescue missions for stranded hikers in uncharted zones, and more. The half-elf, initially dismissive since he wasn't even mid-tier, gradually became engrossed in his tales. She propped her chin in her hands, listening with rapt attention.

"Your people are so weak, yet so brave. Why?" Her emerald eyes gleamed as she urged, "What happened next?"

"The bones…"

Old Nan, lacking proper tools, was stymied by the cow's tough bones and sinews.

Lynn asked, "How do you plan to cut it?"

A moment later, a flash of cyan light danced at her fingertips. Whether it was the sturdy cow bones or the resilient tendons, they parted like tofu under her precise cuts.

Ever since Yu Yu mentioned researching magic circles at the farm, Federation soldiers had been stationed there. They rotated between leveling up, resting, and logging off in Silver Moon's city, growing familiar with Tail and the others. Even Yu Bai dropped by occasionally.

Today, Old Nan and Zhang Cheng were on duty. They claimed to be under thirty, but their weathered faces suggested they were sprinting toward forty.

Yu Yu, preoccupied with the cow meat, grabbed seasonings while eavesdropping on their chatter, occasionally catching the half-elf's eager questions. Both sides found the other impressive. Lynn could twist cow bones into knots, while Old Nan and his crew had stories that fascinated the half-elf.

Yu Yu finally prepped the seasonings and a pot, then logged off to ask Yu Bai to source some seeds. She wanted to plant something new at the farm. The Federation had a seed bank, prepared for years for moments like this. Surprisingly, it was already coming in handy. But with the anomaly still recent, it wasn't quite time to tap into the reserves.

Yu Yu checked her potatoes. The half grown with Vine Growth were noticeably ahead of the untreated ones.

"Probably ready in a week," she mused to herself.

Would Vine Growth alter the potatoes' nature? Could it cause mutations?

She'd take a few to the research institute for analysis later. As usual, she inspected the protective magic circle's operations. Will was the core, but the spellcaster had to supply the energy. Without a proper energy source, the circle might fizzle out mid-use.

Even if the will issue was resolved, scaling magic circles for real-world use required solving the energy problem. If only they could run on electricity…

Yu Yu rubbed her chin, her thoughts drifting to Senior Jin Che's Charging Spell…

Could the principles be similar?

If she asked Senior Meng for help in adapting it to use electricity, and the Federation adjusted the voltage, it might work. Her purchased circle, a Pioneer camp model, wasn't a concern. Though it was the cheapest version, it used elemental crystals as an energy source, lasting a long time. But the Federation lacked such resources.

Yu Yu calculated the timeline and frowned. Her schedule was packed. After this player campaign, she'd tell the Grand Archon she was secluding herself to rush high-tier status. No disturbances allowed. Speaking of which, why was she, not Captain Meng, stuck with all these errands when Meng was the team leader?

Couldn't Meng handle them?

With that thought, Yu Yu voiced her complaint to Meng.

Meng: [?]

[Guess why this is your job?]

Snapped out of her task-overloaded haze, Yu Yu hesitated. [Because I'm experienced?]

Meng: [smile.jpg]

It clicked for Yu Yu. Leveling up! High-tier! Charge forward!

Yu Yu: [Senior, want to join us for a whole roasted cow?]

[Where?] Meng replied instantly.

Yu Yu: [My little farm!]

The next second, a woman in black robes appeared out of nowhere. Old Nan and Tail didn't bat an eye, but Lynn reacted like a startled cat, her ears practically standing on end.

Meng eyed Yu Yu, immediately suspicious. "Where's your robe?"

Yu Yu grinned mischievously, pulling something out with a flourish. "Look at this!"

Meng glanced at it. "Paper."

Yu Yu: "! Senior, you're too dismissive! Look closely!"

Meng, with exaggerated patience, examined it. "'Material Transfer Voucher'? What's that?"

Yu Yu beamed. "Honestly, I'm not sure either, but it's His Majesty reward."

Meng's brow twitched.

Yu Yu: "Don't run! I won't mention His Majesty!"

Meng coughed dryly. "What nonsense. Why would I run?"

Yu Yu saw through her. "You played dead last time."

Meng's gaze drifted airily. "So, what does this have to do with your missing robe?"

Yu Yu lowered her voice. "I brought the robe out."

Meng didn't react at first, then her eyes widened in shock. "You can bring things out?"

Yu Yu nodded, whispering, "I haven't tried much yet. Just the robe and cow."

Meng: "?"

Yu Yu pointed. "There."

Meng spotted the gutted, tragically heroic cow. "…So your first instinct was to bring food and clothes?"

Yu Yu, caught off guard by her tone, fumbled for an excuse. "…How could you say that, Senior!"

Meng saw right through her. "Can you bring your grimoire out?"

Yu Yu's eyes lit up. "Senior!!!"

Meng sighed. "Hand it over."

Soon, Yu Yu's grimoire was fully slotted with six fourth-ring spells, all for survival: Teleportation x3, Greater Protective Ward, Greater Invisibility, and Command.

"Senior, what's Command? I've never seen it."

Meng rubbed her chin, thinking. "Of course you haven't. It's a curse spell, full name Human Domination."

Yu Yu's eyelid twitched.

Meng gave her a meaningful look. "It only works on people with average will and spirit. It's nearly useless against spellcasters. It depends on both parties' mental strength and will. You get what I mean."

"For example, if a legend used Command on you, you probably couldn't resist," Meng coughed again. "But the magic circle strictly regulates curse and negative energy spells. They're illegal. Just know that."

