Chapter 365 There used to be a small town there - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

Master Si Tian has arrived! Master Si Tian came to save them! They're saved at last! Secretary Tao Yu Jie was in tears, and the rest of Si Tian's subordinates also wept with excitement. Thinking back on the people in this small town—more like mythological creatures rather than humans, mountain spirits and monsters that devour humans. The captured ones still remembered that day when their deceased colleagues were cooked in a massive stone cauldron in the square and turned into stew. Regardless of size, the monsters joyfully consumed the soup. It was no different from a scene in hell. Later, they were thrown into this foul-smelling prison, every day in waiting and torment, uncertain when they would be next to be eaten. Terrified, one or two colleagues fell into a coma from their severe wounds. And then, they were dragged away, never to return. Thinking of such scenes brought more tears. The feeling of being alive was truly wonderful! However, as a professional secretary, Tao Yu Jie wiped away her tears after just a few minutes. Crying further in this vile-smelling prison was out of the question. "Master Si Tian, I'm sorry, I'm injured." Tao Yu Jie tried to stand but found she was too badly injured to get up. "You don't need to stand," Lin Jiu Jiu said, turning to Xia Xiao An. "Xiao An, help me set them free." Xia Xiao An nodded. "Alright." She pulled out the sword given by her sister Su Miao from her spatial storage and, with a few swift strokes, sliced through the wooden bars of the prison. With a few more slashes, she cut through the chains binding the prisoners. "Thank you, Master Si Tian! Thank you, Miss Xia!" The group expressed their gratitude repeatedly. Miss Xia? Xia Xiao An, hearing this title, felt a bit odd. Arriving at the last prisoner, she prepared to cut the chains. Suddenly, she retracted the sword, raised her palm, crackling with thunder, and slammed it onto the prisoner's head like a bolt of lightning. Boom! The ability user exploded, flesh and blood flying everywhere, terrifyingly gruesome. The sudden violence stunned everyone in the prison. They came to rescue only to witness a killing? They recalled some information about Xia Xiao An—someone who initially followed the witch Su Miao. Perhaps she had adopted Su Miao's penchant for wanton killing. Seeing this, Lin Jiu Jiu, though unsure why, had complete trust in Xia Xiao An. Like her sister Su Miao, if Xia Xiao An killed someone, it must mean there was something very wrong with that person. Additionally, after the kill, Xia Xiao An remained vigilant, keeping her guard up. Lin Jiu Jiu immediately scanned her surroundings, checking for any danger, also syncing with the puppet she had placed when entering. The puppet was one of the manifestations of Si Tian's powers. By marking dreams, one could use the puppet to sense nearby conditions. However, for some reason, using these puppets brought fragmented memories to Lin Jiu Jiu. In memory, a loving uncle spoke to her with joy on his face. Lin Jiu Jiu had tried to recall, to reconstruct this uncle's image in her dreams. Yet before she could piece it together, the uncle erased more memories and then self-destructed. "If you are not allowed to recover this part of your memory, it is best not to try again," was his last warning. Right, Sister Pei Xiao Miao once mentioned, "Inheriting the powers of the previous Si Tian may come with some fragmented memories that tangle with your own, causing confusion. If that happens, stay true to your core." "The best outcome would be the previous Si Tian's memories, housed within the powers, not actively affecting you." That was likely the case. The strange sensation from manipulating the dream puppet lasted only a moment before normalcy returned. The next second, Lin Jiu Jiu appeared gravely serious. Something was wrong here. "Master Si Tian, what happened?" asked an injured ability user crawling out of the prison. Lin Jiu Jiu turned to look but Xia Xiao An's thunder struck first. Unexpectedly, the seemingly gravely injured ability user rose like a ghost, easily dodging Xia Xiao An's strike. "Killing me once doesn't mean you can do it a second time," the injured ability user sneered. "Hehehe, hahaha, humans, humans, humans!" Xia Xiao An and Lin Jiu Jiu stared grim-faced at the ability user. They couldn't comprehend