Eternal Star of Emerald

"You mean... you're going to sleep?"

"Yes." There always seemed to be an unspoken sorrow in its tone. "Since Twilight of the Apocalypse is approaching, it is time for my Long Slumber as well."

No wonder the Strategy Group's intelligence had been misleading. By the time they completed their long campaign and reached Amber City, Perfect Amber had probably already entered Long Slumber.

"How long will you sleep?"

"I don't know. Perhaps until Twilight of the Apocalypse arrives."

In that case, Perfect Amber's Long Slumber could not be considered particularly long.

Only then did Li Wen remember the cloak in her hands. It was even a relic left behind by a witch whom Perfect Amber had known.

"Your Excellency the Witch..." Perfect Amber was a title others used for it, not one it used for itself. After some thought, Li Wen decided to address it that way. "This cloak..."

Silence fell behind the curtain again. After a long while, it said, "Since you obtained it, it belongs to you."

That surprised Li Wen somewhat. From Perfect Amber's tone, it sounded as though the cloak had belonged to it, rather than to the Daughter of Amber named Livia.

"Put on that cloak, and those girls will regard you as one of their own. They will no longer harm you. You may leave on your own."

So that was the intention. Li Wen nodded. She had originally planned to die her way out, but now it seemed she could save herself a life.

Though players' lives really were cheap.

Li Wen immediately took off the tattered cloak she was wearing and changed into this one.

Eternal Star of Emerald

Armor - Cloak - Rare (Purple)

A cloak woven from Emerald Star Sand, possessing powerful Twilight's Eternal Power. It is said that only the most outstanding witches are qualified to wear it, and it is recognized as a kind of proof of a witch leader.

*Twilight's End*: Consumes 50% mana to restart the countdown on Twilight's erosion. Cooldown: 7 days.

*Witch's Proof*: While holding this item, you will not be attacked on sight by Daughters of Amber.

*Emerald Star's Eternal Guardian*: Consumes 30% mana to create 1 Magic Shield that can absorb one instance of damage, up to your maximum health; or consumes 20% mana to create 3-5 Magic Shields that can each absorb one instance of damage, up to 20% of your maximum health. Cooldown: 3 days.

The cloak's power far exceeded Li Wen's expectations. She did not understand the first ability for the moment, but since it required half her mana to activate, it could not be weak. Perfect Amber had already explained the second ability, and frankly, it would be completely useless once she left Amber City.

The most important was the third ability. By spending 30% of her mana, she could create a Magic Shield that was practically an extra life. Although Li Wen already had Prayer Incantation, a level-one Prayer Incantation could only block 10% of the damage from a single hit. It had been utterly outclassed.

With this equipment, even if Moria came knocking, she would at least have some ability to kite her opponent. She would not be instantly killed the moment they met.

"Come find me again once you have advanced to become a witch."

Perfect Amber issued a declaration clearly meant to discourage her.

Li Wen bowed again in thanks, then pushed open the door and left the inner hall.

The corridor outside was empty. When Li Wen looked up, she discovered that the awakened Daughters of Amber were clinging to the ceiling. They should have killed Li Wen on sight, yet now they acted as though they could not see her, hanging upside down like bats. Their pale hair dangled down like spiderwebs, making for an especially chilling sight.

After safely leaving the Amber Temple, Li Wen returned to the Bell Tower.

The giant atop the tower did not look at her, instead staring into the distance.

"It seems you succeeded."

Li Wen said nothing. She did not want to reveal anything that had happened inside the temple, including the matter of obtaining The Final Codex. Giant Bell had said that all Elders had sworn not to covet The Final Codex, but taking that completely at face value would have been foolish.

Giant Immortal also knew the topic was inappropriate, so they said, "I thought you would die in there."

"Because of the Daughters of Amber?"

"Yes." The giant's enormous head bobbed up and down. "Even I would not dare face them alone. In the past, they were Amber City's strongest army, enough to destroy everything."

As the giant spoke, the dim yellow Sky Dome in the distance suddenly blazed with light, as though another rising sun had appeared. A moment later, that sun vanished as abruptly as it had emerged, leaving only a terrifying black hole beneath the Sky Dome that lingered for a long time without disappearing.

"What was that?"

Li Wen frowned slightly. That was definitely not a normal celestial phenomenon, especially since this was the City of Eternity.

"Do not concern yourself with it. They were merely some vermin. They have already been cleared away."

Hearing that, Li Wen recalled Livia, the Daughter of Amber who had suddenly left earlier. Perfect Amber had said something similar as well.

She had many questions, such as what those "bugs" were, why all the Daughters of Amber were in Long Slumber while only Livia was awake, and why Livia could freely leave the Amber Temple without restriction...

But none of that mattered to her. What mattered most now was allowing The Final Codex to complete its binding with her.

"I need an absolutely safe place. There must be no life there, it must not fall within the domain of any pillar god, and it must be far from the sky and far from the earth."

Upon hearing Li Wen's description, Giant Bell fell into a long silence.

They were not considering this so-called "absolutely safe place," but Li Wen's intentions. Giant Bell had never even seen The Final Codex in person, much less known how to use it.

Giant Bell had no obligation to help Li Wen, but they were still waiting for her to help them find someone. For them, the sooner Li Wen grew stronger, the sooner she could go to the outer city to find that person.

So they said, "Enter the Bell Tower. Once you see the dial, move the three hands, in order from shortest to longest, to ix, xii, and iv respectively. Then walk out through the door. But remember this: once you leave the Bell Tower, if more than a quarter of an hour passes, you will never be able to return."

"Doesn't matter."

For players, whether she was exiled to another dimension or sealed in some unknown corner, as long as she died once and reset her resurrection point, she would revive at the place where she had first entered the game, no matter where she was.

"Have you really thought this through?" Giant Bell assumed Li Wen intended to rely on the Eye of the Transcendent, so they stopped trying to dissuade her and fell silent.

Li Wen entered the Bell Tower. Though it had been completely empty the last time, a huge dial had truly appeared inside it now. The Twilight Stone, on the other hand, had vanished.

The dial was divided into twelve sections, each bearing paintings of different styles and corresponding symbols. The three hands, each a different length, were covered in stardust-like fragments of stone that glittered beautifully. At the moment, all three hands pointed at xii.

Without thinking further, Li Wen followed Giant Bell's instructions and forcefully moved the three differently sized hands to their respective positions.

Nothing changed, or at least, that was how it felt to Li Wen.

But when she turned and walked out of the Bell Tower, gazing at the shattered crimson Sky Dome, she realized that she was already in another world.