Leave a comment

“Strange. Did we end up in the wrong place?” Yaeger questioned, her confusion evident as the dissipating white light revealed the scenery before them.

“It looks like the outside world, doesn’t it?” Yunuen observed, her head slightly tilted as she glanced at the nearby flora.

“Blue sky, white clouds, and the sun shining high above,” Little Fairy commented, looking upwards. “But the position of the sun indicates that it’s noon. Something doesn’t add up.”

Perplexed by the situation, everyone exchanged puzzled glances. However, Alicia couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hah, these are all illusions.”

Upon hearing this, they sniffed the air but failed to detect the scent of fresh vegetation. When looking at the sun, it didn’t cause any discomfort or blinding light.

“It’s truly an illusion,” Yaeger confirmed.

“Fancy illusions, just as one would expect from the royal family,” Yunuen remarked with admiration.

Creating such a grand-scale illusion would undoubtedly require significant energy to sustain.

“It’s quite frightening,” Little Fairy nodded in agreement.

“This illusion only activates when the underground maze is active, making it highly energy-efficient,” Alicia explained.

“Is that structure over there our destination?” Yaeger pointed towards a distant black edifice.

“Yes, we’re going inside to claim our respective rewards,” Alicia replied, giving Yaeger a meaningful look.

“It appears massive from this distance. I wonder if it’ll become ridiculously huge up close,” Yunuen exclaimed in surprise.

“Don’t worry. This palace is a scaled-down replica of the original one built during the founding of our Empire,” Alicia reassured, gently ruffling Yunuen’s hair.

The first palace constructed by the Empire was quite modest in every aspect, nowhere near the grandeur of the current palace. However, even in its reduced size, the palace in front of them emanated a sense of grandeur.

“It reminds me a bit of Emperor Qin’s tomb,” Little Fairy added.

“A palace built within the underground maze. It does give off a vibe reminiscent of a royal tomb,” Yaeger commented with a smile.

“Let’s not dwell on that. We should move quickly,” Alicia urged.

Without encountering any traps or hidden dangers, they hastened their pace and soon reached the entrance of the imposing black palace.

Without wasting any time admiring the view, Yaeger and her companions swiftly entered the main hall of the palace. It was a spacious and impeccably organized space, devoid of any clutter. The floor tiles, pillars, and walls were all coated in a sleek black hue, creating an atmosphere of elegance and mystery.

“Seems like the Qin Dynasty wasn’t particularly fond of black,” Yunuen whispered under her breath, observing their surroundings.

Suddenly, a golden projection materialized before them, capturing their attention. The figure, standing at an imposing two meters tall, appeared to be a middle-aged man dressed in ornate attire. His white hair and vacant eyes gave him an otherworldly aura, devoid of any emotion.

“Congratulations on successfully navigating through countless trials to reach this point, brave participants,” the golden figure announced in a monotone voice.

Alicia immediately bowed respectfully and greeted him, “Greetings, ancestor.”

Upon hearing Alicia’s words, a faint glimmer of interest flickered in the golden figure’s eyes. He raised his hand, causing the main hall to explode in a dazzling burst of golden light, momentarily blinding everyone present.

As the light gradually subsided, they were greeted with the sight of countless floating golden spheres of various sizes, filling the once empty hall. Each sphere seemed to contain something precious within.

“These are the rewards prepared by our clan, as you can see. They may hold invaluable treasures or mere trinkets. The choice is left to fate. Each of you has one opportunity to select,” the golden figure proclaimed, pointing upward with a deliberate motion.

“We get a chance too?” Yunuen and Little Fairy exchanged surprised glances, speaking in unison.

“Indeed. If you have accumulated enough points through the maze trials, you have earned the privilege to come here and claim your reward. Your points undoubtedly meet the requirements, or else you wouldn’t have gained entry,” Alicia explained, though she herself didn’t fully comprehend the intricacies of the point system. She simply accepted it as a fact, as recorded in her ancestors’ writings.

“I see. So, besides being rewards, our scores also serve as admission tickets,” Yaeger murmured to herself, contemplating the significance.

“Choose, brave participants,” the golden figure urged them.

“Can I choose for them?” Yaeger spoke up, asking if she could choose on behalf of her companions. However, her request was instantly denied.

“No,” came the resolute rejection.

“What a pity.” Regret washed over Yaeger as she shook her head gently, feeling a sense of sadness. If she had been granted the opportunity to choose, she believed that she could have secured favorable items for all of them. Moreover, her chances of finding an item that could remove curses would have greatly increased.

However, she had observed a recurring pattern with Alicia—whenever she was on the verge of achieving something significant, mishaps tended to occur. This had happened when unlocking the key, before entering the maze, and even during the previous attack. Given these observations, Yaeger doubted that Alicia would make a prudent choice.

“Since I can’t choose, let’s forget about it. Alicia, you go first,” Yaeger said, accepting the circumstances.

“Phew…” Alicia let out a deep exhale, her expression becoming solemn as she nodded heavily. This was the moment she had been anticipating for an incredibly long time, and the weight of it made her sweat nervously. She couldn’t help but feel the pressure and the need to take it seriously. The choice she was about to make would determine her fate—her life was in her own hands.

Alicia took a few deep breaths, calming herself down as she looked up and analyzed the situation in her mind. Typically, powerful items didn’t come in large sizes, so she immediately dismissed the larger spheres. She also excluded some of the medium-sized spheres from consideration.

“A treasure that can dispel curses is likely to be as small as a mirror or as large as a washing basin,” Alicia thought to herself, narrowing down her focus to spheres within that size range.

Among the remaining spheres, there were only thirty-seven that fit her criteria. Alicia couldn’t help but grumble in her heart, feeling that her ancestors could have at least provided some description of the treasure’s size. Nonetheless, she continued to gaze at the spheres before her, trusting her feminine intuition that there must be an item capable of removing her curse among them.

Silence filled the air as everyone held their breath in anticipation of Alicia’s choice. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and uncertainty.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Alicia’s eyes widened, and she pointed directly at one of the spheres with conviction.

“I choose this one!” she declared.

In response to her words, the chosen sphere seemed to come alive, descending swiftly and landing before her with a gentle thud. The sight made Yunuen gulp nervously, fully aware of the weight carried by Alicia’s decision. The fate of the [Princess Alliance] in the Jade Empire hinged on this pivotal moment. Failure meant Alicia’s impending demise and the exile of their alliance, while success would grant her the power to rule the kingdom and ensure the prosperity of their group.

Little Fairy, too, was on edge. Her hands clenched tightly as she fixed her gaze upon Alicia. Although they hadn’t been particularly close, their interactions had forged a bond of friendship between them. Naturally, she wished for Alicia’s well-being and the successful dispelling of her curse. The matters of royal authority and the future of the [Princess Alliance] didn’t concern her as much.

‘Let’s see how lucky you are.’ Observing the scene, Yaeger remained calm and nonchalant. She stared at Alicia, assessing her luck with an indifferent expression.

“Bless me, ancestors!” Alicia’s determination shone through as she extended her hand swiftly, tapping the chosen sphere with her finger.

Crack!

In a dramatic swirl, the sphere of light shattered, its contents revealed.