how a person could be possessed and controlled, and it was even a continuous process. If only Sister Su Miao were here. Tao Yu Jie and others watched in horror, having never imagined such a turn of events. What exactly was happening? If their colleague could be controlled, it meant any one of them might be next. "You young girl—such a brutal move. I barely reacted before you blew my head up. Who did you learn that from? Such a lack of decorum," the eerie ability user taunted, floating bloodily in the air. He fixated on Xia Xiao An, questioning, "I thought my concealment was flawless. How did you discover me?" Xia Xiao An did not reply, simply seeking another chance to attack. She had neither used mind control nor psychological suggestion. Given the eerie being might possess another body after its current one was destroyed, showing her cards now would leave nothing for a future encounter. Lin Jiu Jiu was likewise observant, refraining from deploying her domain, for her instincts told her it would be perilous. Sister Su Miao had often discussed how abilities countered one another. Within the Twelve Si's, much research was devoted to the mutual counteraction of powers. Without certainty about the opponent's abilities, unless one could definitively defeat them instantly, it was unwise to fully reveal one's abilities—especially those involving devouring. For example, if the opponent's power was to corrupt dreams, launching her concert stage domain might lead to quick contamination of her dream space. "You've spotted me but aren't acting. Afraid I'll possess them again?" the eerie ability user chuckled. Despite his words, he refrained from attacking. Having consecutively seized two ability users' bodies, he had gleaned some memories. Before him stood three young girls: Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and an unknown. White-haired, clad in a school uniform, the one who struck him was Xia Xiao An, known to follow a highly feared witch. Blue and purple-haired, resembling an idol, was Lin Jiu Jiu—referred to as Si Tian by them. As part of the Twelve Si, Si Tian was akin to a god-like top-tier strength. In these eyes, the Twelve Si nearly controlled the world, a formidable organization of ability users. The Twelve Si delved into the inside world to take the ultimate step—becoming gods! 【Hehehe, such a mad human organization; I love it.】 The eerie ability user eyed Lin Jiu Jiu, yet despite his scrutiny, he couldn't discern anything god-like about her—instead, the mysterious girl evoked great pressure. No help for it, he just revived. Su Luo Li noticed the eerie gaze cast upon her, tempted to mock him. Yet recalling a warning from Her Highness Su Miao, Su Luo Li held back. Moreover, once she had verbally insulted someone. To her surprise, replies poured in: "Thank you for the feast!" "Please, insult me too!" "I've made it a ringtone, thank you!" Annoyed for a long time, next time she cursed, she'd revert to her original form. Neither the eerie ability user nor Xia Xiao An, nor Lin Jiu Jiu initiated a move. Both parties stood at an impasse. The eerie ability user taunted, "Not going to save him? He's on death's door." Hearing this, Tao Yu Jie and others appeared puzzled—there was no tradition of hostage saving among the Twelve Si. Realizing it was a foolish move, the eerie ability user felt the folly in his remark. Suddenly, he noticed Lin Jiu Jiu's face breaking into a peculiar smile. "Young girl, why are you smiling?" "..." Lin Jiu Jiu blinked several times, looking innocently. Next, Xia Xiao An followed with a smile. The tense atmosphere vanished into thin air. The eerie ability user was taken aback. Surely, confronting such a wild threat, they ought to exhibit some seriousness, a bit of fear or anxiety? Why were they smiling, even seeming this relaxed? Was it an affront to him? The eerie ability user felt his anger rise. Just then, they saw the witch with beautiful pink hair enter the prison. In the instant that his eyes met hers, the eerie ability user saw light — a devastating magical beam fired forth. In a flash, it obliterated the eerie user's body. Being so close, he had no chance to evade. At that moment, he understood why Xia Xiao An struck so ruthlessly; this witch was even more merciless. But it didn't matter—losing a body was but a small setback as he had more to spare. Suddenly, starlight blossomed in the prison. "Ahhh!" The eerie