"After this, this place probably won't be here anymore, right?" After passing through that thin barrier, what appeared before her was not the endless starry sky, but the very place she had entered from. She still remembered the small island in the distance. It was not large, but because of the strange tree growing upon it, she had easily committed it to memory.
Turning back to look at the spot she had emerged from, her emotions felt complicated. It was something like relief, yet also a trace of melancholy. In short, she was happy to have escaped danger, yet regretful that she had no way to further explore that wondrous space. Something like that.
"Yes. The Land of Exile is, in truth, an extremely mysterious place. An ordinary person might have the chance to encounter it once, but to encounter it twice in the same location is almost impossible. It maintains long-term stable passages only with a few special spaces. As for the rest, it is all a matter of luck. If you run into it, that is good fortune. If you do not, it means nothing."
Ayase chose this moment to offer comfort.
"Speaking of which, you gained quite a lot here. At the very least, the reward granted by this mission alone is enough to make you so happy you could take off flying. After all, a Heroes of Might and Magic castle is equivalent to a production base that generates troops infinitely."
"Although the strongest ordinary units can only reach the Earth rank, heroes and certain special races can reach the Heaven rank. With this, you'll practically be carrying an entire legion with you at all times. Once you master the necromancy and alchemy recorded in Tírnas' Lich King's Manual of Cultivation, and later complete Overlord to obtain the forces of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and that entire world—"
"Tsk tsk. You'll basically be a humanoid war planet. Anyone who thinks they can overwhelm you with sheer numbers will instead be faced with an endless army. By then, you might be able to crush entire worlds through numbers alone."
"Honestly, I'm not someone who likes using numbers to bully the few." Chu Lian felt a little speechless. Ever since that incident with the black-clad intruder breaking into her home, she had almost always faced multiple enemies alone. Very rarely had she won through superior numbers. Perhaps only those few times when she cooperated with Inori Yuzuriha could count.
But this dungeon run had given her future gains that would one day turn her into a mobile planet, one that contained countless war maniacs and innumerable troop types. When others thought they could defeat her through numbers, she would open a portal—and that scene would simply be too beautiful to imagine...
Still, thinking about it, it did sound rather interesting, didn't it? For minor lackeys and the like, there would be no need for her to act personally. Leaving it to her subordinates would be perfect.
"Mm, what was the exchange price for a Heroes of Might and Magic castle again?" Chu Lian recalled Ayase's earlier words—"the reward granted by this mission alone is enough to make you so happy you could take off flying"—and suddenly wanted to know its value.
"Extremely expensive. 80,000 Dream Points, 120,000 Item Points, 15 million Integrity Points, 200,000 Culture Points, 30,000 Slaughter Points, and an additional consumption of 3 million Admiration Points to construct the buildings for each troop tier."
As Ayase spoke, Chu Lian's mouth slowly fell open wider and wider, until by the end she was completely dumbfounded.
"How is this thing so expensive? Oh my god. Eighty thousand Dream Points is still manageable, but 120,000 Item Points? I'd have to sell off my entire fortune and still might not manage that. And 15 million Integrity Points? Since when does this thing consume integrity? I could barely accept Slaughter Points, but what's with the 200,000 Culture Points and 3 million Admiration Points?" She truly could not understand how the system calculated item exchange prices. It was outrageously expensive.
"Those 80,000 Dream Points are required as the foundational cost to generate the castle. Without Dream Points, items not originating from your main world cannot be created."
"The Item Points represent the total collection of resources needed to construct such a castle. Relatively speaking, 120,000 is already quite cheap. Think about it yourself. For a city that large, could the required materials possibly be few?"
"The 15 million Integrity Points are required to generate food, clothing, and other daily necessities. You wouldn't want all your subordinates running around naked, would you?"
"The Slaughter Points cover the first batch of NPCs—that is, the residents appearing within the castle. Surely you don't want your city to be a dead one?"
"As for Culture Points, once you have people and life—once you have a race—you naturally need your own unique language, culture, art, and customs. Only Culture Points can handle that."
"And the final 3 million Admiration Points are used to bind everyone's faith to you. That way, they won't betray you. The troops produced will continuously replenish the Admiration Points you consume."
"But aren't Admiration Points not supposed to be exchangeable for anything other than giving to fans?" Chu Lian was most conflicted about this point. The previous Holy Light had been understandable—it had given those fans without faith the most beautiful hymn in their hearts, letting them feel that their admiration was not misplaced.
But what was this supposed to be? It really felt like Admiration Points were turning into actual faith. Faith was not something easily pursued or easily obtained. It was maddening...
"Well, fine. You'll understand eventually. Admiration Points are the foundational value of faith. When your Admiration Points reach a certain threshold, they will transform into Faith Value. At that time, your true exchange options will fully unlock. For now, just take it step by step." Having experienced so much, Ayase seemed to have relaxed her standards. Instead of concealing things, she chose to explain them to Chu Lian.
