Chapter 112

“If you want to bite, feel free anytime.”

In Borough City, Jazz Bridge District No. 15, inside the dining room of Aivana’s manor.

The large table was divided into a small square one, around which four girls were seated.

Because there were important matters to discuss, the usually elaborate dishes served one by one were all brought out at once, filling the entire table.

After Aivana dismissed the other maids and servants, leaving only Nia standing guard by the door, she began tonight’s private dinner.

The sight of all the food laid out made Xia’er, who was already famished, eager to start eating. She quickly joined Adelle in devouring the food in front of her as fast as possible.

Aivana and Amy both watched curiously as Xia’er ate like someone who hadn’t had a meal for days. For some reason, just watching Xia’er eat made them feel hungry too.

Though Aivana had things she wanted to say, she didn’t rush into talking about them but instead ate a little from her plate. Amy finished all the desserts first and then lost her appetite for anything else.

After Xia’er and Adelle finished eating, Aivana stood up and led everyone to the study where four sofas, four cups of red tea, and some snacks had already been prepared.

Nia followed closely behind and entered the study, closing the door behind her.

Sitting on the sofa, Xia’er leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and gently patted her slightly protruding stomach with her hand, sighing deeply.

It had been a long time since she had eaten such a satisfying meal. The rising blood sugar from being full, combined with her already weak spirit, made Xia’er start to feel sleepy.

Perhaps noticing Xia’er’s drowsiness, Aivana gave Nia a subtle glance. Understanding the meaning, Nia stepped forward and said,

“Since Miss Amy has decided to embark on the Extraordinary path, I will give her a brief introduction to the different paths and their approximate Replication Rituals.”

“Uh-huh.”

Amy nodded enthusiastically at Nia; this was why she came today—she’d been looking forward to it for so long.

Meanwhile, the half-asleep Xia’er didn’t open her eyes because this scene had already been recorded in the Notebook within the Simulation and read by her.

Amy eventually chose the “Gardener” path, though Xia’er did not reveal it beforehand to allow Amy to learn more about the Extraordinary field. After all, Amy was today’s main character.

Previously, through information Xia’er collected herself and the news provided by Aivana, Xia’er had roughly figured out most of the paths, except for one that remained unnamed:

15 missing 1.

The “Reformed Monk” and “Avenger” closely related to the Salvation Goddess Religion;

The “Listener” and “Tempter,” skilled in healing or manipulating hearts;

The “Adventurer” and “Gambler,” led by the Derton Group, who stake life and death;

The Redemption Society’s “Physician” and their archenemy, the “Poisoner”;

Aivana’s family, almost exclusively noble pathways, the “Detective” and its polar opposite, the “Killer”;

And the artistic-sounding “Blood Painter” and “Performer”;

Lastly, the “Inspector,” “Gardener,” and “Butcher,” which Xia’er could hardly find any connections to.

This was everything Xia’er knew about the first stage of all the paths. Many of these potions Xia’er had already obtained, but some items even the Derton Group dared not sell.

Even Xia’er could buy potions like “Blood Painter,” “Butcher,” and “Inspector,” which required human lives for their replication rituals, yet others were unavailable.

Perhaps this was related to whether it would cause significant social impact — after all, the “Butcher,” the path with the most killings, only required ten deaths in its replication ritual.

Finally, while Xia’er was thinking with her eyes closed, the conversation progressed to the topic of the “Gardener” potion.

Xia’er opened her eyes and saw Aivana sitting directly across from her, looking somewhat conflicted.

“Is there something wrong with the ‘Gardener’ path, Aivana?” Xia’er asked.

“Not exactly… I should be able to obtain the potion, but…” Aivana hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I’m not very familiar with this path, so I might not be able to provide much help later on.”

“However, Amy isn’t interested in other paths anyway,” Adelle, who had been listening quietly, interjected. “When we visited Amy’s house before, weren’t those flowers and plants all grown by Amy herself?”

“Yeah, I enjoy taking care of flowers and grass, and I love the scent of flowers and grass.” Amy nodded.

Currently, it seemed that the “Gardener” path was indeed the most suitable for Amy among all the options.

Compared to others, Amy was a true novice in the Extraordinary realm. Before this, she was just an ordinary, innocent noble young lady. Asking her to complete any other replication rituals would seem unrealistic.

Even the seemingly simple “Listener” path requires certain talents and delicate sensibilities, and even Aivana couldn’t quickly digest the subsequent stages.

Luckily, Amy appeared highly interested in the “Gardener” path, but the price of the potion mentioned by Aivana startled Amy somewhat.

