Chapter 66 Dark Continent 01 Host, thank you for using this...
[Host, if you confirm your return, I will assign you a new task.]
[Mission Objective: Completely kill Celidonish Greygore.]
[At the same time, the system would like to kindly remind you that, given the capabilities and status of the mission target, it is strongly recommended that you adopt a decisive, one-hit-kill strategy. Any hesitation or mistake could very likely lead to mission failure and damage your status.]
You probably remember the rules from the beginning, right? You only have one life. If you die in the game, your life ends forever.
Ayana paused for a moment, the confrontation with the fourth prince, Celidonesh, flashing through her mind.
She raised her hand and looked at her palm.
Having experienced the trials of the latter two worlds, Ayana could clearly feel that her strength had become stronger, and she had become more proficient in using her special abilities.
Avoiding problems won't solve anything.
That unfinished world and the suffering of the children within it are like a thorn stuck in the flesh; it will always ache unless it is pulled out.
Moreover, this is the only world Ayana has ever completed, and perhaps only by ending it completely can she truly gain freedom.
“System,” Ayana called out, her eyes unusually firm, “bring up a list of all my current points and redeemable items.”
【receive. 】
A screen unfolded before her, displaying detailed numerical values and a dazzling array of items and skills.
The world within this system is dangerous, but the rewards are also quite generous.
Ayana's gaze swept quickly over countless items that could instantly enhance explosive power and conceal one's presence. She bought a few, and then some targeted defensive items.
Points were spent like water flowing out of my pocket, but at this point, there was really no point in keeping them.
[Redeem successful. Items have been stored in system space and can be retrieved at any time.]
[Host, do you wish to return to the first world? This decision is irreversible.]
Ayana took a deep breath, the last trace of hesitation in her eyes vanishing, replaced by a resolute determination.
"Yes," she said firmly. "Take me back."
[Command confirmed. Initiating transfer of the host to the first world. Please prepare.]
【3, 2, 1】
The pure white space began to distort, and the familiar feeling of weightlessness returned.
The atmosphere around them suddenly changed, becoming tense and confrontational.
Ayana suddenly opened her eyes and, without any hesitation, used the teleportation item in the system world, landing behind Celidonish in just one breath.
She then summoned a longsword she had purchased from the system shop and, without hesitation, used her special ability [Powerful Amplification] to maximize her speed, slashing the sword directly into Chelidonish's body.
Celidonish reacted quickly, turning around and taking several steps back, causing Ayana's longsword to miss its mark.
"Hmm?" Celidonish narrowed his eyes, staring at the girl in front of him. "You seem to have changed a little?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the man's eyes, which always held a mixture of amusement and cruelty.
He gently stroked the fabric of his fine robe, which had been slashed by the blade, his fingertips stained with a trace of blood.
Although he dodged Ayana's attack from behind and avoided vital points, the girl's sudden increase in speed and explosive power still left a shallow scratch on Celidonish's body.
“Interesting…” he murmured, a more excited smile curving his lips.
Ayana missed her first attack, but didn't stop.
She knew that in a fight against an opponent of the Fourth Prince's caliber, seizing the initiative was crucial; any pause or hesitation could be fatal. She exerted force with her feet again, and her figure blurred once more.
Under the effect of [Powerful Amplification], Ayana's speed has exceeded the limits of normal human vision. She moves at high speed around Celidonish, and the long sword in her hand transforms into deadly silver streaks, slashing at his vitals from various tricky angles.
"Too slow." Celidonish seemed to be able to predict all her movements and always managed to dodge the blade at the last second.
He appeared calm and composed, showing no sign of tension whatsoever, as if he were toying with his prey. He wasn't in a hurry to attack, but simply dodged Ayana's attacks.
"Your strength has increased, and your skills have become much more refined?" Celidonish commented while dodging, his eyes full of interest, as if he had finally found an interesting toy. "It was only a second or two, yet you've grown like a completely different person. What kind of special ability is this?"
