Yu Yu's expression was the epitome of resentment.
[Puglis's Satchel]
[Quality: Epic]
[Weight: 0]
[Requirements: None]
[Attributes: 100x100x100 spatial storage, no weight burden, cannot hold living creatures]
[Description: A dimensional storage bag crafted by the legendary spellcaster Puglis, a breakthrough in spatial magic with profound legacy value.]
Yu Yu instinctively swallowed hard.
The belt she'd splurged on had 200 slots and only 99% weight reduction. This 100x100x100—was it for real?
She did the math and lost it. One million?!
What kind of spatial gear was this?
Built to store a Titan colossus?
Too valuable!
Your Eminence? You still with us?
How are you this loaded?
If I handle your retirement, can I inherit your estate?
Yu Yu yeeted her old belt, transferring everything into the new satchel.
Wah, it's even epic-tier gear.
She'd been too naïve.
She knew Legend missions had fat rewards, but this fat?
Does the Legend want me to scavenge more golems?
Whatever, it's mine now!
[Material Transfer Permit]?
What's this?
Yu Yu studied it, clueless. This game was great, but it stubbornly refused to explain anything.
Ask the Grand Archon later.
[One Invitation]
Seriously? No explanation again.
What kind of invitation?
For who?
Yu Yu stashed it, eyeing the air hopefully. "Your Eminence, any more missions?"
She glanced at her quest log.
Then froze.
[Trace the Source (Epic)]
(The Grimoire's origins are a mystery. You decide to trace its roots. For now, you choose to ask the Flame Sovereign, His Eminence.)
Yu Yu: "…"
Quest log, who gave you permission to decide?!
You think His Eminence looks chatty right now?
Meanwhile, the figure above had finished eating, gripping his staff.
A deafening, earth-shattering rumble erupted.
Yu Yu gaped skyward, frantically pinging the Grand Archon. "Grand Archon! GRAND ARCHON! The Legend's breaking out!!!"
Feng Ye: "?"
Breaking out?
At that moment, the man descended from the sky, a black robe enveloping him. The robe seemed enchanted, concealing his eerie form. From the outside, nothing seemed amiss. He stowed his staff and approached Yu Yu.
Yu Yu spammed Feng Ye, "Help! HELP! He's coming!!!"
Feng Ye: "…"
"Little trash?"
Yu Yu, mid-panic, darkened.
What's your problem?
Calling me little trash?
Oh, wait, I want your inheritance. Never mind.
Yu Yu: "Yu, Your Eminence. My name's Yu."
"Fish?" His voice was raspy. "Ocean trash?"
Yu Yu: "…"
I think your brain's broken!
Gritting her teeth, she said, "It's Yu, not the fish from the sea!"
Erisbo scoffed, "Whatever, I don't need your codename."
Then why ask?!
Wait, you're escaping!
And, uh, probably…
She'd kinda helped him escape…
Would she and the Grand Archon both end up in hot water?
If she faced the Night Sovereign, what could she say?
His Eminence found his staff himself. Not my fault?
Unless the Night Sovereign was a fish with a seven-second memory, then…
Sigh.
Life's tough, Yu Yu sighs.
As she sulked, a hand clamped her shoulder.
Yu Yu: "???"
The next second, a long, dim blur flashed, and she materialized amid city ruins.
She gawked for ages. "Where… where is this?"
Erisbo's tone was a warning. "Don't spread word of me."
"This is…"
He trailed off, thinking hard. "Forgot. Go look around yourself. Bring food daily, but tell no one."
Unlike Grand Archon Guang Chen's refined elegance, His Eminence Erisbo was tall, imposing, and intimidating.
But when he spoke… he sounded like his IQ had been in arrears for years. Yu Yu deeply suspected his breakout was the magic circle letting him slip.
You've been locked up so long, and I did this mission under the bigwigs' noses. No way those schemers slipped up.
So, they either meant it or planned it?
Is there more to His Eminence's deal?
Some teacher-student romance drama?
Yu Yu's mind flashed to a melodramatic web series about tortured mentor-disciple love. Her gaze at Erisbo shifted.
Poor guy, sealed for twenty years.
His rebel disciple wasn't your typical heroine. She struck first, sealing her teacher, snatching his spot, and merrily ruling as Council Head while he…
Tragic.
Erisbo pondered longer. "…Got water?"
Yu Yu rummaged, handing him a bottle.
Erisbo, with zero Legend dignity, chugged it in one go.
Yu Yu seized the chance to ping Feng Ye. [Grand Archon! GRAND ARCHON! Help! I'm in deep!]
[The Legend kidnapped me! I don't know where I am! What do I do?!]
After a beat, a reply came.
Feng Ye: [Not my problem.]
Yu Yu: "???"
