At least in terms of the game, the Arcane Palace is the strongest faction within the world's system, even representing "divine power" in a certain sense, as it embodies the very system of arcane magic.
She considers it a system, but to the people of this world, it might be seen as "the divine."
The Arcane Palace itself is a structure, a manifestation of a deity's will projected through non-human means. Its construction, maintenance, and propagation require human involvement. The faction that inherits and executes this will is the most powerful force in the world, perhaps even surpassing the government.
After walking into the crowd, Yao, who had rushed out early without breakfast, bought a quick bite on the street. However, her sharp eyes allowed her to assess the identities of several individuals she passed. Noticing one particularly arrogant person pushing through the crowd to skip ahead in line while escorting their child, she walked over.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry." She accidentally bumped into the person and immediately apologized. The other person, initially ready to scold her, froze upon seeing her noble family crest and suddenly became much more polite, flashing a friendly smile.
Yao shot her a cold, disdainful look—firm and distant—before slowly walking up to the counter.
The onlookers were taken aback, stepping back in surprise, while the vendor appeared nervous: "Wait, is this really happening? The Arcane Palace is right here, and someone dares to extort protection money?"
The individual then stopped, standing with hands clasped behind their back, and addressed the vendor: "A mildly spicy order, extra crispy ribs, but make sure it's not too salty, or else I won't pay."
The crowd, confused, watched in disbelief as the interaction unfolded. "What's with this little guy? He's acting so tough over a plate of fried potatoes, like he's buying contraband."
The vendor rolled his eyes but complied, as it was better to avoid conflict in these circumstances.
After purchasing her food, Yao turned and noticed the curious stares from those around her. She quickly realized something: These level-30 mages weren't necessarily law-abiding. They had probably assumed she was a reckless noble who would be unable to control her urges, and they would likely check her attributes.
Indeed, their expressions soon shifted to one of disdain.
Yao was not surprised; she knew they could only see the surface attributes she had disguised.
But what about the level-40 ones?
With a tray of fried potatoes in hand, she walked deeper into the palace, her mind occupied with these possibilities.
For Yao, visiting the Arcane Palace was non-negotiable, as it housed the greatest number of powerful individuals.
In the game, the world's awareness was limited to a mere fraction of reality, including their understanding of the Arcane Palace and the arcane officials who embodied divine will.
Holding her fried potatoes, Yao looked up to see the massive statue in the center of the square.
A goddess holding a sword, pointing toward the heavens.
She was very familiar with this statue—each Arcane Palace had one.
A standard depiction of a goddess, but with no face.
Yao gave it a fleeting glance before continuing toward the door, only to be momentarily startled by the two imposing guards stationed at the entrance.
The two men's eyes snapped toward her immediately.
Her heart skipped a beat. She knew that while the Arcane Palace was located in the Jingyang region, even the gatekeepers had to be local experts, most likely level-40, especially those stationed at the main entrance. If these guards had any intention to scrutinize her, and possessed skills like Eagle Eye above the blue rank, they would see right through her.
But she wasn't concerned. She was fully aware of one of the ironclad rules of the Arcane Palace: it forbade the probing of a mage's private affairs, particularly within the Palace. Everything here was governed by set rules, and the guards were only executing those commands. They could only do what they were instructed.
Moreover, a low-level devouring scroll, splitting into two bodies, was hardly anything worth worrying about.
Yao noticed other mages passing by—some were enigmatic, others sneaky. Each one was different, with their own motives and actions.
She awkwardly smiled at the two guards, moved to the side, and sat down to finish her meal, not caring what others thought of her.
As she was eating, she overheard a conversation between a father and son walking past.
"Dad, why does the goddess have no face?"
"Because no one has seen the true face of a god. We are mere mortals. Only the strongest can see such a being."
"How strong do you need to be?"
"Above level 80."
Yao finished her food, disposed of the trash, and walked inside.
The Arcane Palace exuded an air of grandeur.
Its majestic stone walls were white and towering, but there were no hanging wall lamps. Instead, the ceiling slowly revealed a starry sky that moved gently.
The Arcane Palace was not dominated by any single light source—its very structure reflected the countless stars in the universe, symbolizing the immense vastness of the Palace.
Yet, Yao felt there was another layer of meaning to it all.
"Under divine authority, all are but ants."
The hall inside was crowded with mages collecting rewards for completed quests. Many had just finished a natural disaster dungeon, and now they were claiming their rewards, the younger generation enhancing their talents.
