After the long and brutal battle, Kenji and Raisa boarded a light-speed aircraft and returned home.
Each of them carried a massive mana stone, harvested from one of the most powerful monsters encountered during the siege. These stones were rich in stellar energy, and absorbing them could potentially elevate a Vassel user to Star Level 3.
When Raisa arrived at her house, she was immediately greeted by her worried mother, Sakura, who rushed to check on her daughter's condition.
> "Are you okay? Did anything happen? …And how was your date with Kenji?"
Raisa nearly choked.
> "What?! Mom—it wasn't a date! It was a battle against a terrorist cult!"
But despite her flustered reaction, Raisa couldn't hide her excitement as she pulled out the huge blue mana crystal from her dimensional ring.
> "Look! This is a monster core—the city governor gave it to me as a reward! With this, I can finally reach Star Level 3!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow but smiled warmly.
> "Seems like you've grown much faster than I expected."
That night, under the soft glow of the moons, Raisa entered her cultivation chamber. Holding the mana stone tightly in her hands, she began to absorb its radiant energy using her Lunar Cultivation Technique.
The crystal slowly shrunk as waves of pure energy surged into her body.
And then, just as the stone dissolved completely, her entire body became surrounded by a brilliant blue light—her aura evolving, her bond with her Vassels deepening.
> "Haha! I did it!" she laughed, eyes wide with joy.
"I'm officially a Star Level 3 Vassel User now!"
She looked out the window, wondering if Kenji had also succeeded in his own advancement.
Before going to bed, Raisa opened the VWorldVassel site on her tablet, curious to see the reactions after the recent contest and the battle.
As expected, the comment section was buzzing with excitement—and weirdness.
> @SunkShip: "Haha! I saw you during the contest—way better in action than in the intro vid. Too bad Kenji's always glued to you… otherwise, I would've proposed on the spot!"
Raisa squinted at the comment, then shook her head.
> "Wow. So bold behind a screen."
> @SkyWhaleRider: "Hey, I'm the Flying Whale Vassel user from the beach! You rode me during the water obstacle challenge. Just saying... you're heavier than I expected."
> @AntiTerror: "Her blessing is literally nukes. Imagine marrying her—I'd feel like a walking target every day."
> @BeautyWorshipper: "I'd gladly get nuked if it meant she'd say yes to being my girlfriend."
Raisa gave a short laugh, half amused, half disturbed.
Some of these people had clearly encountered her during the contest or the BloodVassel battle. Still, the comments were a strange mix of admiration, chaos, and terrible pickup lines.
**
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit chamber, a lone figure clad in the signature cloak of the BloodVassel cult knelt in silence. His crimson hood cast a shadow over his face as he bowed before a towering, elevated throne.
On that throne sat a being cloaked in black robes etched with blood patterns. His hood shimmered gold, and on its surface was painted a large, blood-red number:
9.
The aura he emitted was cold and suffocating.
> "So," came a low, rumbling voice from above, "you failed to destroy the city?"
The crimson-hooded subordinate lowered his head further.
> "Forgive me, Lord Nine. The mission failed... due to a child with an unusually powerful blessing. She was able to generate nuclear weapons."
There was a pause. Then a cold scoff.
> "Nuclear weapons? Hmph. Without such a blessing, your enemies wouldn't have stood a chance. My energy barrier was forged from the death of a thousand sacrifices. It should've been invincible."
> "Yes, my lord. Without her, they would have fallen."
Lord Nine leaned forward slightly, the light catching the veins of blood running through his golden hood.
> "Investigate her. Find out everything about the Vassel user who wields that power. If she is still young... then recruit her."
His voice dropped an octave—calm and dangerous.
> "If she refuses... we will take her by force."
The subordinate clenched his fist and bowed even lower.
> "As you command, Lord Nine."
A moment of silence passed as the shadows in the chamber seemed to thicken.
Somewhere far away, Raisa slept peacefully, unaware that the eyes of a blood-stained empire had just turned toward her.
**
Meanwhile, Prince George sat in his chambers, carefully reading a report handed to him by his trusted guard.
> "Nuclear weapons, Bone Zombies, and Poison Zombies… quite the formidable power," the prince muttered, flipping through the pages with a thoughtful expression.
His guard, standing silently nearby, couldn't help but grin.
> "Your Highness, if you were to make her your wife, the strength of our kingdom would increase drastically."
Prince George paused, scratching his head.
> "It's not that simple. Don't forget about Kenji, always by her side. His potential is incredibly high, and we can't just disregard him."
The guard's grin widened, sensing an opportunity.
> "I have a plan, Your Highness. But the condition is that both of them must join the Royal Academy built by our kingdom."
Prince George raised an eyebrow.
> "Ah, I've already provided them with browsers and bonus points to lure them in. I'm sure they're looking for ways to grow stronger, and joining the Royal Academy would be an excellent choice for both of them."