Compared to the average person, Amy was quite wealthy, always spending extravagantly but still managing to save over a hundred Su Pounds.

However, Aivana estimated that the “Gardener” potion would cost 900 or even 1000 Su Pounds. In contrast to the potion’s price, Amy’s pocket money seemed insufficient.

But this wasn’t too concerning. Aivana would still help Amy collect the potion, and regarding the Su Pound issue, Amy could repay gradually.

After all, Amy was Xia’er’s friend, and for Xia’er’s sake, Aivana could afford to lend her the money.

It was getting late. After confirming the path and chatting a bit more, Amy bid farewell to everyone. Though she looked somewhat reluctant to leave, as if she hadn’t talked enough, if she didn’t return soon, her parents would likely send someone to look for her.

Everyone escorted Amy to the door. Her home was also located in the Jazz Bridge District, not far away, so Amy planned to walk back alone.

However, Xia’er rejected this idea. Adelle happened to be heading back to Gem Street, which passed by Amy’s home, so Xia’er asked Adelle to escort Amy partway.

This wasn’t out of concern for Amy’s safety—she had a Divine Servant present, and currently, no one in Borough City should be able to threaten her. What Xia’er worried about was that if someone caused trouble for Amy and the Divine Servant retaliated, it would expose Amy’s secret.

After Adelle left with Amy, Aivana turned to Xia’er and asked, “Xia’er… are you okay?”

“Me?” Xia’er glanced at Aivana and nodded. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve been staring at the sky since a while ago… is there something up there?” Aivana asked curiously.

Hearing Aivana’s question, Xia’er stopped herself from looking up and fell silent for a moment before saying, “I don’t know either.”

Xia’er didn’t know if that shadow was still hovering above her right now.

Unless she dared to pass through the Other Realm Gate in reality, she wouldn’t be able to see the shadow of ravens.

Seeing Xia’er’s expression, Aivana realized something.

Something must have happened to Xia’er.

Ever since Xia’er returned from renting a house, she had seemed rather tense.

Xia’er maintained a regular schedule. Even last night, amidst the cultists in the Derton Manor, her sleep wasn’t disturbed, allowing her to sleep soundly until this morning.

Logically, she shouldn’t have fallen into that semi-unconscious state earlier, and Xia’er’s spirit… was extremely weak.

“Do you plan to go back?” Aivana asked.

“Yes, the house is rented, and everything inside is quite complete.” Xia’er nodded.

She didn’t know if she had been influenced by the Doom Rule. After this dinner, she needed to stay as far away as possible from anything extraordinary-related, including her friends.

Aivana spoke up, “The ancient An Su language you wrote earlier must be something important, right?”

“Yes, I plan to find some time to translate the text on it.” Xia’er nodded without hiding anything.

Does Xia’er not understand ancient An Su language?

Aivana paused briefly upon hearing this.

How could she write it then?

After pondering for a moment, Aivana suggested, “Why don’t you just stay here tonight? You look exhausted, and your spirit is very weak. I can help heal you overnight.”

“Tomorrow morning, I can help you translate the ancient An Su language together… If it’s just the general meaning, I should be able to figure out the original intent by referring to books.”

Indeed, Aivana’s suggestion was excellent and perfectly suited Xia’er’s current needs.

What Xia’er needed most was spiritual comfort and assistance translating the ancient An Su language, both of which Aivana could offer.

If Xia’er hadn’t known about the Doom Rule and witnessed its terrifying consequences, she might have accepted the offer outright.

But now that Xia’er knew about the Doom Rule and had seen its horrifying results, she dared not stay overnight at Aivana’s place anymore.

She feared that the doom might affect people around her. Even though the house she rented was meant for her and her sister to live together, she didn’t plan to invite her sister over.

“No, I’ll be fine going back to sleep on my own.” Xia’er shook her head and said, “Thank you, Aivana.”

Upon hearing Xia’er’s refusal, Aivana showed no expression on her face, but there seemed to be a hint of disappointment in her eyes, which Xia’er noticed.

She thought about how Aivana had helped her in the simulation. Refusing Aivana’s kindness in reality made Xia’er feel somewhat guilty.

Suddenly, she remembered something Aivana had done to her in the simulation. It was something Aivana had been brooding over, and after they did it, Aivana’s mood seemed to improve significantly.

After considering it, Xia’er took a few steps toward Aivana, reached out, and slightly pulled down her collar, lowering her head slightly.

“Xia’er?”

Aivana looked at Xia’er’s actions, stepping back half a step nervously, completely baffled.