"That makes a lot more sense. I'm still a bit confused, but as long as I understand that this thing is expensive, that's enough, right?"
"It's not even that expensive. When you have time, you can ask Shiroha. She'll tell you what truly expensive means..."
Chu Lian could almost hear the malicious amusement in Ayase's tone. She was clearly trying to knock her down a peg so she wouldn't get too carried away by her recent gains.
"I'm not going to deliberately do something that'll make me unhappy. When I have enough points in the future, I'll definitely exchange for it." Chu Lian stuck out her tongue.
As she spoke, she happened to arrive at that small island. Looking at the cross-shaped tree before her, she felt puzzled.
"It's not strange that there's a small island here, but why is there such a bizarre tree? It feels more like something meant for execution than for decoration."
"I find it strange too. I can't shake the feeling that things here aren't that simple. Whenever the Land of Exile appears, it usually carries some special meaning. I just don't know whether that applies here. No matter what, we should stay cautious." Ayase grew vigilant as well. They were only one task away from completion—the slaughter of an Earth-ranked giant dragon. If something strange happened now and interfered with the mission's completion, they would truly go mad.
"Shh. Listen. It sounds like something's there." Just as Chu Lian and Ayase were about to continue chatting, a sound like wings beating echoed faintly from the distance.
"It's something big. Very likely a dragon." A flash of delight passed through Chu Lian's eyes. She took out a stalk of Poison Dragon Grass from her space, placed it in a subtle position on the ground, then gently lit the tip and let it burn slowly.
After that, she leapt straight into the water. Activating her IS shield to push the seawater away from her body, she held her breath and quietly waited for the dragon to arrive.
Roar~
A deafening roar rang out. Chu Lian saw the small island tremble slightly and knew that the massive creature had landed.
But she did not rush. If she did not equip the "Dragon Slayer" title, she would not automatically become a target of dragon hostility. Even if it sensed something beneath the sea, it would likely only regard it as some peculiar marine life.
The laziness of dragonkind was as famous as their arrogance. Getting one to lower its pride and personally investigate something out of mere curiosity was no easy feat.
"Why hasn't it taken effect yet?" The dragon that had arrived was somewhat smaller than the Earth-ranked peak dragon from the main plane, yet their strengths were incomparable. This one was likely among the most ancient of dragonkind, its power already approaching mid Heaven rank.
"Take it slow. No need to rush. Poison Dragon Grass is a natural bane to dragons. Aside from a few specific types, it will certainly work. Of course, for dragons that have grown in remote worlds like this, it might take some time to show effect. There's no need to hurry." Ayase offered a word of reassurance. After all, the visitor was not the anticipated Earth rank, but an old Heaven-ranked monster.
The longer such beings lived, the more cunning they became. Do not be fooled by its current indifference. The moment Chu Lian made any unusual move, it would transform into a terrifying beast and eliminate her without hesitation.
So what Chu Lian needed to do now was disguise herself as harmless, gradually sinking deeper into the water while waiting for the Poison Dragon Grass to take effect.
Time passed. She had no idea how long. Chu Lian only remembered turning her shield off and on, on and off, more than a dozen times. Only then did she sense the dragon's aura weaken.
"Wait. I think something's wrong." Ayase stopped her just as she was about to act. With her experience, she understood that this might be a feigned weakness after sensing something amiss. Underestimating ancient intelligent lifeforms was the fastest way to seek death.
"No. I think we're being overly suspicious. Norlanna asked something of us. The item she gave us would never be meant to harm me. Since she said Poison Dragon Grass is the bane of most dragons, then it must be."
"It may just take a little longer to affect dragons of this world, but I have reason to believe it will work. As for how long it lasts, that's uncertain."
"If its aura weakened at this moment, it could be deception—or it could be real. We can't let caution alone cause us to miss this opportunity. Even if it isn't fully weakened, it must have been significantly affected."
"With my current abilities, if I want to leave, even a weakened dragon wouldn't be able to stop me. I still have four stalks of Poison Dragon Grass left. If this one doesn't work, I'll find another. There will always be a way."
After waiting a while longer, Chu Lian decided she would not wait anymore. This was likely her only chance to kill a Heaven-ranked monster while still at Spirit rank. She did not want to give it up.
It was almost certain that killing it would grant rewards that would greatly elevate her strength. Even if she could not cross the threshold into Earth rank, she would not fall far short.
"If you insist, then trust yourself." In the system space unseen by Chu Lian, Ayase's tense expression suddenly relaxed into a gentle smile.
Lian'er has grown up.
This scene alone proved that the girl had been thinking all along, weighing her own abilities against her surroundings and making her own judgment.
This small trial had not stumped her. With a little more experience, even if Ayase left for a time, she would not face great danger.
I'm happy. Truly happy to see you growing stronger.
Your first rapid growth—I wasn't able to accompany you.
Your second began under my guidance.
