Chapter 637
In the real world, the security work was handled by Tara and Eleanor, which made Xia Er feel a bit more at ease.
Xia Er slowly closed her eyes, quietly reciting in her heart.
This time, with the opportunity to find the Witch Society, Xia Er chose to go in her original form for the simulation of the future.
"Year 741 of the Holy Calendar, July 28, 13:03."
Xia Er glanced at the system time before silently reciting in her mind.
"Future."
"No. 0."
The familiar silver light enveloped everything before Xia Er, and in an instant, she felt as if she had lost all sensory connection to the outside world...
...
"Future"
"Year 741 of the Holy Calendar, September 7, 12:00"
"Countdown - 23:59:59"
Whoosh—
Splash—
As her senses gradually returned, Xia Er heard the howling wind outside and the cold rain hitting her face.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.
Lead-gray clouds loomed overhead, while torrential rain and fierce winds churned the waves, crashing relentlessly against the massive steamships swaying in the harbor. Those colossal vessels, silhouetted against the tumultuous sea, resembled gigantic beasts standing guard.
Amidst this backdrop, the busy dockworkers moved like ants scurrying under the rain, tirelessly hauling cargo that threatened to overwhelm them.
Bliss Harbor.
Xia Er raised her hand to steady her hat, nearly blown away by the wind, and looked around until she spotted a familiar figure that brought her comfort.
"Tara," Xia Er called out, directing her voice toward Tara.
At that moment, Tara seemed to have changed out of her maid outfit, donning a black-and-white robe styled after the Savior Goddess, complete with a black umbrella. She stood to the side like a delicate porcelain doll.
Upon hearing Xia Er's call, Tara turned her head toward her, slightly bowing as she spoke, "My Lady Xia Er, the items you requested are in your pocket."
It was clear that the version of herself in the simulation had arranged for Tara to say these things at this moment.
Xia Er rummaged through her clothing and quickly found a small waterproof oil paper bag.
Tara stepped forward, lifting her umbrella on tiptoe to shield Xia Er from the downpour.
Xia Er opened the oil paper bag and took out a letter and a necklace.
She unfolded the letter, written in Chinese, quickly scanned it, and then folded it back up.
The other item in the bag was something Xia Er was very familiar with... it was Sadana's necklace.
It seemed that her simulated self had obtained Sadana's necklace from Elois... though she might not have been able to contact Sadana.
The version of herself in the simulation could travel to the Otherworld. Xia Er's first encounter with the Otherworld had been because her simulated self attempted to use "Deep Simulation," directly entering the Otherworld and going mad from its collapse.
That time, she had left behind a "Page of the Otherworld," a letter tainted with the essence of the Otherworld that had previously helped Xia Er significantly, leaving a deep impression on her.
Xia Er tucked the necklace away and looked at Tara, asking, "Why are we here?"
From the letter she had just read, Xia Er already knew the outcome of her simulated self's actions.
The part regarding the "Crimson Bacteria" in the "mission" she had left behind had been perfectly completed by her simulated self.
This meant that at the very moment Xia Er arrived in the simulation, the Crimson Apocalypse had already begun to erupt across the world.
As for the Witch Society, her simulated self had found no leads, but had unexpectedly discovered another path—the "Creation" path of the Tower.
This at least proved that some of the things she had done in the past had indeed influenced the future, allowing the Tower to retain part of its legacy.
However, Xia Er had no idea why she found herself at the harbor, drenched in rain.
"You mentioned wanting to come here... to clear your mind," Tara looked up at Xia Er's chin, hesitating as she asked, "Is there anything I can assist you with, my Lady?"
Clear my mind?
Xia Er raised her eyes to the distant horizon, where the surging waves and restless sea seemed to foreshadow the Crimson Apocalypse unfolding across the world.
The guilt of her simulated self, who had completed everything firsthand, felt heavier than that of the self who had come to reap the rewards.
"Let's go back," Xia Er nodded slightly and said.
"Yes, my Lady Xia Er."
Tara lowered her head slightly, holding the umbrella, and led the way for Xia Er.
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PS:
Sorry, today's update is a bit late.
My schedule is somewhat adjusted... I think?
I'll try to update earlier and resume extra updates tomorrow.
Hang in there! Tomorrow's me!
Good morning!
---
Chapter 326: Waiting for the Witch
Walking on the damp cobblestone path, Xia Er listened attentively to Tara recounting recent events, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Similar to what had happened in the previous simulation, the integration of the churches was progressing very smoothly... even more so due to Xia Er's earlier use of the "Judgment" save file, making this time even easier.
At least the vast majority of obstacles within the church had been cleared away, with the Savior faction and the Holy faction merging well together. In fact, members of the Holy faction were receiving more respect from the Savior faction, all thanks to Xia Er.
Moreover, the information about Xia Er being the Goddess's earthly embodiment remained tightly guarded among the higher-ups. There were indeed spies within the upper echelons of the Savior Goddess Church, but those spies had been planted by the Holy faction, and the same went for the higher-ups of the Holy faction.
Due to the existence of the "Ascetic" path, which inherently possessed lie-detecting abilities, even those from the Joyous faction found it difficult to rise to the upper echelons of the Savior Goddess Church and the Holy faction.
However, there were external obstacles in the process of church integration, most of which came from Ansu.
Previously, when the Savior Goddess Church and the Holy faction were at odds, Ansu had helped the Savior Goddess Church label the Holy faction as a cult.
Moreover, the Holy faction's acts of terror and blood sacrifices against the Savior Goddess Church also severely violated Ansu's laws. To resolve these issues, Charles had put in considerable effort.
Fortunately, with the push from Prime Minister William and Charles, the Queen ultimately signed a pardon decree alongside William, granting amnesty to the vast majority of Holy faction members.
Those who had committed extreme crimes were directly judged by the Savior Goddess Church's tribunal.
However, given that their crimes were committed in the name of summoning the Holy Spirit and the Goddess, the tribunal did not impose excessive penalties, and the matter passed without much fuss.
As Tara continued her narration, the two stopped outside a church building shrouded in rain.
This was a monastery located by the sea, marked by a massive bell tower that also served as a lighthouse.
Upon seeing Tara, the nun at the entrance respectfully performed a church greeting and quietly said, "Archbishop Elois is waiting for you inside, Archbishop Tara."
"Alright," Tara nodded slightly, then turned to Xia Er and said, "My Lady Xia Er, please follow me."
Entering the monastery, they crossed through the central courtyard, and Tara led Xia Er to the door of a room. She raised her hand and gently knocked, saying, "Elois, my Lady Xia Er has arrived."
Creak—
The door slowly opened, and the person inside seemed to have been waiting at the door for quite some time. After opening it, she immediately lowered her head and said, "Please allow this humble servant to greet you... my Lady Xia Er."
Xia Er did not respond immediately but instead took a moment to observe the archbishop before her. She was a middle-aged woman with black hair and brown eyes, appearing to be around ten years older.
Perhaps due to years of exposure to the sea breeze and the sun, the woman's skin was a shade darker than wheat, differing from the healthy wheat color of Keleisi Xuechou.
Moreover, her face and arms bore scars from sunburn and peeling, rough like leather and varying in color, resembling a map.
Her hair was styled in a simple, thick braid, and her overall appearance clashed with the ornate church robes she wore. Perhaps she would have suited the attire of a sailor or pirate much better than the elegant garments of an archbishop.
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