Chapter 142: A Whole New World

"She is currently being bestowed the powers of the dungeon"

"What?"

"Do you remember what happened to me when we left… Xianying's world?"

"I...I think so"

Xing Cai also suddenly dropped down in pain when they left the first ever dungeon they've explored. Even now, Xing Cai still remembers the excruciating pain that it brought. And for Viel's friend to only slightly shout and grit her teeth, she's either strong, or just that much accustomed to pain.

"Well, what happened to me is happening to her", Xing Cai said as she beckoned for Viel to not disturb his friend too much.

"I...I see"

Viel took off Sofia's glasses, as it might break with Sofia groveling in the ground like that. He then slightly brushed Sofia's hair before stepping back.

Diao Mei could not help but smile as she watched Viel's concern over his friend, but she then sighed as she looked to the side.

It took a minute before Sofia's condition stabilized and she was able to stop shaking. She let out several stuttered breaths as she sat up, looking almost like she drowned in her own sweat.

She then waved her hands in front of her face as she looked above her.

"W-what… are these letters?", Sofia whispered.

"Aha!", Guang Yan quickly approached Sofia, raising her fingers in the air, "You must be confused about what is happening. Let me expla-"

But before Guang Yan could even start her explanation, Sofia suddenly stood up.

"These words… level up…", Sofia once again waved her hands in front of her and started to walk around, "Weird… The words are so clear even without my spectacles on, does that mean it's in my mind?", she said as she closed her eyes.

"Hmm, but I don't see it with my eyes closed", she whispered as she once again opened her eyes. She then turned her head sideways a couple of times, but her eyes stayed looking in front of her.

"The words aren't really following me, but they keep on facing me whenever I rotate around it. Interesting, very interesting. I wonder if I open up my skull, I can see what's happening in there? Hmmm"

"I somewhat feel stronger as well, is that what it meant by level up, interesting, highly interesting"

"Uhhmm…", Guang Yan slowly approached Sofia, "Let me expl-"

But once again, Sofia walked around as if lost in her own world.

"Bonus Reward for killing more than 500 sub-targets?", Sofia whispered as she flicked her finger in the air, "Accept it, of course"

As soon as she did that, a glass bottle suddenly materialized in front of her, with some sort of red liquid contained in it.

"Impossible, it popped out of nowhere…", Sofia's eyes widened as she grabbed the floating bottle, "This is impossible. Could it be from the other world as well?".

She then placed the glass bottle near her nose and started to sniff it, "It doesn't really have a significant smell on the outside, was it stored in a huge space? Could be isolated as well. No wait, the way it appeared, it was similar to-", she whispered as she suddenly turned to look at Viel.

The way it appeared in front of her was almost the same as Viel's skill, the one he calls the Item Box.

"Interesting, very interesting", Sofia nodded as she gently wrapped the glass bottle with a handkerchief.

Guang Yan's eyes twitched as she was left there standing awkwardly with her finger raised in the air. She was not able to speak even once as was left with her mouth hanging.

"Sofie!"

"Ah!", Sofia woke up from her stupor, "Vi, look at this, it's-"

Sofia stopped talking as soon as she noticed that everyone was looking at her.

"Ah yes, where are my manners", Sofia said as she curtsied, "I am Sofia, Daughter of Kin… Please, just call me Sofia"

"She's my fiancee", Viel added.

Hearing this, Xing Cai's eyes quickly squinted as she stared at Sofia from head to toe, "Not bad. But you're too young!", Xing Cai pinched Viel's cheek.

"Ehh…", Viel rubbed his cheek.

Sofia could not help but chuckle as she saw this, "You are Miss Xing Cai, yes?", Sofia said, "You don't have to worry, our engagement is already void as soon as I was disowned by the Royal Family"

"Eeeh!? Really!?", Viel placed his hand on his chin, "What do I call you now then?"

"A friend?", Sofia put on a smile as she slightly looked to the side.

"Hmmm", Viel squinted his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed.

"S-shall we talk about this at home?", Diao Mei cleared her throat, "I am sure my mother would love to meet you again, Viel"

"Eeh. Sure, I am getting hungry as well", Viel said as he touched his stomach.

And so, after Xing Cai talked to the standby unit leader and left the matter of the drifters to him, they all left for Diao Mei's estate.

***

"Ah! M'lady, where did you run off to!?"

A servant was frantically running around the hall when she saw Diao Mei entering the manor with a group of people.

"Madam Diao! Lady Mei is back!", the servant shouted as she ran deeper inside the manor.

Sofia was currently looking all around the manor, her eyes wide and curious as she stared at every part of the house.

On the way here, she also saw a lot of fascinating things that did not exist in her world.

"Vi, you didn't tell me your world has so many mysterious… objects", Sofia said as she approached one of the statues in the manor.

Hearing Sofia's words, Viel started to sweat buckets as he held his face.

"Are… we really back in my world!?"

In truth, Viel was in much shock as Sofia. The things that he has been seeing when they walked through the city were things he has never also seen before.

"Y-you guys, aren't aliens, are you!?", Viel slightly backed away as he pointed at Xing Cai and the others.

Xing Cai could not help but sigh, "You have been gone for 7 years, Viel. The appearance of the dungeons… they changed everything"

In fact, one could say Viel didn't really return to the same world he left in. If it weren't for them, the people that still waited for Viel's return, then Viel might have as well been in another completely different world right now.

"There are so many things for you to see in our world, Viel...

...So don't leave us again"