Cool moonlight spilled across the street. Li Yue sat on an ornate iron bench in front of Clo’s residence. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing; perhaps it was just a passing whim to sit here and bask in the moonlight.
She watched a European-style fountain nearby, its spray shimmering under the moon before falling into the circular stone basin below. With the flowing water and the small, exquisite stone bridge—each brick meticulously polished—everything was filled with a profound stillness, like a quiet poem carved by time.
She silently sensed the God's remains within her body. Previously, she could distinctly perceive them as foreign objects, but now she felt almost nothing. It was like how a healthy person rarely notices their own internal organs during daily life. Faint traces of magic leaked out constantly; even the simple spells she cast on a whim now far exceeded the level of a trainee.
Using magic for direct combat no longer seemed like a good choice. Controlling magic wasn't difficult, but suppressing its level to that of an apprentice was proving nearly impossible. It was like trying to pick up a piece of silken tofu with her bare hands—it was difficult not to crush it. While the addition of her seals was like using a silver fork to make the task easier, the risk of a slip-up was always present.
The entrance exams would begin in a short while. After the evaluation, students would be assigned to different secondary academies based on the magic they specialized in. Furthermore, these grades would have a lasting impact on their future academic careers.
Li Yue didn't care about being the top student. She only wanted to maintain the status quo—to be an ordinary student of her age, to enjoy life, to see the world, and to fall in love. She didn't want to crawl out of one hell only to become a vengeful spirit and charge into the next.
So what if she was the God of Death? Even the God of Death wanted a life of her own... Li Yue wanted to treat that identity as merely a divine office. In her daily life, she still wanted to play the part of an ordinary student, a girl next door, or just a girl with a part-time job. Nothing more.
Therefore, she now needed a weapon that didn't demand much in the way of a magical foundation. In Yakutsk, she had witnessed the people there skillfully using firearms. Although the destructive power of such objects was immense, they struggled to break through the defense magic constructed by magic users. Li Yue didn't want her own magic to easily destroy an opponent's spells—or worse, their lives.
After all, she had killed a vast number of trainee-level magic users the moment she learned magic... A casual spray of blood crystals could kill a whole crowd. Now that her control over mana was even more refined, slaughtering an entire academy's worth of students would be effortless. All she needed was a body whose blood hadn't yet dried, and she could...
What a dangerous thought. Why did that suddenly pop into my head... I shouldn't be thinking things like that...
She sighed softly and looked at the small bell tower in Clo's courtyard. Night had only just fully fallen. Some families had likely just finished dinner and were heading out for a stroll; there was nothing wrong with that.
Clo wasn't home yet... Whenever she was alone and bored, dangerous thoughts would flood her mind uncontrollably. No matter what she did, she couldn't cut them off, which was incredibly annoying.
She wandered through the streets, slowly letting her restless heart settle. Men and women dressed in finery brushed past her, but all she wanted was to blend into the night.
The long night was so gentle, favoring every lost traveler, every dejected young girl, and a certain young student from many years ago who had harbored dreams of becoming a novelist.
Following the flowing moonlight, she walked into an open weapon shop. She presented her student ID. Lately, many students had been coming in to re-select staves and weapons, choosing different materials to better suit their magic.
What was the medium for her first spell? It seemed to have been a mithril sword, and later, it was just her fingertips.
A mithril sword... Never mind, she wouldn't use a sword. Strangely, she possessed superb swordsmanship, as if she had used a blade for a very long time.
She bypassed the crowded first floor and casually walked up to the second floor, where magical artifacts were displayed, and then to the third-floor showroom which housed precious artisanal magic items. Several attendants recognized her attire and didn't stop the noble-looking young lady for a moment. One attendant even followed behind her, prepared to offer introductions.
Hanging on the wall were two silver handguns that looked like works of art. Faint red magic chips surrounded the barrels, though they were currently dim, as if they hadn't been used in a long time.
"Hello, please wrap these up for me." Li Yue poked the displayed twin guns with her fair finger. She presented the certifications given to her by Black and Clo. Purchasing weapons required a professor's guarantee; Black had issued certifications to the students who passed his inspection, and Clo had written another one for her on a whim.
"Miss, these are very expensive. They are artisanal pieces left behind by an unknown master. The requirements for the bullets are too high, and they are very difficult to drive."
Li Yue pulled out a bag of gold coins. Helen was certainly not short on money; she had sent a ring containing a crate of gold coins just last night. Since the previous incident, her family had gained control over nearly half of the industry in Yakutsk.
However, this bag of money was from Clo. She had converted it into magic gold coins and secretly tucked them away for Li Yue while she was sick... Although Li Yue had wanted to refuse, Clo had given a very clever reason: apparently, having Li Yue sleep beside her had actually cured her insomnia and frequent dreams...
Though it felt a bit like she was selling something of herself, she accepted it under the pressure of daily life. If Helen's crate of gold coins had arrived earlier, she might have been able to show some backbone...
But that was life. When a free meal is stuffed into your mouth, it actually tastes quite good.
"What are their names?" Li Yue took down the twin guns and spun them in her hands. The blood-red chips shimmered and began to rotate slowly around the barrels. She injected her magic, and the weapons accepted it with complete inclusivity.
"'Calamity and Miracle.' That is what the first craftsman called them. Later, some called them 'Death and Rebirth'... To think they could be driven..." The attendant's eyes flashed with surprise.
"Such familiar names... Miracle... Calamity... Heh... Truly..."
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