Chapter 284
Daphne
I look at the white space, though it's no longer just white.
It's a gallery.
My gallery.
Portraits line the intangible walls: Jiang Yuxi caught in a spotlight's glow, Duchess Evelyn looking over her grassy plains, Estella poised with a blade, and Nima... Nima mid-laugh, sunlight in her hair.
I used the leftover points from the system to buy the canvas, the paints, and a pricey skill that let me pour my memories directly into the brushstrokes.
I don't know how many more worlds I'm going to, but I refuse to let them fade. Even now, the edges of my time with Yuxi are getting soft. This is my insurance.
"Okay, I'm done," I say, stepping back from the last portrait.
The familiar purple orb floats toward me. It seems... slightly more vibrant.
[The host has completed four world iterations. Standard protocol would require three additional lower-tier assignments before upgrade eligibility. ]
