“Young miss, welcome back.” The old knight’s voice was laced with a creaking, grating noise.
Through the reflection in the crystal, Xue Ji saw that the old knight had transformed into a wooden puppet—or perhaps, this was his true form all along.
The blue-haired girl responded only with her gaze before fixing her eyes back on Xue Ji.
Through those aquamarine irises, Xue Ji glimpsed the silhouette of a mage.
“Hello, stranger. If you can hear these words, it means my daughter, Eva, has chosen you.”
“Her heart is clearer than Crescent Bay. I trust she has not chosen wrongly. She cannot tell you much herself, but all your questions will find answers within my research notes.”
The man’s voice was laden with profound regret as he sighed.
“In return for everything I have left behind—including this castle—I beg you: take her away from here, and take good care of her.”
“She is the work of my entire life… my most perfect creation.”
“And also… my most beloved daughter.”
The man’s silhouette blurred beyond recognition, his voice wavering unsteadily as the clamorous echoes of time intruded.
From the girl’s expressionless face, Xue Ji could sense a sorrow uniquely her own. It was not intense, but it flowed ceaselessly, with no end in sight.
Xue Ji considered letting go; holding on like this forever was not a solution.
As if reading her thoughts, the girl released her grip, stood up silently, and waited.
Xue Ji let go. The faint, cool sensation where their fingers had interlocked made her instinctively clench her own hand.
She turned to check on the old knight.
His body was rigid, having completely reverted to a wooden puppet, yet he still stood ramrod straight. In one outstretched hand rested the wheat-ear coronet he had promised.
The blue-haired girl, Eva, walked over to the old knight on her own and hugged him.
Xue Ji was not fond of sentimental stories. She took the wheat-ear coronet from the old knight’s hand and gently placed it upon Eva’s head.
The golden wheat complemented the watery blue beautifully, lending Eva a touch of warmth.
Throughout all of this, Eva simply watched her, steady and unmoving.
“Come with me.”
Eva removed her robe and handed it back to Xue Ji. Before Xue Ji could even raise her hand to cover her eyes, threads of spiritual energy extended from the ends of the girl’s long hair, weaving around her body in that characteristic dissonant speed unique to this world.
A flash of blue light, and she had fashioned an identical robe for herself, styled just like Xue Ji’s mage attire.
“Creation from thin air? That’s a level of alchemy that exists only in theory!”
Xue Ji’s pupils trembled. All alchemy in this otherworld abided by the iron law of equivalent exchange—something must be lost for something to be gained.
But what Eva had just done, though guided by those threads of spiritual energy, consumed no spiritual power whatsoever. It was true creation without cost.
“To think someone could reach such a level… it’s a miracle.”
Even Xue Ji was taken aback by such an ability.
The blue-haired girl tilted her head, observing Xue Ji’s astonishment. Xue Ji sensed a flicker of confusion emanating from that emotionless face.
Xue Ji shook her head and extended her right hand.
“Will you come out with me?”
Eva gently took her hand. That was her answer.
In that very moment, Xue Ji felt the entirety of this small realm fall completely under her dominion.
‘Didn’t they say just the castle was mine? Why then does this entire pocket world…’
Xue Ji had no time to ponder further. When she stepped out through the main gate with Eva, all she saw was desolation and deathly stillness.
She glanced at Eva for a reaction. Eva showed none.
The two walked the path in silence, arriving back at the small village from before.
The bustling, high-speed figures that had moved to and fro were now all wooden puppets. A thick, cloying scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
“What happened here?” Xue Ji tried asking.
Eva simply tilted her head again, looking at her with apparent incomprehension.
Just then, one of the research journals Xue Ji had taken stirred. She pulled it from her storage space, and the journal flipped open on its own to the very page that could answer her question.
Record 1:
After being enveloped by the mist, things began to disintegrate. I can clearly feel the village fading away. Two people have already vanished entirely.
I cannot ignore the helplessness in the villagers’ eyes, but for the moment, all I can offer are words of comfort to ease the panic.
I tried using magic to solve the problem, but even magic is withering away. Time is short.
I found it! Alchemy still works. There is still hope.
Gone again. Three more people have disappeared. From where I stand, I can barely make out the shape of the village anymore. I must work faster.
Anna, I find myself missing your freshly baked bread. I’m so tired now. I’m starting to doubt my choices. Can alchemy truly work miracles?
