Loot Distribution Time
[Replica of Dawn Staff]
Quality: Epic
Weight: 3
Attributes: Spirit +4
Traits: Cloud Incineration, Resilient Spirit, moderately reduces mana cost for third-circle and below spells, significantly shortens casting time for third-circle and below spells
Description: A scepter symbolizing dawn, unfortunately, it's a counterfeit.
Yu Yu stared intently at the word "Epic."
Purple, purple, purple!
She actually owned a purple item now!
Spirit +4? What kind of divine attribute was that?
But after equipping it, Yu Yu glanced at her stats.
"Huh? Only +1? Why?"
Before she could dwell on it, she continued inspecting the rest.
[Cloud Incineration]
Type: Elemental
Rank: 4th Ring
Charge Cooldown: One month
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Description: Summons hellfire to scorch an area, rumored to burn even the clouds.
Gulp.
[Resilient Spirit (Passive)]
Attribute: Spirit Endurance +1
Yu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what's Spirit Endurance?"
Felix had already shooed away Chang, who wanted to stay and watch the commotion. She turned, puzzled. "What's that?"
The Duchess sat in her chair, her posture cold and serious, her eyes fixed on them unblinkingly.
Indeed, only the three of them were present for this loot distribution.
Meng had wanted to stay and spectate, but Felix had forcibly driven her off.
Yu Yu handed her the staff. "There's a passive called Resilient Spirit."
Felix took it, inspecting it for a moment before saying, "The Dawn Staff has a function for refining spirit. In your terms, it might reduce the mental energy needed to cast spells?"
With that, she casually propped the Dawn Staff to the side and fixed her gaze on Yu Yu. "What else?"
Yu Yu pulled out a large green leaf radiating a rich, grassy aura, refreshingly vibrant.
"'Heart of Nature' Invitation."
The Duchess shifted her posture, still watching.
Yu Yu then took out a small cyan orb. "This is the 'Path of Gales · Warrior,' right?"
She tossed the orb to the clearly intrigued Duchess.
"The Wind Singer Covenant is gone. It doesn't seem like something you can physically take out."
She checked her inventory but couldn't find the fourth item. Then, a sudden inspiration hit, and she opened her skill panel.
There it was!
[Wind Singer Covenant]: An ancient covenant from the Silver Moon Era.
Yu Yu: "This covenant is a skill, but its description is basically useless."
Felix leaned in, focusing as if she could see Yu Yu's skill panel. "What does it say?"
"An ancient covenant from the Silver Moon Era…" Yu Yu read slowly, word by word.
Felix tilted her head, deeply puzzled. "Something from the Silver Moon Era? I've never heard of it. Why would it be given to an outsider?"
Yu Yu coughed awkwardly, clasping her hands. "Maybe because I'm exceptional?"
Felix glanced at her, saying nothing.
Low damage, high insult.
Yu Yu: "…Could this skill be for summoning?"
"Like, I use it, and a Wind Singer pops out like Pikachu, whoosh… wow."
Felix just kept staring.
The cyan orb in the Duchess's hand had begun to fade. She lifted her eyelids. "Highly unlikely."
"Unless a Wind Singer willingly becomes a summon and forms a contract with you. But a summon of that caliber? You wouldn't be able to handle it."
Yu Yu looked at the Duchess, silent.
The Duchess fell into thought.
She blurted out, "It can't actually be a summon, can it?"
She instinctively glanced at Felix, recalling that elemental covenants in summoning magic summoned elements. So, a warrior covenant…
Felix shot her a look, then glanced at the eager Yu Yu. "…Try it, and you'll know."
The Duchess regretfully dispersed the orb. "It's very useful for outsiders, but useless to me."
"The Path of Gales… it seems to be part of her power," the Duchess said. "I'm going to go fight her."
"Have you used it?" The Duchess turned to the dazed Yu Yu.
Yu Yu: "I did…"
Shu Tu, you poor thing! The Duchess said it's useless to her! Wah, wah! Oh well, next time then. The Wind Singer won't run away. Maybe she'll break the law again later?
