A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks

Library.

She moved lightly among the crisscrossing bookshelves, A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks feet making no sound, like a Specter wandering through the Library.

The world she belongs to is one where most humans are kept in Apartment by Anomaly, while the remaining resistance Player hide underground.

Growing up in such a repressive environment has shaped her into a person who doesn't like to talk much. She prefers to solve problems with her fists rather than engage in pointless verbal exchanges.

Avoid unnecessary words and get straight to the point.

It is precisely because of this personality that she has virtually no friends. In fact, in a place like an Underground City, friends are a luxury.

In their world, there is no safe place.

Even the deepest darkness can be swallowed by the most murky light; even the smallest possibility is hope.

This is a phrase that people in her world often say, and it's the source of their motivation to keep going... but she doesn't believe it.

In the Eternal Night, when you can't see your hand in front of your face, what hope is there to speak of?

The entire world was almost entirely occupied by Anomaly, and most of humanity was kept like livestock. Although the seeds of rebellion were sown, their world had already failed.

The strength of the world determines the Player's development speed and potential. If we compare the world itself to a fully functional computer, then the Anomaly are the viruses that invade the computer, and the Player are the Antivirus Software responsible for removing those viruses.

But when most computers are infected with viruses and frequently crash, what good is the remaining Antivirus Software?

A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks as she knew, there wasn't even a single Epic Level Item in their world, and only thirteen Player in their world had received Elite Level rating from the system.

As for whether there are still any Perfect Grade Player... she didn't know.

That cataclysmic disaster destroyed too many things, and perhaps there were some Trump Card among them that she was unaware of, but they were destined to be far more than that.

Is there really any hope left in a world like this?

... Only someone with a personality like my sister would think that way.

Call her pessimistic or self-destructive, but this is her true inner thought.

This feeling became especially strong after they became involved in this Large-scale Campaign Quest.

The Point Store offers a wide selection of Elite Level Equipment and items, Skill to choose from, and even Perfect -Level Equipment and items for exchange, along with generous Experience Points and Item rewards for clearing Dungeon...

This was the first time she had directly experienced the chasm-like gap between the two worlds.

She didn't understand the true nature of the Large-scale Campaign Quest, but she knew the goal she and her sister had for participating in this Large-scale Campaign Quest... and the goal she wanted to achieve together with her sister.

Their goal is to obtain as much Equipment, items, Skill Card, and other resources as possible from this Large-scale Campaign Quest and bring them back to their world. This is also what most of the other Otherworld Player who participated in this Large-scale Campaign Quest wanted to do... such as the March-shi and Between Heaven and Earth’s Mountains and Seas.

However, the world in which the March-shi lived had the resources to cooperate with this world, while their world had nothing, and they couldn't offer such a thing.

In other words, whatever they gained during this Large-scale Campaign Quest, they had to hand it over upon returning, and then the spoils would be distributed according to their contributions. This was the Survival Rules in their world.

Anyone can be sacrificed for the sake of the Seed of Fire and the continuation of hope... This was something she had known long ago.

There is no safe place in their world; in her memory, an Underground Ark had once been the site of an accident.

When that Underground Ark was discovered and breached by the Anomaly, the people inside could have chosen to escape to other Underground Ark, and those people in the other Underground Ark clearly had the ability to go to that Underground Ark to rescue them... but nothing happened.

Because it was a necessary sacrifice.

A hasty escape or rescue attempt could expose the existence of other Underground Ark. Although some people on that Underground Ark could escape safely, in the end, that Underground Ark chose to perish together with its enemies.

From that day on, they lost their last loved ones, and from that moment on, she became taciturn.

She could understand her parents' choice, but she couldn't accept it in her heart.

From that moment on, she had a goal in her heart: she didn't care if she sacrificed herself like that one day, but she couldn't do the same for her sister.

This Large-scale Campaign Quest gave her that opportunity.

"..."

She stopped in front of a bookshelf, her gaze shifting from the sketch paper in her hand. With A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks, she looked up at the bookshelf before her.

All the bookshelves in this Library are floor-to-ceiling, and the books with identical covers fill the shelves to the brim.

At eye level with her, a book whose color was distinctly different from the other books around it was crammed into the saturated bookshelf, perfectly matching the markings on the map.

"The Shadowkhan..."

She lowered her head slightly to glance at the Shadow beside her, which seemed perfectly normal. After a moment of silence, A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks and reached out to take a book from the bookshelf.

The difference between S-rank Highest-Tier Station and A-rank Highest-Tier Station seems to be more than just a difference between a few intermediate platforms.

Just as she took the Anomalous Book and was about to glance at it, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from nearby.

"..."

Her brows furrowed slightly, and A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks. She first tried to put the Anomalous Book into her Inventory, but after failing, she stuffed it into her bosom.

Then, following the sound of hurried footsteps, she moved like Specter to the other end of the bookshelf and hid there.

She had just taken cover when the source of the footsteps arrived at her location.

Holding a mirror slightly to the side, she glanced at the reflection with A Pure Smile, Shy Blushing Cheeks, and then, upon seeing the image refracted in the mirror, she involuntarily fell into silence... almost dropping the mirror in her hand.

She thought there might be something wrong with her eyesight.