"?????"
Are you human?!
[Grand Archon! GRAND ARCHON?! GRAND ARCHON!!!]
No matter how she spammed, silence.
Yu Yu: Betrayed.jpg
Next time, I'm writing "Grand Archon Abandons Ally, Rekindles Romance with Anomaly"!
Scowling, she fired off, [Not my problem. Don't contact me again. I don't want the Night Sovereign getting the wrong idea.]
[Next time, send the full set, Grand Archon!]
Feng Ye, ever adaptable, echoed her.
Feng Ye: [Not my problem.]
[Don't contact me again.]
[I don't want the Night Sovereign getting the wrong idea.]
Yu Yu: [Screenshot saved. Maybe it's a teacher-disciple romance! Once His Eminence rises…]
Feng Ye: [?]
Are you human?
What teacher-disciple romance?
What are you babbling about?!
Feng Ye's head throbbed, terrified of more wild claims. She shut off messages, ignoring all pings.
Yu Yu, stewing, glared at His Eminence.
Now what?
This was clearly the mainland.
How'd she get back?
Or get here again?
Ugh, why's my life so hard!
Erisbo's pondering hit its limit. He fixed his gaze on Yu Yu.
Just as she thought he'd say something profound, he asked, "Got more food?"
Yu Yu: "…"
Unreal.
Then she noticed his voice wasn't raspy anymore. Was it hoarse from years without water?!
Locked by his rebel disciple without even water? That's brutal.
Yu Yu: "Gotta log off to grab some."
Erisbo: "Log off?"
She explained, her mouth nearly dry by the end. Finally, Erisbo got it.
"New batch of outsiders?"
Yu Yu blinked.
New batch?
There was an old batch?
Erisbo: "What year is it?"
Yu Yu: "Allen Calendar, Year 321, October 17."
Erisbo: "?"
"Speak human."
Yu Yu: "???"
Was that not human? Was it fish?!
Erisbo: "Dark Era, what year? How's there a spellcaster this ignorant? Family all dead?"
Yu Yu: "…" Gods, what a venomous Legend! No wonder you were locked underground for twenty years!
Fuming, she remembered she had no spellcaster kin and huffed again.
She pinged Feng Ye. [Grand Archon, what year is it in the Dark Era?]
After relentless spamming, the jerk ignored her.
Even angrier, she asked Senior Meng.
Meng replied fast. [Dark Era, Year 596. Why?]
Yu Yu: [The Legend kidnapped me, and he broke out. What do I do?]
Meng, unlike Feng Ye, vanished instantly, radio silent.
Yu Yu: "…"
You magic circle folks are dogs!
Grinding her teeth, she told Erisbo, "Dark Era, Year 596."
Erisbo mused for ages. "Early?"
He needed time to sort his scrambled memories and figure out the current state of affairs.
Looking around, he realized he didn't recognize the place. "Where is this?"
Yu Yu: "…" Didn't you Teleport us here?!
Her Legend filter was crumbling. Grumbling, she said, "I barely leave home. How'd I know where this is?"
"We're on the mainland. Your Eminence, look at my scrawny frame. Can I deliver food daily?"
Erisbo snapped, "Is that how you talk to a Legend?"
Yu Yu shouted, "Aren't I stating facts?"
Erisbo glared.
Yu Yu didn't flinch.
Wait, are those scales on his face?
Okay, scared now!
Erisbo clearly noticed, sneering, "Called you little trash, and you didn't believe it. Mid-tier, and you don't even know corruption's principles?"
Yu Yu: "…Corruption has principles?"
Erisbo snorted. "Of course. Corruption's pure malice. It erodes not just the body but emotions, personality, psyche."
"Weak-willed folks turn into malice's puppets in weeks."
He eyed Yu Yu dismissively. "Outsiders are ignorant and stupid. Can you even grasp this?"
Yu Yu: "???"
Outsiders being chaotic gremlins, sure, but ignorant and stupid? No way!
Erisbo: "Little trash, what's your willpower?"
Yu Yu: "7!"
Erisbo gave her a pathetic look. "So low."
Yu Yu nearly snapped. "What's yours?"
She dropped the "Your Eminence."
Erisbo, unfazed, lifted his chin proudly. "9."
Yu Yu: "…9's nothing. I could grab someone with 9 any day."
Just not a second one.
Erisbo: "Willpower 9 is legendary. When I die, I'll shine as one of the brightest stars."
"You, finding one?" He scoffed. "Big talk."
Yu Yu: "If I drag one here for you, what then?"
Erisbo, smug, said, "You?"
Yu Yu: "Issue a quest, and I'll bring one tomorrow!"
Erisbo, a true hardhead, slapped one down.
[Ignorant Outsider]
(Bring a non-magic circle member with willpower 9 for Erisbo to inspect.)