There'll be another chance to fleece her!
Felix and the Duchess waited, staring at Yu Yu.
Nothing happened.jpg
Yu Yu glanced at her list. "The cooldown seems long. Maybe a few days."
At that moment, her Wind Singer Covenant had entered its cooldown period.
Yu Yu sighed, disappointed. "So it's not a summon?"
What a pity. If she could summon a Wind Singer, wouldn't her safety be massively improved?
If that jerk Yong Ye tried to ambush her in the wild, she could just whoosh, summon a Wind Singer. Wow, just thinking about it was beautiful.
The Duchess's mouth twitched. "…Dream on."
Spellcasters were already ridiculously strong, and she wanted to summon warriors too?
Did warriors have no pride?
Felix also seemed slightly disappointed. "A shame."
Duchess: "…"
With a flick of her silver-white ponytail, the Duchess strode off.
Yu Yu watched as silver strands floated onto her black spellcaster robe.
Her hand moved faster than her brain, instinctively pulling out a lint roller and rolling it twice.
The hair came off easily, and she stuffed the lint roller back into her bag.
When she looked up, she froze.
Oh no… Senior was still here!
It was all Ban Ban and Er Er's fault. These past few days, she'd been lint-rolling so much it had become a reflex!!!
Felix maintained her arms-crossed stance, her gaze seemingly on Yu Yu, still fixed on her.
Yu Yu: "…"
Cold sweat.jpg
"S-Senior?"
Felix seemed to have been distracted, her eyes refocusing. "Hm?"
Yu Yu secretly exhaled, holding up the remaining two rewards. "Which one do you want?"
Felix thought for a moment and took the large leaf. "This."
Yu Yu grinned. "Pleasure working with you, Senior!"
Felix glanced at her. "Once you reach mid-tier, you can go find Lord Erisbo, right?"
Yu Yu had almost forgotten that task. "Yeah, I think he also asked me to bring food, but I forgot…"
Ugh, her heart ached.
Had she missed out on a ton of free spell opportunities?
Felix didn't seem to care. "If you go, make sure to apply with the Grand Archon. Without her permission, you won't get in."
Yu Yu fell into thought.
That made sense.
That legendary figure wasn't someone you could just meet casually.
The only way to reach her was through the magic circle.
Thinking about it that way, she hadn't lost out.
As they spoke, they left the castle. The Duchess was nowhere to be seen. From what she'd said, it seemed she'd gone to fight the Wind Singer. Yu Yu wondered how the Wind Singer would fare.
She couldn't help but ask, "Who's stronger, the Wind Singer or the Duchess?"
Felix glanced at her. "What gave you the impression the Wind Singer had a chance?"
Yu Yu froze.
Felix: "Even a weak puppy could beat the Wind Singer."
Yu Yu sank into deep thought.
Really?
Was the Duchess that strong?
She'd seen the Wind Singer thrash a rouge.
"Could it be the Duchess is a higher level than the Wind Singer?"
Yu Yu felt she'd found the answer.
High-tier, high-tier. Level 13 was high-tier, but so was level 16. Maybe the Wind Singer was a level 13 weakling, and the Duchess was a level 16 boss.
Felix didn't elaborate. "I'll have someone deliver the plantation deed to you. Do you need me to leave some workers for you?"
Yu Yu thought it over. "How much is the wage?"
She had to pay for this, so she needed to be clear.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
Yu Yu belatedly laughed. "Hahaha… Senior, I'll just hire players. They're way cheaper!"
NPC salaries were much higher than players'. With her measly gold coins, Yu Yu couldn't afford months of wages.
Felix hummed, extending her palm.
Yu Yu blinked, rummaged through her bag, and handed over the chicken feet and duck necks she'd prepared as snacks.
Felix seemed to freeze, then calmly accepted the food and extended her hand again.
Yu Yu: "?"
