The Natives of This World Are Fierce

Initially, Qin Xiaoxia wanted to call Su Su right away and give her a surprise, but a glance at the time showed it was nearly four in the morning.

With that girl’s personality, how could she possibly sleep after hearing the news? She might even dare to find a car and race over to Qingzhen in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t that Qin Xiaoxia was being overly worried. Given Su Su’s looks, combined with her carefree personality, if she ran into any bad people, she’d surely be abducted.

’Better to wait until morning to tell her.’

...

At 8:00 AM, Su Su, still groggy with sleep, heard her phone ringing by the bed.

"Who... is it... so early in the morning..."

The girl had been diligently practicing her divination ability lately. It was mentally draining, which left her feeling constantly sleep-deprived.

The House of Destiny she worked at in the amusement park had become quite well-known. After it opened, you could often see young couples and others lining up to experience a reading from the Witch.

Plus, Su Su’s stunning looks were a big draw for the attraction.

She fumbled around her bedside table, found her phone, and squinted at the screen.

Mentor!

All sleepiness vanished in an instant. Su Su sat bolt upright in bed and hit the answer button.

"Hello, Mentor, it’s Su Su! Mhm, mhm, no, it’s fine, I was just sleeping in!"

"What!!! No, wait, Mentor, can you say that again? I understand, I understand! I’ll be there as fast as I can!!"

Su Su’s chest heaved violently, as if her T-shirt pajama top was about to be stretched to its limits.

’Calm down, Su Su, you have to stay calm! It’s at times like this you need to keep a cool head!’

’A heart of ice fears not the falling sky... A heart of ice fears not the falling sky...’

Su Su silently repeated the mantra she had learned from a historical drama.

Five seconds later.

"AHHHHHHHHHH~"

A loud shriek irrepressibly released her pent-up excitement.

"I can’t control myself!~~~~"

After that goofy outburst, Su Su felt she could finally breathe a little easier.

"Right, get up, get up! No time to waste!"

The girl with the long, flowing hair became a blur of motion, leaping out of bed and dashing into the bathroom.

Wanting to be in her best state, Su Su unhesitatingly ran into the shower stall and turned on the water.

’With a fire burning in my heart, I’m not afraid of cold water!’

Then she slapped her forehead and tossed out her drenched T-shirt.

Despite repeatedly telling herself to hurry, it still took her an hour to leave the house.

Su Su, who usually championed natural beauty, had even put on light makeup today. It looked less like she was going to awaken her Magic Power and more like she was going on a blind date.

In Su Su’s words, she wanted to welcome her new life in her most beautiful state.

...

Although Su Su already knew the way, Doudou had eagerly volunteered for the task of greeting her.

At a street corner in Qingzhen, Su Su spotted Doudou looking around the moment she stepped out of the taxi.

"Hahahaha~~ Doudou~~ I’m over here!"

Su Su rushed over, scooped Doudou up, and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"Let’s go~ We’ll hit the supermarket first!"

In high spirits, she carried Doudou toward the nearby Ruixing Supermarket.

Doudou struggled for a few moments before breaking free from her chest-crushing hug and jumping to the ground.

"Hmph, you got lucky. I’ll let it slide that you smeared your slobber all over my face. So gross!"

As he walked, Doudou wiped his cheek with his sleeve in disgust, leaving Su Su petrified for two seconds.

When they arrived at the wondrous Association Secret Realm, her heart began to pound even faster, especially after seeing Qin Xiaoxia.

"M-Mentor! I’m here!"

"Mm."

Qin Xiaoxia’s eyes lit up at the sight of Su Su’s appearance, but he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw the two bags of snacks she and Doudou were each carrying.

"Doudou, did you swindle her again?"

Doudou was so angry he jumped up and down.

"I, Doudou, am an upstanding individual! I hate it when people accuse me wrongly! She did it willingly! Um, at least this time she did!"

Su Su quickly waved her hands.

"Yes, yes, Mentor, I did it willingly! Don’t blame Doudou!"

Qin Xiaoxia didn’t want to dwell on it and ended the strange conversation.

A lot of effort had gone into preparing the ceremonial hall for today’s rite.

...

Her experience this time was different from the last.

Walking slowly through the stone corridors and halls, she felt a sense of ancient history in the tranquility.

The Craftsman she had seen last time was gone, likely occupied with other work, but the Secret Realm itself felt more alive.

It seemed deserted, yet she felt as if she was being watched.

Before long, she reached a corner in the corridor. At the end was the entrance to the ceremonial hall.

It was a staircase leading down.

It looked pitch-black inside, with no lights. Su Su stopped instinctively, but Qin Xiaoxia continued without breaking his stride.

"To walk through the darkness has been our mission for ages."

The voice drifted over, making Su Su pause for a moment.

’Get a grip, Su Su. You’re about to become a Dawn Witch!’

She recalled her state of mind before a divination, cleared her thoughts, and gradually, her heartbeat began to stabilize.

’I can’t lose my composure. I can’t give my Mentor a bad impression at this final moment!’

Instead of immediately following Qin Xiaoxia, Su Su bent down, took off her modest high heels, and held them in her hand.

Letting her stockinged feet touch the cool ground, she followed Qin Xiaoxia into the darkness with determined steps.

