Worlds’ Apocalypse Online

I might die soon.

As Su Xue Er wrote that, she lightly stopped her pen.

A weak candle light illuminated the snowy white wall.

On the wall, a black hole about the size of a thumb slowly appeared.

A ring poked its head out from there, carefully observing the surroundings.

After recognizing there were no abnormal situations, the ring used an unknown method to seal the hole behind it.

When the wall became pure snowy white again, the ring jumped down.

It bounced on the table, regained its balance and stood straight up.

"What's the situation?" Su Xue Er asked in a low voice.

The ring whispered back: [They weren't there, I got it]

"Then make sure everything is clean, I have to thank you for this"

[Will it be on time?] the ring asked.

Su Xue Er clasped her hands together and prayed: "I can only hope so"

A knocking came from her door.

The ring said nothing else.

Su Xue Er bit her lip and closed her diary.

She breathed in deeply to make sure her emotions calm down.

"What is it?" she asked.

From behind the unremarkable door, a female voice came: "Guru Isa wants you to see her in an hour"

"I know, I'll be leaving shortly"

She could hear the sound of footsteps slowly walking away from her door, together with faint voices gossiping.

"What a lucky girl"

"Yeah, who knows why Guru Isa would take such a liking to her"

"Hmph, isn't it because she managed to reach the isle alive"

"She looks beautiful, sure. But to suck up to the Gurus, that's the most detestable kind of person"

The voices started to become distant.

Su Xue Er held her diary in her chest, blanking out for a few moments.

Although there's still an hour left, but to make it to where Guru Isa is, I'll have to leave now.

I'm in a rush.

Su Xue Er couldn't help but gather her things and prepared to leave.

This was because she was only a newbie who isn't even a Disciple, but got summoned by a Guru from the faction in power.

I have to leave quick.

If I'm late, something might happen.

But Su Xue Er still took a bit more time to open her diary and write the second sentence.

"I can only hope I have enough time"

Closing her diary, Su Xue Er stood up to leave.

[Your situation is too dangerous, bring me with you] the ring suddenly said.

Su Xue Er thought for a bit, then solemnly took the ring in hand.

This ring is too special, if Guru Isa were to see it, she might take it away.

Guru Isa had many ways to see through the things she carries on herself.

Fortunately, she had the wits to hide the booklet away ahead of time.

But then, this ring…

"Can you turn into a scrunchie? The most basic and common kind?" she asked.

[I can]

Saying so, the ring turned itself into a black scrunchie.

Su Xue Er tested it.

Good elasticity.

Using the nanomachine ring – now turned scrunchie - she tied her hair up in a ponytail.

"Let's go"

She inhaled deeply, then took a glance back at her accomodation.

There was only enough space here for a single bed and a small desk.

Of all of Su Xue Er's years, she had never lived in such a simple place before.

But in her eyes, there was no irritation, only a deep sense of longing.

Because this was her own personal space, without fighting, without hidden intentions, without schemes, no one would come here to bother her.

She could actually catch her breath here.

------after leaving, I wonder if I will be able to return here again.

Su Xue Er sighed lightly, then slowly closed her door.

Outside her room, the scenery was completely different.

The sky was grey and cloudy.

Small, single-story houses lined up one after another.

This was the living quarters for Disciple candidates, coachmen, cooks and farmers.

Only when becoming a Disciple could you transfer away from this place.

Su Xue Er followed the road paved from pebbles and head away.

Her steps were quick.

Crossing over the fountain square that was as huge as a football field, past the over-dozen-meter-tall statue, up the marble stairs, she arrived at a cliffside.

A torch flew by itself into Su Xue Er's hand.

Su Xue Er looked down at her feet.

The narrow stairs slowly silently appeared.

Aside from where the stairs are, there was nothing but a bottomless abyss.

This path doesn't allow turning back, looking down or staying for too long, it only allows you to go forward and keep moving forward.

Anyone who disobeys this rule will be devoured by the monsters in the fog and disappear from the world.

Su Xue Er inhaled, then took a step forward.

A new step appeared below her foot.

As she took her foot off, the first step disappeared.

Step by step, Su Xue Er ascended, walking through the invisible path obscured by fog.

She silently squeezed the torch tight.

