Forced to Become the Protagonist of a Restricted Novel [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 7

The reception hall was deathly silent.

The golden light had dissipated, leaving behind a thick metallic stench. The carpet and chairs were stained crimson, scattered with flesh and bone fragments.

The young students in attendance had either fainted or were barely standing, retching at the unprecedented sight.

Su Cheng: “…”

She too was battling intense nausea.

Though she’d personally killed Lin Yun before, the bloodshed from a Wind Blade to the throat couldn’t compare to this.

But shock dominated her emotions.

Profound fear showed on the faces of the academy elders.

“—Divine Favored?!”

Their gazes at her were filled with terror.

Countless merchants daily raised contracts, hoping for the Contract God’s protection.

Just as countless criminals and judicial officers swore oaths before courts, demonstrating their sincerity and faith to the God of Laws.

Yet how many people’s calls could elicit a response from the gods? To summon a divine manifestation?

Only the God’s Chosen could call upon them in this manner.

No wonder!

Presenting gifts to the Holy See was merely an excuse—what could the insignificant Lin family possibly offer? Moreover, what could warrant the personal presence of a Legion Commander?

There was only one reason!

A God’s Chosen.

—Individuals favored by the gods due to certain traits in their character, temperament, or behavior would become the God’s Chosen.

It was common knowledge that all humans could cultivate battle energy to become Battle Masters. Even those with the poorest aptitude merely required more time.

A portion of humanity could also resonate with Elemental Spirits to become Elemental Mages.

These were the ways humans obtained power.

And they were relatively common.

Beyond these, there existed mysterious realms inaccessible to ordinary people—realms that required either special guidance or the gods’ blessings for mortals to touch.

Among the deities of the divine realm, there were two Supreme Gods, over a dozen Major Gods, and dozens of Minor Gods, each with clearly defined divine authority and dominion.

They could select their Chosen and bestow blessings within the scope of their dominion.

Races like demons belonged to the God of Darkness’s favored kin. All demons were naturally blessed with dark attributes.

Thus, high-ranking demons were all masters of shadow magic.

But—

The human race was not the favored kin of any god. Those who became God’s Chosen were as rare as phoenix feathers.

Yet once someone became a God’s Chosen, the upper limit of the power they wielded often far surpassed what could be achieved through diligent cultivation.

Elder Li had just been the perfect example.

He was a seventh-tier Battle Paragon, but even an eleventh-tier Battle Saint would have met the same fate.

Within the domain of their patron god’s authority, the God’s Chosen could invoke divine power—something no race on the continent could withstand.

—As for why he had died, it was likely due to some blasphemous thought. Others might not know, but such things could never be hidden from the gods.

“You’re actually a God’s Chosen?!” another elder murmured. “Why didn’t you say so earlier…”

Had they known, why would they have annulled the engagement!

The status of a God’s Chosen was extraordinary. The title alone could earn them a noble title, though most declined imperial honors, either because they were elusive or had been recruited by the Holy See—

No wonder!

Everyone wore expressions of sudden realization, thinking that her connection to the Holy See must have stemmed from this.

And this one was favored by two Major Gods!

The elder didn’t dare complain to Su Cheng but couldn’t help glancing at Murong Yue.

Murong Yue frowned deeply.

He understood the elders’ thoughts. Some had wanted him to marry into their families and had eagerly supported the annulment.

Others had genuinely considered his interests, believing Su Cheng unworthy of him due to her lack of ability and low status—now regretting their stance upon discovering her identity as a God’s Chosen.

But he didn’t share their views.

He had annulled the engagement solely to focus on his cultivation, not to seek another fiancée.

Even if someone of similar strength or higher rank proposed to him now, he would still refuse.

Even knowing Su Cheng was a God’s Chosen, he felt no regret.

But—

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the bloodstains and debris on the ground.

Elder Li had always been prideful and hot-tempered. Even while instructing him in martial techniques, the elder had often made harsh remarks.

Murong Yue didn’t like this senior, but he never expected something like this to happen.

Yet this was divine punishment.

Even if the emperor himself had come, he would only kneel and give thanks.

If he hadn’t come to break off the engagement, if he had firmly refused to let them accompany him to the Lin residence, Elder Li wouldn’t have died.

Murong Yue abruptly stood up, his face icy. “…In that case, we’ll take our leave.”

Su Cheng remained seated, her tone equally cold. “Don’t let me keep you.”

The academy elders all rose to their feet, waking those who had fainted. No one dared criticize her attitude—they didn’t even want to look at her anymore.

The accompanying students covered their mouths and fled.

None of them realized she was also reeling from shock. Most probably thought she’d done it deliberately—that she’d demanded the contract specifically to invoke divine power!

