Chapter 363 It's human! Fresh people! - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

After passing the werewolf guards in the small town, the mole, Lao Yan, followed the minotaur into the prison. The minotaur led the way, pointing to the humans inside the cells, and said, "Lao Yan, these are the humans we've picked up. Historian Mr. Oches personally authenticated them." Inside the prison, each cell housed a human; there were a total of eleven individuals. Lao Yan glanced around. Two of them were uninjured and in good condition but were entirely bound in chains. Six had minor injuries and were similarly secured with numerous chains. Three were severely injured, like Tao Yujie, with shackles only on their feet. One was gravely injured, unconscious... No, they had just succumbed, and several werewolves around the cell were cheering. Seeing the minotaur arrive, a werewolf stepped forward and asked, "Boss Blood Hoof, this human has died. Can we eat him now? Look at him, he just passed away, and even the aroma from his body is starting to fade." Before finishing their words, their saliva had already begun to drip. It was rumored that humans were exceptionally delicious, emitting an irresistible aroma from their entire bodies. The minotaur glanced at Lao Yan beside him and generously waved his hand, "Take him down, drain the blood, make it into spicy hot pot, wash the meat clean, and let the chef handle it. Everyone gets a share." The werewolves licked their lips and immediately entered the cell to transport the corpse of the deceased human ability user. Tao Yujie caught a glimpse of the situation from afar and was utterly horrified. She couldn't understand the language of these inner-world beastly ability users, but from their actions and expressions, she could infer their intentions—they planned to eat them! As the mole started to walk towards her, Tao Yujie feigned a dazed look, appearing gravely injured. The mole barely glanced at her before moving on. The werewolves had a point; once humans die, their fragrance diminishes, seriously affecting the quality of the delicacy. The same applied to the injured and sick. Lao Yan focused on the two unscathed human ability users; they indeed emitted a strong fragrance. He even leaned close to the cell to take a deep breath. So aromatic~ Blood Hoof was right. If he could sell these goods at the city festival, he would make a fortune. However, he couldn't show his interest openly; that would make it hard to negotiate the price. Furthermore, traveling with such fragrant humans could pose unimaginable dangers to the caravan in the icy wastelands. There was one more thing Lao Yan remembered—the gods watching them from the skies! The gods were very much like these exquisite humans. "[It's a coincidence.]" Lao Yan said, "I want to have a taste first, to confirm whether humans are as delicious as the legends say." The minotaur laughed, "No problem." Lao Yan continued, "I heard your town has a newly released wine; I'd like to try that as well." The minotaur replied, "As expected of you, Lao Yan. You really do have all the latest info." The two chatted happily as they left the prison. Once the voices faded, Tao Yujie sighed in relief. She felt like seafood, like those in glass tanks at the market ready to be fished out and slaughtered for sale. ... The inner world was very desolate. Perhaps it was different elsewhere, but the area where Su Miao and the others were was barren—with few weeds and a ground heavily covered in sand. It seemed that, given time, it would turn into a complete desert. For safety reasons, Su Miao planted a silver pine at the edge of the camp. The silver pine cast a magical barrier, providing security for the camp and adding a touch of green to the place. Additionally, Su Miao discovered that every time she successfully planted a tree in a harsh environment, she gained a significant sense of accomplishment, a feeling she thoroughly enjoyed. Interestingly, although the inner world appeared quite absurd, it, like Earth, also had day and night. Lin Jiujiu, after a full night's sleep, had calmed down. Xia Xiao'an heaved a sigh of relief. Myna was delighted. During breakfast, Su Miao outlined their upcoming plan. Firstly, they needed to find the local inhabitants of the inner world and collect as many maps as possible. Secondly, if possible, they hoped to find some materials in the ruins that could help them understand the ancient history of the inner world. The abandoned cities and beautiful architecture all hinted at a once-glorious civilization that must have left more than just ruins. Given Myna's treasure-hunting abilities, Su Miao was hopeful. "Let's set off. We'll follow the traces of the caravan ahead and see where it leads." After breakfast, Su Miao packed up the alloy villa and set out with Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli. Due to the rampant presence of chaotic space nodes in the inner world, and since Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli couldn't accurately perceive them, Su Miao decided to travel on foot. Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an, having practiced Tai Chi Heart Flow for a while, were now fast walkers, with no concerns about slowing anyone down. Six hours later, Su Miao led the three to the path where the Crocodile caravan had passed. The footprints of the crocodile left on the ground were distinctly clear. Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli were very curious about the tracks. "Sister Su Miao, is this caravan made up of various animals?" Xia Xiao'an wondered aloud as she observed the huge crocodile tracks alongside those of other animals. Su Miao responded, "Yes, rather than animals, they appear to be fully beastified ability users, but with human thoughts and habits. Otherwise, they couldn't have formed a caravan." Su Luoli added, "My lady, does this caravan look like the ones in anime?" Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an immediately understood, realizing it was a caravan like those mirrored in anime and novels. Su Miao paused for a moment, acknowledging the vivid comparison, "Exactly like that." Under the influence of the apocalyptic disasters, Su Miao suddenly realized she hadn't watched an anime series in a long time. Instead, she'd been immersed in studying magic, again and again... She recalled how, before the apocalypse, she had planned to settle somewhere, enjoy her meals and drinks daily, tend to a garden, watch anime and novel series, and study some magic. Unfortunately, plans rarely go as expected. However, Su Miao believed that once she found her parents, such a life would be possible. As they followed the tracks, they discovered many avoided twisted space nodes along the way. Observing these signs, Su Miao became increasingly curious about how the natives of this inner world evaded them. Did they have magic like her? "Sister Su Miao, the caravan's trail has vanished." Lin Jiujiu pointed forward in surprise where the tracks disappeared. "They haven't vanished; the space here has folded. This kind of space is very common in the inner world," Su Miao explained. "Just walk through it; there shouldn't be any problems." With nervous trepidation, Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli followed her forward. In a blink, their surroundings transformed. Unlike the desolation they came from, this place had some sparse weeds and a stone-bedded river, with clear water flowing silently. Typically, such rivers would make a sound as they ran, but for some reason, this one didn't. Testing by approaching it, Su Miao found it remained silent. Something was amiss here. Suddenly, wisps of eerie grey mist spread across the ground. Ten bizarrely shaped creatures emerged from it, immediately charging towards Su Miao, Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli. Lin Jiujiu, Xia Xiao'an, and Su Luoli prepared for battle in no time, especially Lin Jiujiu, who had fought such creatures before and knew their threat. "Xiao'an, Luoli, be careful. They..." Before Lin Jiujiu could finish, she realized the strange creatures halted mid-charge and suddenly fled. Normally, these creatures wouldn't retreat without suffering significant losses. So why now? Boom! At that moment, a magical beam erupted before Su Miao, precisely piercing each strange creature. They all fell to the ground, struggling. Strong as they were, the magical beam didn't kill them, so Su Miao followed with a simple Starburst spell. Like the monsters they had previously obliterated, the creatures were instantaneously incinerated into ashes when hit by the Starburst, their remains scattering like paper. A few pale crystals dropped to the ground. Su Miao used Mage Hand to gather them for inspection. Like the multicolored crystalline cores, these contained similar energy, but this core’s internal energy was more mixed with higher contamination levels, resulting in lower quality. In any case, she decided to keep them for now. But why did those monsters turn and flee at the sight of her? Su Miao blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend it. She hadn't even started to attack. [Sister Su Miao is amazing!] Lin Jiujiu was left speechless. She had just been preparing to explain the peculiar characteristics and precautions for dealing with these strange creatures, only to find they were already swiftly dispatched by Sister Su Miao. The impact of the Starburst had even dissipated the eerie grey mist, revealing the path clearly once more. The team continued onward for a few more hours until they saw the town ahead—Mohe Town. "Sister Su Miao, a town!" Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an exclaimed as they spotted it. Su Miao gazed forward. As they studied the town, the guards and residents inside the town were also watching them. Suddenly, a werewolf burst out from the bushes, shouting loudly toward the town. "It's humans! Fresh humans!" ... In a stone house in Mohe Town, Lao Yan was indulging in the meat slices with the minotaur. Initially, he intended to maintain his composure, tasting just a single slice, but once he started, he couldn't stop. The aroma! The flavor! This delicacy was made from a recently deceased human; he couldn't even imagine how much more delicious they'd be when fresh. After consuming the meat, the mole, Lao Yan, felt a primal, wild instinct within him being awakened; it seemed to make him stronger. As a renowned merchant traversing the icy wastelands, Lao Yan considered himself a learned mole. He had read about the mighty beasts of the past—tigers, lions, bears—and why they fancied human flesh. Previously, Lao Yan didn't understand, but now he did. Not only was it delicious, but it also made them stronger—a chance not to be missed! "Alright!" Having devoured several slices, Lao Yan set aside his reservations and asked, "What price are you asking for this batch?" The minotaur lowered his voice, gesturing a figure, "This much." Lao Yan's expression turned serious, "That's too high. You know the risks I take trading across the icy wastelands. Should fortune turn against me and I encounter the deadly grey mist...well, it's unimaginable, especially as humans are noted to attract the eerie mist the most." He recalled a passage from an ancient text about a once-thriving human empire; one day, the entire city was shrouded in eerie grey mist. No one knew what transpired inside, as all who ventured to help vanished without a trace. When the mist receded, nothing remained inside but bloodstains. The once-luxurious city had turned to ruins. Theoretically, if battles had raged to such an extent, the sounds should have been heard beyond the mist, yet nothing was. Since then, the eerie grey mist sporadically appeared until human civilization vanished completely from the icy wastelands. It's said that this is how human civilizations were wiped out in other parts of the inner world too. "Lao Yan, we're offering a very reasonable price," the minotaur insisted. "I've read that in the early days of humanity's downfall, a fresh human could fetch an astronomical price. I'm stepping back here only because we're friends." Lao Yan countered, "Blood Hoof, saying that makes it sound like I'm in the wrong. I know you've generously made concessions, but resources are scarce and costs have risen. Trust me, the goods I provide won't disappoint." The minotaur shook his head, "We all know the risks of trading in the icy wastelands, but friendship aside, this is business." Lao Yan mulled it over and proposed, "Blood Hoof, I'll give you this amount; any more, and I'm out." The minotaur asked, "Can't you go a bit higher?" Lao Yan shook his head firmly, "No, this is the maximum I can offer." The pressure shifted to the minotaur, who bore the weight of the town's expectations. He couldn't let this trading opportunity pass without extracting a significant profit. Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the ground, sending tremors through the minotaur and Lao Yan, filling their eyes with fear. What on earth was happening? They rushed out of the stone house and witnessed a terrifying scene. In the sky stood a witch wielding an alloy staff, her long pink hair flowing as if animated by magic. With a mere point of her staff, countless ice arrows shot forth, slaughtering the onlooking residents of the town en masse. In the blink of an eye, any hit by the icy arrows collapsed. The arrows vanished so quickly that their wounds didn't even have time to freeze over, causing blood to gush out, turning the streets into rivers of red. "Is that a human?" Blood Hoof, the minotaur, looked up at the sky, his legs trembling. Watching townsfolk fall in droves, his first instinct was to flee. Just then, he saw Lao Yan shivering and kneeling, pleading, "Oh God, forgive us sinners!" Su Miao immediately noticed the kneeling mole and the minotaur beside him. Her brow furrowed slightly. Perhaps others didn't know, but Su Miao, with her extensive experience battling cannibals, fully understood that all cannibals exuded a repulsive aura. These two? They needed to be eliminated! (End of Chapter)