[Volume 1: The Prologue]
We dive through the Cosmos and peer into the depths of the Void Sea. Hidden in the corner of a small and unnamed universe, existed an undiscovered and uneventful little constellation.
The future Vovella Constellation spun silently in the void.
As the gears of fate begin to turn, our story looks down towards a small world called Pillomal.
In this world were many scattered continents. Among these many continents was one particularly special one. The Cross Continent was much smaller than the surrounding continents. It was shaped like a cross, but with a massive mountain dividing itself from the center. To the north of the continent was a massive forest. This forest was called the Green Wind Forest. Hidden within the Green Wind Forest was a small and isolated town called Evergreen Town. Although isolated, Evergreen Town was self-sufficient and thriving.
In this town were many people, but our story begins in the eastern slums. Here, a big-breasted, blond-haired big sister was arguing with the neighborhood auntie.
"I keep telling you, no matter how many of them ask, I won't leave with them!"
"But Elena! If you spend the rest of your life taking care of that child, you'll waste your future!" The same argument echoed throughout the darkening streets once again.
"Old Lady Barbell! I don't care how many times I have to say it! I won't be leaving with them!"
"Hump! So many have dreamed of this opportunity, but you're just throwing it away! A sin, what a sin!"
"We go over this every time! Whether it's a sect trying to recruit me, a brain-dead man wanting to marry me, or even the old things from the Sky Tower looking to teach me! I know what I'm doing! I don't need them!"
"Sigh... This time its tough. A lot of people have been visiting recently, some big shots we can't afford to offend, you know..." The old lady looked at the young girl with some sympathy. "This time it's bad, and I'm worried that your father might tie you up and ship you away..." She shook her head. "I really have to wonder why the world is so against you."
The old lady put down her broom.
She gave a concerned look. "You best be careful on the way home. Things have been chaotic recently, something about some treasure in the forest."
The big sister nodded. "I know, you don't have to worry."
The elder coughed a few times and finally let the girl leave.
It was a common occurrence for people to inquire about Elena. She was discovered to be a genius a few years back, but for some reason, she chose to stay in this small and secluded little town to take care of a little girl.
The old lady shook her head. She knew life would be tough.
On the way home, the girl was thinking about the recent events.
Her name was Elena Evergreen, the daughter of the mayor of Evergreen Town.
She was a transmigrator, and the hardcore kind at that. She had played through three loops of her so-called story. Each time, she failed to save the world and was reset back to her childhood.
The reason she had not left the 'Beginners village' was because something different happened in this loop. A little girl, one unfamiliar to her in her previous life, appeared out of nowhere.
Normally, this would not attract her attention, but this little girl was just too strange. It gave her the feeling of an uncontrollable deviation, like if she didn't get to the bottom of it, something important would be lost.
So, she stayed, she stayed with the little girl for a week, then a month, then a year. This was the third year she had been taking care of the little girl.
Over time… She just couldn't understand what had caused this change. Where did this child come from? What was this feeling?
It wasn't until one day, when the little girl asked about a 'place called earth,' that she was suddenly shocked.
Elena instinctively asked the little girl if she was also a transmigrator, but the little girl didn't answer, just returning a dull look.
After that, the little girl didn't mention anything out of the ordinary again. Elena just couldn't figure it out. Was the little girl a transmigrator like herself or not? Was it just a coincidence or an accidental slip of the tongue?
She had stayed in town, watching over the little girl for 3 years. She had missed many opportunities, and over time, the 'triggers' that silently urged her to leave increased. Although she didn't want to admit it, she understood that she didn't have much time left. She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that if she stayed too long, a disaster might strike the town and force her to leave.
The sun had just set.
She reached an old and dilapidated shed in the outskirts of Evergreen town.
After opening the door, Elena walked in and was greeted by the sight of a little girl playing in the corner. This girl looked to be about 8 or 9, her long dark-green hair was knotted and messy. She wore dirty rags and no shoes. What should have been white skin was covered in dirt and mud. In a crowd, she would look no different than a common beggar.
After stepping closer, she realized that the little girl was poking a small spider with a stick.
Her eyelids twitched violently.
She snatched the stick and smacked the little girl over the head.
"Don't play with bugs! And, and, especially don't torment them! I mean, look at this little guy, look at how sad he is... uh..."
She stopped talking.
She realized that not only was the little girl rubbing her head and looking up with wet puppy dog eyes, but the small spider was doing the same. For a moment, she felt like she had seen a very human-like expression on the little spider's face.
The corner of Elena's mouth twitched; she wasn't sure who was the bad guy for a moment.
Cough!
"Anyways! Your big sister is going to leave soon! How can I leave if you can't take care of yourself!" She put her hands on her waist and puffed out her chest.
The little girl looked on with envy.
She stealthily touched her own chest, somewhat dejected.
Seeing this 'not so stealthy movement,' Elena grinned. "Come on, you have to eat well if you want to grow up like me!"