Ayana was too heavy-hearted to answer him.
Her relentless attacks missed one after another. The Fourth Prince's strength was unfathomable, far exceeding her expectations. If this continued, once the duration of the [Powerful Amplification] expired, she would have no chance of winning.
In a flash, Ayana abruptly changed her tactics, no longer aiming to kill Cheridone with a single blow, but instead shifting her attack focus to the space surrounding Cheridone.
As the longsword was wielded, sharp blade energy crisscrossed, cutting through everything around Celidonish. All the containers in the warehouse were shredded to pieces and scattered on the ground.
She wanted to turn this place into a chaotic battlefield to disrupt Celidonich's judgment.
"Oh? Changed your strategy?" Celidonich raised an eyebrow, seemingly finding it even more interesting.
He finally stopped merely dodging and pointed his slender fingers in mid-air.
The space behind him distorted, and suddenly a huge and ugly monster appeared, exuding an ominous aura.
The monster let out a silent roar, and an extremely heavy and powerfully aggressive mental pressure pressed down on Ayana as if it were a physical entity, making her feel that even breathing became heavy.
Ayana coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling as if all the bones in her body were about to be crushed by this force.
Just then, a sharp glint flashed in Ayana's eyes.
She used the item she had just redeemed in the system shop again, teleported to the side and behind Celidonish, took out a bottle of potion that could enhance attack power, and drank it down without even looking at it.
A scorching and violent force exploded within her body in an instant.
Ayana felt as if all the muscles and meridians in her body were about to burst open, and intense pain spread throughout her body. But at the same time, a tremendous power filled her body.
Ayana's eyes were bloodshot, and her strength and speed were forcibly increased to an extremely dangerous level at this moment.
She endured the pain and let out a low growl, channeling all her strength into the longsword in her hand.
The longsword emitted a shrill hum, its blade even slightly twisting under the immense force it bore, as it thrust straight toward Celidonich.
The composed smile on Celidonich's face finally vanished.
He felt a real threat of death and turned around abruptly.
The monster let out a sharp screech, trying to defend itself, but Ayana's strike was too fast, and it was too late to block it.
The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh was so clear it sent chills down one's spine.
The long knife pierced precisely into Celidonich's back, penetrating his heart, the blood-stained tip protruding from his chest.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Celidonich froze.
He looked down in disbelief at the knife tip protruding from his chest, and for the first time, his eyes, which were always full of playfulness and cruelty, reflected shock and bewilderment.
"You actually..." He opened his mouth, and blood gushed from the corner of his mouth.
Ayana was breathing heavily as the side effects of the drug began to backfire. She felt excruciating pain all over her body, as if she had been run over, and could barely stand.
But she gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, refusing to let go, and even pressed it in deeper to ensure that the blow would completely sever the opponent's life.
"Your pathetic game of treating your life as a plaything is over," she said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly.
Celidonich looked at her with a complex and unfathomable expression, and finally managed to force a twisted smile stained with blood.
"Oh…"
He chuckled softly, the light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and his body slowly leaned forward.
However, just as Celidonich's life was about to end, a strange change occurred.
The enormous monster did not dissipate with its master's death. Instead, it let out a shriek filled with resentment and greed, and pounced on Ayana, who was right next to it.
Ayana's pupils suddenly contracted.
She was already at her limit and had no way to resist the dying counterattack of the mind beast.
[Warning! Warning!]
[Host is facing a survival crisis! Warning!]
The system continuously emitted sharp alarms in Ayana's mind.
In the nick of time, Ayana abandoned physical defense and concentrated all her mental energy to confirm the use of her final skill.
[Target confirmed, instructions confirmed.]
Just before the monster's phantom touched Ayana's body, her body suddenly twisted violently, and finally, with a "bang!", it exploded on the spot, her body disintegrating into countless specks of light that disappeared without a trace.
The entire area fell completely silent, save for Ayana's heavy breathing and the gradually cooling corpse of Celidonish on the ground.