The prince leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
> "If they agree, the power we could gain from their involvement… It could shift the balance in our favor."
**
When Kenji and Raisa returned to school and announced that they had both reached Star Level 3, the room fell silent.
Mr. Macau, their homeroom teacher, stood frozen—his jaw dropping.
> "S-Star 3… already?"
He was speechless. He himself had only reached Star 2 back when he was in sixth year. Yet these two, who hadn't even completed their fourth year, had already surpassed him.
From the back of the room, the Principal walked in, a knowing smile on her face.
> "Well, I'm not surprised. Not only did you two win the couple contest, but you've also earned high praise from the city governor for your heroic actions. You're no longer just students… you're rising stars."
Kenji scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, while Raisa looked slightly embarrassed by the attention.
> "So… what happens now?" Raisa asked.
The principal nodded and reached into her robe, pulling out a sealed letter with a royal crest on it.
> "This is from Prince George. He seems to have learned about the mana cores the governor awarded you, and assumed—correctly—that you've now advanced to Star Level 3."
She placed the letter on the table, her eyes twinkling.
> "Which means… yes. You're both eligible to graduate early."
> "Wait, really?" Kenji blinked.
> "Indeed," she replied. "As long as you can awaken your third Vassel, you may choose to skip ahead and enter one of the elite Royal Academies."
Mr. Macau, still recovering from shock, cleared his throat.
> "In that case… allow me to help with your next awakening. The third Vassel is often the most unique—it reflects who you've become."
Raisa and Kenji exchanged glances. Their journey, which had begun as just students in a contest, was now leading them to something far bigger.
And perhaps, their strongest Vassels were still waiting to be discovered.
Mr. Macau, clearly overwhelmed, led them to the garden. Following his instructions, both Kenji and Raisa drew summoning circles and began channeling their starlight energy.
The circles began to glow—it was their second time going through this ritual.
Raisa now understood that, while they wouldn't actually die in this experience, failure could greatly affect the blessing and power level of the Vassel they obtained.
According to Mr. Macau, they would enter directly into the body of the Vassel they were destined to receive. If they survived, that body would become their Vassel, chosen for its exceptional potential. If they died, however, they might end up receiving a random Vassel with average compatibility.
Raisa took a deep breath, then stepped into the glowing circle and sat down to meditate.
The moment she opened her eyes, she knew she was in a different body. Her chest felt heavier, and her skin far more sensitive.
Raisa stood up and found a mirror.
"Oh my god… Mira?"
Mira—she recognized the body instantly. A character from Goddess MOBA. Were all her Vassels going to follow that game's pattern?
Mira was actually the first character given as a reward for installing the game. And while she was considered a "starter gift," she was never to be underestimated—designed to capture and retain players, Mira had an irresistibly alluring design.
Now, Raisa could fully feel what that meant. Silvery hair. Long, graceful elf ears. Deep sapphire-blue eyes. A cute, small nose. Soft, kissable lips. But despite her adorably beautiful face, her body had been sculpted for pure eye-candy appeal.
Now here she was—Mira, blushing furiously as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"I've really become Mira… So, what's the blessing and mission of this body?"
> [Ding!]
Blessing Acquired: Arcane Modification – Red
Arcane Red—a type of condensed energy structure resembling red crystal glass. Extremely dense, durable, and versatile.
Mira imagined forming a sphere using Arcane Red.
A glowing red orb—like ruby glass—appeared in her palm.
Then she imagined a cube. It formed easily. She tried more complex shapes—chains, a statue, a rose blossom.
She could create them all with ease.
The greatest strength of this blessing was its extremely low starlight consumption—and Mira felt she could push it even further, forming intricate and deadly designs with enough focus.
Suddenly, a translucent blue screen appeared before her eyes.
> [Mission: Destroy the Tentacle Demon Kingdom]
Her expression froze.
"...What?!"
"What kind of mission is that—Tentacle Demons?" Mira muttered, her face paling slightly.
Now that she was in the body of an elf, she couldn't help but imagine the worst—being captured, restrained, and toyed with by grotesque tentacled demons. The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine.
Shaking it off, she approached the wooden door and opened it.
As she stepped outside, she looked down and up—and realized she was living in a treehouse. Not just any treehouse, but one of many. Dozens of elves just like her were going about their daily routines below and among the high branches.
This was nothing like her first Vassel experience, which had thrown her into an apocalyptic world the moment it began.
No… this time, it looked like she had landed in an elven village.
Curious, she searched her new room and found several iron and silver coins tucked inside a drawer.
With nothing else to do and her curiosity growing, Mira ventured into the village marketplace. She used the coins to buy a few local elven snacks—most of which consisted of exotic vegetables and fruits she had never seen before. There was also some grilled meat—soft, juicy, and unexpectedly crispy.
It was surprisingly delicious.