Though they had lit the lamps themselves, after this Attunement, Yu Yu felt the hall's glow dimmer than before.
"Who's there?"
Snapping back to reality, Yu Yu realized the fighting had started again.
"Senior, are you still holding up?" she asked, voice laced with concern.
Meng's eye twitched. "I'm fine for now. Be quiet."
"Then let's head to the left hall. I need to ask about the golem's core!"
Meng sighed. "…Shouldn't we prioritize the Legend's staff?"
Yu Yu gaped, incredulous. "There's not a single clue about the staff! Obviously, we tackle the tasks at hand first!"
As they entered the left hall, Gui Fan cast Mass Slow, stalling the phantoms, then leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, chuckling. "This kid's got laser focus. Every word since we got here has been about missions."
Feng Ye's mood was complex. "So she's tossed the Legend's task to the clouds and whined about Meng stealing her rewards."
Xue quipped, "Bet she's inwardly cursing NPCs for hogging her quests."
Chang nodded. "…Highly likely."
"Where's the golem's core?" Yu Yu demanded. "I just went to Senior Jin Che to borrow three books, and now the core's gone? Where'd you put it?"
"How should I know where it is?" the phantom shot back. "Weren't you the one who said the golem wasn't safe here and told me to give the core to Jin Che for safekeeping?"
"You're full of it! No way! You were supposed to guard the golem, and this is how you do it? Do you know how much time we spent on that thing? The Grand Archon herself was covered in mud digging for it!"
"You're so unreasonable! You said—"
And so, their endless bickering looped again.
Meng cast Mass Invisibility, gripping Yu Yu's shoulder, ready to bolt at any moment.
But…
Yu Yu clenched her tiny fists, whispering excitedly, "Fight, fight, fight!"
Meng: "?"
Gui Fan: "…?"
Feng Ye and the others: "?"
Some entity: "…"
This is how you respect your seniors?
Yu Yu grinned. "Endless Quarrel, as the name suggests—they'll bicker forever. One solution is to find the core, get mistaken for the thief, and take a beating from both. The other? They get so fed up they start swinging, and the mission becomes Endless Brawl. Heck, it might even glitch out!"
"Senior, do you know any spells to mimic voices?" she asked.
Meng's expression soured. "…Not really."
"So you do know one?"
"Then use that senior's tone," Yu Yu pointed at the phantom claiming she'd gone to borrow books, "and say you gave the core to Jin Che, that it's with her now, and tell the junior to go get it herself…"
"Then, in the junior's voice, say you hid the core but forgot where, and tell the senior to find it herself…"
"Make the tone super obnoxious. Loop it."
Meng's face grew even more strained. After several nudges from Yu Yu, she reluctantly cast the spell, mimicking the voices with grudging precision.
"Since you remember, how dare you yell at me? Telling me to go get it? What kind of senior are you?!"
"You hid it yourself and forgot? You've got the nerve to make me look for it?!"
The phantoms bought it hook, line, and sinker, not a shred of doubt in their eyes.
As Yu Yu predicted, their intelligence paled compared to Senior Dai Dai's.
She pressed on, directing, "Now mimic Senior Jin Che's voice. Say they're too useless, that she hid both the golem and the core. Make it disdainful, like the Grand Archon's tone…"
Feng Ye: "?"
Meng shot her a complicated look but complied.
The phantoms exploded. "Jin Che!"
They charged toward the right hall, nearly barreling into the invisible Gui Fan.
Gui Fan muttered, "…This chaos-stirring tone?"
Chang deadpanned, "Peak outsider energy."
Yu Yu immediately activated Detect Magic. "Senior, Senior, quick! Scan, scan! If someone hid it, they'd have used a spell!"
Meng's expression remained conflicted but she joined the search. "Why do you think it's here?"
Yu Yu shrugged. "Unless the Grand Archon or the anomaly swallowed it, it's gotta be in the hall."
"There's only three main halls and the second floor. Even by elimination, searching each one won't take long."