And this third is your own independent beginning. Struggling within this Dungeon Space, forced almost every moment to wear a mask that wasn't yours, it has honed you sharper and sharper.
"I'm going up…"
Before the faint outline of the island vanished from sight, Chu Lian used Teleport and arrived at its edge.
The moment she steadied herself, she saw the dragon lying on the ground, its head raised, eyes blazing with fury as it stared at her.
Its strength had already dropped from Heaven rank to high Earth rank—precisely the upper limit of what she could handle in her current state.
And for Chu Lian, being able to handle it meant it was already doomed.
She had that confidence.
Because if even the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception could not kill the dragon before her—whose blurred line of death had already appeared—then she truly would have no other way.
"Seven Illusions…"
The IS activated. Absolute Domain unfolded, blocking the dragon's breath. Chu Lian raised her hand. The Seven Illusions Bow manifested. Drawing the bowstring, she condensed an arrow.
"Unstoppable!"
She opened the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception for the second time. The blurred line of death on its body became slightly clearer—then blurred again.
Chu Lian knew this was a sign it was about to recover. She could not delay any longer.
Perhaps it had long been poisoned by the Poison Dragon Grass, but out of caution for potential enemies, it had forced itself to endure. Only when the toxicity became unbearable had it collapsed, its aura weakening drastically.
But this was also the most critical moment of the Poison Dragon Grass's effect. If she could not finish it now, then once it recovered, she would face the full brunt of its wrath.
"Farewell…"
Even though the Heaven-ranked dragon's health exceeded one hundred thousand, and even after spending 1100 MP her strongest attack barely reached around 5,000 damage—reduced by the dragon's 300 magic resistance to just over 4,000—still…
"The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can even kill gods for you!"
With a low cry, Unstoppable—condensed to its absolute limit—shot from the bowstring. The nearly solidified arrow pierced directly through the dragon's line of death and burst out from its back.
Boom—
A violent explosion erupted over the distant sea. A massive whirlpool was blasted into existence by the surging energy, spinning and spinning, like an open wound in the ocean that refused to calm for a long time.
After exhausting all her MP, the Seraph form reverted to standby Priest mode. Absolute Domain vanished. The Seven Illusions Bow dissolved into light and returned to the back of her left hand. The petite girl staggered backward on her high heels, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"See? You pushed yourself too far."
A gentle voice sounded by her ear. The unmistakable red attire told her exactly who had arrived.
Chu Lian turned and buried her face into that soft, ample embrace, inhaling the faint elegant fragrance as her breathing gradually steadied.
"Asleep already?"
Looking at the girl's tightly furrowed brows, she smiled faintly, bent down, and gently kissed her forehead. Then she lifted her in both arms, turned around, and faced the uninvited guest behind them.
A hundred-meter-long body stood upright upon the sea like a grotesque vessel about to sink. Its massive serpent jaws gaped open as it drooled, staring greedily at Chu Lian.
Instinct told it that this girl possessed an irresistible allure.
"The reason I didn't act wasn't because I could bear to see her so exhausted. It was because I wanted her to grow faster. Now that she has already exceeded my expectations, there's no need for me to suppress my urge to move any longer."
Ayase raised her head and looked at the serpent, ancient as some prehistoric beast, speaking slowly.
Whether it could not understand her words, or whether Chu Lian's allure was too overwhelming, the giant serpent ignored the woman whose body emitted not the slightest ripple of energy. It opened its mouth wide and lunged toward them.
As long as I devour her, I will finally break through this body that has restricted my power for a thousand years and become a god. I will. I must…
In its eyes now, there was nothing but naked desire.
"Foolish…"
A sword descended from beyond the nine heavens. She seemed not to regard the giant serpent before her at all. Raising her hand, she caught the blade and swung forward.
There were no dazzling phenomena. No world-shaking surge of energy. No halted flow of time or fractured space.
The giant serpent simply remained there, motionless.
The only movement in the entire scene was that streak of red turning away, long dark hair fluttering in the wind.
The dragon's corpse was taken away. The serpent remained behind. Only after she had left did a gust of wind blow across the sea, causing the colossal body to crumble into drifting ash and vanish.
No one would ever know what had just happened—how Ayase had slain a high Heaven-ranked serpent with a single strike.
Such godlike skill had never seemed to exist before. The only witness was the serpent that would never appear again.
"This world… one day, I will return…"
For a long, long time, it seemed as though those words lingered in the air, drifting, circling.
"If this world was a dream, then perhaps now is the time to wake. The one who waited so long for me… were they worried I might sleep forever?"
"The greatest lesson I learned on this journey wasn't how to scheme or deceive. It was how to use my own advantages to achieve what benefits me most."
"Of course, there were other gains as well. For example… a whole harem? All right, let's not talk about that. I'd die a miserable death…"
She opened her eyes.
The familiar scene lay before her, unchanged as ever. A girl stood by the window. Seeing her awaken, she smiled.
"Welcome back, Lian…"
"I'm back, Inori…"