[Mission Complete: Thoroughly kill Cheridonesh Greygoro. Points reward is being restored.]
[Host's vital signs have been rapidly declining. Should we immediately use the exchanged healing potion?]
Ayana looked at the corpse on the ground, then at her blood-stained hands, exhaled, and said, "Confirmed."
In an instant, all her fatigue and wounds vanished, and she regained her energy.
[Then, I will issue you your next mission objective: eliminate the guards of the Fourth Prince, Celidonesh, so that no outsider will dare to approach Meteor City again and harm the children of Meteor City.]
Ayana took a breath and turned her gaze to the guards standing not far away.
The saying "to catch the thief, first catch the king" is indeed true.
The guards were incredulous at the sudden death of their master, who had been killed by a little girl. Their faces were blank and terrified, and they didn't know what to do.
These guards were once accomplices in the Fourth Prince's atrocities and are one of the root causes of the suffering of the children in Meteor City.
Because there is no law in this land, they act lawlessly, wantonly abusing and killing children, and committing cruel atrocities against innocent children.
Although they were not the main culprits, they should still atone for the deaths of the children.
Ayana's [Powerful Amplification] function was still active, and the healing potion had restored her to her peak condition.
She acted again, the long sword in her hand now resembling the scythe of death, flashing silver light and spraying warm blood.
These guards might seem incredibly powerful to ordinary people, but in front of Ayana, who had experienced life-and-death battles across several worlds, they were like lambs to the slaughter, posing no threat whatsoever.
One of the guards tried to raise his weapon to block Ayana's attack, but before he could even pick up his weapon, the long sword Ayana was holding had already slit his throat.
Blood spurted from the man's neck, and he collapsed to the ground, no longer breathing.
Seeing this, how could the other guards dare to fight Ayana again? They screamed in alarm and tried to run away, but Ayana would not give them that chance.
She dealt with the perpetrators of the children's murders one by one, giving them no chance to escape.
“You wouldn’t act like this when you’re with those children, would you?”
She stated the facts in a low voice: "They must have begged you desperately to let them go, just like you are now, desperately wanting to live, desperately begging you."
Ayana picked up a long knife and plunged it into one of the men's bodies: "Has anyone spared them?!"
"I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll never do it again."
"We did it because His Highness the Fourth Prince ordered us to!"
The guards begged for mercy desperately.
But Ayana's movements did not falter at all. Each of her slashes was precisely aimed at the vital points of these culprits. In just a few minutes, when she stopped and pulled the blood-stained longsword from the chest of the last guard, there was no one left standing around her.
The ground was stained red with blood, and the air was filled with a strong smell of rust and blood.
Ayana stood in the center of the field strewn with corpses, breathing slightly heavily.
Blood droplets were still dripping from the tip of the long knife she was holding.
“If you really feel guilty, then go to hell and apologize to those children,” she said.
[Mission Completed: Cleared out the guards of the Fourth Prince, Celidonesh, effectively deterring outsiders. Points reward being distributed.]
[Congratulations, host, on completing one of the main quests in this world! A large amount of points are being distributed as a reward, and you will also receive a piece of equipment. Please check your account!]
[Host, there are still some unfinished missions in the current world. Do you wish to continue?]
Ayana nodded.
"Then, I will assign you the next task."
Task 1: Transform Meteor City into a farm.
Mission 2: Kill your uncle [Vlad] to avenge your parents.
Ayana flicked the blood off her sword and sheathed it.
She took one last look at the blood-soaked land and walked into the darkness.
She hadn't seen Kuroro for a long time.
*
"Kuroro?"
Returning to a place she hadn't seen in so long, Ayana felt as if she had been transported to another world.
She stared blankly at the figure standing in the center of the living room, momentarily dazed, and tentatively called out Kuroro.
The living room was dark, and Kuroro hadn't turned on the lights.
"Ayana, you've gone on another adventure."