She had been worried about falling, but she discovered that once inside the passage, it wasn’t as dark as it appeared from the outside. She could at least see the path.

"We lead the way because we see through the darkness."

In truth, just a second before saying that, Qin Xiaoxia was wondering if he should install some lights here in the future.

Su Su noticed that upon reaching this place, the Magic Power her Mentor had left on her arm began to burn hotly, making her vision grow clearer.

It was as if a keenness deep within her soul had been unleashed, allowing her to experience a novel new way of observing the world.

But there was no time to ponder it; she hurried to keep up.

The winding, spiral staircase was only about twenty steps long, and then her view opened up dramatically.

Below was an underground space that took up a large portion of the association’s building.

There was nothing but a few pillars. A carpet on the floor led all the way to the far end of the hall, where a massive, carved "Light of Dawn" emblem was displayed.

And her Mentor was already standing there, though she hadn’t seen when he arrived.

’So this is the ceremonial hall?’

Su Su looked up. Tiny, star-like substances flickered above. She couldn’t tell what they were, but occasionally, fantastical arcs of electricity seemed to flow between them.

"Come."

Hearing Qin Xiaoxia’s words, Su Su took a deep breath, set her high heels aside, and walked forward.

Her Mentor’s eyes now emanated a mesmerizing glow, and she couldn’t look away.

But in her peripheral vision, ethereal figures began to materialize on either side of the carpet, one by one. They appeared slowly at first, then faster, their numbers growing.

Some wore long robes, others shining armor. Some held sharp swords, others raised torches high. Some were not even humanoid, while others looked just like Demons.

Some seemed to be shouting loudly, while others appeared to be celebrating joyfully...

But without exception, all of their gazes were fixed on the carpet, on the person walking upon it—on her.

Her heart had leaped when the first shadow appeared, but as more and more of them materialized, she gradually calmed down. Su Su desperately wanted to turn her head and look at them closely, but she forced herself to resist the immature impulse.

All the figures seemed to be telling her: "Gaze upon the Sage, young aspirant!"

In the distance, beside her Mentor, Doudou had just taken his position on one side of the carpet. Opposite him stood a giant, humanoid Big Thorn, as well as an exceptionally beautiful red-haired "person" who was clearly not human.

Besides her Mentor, only these three were corporeal!

The surroundings were quiet, but in Su Su’s mind, it was a clamor, as if "everyone" was discussing the new initiate with pleased murmurs.

As she neared the dais, tears began to stream down her face, and she had to struggle to keep from sobbing.

Su Su admitted that she was normally an emotional person, but this was no ordinary sentiment. It was a powerful resonance, a contagion of the soul!

She now understood what was on either side of the carpet.

Those ethereal but vivid shadows... they had to be fallen heroes!

She looked up and met her Mentor’s gaze. His eyes were calm and firm, watching her with an unwavering stare.

"Su Su, your wonderful life has not yet truly begun. If you turn back now, the Dawn Association will allow you to leave. Your memories will be erased, and you can go back to being a happy, ordinary person."

"No! Never!"

Su Su cried out urgently, ignoring the tremor in her voice. Her tear-filled eyes were locked on Qin Xiaoxia, refusing to look away.

Qin Xiaoxia broke into a gratified smile.

"My apologies. Even though I knew those words were an insult to you, it is tradition. For thousands of years, the Sage who holds the Scepter has never heard a different answer!"

Immediately, Qin Xiaoxia’s expression turned solemn again, and his normal tone shifted, taking on a spatial echo.

A tremolo of Magic Power made the surroundings seem to vibrate faintly.

"Aspirant with the Magic Talent, when you are branded with our mark..."

The Scepter that had appeared in Qin Xiaoxia’s hand began to glow with a faint purple light.

"A blood oath of the soul will bind you for eternity, and darkness and terror shall be your lifelong enemies..."

The head of the Scepter, like a searing torch, blazed with the Light of Dawn in the dim underground chamber.

"The power of the Philosopher’s Stone will help you open the Door to the Magic Power hidden within your blood and soul..."

A wondrous, floating Gemstone, suffused with a mesmerizing three-colored halo, came to a stop before Su Su. Still stirred by his voice, she instinctively grabbed it.

"A golden glint, that is humanity’s desire for power..."

In Doudou’s hand, a glittering Gold Coin floated.

"Extend your hand. Accept this gift, and accept this responsibility!"

The voice reverberated in the depths of her soul, sending a thrill through Su Su. She dropped to one knee and extended her right hand, as if she were witnessing an ancient initiate receiving the rite at this very same moment.

"Imodo~ modo Isa Rami~" Doudou’s Magic Language chant sounded beside her.

"Luolin~ modo Luoman~" Her Mentor’s deeper Magic Language chant drowned out all other sounds in the next moment.

The Gemstone clutched in her left hand instantly turned into a searing current, flowing into her body like a warm bath. Before Su Su could fully experience it...

"TSSSS~"

An intense pain shot through the palm of her hand, searing into her very bones and soul.

"AHHH~"

Su Su didn’t have Baru’s endurance; an irrepressible scream of pain burst from her lips.

PS: Chapter 3/3.

This is a 3,000-character Chapter, who dares call me short now!! ╭(╯^╰)╮