In the pitch-black space.
The bored girl tilted her head, propped her right cheek up with one hand, and sat cross-legged on a tall, straight-backed chair.
A glowing magical screen floated directly in front of her.
The entire scene resembled some kind of private theater.
And the girl was the only audience member.
But the more interesting part was that, if one looked closely at the image displayed on the screen, one would be amazed to discover that its protagonist looked exactly like the girl in the dark space.
Or rather—
She was another version of herself from reality.
The girl was watching a movie starring herself, titled "My Life."
Though...
Judging by the audience's reaction, this movie clearly hadn't been made very well.
Smack!
The girl suddenly angrily slapped the armrest beside her.
"What an idiot!"
At that moment, the screen showed Liao Zixuan handing her the Purple Crystal Grass and Luo Er's letter, only for her to choose the latter between the two.
"You already had the Purple Crystal Grass in hand. Why didn't you just take it and leave? Why did you have to go cause trouble for that Fire God Cult!?"
"Hmph, you don't really think you're that strong, do you!?"
"You're not even that capable, yet you keep taking trouble upon yourself every single day. What an absolute idiot!!"
The girl in the dark space seemed furious, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
And in this case, "rising and falling" was something one could genuinely see clearly. The contours were distinct, with rolling peaks and valleys—completely different from her flat-chested self in reality.
After all, this mental space had been created by the girl herself. She was its sole master and could freely create anything she wanted.
For example, the cool black dress she wore. The noble chair she was sitting on. And, of course, her own body.
Ahem.
Well.
One couldn't rule out the possibility that she had slipped in some personal preferences!
In any case, the furious girl waved her little hand and shut off the magical projection in a fit of pique, as though she no longer wanted to watch herself suffer.
Unfortunately...
It wasn't long before the girl seemed unable to resist and secretly turned it back on.
"I'll just watch one more time."
That was what the girl muttered inwardly.
But soon, the dark space was once again filled with her exasperated voice.
"We didn't see a single person from the Fire God Cult along the way. Isn't it obvious that they recalled all their subordinates and are just waiting for you to walk right into their trap!?"
"Why didn't you send someone in to scout ahead before entering the cave? Why did you charge in first like a fool!?"
"I can't take this anymore! That old woman asked for your name, and you actually obediently told her? Couldn't you have just made one up? What if she decides to target you later!?"
As her real self finally ventured deep into the Claw Nest and reached the Fire God Cult's stronghold, the girl in the dark space—without even realizing it herself—went from sitting relaxed to leaning forward tensely. Her little hands, which had been resting on both armrests, clenched tightly, while her previously crossed legs had long since dropped down, her toes anxiously tapping the floor on their own.
The girl stared at the screen without blinking, as though afraid she might miss something.
This state finally reached its peak when Bishop Eugenia attacked her real self, played a trick, and used the Outlanders in the iron cages to distract her, forcing her to waste magic rescuing them.
"Idiot! Fool! Moron!"
"I'm so mad! I'm so mad! So! Damn! Mad!"
The girl even leaped up from her chair.
She stomped her feet hard against the dark space.
"What are you doing!? Don't you know you're in danger!? How can you still have the time to help someone else!?"
"You—"
Just as the girl was gnashing her teeth in exasperation, a voice suddenly rang out in the dark space.
"Mm, I know."
"What!? You idiot! If you knew, then why are you still—" The girl had only gotten halfway through her tirade before she suddenly realized that something was wrong.
"..."
"..."
The girl who had just transformed into a rapid-fire artillery cannon of insults instantly became mute. The expression on her little face was a spectacle in itself.
It went from shock, to guilt, to unease, and finally, she even closed her eyes and pretended to be dead.
This dark space belonged exclusively to her. It had been created by her, and outsiders absolutely could not enter. That much was certain.
But there was still one exception.
That was if the one who entered wasn't an outsider, but herself.
Another—
Self.
"Because I wanted to use them to buy me some time," Vivian explained patiently.
"You've been watching from here the whole time, so you should have noticed, right? Ever since I chose to help those Outlanders in the iron cages, Bishop Eugenia has become unusually talkative. Even her emotions seem rather unstable. So I think those Outlanders are her weakness! The more I show that I care about them, the more she'll try to persuade me."