"Since the Grand Archon entrusted it to them, she probably didn't take it back. Before her corruption, she likely meant to leave the golem for us, right?"
"Only those two handled the core, and their movements are clear. It's either here, the right hall, or the main hall."
"If it's not here, we'll sweep the main hall and right hall. Three Attunement cycles won't take much time."
Seeing Meng come up empty, Yu Yu asked, "Can I use Earth Tremor?"
Meng snapped, "…You dare? We're underground. Want to bury us alive?"
Yu Yu pouted, deflated. "Guess it's not here. Shall we check outside? Or ask Senior Dai Dai upstairs?"
Gui Fan snorted. "Jin Che's correction was for nothing. She's still calling her Dai Dai."
Feng Ye smirked. "She's doing it on purpose."
By now, she'd figured out Yu Yu's personality.
Obedient? Even dogs wouldn't buy it.
Moments later, Meng located the core hidden in the ceiling.
Stowing it, Yu Yu beamed. "Two missions down! Let's see how many left."
"The Unopened Door, The Lost One, Unveiling Yan Mound's Secrets," Yu Yu mused, rubbing her chin. "Oh, and Lost Power."
"By common sense, Unveiling Secrets means figuring out what happened here. Might involve getting cozy with the senior Wu Feng Grand Archon—nine deaths, one life to complete."
"The Lost One? I'll try guessing. If I'm wrong, it's probably tied to Yan Mound's main quest," she reasoned, drawing on years of gaming experience. "But The Unopened Door and finding the staff? Maybe we can skip cozying up to senior Wu Feng."
"Here's hoping the Legend wasn't that bold back then. He didn't leave the staff with senior Wu Feng, did he?"
After mulling it over, Yu Yu declared, "Let's tackle The Unopened Door first, then ask Senior Dai Dai."
The only semi-normal guide NPC in this place—Senior Dai Dai! Meng had no objections, embodying the silent tool-NPC vibe, speaking only when necessary.
Yu Yu glanced back at her.
Meng raised a brow. "What?"
Yu Yu blinked. "Senior, why so quiet? I thought you'd have more ideas than me."
Meng smirked. "Oh, then I suggest you hunt for the staff right now. You going?"
Yu Yu shook her head. "Nope. Easy first, hard later. Who dives straight into a death trap?"
Meng scoffed. "Then why ask?"
"Senior Dai… Jin Che, we're back!"
The pale blue phantom drifted from the right hall. "Dai what? Got the guts to keep saying it?"
Yu Yu reported proudly, "I've completed two missions. Know any unopened doors around here?"
"Is there a treasure chest hidden somewhere?" she asked, eyes sparkling.
Jin Che mocked, "What kind of daydream is that? A treasure chest here?"
"Then do you know about any unopened doors?"
Jin Che paused, thoughtful. "I don't remember. Check my bookshelf."
"If I recorded anything like that, it'd be there."
Yu Yu grinned. "Then I won't hold back, Senior!"
Knowing the books were Jin Che's memories, Yu Yu felt a twinge of guilt flipping through them.
What if I stumble on something… restricted?
Moments later, Meng sat chatting with Jin Che, seeking advice, while Yu Yu methodically scanned the books. Flipping through books for clues was a classic game trope. Some missions required reading to trigger, or the next clue only appeared after checking a book. She just needed to glance at the title, flip the cover for a mission prompt, then close it and move on.
One word: efficient!
As she worked, Yu Yu couldn't help asking, "Senior, Senior, are you an enchanter?"
"No," Jin Che replied instantly, despite her conversation with Meng, then countered, "Is that how you read books?"
"Then why do you have so many enchanting memories?"
"I only need to check the cover for mission prompts," Yu Yu explained. "Like that potion book earlier—flipped it open, and boom, a recipe popped up…"
She mused, "Oh, why didn't I think to raid the Academy library?"
Blame those point costs for reading. Totally slipped my mind.
"Senior, know any libraries on the mainland? Ones not controlled by the magic circle?"
Meng's mouth twitched. "…Focus on the task."
