Chapter 613
The vehicle had no roof, and the driver’s seat was controlled by two levers that guided its movement. The frame was tightly wrapped, concealing its inner workings from view.
However, the absence of an engine's roar suggested it wasn’t a fuel-powered car.
At that moment, Sa Da Na was seated in the driver’s seat, gripping the levers and looking in Xia Er’s direction. “Just get in!”
“Okay.”
Over the past year, Xia Er had encountered various modes of transportation, and the vehicle Sa Da Na was driving seemed to be a graduation project from one of the academy’s students, likely borrowed from Lei Mei Dai Si.
The exterior of the vehicle appeared simple, but its internal structure was remarkably basic—there wasn’t even a dashboard, just a motor connected to the levers encased in a crash-resistant shell.
Yet, the way this vehicle was “charged” or “refueled” was by pouring kitchen waste into a hatch at the back...
Given that this vehicle was a product of the Natural Academy, the internal motor and energy storage device were likely the result of flesh alchemy, exuding a sense of both primitivity and advancement.
During his time in the tower, Xia Er had come to realize that the “materials science” there was quite impressive, though it seemed no one was particularly focused on technological development.
After all, this was a world filled with extraordinary abilities; who would bother with the more “troublesome” aspects of technology?
Xia Er and Sa Le Si opened the car doors and took their seats in the back. Sa Da Na simply said, “Hold on tight,” then pushed the levers forward, and the vehicle began to move slowly.
Though it felt like riding in an old man’s tricycle, it was certainly more convenient than walking. It consumed only a few bags of waste for every hundred kilometers, which, in some ways, was quite eco-friendly.
The vehicle rolled smoothly along, but just after leaving the city and traveling less than ten kilometers, its speed began to decrease until it came to a gentle stop.
“Hmm?”
Sa Da Na pushed the levers forward again, but the vehicle remained still, while Xia Er, leaning against the door, felt a slight tingling in her hand.
“Is it short-circuiting?” Xia Er asked, glancing at Sa Da Na.
“That shouldn’t be the case. I just fed it before I left...” Sa Da Na opened the door and stepped out, scratching her head helplessly as she looked at the vehicle.
She turned to Xia Er and Sa Le Si in the car and said, “It’s not far from here. How about we walk the rest of the way?”
“Sure.” Xia Er nodded, opening the door to get out; she wasn’t worried about losing any time.
The last time she had been in the Abyss, she had fought for years underground before finally reaching the shattered place of the “Cocoon of Light.” Now, only a year had passed; reality hadn’t yet rushed forward to the fated day of death.
Without performing any locking procedures, Sa Da Na left the vehicle on the road. Xia Er had seen plenty of homeless camps along the way, but Sa Da Na didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the car being stolen.
After all... this was a product of flesh alchemy; anyone thinking of stealing it would have to weigh the risk of being electrocuted.
Sa Da Na led the way with a map, while Xia Er followed closely behind her, and Sa Le Si trailed right behind Xia Er.
Over the past year, Sa Le Si’s body had continued to decay. As an undead being, her unique life form piqued Lei Mei Dai Si’s curiosity, and with her recommendation, Sa Le Si became an apprentice.
However, Sa Le Si wasn’t apprenticing at the Light Academy with Lei Mei Dai Si and Sa Da Na; she had joined a newly established Life Academy.
Currently, the Life Academy was temporarily managed by the Natural Academy, and there weren’t many researchers there. It was precisely because they were short-staffed that Sa Le Si was accepted as an apprentice despite the usual standards.
As for the “Seed” fragments belonging to the Life Academy, they came from the “Heart of Blood Source” that Lei Mei Dai Si had obtained from the realm of death—this was the name she had given it.
Since Lei Mei Dai Si handed over the “Heart of Blood Source,” the tower had urgently declared that no more “Seeds” could be obtained, which inevitably sparked disputes between the Dark School and the Storm School.
Amidst this contention, Xia Er was somewhat surprised to find that more people were choosing to learn about the Annihilation School, which unexpectedly expanded its influence and gained a bit of recognition.
Sa Da Na officially became a student and also took on the role of Lei Mei Dai Si’s assistant.
Perhaps influenced by Xia Er’s words about the future, Sa Da Na had become more taciturn over the past year. She was rarely seen with free time, diving into her studies and research as soon as she completed the tasks assigned by Lei Mei Dai Si.
As for Xia Er, aside from attending meetings with the other three, she spent most of her time in the library, utilizing her photographic memory to record vast amounts of knowledge.
To avoid having to renew her temporary card every seven days, Xia Er leveraged some of her future medical knowledge to quickly transcribe several medical texts, earning the favor of the Natural Academy and becoming a special lecturer.
Though labeled as “special,” it was merely a title; Xia Er received a fixed stipend but had to publish a paper periodically to maintain her position.
“Up ahead is the place.”
As Xia Er walked, she pondered how to establish the “Witch” organization, but Sa Da Na’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Xia Er looked up and followed the direction of Sa Da Na’s finger, spotting a camp ahead.
It had only been about two hundred years since the Abyss emerged into the world, yet in such a short time, the runestones of Hei Ni had already lost all effectiveness. Xia Er’s purpose for coming here was to investigate this matter.
After all, Xia Er still didn’t know how to create an altar; it seemed to require a sufficiently advanced skill of the “Omniscient,” and altars were precious to her at this stage—every bit saved counted.
The camp before her appeared no different from other homeless camps.
If there was any distinction... it was that each tent and earthen structure was piled high with numerous old, tattered books.
The arrival of Xia Er and her companions startled a few children at the camp entrance, who then scattered, seemingly to inform the adults.
One child stumbled toward the largest tent, lifted the flap, and hurriedly exclaimed, “Village chief, some students from the tower have come, and one seems to be a teacher!”
“From the tower...?”
Thud—
A tall, thin figure leaning on a cane slowly turned around. His gaunt body was adorned with a few flickering dark green candles, exuding a faint aura of “uniqueness.”
The slender figure moved past the girl and bent down to emerge from the tent, dressed in a patchwork robe that nearly covered most of his body, yet his elongated form was enough to instill fear.
By now, a crowd had gathered outside, all curiously watching the entrance. At that moment, someone called out “village chief,” and nearly everyone turned their heads, bowing toward the tall figure.
However, among those bowing, a few individuals in black robes merely nodded toward the village chief before continuing to gaze at the three standing at the camp entrance.
“Greetings...” From a distance, the village chief awkwardly greeted Xia Er and the others in a somewhat clumsy spirit language. At that moment, one of the figures in black robes stepped forward to stand beside him, seemingly acting as a translator.
“(Abyss Language) You are...” The village chief began to speak, but his gaze was fixated on Xia Er’s face.
He seemed unable to believe it, staggering a few steps forward. Once he clearly saw Xia Er’s features, he knelt down on one knee before her with great difficulty.
“(Abyss Language) You... have returned...” The village chief’s voice was hoarse, his mind racing with memories flooding back.
The witch’s visage... unchanged... even after over two hundred years, she still retained her youthful appearance...
He still remembered that day of blood sacrifice, when he entered the flower’s house with a candle and found the divine envoy lying in a pool of blood, along with the red-haired girl whose face bore a calm malice.
The other inhabitants of the Abyss, witnessing the village chief’s actions and words, appeared somewhat bewildered, while a few—those in black robes—exchanged shocked glances.
“So it’s you...” A faint smile appeared on Xia Er’s face as she spoke, “Let’s talk. What has happened since then?”
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