The butcher had a bit of a row with me. He suspects I have no real intention of saving them. But I understand him. His child vanished while delivering supplies to me.
Eva’s condition is dire. I may truly have to use alchemy on her. Anna, her mother, please forgive me.
The knights stationed here have also begun to vanish. The eldest son of the Leyd family came to see me. He left quite an impression—well-spoken, wise. He brought a very beautiful golden coronet, the family emblem, if I recall correctly.
Young Master Leyd inspired me. His father had vanished, yet the coronet remained steadfast. According to alchemical knowledge, gold possesses stability against the ravages of time. Could the disappearances be time-related?
I experimented by planting some slow-growing magical herbs near the boundary. After just one day, they had fully matured. I shared this discovery with the villagers. The Leyd family’s second son immediately thought of using this phenomenon to grow crops. Clever boy, but not as clever as my Eva, haha.
Having understood the principle behind the time acceleration, I’ve conceived of a sole solution. Through alchemy, I can enhance human perception and physical constitution to adapt to life in this accelerated timeframe.
Everyone has become an inhabitant of this high-speed world. Alchemy has worked a miracle. But Eva… Eva has left me. I cannot accept this. Even if it means delving into forbidden knowledge, I must do it—to let this child live.
After reading the contents of Record 1, Xue Ji involuntarily tightened her grip on Eva’s hand.
“Your father… he was remarkable.”
Eva gave a small, gentle nod. It seemed the alchemical transformation had cost her much of her emotional capacity.
The phantoms Xue Ji had seen upon arrival were merely illusions born of differing time flows. The true village was indeed a hellscape on earth.
Everywhere lay villagers who had perished violently. On each of their necks remained the unmistakable mark of a vampire.
And beyond that, Xue Ji suddenly understood the fate of the hundreds of thousands who had vanished without a trace from the Blood Clan’s Holy Land. They had been consumed by that very blood mist that loomed above Eva’s castle.
Cain!
Cain had used this world of accelerating time as a slaughterhouse, sacrificing hundreds of thousands in a blood ritual to ascend to his false godhood.
Eva gently tugged on Xue Ji’s hand, tears welling up in her eyes.
Xue Ji embraced her, her voice soft and warm. “Let’s go.”
“Young miss, welcome back.” The old knight’s voice was laced with a creaking, grating noise.
Through the reflection in the crystal, Xue Ji saw that the old knight had transformed into a wooden puppet—or perhaps, this was his true form all along.
The blue-haired girl responded only with her gaze before fixing her eyes back on Xue Ji.
Through those aquamarine irises, Xue Ji glimpsed the silhouette of a mage.
“Hello, stranger. If you can hear these words, it means my daughter, Eva, has chosen you.”
“Her heart is clearer than Crescent Bay. I trust she has not chosen wrongly. She cannot tell you much herself, but all your questions will find answers within my research notes.”
The man’s voice was laden with profound regret as he sighed.
“In return for everything I have left behind—including this castle—I beg you: take her away from here, and take good care of her.”
“She is the work of my entire life… my most perfect creation.”
“And also… my most beloved daughter.”
The man’s silhouette blurred beyond recognition, his voice wavering unsteadily as the clamorous echoes of time intruded.
From the girl’s expressionless face, Xue Ji could sense a sorrow uniquely her own. It was not intense, but it flowed ceaselessly, with no end in sight.
Xue Ji considered letting go; holding on like this forever was not a solution.
As if reading her thoughts, the girl released her grip, stood up silently, and waited.
Xue Ji let go. The faint, cool sensation where their fingers had interlocked made her instinctively clench her own hand.
She turned to check on the old knight.
His body was rigid, having completely reverted to a wooden puppet, yet he still stood ramrod straight. In one outstretched hand rested the wheat-ear coronet he had promised.
The blue-haired girl, Eva, walked over to the old knight on her own and hugged him.
Xue Ji was not fond of sentimental stories. She took the wheat-ear coronet from the old knight’s hand and gently placed it upon Eva’s head.
The golden wheat complemented the watery blue beautifully, lending Eva a touch of warmth.
Throughout all of this, Eva simply watched her, steady and unmoving.
“Come with me.”
Eva removed her robe and handed it back to Xue Ji. Before Xue Ji could even raise her hand to cover her eyes, threads of spiritual energy extended from the ends of the girl’s long hair, weaving around her body in that characteristic dissonant speed unique to this world.
