Lu Qiuchen arrived at the Land of the Golden Dwarves at noon, handing over her requests along with the materials.
Of course, she did not forget to mention that special request as well.
An order for magical weapons forged from pure refined gold and armor crafted from pure mithril—such an order was extremely rare, even for the Golden Dwarves who controlled vast mountains rich with copper and gold.
It immediately caught the attention of a Grandmaster-level blacksmith, who prepared to take the task personally.
Especially when they heard that Lu Qiuchen had also placed another batch of orders with the exiled Gray Dwarves, the Golden Dwarves couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
Ignoring Lu Qiuchen’s dual identity as both her employer and a dragon, they began to scold her for what they saw as a reckless waste of talent, simultaneously belittling the Gray Dwarves’ craftsmanship as insignificant.
After this grand display of condemnation, the dwarves, their booming voices having left Lu Qiuchen somewhat dazed, dragged her into their forge to explain their forging techniques.
Along the way, Lu Qiuchen noticed that the tools used by the Golden Dwarves and those used by the Gray Dwarves were hardly different.
But seeing the Golden Dwarves continually sigh over her and mutter about breakthroughs she couldn’t understand—and the huge gap they claimed existed between their techniques and those of the Gray Dwarves—she began to doubt herself.
Perhaps, she really shouldn’t have placed orders with the Gray Dwarves?
Exiting the Golden Dwarves’ territory, Lu Qiuchen flew unsteadily toward Dragon Island, still feeling the lingering effects of the dwarves’ loud voices that had surrounded her for hours.
Back on Dragon Island, Lu Qiuchen divided the mithril ore evenly into seven portions, personally delivering gifts to every Silver Dragon she knew.
As for the mithril that had already been processed, she naturally did not give any of that away.
She first sought out Gaierf, but he said that since reaching the Celestial rank, he no longer needed such gifts.
After some thought, to thank Impat for his past teachings and knowing that Gaierf had been stuck at the peak of Legendary rank for quite some time, she gave Gaierf his portion instead.
The rest of the portions were delivered smoothly.
As for the newlywed Silver Dragon couple in the Northern Sea, although Lu Qiuchen had yet to meet them, she entrusted Impat to keep their share safe.
As for whether Impat might sneak a taste, Lu Qiuchen thought that as Silver Dragon King, even just to maintain his dignity, he wouldn’t dare steal from the gifts.
When Ophie and Andona, the sisters, received Lu Qiuchen’s gifts, they almost thought the red moon in the sky had turned blue.
In their limited lifetimes as dragons, they had never seen anyone willingly hand over such precious items.
After hearing their doubts, Lu Qiuchen thought carefully and concluded this must be a species difference.
Used to her current style, it was easy to overlook, but she still retained some humanity in her heart.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Qiuchen flapped her wings and flew toward the Elder Council to find Odain—the real highlight was about to begin!
Entering the valley where the Elder Council resided, she passed through the barrier and found Odain resting in the massive cavern at the far end.
“You have come,” Odain said, opening his eyes as Lu Qiuchen approached, his hoarse voice slow and deliberate. “Earlier than I expected.”
Without waiting for Lu Qiuchen to speak, Odain closed his eyes again and continued, “From the moment we last parted, the true timing only starts when you re-enter this valley. That moment marks your official passing of the Elder Council’s final trial. The time you used will represent your exam score.”
“Congratulations, Lu Qiuchen—no, Cecilia—from now on, you are a true member of the Elder Council.”
“As a reward for completion, you may now ask three questions. I will answer everything I know. Ask whatever you wish.”
Lu Qiuchen pondered for a moment, initially reluctant to be so direct, but seeing Odain’s surprisingly gentle and serious attitude, she feared overcaution might cause her to miss this rare chance.
So she asked the first question she had prepared:
“Did you personally orchestrate my arrival in this world?”
“Yes and no.” Odain kept his eyes closed, not even opening his mouth this time. His voice was transmitted directly into Lu Qiuchen’s mind.
“I was indeed responsible for pulling your soul from the spirit realm and anchoring it in the Eternal World.
“But the one who sent you into the spirit realm was someone else.
“As for the specific name, I cannot tell you because of a contract.”
Odain’s faint voice echoed in Lu Qiuchen’s mind.
“Alright, the first question is done. If your next two questions are this simple, I will be quite disappointed.”
Though his tone was somewhat sarcastic, Lu Qiuchen recognized the warning behind Odain’s words.
From his answer, she also gleaned that Odain was trying to remind her of certain things as much as possible.
