My Notoriety Spreads Throughout the World-Chapter 406 - 346: Predestined Fate

Chichu Chun couldn't snap out of the shock for a long time, as if the whole world was slipping away from her.

She stared blankly at the fragments of the Divine Artifact scattered on the ground, the engraved blades dulling to a dim gray.

If she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she might have thought this was nothing more than a cheap weapon any blacksmith apprentice could create.

Chichu Chun's mind wasn't filled with regret over why the Divine Artifact rejected her so fiercely.

But rather, she worried if her breaking Chichu Yun would bring blame from the family.

If the Eight-Spider Nest Mother were to awaken now, who would be able to slay it?

Would she be reprimanded by countless people?

She might feel like,

she had caused an enormous disaster.

Mr. Screw never anticipated things would turn out this way. The AI, familiar with storms and tempests, now stammered in speech.

"This... this..."

"Chichu Yun, is it... broken?"

He originally believed the worst result would be Chichu Yun rejecting the girl, leading the girl to retreat when faced with difficulties, ending today's underground treasury trip.

Who would have thought that the will residing in the Divine Artifact would react so violently that...

Without a doubt, the situation was beyond repair, the event could not conclude smoothly today. Mr. Screw, after a brief rational analysis, quickly calmed down, and his innermost thought was this:

He must keep the news of Chichu Yun's shattering from spreading to the outside world.

Causing panic externally was minor, but if it provoked the lurking forces to unreservedly assist in the Eight-Spider Nest Mother's resurrection, it would not be as simple as the arrival of a powerful monster tale; it would fulfill the apocalyptic prophecy.

World-level monster tales were already rare in history, and the only one classified by the association as a World-Ending Level was the Eight-Spider Nest Mother due to its unique trait: no matter how severely injured, it would instantly return to peak condition unless slain by a weapon of the same source — shedding its chitinous armor and advancing to the next life tier.

This is why the association poured resources into sending more personnel to the Four Great Tower Cities, aiding Chichu Heaven in developing heavy industry.

And the only weapons of the same source had always been only Chichu Yun.

Legend held that it was the primordial sheath left inside the egg sac when the newly-born Eight-Spider Nest Mother emerged, crafted by thousands of the era's most skilled craftsmen using ancient primal blood, and forged continuously for seven days and nights.

All master craftsmen of that era were cursed by the Eight-Spider Nest Mother's resentful spirit, either unable to bear children or driven to madness, dying by self-gouging.

Attempting to recreate Chichu Yun was out of the question, not to mention the Eight-Spider Nest Mother never left behind another exoskeleton.

Xu Xiaoyou picked up a shard of the blade, examining it under the light to see the fine scales reflecting multicolored glows.

To her surprise, the long knife wasn't forged from metal; its material was closer to a fusion of insect and reptilian exoskeletons.

Xu Xiaoyou raised her eyebrows slightly as Mr. Screw hurried over, taking the shard from her hand and placing it with the others into a gel, which he compressed into a thumb-sized blue ice crystal.

In front of the two girls, Mr. Screw briefly reiterated the severity of the issue, his tone solemn and rushed.

Xu Xiaoyou's eyes reflected swirling thoughts.

It seemed the favorability plot of the Young Master [Treading Alone on the Thorny Path] had unlocked its prerequisites.

All this was but destiny's design.

Only by leaving Tang Xin's side, making him independent, could he truly discover a deeper self, while Chichu Yun's rejection and destruction were equally necessary conditions for Chichu Chun's growth.

Xu Xiaoyou preferred rational analysis over emotional blame.

"I will keep today's events strictly confidential."

"Listen, no matter what, pretend as if nothing happened now. Show no signs of anything unusual, no matter who you encounter, even the current Patriarch. You mustn't reveal a hint. If the outside world finds out, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Here, hold onto this. Though it's unclear why Chichu Yun reacted so intensely, this Young Master was chosen by Chichun Shu's will. Perhaps you'll find the answer to this on your future journey."

Chichu Chun silently accepted the ice blue crystal bearing the weight of the Divine Artifact. She lowered her gaze, realizing the gravity of her mistake. Words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

All she could do was exert all her efforts to amend the mistake before it truly festered into disaster.

"Additionally, there's this." Mr. Screw produced a device; its shape resembled an astrolabe, with a dark red sphere suspended within, spinning rapidly, surrounded by a pale golden ring emitting an aura of mystery.

The moment Xu Xiaoyou touched the device, she thought she was hallucinating.

She clearly saw the device's information panel displayed before her.

"Item: Superdimensional Projector"

"Quality: Hereditary (Red)"

"Power: ∞—∞"

"Damage Type: Unknown"

"Usage Conditions: None"

"Usage Count: 0/1"

"Item Description: Power from a higher dimension."

Briefly surprised, Xu Xiaoyou quickly regained her composure.

Evidently, this was the reward left for her by Sebastian.

The counterpart indeed gave her a significant surprise.

Neither wealth nor other material items captured her attention, but this Superdimensional Projector could resolve her current concerns.

Previously, she worried about how to reach a sufficient level before the league commenced and how to bring her Card Maker talent into the Oasis.

Now, all problems were resolved effortlessly.

Chichu Chun mentioned before that the Superdimensional Projector's effect could project the user's real state into the Oasis, unhindered, allowing the user to entirely escape the influence of the Sea of Consciousness deviation.

An inexplicable surge of confusion rose in Xu Xiaoyou's heart. Such a feeling of everything being decreed by destiny left her uneasy. Whether it was the scenes on the Star of Art, the challenges faced in the instance, or the current predicaments, they all evoked a sense of estrangement as if manipulated by fate.

It felt like she was a puppet on stage, with unseen forces moving her limbs; whether the character cards drawn, the favorability plots experienced, everyone encountered, every event gone through, everything obtained, all she presently possessed...

It all seemed as though someone was deliberately guiding her step by step towards a predetermined path.

Everything beyond her control made her uneasy; even a fleeting thought left her back cold with sweat. Xu Xiaoyou quickly snapped back to reality, breaking free from the panic.

All previous thoughts dissipated; in reality, only a brief moment had passed.

With a heart still throbbing with remnants of fear, she exhaled a long breath, acknowledging that her emotions hadn't fluctuated this intensely in a long time.

Mr. Screw was taken aback by the blonde girl's composure; despite the gravity of the situation, she maintained her poise and calm.

"Let's go."

Taking the Superdimensional Projector, Xu Xiaoyou turned and walked away. Her voice echoed beside the red-haired girl, lost in thought. The latter belatedly held the ice blue crystal in her palm and quickly caught up.

Watching the backs of the two girls gradually recede, Mr. Screw, mimicking humans, gently sighed. He could only hope that this Young Master would grow swiftly on the journey ahead and find a way out of the current predicament.

Leaving the underground treasury, they walked through the first-floor hall of the Northern Territory Bank.

The two girls, weighed down by thoughts, brushed past the young man from earlier. Standing wearily at his post, his smile strained, he faintly gestured. Not far ahead, a chestnut-haired girl laughed with a bell-like cheer, raising the camera in her arms and clicking the shutter.

Having collected the reward left by Sebastian, it was time to return to the instance.

Xu Xiaoyou thought.