Felix glanced at her black robe. "Hair."
Yu Yu suddenly understood.
…You saw?!
And you acted like nothing happened!!!
Yu Yu didn't know how to feel. She took out the lint roller and placed it in Felix's palm.
Felix pocketed it and turned to leave.
Yu Yu: "Senior, I was actually going to recommend some shampoo. It's really effective…"
Oh no, murderous aura.
Yu Yu instantly shut up.
Felix took two more steps and vanished on the spot.
…Teleported away?
Yu Yu's expression turned odd, and she barely held it together.
What if Senior was secretly watching?
Don't laugh, don't laugh. She was professionally trained.
Yu Yu logged off on the spot.
Hahahaha…
Moments later, Yu Yu logged back on.
Yup, Senior was gone. Hehe.
She'd planned to visit the magic circle to buy new spells, but now she felt it was best not to tempt fate with Senior.
Time to slip away and check out her plantation.
She was now a landowner!
A courtyard! A garden! Perfect!
Senior was quick. She said there'd be a deed, and the deed was delivered.
Yu Yu took the deed and, using the expensive map she'd bought, set off to see her plantation.
Shu Tu and the others were busy with their own tasks.
Fuyu, feeling she had the lowest level, had rushed off to find quests the moment she logged on. Shu Tu had been summoned by the city guard camp to choose a mount, and Shu Tu was also out doing quests.
Only Yu Yu was free.
Even without doing quests, she earned a fixed amount of experience daily.
She kind of wanted a promotion. If she got one, would her experience gain increase?
But the magic circle was too competitive. Even high-tier spellcasters struggled to secure positions. She'd better forget it.
Unless she clung to Chang's thigh, but…
Yu Yu scratched her head in frustration.
Forget it. She'd wait for the team competition.
For now, she'd focus on learning enchanting. She was eager to reinforce her real-life house.
Senior had said bigger things were coming, and those cement houses wouldn't hold up.
If possible, she also wanted to craft accessories with Feather Fall, even one-time-use ones.
In critical moments, she could take flight without casting.
Or she could make some for Shu Tu and the others. You could never have too many life-saving items.
But all of this required enchanting expertise.
And enchanting was the one thing you couldn't rush.
Yu Yu flipped through her map and found Senior Meng's address.
After visiting the plantation, she'd pay her a visit.
Today, she'd log off and check if yesterday's frost powder was ready. If it was, she'd give some to Shu Tu and sell the excess on the player trading market.
In a few days, the hill would be leveled. Then, they'd gear up and check out that wild forest.
She wondered how many animals were there now…
Bring the big cat!
Tomorrow, she'd go with Shu Tu to the hunter camp.
Though she'd earned plenty of gold from the competition, she couldn't just sit and spend. Spellcasters were too expensive.
Yu Yu made a work schedule, then hailed a player-driven rickshaw, tossed out the address, and leaned back to relax.
So refreshing.
The farming players had received Yu Yu's message and were waiting at the city gate.
You could slack off with anyone, but not the moneybags!
They were obsessed with farming, but their income couldn't keep up. Only Yu Yu sent them money now and then, and she was generous.
Yu Yu: "Any progress on black spot disease?"
"Nope, everything died, and it stank."
"If Bagen hadn't warned us that rotting crops could pollute the soil, we nearly ruined the land…"
Cat Tail drooped, dejected. "Is Eternal Darkness just against players farming? Why is it so hard?!"
Yu Yu: "You planted the wrong thing. Start with potatoes."
"Potatoes? Where are we getting those?!"
Yu Yu: "I have some."
"Then we'll head back to plant?"
Yu Yu: "No need. I have a plantation."
The three players' jaws dropped.
What the—?!
Are we even playing the same game?!
We're still slaving away for NPCs, and you've secretly become a slave master?!
A plantation!!!
Cat Tail gazed at the boss. "Boss Yu, how much did your plantation cost?"
"Lemme see how many years it'll take me to afford one!"
Yu Yu fell into thought.