The torch's light couldn't pass through the thick fog to allow her to see where she was.

It only served to warm her.

The chill of the fog was enough to instantly freeze a person to death, only when holding the torch will the chill dissipate on its own.

The steps kept heading up.

The grey fog had enveloped everything around her.

Within Su Xue Er's sight, there literally wasn't anything but fog.

After a while, she started to feel a bit frightened.

Because this was exceedingly similar to her own situation.

Giving up her fate, giving up her detestable family, she came here to be reborn.

But ahead in the fog, there were still numerous people waiting to take her life.

Shadowy figures circled around, not leaving her alone.

The tiniest slip up will guarantee a horrifying end.

Walking on this road is too bitter.

Su Xue Er stopped, standing still in the fog.

Her eyes contain a deep sense of fatigue.

In that moment, the fog from far away seems to be disturbed, as if something huge was heading here.

Su Xue Er blanked out for a few moments, then abruptly rubbed her own head.

She resumed walking.

Firmly, she braved the unknown fog and kept moving forward.

The unknown existences inside the fog noticed her actions, observed, then slowly retreated.

Su Xue Er exhaled in relief.

That was dangerous.

She tried to keep her spirits up and kept walking up towards the sky.

A few dozen minutes later.

Finally, at a certain point, the torch in her hand twitched.

Su Xue Er stopped and let go of the torch.

The torch flew out and into the unknown fog.

Clack!

The torch seems to have placed itself onto some sort of mechanism.

As the sound of mechanical parts moving rang out for a few moments, the fog in front of Su Xue Er was suddenly ripped open.

Su Xue Er could now clearly see the corridor in front of her.

This wasn't the main entrance, but rather a hidden pathway.

Su Xue Er walked in.

The wall behind her closed the very instant she came in.

Su Xue Er looked down, wore a veil and walked down the corridor following the markings on the wall.

She then also covered herself with the hood of her robe.

This was to prevent official Disciples to see her appearance, the most basic form of protection.

The last time she came here, as soon as a Disciple saw her, he immediately wanted to talk to her no matter what.

That was when the bell rang.

The Disciple had no choice but to stop, ask someone else for her name before begrudgingly leaving.

That was fortunate enough.

Otherwise, Su Xue Er could only do everything she can to kill him, or kill herself.

To prevent walking into too many people, Su Xue Er headed down the fastest route.

After what seemed like a century, Su Xue Er could finally sigh from relief.

At the end of the hallway was a wide square.

Numerous strangely shaped objects floated in midair.

Scrolls, cards, hourglasses, clothes, black books, unknown animal parts, branches…

Each item here represented their owner's manifestation of power.

Two items were circled by numerous others, hovering in the very middle.

A large tooth emitting intense pressure.

And a scroll overflowing with a bloody glow.

They felt like the masters of this place, taking the very center of the square to themselves.

They belong to the Dean and the Sentinel.

If any Disciples wanted to see them, they need only touch the items to reach where they are.

Su Xue Er pulled back her gaze and started searching for her target within the multitudes of items.

Very quickly, she saw a card as high as two people.

On the face of the card, a snake-haired lady holding a giant shield stood on a winding mountain road.

Noticing Su Xue Er's gaze, the snake-haired lady turned to look at her.

Su Xue Er came forward, respectfully bowed to the snake-haired lady and spoke: "I'm here to see Guru Isa"

The snake-haired lady nodded lightly and stood to one side.

She has given her passage.

Su Xue Er walked into the card.

Walking past the snake-haired lady, Su Xue Er continued up the winding mountain road.

About 10 minutes later, Su Xue Er arrived at the mountaintop.

On the mountaintop, a woman wearing a jet black robe stood by the cliffside with her back facing Su Xue Er.

A canvas was floating in front of the black robe woman.

The woman was looking down at the scenery below, seemingly sketching a winding road and other shadows.

An endless black fog drifted around her body, making it impossible to clearly see her figure and physique.

But the black fog couldn't hide the looming white wings behind her back.

A faintly glowing halo hovered above her head, extremely noticeable.

She looks almost like a holy angel of legends.

"Good evening, Guru Isa" Su Xue Er bowed and spoke.

The black robe woman didn't turn back and kept focused on her painting of the desolate mountainside below.