"I'm about to hit level 15, but I still haven't figured out what skill to learn next. What school are you applying to?"
"The Three Great Schools, obviously. I predicted I'll make the grades."
"Your grades are good, but aren't you applying to the best four schools in Belruck?"
"No, too difficult. The entrance requirements are brutal—19 years old and level 18 at a minimum. Plus, there are the theory exams, meditation scores, genetic trees, and practical evaluations. I'm not even sure I can apply."
Yao listened in with mild interest, glancing at the two tall, seemingly capable students. They couldn't be more than a couple of years younger than her.
Clearly, they had strong potential, which is why they felt comfortable discussing which school to apply to so openly.
She envied their confidence, which was rooted in abundant resources and a favorable environment. Despite their apparent hesitation, she was certain they still wanted to apply to the top four schools.
She knew only one of the four prestigious schools—West Jin High. The others were a mystery to her, though she was well aware that all of these schools had high entry barriers.
She had once been unable to meet those requirements, not possessing the strength or status to get in. Back then, she recalled the notification from the system that listed the strongest individuals in her region—the same names that now dominated the elite circle.
"It's just like real life: provincial top schools, Tsinghua, Peking University, Harvard, Cambridge... The elite are monopolizing everything."
"Truly impressive."
Thinking back to her earlier years, Yao felt a bit embarrassed by her past. Even after making it to the top ranks, she knew she still lagged far behind the true elite.
She wasn't listening to their conversation anymore, and instead, she moved toward the Arcane Spirit to collect her dungeon rewards.
Entering the designated partition, an Arcane Spirit awaited. After inputting her details to activate it, the Spirit would direct her to claim her reward.
She had done this countless times in the game, but she tried to act humble, wary that there might be people from the Xie family or individuals she had met through their platform nearby.
"Excuse me, brother, where can I collect the Arcane Spirit?"
After asking two people, she was ignored until the third time, when someone reluctantly pointed her in the right direction.
"Look for the doors. Green means the partition is unoccupied, red means it's taken. Don't just barge in; you won't get in, and it'll be considered an offense, leading to a warning."
Once inside, she would pay for the time used, which usually amounted to a few hundred copper coins. Since she didn't appear to have many rewards, the person added, "You don't look like you have much in terms of rewards."
Though his tone was impolite, he wasn't a bad person. Yao smiled and thanked him.
Looking around, Yao noticed that all 99 partitions were full, as so many students from Jingyang City had gathered that day.
She waited in line and happened to overhear the two young men talking about school again.
The discussion, however, caught the attention of others, and soon a loud laugh rang out.
It was unmistakable mockery, followed by whispered taunts, clearly meant to belittle them.
The two young men, sensitive to the sneers, immediately turned around.
Yao too glanced over and recognized the family crest—the sky blue with golden edges. She immediately knew they were from another noble family in Jingyang, the Lan family.
The two young men weren't perceptive enough, though. One of them angrily demanded, "What did you just say?"
A red-haired youth in fine robes, arrogantly raising an eyebrow, sneered: "You fool, do you really think entering West Jin's four schools is easy? The rules have changed. You need to be in the top 500 in Jingyang first to qualify for the second round of the Belruck provincial exams."
The two young men were caught off guard, feeling both embarrassed and confused. One, whose temper flared, was about to approach when his companion stopped him.
Only then did he realize what had happened.
At that moment, a procession of nine people slowly passed by.
The guards in
black and gold armor were from the Temple.
The enforcers, wearing red robes and white sashes, were from the Temple's judiciary.
No one would dare to provoke them.
Yao, noticing the 40-level guards, bowed her head respectfully, and the majority of the people did the same.
After the procession passed, the atmosphere lightened.
The two young men didn't dare make a scene in the Arcane Palace, as the locals had been raised with the understanding that they should only glare at each other.
Yao, however, couldn't help but think about the new rule the Lan family member had mentioned. Was it related to the government's recent education policy changes?
"Is the empire really that short on talent?" Yao pondered, but before she could draw any conclusions, she reached her turn.
Using her ID card, she swiped it at the equipment and immediately linked it to her newly issued bank card. There was no other registration needed.
Inside, it resembled a world of punk aesthetics, blending technology with nostalgia, mystery with the supernatural. Metals clashed with energies, while cool and fiery hues blended in perfect harmony.
Despite having entered this space countless times in the game, being here in person felt vastly different. For the first time, Yao truly felt like an Arcane Mage.
In the center was a miniature sculpture of a goddess. Yao approached, her eyes fixed on the floating orb she was holding.
