After observing the three distinct methods of using the character card, Zhao Youyue quickly grasped the underlying logic of the Dimension Gate.
The first method aligned perfectly with her initial theories. It granted her the ability to manifest Xu Jing's specific talents and traits within the real world. This was a sustainable, long-term resource because Xu Jing had officially ascended to the status of a classic character.
As long as readers continued to discuss her, argue over her, and keep her memory alive in their hearts, they would generate a steady, invisible stream of wish power. This energy acted as a fuel source that Zhao Youyue could tap into whenever she pleased.
The second method was a clear-cut exchange.
By sacrificing the Xu Jing character card, she could essentially trade one classic character's essence for the opportunity to claim another. This process involved returning the card to the gate in exchange for entry into a specific fictional work's world.
However, there was a balancing mechanic involved. Since Xu Jing originated from a low-energy, slice-of-life manga devoid of any supernatural elements, the gate restricted the exchange to works of a similar energy level. She would be limited to selecting other slice-of-life settings where logic and physics remained grounded.
Anyone with a shred of common sense would recognize the potential in this choice.
Naturally, a person would select a world from a work already established as a legendary classic. By doing so, they could strategically possess a female character destined for greatness, ensuring she became an unforgettable icon. With such a roadmap, the path to success would be effortless.
If the narrative followed its established course, they would eventually secure that character's card as well. Compared to the grueling, uphill battle Zhao Youyue had fought while shaping Xu Jing's identity in Pure Love, this shortcut would be significantly less taxing.
This was why she viewed the second method as a form of equal exchange. She could essentially swap Xu Jing for another high-tier classic character from a different mundane setting.
Yet, a glaring problem remained.
The reality Zhao Youyue inhabited was a parallel version of the world she remembered. While certain famous figures and literary masterpieces like those by Tiancan Tudou or Gen Urobuchi existed here, the cultural landscape was also filled with unfamiliar titles. Works like Super King of Psychic Powers and Pure Love were entirely new to her.
Because of this discrepancy, she couldn't simply rely on her past knowledge to identify which stories would truly stand the test of time.
High popularity during a story's run didn't always guarantee classic status. Conversely, many works that seemed unremarkable during their serialization were often rediscovered years later, eventually being hailed as masterpieces.
Therefore, if she recklessly tossed away Xu Jing's card to enter a slice-of-life world that failed to resonate with the public, she would suffer a catastrophic loss. The card would vanish, and she would have no guarantee of a successful outcome, let alone an easy victory.
There was also the matter of time.
Crafting a legacy was not a fast process. Zhao Youyue had invested an entire grueling semester of her life—balancing her studies with the constant mental strain of possession—before she finally saw Pure Love conclude and earned the card.
She felt a profound, heavy attachment to this specific prize. It wasn't just a tool; it was the physical manifestation of her own sweat, tears, and relentless effort.
So, while the prospect of an exchange was undeniably alluring, it was a move that required extreme caution. Unless she possessed a surplus of character cards, she shouldn't even consider such a sacrifice. Once the card hit the shimmering surface of the gate, it would be gone forever.
As for the third method, Zhao Youyue didn't give it more than a passing thought.
She wasn't a gambler.
She didn't believe herself to be some chosen protagonist blessed with divine luck. The idea of sacrificing her hard-won card to randomly plummet into a higher-energy world was far too dangerous. Even if she landed in a world-class epic, the odds of surviving or succeeding would be entirely up to chance.
If she were dropped into another mediocre, incoherent mess like Super King of Psychic Powers, she had no idea how she would manage to forge a classic character in such a broken environment.
Worse yet, once Xu Jing's card was gone, Zhao Youyue would lose access to the girl's incredible focus and intellect.
For a student who was desperate to claw her way to the top of the academic rankings, losing that mental edge was completely unacceptable.
It wasn't that Zhao Youyue lacked the desire for supernatural powers.
She simply possessed enough self-control to objectively weigh the risks against the rewards.
At this moment, the ability she craved most was the capacity for absolute, unwavering absorption in her studies. Flashy powers like telekinesis or pyrokinesis wouldn't make her invincible in a modern society. On the contrary, such anomalies would likely draw the unwanted attention of shadowy government agencies or powerful underground organizations.
Perhaps she had spent too much time immersed in web novels and manga lately, but her imagination began to run wild. She could almost see herself being whisked away to a sterile laboratory, strapped to a table while scientists poked and prodded her for research.
She also harbored a deeper fear: if she introduced supernatural elements into her life, the scientific stability of her world might simply collapse.
A world where the laws of physics were suggestions sounded utterly terrifying.
Zhao Youyue suspected that the Dimension Gate itself must place strict limitations on the distribution of such powers. If it didn't, someone might eventually gain the strength to unravel the fabric of reality. If the world were destroyed, every classic work and every piece of culture within it would be erased.
Wouldn't that create a fatal paradox for a system that thrived on stories?
And if humanity were wiped out, there would be no one left to provide the wish power required to sustain her cards.
She shook her head, deciding to stop overthinking the cosmic implications.
She would take things one step at a time, exploring the mysteries of the Dimension Gate at her own pace.
Right now, her curiosity was focused on a much smaller goal: testing the sensation of activating the card in her own room.
She reached out with her mind and triggered the card's power.
Immediately, a familiar, chilling sensation washed over her.
In the past, this shift had only occurred while she was submerged in the fictional world of Pure Love. Now, that exact same feeling bloomed within her real body, settling into her bones.
Zhao Youyue's heart hammered against her ribs in excitement.
She wanted to laugh, to leap off her chair and dance around the room. This was the tangible reward for everything she had endured—a bridge between fiction and reality.
The Dimension Gate truly was a miracle.
Unfortunately, she was currently under the effects of Xu Jing's possession. No matter how much joy bubbled up inside her, her facial muscles remained locked in a mask of serene, expressionless calm.
Unless she were to encounter her Yang Qianqian, her face would never show emotion.
But that was a physical impossibility.
When that realization struck her, she felt a hollow ache settle in her chest, a phantom sorrow that belonged to her.
Fortunately, Zhao Youyue wasn't actually Xu Jing. She quickly pushed the heavy, negative emotions aside and redirected that intense focus toward the stack of textbooks on her desk.
She dove into the material as if she were succumbing to a powerful addiction.
It was amazing.
It was incredible.
It was absolutely wonderful.
How could the act of studying be such a visceral, joyful experience?
Why had she never noticed before that learning could feel this exhilarating, like solving a series of beautiful, intricate puzzles?
Zhao Youyue even felt that studying in the real world was far more satisfying than her sessions within the manga's world.
The reason was simple and grounded in the physical.
In reality, she was using her own living, breathing body.
Inside the two-dimensional realm of Pure Love, she had been piloting a fictional vessel. There had always been a subtle layer of detachment, a thin veil that made her senses feel slightly muted, as if she were moving through a vivid dream.
In truth, that detachment had been a blessing.
Otherwise, when Su Li had subjected Xu Jing to those final, agonizing chapters, the sheer physical and emotional pain might have killed Zhao Youyue's soul before she could escape.
Now, completely lost in the rhythm of the equations and the logic of the text, Zhao Youyue even forgot about something she had originally planned to do.