The golden slime monster had taken her over, turning her into the Moon Demon Empress.
Ye Lian had always feared that her personality would undergo some irreversible change.
Now, it was clear that wouldn’t happen.
She was still herself.
She hadn’t become a monster just because she gained power or fused with the golden slime creature.
“Thank you.” Mu Ling, now fully recovered, stood up and expressed her gratitude.
Her voice and expression had returned to the cold indifference she had shown back in the Origin Zone.
But the way she looked at Ye Lian clearly held a touch of warmth.
“If you hadn’t stepped in, I would have been in serious trouble.”
“It’s nothing. We’re all Huaxia people. Looking out for each other is only natural,” Ye Lian replied calmly.
She had no intention of getting too close to Mu Ling.
Since the other girl didn’t know her true identity, the chances of becoming enemies were low.
There was no need to be overly cautious, but also no need to grow too close.
After all, the human heart is unpredictable.
No one could say what kind of twist might come next.
Sometimes, it was better not to have known each other at all.
However, Mu Ling clearly had no plans of letting go.
“I need to repay you. Let me stay and help out with chores.”
“…”
Ye Lian was completely stunned.
‘Did this girl hit her head or something?’
Bai Xue was speechless.
‘Hey! Isn’t this my routine? Why are you so good at it!?’
“I can refu—” Ye Lian started, but Mu Ling cut her off.
“In the study, open the cabinet on the left side. At the bottom drawer, there’s a hidden compartment with treasure.”
Ye Lian instantly froze in place.
That exact location flashed through her mind—’it was her personal treasure stash.’
‘That place… no one else should have known about it!’
‘But how did Mu Ling know?’
‘Could it be that she really knew who Ye Lian was?’
‘No, no. That was impossible!’
If Mu Ling had recognized her, she wouldn’t have left so indifferently back in the Origin Zone.
Bai Xue looked completely lost.
She had no idea what kind of deeper meaning Mu Ling’s words held.
Ye Lian, however, felt a chill crawl down her spine.
It was as if Mu Ling could see straight through her.
‘Wait… see through?’
‘Could it be that Mu Ling had the ability to uncover the deepest secrets of others?’
Ye Lian thought of her god-tier alchemy skills and realized such a thing wasn’t entirely impossible.
As for why Mu Ling couldn’t see through her real identity, it was probably due to some limitation of that ability.
‘Or maybe… it was the special effect of the Silver Moon Divine Armor.’
***
“…Maid.”
“Hmm?” Bai Xue thought Mu Ling was calling her and looked over in confusion.
“You can stay too,” Mu Ling said flatly.
The moment Ye Lian heard those words, she mentally raised a white flag.
It no longer mattered how Mu Ling had found out about that secret.
The only thing that mattered now was keeping her calm.
If Mu Ling revealed anything else, the situation could spiral out of control fast.
“Thank you. Once the beta test ends, I’ll explain everything.”
Mu Ling’s expression turned serious.
Now, Ye Lian felt like she was on the edge of understanding something—
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t quite grasp it.
Bai Xue stood frozen in place, completely unable to understand the conversation between the two.
‘Were they exchanging some kind of secret code?’
“Those who get it, get it,” Mu Ling added casually.
Ye Lian and Bai Xue both rolled their eyes.
Being able to understand that would be the real miracle.
“White Knight, I’d like you to craft some gear and enchant it for me,” Mu Ling said, acting as if they were already old friends.
She casually placed a large pile of materials on the counter.
***
‘She definitely knows something!’
Ye Lian’s heart tensed.
She looked at Mu Ling with growing wariness.
It was as if Mu Ling had known from the very beginning that she could craft equipment and enchant it.
‘That wasn’t normal.’
‘Sure, crafting gear might be something one could guess from the items on display at the workshop.’
‘But enchantments…’
‘So far, only Bai Xue knew about that!’
‘And Bai Xue would never leak such information—nor did she have the opportunity to.’
‘This girl is seriously suspicious!’
Ye Lian clenched her fists, her wariness intensifying.
Bai Xue was feeling the same.
This girl’s strange behavior was far beyond what they could have expected.
There was no room for carelessness!
“Time’s ticking, White Knight,” Mu Ling urged calmly.
“Bai Xue, lock the door. I’m going to craft here,” Ye Lian said suddenly, a hint of urgency in her voice.
She had caught something in Mu Ling’s words that made her act without hesitation.
***
Fifteen minutes ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed of crafting gear for Mu Ling.
What a joke—why would she help a potential rival become even stronger?
But after Mu Ling revealed that secret…
Ye Lian’s thoughts had started to shift.
Mu Ling didn’t seem like an enemy after all.
Her gaze dropped to the materials on the counter.
They were excellent—high-quality items, clearly not something low-level players could obtain.
Then again, it made sense.
Mu Ling was currently the highest-level player, so it was only natural she could collect rare resources.
“Do you have any specific requests?” Ye Lian asked.
“None at all. Make it however you think is best,” Mu Ling replied with a serene smile.
“I trust your aesthetic sense.”
That smile—it was like an iceberg melting, unexpectedly dazzling.
***
Bai Xue came back after locking the door, ready to assist Ye Lian.
Her eyes kept darting to Mu Ling, curiosity blooming wildly in her heart.
This mysterious and beautiful girl… Bai Xue could barely hold back her curiosity.
“All right then,” Ye Lian nodded softly.
Without any visible movement, she instantly gauged Mu Ling’s body measurements.
“You like black so much—I’ll make your gear entirely black.”
As soon as the words left her lips, the magical crafting process began once more.
Bai Xue’s eyes sparkled as she watched.
Mu Ling, on the other hand, looked nostalgic.
She unconsciously bit her rosy lips.
Time passed slowly.
Perhaps because Ye Lian was pouring extra care into the process, it took her a full twenty minutes to finish crafting Mu Ling’s gear.
“It’s so beautiful!” Bai Xue exclaimed, staring at the black light armor on the counter in awe.
It was made of a single color—black—yet it didn’t feel monotonous at all.
Faint, mysterious patterns seemed to shimmer across the surface before quickly fading again.
Every line of the armor was precise and deliberate—nothing felt excessive.
It was like a sports car designed to perfection—its contours flawless and captivating.
Anyone could see this gear was no ordinary item.
“No surprise it came from you—it’s perfect,” Mu Ling praised.
Her eyes were filled with a nostalgic warmth.
That look… Ye Lian couldn’t understand it at all.
To her, Mu Ling was just a girl she’d only recently met.
But in Mu Ling’s eyes, it was as if Ye Lian had been someone deeply important to her for a long time.
That dissonance—it made Ye Lian deeply uncomfortable.
***
Zzzzip—
Suddenly, the sound of a zipper being undone echoed through the room.
Mu Ling began stripping off her black leather jacket.
Then she took off her leather pants, revealing her flawless, ivory skin and a simple set of white undergarments.
The sight left Ye Lian and Bai Xue completely stunned.
Even though they were all girls, wasn’t this a bit too casual!?
Mu Ling paid no attention to their stares.
She calmly and skillfully put on her freshly crafted light armor.
Every piece fit perfectly—snug, comfortable, just right.
Moments later, the two girls found themselves face-to-face with a striking and gallant young warrior.
Mu Ling stretched a little, then turned toward Ye Lian and gave her a grateful smile.
Then, as if just noticing her for the first time, she slowly looked over at the name hovering above Bai Xue’s head.
In the next instant, her pupils shrank sharply.
She gasped.
“You’re not dead!?”