One moment, Lin Qingyue was still in the Elven Royal Palace, the cold scent of Moonlight Orchids intertwined with the Ancient Tree of Life lingering at the tip of her nose.
The next, her feet were already on the cool floor of the Tingzhu Garden dormitory.
From fantasy to modern, the two worlds transitioned seamlessly in her vision.
The air still held the rich yet wild fragrance of Ilanier, like a fine aged wine, mixing with the faint, fresh scent of bamboo leaves in the dormitory to stir her nerves.
Lin Qingyue stood still by the bed for a moment, letting her soul and body fully untangle themselves from that hearty-and-satisfying "battle" and the aftereffects of the cross-dimensional teleportation.
She silently padded to the wall and listened intently.
The steady and deep breathing of her sister came from next door; she was clearly still in the dreamland.
Only then did she quietly sit back down on the bed and lie down.
Whether it was the "academic exchange" personally conducted with the Queen Majesty or the breathtaking god-slaying before that, both had left her spirit and body extremely exhausted.
Closing her eyes, Ilanier's last gaze, which was seventy percent anticipation and thirty percent reluctance, clearly emerged in her mind.
"A generous gift for reclaiming lost territory..."
A wicked smile played on the corners of Lin Qingyue's lips.
That foolish queen probably still didn't know that the "Desire" authority she had newly acquired was the most unreasonable, rule-based Weapon in these kinds of matters.
The next time they met, it would be more than just crying out, "Sis."
With the anticipation of the next time they would "hand in homework," Lin Qingyue fell into a deep sleep.
-
The next morning.
Lin Qingyue was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.
The golden dawn light pierced through the bamboo grove, casting mottled and dancing shadows on the wall.
A dreamless night had left her fully rested and invigorated.
She stretched deeply, her joints and bones popping with a series of crisp cracks, feeling indescribably comfortable.
"Ah... another peaceful day."
Yawning, Lin Qingyue habitually opened the System Panel. Her movements suddenly paused as her gaze swept across the item slot.
A single ore, lying quietly in the corner, captured all her attention.
Its entire body radiated iridescent light, looking like a sealed, miniature rainbow.
[ Prismatic Crystal Ore ]!
"Oh right, there's still one left to open."
She slapped her forehead, her spirit instantly reviving.
The first crystal ore had yielded a top-tier, star-level combatant like "Firefly." Whether in terms of waifu preference or strength, it could be considered a god-tier start.
What surprise would this second one bring?
"Phew..."
Lin Qingyue let out a long breath, her gaze gradually turning solemn and reverent.
Unboxing and pulling cards must be approached with the utmost piety; this is the basic tenet of metaphysics.
She sat up straight with a serious expression, first taking out the pink staff [ Beloved ] and wiping it spotless with a soft silk cloth.
Then, she placed the staff horizontally and squarely on the desk, its head pointing east to welcome the legendary purple aura from the east.
The sense of ritual had to be maximized.
Next, with a thought, she activated [ As I've Written ].
A flash of pink light appeared, and a small pink figure emerged in her arms, rubbing her sleepy eyes and letting out a cute yawn.
"Mem?"
Mem called out dazedly, clearly not yet fully awake.
"Good girl, let Sis absorb a bit of your luck."
Without a word of explanation, Lin Qingyue buried her face in Mem's soft pink fur and took a deep breath.
The scent, a mixture of milky fragrance and the fresh aroma of the Ancient Tree of Life, instantly invigorated her spirit.
"Alright, the ritual is complete."
She held the still-drowsy Mem on her lap, treating her as a physical charm from the Goddess of Luck, before solemnly selecting the [ Prismatic Crystal Ore ] in the System Space.
"Heavenly Spirits, Earthly Spirits, Anyone, quickly manifest yourself!"
"Bless me with a miracle! No weapons, no Saintly Relics, just give me a waifu, ah, I mean, a Character Card or a powerful item!"
She muttered like a madwoman as her fingertip lightly tapped the phantom image of the crystal ore.
Crack
The [ Prismatic Crystal Ore ] let out a crisp chime, followed by a burst of light more dazzling and radiant than the one she had seen when pulling Firefly.
The light came and went in an instant.
When everything settled, a diamond the size of a pigeon's egg, cut into a perfect Hearts and Arrows shape, floated silently before Lin Qingyue.
