Perfect Amber

The Daughter of Amber will kill all intruders.

Once a Daughter of Amber detects an intruder, all Daughters of Amber will be awakened due to a chain reaction.

Li Wen held her breath, feeling the gaze of the Daughter of Amber on her—even though the Daughter of Amber had no eyes, and she, in her Shadow State, had no physical body—the sticky, cold sensation was like a reptile's lick, enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

She wasn't sure if this awakened Daughter of Amber had discovered her. If so, losing her own life wouldn't be a big deal, but if all the other Daughters of Amber were awakened because of it, then all her efforts for so long would be in vain, and she would have to seek other methods.

Fortunately, this Daughter of Amber soon moved its face away, seemingly only curious about the shadow on the ground, not truly noticing Li Wen.

Li Wen didn't act rashly. She stayed put for a full quarter of an hour, and only after confirming that the Daughter of Amber had truly not discovered her did she move slowly, step by step, towards the inner sanctum's door.

The Daughter of Amber, which had already awakened, began to move for some unknown reason. Startled, Li Wen quickly stopped. She watched as the Daughter of Amber's cloak slowly fell away, revealing a smooth back adorned with strange patterns. These root-like patterns began to glow with a color Li Wen couldn't discern, spreading outwards from the Daughter of Amber's back.

They grew and intertwined like tree roots, eventually forming the shape of giant wings.

The Daughter of Amber floated into the air, flapped its wings, and instantly vanished from Li Wen's sight, leaving no trace.

Where did it go?

Li Wen couldn't imagine, nor did she want to think about it.

Now, the inner sanctum's door was unguarded. The Final Codex was only a few steps away. If she just walked over and pushed the door open, all her efforts would be worthwhile.

But before that, Li Wen's gaze fell on the cloak on the ground, an item left behind by the Daughter of Amber. This was the Amber Temple, a place no one had visited since the Golden Age. That cloak couldn't possibly be something from the outside. Without even thinking, she knew it must be some kind of precious treasure.

Should she pick it up or not?

This question flashed through Li Wen's mind.

She was currently in a Shadow State, unable to interact with any physical objects, only able to exist within shadows. This meant that to take the cloak, Li Wen would have to first deactivate her "Shadow Walker" state.

This was undoubtedly a very risky endeavor, but it was worth a try.

This was because the awakening of the Daughters of Amber was not instantaneous. They needed a process, to revive from their long slumber and slowly shed the amber-like Twilight Power.

This time was enough for Li Wen to pick up the cloak and enter the inner sanctum. The inner sanctum was a safe zone where The Final Codex was enshrined. All Twilight Believers who trespassed into the inner sanctum of the Amber Temple would face severe punishment from the Witch Disciplinary Center.

Li Wen was not one to hesitate. As her former Strategy Group leader once described her, Li Wen saw no probability. Because of this, when no one could confirm whether Urd's Thorn could rewrite fate, Li Wen was able to unhesitatingly use the divine artifact to kill herself.

Thus, Li Wen resolutely deactivated her Shadow State and lunged forward. At this moment, she could already hear sounds like ice shattering; the countless Daughters of Amber were breaking free from their restraints.

Li Wen reached out and picked up the cloak. A terrifying oppressive force spread throughout the area. This temple had been in a state of deathly silence for years, and now it was coming alive for the first time. Specks of amber debris dissipated in the air, the Daughters of Amber stretched their beautiful bodies, and the root-like patterns began to glow with a frightening light.

At this critical moment, Li Wen rolled and burst through the inner sanctum's door.

Her previous position was instantly surrounded by countless figures. Looking out from inside the door, the entire corridor was filled with their forms. They were all beautiful, fair-skinned young girls, exuding a terrifying pressure, yet none dared to cross the threshold of the inner sanctum. They could only stand outside, silently threatening Li Wen within the door.

Li Wen's heart remained unmoved. She stood up and directly closed the inner sanctum's door again.

If you can't see it, it doesn't exist.

"No wonder it's so noisy outside. So someone has intruded here."

A clear, cold, unfamiliar voice reached Li Wen's ears. Li Wen's scalp tingled. The strategy guide mentioned nothing about there being living people inside the inner sanctum of the temple!

Li Wen forced herself to calm down and turned around.

The style and decoration of the inner sanctum were more religious. Above was a huge skylight, through which one could see the red and yellow gradient of the twilight, and the towering, half-withered trees beneath it. In the center of the inner sanctum, directly opposite the skylight, was a massive eye-shaped stained-glass painting. The pupil of the eye was also a gradient of red and yellow amber.

And opposite the door, where the altar should have been, was a thick gray curtain. The voice Li Wen heard came from behind the curtain.

"Who are you?"

Li Wen tried to communicate verbally to gain information, but the other party didn't seem inclined to talk.

"The item in your hand..."

"Loot," Li Wen said without hesitation, glancing at the cloak in her hand.

"That's Livia's favorite cloak. She wouldn't take it off even when performing The Final Rite..."

Li Wen fell silent. According to what this person said, the Daughter of Amber who had been guarding the entrance earlier should be the "Livia" mentioned by this mysterious person. Moreover, judging by the tone, "Livia" and the speaker seemed to have a rather intimate relationship.

This was really bad. Just a moment ago, she had declared in front of the other person that an item cherished by their friend was her loot.

"I heard Livia leave. She's going to destroy some annoying bugs. How strange, this lonely city hasn't had visitors in a long time... Tell me, what's happening outside?"

What's happening... Does player invasion, the approaching apocalypse, and the end of the world count?

"I see, so that's why you're here looking for The Final Codex?"

The other party seemed to be able to read Li Wen's thoughts, directly seeing what Li Wen was thinking. This was incredible for a player.

"No, I can't see anything. It's just that you... stranger who has visited this place, you have revealed everything about yourself to me. It's as if a mirror has been placed before you; you are outside the mirror, and the you within the mirror is communicating with me."

Li Wen was speechless. She had never heard of such an ability. Even the Path of Mysteries, renowned for its endless spells, seemed to have no record of such a spell.

It didn't seem to belong to any Path or Lineage.

"Who exactly are you?"

After a long silence, the other party spoke leisurely:

"I am the Head Witch, the first Gift of Twilight, the last Keeper of Grellion, known to all as the 'Perfect Amber'."