Yu Yu grinned, accepting. "Your Eminence, you won't skimp on rewards, right?"
Erisbo sneered, "Just a mid-tier spellcaster."
"Why'd those fools send you? My traitor disciple dead yet?"
Yu Yu jabbed, "I'm not willpower 9, but I'm mental 9."
"Your disciple's not just alive—she's thriving, ruling as Council Head, universally respected." Nobody cares about you, old man!
A strange glint flashed in Erisbo's eyes.
Was it her first claim or the second?
His now-clear, rich voice dripped with venom. "Mental 9's nothing. The magic circle's crawling with them."
"As for my traitor, I'm out now. Her good days are numbered, hmph."
As he spoke, an invisible spell swept over. A golden glow erupted above Yu Yu's head.
Blinded by the light after years in darkness, Erisbo squinted.
Yu Yu scoffed, "Locked up twenty years, and you're plotting rebellion? Rebel all you want, but why kidnap me?"
"I don't even know how to get back!"
She was drowning in resentment.
She wanted to study scrolls at home!
And her adorable half-elf was still MIA.
Erisbo's temper flared at her bluntness, but the golden glow calmed him.
Fine, I'll forgive her once.
Just once.
After a standoff, both ran out of steam.
Erisbo squatted, eating. "Your food's weird."
Yu Yu: "???"
"Weird how? No way! I reheated it!" She caught herself, "If you mean it's too tasty, I'll accept that as the issue."
Erisbo wouldn't praise it. Pondering, he said, "Every time I eat your food, my corruption seems to drop a bit."
"But my traitor's seal blocks my magic circle link, so I can't see the data."
Yu Yu was genuinely shocked. "For real?"
Erisbo glared, "You're questioning a Legend's mental clarity?"
No, I'm questioning your IQ!
Yu Yu held her tongue, fearing an unhinged Legend might snap.
Erisbo mused, "Maybe my willpower sensed this, urging me to wake."
Since emerging from his fog, each meal made him clearer, pulling him past the brink.
Without willpower 9, he'd be a malice-driven beast.
With data, he might learn more.
But why would mere food do this?
Is it really that tasty?
If his corruption fell below 50, he might recover.
No, 70 would do.
At 70, he could manage.
The magic circle needed every Legend. His traitor…
Thinking of the process, Erisbo nearly exploded.
Can't dwell.
He studied Yu Yu, opting not to ask about the food's source.
Priority: eat more, lower corruption.
His state was unstable, a volcano ready to erupt.
Not safe on the mainland…
But Silver Moon? His traitor would find him in three seconds.
What to do?
Erisbo asked, "I can't return to Silver Moon. I'll recover on the mainland. Pick a place you know, and I'll take you."
Yu Yu: "But the mainland's corruptive too. Silver Moon suppresses it!"
Erisbo scoffed, "Think I need more corruption? Silver Moon can't handle mine anymore."
Yu Yu opened her mouth, then said, "I know one place."
"It's got an anomaly and some seniors, but no corruption."
Erisbo gaped, "You're taking me to an anomaly? You want a Legend to lose control?"
Yu Yu: "It's a place you visited."
"No corruption, and the anomaly's chill. You rated it," she said, digging through her bag. "Hang on."
"Here, your own writing."
Erisbo, deeply skeptical, read it.
My handwriting? Could be forged.
Checking the mental imprint, he paused.
Was there such a thing?
With his memories a mess, he figured, Might as well check.
He casually pocketed the note, destroying evidence. "Where is it? Let's go."
Yu Yu rolled her eyes secretly.
She described, "Northeast of Silver Moon, near the sea."
"Teleport to Silver Moon's north, then we'll hit a transfer array. I don't know the way."
Erisbo deemed it low-risk.
His traitor wouldn't camp a transfer array, right?
Confidently, he Teleported.
A bored, high-tier spellcaster looked up. "Yo, kid's back?"
"Whoa, that blinding gold glow—golden sparkles!"
Her face lit up.
Yu Yu waved, "Senior, we're grabbing a transfer array. Say hi to Senior Chong for me."
She vanished in a flash.
The spellcaster, still hyped, clenched her fists. "Gold glow? It's real? Not a scam?!"
Wait, who was that?
They didn't kidnap my golden sparkler, did they?
No way!
She reported to her boss immediately.
"Senior Jin Che, I'm back!!"
Jin Che materialized at the door, like she'd Teleported.
"That fast?"
She froze, confused. "The magic circle moves this quick?"
They'd said they'd monitor her, and sent someone already?
Yu Yu gestured, "This is the fugitive Legend, His Eminence, the Flame Sovereign."
Jin Che's smile stiffened.
Fugitive?
Fugitive… Legend?