Chapter 162: The Rebirth of Nicole

Recently, Nicole noticed that Andy was frequently finding reasons to chat with her, whether there was anything important or not. This left Nicole overjoyed. She felt that her efforts had not been in vain and that she was finally slowly winning his approval.

It was just a pity that her indirect hints asking to visit his home were completely ignored by Andy. Nicole's plan to use this opportunity to establish a connection with Princess Catherine had continuously failed to materialize.

Nicole harbored her own secrets. During this recent period, the things she had been doing might have seemed absurd, but they were actually guided by deep and far-reaching considerations.

It all started back when she and Linda traveled to the city of Dallas. Ever since returning from Dallas, she had constantly felt lethargic, and whenever she slept, she would always dream of another lifetime completely different from her current existence. At that time, she had not yet realized that this was the process of memory fusion.

Finally, some time ago, Nicole's memories had completely fused! It was only then that she realized she had been reborn from a thousand years in the future back to her youth a millennium ago!

Nicole was actually a very smart girl. Of course, her original name had been Fula. In her previous life, it was only because the name Fula later became a taboo existence across the astral plane that she changed her name to Nicole.

Long, long ago, Nicole had actually discovered a person with extraordinary potential within Grimm Academy—the down-and-out Teacher Martin. She frequently visited Teacher Martin to consult him on questions while simultaneously providing him with some financial support. The reason Teacher Martin had the financial means to thoroughly research the entire library of Grimm Academy, which required paid access, was entirely thanks to Nicole's sponsorship.

Therefore, in Nicole's previous life, Teacher Martin repaid her kindness. When he successfully established a foothold in the Academy Plane, he also recommended Nicole to go to the Academy Plane to study more profound arcane knowledge. Knowing this was a rare opportunity, Nicole went without the slightest hesitation. Upon arriving there, she finally understood the vastness of the world. Her aptitude and talent, which had allowed her to look down upon Grimm Academy, were simply not worth mentioning compared to the geniuses and privileged prodigies of the various planes.

Because of Teacher Martin's continuous support and elevation all along the way, she had stumbled her way up to the Gold rank, only to become stuck at the bottleneck of advancing to a Dawn Wizard.

Then followed the empty waste of years. Nicole tried numerous methods and made countless efforts, but failed to achieve a breakthrough. At that time, she heard that Teacher Martin possessed a supreme treasure, which he had prepared to use when breaking through to become a Dawn Wizard. Overwhelmed by greed and enduring the torment within her heart, Nicole ultimately took advantage of Martin's trust to steal this supreme treasure and fled the Academy Plane.

Afterward, she began roaming about in other planes throughout the astral plane. By this time, turbulent times had arrived in the astral plane, with vast seas shifting dramatically. Even with the strength of a Gold Wizard, she was barely able to protect herself.

Later, she used that supreme treasure, yet still failed to achieve a breakthrough. This inevitably filled Nicole with despair, and she hid away in a small plane to play the tyrant ruler.

However, she still kept an eye on the shifting winds and clouds of the outside world. The most dazzling figure in the outside world was the rise of a hero—none other than the Great Emperor Bill, who rebuilt the Arcane Empire! Bill William!

Nicole was astonished to discover that the Great Emperor Bill also originated from the Azure Plane. It was said that he had refined an evil god in the city of Dallas, and then, using the evil god's body as a foundation coupled with extraordinary alchemy skills, he built an astral airship.

Later, in order to resolve the physical condition of Empress Jella, the "Semigod Prophet," he began stepping into the astral plane to search for the lost arcane civilization. He also gained the recognition of the secluded clan left over from the Arcane Empire. With their help, amidst the troubled times, he rebuilt the Arcane Empire, fighting battles in all directions and establishing a resounding and formidable reputation! Meanwhile, the close companions who had established good relations with him back when the Great Emperor Bill had not yet risen had also achieved remarkable success, establishing powerful families whose influence spanned across multiple planes.

Sometimes Nicole wondered: if she had not left the Azure Plane back then, but had instead remained there and joined them before the Great Emperor Bill rose to prominence, what kind of achievements would she have attained?

Although Teacher Martin repeatedly stated that a person's ultimate achievements lay entirely within themselves, Nicole did not think so. She believed that opportunity was the most important factor. Look at those privileged prodigies with extraordinary achievements—which one of them did not possess extraordinary encounters?