No one suspected she’d only just become a Chosen One.

How old was she?

If this were truly her first time, she’d be jumping for joy!

The group quickly departed. The Lin Family Head remembered to see them off, but he was drenched in cold sweat and could barely stand, so he simply collapsed back into his chair.

The other Lin family members were terrified, their faces deathly pale. Some had just regained consciousness and were at a complete loss.

Many were mentally reviewing whether they’d ever offended this niece of theirs.

Then they all rose to leave.

Lin Zhen mustered his energy to issue a few warnings, but they were already scared out of their wits, swearing repeatedly they wouldn’t breathe a word outside.

Watching his relatives leave, he turned to his niece with a mix of confusion and excitement. “What just happened?”

Su Cheng didn’t answer immediately.

This uncle of hers was a typical merchant—he had some affection for his sister’s child, but not much.

In the original story, after the broken engagement incident when Lin Yun and Murong Yue fell out, and after the Nanhe Academy group left, Lin Zhen had scolded his nephew and been extremely displeased with the male lead.

Because Lin Zhen didn’t want to offend those people.

And now?

Su Cheng looked at her bewildered uncle. “Exactly what you saw.”

She was actually full of questions herself, but outwardly remained calm and composed, as if everything was under control.

Lin Zhen was indeed fooled.

Mainly because his niece suddenly becoming a Chosen One was far more shocking than her becoming a Magician.

—Elemental Mages were rare because most people weren’t resonators.

But statistically, out of a hundred people, at least three or five could resonate with some element, though likely at a low level.

They could still study magic—they might just never progress beyond first or second tier.

But in an entire city, there might not be a single Chosen One.

This was someone chosen by the gods!

“So,” Lin Zhen ventured cautiously, “does this have something to do with your magic?”

Su Cheng gave a bitter smile. “Please don’t ask. It’s complicated.”

Lin Zhen immediately thought of divine blessings or something similar, and suddenly everything made sense.

“Say no more!” He quickly waved his hands. “I won’t pry further!”

Matters involving deities always carried numerous taboos.

Having worked in the merchant guild for years, he had heard all sorts of strange and mysterious tales.

If nothing else, everyone knew at least one universal truth.

When it came to gods, one should never dig too deep—lest they invite calamity.

Lin Zhen couldn’t help but beam with joy. “You’ve always been clever since childhood. I knew you’d achieve great things! To be honest, breaking off that engagement was for the best. You’re a god’s chosen now—there’ll be no shortage of suitors! That fellow’s talent was decent, but there are certainly better ones out there!”

“Mhm,” Su Cheng replied, her head aching from his words. “I was going to ask you to warn the rest of the family—those who weren’t present—not to mention my former engagement with Murong Yue outside—”

A flicker of fear flashed in Lin Zhen’s eyes. “Those who left earlier will surely caution their children. As for the others, I’ll handle it.”

With mixed emotions, Su Cheng glanced at the contract in her hand, then gently rolled up her sleeve.

On her pale, slender arm, a golden gavel mark appeared, shimmering for a few seconds before vanishing.

A moment later.

A black scales pattern manifested in her palm.

They symbolized the favor of the God of Law and the God of Contracts respectively.

These marks would appear whenever she willed them.

…Could it be that losing one cheat (the bracelet) had earned her another form of compensation?

The conservation of protagonist’s halo?

In the original novel, Lin Yun didn’t become a god’s chosen until hundreds of chapters later, and even then, it was the God of Darkness who selected him.

“…Uncle.” Su Cheng stood up. “I’d like to go for a walk and also check out those academy recruitments.”

Lin Zhen didn’t dare oppose her now. He instinctively nodded, then fussed over her, asking if she wanted to rest first.

Su Cheng shook her head slightly. “I’m not tired.”

Divine manifestations didn’t necessarily mean the deities themselves had arrived.

They might be watching from their divine realms, or they might not have glanced this way at all.

In the latter case, it usually meant something had triggered their domain of authority, thus allowing their power to manifest.

For instance, the God of Contracts could punish oath-breakers, while the God of Law could penalize lawbreakers.

—But there were countless oath-breakers and lawbreakers, and not every one of them faced divine retribution. In fact, the vast majority didn’t.

As for Elder Li, he’d likely harbored some blasphemous thoughts.

Under normal circumstances, it might have gone unnoticed, but at that precise moment, she had just been chosen as a god’s favored, making divine power manifest.

Had he entertained further improper thoughts while within the affected range, violating certain divine laws…

Such punishment didn’t drain the god’s chosen of their energy.

Hence, she didn’t feel fatigued.