"If I let her keep talking a little longer and hold on for just a bit more, I'll be able to learn that powerful magic of hers!"
Vivian's slightly smug voice echoed through the dark space.
This was completely opposite to the reality displayed on the still-glowing magical screen, where Vivian was being suppressed by Bishop Eugenia and could barely raise her head, looking utterly miserable.
Girl: "..."
Girl: "..."
"Um... Did I scare you? I'm sorry. I—I didn't mean to!" Seeing that she received no response from "herself," Vivian hurriedly began apologizing, thinking she had gotten carried away with her smugness.
That may have genuinely provoked the girl.
"Hehehe." A stiff laugh, as though forcibly squeezed out from the back of someone's throat, echoed through the dark space.
"Scared by you? How could that be!?"
The girl finally stopped pretending to be dead and forcefully retorted at the other version of herself.
Very forcefully.
If one ignored the toes that looked ready to dig out an entire castle, the hands that were about to crush the armrests, and the heart pounding wildly in her chest as though countless Fireballs were bombarding it from within.
"Phew, th-that's good! I heard you cursing me earlier, so I—I thought you hated me..."
"What!?" The girl couldn't stop herself from crying out.
"You said e-earlier?"
"When did you start listening to me here!?"
The girl shot to her feet again.
"Let me think. I think it was from when you said, 'What an absolute idiot!'" Vivian in reality seriously replied after thinking for a moment.
At the same time, she was sent flying by a whip from the enraged Bella.
"I know you hate me and look down on me." Vivian shakily climbed to her feet.
"I also know that I'm weak, always lacking confidence, and always foolishly trying to help others, even though I don't actually have the ability to do so..."
Vivian wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked at the players inside the iron cages, who were turning into streaks of white light and disappearing.
"But I also know that ever since that rainy night, another, more powerful me has always been by my side."
"She's stronger than me and smarter than me."
"There's nothing difficult for her. No matter how powerful the enemy is, she can deal with them effortlessly, and no matter how dangerous the situation, she can resolve it with ease."
"So..."
Vivian began chanting a spell.
"So I was a little cunning and forced myself into danger, because I knew she wouldn't stand by and do nothing. After all, this body is mine—and hers too."
"I can't just stand by and let the Fire God Cult's ritual take place. I don't want the rampaging monsters to trample our village."
"So..."
"Please, other me! Save everyone, save the village, and save me in reality."
The dark space fell silent for a moment.
In reality, Vivian's spell was also nearing completion.
Just as she thought she would receive no response and that she had failed to communicate again, her eyes dimming, the girl's voice suddenly rang out once more.
"A scythe."
"Wh-what?"
"Since you're imitating that old woman's magic, you should be able to condense a weapon from flames too, right?"
The girl sitting in the noble chair at the center of the dark space crossed her legs again.
She yawned as though bored, then repeated herself to her real self.
"I want a scythe."
"It would be even better if it were a little bigger." The girl thought for a moment while propping up her cheek, then added another sentence.
"Okay! N-no problem!!"
After that delighted reply, Vivian in reality used her possession magic to condense a crimson giant scythe more than a person's height.
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not acting because of your pathetic flattery!"
"I'm only..."
"Honoring a wager I lost, that's all."
Rarely seen, the girl was clearly talking about a wager she had "lost," yet the corners of her mouth were curling upward wildly, as though she had lost but hadn't really lost at all. She looked extremely excited and happy.
"Huh? What wager—"
Vivian in reality had just been about to ask when, in the next instant, she found herself inside the black space.
And the one who had originally been inside the black space—
Clang!!
Sparks flew in all directions!
Bishop Eugenia—in other words, Witch Bella—swung her Flame Whip.
She didn't want to give the little girl another chance to play tricks. The blazing whip tore through the air at high speed, emitting a piercing shriek. Like a roaring fire dragon, it lashed toward Vivian with immense force.
This whip was even more lethal than the previous two combined.
If it struck her, she would be crippled even if she survived.
As for anyone capable of blocking this whip, it would be difficult to find even one such person in all of Huodian City. Well... two hands might be enough to count them.
But—
What had just happened!?