Not only did she indulge in such daydreams, but Nicole also unconsciously began paying attention to news regarding the Great Emperor Bill of the New Arcane Empire. She learned that the Empire had a princess named Catherine, who possessed the form of a nether cat and shared a bond with the Great Emperor Bill like that of siblings. The Empress of the Empire, Jella, possessed the legendary bloodline of the blind prophet; however, due to an eye affliction, Princess Catherine had set up an array to seal half of her bloodline. From then on, her prophecies became half-accurate and half-inaccurate, which was why she was known as the "Semigod Prophet!"

She inquired in detail about the trajectory of the Great Emperor Bill's rise. She learned that shortly after she left the Azure Plane, the Great Emperor Bill relied on his extraordinary alchemical methods to sweep through the three colleges of Grimm, and established a good relationship with the Dark Moon Chamber of Commerce.

She also heard that the Great Emperor Bill had performed earth-shattering meritorious service during the war in the Elan Kingdom, and thus was conferred the title of Count. He relinquished the specific territory granted to him as a count and, through negotiations with the kingdom, chose the region of Dallas as his fiefdom.

From there, he rose from Dallas, set up a grand array with the help of Princess Catherine to refine the evil god, and subsequently created an airship to step into the astral plane, achieving legendary status!

Nicole followed these news reports day by day, sometimes daydreaming and substituting herself into one of the Great Emperor Bill's close companions for her own amusement. Yet, after all, those were other people's stories and had nothing to do with her!

She even tried approaching the flourishing New Arcane Empire under the identity of a fellow townsman of the Great Emperor Bill, hoping to secure a comfortable position. As a result, the administrative staff of the Arcane Empire received her courteously. After undergoing thorough checks and verification all the way through, they actually conferred upon her a minor official title called the Protector of Imperial Felines!

The so-called Protector of Imperial Felines was essentially the official responsible for raising cats for the Empire, because the New Arcane Empire had already promulgated decrees protecting cats. All stray cats would be sheltered and then provided for by the Empire, and the person responsible for raising the cats enjoyed the benefits of a national civil servant—hence the Protector of Imperial Felines.

It was said that this was a career with boundless prospects; there had once been talented individuals among the Protectors of Imperial Felines who were selected to tend to Princess Catherine's daily life. Moreover, positions in Princess Catherine's inner circle were immensely popular throughout the New Arcane Empire.

Because Princess Catherine's tendency to shield her own and her generosity with rewards were notoriously famous within the Empire. Conversely, although no one spoke of it aloud, very few people wanted to work by Empress Jella's side, because she could always see through the secrets hidden deep within people's hearts—and moreover, this insight was half-accurate and half-inaccurate! It was said that working by her side made one age very quickly...

Nicole served as a Protector of Imperial Felines for a while, but she was never selected to become part of Princess Catherine's inner circle, only getting to witness her graceful bearing through the portraits of Princess Catherine distributed by the Empire to every feline breeding base.

Even so, the salary of a Protector of Imperial Felines far exceeded what she had extorted and plundered while playing the tyrant ruler in her small plane, so Nicole chose to stay. She continued working until she sensed her final limit approaching!

Looking back on her life, she felt the only person she had wronged was Teacher Martin. Therefore, she resigned from her position and traveled alone to the Academy Plane, determined to personally say I'm sorry to Teacher Martin!

On her way to the Academy Plane, however, a major event occurred within the Academy Plane.

Martin achieved the Dao in nine days!

It was said that after Nicole stole his supreme treasure, Martin did not show anger, but instead silently continued his studies and accumulation until he approached the limit of his millennium lifespan as a Gold rank.

In the final year of his life, he created a meditation method within a soul illusion.

Then, on the first day, he advanced to a Dawn Wizard; on the third day, he advanced to a Radiant Wizard; on the sixth day, he advanced to a Twilight Wizard; and by the ninth day, he tore through the plane's crystal wall and broke through the void, disappearing without a trace...

When Nicole finally found Martin's other students, they recounted Martin's deeds with deep reverence and told her that before leaving, Martin had left something behind for her. The student then handed her an exquisitely crafted box.

Although she still harbored guilt within her heart, Nicole also held expectations—could Teacher Martin have left her the secret to advancing to a Dawn Wizard?

She rented a secret chamber in the Academy Plane, laid down multiple layers of protection, and cautiously opened the box Teacher Martin had left for her.

Then, a flash of intense light swept past, and Nicole lost consciousness...

When she woke up once more, she had transformed into Fula Barov during her youth—which was now Nicole Barov!