Chang clenched his fists, thrilled. "Meng! She's got recipes! Ask Senior about this! Check those two books too!"
Meng tilted her head, slightly troubled, then said, "You should learn more from seniors when you meet them. Lost knowledge falls under the magic circle's recovery scope—like the Secret Rite you learned from Senior Yami, or this Attunement…"
Jin Che, listening, said modestly, "I've only dabbled."
Yu Yu perked up. "Then, Senior, got any near-lost enchanting blueprints? I can submit them to the magic circle!"
She abandoned the books, darting to block Meng entirely. "Senior, be fair. Last time was her turn; now it's mine."
Meng nearly laughed, taking a moment to drawl, "Enchanting blueprints aren't regulated by the magic circle, but…" You think you can use them?
Enchanting wasn't just about having blueprints. Yu Yu ignored her, staring expectantly at the pale blue phantom.
Jin Che chuckled. "Trying to bleed me dry, huh?"
Yu Yu pouted. "Not at all! I'm helping you share the weight of knowledge!"
"Joy shared is joy multiplied!"
Jin Che considered. "The magic circle doesn't oversee this, and I could give you some, but…"
Yu Yu's eyes gleamed. "But?!"
Jin Che said slowly, "Not for free."
Yu Yu nodded earnestly. "Senior, just give me a mission. I'll complete it."
She quickly added, "But I can't return the books. The other Senior Dai… Jin Che gave me a mission to return them to her, so I'd need to give them back to her first."
Jin Che opened her mouth, then sighed. "Then I don't know. Figure it out."
"Huh?"
Meng pushed her aside. "Why're you like a little bandit, fleecing every senior you meet?"
Yu Yu huffed, resuming her book-flipping. "They're willing. I'm not forcing anyone."
Jin Che smiled faintly. "She's not wrong."
She was already dead. Better to pass it on to the kid. If only the kid could stop sticking "Dai" before her codename.
As Yu Yu flipped, she pondered aloud, "Senior, are your memories still being devoured?"
Jin Che, caught off guard, thought for a moment. "…I don't quite remember. You know devoured memories don't announce themselves."
"Do you have OCD, Senior?" Yu Yu asked.
"OCD?"
"Like, does an empty bookshelf bother you? Do you shrink it to fill it, or leave it empty and suffer because it's not full?"
Jin Che blinked, confused. "…I think I do."
"So, do you shrink the shelf to fill it, or keep it empty and endure the torment?"
Jin Che realized. "…I wouldn't shrink it. I don't like deluding myself."
Yu Yu nodded. "That's what I thought. So Senior Dai Dai gave me a mission, still fussing over books even after losing her edge, because another senior borrowed them…"
"Wait, I forgot to ask why she borrowed those three books. Do they have psychic damage?" Yu Yu rubbed her chin, thoughtful. "That's a clue. I'll ask later."
Jin Che: "So you're saying the Grand Archon succeeded? I haven't lost my memories?"
Yu Yu hesitated. "I can't say for sure. Memories are tricky. What if it can forge them? Like, it eats them, tricks you into thinking you're fine, but your bookshelf's shrinking, and you don't even notice."
She eyed the brimming bookshelf. "And since this shelf is basically your memories, its size doesn't prove anything."
Jin Che, drawn into her logic, asked, "Any bright ideas?"
Yu Yu: "Why not dilute your memories?"
Jin Che: "???"
Meng: "???"
Gui Fan: "???"
Everyone: "???"
Yu Yu clarified, "Senior, I need to confirm you're not at risk of becoming an anomaly."
Jin Che nodded calmly. "I'm not showing signs of turning anomalous yet, but I don't know why. Maybe her, maybe something else…"
Yu Yu nodded. "You may have lost memories, but you still have full intelligence, able to think and learn…"
Jin Che caught on. "You mean?"
Yu Yu continued, "To avoid disrupting the situation, you probably can't reclaim your memory fragments yet. But starting now, picking up books to learn—couldn't that extend your existence?"