“To avoid Xie Lun’s suspicion, I bit you once,” Xia’er looked into Aivana’s eyes and said, “You can bite me back.”

Xia’er’s words seemed to trigger some memories in Aivana. Looking at Xia’er’s slender, pale neck, Aivana’s cheeks flushed slightly. She lightly bit her lips and pretended to be calm as she replied:

“There’s no need. That was just a situation beyond our control, and I haven’t thought much about it.”

Really?

Xia’er blinked at Aivana’s eyes, but Aivana’s gaze didn’t waver at all, as if everything she said was true.

Then why did the Aivana in the simulation keep dwelling on this matter for a whole month and a half? Xia’er had almost forgotten about it after just a few days.

It could only mean that Aivana only thought about it when she was upset… Thinking about it, after a month, the “Friend Fee” Order Eye Pact would expire, and perhaps by then Aivana would truly take action against her.

“Alright.”

Xia’er released her grip on her collar, tidied up her clothes, and said, “If you want to bite back, feel free anytime. I’m leaving now…”

“Xia’er,”

Aivana seemed to remember something and asked, “On the 25th, someone from the royal family will come. There might be a banquet… Can you accompany me?”

Banquet?

To meet Obold and Lucy?

Previously, Obold and Lucy had met at a banquet, but it didn’t trigger the shadow of ravens looming overhead.

But if she went…

That wasn’t certain.

Xia’er remembered that in the simulation diary, she didn’t attend the banquet because her calf was fractured by a carriage collision, unexpectedly avoiding a disaster.

“Sorry, I can’t go,” Xia’er told Aivana, “Also, I probably won’t be able to visit your clinic in the coming days. I need a long break… We’d better not meet during this period.”

Xia’er felt strange about what she just said, so she added, “Some people from the organization will come to Borough City to verify the details of the operation with me. This affects my evaluation and year-end performance. Once this period passes, everything will be fine.”

“Evaluation? Performance?”

Aivana was puzzled. How does this organization sound so much like a company?

But Aivana didn’t pursue this matter further. It was Xia’er’s privacy, and if Xia’er didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t ask.

“Alright, I understand. Wishing you success.”

Aivana nodded, suddenly remembering something and asked, “Can I write letters to you?”

“Probably yes?” Xia’er’s tone was uncertain.

“Can you copy me a few lines of that ancient An Su language? I’ll try to work on it tomorrow…”

“I’ll write the letter and send it to you once it’s ready.”

Aivana pointed at the canvas bag slung on Xia’er’s back, inquiring.

Xia’er naturally jumped at Aivana’s suggestion. After letting Aivana copy a version, she also received several vials of Tranquil Potion made by Aivana. These potions didn’t have any effect on treating mental conditions but would allow Xia’er to sleep better.

Finally, Aivana had the butler prepare a carriage to send Xia’er home.

After bidding farewell to Aivana, Xia’er boarded the carriage.

On the carriage, Xia’er couldn’t help but feel drowsy. The comfortable cushions and faint fragrance inside the carriage made her eyelids start to droop.

When she finally returned to 71 Gemstone Avenue, Xia’er took out the key from the canvas bag and unlocked the door. She locked it behind her as she entered, then wobbled upstairs to the second floor. After opening the door to the main bedroom, she collapsed onto the newly changed bed prepared by the landlord.

Here, Xia’er felt relatively at ease. After all, the simulated self and her sister had lived here for about a month without incident.

Xia’er placed the canvas bag on the side table, taking out the Soothing Potion given by Aivana. After uncorking the bottle, she followed Aivana’s instructions and poured a few drops into a glass of water before drinking it all down in one gulp.

Soon, Xia’er lying on the bed felt an intense wave of sleepiness wash over her. Unable to resist this overwhelming biological urge any longer, she fell into a deep slumber.

…

June 24th, 7:44 AM.

Lying on the bed, Xia’er let out a soft groan.

She turned over, stretching her arms wide, and slowly stretched herself before opening her eyes.

A night of uninterrupted sleep had restored Xia’er’s energy. The somewhat harsh sunlight made her rub her eyes; she seemed to have forgotten to pull the curtains last night.

Rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep, Xia’er looked toward the window. A black mass facing the sunlight immediately tightened her previously relaxed spirit.

She quickly sat up, staring intently at the raven almost as long as her forearm that was perched at the window, its massive wingtips resting on the ground. It calmly stared back at Xia’er, showing no sign of evasion.

The next moment, a flash of silver light appeared in Xia’er’s hand, and the “Lethal Bloody Orchid” was already aimed directly at the raven.

