Renata had understood that look in his eyes, he might not have loved her and was even disgusted by her presence, but one thing she knew for certain was that he was possessive of her. It only got worse as their relationship progressed, it was three years of misery. In her past life she could not complain to her father about her treatment because soon after her marriage her father became bedridden, it was happened so quickly that she was left helpless, obviously she could not run to Dorian let alone her uncle. That's when she knew, she was alone and that no one will save her.
That is why in this life she had to find a way to stand on her own two feet. If she could cultivate maybe she could enter a sect which were controlled by one of top 4 academies. They were usually referred to as halls since they were subsidiaries of those academies. To join them you only need to access the VR community, that is where disciples are scouted based on their performance in that VR world. Most the information she had gathered from Divya, since she was curious about how the community looked like.
Renata made her way to her room with Divya tailing behind, she could sense that Divya's mood was down. 'Is there something wrong Dee?' Divya was not sure how to articulate herself since it was not really her place to begin with, but she felt close with Renata and did not like how Killian was treating her let alone her so-called family, she as much to Renata. Renata could not help but laugh, as she beckoned her to help take off her dress. She had not made much of a comment to what Divya said until she was dressed comfortably in her night wear. 'Thank you for being angry on my behalf but I am used to it already.' These words did not make Divya feel any better, she felt like marching out the room towards Killian who she had rightfully guessed was with Julie and punch him right between his eyes. Maybe that would correct his vision since it seems impaired.
Renata let out a hearty laugh at Divya's determination to uphold justice for her, she had not laughed like in such a long time, and she could not even pinpoint a memory on the last time she had felt such a warm feeling of someone caring for her. 'Dee, its okay. I must face this challenge alone after all how will I learn if I never fight for myself and hide behind you or my father.'' Divya heart melted slightly, she was happy to hear her laugh like that, but her father was useless, so there was no need to mention him since he was handing her over to experience misery.
Divya was about to take out the cultivation manuals from her storage ring but was stopped suddenly by Renata. 'I thought you wanted to find out a way to cultivate and open up your martial veins.'' Indeed that is what she was planning to do but first she wanted to get rid of curiosity regarding the VR community, she knows about the stories surrounding those who enter that space while they have only opened 3 veins but Divya was there to take her of that void space if that happens to her. She was bored of only looking at her VR space, she could only customise it to her tastes and use it as a form to pass on messages or make calls but since she had no friends that space was nothing but an echo chamber.
'Dee, while I enter the VR world can you protect me?'' Divya was confused as why she would need protecting in a VR space, she has entered it matter times with out incident. When she realised what she meant by her request, there was a slight horror in her face. 'You cannot enter the community space until you have at least opened 4 veins, I have already told you this and the consequences.'' Renata understood what she meant but she was determined to see it for herself, she did not know what was pushing her to be so stubborn regarding this, maybe she had been curious about since the moment she found but she just wanted to see how it was.
Divya seeing the determination in her eyes, knew there was no convincing her to change her mind. She could only sigh and reluctantly agree, 'If you feel weird, please try to get out immediately otherwise I will have to forcefully pull you out.'' Force? Renata did not know that force will have to be involved, but either way she was still determined and there was no turning back.
She sat in a mediating form on her bed and closed her eyes shut before she could change her mind. The VR bracelet was attached to her by creating a drop of blood, when the owner dies depending on their cultivation it will not open this was usually true for those in Core Formation, below that it was free game for all, finders' keepers was the order of the game but if your cultivation was above that person, you could open it. The bracelet came with a storage space, but it was not as big as storage ring. The same principle applied to storage rings as the VR bracelet.
Once she entered the mediated stated she tried to find her connection to her VR bracelet, she could sense her VR personalised space but that is not what she wanted, she continued to search for the communal space. At first it was quiet, and she had thought nothing would happen, she was about to give up when she suddenly felt a pull in her spiritual surroundings. She had been pulled into a dark space, before that place turned chaotic, there were turbulence that seemed to have a pattern and no pattern at all. An organised chaos if there was such a thing, she immediately felt at ease in that space, but she was sure that is not how the communal space is supposed to look like.
A few seconds later a whirlpool opened in the chaotic void, and she was being sucked into, she felt panic and a strange sort of ease in her heart before she heard and mechanical voice in her head.
THE SYSTEM IS NOW ONLINE.
WARNING!! WARNING!! WARNING!!
'THE SYSTEM IS SENSING THAT THE HOST IS IN DANGER, PREPARING EMERGENCY ESCAPE CARD.''
Renata was feeling slight distorted by what just happened, she was back in the void space outside the chaotic space. She looked around the emptiness she was in and was in, she was confused what to do next. She never heard such a thing happening, she had looked through her newsletter in her VR personalised space, that contained news of the entire 7 Continent world, there was no record of such an occurrence ever since the creation of the VR system 250 years ago. Before she could think much about it, that mechanical voice was back.
DING DONG.
'WELCOME TO THE CHERRY BLOSSOM SYSTEM.''
'Would you look at that the prodigal child has made its way back home.''
'HOST, THAT IS NOT FAIR.''
'Is it? Are you not the one who abandoned me for three months?''
'AT LEAST IT WAS ONLY THREE MONTHS, OTHERS GET ABANDONED FOR THREE YEARS OR MORE.''
'Really now?'' Renata said in a threatening voice, she was not in the mood for this untrustworthy scam of a system.
'HOST I AM NOT A SCAM.''
Renata was pissed, this shit could read her thoughts but then again it probably created a contracted with her without her knowing.
'ACTUALLY, YOU DID CONSENT TO THE BINDING CONTRACT."
'Huh? How come I have no recollection of that?''
'SORRY I CANNOT ANSWER THAT.''
Eh? What did this broken system mean by that, but knowing how unreliable it is, it will not answer the question even she pestered it to do so.
'I AM NOT A BROKEN SYSTEM; I AM CHERRY BLOSSOM 2.0''.
Like she cared, she might as get out of this empty space and go to sleep it has been a long day anyway. She has satisfied her curiosity; she will go back and ask Divya about what happened here. She would have asked the system, but it probably would not tell her anyway.
'HOST, I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED BUT I CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY.''
'You will give me cultivation techniques that will help with opening at least one of my veins?'' She honestly was not in the mood of the guessing game, she just wanted to lie down and rest.
'NO, BUT YOU CAN CULTIVATE IN THIS VOID SPACE."
Huh?!