A flash of blue light, and she had fashioned an identical robe for herself, styled just like Xue Ji’s mage attire.
“Creation from thin air? That’s a level of alchemy that exists only in theory!”
Xue Ji’s pupils trembled. All alchemy in this otherworld abided by the iron law of equivalent exchange—something must be lost for something to be gained.
But what Eva had just done, though guided by those threads of spiritual energy, consumed no spiritual power whatsoever. It was true creation without cost.
“To think someone could reach such a level… it’s a miracle.”
Even Xue Ji was taken aback by such an ability.
The blue-haired girl tilted her head, observing Xue Ji’s astonishment. Xue Ji sensed a flicker of confusion emanating from that emotionless face.
Xue Ji shook her head and extended her right hand.
“Will you come out with me?”
Eva gently took her hand. That was her answer.
In that very moment, Xue Ji felt the entirety of this small realm fall completely under her dominion.
‘Didn’t they say just the castle was mine? Why then does this entire pocket world…’
Xue Ji had no time to ponder further. When she stepped out through the main gate with Eva, all she saw was desolation and deathly stillness.
She glanced at Eva for a reaction. Eva showed none.
The two walked the path in silence, arriving back at the small village from before.
The bustling, high-speed figures that had moved to and fro were now all wooden puppets. A thick, cloying scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
“What happened here?” Xue Ji tried asking.
Eva simply tilted her head again, looking at her with apparent incomprehension.
Just then, one of the research journals Xue Ji had taken stirred. She pulled it from her storage space, and the journal flipped open on its own to the very page that could answer her question.
Record 1:
After being enveloped by the mist, things began to disintegrate. I can clearly feel the village fading away. Two people have already vanished entirely.
I cannot ignore the helplessness in the villagers’ eyes, but for the moment, all I can offer are words of comfort to ease the panic.
I tried using magic to solve the problem, but even magic is withering away. Time is short.
I found it! Alchemy still works. There is still hope.
Gone again. Three more people have disappeared. From where I stand, I can barely make out the shape of the village anymore. I must work faster.
Anna, I find myself missing your freshly baked bread. I’m so tired now. I’m starting to doubt my choices. Can alchemy truly work miracles?
The butcher had a bit of a row with me. He suspects I have no real intention of saving them. But I understand him. His child vanished while delivering supplies to me.
Eva’s condition is dire. I may truly have to use alchemy on her. Anna, her mother, please forgive me.
The knights stationed here have also begun to vanish. The eldest son of the Leyd family came to see me. He left quite an impression—well-spoken, wise. He brought a very beautiful golden coronet, the family emblem, if I recall correctly.
Young Master Leyd inspired me. His father had vanished, yet the coronet remained steadfast. According to alchemical knowledge, gold possesses stability against the ravages of time. Could the disappearances be time-related?
I experimented by planting some slow-growing magical herbs near the boundary. After just one day, they had fully matured. I shared this discovery with the villagers. The Leyd family’s second son immediately thought of using this phenomenon to grow crops. Clever boy, but not as clever as my Eva, haha.
Having understood the principle behind the time acceleration, I’ve conceived of a sole solution. Through alchemy, I can enhance human perception and physical constitution to adapt to life in this accelerated timeframe.
Everyone has become an inhabitant of this high-speed world. Alchemy has worked a miracle. But Eva… Eva has left me. I cannot accept this. Even if it means delving into forbidden knowledge, I must do it—to let this child live.
——-
After reading the contents of Record 1, Xue Ji involuntarily tightened her grip on Eva’s hand.
“Your father… he was remarkable.”
Eva gave a small, gentle nod. It seemed the alchemical transformation had cost her much of her emotional capacity.
The phantoms Xue Ji had seen upon arrival were merely illusions born of differing time flows. The true village was indeed a hellscape on earth.
Everywhere lay villagers who had perished violently. On each of their necks remained the unmistakable mark of a vampire.
And beyond that, Xue Ji suddenly understood the fate of the hundreds of thousands who had vanished without a trace from the Blood Clan’s Holy Land. They had been consumed by that very blood mist that loomed above Eva’s castle.
Cain!
Cain had used this world of accelerating time as a slaughterhouse, sacrificing hundreds of thousands in a blood ritual to ascend to his false godhood.
Eva gently tugged on Xue Ji’s hand, tears welling up in her eyes.
Xue Ji embraced her, her voice soft and warm. “Let’s go.”