Aethelgard: The Survival Game (Chloe) novel Chapter 58

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Chapter 58

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The consequences of losing her status loomed too large for Chloe to dismiss. The fear gripped her, chilling her to her core.

Chloe forced the thought away, snapping her book shut before turning to Dawn. “I have to go back now.”

“Can’t you stay a little longer?” Dawn looked reluctant and let out a soft, disappointed woof.

Chloe shook her head. “I really have to leave.”

Dawn’s tail flickered with a hopeful wag, then drooped as his head lowered.

“Alright, then.”

After a brief pause, Dawn added, “I’m sorry, but my master’s books are my personal treasures. I can’t give them away. My master did prepare a small gift for you, though.”

A small package shimmered into existence before him.

“I’m glad I met you,” Dawn told her. “I hope we’ll meet again in another hundred years, human.”

Chloe nodded.

Dawn continued, “Let me escort you out. You’re heading to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, right? Where exactly do you want to go?”

“To the spot near that sign,” Chloe replied. “The one that says, ‘Witch Out, No Entry.””

Dawn tilted her head. “I’ve never been there myself, but my magic can take you wherever you wish. Just make your wish upon this magic crystal.”

Chloe nodded again.

“Oh, and you can have these too,” Dawn added. “They’re the leftovers from the Travelers.”

His tone remained calm, almost casual. “I invited them in, but sadly, they tried to steal my master’s favorite things. Shampoo, body wash, flower tea…”

Dawn’s voice grew firmer. “No one is allowed to touch anything here.”

He lifted his head slightly, and several backpacks floated over.

Chloe’s eyes narrowed, quickly assessing the backpacks’ levels and the materials they were made from.

Dawn looked at her and explained, “Although my master chose to work with humans, she always warned me that humans are complicated and full of contradictions.

“Just because someone seems friendly for a moment doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. If you notice even the smallest sign of trouble, deal with it right away. Don’t leave loose ends, whether they seem

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important or not.”

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Then Dawn gave Chloe one last wag of the tail. “Goodbye. I hope we get to see each other again someday, woof!”

A magic circle glowed beneath Chloe’s feet. The next moment, dizziness washed over her. When her vision cleared, she was back in her territory.

Chloe lingered in a daze, only to spot the extra backpacks in her system inventory. A chill swept through her veins.

In this magical world, she truly could not afford to let her guard down for even a second.

This time, luck alone had carried her through.

For the first time, Chloe truly grasped how fragile her life was, dangling by a thread at the mercy of others. She saw, with new clarity, the brutal heart of this world.

Chloe checked her status and realized all the temporary buffs had vanished the moment she left Dawn’s

cottage.

A system notification appeared before her, showing that only 18 minutes remained before the Resource Card teleportation activated.

Instead of checking her loot, Chloe got up and began inspecting her territory.

Soon, she found the Boundary Marker Eureka had mentioned.

A tiny square stone, half-buried in the earth, peeked out from where it was wedged into the cabin’s door frame.

A line of text was engraved on the Boundary Marker. [Claimed Territory: Chloe Bennett.]

The marker itself was located at the very center of her current 7x7ft territory.

When Chloe touched it, a system notification appeared.

[If your territory’s Health hits zero, the Boundary Marker turns lootable. Any living creature can take it and use it to create a new Claimed Territory.

[Collecting multiple Boundary Markers allows you to upgrade, create, or strengthen your territory’s level and power.

[Warning: If a Player loses their Boundary Marker, they will lose both Player and Lord status. If Boundary Marker protection is not restored within three days, your Health will be wiped out.]

Chloe read the message, shadows gathering in her eyes.

Just as I thought. My guess is right.’

She pressed her lips into a thin line and strode to the edge of her territory.

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Beyond the forest, a wasteland of scorched, blackened earth stretched endlessly. The land was lifeless, battered by wild swings between searing days and freezing nights.

The world beyond her borders felt utterly devoid of life.

[Resource Card time is up. Teleportation starts in ten seconds.

[Ten…]

The last thing Chloe saw before teleporting was a scorched landscape, with ghostly traces of bones barely visible beneath the surface.

For ten dizzying minutes, the world spun and blurred around her.

When Chloe opened her eyes, a biting chill nipped at her skin.

She was back where she had started.

The vast, desolate landscape had vanished, replaced by the familiar pitch-black emptiness.

She seemed to be confined inside a small Sandbox Realm. Only her 7x7ft patch of land and the matching stretch of sky above showed any color. Everything beyond it was swallowed by complete darkness.

Snow drifted down in silent spirals, blanketing the ground in a soft, cold hush.

As soon as Chloe stepped back into familiar territory, system notifications began chiming nonstop.

[Congratulations, Player! You’re the first to earn the achievements “It’s Only Natural to Love Books” and “A Devout Mage.” You’ve also unlocked the title “Apprentice Mage.”

[Achievements and titles require visiting a territory with a Gilded or higher Resource Card, prioritizing knowledge over materials, setting magical learning records, and ranking in the top 1% of new players for diverse magical knowledge.

[Apprentice Mage: Wearing this title grants a special badge in chat, halves Energy cost for magic, boosts the chances of obtaining magical items, tools, and knowledge fragments, speeds up magical knowledge learning and improves efficiency with magical crafting tools.

[Every Apprentice Mage sincerely follows their own unique journey of learning.

[Upon unlocking your first magical title, you receive three Talent Points.

[Forbidden Forest Exploration Progress: 2.5%

[Overall Resource Exploration Rating: B-

[Resources Collected: 76, Territory Status: +100, Special Zone Bonus: +1000

[Received Reward Chest: Silver Chest x1]

The notifications flooded in, relentless and unending

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