Su Cheng’s gaze drifted to the blood and fragments on the floor.

The mess bore no resemblance to what had once been a person.

Her uncle’s voice sounded beside her, asking if she wanted a carriage.

Servants swarmed around—one handed her a sun hat, another offered a purse.

Su Cheng silently put on the hat and pocketed the money. “Thank you, but I don’t need a carriage. I just want to walk.”

In the garden outside, she encountered several young masters and ladies of the Lin family.

Their expressions were somewhat peculiar, as if they wanted to say something but were hesitant.

“Don’t cause trouble,” Su Cheng said expressionlessly, staring at them. “I don’t want a second person to die here today, so stay away from me.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

Even if they didn’t know exactly what had happened in the reception hall, everyone had seen the people from Nanhe Academy leave with dark expressions—almost fleeing in panic.

Soon after, the elders of the clan departed one after another, some even dragging away their curious children who had come to watch the commotion, all with grim faces.

Now, word had spread throughout the estate—the former good-for-nothing had suddenly become a Magician.

For the moment, no one dared to approach her.

Su Cheng left without any further hindrance.

The Lin family estate was enormous, located in the upper district. Outside, the streets were lined with buildings, clean and orderly. In the distance, atop a slightly elevated area, the architectural complex of the Holy See’s temple could be seen.

At its center stood a snow-white spire piercing the clouds, refracting colorful halos in the sunlight and exuding an awe-inspiring aura of sanctity.

As she stepped through the estate’s main gate, she couldn’t help but glance at it one more time.

In the northern continent, the authority and influence of the God of Light’s Holy See had reached its peak.

Every city had their temples, and every human settlement had its believers. The coronation ceremonies of emperors and kings across the empires and kingdoms were never without the Holy See’s clergy.

Leaving the quiet affluent district behind, she entered the bustling commercial street.

Pedestrians jostled shoulder to shoulder along both sides of the street, with customers constantly entering and exiting the shops.

Jinpo City was situated at a key transportation hub in the southern reaches of the empire, so travelers, merchants, and mercenaries of various races could be seen throughout the city.

Humans made up more than half of the population, while the rest were mostly beastmen and half-beasts with distinct features, along with some dwarves.

Occasionally, elves could also be spotted—similar in stature to humans but with pointed ears, noticeably more beautiful features, and lighter steps.

Su Cheng moved forward with the flow of the crowd.

The empire’s major academies held enrollment sessions in spring and autumn, with the spring session taking place in the southern region.

There was no fixed start date; around late spring and early summer, recruitment teams would gather in Jinpo City, the most prosperous city in the south.

Aspiring students would also flock here from all directions, making this the busiest time of the year in the city.

But Su Cheng hadn’t come out for this reason.

In the early stages of the novel, the male protagonist joined a mercenary squad that included a mysterious sorcerer. Upon discovering the curse on him, the sorcerer mentioned that it might be possible to suppress the curse—though the method was complicated and required collecting some extremely expensive materials.

Lin Yun had refused Murong Yue’s compensation, and with many expenses piling up, he remained perpetually broke and unwilling to spend the money, so he had shelved the idea.

Su Cheng wanted to find that sorcerer.

Judging by the timeline, that mercenary squad should have already arrived in Jinpo City by now and would be staying for a while.

“Hunting mission, reward starting at three Gold Coins, fire-attribute Magician needed…”

“Escort mission, D-rank, base pay of ten Silver Coins per day…”

At the junction of the upper and middle districts stood the Mercenary Guild’s grand building, towering over the southern side of a large plaza. Many people were already shouting offers outside its doors.

Colorful banners hung from the upper floors, representing some of the more renowned mercenary groups—some permanently stationed here, others just passing through.

Any banner displayed meant the group was open to taking on jobs.

Only mercenary organizations ranked B or above could hang their banners in major cities like Golden Amber City, and their fees were generally unaffordable for ordinary people.

Most of the noisy mercenaries clamoring outside the guild were low-ranked.

They shouted outside either because they were in a hurry or wanted to save money—posting notices inside the guild required advertisement fees.

Beside the guild’s entrance was a fenced area enclosed by a magical barrier, where several medium-sized magical beasts rested.

They were all herbivores—winged elk, pegasi, and great-horned sheep—extremely docile creatures that remained unfazed even when watched.

A passing little boy repeatedly slapped the barrier, yet the beasts inside didn’t react at all, continuing to graze or doze.

As Su Cheng stepped inside, the clamor hit her like a wave. The hall was packed with over a hundred people, with long queues in front of the service counters.

The bulletin boards on the walls displayed general regulations and local guild rules, alongside a variety of mission postings and bounties.