But just as Xia’er was about to pull the trigger, the raven vanished suddenly, as if it had never been there.

The Doom Rule… has begun.

Based on the timeline in the simulation notes, Lucy and Obold should have arrived in Borough City last night or even earlier.

Today is the 24th.

In the simulation, on the 24th, while with Aivana at the clinic, Xia’er separately met Obold and Lucy. They didn’t appear simultaneously, which avoided a disaster.

Did the Doom Rule only start locking onto me today?

If I had left Borough City with my sister immediately after waking up in the simulation yesterday, would all of this not have happened?

A silver glow flashed in Xia’er’s hand as the gun-blade disappeared. Her thoughts were chaotic, filled with regret.

What she didn’t know was that ravens had already locked onto Lucy when she was still in An Su City, though Lucy remained unaware.

And as for herself, she must have been locked onto unknowingly until others were drawn to Borough City, when the “game” officially began.

Xia’er quickly adjusted her mindset and didn’t dwell on this issue further.

Since events have already occurred, it proves that she no longer has a choice. What she can do is to eliminate the calamity before everything happens.

Currently, Xia’er has more intelligence than the other two and possesses a first-mover advantage that they lack.

Xia’er must end everything before the other two realize what’s happening.

However, direct action or ambushes are currently impossible.

Both are at their peak in the third stage, uninjured both mentally and physically. Facing Lucy and Obold, Xia’er would die ten times over.

Even if there was a possibility to kill them, Xia’er wasn’t sure whether doing so would trigger the final calamity.

The first wave of lightning columns and the second wave of fire tornadoes could be barely survived by Xia’er thanks to her strong life-saving abilities. With some potions, she might even endure minor injuries.

But the third wave of meteorites would completely overturn everything, enough to destroy all of Borough City. Xia’er had no confidence in surviving such an impact – even Nia wouldn’t escape.

Xia’er didn’t think she was tougher than dinosaurs.

After pulling the curtains closed, Xia’er sat by the bed and opened the system interface.

Having consumed too much spirit power yesterday, Xia’er found it difficult to focus. Now, she could carefully review the gains from the previous simulation.

Mortality Points: 38. This is understandable; Xia’er hadn’t killed anyone directly in the simulation. Even the system rated her merely as an “assist queen,” indirectly contributing to these events.

Simulating costs 100 Mortality Points, but only earned her 38 points – clearly an unprofitable deal.

Currently, Xia’er has 99 Mortality Points. It’s hard not to suspect if the system intentionally kept her below 100, preventing her from simulating beyond 30 days.

Even if she did have 100 points, Xia’er would absolutely not risk spending them – she needed to leave room for error.

Xia’er glanced at [Death Reversal Lv.2]. After upgrading to Lv.2, its description slightly changed:

[Death Reversal Lv.2: When you are about to die, clear all negative states, consume a large amount of Spirit Power to forcibly survive in a near-death state for a short period. If Spirit Power runs out without escaping the near-death state, death occurs.]

[If the host disintegrates during this period, it will consume a large amount of Spirit Power to exist as a pure spirit for a while before dissipating.]

After upgrading, being pulverized allows survival for a while?

Xia’er temporarily didn’t know what this “pure spirit form” was. At least it seemed like it wouldn’t be very useful and still consumed a lot of Spirit Power. Xia’er’s current Spirit Power couldn’t handle such consumption.

Skipping this, Xia’er looked at the third reward she obtained.

Unlock Point Shop [Basic Disciplines]?

Xia’er exited the Skills Interface and opened the Point Shop.

The shop displayed items Xia’er had previously acquired in simulations. Last time, they were blown to pieces, leaving not even fragments of clothing, so there was nothing new.

However, Xia’er noticed a new tag on the far right of the filter list, labeled [Basic Disciplines].

Generally, the system awards based on what the user does in simulations. Opening [Basic Disciplines], what did Xia’er do in the simulation?

Xia’er directly opened the Basic Disciplines tag, and three categories appeared before her eyes.

[Basic Disciplines]

[Medicine (Learnable): 1 Mortality Point]

[Law (Learnable): 1 Mortality Point]

[Horticulture (Learnable): 1 Mortality Point]

[Cooking (Learnable): 1 Mortality Point]

Medicine, law, and horticulture?

Law Xia’er understood since she planned to study Law at the An Su United University.

Where did medicine come from? And horticulture?

Subconsciously, Xia’er had no memory of anything related, but after reviewing her simulation diary, she understood.

In the simulation, Xia’er noted that she intended to attempt the “Physician” path, so she studied medical knowledge with Adelle but abandoned it due to misfortune.