In the darkness, Kuroro's silhouette appeared somewhat blurry.
He stood by the window, seemingly blending into the darkness, but Ayana could feel his gaze fixed on her.
Ayana walked to the wall and fumbled to turn on the light.
With a "thud," a faint halo dispelled a small patch of darkness, illuminating Kuroro's expressionless face and the bloodstains on her body that were not yet completely dried.
"Yes, I went to take care of some trash."
Ayana's tone carried a hint of relief after her weariness as she sat down in a chair in the living room: "From now on, no outsider will dare to lay a hand on the children of Meteor City again."
She paused for a moment, then said, "Those people from before have all been dealt with, and none of us will face any more danger to our lives."
Kuroro's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Although he had a vague idea that Ayana had done something important that night, he was still somewhat shocked to hear her announce so casually that she had single-handedly resolved the danger that had been plaguing the children of Meteor City for so long.
He looked at Ayana intently, feeling that the mist surrounding the girl seemed to have thickened even more.
Kuroro didn't speak.
Ayana didn't want to discuss the details of the battle too much, so she changed the subject and got to the point: "Kuroro, I have an idea that I need your help with."
Kuroro didn't immediately agree, but simply looked at Ayana quietly, signaling her to continue.
“Killing and expulsion can only bring temporary peace. If Meteor City wants to truly change, it needs a foundation for survival, it needs hope.” Ayana’s gaze hardened. “I want to build a farm here.”
"A farm?" Kuroro repeated.
For them, living in a garbage dump, this word was as distant as a word from another world.
"Regarding the land, we'll continue cultivating it as I've said before," Ayana said without explaining the specific methods. "As for the rest, we can learn what we don't understand. We don't need to build a huge farm right away; we can start little by little."
She looked at Kuroro with burning eyes: "I would like to ask for your help to organize some children who are willing to try. I will provide the initial seeds, tools and basic planting methods. We need manpower to cultivate, sow and care for them."
Kuroro remained silent.
Everything the girl said sounded like a distant dream, but Ayana has proven with her actions that she can create miracles.
If successful, it would mean a stable food source and an escape from a life of surviving solely on plunder and garbage.
"This will take a long time, and it may fail," Kuroro pointed out the reality.
She outlined her vision: "We want the children of Meteor City to understand that, besides robbing and depending on others, we can create value with our own hands, live with dignity, and engage in equal transactions with the outside world, instead of being treated as trash that can be discarded at will."
These words were like a boulder thrown into Kuroro's still, silent heart.
He grew up in despair and knew the importance of power, but he also vaguely sensed that pure destruction and plunder were not the only way out.
Ayana's words opened a window for him that he had never imagined.
Kuroro looked at Ayana; the girl's face was weary, but her eyes shone with an astonishing light, containing something he had never possessed before.
After a long while, Kuroro slowly nodded.
“Okay,” he agreed. “I will find people. Machi and Pakunoda should be interested and can help us find more children to plant. Nobunaga and Uvogin may not have the patience for those delicate tasks, but they can be responsible for protecting the cultivated area and preventing anyone from sabotaging it.”
Kuroro has already begun to consider specific candidates and division of labor, which shows that he is not just going through the motions, but is genuinely taking this matter into consideration.
Ayana breathed a sigh of relief, a genuine smile appearing on her face.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, then took out several bags of special crop seeds produced by the system from her system space, as well as some simple farming tools and a booklet with basic planting tips.
"These are the initial supplies needed. You can decide on the specific location and arrangements." She handed the items to Kuroro.
Kuroro reached out and took it, promising, "I'll handle it."
The two looked at each other under the dim light and suddenly burst into laughter at the same time.
[Detected that the good boy [Kuroro]'s affection level is 90%.]
[Please keep up the good work, host.]
Ayana's exhaustion was finally impossible to hide.
The mental strain and intense battles of the past few days, even with healing potions to restore the body, cannot instantly erase the weariness of the mind.