"I know it's a bandage, not a cure," Yu Yu said, her gaze clear. "But it's not a bad fix. It just means you'd have to… study."
Studying after death. Brutal. Poor thing.
Jin Che's lips curved wildly. "I'm not suffering."
"I love learning."
The young spellcaster, clad in black robes, had delicate features and striking dark eyes. When calm, she exuded the intellectual poise typical of spellcasters, instantly endearing.
This is our junior! So alike!
Love her!
Even Meng's eyes sparkled with approval. "Not bad. We didn't even think of that."
Yu Yu smiled shyly. "I remember the magic circle has high-risk anomaly observation posts, right? If this goes smoothly, they could monitor this place."
"Compared to other anomalies, at least there's a friendly senior to chat with. Upstairs, Senior You Feng could use the same method—chat her up. If she's illiterate, make her learn. Solutions outnumber problems."
Xue couldn't help but say, "Why 'make' her? Such a forceful word."
Qiong: "Xue, don't nitpick."
Chong: "Yeah, you're too sensitive."
Chang Ming: "Yu Yu's adorable. 'Dilute' is an interesting way to put it."
Feng Ye mused, "Wu Feng's status is unclear, and You Feng's allegiance is unknown. This seems perfect, but it hinges on Wu Feng's current state."
"If she's dangerous, we'll need to…"
Thinking of Senior Jin Che, who'd held fast for 175 years, Feng Ye's eyes betrayed a sigh.
Memories carry will, but don't they also carry emotions?
Emotions, thoughts—which aren't shaped by memories?
No wonder the seniors feared that anomaly so much.
The Lost One—she's lost more than Wu Feng. Lost memories took her emotions, her ability to think.
Yet, without a memory bookshelf, she retained some rationality, leaving human traces on the surface.
Was that Wu Feng's final kindness to her?
Feng Ye quickly shook off her sentimentality, focusing on the stream.
She'd been working but somehow ended up glued to the broadcast, work untouched.
This stream's too addictive. No watching during work next time.
She glanced at Chang, engrossed, and even Han, who'd appeared from nowhere, feigning coolness but with bright eyes.
Feng Ye felt better.
At least I'm not the only one hooked.
Similarly, Xue's office at the Academy had somehow filled with people.
Someone griped while watching, "Xue, not cool. You watched and locked the door. Zong helped you, and now look—we had to come ourselves."
Xue ignored them.
Watching Yu Yu's adventure was more fun than her own. She decided to stream regularly when free.
Yu Yu, still piecing together limited intel, asked, "When did the Flame Sovereign Majesty come here? At least twenty years ago? Was he sane then?"
Feng Ye relayed to Meng, "Twenty-five years ago, fully lucid."
Meng answered, "Twenty-five years, fully lucid."
"Trust the magic circle," Meng warned. "Don't ask if the former Speaker Legend was sane!"
Yu Yu brushed it off. "Then can't we trust His Majesty a bit? His stance on anomalies—isn't it worth learning from?"
"There are two possibilities," Yu Yu held up her fingers. "One: Senior Wu Feng's status is unknown, but she suppressed the memory anomaly, remaining stable and mostly harmless. Two: She lost her rationality, but His Majesty came, beat her into submission, and left the staff to suppress her."
"It's been over twenty years. Since Senior Jin Che and the others are still intact, senior Wu Feng's odds of collapsing seem low," Yu Yu said uncertainly. "Of course, maybe His Majesty left himself a hint, thinking this place needed resealing, but his own state was off, so he guided us here to investigate?"
"Or maybe it was fine until we showed up, and now senior Wu Feng suddenly wants to stretch her legs. That's possible too."
With players' knack for stirring trouble, that's not just possible—it's likely.
After listing her theories, she noticed both human and phantom staring, their eyes twitching.
Yu Yu blinked innocently. "Just theorizing. Don't look at me like that."
Jin Che took a deep breath. "Hurry up and read. Stop talking."
Feng Ye decided, "If that's the case, we have to meet Wu Feng."