How would she know how much a plantation cost?
"…I don't know," Yu Yu said. "It was a gift."
The three collapsed in unison.
Yu Yu: "…"
Oops, did she flex again?
Hehe.
"Wow!"
"WOW!"
"WOW WOW WOW!" Cat Tail and the others gasped in unison.
~
Outside Silver Moon City, fields stretched endlessly.
The first time Yu Yu rode through, she'd marveled at Silver Moon's prosperity.
Moonbay Town's grain came from Silver Moon's allocations. Moonbay itself didn't farm, except for Bagen's small-scale plantation.
But now…
Yu Yu couldn't help but pull out the deed again. "…Why doesn't it say the size?"
Silver Moon was great in every way, except for its habit of not listing land area.
Compared to the Duchess's manor last time, this deed was about the same.
It only mentioned the gift, with not a hint of the area.
Still…
Looking at the new seal, Yu Yu grinned happily.
Last time, it was the Duchess's seal. This time, it was Senior's, right?
The handwriting was clearly Senior's!
Though the Duchess and Senior's handwriting was similar—she'd nearly mistaken them last time—there were subtle differences.
The Duchess's was more serious and structured, elegant but restrained.
Senior's was lighter, freer, and got a bit wild toward the end.
The seals were different too.
Thanks to moving too many books in the library and writing too much, Yu Yu could now tell them apart even without her Language and Text passive.
The text under the wolf seal read—Marquis Roland.
Hehe, Senior was Marquis Roland!
The NPCs had left, and Cat Tail and the others were running wild in the plantation, even rolling on the ground.
Yu Yu snapped back to reality and looked up, seeing their excitement.
…Was it that exciting?
Sometimes, Yu Yu didn't get the mindset of lifestyle players.
"I brought some potatoes today," Yu Yu said, unloading the potatoes she'd prepared from her bag. "But I didn't expect the plantation to be this big. It probably won't be enough."
"See how much you can plant. If it's not enough, I'll bring more."
Yu Yu added, "Do you know how to plant potatoes?"
"Of course, we do!"
Cat Tail looked at the potatoes, tears of joy in her eyes. "Finally, normal food! I want mashed potatoes!"
"I want shredded potatoes, slurp."
"I want potato noodles…"
They chattered on, and Yu Yu said, "I don't know if three of you are enough. If not, I'll recruit more on the forum."
Cat Tail thought it over. "I can't tell right now. This plantation feels dozens of times bigger than Bagen's tiny plot…"
"How about we start planting and get a feel for it?" she suggested. "If it's not enough, we'll let you know, Boss."
Yu Yu nodded. "Sounds good."
"I'll hire an NPC gatekeeper later," Yu Yu mused. "And get a sign made. That should do it."
Senior had told her that as long as she put up a sign with the magic circle's emblem, no one would bother her.
Yu Yu believed her. She was ready to get the sign made and then hit the talent agency to hire help.
NPC farmers were pricey, but she couldn't rely solely on players—they couldn't be online 24/7.
Leaving the plantation to Cat Tail, Yu Yu turned and left.
Ever since players started flooding Silver Moon, rickshaw prices had plummeted, and even dock labor rates had dropped.
Shu Tu had stopped working the docks, saying it was too unprofitable.
Sadly, Yu Yu still hadn't found new jobs for them…
Maybe she should be more proactive?
Yu Yu pondered, then hailed a rickshaw.
Man, this is the life!
After posting a job listing at the talent agency, Yu Yu had a waiting player drive her to Senior Meng's neighborhood.
Unlike Senior, who had a massive house but stayed at the magic circle, Senior Meng had her own residence.
Yu Yu tidied her appearance, logged off to grab a gift (a mooncake gift box), and knocked.
With two crisp knock knock sounds, the door swung open.
Yu Yu: "Senior Meng?"
She peeked inside.
"The master is upstairs. Guest, please," said a deep voice from the doormat.
Yu Yu: "…O-Okay."