She rubbed her slightly swollen temples and prepared to get up and return to her room.
Kuroro followed her up the stairs, one in front of the other. They soon reached the room door.
Ayana pushed open the door and was about to go in when Kuroro suddenly called out to her, "Ayana."
Ayana turned around and gave Kuroro a questioning look: "Hmm?"
"Get some rest," Kuroro said gently. "The farm matters don't start until tomorrow, so put everything aside for now and get some rest."
He seemed to notice Ayana's fatigue.
Ayana understood Kuroro's meaning, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly: "I know, see you tomorrow."
She went into the small house and closed the door.
Through the thin door panel, she heard Kuroro's footsteps gradually fade into the distance.
Ayana slowly exhaled.
For some time now, this small room has made Ayana feel more at peace and safe than her room in her original world.
This world even gave her a sense of home.
Ayana walked to the bedside and lay down blankly.
She closed her eyes, turned over, suppressed her chaotic thoughts, and quickly fell asleep.
*
Time slips away quietly amidst busyness and anticipation.
Kuroro's organizational skills are beyond question.
With the encouragement of more thoughtful and composed children like Machi and Pakunoda, a group of children who were curious about the farm plan or eager for change were gathered together. Although Nobunaga and Uvogin lacked patience, they diligently completed their tasks and remained responsible for guarding the farm, ensuring the land was protected from other malicious individuals.
The special seeds and soil improvement methods provided by Ayana are showing initial success.
On Meteor City, a land thought to be the only place to breed death, more and more greenery is sprouting, and almost every child involved has an incredulous look in their eyes.
Hope and miracles were born on Meteor Street.
These children truly possess a future that they can create with their own hands.
They carefully tended to these fragile lives and learned about planting.
The area of reclaimed land gradually expanded, and the types of crops also became more and more diverse.
The process was not smooth sailing.
There have been pest infestations, root rot caused by unfamiliarity with watering frequency, and setbacks such as the destruction of some seedlings by sudden severe weather.
But with Ayana's guidance and Kuroro's coordination, the children solved problems and learned from their experiences time and time again.
Their hands were calloused and their faces were covered in dirt, but their eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Finally, the season for the first harvest arrived.
The plump fruit was dug out of the soil, and the entire farm area erupted in an uncontrollable cheer.
Although the yield is still very low and the quality is not very good, this is the first time in Meteor City's history that they have harvested enough food to fill their stomachs from this cursed land with their own hands.
They kept part of the harvest as seeds and food, and according to Ayana's original plan, Kuroro led a few clever children to try to take the rest of the harvest to the outskirts of Meteor City to make contact with outside merchants who occasionally came to hunt for bargains or conduct shady transactions.
Initially, the merchants scoffed at these agricultural products, which were of mediocre quality.
But when Kuroro calmly quoted a price far below the normal market price for vegetables, the merchants still bought them.
Ultimately, the merchants traded the crops for some cheap tools, basic medicines, and a small amount of cash.
The success of the first transaction was of great significance.
It proves the feasibility of Ayana's concept.
Meteor City is not just a place that produces violence and garbage; it can also generate value and engage in equal exchange.
The news spread like wildfire among the children of Meteor City, attracting more onlookers to join in the farm's construction.
Just as the farm was achieving some success and everything seemed to be going in the right direction, the venomous snake lurking in the shadows finally couldn't hold back any longer and bared its fangs.
On a moonless night with few stars, Ayana was alone in her newly built cabin near the farm, organizing the list for her next transaction.
The night was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the crop leaves.
Suddenly, a chilling and murderous aura, like poisonous fog, silently spread and locked onto the hut.
Ayana instantly became alert, and the pen in her hand stopped moving.
She didn't panic; instead, she felt a sense of calm, as if the moment had finally arrived. She gently put down her pen, grasped the long sword in her system space that had drunk the blood of the fourth prince, and adjusted her breathing.
The door of the wooden house was smashed open with tremendous force.