The woman didn't speak, so Su Xue Er didn't dare to say anything either.

After a while, the black robe woman stopped her brush and asked: "Tomorrow will be the official qualifications test, do you have the confidence that you'll pass?"

"I do not, but I will do my best" Su Xue Er honestly answered.

"You will die if you randomly try without any confidence"

"But I still want to try"

The black robe woman looked far, picked up her brush and continued drawing.

She abruptly spoke: "From this moment onwards, you will become my Disciple"

Su Xue Er fell silent and didn't immediately answer.

Randomly becoming someone's Disciple wasn't necessarily a good thing.

A Guru has the power to take their Disciple's life.

But a Disciple candidate do not belong to any Guru, so they can't be killed without proper reason.

Su Xue Er is a Disciple candidate.

That position is the final layer of protection that she has.

Once she becomes her Disciple, her life and death will no longer be questioned by any outsiders.

The black robe woman waited for a while, then suddenly snickered: "You manage to arrive at the Fog Isle alive, so you're looking down on this Guru who drifted here after her death huh?"

The black fog around her started to boil.

Su Xue Er hurriedly spoke: "I wouldn't dare to, that isn't the case"

She's not even a Disciple yet, so if she dares to look down on a Guru, they would have a valid reason to kill her.

No one would be able to save her then.

"Then why?" the black robe woman asked.

"I need a bit more time to think" Su Xue Er answered.

"To think? What is there to think about?" the black robe woman asked.

Then, as if she was impatient: "I'll give you 1 minute, if you still aren't willing, regardless if I will be punished by my superiors or not, I will kill you on the spot"

Following this, the thin veil between the two of them were thoroughly ripped away.

That's right.

I want to take your life.

What can you do about it?

After saying so, the black robe women kept drawing with her back turned to Su Xue Er.

As if killing was nothing special to her.

She couldn't be bothered to even look at Su Xue Er.

Su Xue Er clenched her fists.

Hurry!

A bit quicker!

Is it not ready yet?

Have I ran out of time?

There was only cold wind blowing nonstop on top of this mountain.

One minute would pass by very quickly.

Su Xue Er dejectedly hung her head.

Seems like it won't make it.

She was in despair.

Suddenly, she felt a tiny bit of heat from her hair.

This heat was from the nanomachine ring overclocking itself for calculations.

The AI inside the nanomachine ring had been recalculating over a million times to correspond to Su Xue Er's current situation.

[Estimate time error maximized]

[The previous arrangements failed to catch up in time]

[With the current situation, recalculating judgement]

[Conclusion: Su Xue Er has a very high chance of death]

[Once again searching for appropriate means to save Su Xue Er's life]

[Generating options]

…

[According to Fog Isle's rules and laws, combined with the current situation, selected option No. 793]

[Begin constructing nano-speakers]

[Loading Su Xue Er's unique voice patterns]

[Preparing to speak in place of Su Xue Er]

[Ready]

Su Xue Er's hair was released.

Her scrunchie turned into a single hair, silently resting in the rest of her hair.

Although the black robe woman has her back turned to Su Xue Er, this hair still maintained absolute caution.

Its width was only half of what a normal hair would be.

It even changed its own color to match Su Xue Er's skin tone.

Simulating a hair's natural falling motion, it dropped down to the corner of Su Xue Er's mouth.

Su Xue Er understood and opened her mouth just a tiny bit.

This hair instantly disappeared.

…

"It's time, tell me your answer" the black robe woman spoke.

Her tone contains a hint of killing intent: "Either you die right now, or after the qualifications, become my Disciple and then die ------choosing the latter will at least buy you some time"

Her tone suddenly became soft and gentle: "Su Xue Er, are you willing to accept me as your teacher?"

A desperate voice came from behind her.

"I am willing, Guru Isa"

As soon as she said this, a card appeared in front of the black robe woman.

The card turned, then burned to ash.

The black robe woman snickered without sound.

She spoke softly: "Go, a card has witnessed this moment, once you pass the qualifications, you will officially be my Disciple"

At this moment, the black robe woman was exceptionally pleased.

After the test, they will officially become student and master.

At that time, the little girl's life rests in my hands.

I've finally got her.

She is my only competitor.

She has to die.