Elena lifted a bag full of freshly baked bread and honey-glazed beef skewers.
She looked at the little girl and said, "Town has been very busy lately, so it's best to not run around too much. If possible, stay home and read those books I bought you."
The little girl obediently nodded while stuffing an oversized piece of bread into her tiny mouth. Her little eyes locked on the meat that was still steaming.
Elena tilted her head. "When I leave, I'll leave some money with you. Make sure you use it sparingly."
The little girl nodded.
"I taught you the basics of cultivation, but you're still struggling to even open the door. If possible, go find a teacher who can continue your training. It's never a bad idea to get a little stronger!"
The little girl nodded again.
"Last but not least, if something ever happens and you need my help, you can go to the big mansion in Evergreen Town and ask them to pass on a message, they can contact me!" She handed a token to the little girl.
The little girl continued to nod.
Wack!
"Are you listening! This is important!"
The little girl's eyes began to turn red. "Big sister, if you're so worried about me, why not just take me along?"
Elena snorted. "Your big sister is fated to be a great hero! It's far too dangerous for a pipsqueak like you!"
The little girl clicked her tongue like a gangster.
"What was that!"
"Nothing, hehehe!"
Elena spent the rest of the night playing around with Petra, teaching and disciplining her in turn.
* * *
The next morning, Elena woke up early.
Because Petra lived in the little shack, the two had huddled together on a crude straw bed for warmth. After three years of living like this, Elena had gotten used to it.
Elena wasn't the kind of person who was good at goodbyes, so she quietly packed and snuck out through the front door early in the morning. She and Petra had lived together on and off for the past 3 years, so it was normal for her to be gone in the morning.
Unbeknownst to her, a pair of big watery eyes was silently watching her leave through a small crack in the wood.
Although Elena had spent a great deal of effort to raise and educate the little orphan, she wasn't sure just how well it had stuck. Even after three years, she still couldn't get a good grasp on Petra's personality.
In truth, this somewhat dull and overly playful little girl was a lot smarter than she let on.
After she was sure Elena had left for the morning, she returned to the shack and sat down.
She skillfully removed one of the floorboards and took out a small and tattered notebook.
She flipped through countless complex formulas and mysterious diagrams until eventually landing on a page dedicated to a 'character profile' all about 'The Protagonist.'
The notebook recorded complex and detailed information about Elena, as well as some inferences created through the occasional knowledge that the big-breasted big sister occasionally let slip.
When she caught Elena's attention all those years ago, it wasn't an accident. When Petra met Elena, she immediately realized something was wrong. Why did this big sister give her protagonist vibes? She used her casual words to catch the attention of this reincarnator, then used the next three years of failed probing to secretly inquire about a lot of future events. Elena's failure to confirm anything about the little Lolita actually revealed a lot of information to Petra.
Petra learned that Elena was a Transmigrator from Earth. She had been looping through a future that would eventually face many calamities.
It wasn't that Petra disliked Elena, but Petra just wanted to be a salted fish and do nothing all day long. If her guess was right, then her transmigration was caused by the difficulty of the 'main storyline' being too much for just one person.
At least, that was her working theory.
Over time, she understood a few things that were 'destined' to happen.
First was the Poison Sea. In a few years, a wave of countless poisons would engulf the western region of the Cross Continent. The cause of this was unknown, but Petra was sure that it was something Elena couldn't prevent with her current progress.
The second calamity was something that would violently drain the vitality of all living things. Although Petra didn't know when it would appear, she was sure that Elena had a way to counter this one.
Finally, the third and final calamity, the Dragon of Destruction, was going to resurrect and obliterate the world. Petra had learned this from the fragmented stories that Elena would tell her before bedtime.
These were the three calamities that Petra managed to indirectly pull out of Elena's mouth over the years. Although she wasn't too sure, she was confident that there were more than just these three. Because this was a world of cultivation, and apparently cultivators loved the number nine, Petra was very concerned that there would be nine apocalyptic calamities plaguing the continent in the future.
As a pinnacle-level salted fish, she understood what she had to do. Petra needed a mobile fortress, powerful guards, and an endless supply of food and water, letting her bunker it out in the worst-case scenario.
Oh, and a maid harem!
Since Elena was willing to leave her behind in the village, it was very likely that the northern part of the Cross Continent would be mostly safe, at least for the immediate future.
Thinking about all of this, she nodded to herself vigorously.
Her little hands added a few more notes to the profile. She was sure that there was a hand pushing Elena forward from the darkness. She had to be careful of this affecting her as well.
Apparently, this irresponsible little girl never planned to play her role as the 'Protagonist's Backup.'
After finishing writing in her notebook, she closed it and put it in her bag. She slipped on a crudely made leather hood and slung a bag over her shoulder.
The little girl crouched down and let the spider that was patiently waiting crawl up her hand and squat on her shoulder. She returned the wooden board to the floor.