A middle-aged man dressed in flamboyant clothes that seemed out of place in Meteor City stood at the door, his face sinister.
This person was Vlad.
He looked at Ayana inside the room, his eyes flashing with undisguised greed and murderous intent.
“My dear niece, you seem to be doing quite well here?” Vlad’s voice carried a mixture of feigned intimacy and cold calculation. “I heard you’ve caused quite a stir here, even the prince of Kakin has fallen into your hands? That’s quite impressive.”
Ayana slowly stood up, her long sword pointing diagonally at the ground, her eyes as cold as frost: "Vlad, have you come to pay for my parents' lives?"
Vlad scoffed, "Pay with your lives? Those two fools who didn't know what was good for them deserved to die! I'm here today to send you on your way. Go to the underworld and reunite with your parents."
He stopped pretending and unleashed a powerful Nen pressure, clearly indicating that he was also a Nen user with considerable strength.
Several blurry figures emerged from the shadows behind Flander; they were his men.
[Special ability [Powerful Amplification] has been activated. Please be careful, host.]
Ayana's speed increased to the extreme, and in the blink of an eye, her figure had already disappeared from the spot.
Vlad clearly hadn't expected Ayana's speed to be so terrifying, and hastily gathered his psychic power for defense.
But Ayana's target was not him.
Suddenly, screams rang out from behind Vlad almost simultaneously.
Those men didn't even have time to react before they fell into pools of blood.
To catch the thief, you must first catch the kingpin, but eliminating the underlings can also deter the main culprit!
Vlad was both shocked and furious, never expecting Ayana's strength to have grown to such an extent.
"You little bitch! You're asking for death!" he roared, his psychic power almost materializing as he attacked Ayana directly.
Ayana neither dodged nor evaded, and slashed with a single blow.
The sword energy and the psychic bullet collided in mid-air, creating a violent explosion that overturned the tables and chairs inside the room.
Ayana's figure surged forward again through the smoke and dust.
She pushed her speed to the limit, moving at high speed around Vlad, her strikes never missing his vital points.
Despite his strength, Vlad was caught off guard by Ayana's close-range, fast-paced attacks and quickly sustained several wounds.
"Impossible! How can you be so strong?!" Vlad asked in astonishment.
But Ayana had neither the time nor the inclination to reply to him. A fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and she used her special ability, [Biomanipulation].
[Target confirmed, instructions confirmed.]
A shock originating from the level of the soul blasted into Vlad's brain.
He was struck dumb, clutching his head and letting out a piercing scream, feeling a splitting headache.
He kept digging into his head, his fingernails digging into his skin, but he seemed not to feel any pain. He dug his head so hard that he dug a large, bloody hole in it.
Blood gushed from the top of his head, and he realized what he had done. He let go of his hand, looked at his blood-stained palm, shouted to the sky, and then fell heavily backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Ayana stood there, slightly out of breath.
The moonlight outside fell silently, illuminating the blood-stained longsword and the corpse, as well as Ayana's calm yet resolute face.
[Mission Complete: Kill Uncle Vlad.]
[Mission Completed: The initial transformation of Meteor City into a farm has been successful, and a stable production and trade chain has been established.]
[Congratulations, host. You have completed all the main quests in this world.]
[Host, do you wish to leave this world immediately?]
The system notification sounded at the appropriate time.
Ayana did not answer immediately.
She walked to the window, opened it, and looked out at the farm in the distance.
There lies the hope she planted with her own hands, the fruit of Kuroro's and the children's joint efforts.
There is death and hatred here, but there is also new life, a growing sense of community, and a feeling of belonging that makes her feel at ease.
Should we leave?
She remained silent, the moonlight outlining the girl's thoughtful profile.
Finally, she said, "Okay, let's go."
This world is ultimately an illusion.
She wants to create her own story in the real world.
*
The pure white light dissipated, and the familiar feeling of weightlessness was replaced by the solid weight of being grounded.