being shrieked in sheer terror while seeking a new host: "Don't kill me! I know the secret of the Ice Wasteland's god..." In that instant, the starlight utterly purified the entity, erasing its presence of malevolence from the prison. "Sister Su Miao, it tries to possess other bodies," Xia Xiao An warned. Su Miao replied calmly, "Not anymore." Lin Jiu Jiu asked, "Sister Su Miao, what was it trying to say?" While the eerie creature could speak human language using a body, its speech was indecipherable once bodyless—yet Lin Jiu Jiu felt it was vaguely important and asked. Su Miao explained, "There's a god in the Ice Wasteland." The notion of deities in the otherworld had been mentioned in the Twelve Si’s intelligence reports. It was something Xinxin Meow Meow, who occasionally divulged truths on forums and the internet, albeit fleetingly remembered, spoke of too. Su Miao hadn't anticipated encountering deity-related information so soon after entering the otherworld. Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and Su Luo Li were equally surprised. "Thank you, Lady Su Miao, for saving us!" Secretary Tao Yu Jie expressed gratefully. Others echoed their thanks. Faced with so much gratitude, Su Miao felt immense pressure. Her social anxiety left her ill-suited for such situations, so she maintained a cold expression, though it was exhausting. Hmm? She sensed malice from someone present. Though well-concealed, it was visible to Su Miao. Raising her hand, she released an ice arrow that pierced through the ability user's head and heart, followed by a small purple fireball that turned the corpse to vapor in a second, and finished with starlight to thoroughly erase the malicious presence. Secretary Tao Yu Jie and the others were struck silent with fear. Earlier, when Master Si Tian Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and the others slew the werewolf guards, saving their lives, gratitude was in order, but Xia Xiao An's sudden violent act towards someone raised alarm until the foe revealed itself as an unknown fiend. Misunderstanding cleared. Now, even as they revered and thanked Lady Su Miao, she executed another person with a complete fiery purification. A whole human gone just like that. Was it another such fiend? The thought only deepened their fear. "Let's go," Su Miao instructed, as she found the prison atmosphere discomforting and unsuitable. "Alright," Lin Jiu Jiu promptly organized the group. She retrieved stretchers and first-aid supplies from her storage, arranging for the uninjured to carry those severely hurt, while the lightly injured supported each other out of the cell. Once everyone was out, they watched Su Miao toss a ball of purple flame into the prison, incinerating the werewolf remains to ashes. Of the twelve captured members of the Twelve Si, one died, two were body-snatched and died, and one was killed by Su Miao. Only seven survived, all gripped by fear. Especially those severely injured, worried about the future. "Sister Su Miao, their injuries are severe. Could you heal them?" Lin Jiu Jiu asked. Su Miao conjured a table, tossed in a basin, and filled it with a water orb until full. "Have them drink all of it." Lin Jiu Jiu beamed with gratitude. "Thank you, Sister Su Miao!" They were technically her subordinates; Su Miao had no obligation to save them, yet she did. "You all, quickly, drink all this water. Let the severely injured drink first," Lin Jiu Jiu instructed. Secretary Tao Yu Jie and others were puzzled—is treatment just drinking water? Nonetheless, they had been imprisoned with scarce water and thirsted greatly. Plus, despite the cellular flames being below, heat waves seemingly extended even here. Tao Yu Jie casually sipped the water, her eyes brightening at once. The water carried magic! Was this a healing spell from the witch? Thinking this, Tao Yu Jie quickly gulped down the rest. "Master Si Tian, may I have another cup?" Others received their share and, upon drinking, felt refreshed. Soon, the entire basin's water was consumed. Everyone felt satisfied and invigorated. Suddenly, someone, clutching a disposable cup, stared into the distance in sheer shock. "Over there..." Others followed the gaze, equally stunned. If memory served, there was once a small town there? Now, all that remained was an ominous crater over six hundred meters wide, with oppressive heat waves reaching even here. (The chapter ends here.)