"If you pass this trial, I will grant you what you most desire."
Ruyi scoffed, "How about a beautiful, serene paradise where birds sing, flowers bloom, and the scenery's peaceful?"
The Sovereign was silent for a moment. "That would indeed be a challenge, but if my power were to recover somewhat, conjuring such illusions might not be difficult. But are you certain that's what you want? Not something like the rest of this novel's storyline?"
Ruyi shot up, abandoning her pretense of indifference.
"You know this is a novel? Then… could you send me back?" She immediately regretted her words. This was a world rooted in apocalyptic despair—what were the odds he'd help her out of kindness?
"What is your price?" she asked instead.
"As I said before, if you gather the energy needed to restore my original form and help me locate the Benevolent, I will fulfill your wish and send you back to your original world." Even while offering this incentive, the Sovereign's tone remained detached.
Ruyi found herself tempted.
Yesterday, she had been too disoriented from blood loss and frustration to question this self-proclaimed "Sovereign." After confirming the bracelet's space function, she'd quickly moved on. But perhaps this strange, foreboding space was more useful than she'd realized. Still, she felt uneasy—this entity didn't exactly exude goodwill. But what did she have left to lose?
"Had you just said so yesterday, I wouldn't have resisted so much. But let me be clear—don't pull any 'high and mighty' nonsense with me. Since you need my help as much as I need yours, we're equals in this partnership. Everything's negotiable, or I'll just walk away. By the way, don't you think four chapters is a bit short?" Ruyi's tone was firm, though her heart pounded. She was betting that he truly needed her, for an inkling had surfaced in her mind: her presence in this realm might not be a mere accident.
The Sovereign's cold, scratchy laughter echoed, his tone dripping with derision. "Little one, don't try to play clever with me. Here in my domain, nothing escapes my notice. True, I have waited long for an outsider's soul like yours—only your blood could awaken me. But you will find equality only when you are strong enough to earn it. For now, my single command is for you to become stronger. Your realm will soon face a transformation, a bloody one… Haha…"
His laughter raised the hair on Ruyi's arms. She wanted to ask about the "Benevolent" and whether he could truly return her home, but the scene around her shifted abruptly.
The dark crimson sky and earth vanished, replaced by a void of absolute blackness. Ruyi raised her hand, pressing it close to her face, but she couldn't even see its outline.
It was as though her entire form had dissolved into a single black wisp, lost in this abyss.
"Level One Trial, difficulty: two stars. Beginning now."
Ruyi froze. He just starts it like that? No explanation? No guide? What even is this trial supposed to be?
But soon, a searing pain jolted her from her thoughts, originating in her right thigh, then her left arm, then the back of her head. Wave after wave of sharp pain left her with no time for idle thoughts. After enduring a few more blows, she realized it was as though something sharp was striking her, each impact spaced about five seconds apart.
But with nothing visible in the pitch darkness, how could she dodge?
Though she prided herself on her quick wit, Ruyi suffered another twenty or thirty hits before she could faintly make out the subtle whoosh of something approaching with each attack.
Normally, her limited fighting skills might have let her handle a brawl with some street punks, but detecting unseen, whistling projectiles was another level entirely.
Eventually, the pain left her dazed, until she surrendered, lying limp as the stinging on her skin numbed to a dull ache.
After what felt like an eternity, Ruyi came to, finding herself once more surrounded by red. The pitch-black void had given way to a deep, blood-colored space.
The air around her felt so thick she struggled to lift her arm, yet, oddly enough, the pain from earlier had subsided, leaving her feeling oddly refreshed.
"Calm the mind, center the breath. Hold steady. Do not stray, do not cling…" The Sovereign's voice echoed in her mind, flat and unfeeling. Ruyi quickly understood; this was a training mantra. She focused, repeating the words to herself, finding she could intuitively follow the instructions. Soon, a burning heat ignited in her core, radiating through her limbs, burning until the pain became almost unbearable. Just as she thought she'd collapse, a cool sensation seeped into her skin, slowly quelling the fire. But now, she was left shivering, her limbs numb from the cold.
The heat flared again, but the coolness didn't let up, settling into a steady, evenly matched struggle. The harsh waves of ice and fire raged within her, an endless conflict, with her helplessly caught in the middle, until finally, she blacked out.
She awoke again—another round of waking up. Ruyi was getting really sick of it.
While Ruyi's life as a side character took a grim turn, Wen Xinyu's recent days were far from bleak.
Watching her newly sprouted cabbage plants growing vigorously in her space, she felt satisfied. Another week and they'd be ready for harvest.
But weren't these protagonist spaces supposed to have mystical spring water that cured all ills? After obtaining her space three days ago, she'd searched thoroughly, inside and out, but found nothing of the sort.
The space wasn't even that large, only about seventy square meters, with a single rustic cabin. All it could do was store food and grow crops—nothing else.
She wandered into the cabin. It was simple, with just a wooden bed and a wooden table. She picked up a small porcelain jar from the table; inside were ten elixirs. According to the ancient bamboo scroll, these pills would grant immunity to poison, though she'd need seven of them just to prepare her body for cultivation. That would only leave three.
She recalled the bamboo scroll's ominous prediction of the apocalypse. Could the virus from the novels truly exist here? If so, she couldn't afford to use up these precious elixirs.
After pondering this for a while, Wen Xinyu finally sat down and began to meditate, following the scroll's mysterious technique.
Two days later, an exhausted Ruyi descended the stairs for a meal, only to collide with Wen Xinyu, who was rushing upstairs with an armful of books. They spilled onto the floor between them.
Ruyi frowned. Wen Xinyu was usually poised and composed—this clumsiness was unlike her.
Her eyes drifted over the titles, lingering. So, Wen Xinyu had found her space, then. Otherwise, why would a city girl suddenly be so interested in agriculture?