The orb was cold, like an uncarved emerald stone. She gently reached out to touch it.
Upon contact, the orb began to glow, gradually filling with light until it dissolved and reshaped into a new form.
Two wings, a lightning-marked tail, and a round head appeared.
"Arcane Spirit Number JB44444444 at your service. How may I assist you?"
"Can you change the number to something more auspicious? I might pair with you long term."
"Certainly, one free change available. Please wait."
After a brief pause, the spirit presented a new number—st231213.
Yao sighed and requested another change.
"This time, it will cost you. Third time's a charm, but it comes at a price. Will you still proceed?"
Yao rubbed her nose in frustration. She declined the offer but was curious if these Arcane Spirits were truly mere conduits for the will of the Arcane Palace—emotionless, like robots. If they developed any personal attachment, it could expose her secrets. After all, this was no longer just a game.
It turned out she had been overthinking it.
"I'd like to claim my dungeon reward."
"Certainly. Please wait. Upon review, we've found that you only have one dungeon completed, and your reward has not yet been claimed. Your data will be processed in one minute, and the reward will be available within five minutes."
Yao looked at the pet hatching progress, realizing she might indeed need help from the Arcane Spirit.
Just then, the reward details appeared on the screen, and Yao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her results.
The summary read as follows:
Identity: Auxis/Yao (Dual disguise form after low-level devouring scroll)
Age: 18
Result: MVP (Comprehensive performance coefficient 8.88, first in output, strategy, and support points, six level-ups against bosses)
Reward: Level-10 Green-level Dungeon Gift +1 (88.8% enhancement in rarity due to performance coefficient)
It was exactly as expected.
But Yao couldn't help but notice her devouring scroll disguise had been uncovered—though she wasn't surprised. Even a level-90 mage would bow before the Arcane Palace, let alone someone like her, a mere speck in the data.
What mattered to her were the rewards.
"8.88… lower than I anticipated. I was hoping for a coefficient above 9, but this will still earn me a solid reward. If it had been 10, I might have received a Blue-level gift, with everything upgraded."
Yao reflected briefly, certain her performance had been flawless. Dungeon settlements didn't reward extra credit based on others' deaths—no saintly algorithm here. The true challenge came from reality, where cooperation was rare.
With a sigh, she claimed her gift. The experience flooded in, instantly leveling her up.
Level 15.
There were only three items inside the gift.
A Blue-level skill book, an unidentified gray-blue weapon, and an unidentified gray-green recipe.
Yao understood that these gray items could either be identified by face recognition or were already tiered, allowing her to choose the category.
Looking at the rewards, she knew her 8.88 score had granted her a significant boost. At least she'd secured a Blue-level skill book, a half-Blue weapon, and a recipe.
The skill book intrigued her.
"'Triple Lightning Pull,' an attack and restraint spell? A rare thunder-based magic. It's powerful, though rare and difficult to upgrade… still, it's as valuable as 'Radiance.'"
Yao wanted to study it immediately but restrained herself, considering that it didn't pair well with 'Radiance.' She'd need to check her pet's attributes first.
She picked up the weapon and recipe, both with pre-set tiers—half-Blue and top-level Green.
"Still, it depends on my pet... It should be time now, right?"
Finally, the pet egg cracked open.
She watched, excited as the little golden creature emerged.
It was round, with a jade-like shimmer, and its wings glistened with a soft golden light. It turned to her, and she instantly felt a strong bond.
It was as though this little creature was part of her—part of her very genes.
"Genetic talent awakened, matching the pet's race. I must be lucky—maybe my ancestors are watching over me."
She chuckled at herself, even as a hint of sadness crept in.
After stroking her pet's soft shell, she checked its stats.
Level 1, with a stunningly high agility of 30,000.
"It's a healer, like a support character… No combat strength, but that fits perfectly with 'Radiance'—high burst damage after energy accumulation."
Perfect!
Her original plan had been to build around her pet as the main combatant, with her high agility ensuring survival. But now, it seemed her pet would take on the role of healer.
It was time to rethink her strategy.
"Looks like I'll need to go all-in on high-damage Light magic… and that won't come cheap."
She sighed, realizing she couldn't avoid spending money. She quickly drafted a list of resources she needed.
"Arcane Spirit, search the Arcane Palace marketplace for these resources. I need pricing information, converted to copper."
The spirit responded promptly, detailing her required items.
With a soft sigh, Yao rubbed her pet's head.
"Looks like it's time to grind for resources…"