Bella felt a huge rebound travel up the Flame Whip, as though it had been deflected by something. Caught off guard, she nearly lost her grip.
The answer came in the form of a crimson scythe shadow.
At some point, the burning scythe summoned by the possession magic had appeared in the little girl's left hand.
Bella sensed that the aura around the girl facing her had changed.
Before, Vivian had felt soft yet firm, never confronting her head-on. There hadn't been the slightest trace of malice or killing intent about her. She had always relied on insecure evasion and defense.
But now, Vivian seemed to have completely turned into her opposite.
The madness, arrogance, and intense killing intent revealed in her eyes made even Bella, a "Witch," feel uncomfortable.
"You're not Vivian."
"Who are you?"
Bella's voice was unusually solemn this time.
Because Bella was far too familiar with this kind of change in Vivian.
Every time she used soul magic to possess another host, the same earth-shaking transformation would occur. It would still be the same person, yet they would seem completely different.
Bella mistakenly assumed that Vivian had been possessed by another powerful person who had lodged their soul within the little girl.
However—
The only response Bella received was three teasing words.
"Guess."
Vivian smiled.
It was a strange, wicked smile.
"I remember you liked playing games with me before, didn't you?"
The girl tilted her head back and looked at Bella, who was floating high above.
"Then let's play a game too."
"You guess who I am."
"If you guess wrong, I'll kill you."
"But if you guess right..."
"Then I'll let you be killed by me!"
Vivian swept the giant scythe in her hand around until it pointed directly at Bella. At the same time, all the flames bestowed upon her by the possession magic began changing color in an instant.
The color grew deeper and deeper, until it finally turned an eerie black.
Black Flame.
Well, would you look at that—another one who played dirty!
The somewhat overlooked Wolf Cub finally realized that he had to seize some of the spotlight.
Liao Zixuan mentally shouted about a sneak attack, because the Black Flame now burning over Vivian's body was exactly the same as that of his Dark Flame Wolf!
The little girl had secretly imitated even his flames at some point!
The one who clearly possessed the copying ability wasn't the dark Vivian of the Second Personality, but the foolishly sweet main personality!
So.
She had gone from sweet and innocent to sweet on the outside and dark within, huh?
At this moment, the dark Vivian of the Second Personality had no time to care about some Wolf Cub's depressed inner thoughts.
She only knew that, compared to the crimson flames that had originally resembled those of the old woman opposite her, these black flames were clearly much more comfortable.
"You, go. Kill her."
Bella's voice seemed to carry an irresistible force.
Even though all the Fire God Cultists felt a deep sense of fear from Vivian at that moment, their bodies still moved against their will, becoming cannon fodder for Bella to test Vivian's strength.
"You want to come play together too?"
Vivian looked at the Fire God Cultists charging toward her with bloodshot eyes and weapons in hand. Like a little girl who had found a pile of toys, she smiled happily.
The girl lightly stepped forward, but the next second, her figure appeared out of thin air above and behind the Fire God Cultist at the very front.
The terrifying giant scythe wreathed in black flames swept casually across.
The cultist's head, still wearing a bewildered expression, rolled to the girl's leather boot.
A completely unquestionable instant kill.
The Fire God Cultists chosen to accompany the Bishop on a secret mission were all elites who had at least reached the threshold of the first rank. In Huodian City, every one of them could at least become a squad leader in the Knight Order.
Yet against Vivian now, they seemed unable even to react.
After the first toy was destroyed, Vivian could no longer hold back.
Then came the second, and the third.
The girl in black clothes, a black dress, and wielding a black scythe drifted and danced among the Fire God Cultists like a butterfly of death.
No one could see the girl's movements clearly.
The only thing they could feel was a chill at their necks. Then, they could see up close the girl's pale, lotus-root-like ankles.
After that, they became another round object beneath Vivian's feet.
"Why has everyone fallen down?"
The girl sat atop the pile of corpses, swinging her legs.
"Oh, I almost forgot. There's still one left!" Vivian muttered to herself as she raised her scarlet eyes and looked at Eugenia floating in midair—Bella.
"No one ever told you"
"It's rude to always make other people crane their necks to talk to you?"
Before you continue