After saying that, she ventured back to the towns—but soon got bored, so she left again. She wanted to see more towns and villages, or perhaps even capitals if possible.
Over the next several days, Ella's projection wandered far and wide—roaming through quiet villages, forgotten towns, and lonely peaks hidden from most of the world.
She explored places people rarely dared to tread—dilapidated ruins swallowed by moss and time, forgotten battlefields etched with silent sorrow, and shadowed valleys filled with miasma and death energy.
Among these desolate paths, she discovered strange and hidden existences—skeletons that moved without soul, demonic corpses whose auras reeked of ancient grudges.
She had previously seen them attack villagers but ignored it, as she couldn't even interfere. So, she explored more, thinking that these weren't places one could simply stumble across.
It was as if they were remnants of something long buried and intentionally forgotten by the world.
Ella, however, found nothing concrete. No disciple. No treasure. Just silence, decay, and occasional glares from resentful spirits. Still, her curiosity had been mildly entertained.
Floating above a pitch-dark chasm where even sound felt anonymous, she muttered aloud just to break the monotony.
"Well... that was creepy. I feel like I just walked through death's backyards."
She crossed her arms with a bored expression, muttering.
"Skeletons, dead energy, and zero results. Is this what boredom feels like when you're technically a hologram?"
She sighed, looking up into the bleak, clouded sky.
She was bored of venturing without discovering a suitable disciple, so she left.
She didn't want to linger on these creepy lands with no living human around.
Moments after she vanished from the area, space itself seemed to pulse—and on the far horizon, within the dim sky that no longer held her gaze... two massive, otherworldly eyes slowly opened.
Unblinking. Silent. Watching.
And then... they closed, vanishing into the dim sky, as if they had only stirred for a moment—disturbed by something long buried.
Ella, now far from there, didn't notice a thing as she had discovered a capital bustling with life.
Ella's projection reappeared, atop a high rooftop on the edge of the vibrant city.
The wind swept her hair back as she stared down at the city she'd once stepped through casually.
She folded her arms, gazing at the people below, thinking of walking among them—but it felt useless, not being seen.
Still, she asked the system if there was any possible function that could make her visible.
"System, can you make this projection visible? It's been almost a week and still no new disciple."
After saying those words, the system instantly responded.
DING!
[The system's Projection Function can allow the Host to manifest a clearly visible form. However, interference remains impossible—Host may only observe and communicate.]
[Note: Sound projection is enabled. Physical interference remains restricted until further upgrade.]
Ella nodded but was dissatisfied, as this was the first time it had been explained. She could have saved Tia's family by warning them of the danger.
"System, why didn't you explain this function from the start? We could have saved someone from those villagers who were being brutally attacked."
DING!
[The system only provides the available descriptions and does not control how they are interpreted. Hosts may re-elaborate or inquire about possible outcomes.]
"Indeed I will," Ella said with a stern face. She was upset and thought that the system was acting like a defective AI.
Still, even though she was upset thinking about the incident, she indeed didn't have the means to do anything.
Perhaps it was because she had seen those peaceful smiles turned to corpses that she snapped in anger and regret—not being able to protect them.
She believed that anyone with a good heart who witnessed such things would want to help if they had the power.
But unfortunately, it wasn't the case.
Shaking her head, Ella commanded the system and began activating the function. As she did, light shimmered across her form.
Now fully visible, her image gracefully stepped off the roof and landed in the capital's streets.
Because her projection could pass through walls, she didn't need a permit to enter.
She passed through checkpoints with ease and appeared walking casually along the cobbled streets without anyone noticing anything suspicious.
The capital was as vibrant as ever—street vendors shouting about fresh fruits, performers drawing crowds, guards patrolling in shiny armor, and nobles riding in elaborate carriages.
Ella admired the scenery with a quiet smile.
"Hmm, not bad. I want to explore with Vivi here sometime."
Walking leisurely, Ella began to enjoy the day. She was tired of searching for a disciple.
She had ventured for almost a week across various continents but found nothing. Now that she had arrived here, Ella wanted to relax and heal her mind.
She admired the surroundings. People noticed her stunning beauty. Many asked her out along the way, but Ella glared at them, rejecting them one by one.
Some left in shame. Others, angered, tried to force her—but Ella immediately teleported, as her body was only a projection.
"These people are really persistent. They're so horny, and they don't even know I'm younger than their five-month-old child," Ella muttered to herself, shaking with disgust and contempt toward those men.
She reappeared on a distant street, far from them.
Now she was in a place where nearly everyone looked wealthy based on their clothing.
As she walked there, no strange men bothered her, as these people shared her elegance.
Just then, her ears caught something.
A crowd had formed near a tavern's outer seating area. Dozens were gathered, chatting loudly around a bearded man who seemed to know a lot of gossip.
Curious, Ella drifted closer, blending into the edge of the crowd.
"Yeah, that kid tried to assassinate the king while he was taking a casual walk... Unfortunately, he failed—but somehow, he still got away," one guy whispered with exaggerated hand gestures.
Another chimed in with more fuel.
"Before that, he was from a super wealthy family, you know? But then he vanished, his fiancée broke off their engagement, and he was treated like dirt! Worse than a servant!"
Ella's eyes lit up.
"Wait, wait, what?" she muttered, now listening intently.
The man continued, enjoying the attention.
"After the assassination—boom! His whole family got exterminated. Every single one of them—wiped out!"
Someone nearby gasped.
"I heard they were all labeled traitors and slaughtered in secret!"
Ella's brows lifted.
"Damn..." she whispered to herself, glancing around. "That escalated fast."
She stepped forward and asked in her clearest voice:
"What happened next?"
Heads turned at the sound of her voice. Some seemed startled—others just curious.
A bald man with a strong voice turned to answer, clearly enjoying his role as storyteller.
"Little Miss, let me tell ya—after that incident, the entire continent went wild. All these rich merchants, nobles, and high-born families got scared outta their minds."
"Why?" Ella asked, eyes sparkling with amusement and curiosity.
"Because," he leaned closer with a grin, "servants everywhere suddenly mattered. No more mistreating them. People started getting nice to their helpers, 'cause nobody wanted to end up like that kid's family who got annihilated because of that kid's wrath, which suddenly went to assassinate a royalty."
Another person added, "The commoners basically worship that boy now. They call him the Servant's Saint. Some even carved little statues of him!"
Ella's jaw slackened slightly.
"Holy moly... what a unique main character," she muttered, half in disbelief, half in admiration.
The crowd laughed lightly, thinking she was just another curious traveler.
But in her mind, Ella was already scheming.
A fallen noble, betrayed, hunted, turned public legend? Now that was the kind of person worth taking as a disciple.
With that in mind, she turned away from the crowd, eyes gleaming.
"System... track down this so-called 'Servant's Saint' for me. I think I just found disciple number two."