Mary reached back and pressed her palm against the jade pendant's imprint on her back.
At first, it was only faintly warm, like sunlight lingering on skin after dusk. Gradually, the warmth deepened into a steady heat, not painful, but impossible to ignore. It lasted for nearly an hour before finally subsiding, leaving behind a strange, expectant calm.
Her heart beat faster.
Could it be… that the spatial upgrade was finally complete?
With that thought in mind, Mary cautiously reached out with her consciousness and tried to enter the mindscape again.
This time, there was no resistance at all.
In an instant, her vision cleared, and she stood rooted to the spot, stunned beyond words.
The familiar bamboo house was gone.
In its place stood a five-story villa, tall and elegant, its white exterior gleaming softly under an unfamiliar sky.
