When the plot-skips players into the game world

In the raging blizzard, Lily struggled to move forward.

The cold spread inward from her skin, seeping into her flesh and marrow beneath.

Her body was stiff like a puppet's, yet burning desires smoldered at the bottom of her heart. They were like wood that had been ignited only to be smothered; quietly they emitted copious amounts of heat and black smoke, roasting her heart.

Lily felt her blood turn viscous, like glue or mud. They bound her body, wrapping around her flesh like ropes... turning herself into a prisoner.

—I am a prisoner locked within a shell!

Deep within Lily's pupils, a crimson fire reignited.

The regret of losing the book, the rage incited by that rabbit, the grievances of trudging alone through the snow... Negative emotions fueled the fire, scorching her soul, making her blood grow even more thick and heavy.

And there the snow-white rabbit was, leaping agilely amidst the blizzard. Each time Lily almost lost it, the rabbit would stop and mockingly look back; and each time when Lily was about to catch up, it hopped away again, making her blood pressure surge higher and higher.

At first, her rationality still urged her to calm down.

But as she chased, her rationality too said, screw it, catch up!

However, the external cold wind was so bone-chilling, her body so rigid. Now, as she simply ran, she could hear the creaking and groaning of her whole body... she had reached her physical limit.

At that moment, Lily subconsciously looked back.

Only to find that her path had become a blanket of untouched snow. Looking down, she saw chaotic footprints all around her... as if she was merely going around in circles.

How could this be?

[You are bound by mortal garments]

An ethereal female voice sounded.

[You cannot approach the Night Rabbit, unless you cast off your clothing]

Lily gritted her teeth and, without a second thought, stripped off her clothes.

Strangely enough, afterward, she felt as if she had tapped into an unrestrained nature—a new strength flowed into her.

Despite shedding all her warm clothes, she felt her skin gradually warming. The storm could no longer hurt her, not in the slightest.

She set off once again in pursuit of the creature known as the "Night Rabbit."

Her body was no longer stiff, her skin no longer cold... After removing her clothes, she ran on all fours like a wild beast, steaming white hot in the cold night. Yet even so, she couldn't outrun the rabbit.

[You are bound by the flesh of matter]

The voice sounded again.

Like wind chimes, like crystal. Like a spring flowing in a deep valley, clear and calm.

[You cannot approach the Night Rabbit, unless you cast off your flesh] Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

With nothing but the rabbit left in Lily's crimson eyes, she continued her frenzied chase.

This time she finally broke free from the maze-like constraints and lunged viciously at the rabbit.

The rabbit, caught off guard, was pinned down by her.

The intense hunger made Lily bite down on the rabbit's throat, sucking its blood. The rabbit's legs kicked violently, but Lily held it even tighter, like a fierce lover, as she knelt in the deep snow, embracing it in her arms.

As she drained the rabbit of its blood, she started to consume its flesh.

With every bite, Lily's skeleton creaked—greyish-white fur sprouted from her skin, and her comely face gradually morphed into a wolf's savage visage.

In the end, only remnants of the rabbit remained.

And the grey wolf that Lily had become looked around puzzles, her long snout stained with blood.

Just then, she suddenly saw the rabbit—

—Wasn't that big white rabbit hanging in the sky!

She howled at the moon above her head, yearning to leap towards it.

At this time, wolves emerged from the snowy ground, one after another, from nowhere.

The wolf pack echoed Lily's howls, heads raised to the moon. A profound sense of joy flooded her heart.

[You are bound by the shadow beneath you]

The female voice sounded for the third time.

[You cannot approach the Night Rabbit, unless you cast off your shadow]

Lily looked down at her own shadow in a daze, her blood-red eyes focusing on it as she attempted to bite her shadow.

But at that moment, she was suddenly bound and lifted by several threads emerging from her shadow.

Struggling vainly in her wolf form, Lily couldn't break free from the grey threads.

She struggled and struggled until she transformed back into a human form.

As the great white rabbit in the sky glanced back at her, it moved away to the other side of the heavens.

Lily, bound in place, watched the Night Rabbit depart, almost wailing in desolation. But ultimately, she couldn't escape the bindings of the grey threads.

And as the moon set, Lily suddenly came to her senses.

—She was still in the master's study.

Her clothes lay tossed aside, and she stood rooted to the spot. The cage in front of her held no big white rabbit, just a book lying quietly inside.

"Thank goodness... the book is not lost..."

Lily let out a sigh of relief subconsciously, but her voice was so hoarse.

She paused, then suddenly realized there was something in her throat. She couldn't help coughing, and then she spat out a clump of bloodstained rabbit fur.

...That wasn't an illusion?

Lily recalled the clear sensation of chewing and swallowing the rabbit, and she immediately felt hair-raising terror.