Horticulture naturally came from her time with Amy.

Cooking, Xia’er already knew.

So, are all actions taken by the simulated self recorded?

“System, what use are these points?”

Xia’er asked inwardly.

Each Mortality Point was invaluable, and Xia’er wouldn’t waste them without understanding their specific effects.

Soon, the system’s dialogue interface appeared before Xia’er.

[The [Basic Disciplines] section contains all preliminary understandings of disciplines related to the Extraordinary but are not themselves extraordinary. Upon purchase, the host automatically gains Lv.1 in the discipline and can spend points to upgrade.]

[Upgrading [Basic Disciplines] doesn’t directly provide knowledge but increases the host’s [Insight] and [Inspiration] in the discipline, aiding quick learning.]

Looking at the system’s explanation, Xia’er understood the role of [Basic Disciplines] points.

[Basic Disciplines] contained all basic knowledge unrelated to the Extraordinary. Spending points could enhance Xia’er’s comprehension and learning ability in these fields.

This meant that if Xia’er wanted to quickly ascend to “Physician” in the simulation, she could simply raise the [Medicine] discipline to a high level, allowing her to rapidly acquire the necessary knowledge to become a “Physician”…

This could accelerate completing Replication Rituals for other paths.

Though it wasn’t evident now, Xia’er could sense this was a highly useful ability.

This could enable her to quickly complete Replication Rituals that usually required significant time investment – like the solid medical foundation needed for “Physicians”, good drawing skills for “Blood Painters”, and vocal proficiency and music theory for “Performers”.

However, [Basic Disciplines] only included disciplines related to the Extraordinary… why was cooking included?

Xia’er thought carefully but couldn’t find any corresponding reasons.

Whose path involves cooking?

Could it be one of the unknown paths among the 15 missing ones?

Or perhaps it’s part of the later stages of certain paths?

Uh… surely not something like “Butcher” or “Inspector,” right?

For some reason, Xia’er associated these corpse-related paths with cooking.

Xia’er shook her head, abandoning these thoughts for now. She hadn’t decided her next path yet, so she made no choices for the moment.

She currently had potions for “Blood Painter,” “Adventurer,” “Detective,” “Butcher,” and “Inspector.” Thus, the [Basic Disciplines] weren’t immediately useful. The most likely course was to invest in Medicine and exchange a “Physician” potion with Adelle in the simulation.

Xia’er closed the Point Shop page and opened the Simulation Interface.

The simulation times for “Past Days” and “Future Days” were the main factors determining Xia’er’s next actions.

A screen unfolded before Xia’er.

[Future Days: 5 Days (Sheng Year 741, June 29th, 12:58) (Consumes 10 Mortality Points)]

[Past Days: 24 Days (Sheng Year 741, May 31st, 8:55) (Consumes 10 Mortality Points)]

[Old Days: *** , *** Days (???)(Consumes 10,000 Mortality Points)]

In five days, twenty-four days ago…

Since the Past Day simulation was within 30 days, it only cost 10 Mortality Points.

What could I do twenty-four days ago to break the deadlock?

In five days… the preparation time for the simulated self is rather tight, and there are limitations imposed by the Doom Rule…

Tap-tap-tap—

While Xia’er was thinking, the sound of the doorbell ringing and knocking came from downstairs.

Who?

Xia’er stood up, hands hanging by her sides, ready to summon the “Lethal Bloody Orchid” at any moment.

She walked downstairs to the living room, stood behind the door, and said, “Who is it?”

“Miss Xia’er, sorry for disturbing you. I’m the butler of Miss Aivana. There’s an urgent letter that needs to be delivered into your hands personally.”

Outside the door, an old but robust voice sounded.

Xia’er opened the door, nodded at the standing butler, then reached out to take the thick envelope he handed over.

From Aivana?

Is this the translation of those ancient An Su phrases?

After thanking the butler, Xia’er closed the door with the envelope in hand and headed upstairs.

Sitting in front of the wooden table, she broke the wax seal on the envelope, took out several densely written sheets of paper, and a stack of 5 Su Pound bills.

5 Su Pounds were a relatively common high denomination bill in An Su and less likely to attract unwanted attention because of their lower value.

Xia’er set aside the Su Pounds, picked up the letter, and began reading.

[Dear Xia’er:]

[Greeting upon seeing this letter. Without much ado, the ancient An Su phrases I copied yesterday have been translated. Details are in the attachment.]

Translated? So fast?

Had she not slept since we parted and worked continuously on the translation?

Xia’er continued reading.