Chapter 8

"So... is that everything?" Rose asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at the middle-aged woman seated across from her. "Although I'm a little bit disappointed. I applied for the military course but got the skills horning course instead."

The office was spacious and elegantly furnished. One side of the room displayed shelves lined with countless awards and trophies, while a round sitting area occupied the center, complete with a polished table surrounded by comfortable sofas. Large windows allowed warm sunlight to pour into the office, giving the room a welcoming atmosphere.

Determined to begin a brand-new chapter of her life, Rose had completed the payment for the academy enrollment.

"Yes, Miss Rose," the woman replied with a gentle smile. "Your registration has been completed successfully. From this moment onward, you are officially a student of the academy and we're sorry about that but that's the only course available now and trust me... it's a good course. The course doesn't attract the students of this school and that's because they all rely on their rich families, could easily purchase whatever magical artifacts but there's nothing bad in learning skills. You'll also get to still participate in military trainings."

That's a lie though. No student wants the course because obviously they never learn a thing from it... can never become a true master hence it's just a waste of time to them. But then I believe this is a blessing for me. My master already thought me all these so I guess I only need to perfect my skill more and the fact that I get to participate in other courses too is okay for me. Rose thought to herself as she heaved a heavy sigh.

Mrs. Davis reached into a drawer before handing Rose a small document along with a silver key.

Rose accepted them politely.

"This is the key to your dormitory," Mrs. Davis continued. "Your room is located on the right wing of the dormitory building, which is just a short walk from my office. The room number is written on your registration document."

"I understand. Thank you very much, Mrs. Davis," Rose replied, rising to her feet before giving the older woman a respectful bow.

Mrs. Davis's smile widened.

"You're most welcome, dear. I hope you enjoy your time here."

"I'll do my best."

With that, Rose excused herself and quietly walked out of the office.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Only then did she lean her back against it and release the long breath she had unknowingly been holding.

Her tense shoulders finally relaxed.

It's official...

I've really started over.

After standing there for several seconds, she pushed herself away from the door and began making her way down the quiet hallway toward the dormitory building.

It didn't take long before she found the room assigned to her.

Room 7.

Without hesitation, she inserted the key into the lock.

Click.

The door swung open.

The room wasn't particularly large, nor was it small. It was simply comfortable.

There were two neatly arranged beds, making it obvious that she would have a roommate. Beside each bed stood a study table and chair, and resting atop each desk was a computer terminal that had already been powered on, along with neatly arranged writing materials and stationery.

"It'll do," Rose murmured softly.

She naturally chose the bed beside the window before placing herself on the mattress with a tired sigh.

Moments later, she pulled out her phone once again.

Should I make sure he actually canceled the engagement?

Her eyes narrowed as she opened the Central Hub application.

The word Matched still appeared beside both her profile and Dylan's.

Within the Central Hub, the status Matched legally represented a recognized marriage.

It should've disappeared by now...

Did he forget to notify them? Or did he simply assume everything had already been settled?

Rose frowned.

I'd better remind him.

She opened Dylan's contact which remained pinned just above the Central Hub application and quickly typed a brief message.

After pressing send, she placed the phone aside and shifted her attention toward the computer sitting on the desk.

A determined look slowly appeared on her face.

"Now..." she murmured quietly.

"It's time to figure out how I'm going to survive."

Truthfully, she wasn't worried.

After all...

She possessed far too many valuable skills.

I'll start with the one that's easiest to monetize.

Without another thought, she logged into the legendary Puppet Forum.

A large travel bag rested beside her bed.

She unzipped it, revealing dozens of exquisitely crafted puppets she had personally created over the years.

There was a majestic dragon.

A graceful fox.

A towering werewolf.

Several humanoid warriors.

And many other intricate creations.

Each puppet looked astonishingly lifelike, almost as though it would begin breathing at any moment.

Rose carefully picked up the dragon puppet before placing it against a plain background.

She snapped several photographs from different angles before digitally editing one image, causing the dragon's eyes to glow a deep crimson.

The change was subtle...

Yet terrifying.

It hinted that these were far from ordinary dolls.

In reality, no one knew that Rose was the legendary Diamond-ranked Puppet Artificer, a mysterious existence renowned throughout the Puppet Artificer world.

She specialized in constructing lifelike battle puppets and magical constructs capable of protecting their masters or fighting on their behalf.

To outsiders, they appeared to be nothing more than beautifully handcrafted dolls.

Only after activation did they reveal their true nature.

This skill should earn me enough to settle down first, Rose thought inwardly.

Without wasting any time, she uploaded several pictures of her creations onto the forum under her anonymous identity.

RAVEN STRINGS.

No one knew who hid behind that name.

No one knew whether Raven Strings was old or young.

All they knew was that every creation released under that name was fought over by countless wealthy buyers.

As she waited for the uploads to finish, Rose couldn't help but drift into memories of the past.

She had first met her mysterious master when she was only twelve years old.

Long before she had ever become a member of the Hart family.

Her master had patiently taught her countless professions that most people could only dream of mastering.

She wasn't merely a Puppet Artificer.

She was also an exceptional Artifact Refiner, capable of restoring damaged or seemingly destroyed artifacts back to their former glory.

She was an Array Formation Master, able to construct powerful defensive formations, devastating offensive arrays, teleportation formations, concealment arrays, and intricate illusion arrays using spirit stones.

Each of those professions alone could make someone unimaginably wealthy.

Yet she possessed all of them.

And there were still several other skills she had yet to reveal to the world.

Thinking about it now, Rose couldn't help but feel grateful.

A faint smile finally appeared on her lips.

Just then....

Knock. Knock. Knock.