For the first time ever, Jill Young was using her sheer force of will—unyielding and stubborn—to fight off the call of Repatriation. Ever since the whole Miasma, White Night, and Black Death Emperor fiasco, the twins had managed to unlock even more powers from their Twin Sigil, making it a lot stronger. But honestly? Going head-to-head with this whole 'Repatriation' thing was absolutely exhausting.
It felt just like handing your credit card to your girlfriend on Black Friday—total energy drain, instant regret, and the overwhelming urge to pass out. Her mental strength felt wrung out, her head splitting, and her senses totally fried.
But hey, she pulled through. Thanks to some major support from a certain off-stage cheerleader, and the synchronized teamwork of two resonating Twin Sigils, she managed to survive the roughest patch.
She knew that Big Log had bought her some extra time—she could stick around in this world a little longer.
Hmph, I gotta admit, when it really matters, that guy’s actually pretty reliable.
As for why she was so stubborn about staying, why not just go with the flow and head back—honestly, she had no clue. She just had this weird gut feeling that now wasn’t the time to leave.
She drifted in and out of consciousness, who knows for how long. Once or twice, she almost came to, but couldn’t even open her eyes. Every single time, she heard Joan’s gentle voice, soothing her nerves and making her feel oddly safe, before she sank back into unconsciousness. After the ‘repatriation’ force from the World Axis finally quieted down, she felt like a mortgage slave who’d just paid off this month’s loan—she could finally breathe again.
Without all that massive overdraft, her mind bounced back way faster. She slept like a log, snoring away, until Jill Young finally felt alive again. At some point, her eyelids fluttered—she was finally awake.
"Huwaaaah—!" She stretched out with a big yawn, still half-asleep, rolling around like a lazy cat—then promptly fell off the bed. But she reacted in a flash, flipping upright and landing squarely on her feet—no embarrassing butt-plant this time. (I’ve done that before. It hurts, trust me...)
"Joan?" she called out instinctively as she finally opened her eyes. But the moment she did, she frowned—something about this place felt seriously off.
Looking around, Jill Young found herself in a spacious room, decked out in luxury from top to bottom—a high-end lady’s boudoir, no doubt.
She sniffed the air—wow, expensive perfume everywhere. But not a trace of that salty ocean smell, and her ears caught no waves or seagulls. Clearly, she was far, far away from the seaside.
Next up, temperature check: the air here felt different, a little less humid than the South Sea coast. Jill glanced at the shadow on the floor—same time of day, but the shadow here was way longer than back in Putian.
Jill Young knew she hadn’t been out for long—no way the seasons had changed. So, the only explanation? She wasn’t anywhere near the South Sea anymore. She’d landed somewhere on a whole new level.
Where in the world am I?
And how on earth did I get here?
"Boss, you’re finally awake!" Simone’s voice rang out as she burst in with a dazzling smile. Joan followed close behind, visibly relieved to see Jill Young—her joy quiet and gentle, like a lily in bloom.
"Oh, awesome, you’re both okay! That’s a relief!" Jill Young grinned, slinging her arms around their shoulders and giving them a friendly pat. "You two are solid—I thought escaping Mystic Isle would be a nightmare, but you made it look easy! So, where are we, anyway? This place feels miles from Putian. Is this our new base? Check out those walls and roof—no clue what I’m looking at, but it all screams high-class."
Joan and Simone exchanged glances, their expressions turning a little… complicated.
"Ahem!" With a silent nudge from Joan, Lady Simone cleared her throat and flashed a mischievous grin. "Boss, back in Putian, I couldn’t keep my promise, and it broke my heart. You’re a powerhouse—how could you be treated like that? So, to help you make good on your word, your little demon here picked the most convenient spot in town!"