You Made Me…

“You… you really recognized me!”

My face flushed with excitement, and I almost turned around again.

Thankfully, I reacted in time, merely twitching my head as I forcefully kept my body still.

“Ah, just now, you wanted to turn back around, didn’t you?”

Ji Qianluo’s mischievous voice drifted from behind me.

I shook my head vigorously, simultaneously craning it upwards.

“No, no, I was just…”

My movements must have been utterly comical; I could tell as much from Ji Qianluo’s incessant laughter.

“Hehe, it’s alright. You can turn your head now.”

Ji Qianluo said, a smile gracing her lips.

“Huh?”

I froze, taken aback.

“I mean, you can turn around.”

‘Turn around?’

I cautiously glanced over my shoulder, only to find Ji Qianluo already fully dressed and seated on the bed, her gaze fixed on me with a playful smile.

Immediately, I understood her meaning and let out an involuntary sigh of regret—no, a relieved breath of gratitude.

‘I’m not a pervert. I definitely don’t want to see that scene again.’

“So, Ji Qianluo, could you please explain what exactly happened to me?”

I said, turning my body to face her directly, my eyes fixed intently on Ji Qianluo.

“Oh my, so Li Qingchen can make such an expression too?”

Ji Qianluo chuckled softly.

“Tell me what’s going on, quickly!”

I reiterated, unwilling to show this woman any deference.

Even after what I’d just seen – cough, cough – my attitude wouldn’t change. If she pushed me too far, I’d… I’d strip her naked and hang her from the city walls!

‘Though I doubted the feasibility of that threat.’

“Very well, then I shall tell you everything about yourself and this world.”

Ji Qianluo met my gaze, her previous languor suddenly banished as she spoke with earnestness.

I swallowed hard, immediately perking up my ears to listen.

“First, how much do you already know about the structure and existence of this world?”

Ji Qianluo began.

“About that… I know absolutely nothing.”

“In that case, I’ll have to start from the very beginning.”

Ji Qianluo sighed, looking at me.

“You’re quite troublesome.”

‘Hey, hey! Am I the troublesome one here? My apologies then!’

Ji Qianluo ignored my displeased expression and continued her explanation.

“This is a world distinct from your Earth. Here, there is no technology, no democracy. To survive, one must rely on powerful factions or solely on oneself.

Currently, only two continents have been discovered: the Western Continent of Yada, where we are now, and the Eastern Continent, Xuanwu Continent, located far across the coastline.”

‘Those names sound incredibly casual. Did the author just make them up on the fly?’

“Due to the vast distance separating our two continents, interactions between them are infrequent. Still, there’s no point in delving too deeply into these details; I’ll simply tell you what’s most crucial.”

As Ji Qianluo spoke, she crossed her right leg over her left, adopting a classic queen-like posture.

Her short nightgown instantly proved unable to conceal, revealing a tantalizing glimpse.

It took immense willpower for me to keep my gaze fixed above the ‘horizon line.’

“Speaking of the Yada Continent, it is dotted with hundreds of scattered countries. Among them, the three largest are the Kingdom of Somlang, where we are now, and the other two, the Dre Kingdom and the Sara Kingdom.

As you already know, I am the Queen of this kingdom. During my reign, our three nations were embroiled in incessant warfare. Honestly, those were exceedingly dark times, filled with endless, meaningless strife and slaughter. Human lives were utterly worthless then.”

As Ji Qianluo spoke of this, I noticed an intense fury and dissatisfaction flash in her eyes.

“I had believed such days would continue indefinitely. However, precisely ten years ago, in the desolate, uninhabited regions surrounding our three nations, seven colossal… labyrinths appeared out of thin air!”

“Labyrinths?”

I furrowed my brow, repeating the key word.

“Precisely.”

Ji Qianluo nodded. “Labyrinths are perilous zones filled with all sorts of wonders, riddles, and treasures. Legend has it they are relics left behind by Odin, the King of the Gods, from ancient times, long hidden by a barrier. It’s said that within them lie Odin’s mysterious treasures, each contained within one of the seven labyrinths. Yet, ten years ago, these seven labyrinths simply manifested without a sound or any prior warning.

The emergence of these labyrinths blocked the paths our three nations used to invade each other, bringing a temporary halt to the war. Simultaneously, legends about the labyrinths began to spread throughout the three kingdoms. All of us were intensely curious about the treasures within, so a month later, we convened a summit.”

‘A summit, huh?’

Involuntarily, my mind conjured images of the parent-teacher conferences after my exams.

“During the meeting, we unanimously decided on a temporary ceasefire, which would conclude once all the labyrinths had been fully conquered. In the interim, every five years, each nation—regardless of its size—would dispatch ten labyrinth conquerors to venture into the labyrinths. All gains made during the conquest would belong to those who successfully completed it.”

“So, there’s already been a group of conquerors who ventured into the labyrinths?”

I asked.

“No, there have been two expeditions.”

Ji Qianluo smiled. “Immediately after the meeting, a group of conquerors set out to tackle the labyrinths, and another group followed five years ago.”

“Is that so? And what were the results?”

“My kingdom’s situation is quite grim. On both occasions, the treasures within the labyrinths were claimed by the conquerors from the Dre Kingdom, leaving the Somlang and Sara Kingdoms empty-handed.”

Ji Qianluo shook her head, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

“To this day, we still don’t know what exactly the Dre Kingdom obtained from the labyrinths. And now, with the third group of labyrinth conquerors about to be chosen, I find myself quite troubled by the matter.”

“Is that so?”

Suddenly, realizing something, I let out a few dry chuckles. “That’s truly regrettable. But speaking of labyrinths, this has nothing to do with me, does it? Can you let me go back?”

“Have you still not understood, Li Qingchen, after all this?”

Ji Qianluo’s lips curved into a foxy, cunning smile as she propped her hand on her thigh, resting her chin upon it, and gazed at me with amusement.

“I specifically sought you out because I hope you will become one of this next group of labyrinth conquerors.”