There was no grand animation as characters appeared, nor the brilliant golden light that heralded the birth of Epic Equipment. Everything was restrained to the extreme.
[ Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained a Special Item: Wealth Jewel! ]
[ Wealth Jewel ]
[ Quality: ??? ]
[ Type: Wonder Item (Takes effect when stored in the System Space) ]
[ Attributes: Strength +20, Agility +20, Constitution +20, Spirit +20, Intelligence +20, Luck +1. ]
[ Special Effect: Favor of Destiny. You are a beloved child of fate. When performing any "acquisition"-type actions (including but not limited to: opening treasure chests, lottery draws, quest settlements, loot distribution, etc.), you will have a tiny probability of obtaining rewards far exceeding expectations. This effect cannot be detected, cannot be interfered with, and will give no notification upon activation. ]
[ Note: A legendary Wonder Item that governs wealth and fate. Its very existence is a "possibility." Perhaps it will bring you unexpected good luck... or perhaps not. ]
Lin Qingyue blinked.
Compared to the immediate and powerful combat strength of Firefly and the Sam Mecha, this [ Wealth Jewel ] seemed a bit... plain and unadorned.
+20 to all attributes? That's not bad, equivalent to ten levels' worth of attribute points, a solid enhancement.
+1 to Luck? A precious hidden attribute, the more the better!
As for that "Favor of Destiny"...
"A tiny probability... no notification upon activation..."
Lin Qingyue's lips twitched slightly.
Wasn't this just a pure, metaphysical item?
If an RNG god used it, it would be a Divine Artifact among all Divine Artifacts.
If an RNG-cursed person used it, it would just be a consolation prize for the soul.
"So... is this a win, or not a win?"
Lin Qingyue rubbed her chin, lost in deep philosophical contemplation.
To say it was bad, that one hundred attribute points and one point of Luck alone were enough to rival a top-tier piece of Epic Equipment.
To say it was good, she still felt it lacked a certain explosive, decisive surprise.
"Forget it, no point thinking about it."
She shook her head and placed the Jewel into the first slot of her System Space.
The moment the Jewel was in place, a wave of warm energy suddenly burst from the depths of her soul, instantly flowing through her entire body!
Every single attribute experienced a clearly discernible increase!
This tangible sense of power-up instantly dissipated the small conflict in her heart.
"It's okay, at least it wasn't a 'thank you for playing,'" she comforted herself, sending Mem back into [ As I've Written ] to continue sleeping, while she got ready to wash up in the bathroom.
Just then—
Bzzzz—!
A buzz resonated, not heard with the ears.
It was a vibration that shook the very depths of her bone marrow, the very depths of her soul!
Immediately after, the floor beneath her feet began to tremble.
No, it wasn't the floor.
It was the entire Tingzhu Garden!
Even all of Tianshu University was violently shaking from this terrifying pulse originating from the planet's core!
The water glass on the desk toppled over with a clatter, splashing water all over the floor.
The decorative picture frames hanging on the wall swung wildly, groaning under the strain.
An earthquake?!
The thought arose, only to be immediately dismissed.
No!
This was no random shaking caused by the movement of tectonic plates.
It felt more like an unfathomably huge heart, buried deep within Earth's core, throbbing wildly at a world-shaking frequency!
Lin Qingyue's expression changed drastically.
She tore open her door and rushed out, just in time to see Lin Xiyue running out of the opposite room with a panicked expression.
"Sis!"
"Get downstairs!"
Lin Qingyue spoke concisely, grabbing her sister's hand. Without the slightest hesitation, the two of them leaped directly from the second-floor balcony, landing steadily on the lawn below.
Almost at the same moment they landed, Su Wan and Xia Lian's figures also appeared in the open space and joined them.
Around them, other students were also each showing off their special abilities as they rushed out of the dormitory buildings, their faces filled with panic and confusion.
"Is it a Dungeon Invasion?!"
"No! The alarm didn't go off! And this feeling... is too weird!"
"Look at the sky! What is that?"
A shrill scream made everyone look up at the same time.
At that moment, everyone's minds were frozen by the scene before their eyes.
The sky.
It was shattering.
One after another, pitch-black cracks burst open without warning on the azure canopy.
The insides of those cracks were a pure void, devouring all light.
They spread frantically like a spider's web, then vanished in an instant.
Each opening and closing of a crack was accompanied by a cringeworthy shriek as space itself was crushed.
The entire world was moaning in agony.