[Bonus chapter] Wrapping things up

"... and that concludes my report on the matters relating to Serenity Hollow," Seraphina sat in front of the communication mirror once again, facing her mentor, Elder Nyra.

The report was a mix of truth and half-truth. For example, she hid the information about her meeting with Claudia and the Covenant. It wouldn't do well for the Coven to dig into the matters of the Covenant this early. This could lead to unexpected results that Seraphina wanted to avoid.

"Good, and what is the current state of the Fallar considering the confirmed death of Claude Fallar?" Elder Nyra asked in a calm tone.

"Regarding that, the younger brother of Claude, Tony Fallar is expected to succeed the family. This will happen very soon since the patriarch of the Fallar was found dead by suicide a few days after the confirmed death of his heir."

"And what happened to the underground sect? Did you find any leads that hinted at the Fallar patriarch working alongside them?"

"The Fallar does not have any connections to the underground sect anymore since all of their contacts inside the family were killed off. As for the sect itself ... I was not able to determine their origins. It seems that they are very careful in their approach. Sona and I have found traces but all of them were cold."

"It is alright, my child. Time will shed light on these matters. For now, return to the Coven and prepare for the Grand Sect Tournament. Your invitation has arrived." Elder Nyra said with a smile.

"I understand, Elder Nyra," Seraphina replied, her voice respectful.

Seeming satisfied with Seraphina's answer, Elder Nyra nodded and turned off the connection.

Seraphina let out a deep breath. 'Alright, there is no time for rest. For now, I'll say goodbye to my friends here in Serenity Peak'

[Evening of the same day]

"Do you really need to leave so soon?" Isabella asked with tears in her eyes. During the time she got to know Seraphina, Isabella started to see her as a big sister figure. Now, her big sister would leave the city and she may not see her in a while.

"Don't worry. I'm heading back because of the Grand Sect Tournament. We can meet again in the capital during that event." Seraphina replied, her voice softened.

"Speaking of leaving, Sona, I heard from Elder Nyra that you were going to get a promotion soon. Do you know where you will be transferred now?" Alexander chimed in.

"Ah right, I'm being transferred to the main intelligence gathering force led by an esteemed elder of the Coven. As for where it is ... that remains a secret~" She laughed at Alexander's reaction before pouring Seraphina a glass of fine plum wine.

Alexander smirked and replied "Alright, congrats. The city will be quieter when you leave, so that's a win for me."

"Hey! What do you imply with that?" Sona got up and shattered the ceramic jug of high-quality wine beside her.

'Aw, not the wine!' Seraphina's heart hurt for the wasted liquid of the gods.

Alexander laughed at her misfortune before getting into a heated conversation with Sona about clothes.

"Seraphina! I'll ask my dad to buy me some VIP seats to spectate and cheer you on. You gotta win!" Isabella came to Seraphina and poured her a drink again.

"Cheers to our next reunion, let's raise a toast, Big sister Seraphina, you're my model, I boast. With wisdom and grace, you light up my way, In your footsteps, I'll follow, come what may~" Isabella sang as she danced inside their private booth drunkenly.

'Hah, these fools.' Seraphina observed her friends and a sense of nostalgia hit her. It reminded her of her first life, drinking with her friends after work.

As the evening wore on, the atmosphere in the booth became a mix of laughter and bittersweet moments. Seraphina couldn't help but smile as Isabella sang another one of her tipsy toasts, and she joined in the spirit of the gathering.

The warmth of the plum wine and the shared laughter eased the weight of her impending departure. It was moments like these that reminded Seraphina of the beauty of human connections, even in a world filled with flying cultivators and courting death young masters.

Eventually, as the night grew late, they bid each other farewell with promises to meet again at the Grand Sect Tournament.

Seraphina made her way back to her residence, the sense of nostalgia still lingering in her thoughts.

With a contented smile, she prepared for her journey back to the Coven. Just as Seraphina was about to sleep, a familiar light appeared in front of her.

[Attention: First Phase of the New World has been completed]

[Attention: Energy Supply has been reestablished]

[Attention: You have one unread message]

'Urgh, what? I thought it was gone for good. What's going on?'

Seraphina clicked on the message tab and decided to see what the Observer wanted from her this time. It was unusual for a System to appear at this stage.

[Dear Seraphina, 

you have passed the preliminary stage to receive a passive system that will aid you in your journey. The story of your previous life was not long enough for you to receive this privilege. Your new system won't be sentient or AI. It purely shows your progress, and contains a few tools and a shop to help you grow faster and more efficiently. Due to me interrupting your selection process back then and denying you a set future, I offer you this as a way to make up for my previous transgression. 

Best regards, The Observer]

[Attention: Status Window, Shop, and Analyse have been added]

[Warning: Other functions are locked and will be available when certain conditions are fulfilled]

'Great, what the actual fuck.' Seraphina thought as she looked at the floating semi-transparent system prompt in front of her.

'Let's see how this works.'

"Status!" Seraphina called out and a blue window appeared in front of her. 

"Oh my, would you look at that~" She smirked at the result displayed before her eyes.