And when she thought back to the joy of tearing flesh, she was horrified to discover that wolf fur had grown on her skin, and she gradually crouched down, eventually turning into a grey wolf.

...Was it a curse of the Werewolf Transformation Skill?!

Lily was startled, recalling the knowledge from the Witch's Heritage Book.

But soon, she realized something was amiss.

Because unlike the situation when afflicted by the Werewolf Transformation Skill, it seemed she could revert back at any time...

A thought stirred in her heart, and the wolf fur receded. She crouched on the ground but had regained her human form.

"...The Codex Book of the Path of Love?"

Lily murmured softly, feeling somewhat afraid of her own loss of rationality. If she had chosen to cast away the shadows then, would she never have been able to return?

And after she had transformed into a wolf, that intense desire to gnaw on flesh that surged from the depths of her heart had made her even more afraid.

—The closer the person, the more she loved or admired them, the more she wanted to gnaw on them. Her human form was still safe, but if she turned into a wolf... If Aiwass were before her eyes, she feared she wouldn't be able to suppress her bloodthirsty impulse.

This form was too dangerous.

Better to seal it away, as if she had never acquired this ability.

That's what Lily thought to herself.

...Even so, she still felt a twinge of regret.

Because that wolf seemed more than just an ordinary beast. She had the vague feeling that she possessed some special abilities...

But to avoid affliction, it was better to act as if that ability didn't exist.

She no longer had the spare heart to tidy up her things, but that worry also made her hesitant to fall asleep. She was concerned that if she accidentally fell asleep, she might have that kind of dream again... turning into a wolf and returning to the snowy plains.

As a result, she lay in bed, tossing and turning, and didn't sleep all night.

On the other hand, Aiwass and Sherlock hadn't slept either.

Aiwass had already prepared for the ritual.

But there seemed to be some slight issues on Sherlock's end.

"How am I supposed to know if we orbit the Sun or the Moon? In my past life, I've never had to use knowledge of astronomy—Not that I can't learn it, but my brain has grown accustomed to not accepting knowledge that's useless to me. Of course, I know it's useful now, but I still need some time to adapt."

Sherlock, frustrated and embarrassed, threw the "Introduction to Astronomy" to one side, stacking it with "Basics of Astrology": "Besides, it's been so long since I graduated, and astronomy was a first-year subject—"

"Still, my father quite likes you."

Aiwass interjected.

The "father" he referred to was Professor James.

His "Asteroid Mechanics" had a rare high standard in the field of pure mathematics, with few in the entire scientific community able to offer any criticism. In the field of astronomy, Professor James was undoubtedly a top-tier professor.

"How am I supposed to know why!"

Sherlock exclaimed.

He sighed and explained: "Back then, I frequently consulted the professor on questions of astronomy and mathematics. But that was because I was performing poorly in those two subjects; I just wanted to pass... However, the professor was indeed good to me. When I graduated, he even recommended me to join the Supervisory Court, though I declined."

Aiwass pondered for a moment: "If you managed to pass back then, you should be able to pass now."

"...Maybe."

Sherlock replied somewhat helplessly: "But right now my mind feels like it's shrouded in fog; I can't remember any of this stuff..."

"It seems the Stupidity Curse is quite stupid indeed."

Aiwass commented: "Lacking in spirit."

Then Sherlock threw the two thick books in his hands at Aiwass's head in succession, both easily caught by Aiwass, one in each hand.

"What do we do now?"

Sherlock asked worriedly: "You're almost done with your part, right? I've seen you busy for quite a while... How about you lift my curse first, and after I learn, we can put it back on?"

"That won't be necessary. It looks like you couldn't get into it during one night... but that's alright. I can help you with this ritual for now, and where you're lacking, I'll cheat a bit for you."

Aiwass replied lightly: "But you'll have to finish reading those two books before your next advancement. When it's time for your promotion ritual, I won't be able to help you then."

"Sure."

Sherlock breathed a sigh of relief and swore: "I'll definitely have finished reading them before my next promotion."

—No telling when his next promotion would be.

The ascent from the third energy level to the fourth wasn't something that could be accomplished with just a month of accumulation.

And if he didn't work, he could self-study the basics in just over a week's time. There should be plenty of time.

"Then, when we leave, let's bring these two books along."

Sherlock didn't want to waste time: "I'll study them in between investigations... I can definitely learn."

"Fine. When you think you've learned enough, come see me, and I'll give you a test."

Aiwass said with a smile: "I've been exposed to astronomy education since I was little... Let's go, it's almost dawn."

"Right," Sherlock followed behind Aiwass and casually asked, "Which entity is the ritual intending to pray to? The Great Sage? I'll bring some offerings... "

"No, bring some black pearls."

Aiwass answered: "This ritual seeks the gaze of the Eternal Self."