Chapter 34: A Dilemma of Return

“Lain,” she began, “I intend to return to the human world. Do you know of any reliable way? Traveling by rift is out of the question; it’s far too reliant on pure chance.”

For Liu Xingluo, the paramount concern at this moment was to find her way back to the human realm; she harbored no desire to linger here any longer than necessary.

Her initial thought had been to wait for a rift to spontaneously appear, as it was the sole passage back to the human world she was aware of.

Yet, Lain appeared to possess greater knowledge than she did, suggesting he might know of alternative routes to the human world. After all, he had once ventured there himself; surely, he held some crucial information.

“Of course,” Lain affirmed. “Should Your Royal Highness desire to journey to the human world, you may return to the palace where the princesses reside. Within its grounds lies a teleportation gate leading directly to the human realm. It was through that very portal that I, myself, once ventured to the human world.”

“Oh, such a thing exists?” she murmured, her eyes widening. “Then quickly take me—wait. Where did you say? The place *I* reside?”

“Indeed. To be precise, it is the residence you share with the other six Imperial Princesses.”

“Now that truly complicates matters…” she sighed, a shadow crossing her face.

She had initially believed this to be an excellent method for a swift return to the human world. And, purely for the sake of her own return, it was indeed perfect. The complication, however, lay in the presence of the other six Imperial Princesses, whom she had yet to encounter. What if they grew suspicious, discerning that she was not, in fact, their sister? Liu Xingluo possessed absolutely no knowledge of the Seventh Princess’s true personality—the one who had so generously lent her body—and thus had no idea how to convincingly maintain such an elaborate charade.

Adding to Liu Xingluo’s mounting headache was the chilling realization that one of those very six Imperial Princesses had been responsible for the demise of both her and the Seventh Princess. Should that individual discover she was not only still alive but had merged with the Seventh Princess, they would undoubtedly seek to complete their deadly task. In her current state, Liu Xingluo possessed no confidence in her ability to escape such an encounter unharmed. A different strategy was imperative.

“Is there anything that troubles Your Royal Highness?” Lain inquired, his voice laced with concern. “Please confide in me; I shall undoubtedly resolve any difficulties for you.”

Having observed Liu Xingluo’s previous comments and her current troubled expression, Lain promptly offered his assistance, prepared to smooth over any obstacles. After all, this was the fundamental duty of a loyal guard.

“Is there a method to reach the human world without having to visit the palace?” Liu Xingluo asked, her voice tinged with hesitation. “I’m rather disinclined to meet with my elder sisters just yet.”

Liu Xingluo found it difficult to articulate her true predicament. Lain’s unwavering loyalty, she surmised, stemmed from his ignorance that she was merely a human inhabiting the Seventh Princess’s form, not the genuine Imperial Princess herself. Should he ever uncover the truth, his amicable demeanor would undoubtedly vanish.

“Hmm… a method does exist,” Lain mused, “though its success is far from guaranteed. We would simply have to rely on a stroke of luck.”

Lain, ever resourceful, swiftly conceived an alternative plan. If visiting the palace was out of the question, and relying on randomly appearing rifts was equally undesirable, then their only recourse would be to attempt using the massive teleportation array once employed to dispatch legions to the human world. That, too, could serve as a passage to the human realm.

Ever since the devastating defeat in the war against humanity thirteen years prior, however, the grand teleportation array had fallen into disuse, no longer able to dispatch legions of Anomalous Beasts (TL Note: ‘Yishengshou’, referring to monstrous or alien creatures) to the human world as it once had. Over time, the massive array had been utterly abandoned. Yet, if it were to be reactivated and calibrated solely for the transport of himself and Her Royal Highness, it *should* still prove successful. Probably…

Ultimately, Lain could offer no firm guarantees of success. All he could suggest was to attempt it. Should this method fail, their only remaining options would be the palace or the unpredictable appearance of rifts.

Having listened intently to Lain’s proposed solution, Liu Xingluo resolved to proceed with his plan. They would test the grand teleportation array, hoping it could transport them smoothly to the human world.

“You know the location of this grand teleportation array, don’t you?” she pressed. “Then what are we waiting for? Let us depart for it at once!”

“A moment, Your Royal Highness,” Lain interjected, holding up a hand. “Before we set off, I must apprise you that several grand teleportation arrays exist. The one nearest to our current location would still require five days to reach, even traveling at our fastest pace. Knowing this, do you still insist on utilizing the grand teleportation array?”

As the one who had presented this option, Lain felt it imperative to disclose all pertinent conditions to Liu Xingluo, allowing her ample time for careful deliberation before committing to a decision.

“What? Five days?” she exclaimed, her voice incredulous. “Is it truly that distant?”

Despite Liu Xingluo’s currently enhanced physique, the prospect of five days of travel to reach even the nearest grand teleportation array was utterly disheartening. This truly was a dire situation.

“Indeed,” Lain confirmed. “Therefore, I implore Your Royal Highness to weigh your options thoroughly before making a final decision.”

“And what if we were to proceed to the palace instead?” Liu Xingluo pondered aloud. “How much time would that journey require?”

If the journey to the palace proved significantly shorter than reaching the grand teleportation array, then pursuing that option wasn’t entirely out of the question. After all, she had inherited the entirety of the Seventh Princess’s powers; even if she proved unable to defeat the sister who had murdered her, a successful escape should certainly be within her capabilities. As fellow Imperial Princesses, the disparity in their strengths ought not to be overwhelmingly great.

“A mere second,” Lain stated simply.

“What?” she gasped, taken aback. “No, what did you just say? One second?”

Upon hearing Lain’s pronouncement, Liu Xingluo genuinely questioned if her ears were playing tricks on her. One second? Surely, she hadn’t misheard him.

“Should Your Royal Highness wish to return to the palace, it would indeed require only a single second,” Lain clarified, ensuring she understood.

This was… utterly preposterous. While she had anticipated the journey to the palace would be shorter than to the grand teleportation array, this discrepancy was beyond absurd: five days versus a mere second.

“Then, if we are to proceed to the palace, is there anything I must do?” she inquired, a hint of suspicion in her tone. “Will it be terribly complicated?”

A moment’s reflection revealed that any method capable of transporting them to their destination in a single second could hardly be conventional—certainly not one involving walking on her own two feet. It undoubtedly necessitated some form of specialized activation.

“No, not troublesome in the slightest,” Lain reassured her. “You need only raise your left hand high above your head and hold it there for precisely ten seconds.”

“Like this, then?”

Obeying Lain’s instructions, Liu Xingluo lifted her left hand high above her head, beginning an internal countdown to verify the veracity of his claim.

Five… four… three… two… one… zero!

As the countdown reached zero, Liu Xingluo’s feet abruptly lost all contact with the ground. Before she could even register the sensation, the firm reassurance of solid earth returned. Only then did she comprehend that she had been instantaneously transported from the desolate desert to this lavishly appointed indoor chamber.

“It truly *was* just one second to return?” she murmured, astounded.

If Lain’s words were accurate, then her current location must be the Imperial Princesses’ palace.

Her next task was simply to locate the teleportation entrance leading to the human world. Naturally, she fervently hoped to avoid any encounters with the other Imperial Princesses, as such meetings promised to be exceedingly troublesome.