There were also wanted notices for fugitives and heretics, some bearing the golden sword emblem of the Holy See.

On another wall were recruitment notices for various mercenary teams.

Some sought temporary collaborators for specific missions, while others advertised permanent membership openings.

At a glance, the majority of recruitment notices were for Magicians.

Theoretically, anyone in this world could become a Battle Master, but the proportion of Magicians was far smaller.

This also meant that in most teams, mages were a minority.

In the original story, the male lead had only qualified to join that mercenary squad because of his status as a Magician—his magic, of course, taught by the cheat old man.

“…Black Flame Mercenary Corps seeks an Elemental Mage with special abilities for a collaborative mission. Specific requirements and payment to be discussed in person. Location: Meeting Room 319.”

Amid the flashy notices, Su Cheng found this one.

That’s it.

It’s them!

They really had arrived in Golden Amber City.

Every member of the Black Flame Mercenary Corps had an impressive background, though they currently posed as ordinary mercenaries.

Lin Yun had joined Black Flame several days after the broken engagement incident. At the time, he had come to the guild for unrelated business and accidentally encountered them.

The male lead had even had an… ahem encounter with the leader’s “facial cleanser.”

Su Cheng adjusted her clothes, making sure the glowing insignia of her Apprentice Mage rank was visible.

She headed to the guild’s third floor and, following the room number on the notice, found a meeting room just before the corridor’s turn.

Many mercenaries paid to rent guild rooms as temporary bases, making it convenient for others to find them immediately after seeing notices downstairs.

On the door of Room 319 was a black flame emblem—Black Flame’s insignia—marking it as their rented space.

In the original story, Lin Yun hadn’t met them today. Su Cheng wasn’t sure what would happen now.

She vaguely recalled the composition of this mercenary team.

—A white-haired vampire assassin who loves close contact, a reserved mage obsessed with studying obscure spells, a pure and healing-type elf archer, and a cheerful, understanding swordswoman captain who loves her drink but is also incredibly considerate.

The latter two were quite easy to get along with.

Su Cheng didn’t want any awkward encounters or to bump into anyone, so she moved cautiously, pushing the door open but hesitating before stepping inside.

She stood at the doorway, scanning the room to ensure no one was in her path before taking a careful step forward.

“…Pfft.”

A laugh came from inside the meeting room.

Su Cheng removed her hat and stepped inside, first spotting a circular long table surrounded by scattered chairs, with messy stacks of documents piled on top.

A silver-haired young man sat on the edge of the table, his pale, handsome face wearing a teasing smirk. “Relax, miss. We don’t bite.”

His skin was as white as marble, yet his eyes were a vivid crimson, like two flickering flames.

He wore a fitted silver-gray leather armor that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, with knee-high boots hugging the strong, straight lines of his calves.

One hand braced against the table, his long legs swung idly in the air, fingers lightly tapping the surface. His silver gauntlets had sharp, cold edges, resembling the beak of a bird.

Su Cheng: “?”

She stared at the silver-haired man’s Adam’s apple for a few seconds.

“What’s the matter?”

Another voice spoke up from the meeting room.

A man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, tilting his head slightly as he observed her.

He wore a top hat, his dark golden curls tied into a low ponytail. His black-and-red mage robe was embroidered with gold and crimson threads along the cuffs and hem, and he held a scroll in one hand.

His fingers, gripping the scroll rod, were long and well-defined, veins faintly visible on the back of his hand.

The blond man tossed the scroll aside, and it hit the wall with a crisp sound. “Elemental Mage?”

Half his face was hidden behind a raised collar, revealing only high cheekbones, a straight nose bridge, and a pair of deep blue eyes beneath his golden hair.

Those eyes were cold and sharp, like a lone wolf in the wilderness.

Su Cheng snapped out of her daze. “Yes…”

The blond man regarded her calmly. “Your mercenary journal.”

This was standard procedure.

A mercenary journal was a symbol of identity for every mercenary, recording all the tasks they had undertaken.

Assuming she was here in response to the recruitment notice—to join as a temporary teammate for a mission—they naturally needed to verify her background, checking her track record and whether she had any shady history.

Su Cheng rubbed her forehead. “Sorry, this is actually my first time at the guild. I forgot—I don’t have a journal yet. I’ll go register for a mercenary license now.”

She turned hastily, ready to dash out, only for someone to push the door open at the same moment.

They collided head-on.

Su Cheng had no time to dodge, slamming face-first into the newcomer’s chest.

The cool touch of firm, well-built pectoral muscles pressed against her face, the pliant yet resilient flesh flattening against her nose.

A leather strap buckle grazed her cheekbone, leaving a faint sting.