Chapter 30
Three bullets were fired in almost a second, all striking Thomas squarely in the chest.
Thomas couldn’t utter a single word. He staggered back a few steps, coughed up blood, and collapsed to the ground, utterly devoid of any ability to resist.
Meanwhile, at the bar, Solari remained dazed, his eyes blank. It was only after the gunshots rang out that he slowly turned his head toward the door.
“Bo... Bo’er...” Solari mumbled, his mind still not fully processing the situation, like a drunken man lost in confusion.
Bo’er discarded his empty handgun and drew a dagger from his waist, lunging fiercely at Solari.
As Bo’er charged, the dazed Solari finally noticed the petite girl with red hair standing behind him.
“Who are you...?”
Swish—swish—
Two quick strikes, one to the heart and the other to the throat, swiftly ended Solari’s life.
After finishing this, Bo’er vaulted over the bar and retrieved a canister of kerosene from beneath it, pouring it over himself and Solari’s corpse.
Then, he stepped over the bar and moved toward Thomas, reaching out to search his body.
Thud—
A withered hand suddenly grasped Bo’er’s wrist.
With his last breath, Thomas mustered the remnants of his strength, gazing at Bo’er with trembling eyes, and asked, “W-why...”
Why... it was so close to success... He could have simply incited Solari to kill those around him and then take out that girl... Why...
Then he saw Bo’er’s face.
Inferior yellowish kerosene streamed down his face, which was twisted in fear and agony. In his terror-filled eyes, it was impossible to tell whether it was kerosene or tears that flowed.
Following Bo’er’s body, Thomas glanced behind him and saw the blurred figure of the red-haired girl.
Red hair...
Why...
How could this be...
Thomas watched helplessly as his notes and two vials of potion floated through the air, as if carried by an unseen force, landing in the girl’s hands. Bo’er’s body slumped onto Thomas, and as the girl reached out to catch the items, a kerosene lamp on the wall shook violently and fell.
Flames spread along the kerosene, igniting the wooden floor of the tavern bit by bit. Thomas watched in horror as the flames crept closer, fear swelling within him with every passing second...
Boom—
In an instant, when the flames met the kerosene on their bodies, a massive fire erupted, racing along the trail of kerosene to the bar, igniting Solari’s body as well.
At that moment, Xia’er stretched lazily, tucking the two notebooks and two vials of potion into her arms before turning to leave.
Boom!
The spreading kerosene ignited other barrels of alcohol and kerosene, resulting in a violent explosion that shattered the tavern’s windows. The surrounding lights flickered to life, and a woman screamed.
The orchestrator of it all, Xia’er, had already turned and slipped into a nearby alley, not even glancing back.
...
Back at home, Xia’er closed the window, drew the curtains tight, and sat on her bed, letting out a long sigh.
All of this took less than ten minutes.
With a single breath, she had eliminated three threats, leaving her feeling a wave of relief. She gently swung her legs at the edge of the bed, humming a familiar tune from her past life. The tension that had gripped her for so long finally eased, if only for a moment.
The shadow before her seemed to dance along with the melody, swaying in rhythm with Xia’er’s mood, its blackened form flickering with embers.
Snap—
Xia’er lightly snapped her fingers, and a flash of silver light enveloped her. Her waist-length hair cascaded down, and the satisfaction and simmering anger within her dissipated in that instant. The excitement that had once surged within her now returned to calm.
“Finally, my peaceful life is back...”
Xia’er murmured softly, leaning back and lying down on the bed.
[The host's "Fated Death" has been nullified. Simulation time has been randomly reset.]
[You can now explore a further future.]
Whatever.
Xia’er closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
---
**Chapter 31: Undercurrents in the Calm (Fifth Update)**
Xia’er stuffed the two vials of potion and the church’s notebook into the storage room, leaving only Thomas’s diary behind.
The once-empty four compartments of the storage room were now filled: the Eye of Order contract, the “Avenger” potion, the “Instigator” potion, and Du Wen’s research notes.
Xia’er could find a chance to cash in the “Avenger” and “Instigator” potions with Aivina, but first, she needed to build a friendship with her and ensure she didn’t become suspicious, given Aivina’s sharp deductive skills.
As for the two notebooks, Xia’er didn’t destroy them. They contained clues about the traitors of the Goddess of Salvation Church, which she could use to call in a favor from High Priestess Yulis at the right moment.
But for now, the priority was to settle her work situation and reasonably take her sister Yuli away from the Clock Tower district, far from that damned, dark match factory.
Xia’er glanced at her fated point count.
[Fated Points: 38]
She had spent 5 points on the contract and another 5 on transforming her character, leaving her with 38 points.
Even if she earned nothing in the simulation, that was enough for three more simulations, just like when she first acquired the system.
The difference now was that, compared to her earlier self, Xia’er had gained more self-preservation abilities and had a clearer vision of her once-uncertain future.
Yet, a hint of worry lingered in her heart.
After learning about the hidden side of this world, could she still extricate herself unscathed?
How long could her peaceful daily life last?
At least for now, she possessed the ability to nip danger in the bud.
After lying on the bed for a while, Xia’er, now awake, knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again. She got up and began jotting down her plans for the next day in her notebook.
1. Directly ask the dean for a recommendation letter.
2. Once I have the letter, head to the police station and see if I can run into Aivina.
3. Develop a habit of praying at the Goddess of Salvation Church to see if I can encounter Yulis.
Xia’er pondered for a moment.
The 18th...
4. Attend Amy’s afternoon tea party and bring her a gift.
5. Convince my sister to move away with me.
Xia’er reviewed her plans for the next day, nodding in satisfaction.
The more friends, the more paths. After this incident, she realized the importance of forming connections with certain people and aimed to make friends with them in reality.
As she looked at her notes, a sudden thought surged up her spine.
Did I write this plan myself, or did the “real” me compel me to complete it?
Xia’er set down her notebook and pencil, quickly rising to her feet. She felt a slight ringing in her ears, but it faded almost instantly.
This sensation of ear ringing was something she had only experienced when she transformed into the “Avenger.”
The dissonance of consciousness and her self-doubt heightened her alertness.
She recalled that every extraordinary person she had encountered seemed to possess their own “spiritual notebook,” a term she had heard from both Yulis and Aivina.
Could this be the reason she hadn’t written a “spiritual notebook”?
But strictly speaking, her real self wasn’t even considered extraordinary, so why would she need to write one?
Moreover, she couldn’t recklessly write a spiritual notebook now. Although she could record in Chinese, this bizarre world had extraordinary abilities, and there might be people who could understand the meaning just by looking at the words.
The system was her greatest secret, and it had warned her that exposing anything in reality carried significant risks. Xia’er paced for a moment before turning to the trash can by her desk, retrieving a crumpled piece of paper from inside.
This was her initial record of instructing her simulated self to do her bidding.
She took it to the candle, igniting the paper, watching as it turned to ash. Once all the pieces had burned away, she collected the ashes and took them to the washroom, flushing them down the drain.
After completing this, Xia’er felt a sense of relief wash over her. She realized her inner turmoil was not as calm as she had thought.
“Hiss—”
Back in her room, Xia’er took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
To distract herself, she opened the system interface and clicked into the simulation section.
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