"Of course, Command isn't foolproof. The target can resist with strong will, and intense struggles can break control. They'll remember it, too, so it's less effective the next time unless the caster has overwhelming mental power, like a legend…"

Yu Yu, finally settling her jaw, blurted, "Do legends use this spell often?"

Meng's gaze slid away. "Depends on the legend's personality. Don't ask."

She added casually, "The prerequisite spell is Animal Domination, which is complex. Without a decade of study, you won't learn it. Don't bother for now."

Meng sighed. "Curse spells are the hardest. They're not systematic, just bursts of inspiration from predecessors. Hard to learn, harder to master, and the spells don't connect. Studying them is exhausting."

She griped, "If you create a spell that doesn't fit any school, toss it in curse magic. It's the catch-all."

Yu Yu logged off and back on, then said, "I did it."

Meng smiled. "Your survival odds just skyrocketed."

They locked eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

"Where can I buy another robe?" Yu Yu asked.

Meng: "The Academy."

Yu Yu: "But I didn't see any in the shop."

Meng: "Apply through a senior. You can't just buy them."

She watched the players butchering the cow. "Robes are a symbol of the magic circle. They're not for casual purchase."

Yu Yu noted it. "I'll apply for one later."

"Senior, I want to take Chang Yu to the mainland."

Meng: "Chang Yu?"

Yu Yu: "The 9 Will!"

Meng: "…No."

Yu Yu: "Why not???"

Meng: "She's too valuable. The Guardians won't agree, not even the Grand Archon could force it."

Yu Yu: "But I promised His Majesty!!!"

Meng fell silent. "Then… talk to the Grand Archon?"

Yu Yu asked cautiously, "Is it dangerous?"

Meng stared at her for a long moment, then smirked. "Not if I'm with you, right?"

Vacation Ruined.jpg

Yu Yu clamped her mouth shut.

Poor Senior, back from a single day's rest. No, wait—she was the pitiful one!

"Senior, the Grand Archon's got me running ragged!" Yu Yu wailed. "Once I hit high-tier, let's jump ship together!"

Meng's expression flickered oddly. "Pass."

"Why not?!"

Grand Archon: "Oh?"

Yu Yu: "…"

Fuck

Her eyes screamed betrayal—Senior, you set me up!!!

Meng coughed. "His Majesty asked Yu Yu to bring Chang Yu to him. I didn't dare decide, so I reported it."

She flashed her wrist, revealing a bracelet.

Yu Yu's eyes welled up.

Senior Meng, you traitor!

The Grand Archon: "What was that? Jump ship? And drag Meng along? Oh, and last time you wanted to take Chang, too."

"You're something else, Yu."

Yu Yu: "…Let me explain, Grand Archon!"

Hours later, Yu Yu looked drained. "Yes, I'm the Grand Archon's person in life and death. Jump ship? Never. That word's not in my dictionary."

The Grand Archon: "Oh, I'll take your word for it."

Meng bit back a laugh, staying silent.

Why did the Grand Archon give you that badge? To claim you, of course. Now other Grand Archons won't poach you. With the Grand Archon valuing you so much, you still dream of jumping ship?

Silver Moon's Grand Archon is unique. She may not be the strongest, but she's the closest to legend. One day, you might call her Your Majesty. Her corruption should've been cleansed long ago, but Council hasn't replaced her. There's more to it…

No need to delve deeper.

Later, realizing how complex taking Chang Yu out was, Yu Yu groaned. "How about we skip it? It's a minor task. His Majesty probably forgot."

The Grand Archon: "? How could you brush off His Majesty? Drop that thought! I'll have Meng escort you."

Meng: "Understood."

Yu Yu: "Here's the full story…"

She explained how she got the task—arguing with His Majesty, talking back, even mocking him…

Only you, Yu Yu.

Hours later, The Grand Archon was numb. "Since His Majesty knows Chang Yu, take her to him."

"It might help him."

Yu Yu: "Is Will 9 really that rare?"

Wind Singer: "A priceless treasure."

"For real?" Yu Yu muttered. "Guess I'm lucky, just stumbling across one."

The Grand Archon: "…"

"Senior, what's your Will? High?"

Meng: "8."

Yu Yu's smile faded. "Why's everyone's Will higher than mine?"

Meng consoled her. "Will 7 is rare. Will 8 is scarce in the magic circle. Don't sell yourself short."

Grand Archon: "I'm 8, too."

Yu Yu: "…"

Ugh, did I ask you?!

Lynn: "Yu, light the fire!"

Yu Yu ran to ignite it. "I'll follow the Grand Archon's orders."

Stop bragging and get Chang Yu. Let's eat and go!

Meng shrugged and strolled over.

After lighting the fire, Yu Yu watched the bustle and remembered to ask, "Old Nan, what are your stats?"

Old Nan, setting up a rack, replied, "Stats? Ours?"

"Yeah, how'd the Federation pick you?"

Old Nan said casually, "Each unit nominates, then regional commands filter, and Xia District HQ screens by age and height. The rest get vetted by players one by one."

He added nonchalantly, "We're all Will 8. The Federation says Will's critical, but we never found a Will 9… As for other stats, we average two at 7, with some outliers at 8…"

Yu Yu froze. "Screened across all districts?"

Old Nan nodded like it was obvious. "Of course. Such precious spots go to the best."

Yu Yu suddenly turned. "Grand Archon, what was that?"

"A thousand Will 8s, and I said I casually picked up a Will 9. Believe me now?"

Meng: "…"

Grand Archon: "…"

Half-elf waiting for food: "!!!"