She hesitated. "Meng, Gui Fan, what's your corruption level?"
Meng, avoiding Yu Yu's gaze, whispered, "27."
Gui Fan: "17."
Feng Ye frowned, worried. "Meng, don't follow her in. Too risky."
"Gui Fan, you go. Her Majesty might be there; Yu Yu will be fine."
"In a pinch, kill her first to log her out safely."
Facing the anomaly's core, corruption could spike rapidly. Meng's stubborn corruption could easily hit 50—a risk they couldn't take.
Meng hesitated, then agreed. "Understood, but Yu Yu…"
"I'll explain to her later."
"Or tell her you're Invisible before going in and have Gui Fan impersonate you."
Meng: "Got it."
Though emotions may have faded, Jin Che felt a genuine spark of anticipation.
What if… just what if…
This place could become a little livelier?
New books to read?
Juniors or colleagues to talk with?
Jin Che had no heart, yet she wanted to clutch her chest, brimming with hope.
She said nothing, but her eyes shone.
"Come here," Jin Che rose, gliding to a bookshelf. "This shelf holds my enchanting memories. Take them."
Yu Yu gawked. "These are your memories!"
"Exactly. Or do you want to stay and study here?"
Yu Yu shook her head. "No, no, too much hassle. Just answer my questions, Senior."
Jin Che frowned. "What questions?"
"Are you sure you'll pass all your enchanting blueprints to me?"
Jin Che, puzzled, nodded. "…Sure."
Yu Yu saw a system prompt, her face blooming with joy. "Are you sure you'll pass all your enchanting experience to me?"
Jin Che, even more confused, said, "…Sure."
Yu Yu couldn't hold back, bouncing in place. "Aaaaah! So much! So much! I'm rich!"
"Senior Meng, I'm rich!"
Meng's mouth twitched, her heart sourer than ever.
Outsider privilege. So unfair. Ugh.
Yu Yu wanted to hug Jin Che. "Senior, I proclaim you my hero!"
Jin Che: "…"
Who am I? Where am I? Who's this little gremlin?
Yu Yu wriggled with glee. "Hehe, us outsiders have this trick—one-click learning!"
"Don't overthink it, Senior. Someone will explain later. Just assume I'm a prodigy."
Floating on cloud nine, Yu Yu struck a proud pose. "Me, Child of Destiny, certified by Senior Yami!"
Jin Che's mouth twitched. "Really? You actually learned it?"
Yu Yu beamed. "Ask away, Senior."
Jin Che fired off a question.
Yu Yu paused, checking her blueprint list. "I know which blueprint you mean, but no need to get so specific. Who has time to calculate that now?"
Meng, recovering, smirked. "You still have to study…"
Yu Yu, unfazed, said, "So what? Having blueprints beats starting from scratch!"
"I'll build on Senior's work. Isn't that sweet?"
"Plus, enchanting turns into results fast. Knowledge is money!"
"Priceless!"
"I've found my get-rich-quick scheme. No spells? Fine. I'll be Silver Moon's walking blueprint encyclopedia!"
Meng's mouth twitched uncontrollably, at a loss for a comeback.
If Yu Yu pursued this, she might actually…
No, she could even absorb other knowledge with one-click learning, becoming a walking knowledge vault…
Imagining that future, Meng's face grew even sourer.
Sour, sour, sour.jpg
Yu Yu: "First, I'll raid the magic circle's library. Oh, does the magic circle have a mainland map? I'm hitting every library, every juicy knowledge spot. Tell me all the good ones!"
"You won't be disappointed!" she declared boldly.
Feng Ye snapped out of it, swallowing hard. "Got it. Stop painting rosy pictures and do something useful."
"Find the staff."
Meng: "What?"
Yu Yu sidled up, grinning. "Don't worry, Senior. My blueprints are your blueprints—free for life! I swear!"
Meng felt mollified, though she scoffed. "You think I'd ask? You can't even use them."
"Senior~~~"
Seeing their banter, Jin Che couldn't help but smile.