When Ayana opened her eyes, what came into view was no longer the ruins of Meteor City, the circus dormitory, or the Zoldyck family's castle, but her luxurious yet cold bedroom in this real world, belonging to the eldest daughter of the Monzado family.
The air was filled with expensive incense, soft silk sheets clung to the skin, and outside the window were a neatly manicured garden and dazzling lights.
Everything was extremely luxurious, yet lifeless.
She's back.
She truly returned to her original world.
In my mind, the system's final notification sounded.
[All world quests have been completed; the system is about to enter permanent hibernation.]
[Thank you for your continued support, host. The system will reward you handsomely.]
From this moment forward, the host will have unlimited access to the special abilities [Powerful Amplification] and [Biomanipulation]. Items in the system shop will be permanently available to the host and can be purchased for free.
[Host, thank you for using our service. We wish you success in finding your path in the real world. Goodbye.]
The mechanical sounds that had accompanied Ayana through several life-or-death situations finally fell silent.
An unprecedented sense of ease and a faint emptiness enveloped her.
She is no longer the "host," but simply Ayana Monzado.
However, this sense of ease did not last long before it was quickly crushed by the weight of reality.
On the dressing table lay a wedding invitation with gold lettering.
The names of the bride and groom are beyond question.
This wedding was a carefully planned deal by Ayana's father, the current head of the Monzado family, in order to consolidate the family's power and gain huge political and commercial benefits.
For her, it wasn't a wedding, but an auction with a price tag, a magnificent prison, and shackles that would lock her to the family's chess game for the rest of her life.
She will become a display piece, a tool for a marriage alliance; her will, her abilities, and the soul she forged through bloody battles in another world will all be ruthlessly ignored and imprisoned.
Ayana stroked the cold patterns on the invitation, her eyes icy.
She absolutely could not accept such a fate.
An escape plan instantly took shape in her mind.
As night deepened, Ayana changed into a set of dark casual clothes that allowed for easy movement, and carefully concealed some necessary cash, camouflage supplies, and a few small but deadly weapons close to her body.
She stood by the window, watching the guards patrolling the garden below, already prepared for what was to come.
Just before she was about to take action, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Ayana, what's your decision?"
"Do you want to come with me to the Dark Continent or not? I'm leaving tomorrow."
Isaac climbed through the window and entered the room, still sweating, as if he had just finished training.
He looked at Ayana in surprise: "So you're finally ready to escape from here?"
“I knew it would be like this.” Isaac chuckled, his voice filled with knowing wisdom. “From the first time I saw you, I knew you would escape the fate your family had arranged for you.”
"But wouldn't it be too boring to just run away like this?"
Netero's voice was full of allure: "What will you do after you escape? Live a life of obscurity, doing nothing of note?"
"Instead of this, why don't we come with you to explore a wider world and challenge the unknown that ordinary people would never dare to imagine? What do you say?"
Isaac continued, "Ayana, come with me, not as the eldest daughter of the Monzado family, but as Ayana herself. Join me in forming a team and set off for the Dark Continent, which is known as the gateway for mankind."
“There you'll find the most dangerous environments, the most bizarre creatures, the oldest secrets, and the opportunity to push the limits of humanity.” Netero’s tone carried a fervent, almost pilgrimage-like intensity. “Your abilities and temperament, in my opinion, are perfectly suited to that land. There, you can truly shed the Monzado surname, define your life with your own hands, and write your own legend, instead of here, engaging in a meaningless escape.”
Ayana's heart was pounding.
Dark Continent.
It was more dangerous than anything she had ever experienced in any system world, but it was also much freer.
She can no longer be forced to complete tasks, but can actively explore and conquer.
On one side is a seemingly safe but actually hopeless prison, and on the other is an ordinary escape destined to be full of uncertainty.
On one side lies a journey towards the ultimate unknown, fraught with danger yet full of infinite possibilities.
This choice doesn't seem difficult.
She took a deep breath and uttered her answer clearly and firmly: "When do we leave?"
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