A strange flow of energy coursed steadily through his body, the icy coolness oddly comforting. Qingmu wiggled his fingers, stretched his limbs, and sat up.
He was surprised—he didn’t feel the usual rusty stiffness from a body long unused.
Excitement stirred in his chest. He hadn’t expected that knowledge gained from the virtual world could revive a body left comatose by his yandere little sister-in-law.
Looking up, his eyes met an expanse of vibrant green. Vines and wooden furniture adorned with fresh flowers filled the room. The Wood Elf Sanctuary’s decor was uniquely full of life—there was no hint of savagery, only the pure innocence of nature. This must be the Wood Elf Sanctuary he had vaguely heard about during his vegetative state.
Turning his head, he saw an altar. On it stood a green statue of a female elf, seemingly a sacred relic of the Wood Elves. He owed the delay of his life’s end to it. The jade bed and the altar’s base were connected by vines, channeling nourishing magic.
Though his body felt unexpectedly light, his mind was somewhat foggy. Qingmu got off the jade bed and looked around the room, finally resting his gaze on the doorway. In his heart, he confirmed his suspicion.
A magical barrier was stationed there, softly distorting the air—a sign that Qingmu was imprisoned.
It was obvious, even without thinking: this barrier was set by the Saintess Yue Lan!
“How could she turn me into a vegetable and not even let me go? What exactly is she trying to do?”
Qingmu’s annoyance grew. Raising his left hand, he suddenly noticed dense tiny dots on his wrist, like pinpricks.
Even worse—this was definitely a magical potion brewed by Yue Lan.
What kind of potion was this? Was it just a simple healing elixir?
He checked himself carefully and felt no apparent abnormalities. His rational mind told him it might be a beneficial potion, but would a villain really give you something good?
Yue Lan was utterly wicked. In all his years since crossing over into this world, he had never met anyone as evil as her!
Betrayal! Parricide! Blasphemy! And now she even wants to mess with me, her brother-in-law?
All these heinous crimes she’s committed!
Just you wait, I’ll make sure to deal with you too!
My strength will gradually return with the progress of the simulation world. When that time comes, I will tear off your hypocritical mask in front of everyone, expose your crimes, and make sure you receive the punishment you deserve!
I will make you repent in front of Yue Qi and all those who died because of your betrayal—even if it costs you your life!
With silent resolve, Qingmu was filled with fighting spirit.
Being in a vegetative state meant existing half-dreaming, half-awake. He had no sense of time or date, and with the magical barrier blocking all exit, escape was impossible.
So for now, all he could do was wait.
His body would continue as a vegetable on the jade bed, while his consciousness carried on in the simulation, waiting to gain simulation rewards, reclaim his strength, and then make his next move.
Reluctantly, Qingmu had to lie back down on the jade bed. He felt the flow of energy within him weakening and fading, and a heavy, irresistible exhaustion swept over his body. He closed his eyes and lay down.
He only had three minutes of active time—but those three minutes had already shown him hope.
His consciousness slowly dulled…
*****
Soon, the magic barrier was opened by a Wood Elf. Young of their kind, they often couldn’t distinguish gender, and this elf, carrying a basin of water, was no exception. Approaching the jade bed, the elf furrowed their brow.
“Huh, that’s strange.”
The elf realized something was off—why had the hero’s advisor’s posture changed?
Before, the left hand was always underneath. Now why was the left hand on top?
Was it just a trick of memory?
“No way… has he moved?”
The elf doubted their own memory. How could a vegetable possibly move? Besides, no one but the Saintess and the token-holder could enter here.
Even if revival was to occur, there should be signs.
“Sigh, I can’t stay vague anymore. The chief said if I neglect care for this noble one, I’ll surely anger the Saintess.
Hmm… she’s completely different from the rumors.”
The elf’s handsome face displayed confusion. Shrugging, they carefully began wiping the person on the bed with a damp towel.
They must not draw the Saintess’s attention…
*****
…
…
“Damn it, the hunting ground to the west has been taken over by a goblin gang, and among them is a Bear Hobgoblin. Out of a twenty-plus team, only one survived!”
“We’ll have to wait for the big shots from the Church to handle this!”
Outside the Demon King’s Leased Land, in the border town of Chanda, adventurers crowded the tavern. Whether drinking or playing, conversations always circled back to the conflict between the Demon Race and the continent.
Half a year ago, the allied forces were crushed beneath the Demon King’s Castle. The ceasefire concessions hadn’t curbed the Demon King’s ambitions. Numerous monsters, worth less than wild grass, kept invading the uninhabited colonies of the continent. The Demon King claimed these were monsters acting on their own and insisted she had issued bans.
In response, talented people of various races across the continent gathered to hunt these monsters. The continent’s leaders claimed the people acted spontaneously, but everyone knew that behind the scenes, both monsters and adventurers had official backing.
“The hero’s team was almost wiped out. We need to wait for a new hero to awaken.”
“Awakening a hero isn’t that easy!”
“Don’t worry. We have Saintess Yue Lan. She’s the most devout saintess in history, one of the few survivors of that massacre, blessed by the gods.
With her, the hero’s awakening will come quickly!”
“Let’s hope so!”
“But for now, we still need to figure out how to deal with that Bear Hobgoblin!”
At a table, humans chatted with their elven companions. Among the wine and dishes sat a bounty for goblin extermination.
Suddenly, the noisy tavern quieted as the sound of a lute being plucked drifted through. The crowd’s voices dimmed, signaling the bard was about to sing.
“Bang—”
Just as silence settled, the tavern door was pushed open, drawing everyone’s attention. A woman strode in, throwing something onto the ground with a loud thud.
The crowd looked down to see a massive head—the terrifying Bear Hobgoblin’s.
The cut was clean, as if severed by a sharp blade. The blood was bright red, clearly fresh.
This Bear Hobgoblin, which had given the adventurers so much trouble, had been killed by a human woman even more beautiful than an elf!
Her facial features marked her as an easterner of the continent: black hair and eyes, with a distinctive tear mole under her left eye. Slim and wearing a white gauze-like eastern dress, she carried a longsword on her back, a silver bell tied at her waist. She exuded an aloof, regal aura.
Her passing stirred a breeze that cleared the stench of alcohol. She took a vacant seat, slammed her sheathed longsword on the table, and called out to the bartender: “One glass of Kingdom sweet wine, butter stew, and roasted pork chop.”
The black-haired beauty ordered several dishes known only to Rose Kingdom natives, then snapped her fingers at the stunned bard and smiled.
“Sing a song for the fairy who killed the Bear Hobgoblin… The Rose Kingdom Princess!”
Though no one knew what “fairy” meant exactly, her deed was true. Amidst the adventurers’ cheers and praises for the white-clad fairy, the bard cleared his throat and began:
“She was once the darling of the White Tower, her robe adorned with winter roses…”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.