Leaving the house, she headed towards the market.
She pulled down her hood and skipped happily through the morning dew.
Because it was so early in the morning, there were very few people on the streets. Evergreen Town was a secluded settlement, meaning that it didn't have any roads to the outside world. Because of this, the townsfolk had to be self-sufficient. They relied on outsiders for many specialties, so when Elena mentioned that the village had been very lively recently, Petra wanted to make a trip to the local market and see if there was anything interesting being sold by the many visitors.
When she arrived, the little girl was surprised to find that the early morning market was bustling with people, most of which were outsiders. Her little legs took her around the market, a surprised look locked on her little face.
When Elena told her it was chaotic, she didn't expect it to be this lively.
Seeing this, it naturally made Petra suspicious.
This little girl also had a very annoying characteristic, she was naturally very paranoid.
As the 'Backup Protagonist,' she had to be careful not to get dragged into anything troublesome. That was why she lived near the outskirts of town. It was also why she refused to move into the mayor's mansion with Elena.
She darted around the feet of the pedestrians.
Her small body made this easy, so she went mostly unnoticed.
After around 20 minutes, she had scanned the market and had a general understanding of the backgrounds of most of these people. Some were low-level cultivators, others were mages, Petra found people from the adventurer's guild and mercenary alliance, and there were even signs of the church.
This made Petra wonder, just why were these people here?
The more Petra looked, the more concerned she became.
She didn't know if she should join in the fun or just avoid the trouble. Either way, it would be hard to avoid. Petra's curiosity clashed with her caution, a common confrontation.
As she was walking around, a pair of twins caught her eye.
She felt a strange sensation when looking at the backs of these two little girls.
She felt like she would see them again.
'Troublesome…'
These two little girls weren't much older than her, around 7 to 8, so Petra found it strange that they were alone. Looking at their clothes, they were definitely outsiders.
Petra watched quietly as the two girls disappeared into the crowd.
Turning around, Petra returned home.
In her mind, she went through the gossip she had heard from the crowd.
Apparently, some great treasure was found in the forest not too far from here.
As the only town nearby, it wasn't strange that many people had come to stay.
Petra passed through the streets.
Of course, there was another problem she didn't want to think about, and that was thieves ...
Petra stood in the doorway of her dilapidated little shed.
As outsiders, it wasn't uncommon to ignore local laws. Many people couldn't care less...
Her big watery eyes looked at the two men who had taken over her nest.
As for how to deal with thieves...
One was lying on her straw bed, and the other had lifted the floorboard where she stored most of her stuff.
At least for Petra...
Although she had taken the notebook with her, there were still a number of things that she didn't want other people to touch hidden down there.
It was simple...
One of the men looked over.
He was the kind of man who looked like he rode the line between mercenary and criminal very closely. His unkept appearance and his muscular body were very imposing.
He sneered, seemingly understanding that this was her home.
The other man looked over as well.
"Little girl, scram now and I'll—CRASH!"
In the midst of his words, a small glass bottle was smashed into his face. The bottle broke, and a viscous green liquid splattered onto his body. When the green liquid came into contact with flesh, it turned into a wild beast and started violently devouring it. In only a moment, the man was turned into a pool of dark sludge.
The other man watched the little girl throw something, and then his companion melted alive.
It took him a moment to understand what had happened.
Shock, rage, and then an intense fear all flashed across his face before an identical bottle smashed into his face as well.
Petra entered the room and closed the door. Her innocent and playful eyes were now cold and indifferent. That expression that should never appear on a little girl's face was chilling beyond words. Her cold and calculating eyes scanned the room for anything of value. Their bodies had dissolved, but their clothes, belongings, and skeletons remained undamaged. The black sludge began to evaporate into the air, leaving Petra with just a few more things to sweep under the floorboards.
A moment later, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
A simple-looking young man in leather armor approached the house.
There was a moment of tension, then a knock.
The door opened...
He looked around and noticed the little girl who had poked her head out from behind the door.
She had big watery eyes and a sweet smile. Her expression was carefree and lively, but her clothes were a little dirty and old.
The young man smiled.
"Little girl, is this your house? I'm sorry to bother you, I was just asking the locals if there was a good place to stay."
Little Petra tilted her head, her cute smile shining under the afternoon sun. "Uncle, there should be a few decent places in the outer slums. I'm sure they would be overlooked if you weren't locals. I'd look there first!"
The man nodded and thanked the girl.
He slipped her a few copper coins, then returned to report what she had said.
Petra returned to her room and plopped down on the bed.
She knew things were going to be chaotic. Maybe it was time to leave too…
Her eyes moved to the bedframe, where a little spider was wrestling with a black caterpillar.
She gently separated them with a finger.
A smile crept onto her face.
Her name was Petra, Petra P Poppy, the reincarnation of the Poison Sea Saint.
"Teeheehee~, looks like it's time to get going~."
She is our protagonist.