Mida knew that her mother seemed to be investigating these so-called Twilight Cultists—otherwise, she wouldn’t have paid them any attention at all.
Mida followed Anlier to a barn.
The barn was noticeably different from the other snow-covered houses, its exterior lined with thick layers of dry straw, insulation measures meticulously in place to ensure the grain wouldn’t freeze.
Inside the barn, two men lay bound and gagged, carelessly tossed onto the ground.
One was Ge Rui, the other Old Cody.
Both were familiar faces in Lake Village, which was why the enraged villagers hadn’t outright slaughtered them.
However, a brutal beating was unavoidable. Ge Rui’s face was already swollen and bruised, while Old Cody, perhaps due to his advanced age, looked slightly better—though his forehead was still marked with dark bruises.
Mida slowly walked up to the two men.
Ge Rui looked confused, not recognizing the young girl at all, but Old Cody had already identified Mida.
“S-Snow God?”
Old Cody’s expression grew agitated.
“Why… why would an existence like you interfere in these matters? Do you also intend to oppose the Hero, my lord?”
Mida tilted her head slightly, as if she didn’t quite understand what the old man was saying.
After all, just days ago, she had addressed that man as “Father.”
“Silence, Mr. Cody,” Anlier snapped. “You’ve been deceived by the Evil God! The true Hero would never command you to do such things!”
“No, that being is indeed the Hero,” Ge Rui suddenly spoke up. “He never ordered us to do anything… we acted of our own will! Even if we must bear endless sins, we will resurrect the Hero!”
“And for that, you’d sacrifice the village you grew up in? You’re insane!” Anlier’s fury flared as he grabbed Ge Rui by the collar and punched him hard in the face. “What do you take the villagers for?”
Anlier didn’t hold back, but Ge Rui spat out a broken tooth and laughed. “Of course they’re my family… which is why I entrusted them with this glorious mission!”
“Utterly incomprehensible…” Anlier’s gaze darkened—this was the first time he had ever felt genuine murderous intent toward his childhood friend.
But right now, he didn’t have the authority to deal with these two.
“I’m taking them,” Mida declared.
It wasn’t a request. Without waiting for Anlier’s response, she froze the two men into ice sculptures and stored them in her spatial ring.
Spatial rings couldn’t hold living beings, but ice was no issue.
Thaw them out, and they’d be alive again.
“Ah… yes, as you wish…” Anlier’s reply came too late.
Mida stepped out of the barn, transformed back into a dragon, and took flight.
Before leaving, she reminded him:
“Don’t forget the sausages.”
……
Oliphant.
“Professor… did you need something?” Mian asked cautiously.
After class, Professor Enlaisi had abruptly called him to stay behind.
“It’s not about what I need—it’s about you.” Enlaisi lit his pipe and took a slow drag. “You’re a talented boy, Mian.”
“Th-thank you.”
“You should be more confident.” Enlaisi gave Mian’s shoulder a firm pat, nearly knocking him over. Mian barely caught himself on the lectern, avoiding a fall.
Mian hunched his shoulders slightly. “I… I know.”
“You have the makings of a true powerhouse… that’s an incredible stroke of luck. Countless people are forever barred by the threshold of talent alone.” Enlaisi exhaled a smoke ring.
“Is that so…”
Mian pressed his lips together.
He didn’t actually want to stand out. If he hadn’t, maybe those bullies wouldn’t have targeted him.
“You seem to be facing some difficulties,” Enlaisi observed, noting Mian’s unease. “And no one can help you.”
Mian’s breath hitched. An overwhelming dread surged from within, suffocating him.
“The world isn’t fair. Some are born with everything, while others are worth less than weeds by the roadside. Even if a weed grows tall, it’s still just a weed—too tall, and it becomes an eyesore.” Enlaisi’s voice was calm, but Mian’s anxiety only deepened.
Mian felt as if he were sinking into the dark, icy depths of a lake, surrounded by nothing but cold and shadows.
“Changing someone’s ingrained beliefs isn’t easy. One person alone can’t do it.” Enlaisi sighed.
“Then… what should I do?” Mian asked nervously.
Enlaisi patted his shoulder again, gentler this time. “When one person can’t do it, seek help. If no one around you can help, then find something to believe in.
Think about it, child. What would Hero Xia Lun do?”
……
“Mida said she wants to come see us,” Aina told Xia Lun.
“Oh?”
“Twilight Envoys have appeared in the Snow Realm. Mida captured two alive.”
“What a reliable child.” A faint smile touched Xia Lun’s lips.
“Who’s Mida? The Frost Sovereign of the Snow Realm?” Liyana gasped. “You’re on a first-name basis with a Sovereign? Wait, Xia Lun, ‘Sovereign’ doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to—you’re technically unemployed as a Hero now…”
Xia Lun glanced at Aina beside him.
Unemployed? Not necessarily.
Amid the casual conversation, the three arrived at the headmaster’s office.
Liyana had followed along for some reason.
Aside from Wolund, another person was inside—a bespectacled, scholarly-looking woman sitting rigidly beside him, holding a stack of files.
The moment Kalinda saw Xia Lun, her expression shifted slightly.
“Kalinda, this is Xia Lun… he’s my, ah… friend. We have matters to discuss. Would you mind stepping out?” Wolund coughed lightly.
“Of course, Headmaster Wolund.”
Kalinda rose and left, a smug smile playing on her lips.
Wolund had no idea she’d already guessed the truth—Xia Lun’s real relationship with him!
Once Kalinda was gone, Xia Lun briefly explained Mian’s situation.
Wolund fell into thought.
“How do you plan to handle this?” Xia Lun asked.
“It might sound harsh… but this is a magic academy.” Wolund paused. “The academy is a place to forge the strong. We don’t need cowards who rely on others for everything.
If that student, Mian, isn’t completely powerless, then he should overcome his struggles on his own. That’s the best path for his future.”
Wolund watched Xia Lun’s expression carefully.
Xia Lun gave a slight nod. “I agree.”
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