Keeping her memories intact? Nothing could be better.
Yu Yu: "Hold on, I'm logging off."
Moments later, she returned, lugging dozens of gigabytes of data.
"Here's a hand-crank gramophone. Old-school, but great for music when you're bored," Yu Yu said, pulling out several phones. "And these are phones. I'll show you how to use them."
Soon, a phone recited in crisp tones, "Many years later, facing the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía would recall that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice…"
Meng froze, realizing a problem.
Yu Yu, watching Jin Che's puzzled face, smacked her thigh. "Crap! I remembered audio, brought a power bank, but forgot Senior Jin Che doesn't know our language!"
After another quick log-off, Yu Yu returned, sheepishly offering a phone loaded with dictionaries and phonetics. "Senior, you're so smart. With your iron will, you could… learn a totally foreign language, right?"
Jin Che stood still, staring.
Silence spoke louder than words.
Yu Yu backed down. "Or, Senior, you teach her?"
Meng: "It's not hard, but…"
It'd take days.
Her head started to ache.
Jin Che waved it off. "No worries. The sound's nice enough."
She drifted to the gramophone, tinkering with it, and soon, pleasant music filled the air.
Yu Yu hauled over crates of records—enough to keep her entertained for a while.
Jin Che, calmer, said, "No rush. If No Wind turns, this is all for nothing."
"If she's stable, you can come back later. Why hurry now?"
Yu Yu paused, then blinked. "Got it. I'll drop by to bug you when I'm free, Senior!"
Jin Che's lips pursed. "No need. I don't like noise."
The stream audience raised brows, but Yu Yu was quicker.
Chang laughed. "Clever kid. She can be infuriating, but she's a pro at charming people."
Yu Yu, oblivious, beamed triumphantly. "It's a deal!"
"I found The Unopened Door!"
She held up a book. "Eternal Darkness is naughty. It practically begged me to find it, even tossing me a side quest to open the door!"
"The moment I saw it, the mission arrow popped up!"
Jin Che took the book, scanning it. "…Huh, why's this here?"
"This isn't my style…" Her tone was bewildered.
Meng, startled, stepped closer.
Moments later, Yu Yu watched them discuss.
Meng: "Of course it's not your style. This book's handwritten."
Jin Che realized. "How'd it get mixed with my memories?"
Feng Ye, uncertain, relayed, "Uh, the Legend says it might be… his doing…"
Meng fell silent.
Can't badmouth the Legend.
She took a deep breath. "Probably the Legend's work. This, uh…"
Meng averted her eyes, wincing. "The style's completely different."
The notebook was a mere few pages, its script bold and commanding, while Jin Che's was meticulous, akin to Xue's.
Yu Yu blinked, dazed. "That works? Why didn't he wake Senior?"
When it came to the Legend—even a future one—Jin Che held her tongue.
After a pause, she muttered, "Maybe he told me, and I forgot…"
She stopped, wary of accidentally slandering the Legend. "Enough. You found it, so go check."
Yu Yu followed the mission arrow. "Senior, treasure chest or anomaly?"
Meng: "I'll go Invisible. You open it."
Yu Yu: "So, chest or anomaly?"
She mumbled, "Please be a chest. A good game needs chests!"
"I've never opened one my whole life. Let a kid have this!"
"Chest, chest, chest…"
Meng snapped, "A chest? With the Legend involved?"
Yu Yu tuned the Attunement as per the notebook, and the wall clicked.
"CHEST!!!"
Meng's voice cracked. "No way there's a chest here?!?"
Gui Fan: PupilQuake.jpg
Stream audience, Feng Ye included: PupilQuake.jpg
Even some entity: How's there a chest?!?
Yu Yu whooped, practically doing backflips. "Chest, chest, chest! Told you it's a chest!"
Meng clutched her chest, muttering, "Impossible…"
But the chest stood firm, unmoved by their disbelief.
Yu Yu cackled like a greedy landlord. "Let's see what's inside."