Yang Yang woke in the morning, spent the day "meditating" (read: zoning out) at the Sacred Hall, and by afternoon—with no summons—she holed up in her treehouse.
From what the elders said, Karena seemed to have been a homebody too.
So Yang Yang spent the afternoon ransacking Karena's belongings—the shelves, the windowsill, the bed, even under it.
The notes were in a language she shouldn't understand but did. And they painted a picture: Karena was well-liked, studious, and inventive. Her journals and the odd gadgets crammed into the shelves proved that.
Flipping through the pages, Yang Yang sighed. *"What a waste. Such a brilliant mind, gone too soon."*
Then one passage caught her eye:
*"According to the human spatial mage Marifar's theories, connections exist between different planes of existence. If I can pinpoint these links, I might breach the dimensional barriers and reach where I desire. But my magic is limited—I'll need gemstone amplifiers. If Mother were still here, she'd have completed this spell effortlessly. I must hurry."*
**"Magic?!"**
Yang Yang's eyes lit up—then dimmed just as fast.
*"Wait. This isn't some novel. I'm not some overpowered protagonist who stumbles into divine beasts or secret techniques. I can't even throw a punch, let alone cast spells. What the hell do I know that's useful here?"*
Accounting? Useless. English? Pointless. She regretted not studying medicine—or at least martial arts.
*"Screw it. Play to your strengths."*
She skimmed more notes.
*"Living plant fabric? Cool. A 'light-step elevator'? Oh, that's what the rope outside is. No wonder other treehouses don't have it—Karena invented it!"*
Then she backtracked to the magic entry—and groaned.
*"Seriously, Karena? You wrote all this but didn't specify which gems or spells you used? And no family except a dead mom? No wonder you clung to the elders."*
Defeated, Yang Yang flopped onto the bed—
**"Oof—!"**
—and remembered too late that Xiao Bai had been napping there.
She bolted upright, heart pounding. But the pup sat unharmed beside her, giving her a *"Really?"* look.
*"Wait… I definitely landed on him. How…?"*
Too drained to question it, she collapsed again. The bed's mossy fibers curled around her like a mother's embrace, lulling her into uneasy sleep.
---
**"No—!"**
She jolted awake, disoriented. Then reality crashed back.
*"Right. I'm dead. This isn't home."*
Tears spilled over—and as they hit the sheets, they *solidified* into glistening pearls.
Yang Yang blinked.
*"What the—?"*
She scooped one up. It shimmered, brighter than diamonds, smoother than pearls.
*"Did… my tears just turn into gems?!"*
A frantic search netted a small pile. She stuffed them into a pouch, hiding it securely.
*"If anyone finds out, I'm screwed. Remember *Yu Yu Hakusho*? Ice-demon girls got locked up for less."*
She turned to Xiao Bai. **"This stays between us, got it?"**
The pup *"Hmphed"* and scooted away, tossing her a disdainful glance.
*"Wait. Was that… a human-like sound?"*
Before she could investigate, her stomach growled. Night had fallen—yet she could see perfectly, as if twilight lingered.
*"Super-vision? Nice."*
**"Xiao Bai, where's dinner? I'm starving!"**
The pup sighed (yes, *sighed*), trotted to the wall, and pressed a leaf. A hidden compartment slid open, revealing snacks.
Yang Yang gaped. *"Secret stash? Hell yes!"*
She fed Xiao Bai first—*"Safety test"*—then devoured half the stock. The pup watched, aghast.
*"That was my emergency supply, you glutton."*
(Oddly, it seemed unsurprised by her identity.)
Post-feast, Yang Yang went full treasure hunt, pressing every leaf in sight. More compartments yielded drinks, tools—and a stunning dress.
*"Plant-fabric 'Yang-gown'? Mine now."*
But the real prize was a palm-sized crimson pouch embroidered with a phoenix. Its sapphire drawstring had no visible opening—yet slid effortlessly over her head when she tried.
*"Magic pouch. No clue what it does, but it's *mine*."*
Exhausted, she curled up, the pouch around her neck.
One question lingered:
**What other secrets is this world hiding?**