She stared at the crystal ball, eyes glued to the fifth light that pulsed faintly within it.
Dark.
But not ugly.
Not terrifying.
Not the kind of darkness that swallowed everything whole.
It was… beautiful.
Like dusk.
Like the moment when day hadn't fully died and night hadn't fully arrived. A deep, soft glow that reminded her of the sky just after sunset, when stars began to peek out shyly.
"…So this is twilight," she murmured.
Her cheap master had spoken about it like it was some terrifying taboo. A mutation born from light and darkness colliding. Something unstable. Something dangerous.
But looking at it now?
It was gorgeous.
Scarlett tilted her head.
"Honestly," she said thoughtfully, "it doesn't look that scary."
Then she paused.
"…Unless she meant the explosive power part."
A slow grin spread across her face.
"Hehehe."
The five lights suddenly burst out of the crystal ball, streaking through the library like shooting stars, each flying off in a different direction.
Scarlett blinked and watched them go.
"…You said we'd talk about it later?" she asked casually.
She turned toward the bear.
The bear was frozen.
Completely.
Its mouth hung open. Its eyes were wide. Its round little body looked like someone had pressed the pause button on reality.
"…Hello?" Scarlett waved a hand in front of its face. "You still alive?"
The bear swallowed slowly.
It had existed for a very, very long time.
It had seen geniuses.
Talents.
Monsters disguised as cultivators.
But this?
Five elements.
Including twilight.
"…You know," the bear said slowly, "in some worlds, people like you don't live very long."
Scarlett frowned. "That's… not comforting."
The bear shrugged. "I guess we'll be dying soon."
"…What do you mean we?" Scarlett asked sharply.
Before the bear could explain—
Flutter.
The sound of pages turning echoed through the library.
Three books flew gracefully toward Scarlett and stacked themselves neatly in front of her.
She stared.
"…Just three?"
That was… fewer than expected.
The bear stared too.
Its brows furrowed.
"That's strange," it muttered. "There should be more."
Before either of them could think further—
THUD.
A heavy sound echoed from above.
Then another.
THUD. THUD.
Scarlett and the bear both looked up.
Two boxes tumbled off the shelves, bouncing and rolling like they'd been shoved by invisible hands. They shook violently, rattling as if something inside was desperately trying to escape.
The sight was… unsettling.
Very unsettling.
Scarlett leaned closer to the bear and whispered, "Is this normal?"
The bear stared at her.
Then stared at the boxes.
Then stared back at her.
"…Nothing about today has been normal," it said flatly.
Scarlett rubbed her nose awkwardly. "So… my fault?"
The bear sighed. "At this point, I'm assuming yes."
The boxes finally slammed onto the floor in front of her and rolled to a stop.
They shook harder.
Then—
Two of the five lights that had flown away earlier suddenly returned, circling the boxes like moths drawn to flame.
One by one, the lights plunged into the boxes.
Click.
Both boxes popped open at the same time.
Books shot out from each boxes.
But instead of falling—
They dissolved into pure streams of light and drilled straight into Scarlett's forehead.
"—AH!"
Scarlett clutched her head and staggered back as a flood of knowledge crashed into her mind.
Before she could react—
The three books that had been resting calmly suddenly shot forward as well.
They too turned into light.
And joined the rest.
Scarlett collapsed to her knees.
Her vision blurred.
Her head felt like it was being stuffed with an entire library all at once.
The bear stared in shock.
"…Divine-level manuals," it muttered. "For two elements."
It paused.
"…And Heaven-level for the other three."
It exhaled slowly.
"Well. That explains it."
It glanced at Scarlett, who was currently clutching her head and breathing like she'd just sprinted up a mountain.
"…Looks like I'll be getting my physical body sooner than expected."
The bear's lips curved into a grin.
It turned away cheerfully.
"Hmmm, time to prepare," it hummed. "Lots to do."
And just like that—
It left.
Leaving Scarlett alone on the floor, groaning softly as knowledge continued to settle into her mind.
Scarlett opened her eyes.
Books.
Shelves.
Endless shelves.
"…Huh?"
"…Did I transmigrate again?" she muttered.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait. Am I a book now?"
She looked around wildly.
"A sentient cultivation manual?! In a library?!"
Her imagination immediately spiraled.
Before it could get worse—
Memories slammed back into place.
Her past life.
The transmigration.
The space.
The bear.
The exam.
She looked down.
Hands.
Human hands.
She sagged back with a dramatic sigh.
"…Thank goodness. I'm still human."
She almost fainted just now.
Scarlett sat up and looked around.
No bear.
"…Figures."
She wasn't in the mood to argue with that little menace anyway.
She stretched and felt the new knowledge settle neatly into her mind.
Clear.
Organized.
Alive.
She closed her eyes and browsed through the manuals instinctively.
"…So these use divine sense instead of traditional reading."
She smiled.
"That's convenient."
She stood up and dusted herself off.
No time to waste.
She had a hunting exam in a few days.
She turned toward the cultivation room.
Heart steady.
Resolve firm.
"…Alright," she muttered. "Time to cultivate."
This exam should prepare itself, she is coming to show those beasts the ultimate power…
…or escaping skills.
She shrugged
Either way..She is ready.