For example, Odain explicitly mentioned the existence of a contract, and that the person who sent her into the spirit realm was the one who signed the contract with Odain.
Moreover, the use of the word “specific” to describe the name in the Dragon Language implied that the person behind this might actually be multiple entities.
What kind of contract could bind an absolute powerhouse of Celestial rank like Odain so tightly that he could only hint at it instead of speaking openly?
The strength and level of that contract must be terrifyingly high.
Although Lu Qiuchen didn’t know why Odain wanted her to remember these things, since it could help with her choices, she humbly accepted the warning.
After some thought, she posed her second question.
“How long will it take before the entity that signed the contract with you fully controls the spirit realm?”
Having been tipped off by Odain earlier, Lu Qiuchen’s question contained some subtlety.
If she had directly asked when the Game Company would fully control the spirit realm or spirit realm consciousness, Odain could only answer with a vague timeframe or refuse to answer outright due to contract restrictions.
But by replacing the subject with “the entity that signed the contract with you,” Lu Qiuchen could deduce two things:
If Odain gave a specific time, considering the Game Company was currently fighting to wrest control of the spirit realm from Lai and was close to success, then that entity must be the Game Company or someone within it.
If Odain refused to answer, it would prove that the contract’s power was very strong and that the entity was not the Game Company but another force entirely.
Lu Qiuchen’s reasoning was based on the fact that Lai, who cooperated with the Game Company, was also bound by contract limitations.
Lai had told her he was tricked into the contract after awakening, with the other party exploiting loopholes and even stealing his power.
That contract’s binding strength must be formidable, but Lai could still warn Lu Qiuchen that his own time was running out.
If Odain could not speak openly because of the contract, it would prove the person who signed the contract with Odain was not part of the Game Company.
Odain opened his eyes again, looking at Lu Qiuchen with admiration.
“That’s a fairly good question.
“It will probably take at most one more year for them to fully control the spirit realm.”
“One more year at most…” Lu Qiuchen silently calculated. “That should be enough time for me to gather all the Celestial Fragments, right?”
Only one question remained, but Lu Qiuchen had far too many things she wanted to ask: how to return to Earth, why she was chosen, whether what Lai told her was true…
In the end, she followed her heart and asked the question she wanted answered most.
“The last question! After your plan succeeds, what will happen to the world I originally came from?”
Lu Qiuchen chose not to make it about herself, but she did not regret it.
Because compared to her own future, she wanted to know what would happen to Earth.
She, Zhang Cheng, and Lai still had a chance to return to Earth through Lai’s connection.
If she gave up pursuing the truth now, that chance might be lost forever.
“All the people in your original world will ‘die.’
“At the same time, the positions of the two worlds will be swapped.
“If their plan truly succeeds, even a few lucky survivors in your original world will be killed by creatures invading from the Eternal World.”
Odain answered.
“Alright, all three questions have been answered. You may leave.”
Shaken deeply by Odain’s words, Lu Qiuchen walked out of the valley blankly, following his instructions.
Just as she was about to step past the barrier, a faint voice resonated within her heart.
“The remaining Celestial Fragments on the Northern Continent are in the hands of the dwarves and the dragons. Remember, the dragon race will always stand with you. We have never been your enemies.”
Lu Qiuchen spun around abruptly.
Odain’s figure was still lying where he had been, his pitch-black body blending into the even darker depths of the cave.
From deep inside, an inexplicable suction seemed to pull at everything, chilling her to the bone.
Dispirited, she left Dragon Island and headed toward the Gray Dwarves’ territory.
After learning the Eternal Group’s true intentions, she was filled with a desire to confide.
She wanted to tell Zhang Cheng what she had discovered but didn’t want him to worry.
His strength was too weak; even knowing the Eternal Group’s real goal wouldn’t change much.
Moreover, Zhang Cheng himself had an identity tied to the Eternal World; in fact, his whole family were natives of the Eternal World.
Perhaps their positions were never truly aligned.
Thinking this, Lu Qiuchen’s heart grew restless.
Had she just found a reliable backing only to lose it again?
Was it her fate never to have a sense of security?
If that was the case, she wanted to enjoy being cared for as much as possible—for now, she would keep this from Zhang Cheng.
Sneaking back into Betkul, Lu Qiuchen was surprised to find that Zhang Cheng and Letty were still awake.
The three of them happened to meet at the entrance of the underground passage.
Seeing that the spots where Zhang Cheng and Letty were standing were farther apart than when she had left, Lu Qiuchen was puzzled.
Were these two having a quarrel now?
But judging by their calm expressions, it didn’t quite seem that way.
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