Chapter 380 Your Highness, Your Highness, I found a magic book. - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

Han Bufan's proposal was exceedingly extreme. What nobody expected was that Han Bufan was willing to sacrifice himself to accomplish the sealing. Those present recalled some rumors about Han Bufan—that ever since he mastered his cultivation, he delighted in conducting various dangerous experiments, most of which he undertook personally. After the apocalypse descended, Han Bufan’s compulsion grew more severe. Wherever danger lurked, Han Bufan rushed towards it first, and every time, he managed to turn peril into safety. Insiders claimed that Han Bufan seemed to enjoy facing danger, often beginning with: “Come on, if you have the nerve, kill me. If not, then let me kill you!” In summary, Han Bufan appeared hell-bent on flirting with death, yet he survived until now. It was as though he lived solely to court death. Why did it seem like Han Bufan was genuinely anticipating this crisis they faced? Wang Xuandao internally mused, could there actually be a system from those online novels where getting killed immediately leads to unbeatable ascension? After all, with the apocalypse already here, even more bizarre occurrences would hardly be surprising. Chu Jiuyuan suggested, “Let’s discuss this further.” Han Bufan insisted, “Elder Chu, I believe it’s best to decide while everyone in charge is present.” “The situation is dire. Even if we want to deliberate, the demons besieging us won’t grant much time.” “Elder Chu, don’t forget, your divination revealed the demon king’s arrival. Blood will flow like rivers, and our window for gaining a lifeline is closing.” Chu Jiuyuan was speechless. Why did it sound like Han Bufan was eager to go seek death? But, pushing the thought aside, if at the critical moment Han Bufan fled, unwilling to sacrifice himself for the sealing, what then? They wouldn’t only face a river of blood; they’d become traitors to humanity. Wang Xuandao voiced, “Han Bufan, having you alone handle the seal isn’t reasonable or fair. If you fail, humanity’s civilization could fall into an unimaginable calamity, a consequence we cannot afford.” “As such, I propose that Han Bufan reveals the method of sealing, just in case.” Han Bufan looked at Wang Xuandao, surprised: “Fine, but understand, this method is a closely-guarded secret. I urge everyone not to use it unless absolutely necessary—it truly risks death. Those without sufficient strength should not learn it, as they risk backlash.” Chu Jiuyuan paced, pondering the demon king’s arrival and the rivers of blood—a result far too heavy. The leaders from various factions present each held their own views, reaching no conclusive decision. Chu Jiuyuan said, “Please wait, everyone; I will consult with the Grand Elder and let him decide.” Everyone exchanged looks and, after some thought, agreed to Chu Jiuyuan’s suggestion. At that moment, a series of explosions echoed from above—signal flares launched by the sentinels. “Enemy attack!” A piercing cry reached them. The leaders within the meeting room exchanged grim expressions before hastening to their defensive positions. Wang Xuandao prepared to leave but was stopped by Chu Jiuyuan. “Chu Daoist, is there something else?” “Wang Daoist, if you undertake any special actions, remember to inform me promptly.” Chu Jiuyuan warned. Wang Xuandao replied, “Rest assured, Chu Daoist, I will.” Chu Jiuyuan nodded, and both quickly headed to their respective battlefields. Upon reaching the defensive lines, Wang Xuandao was shocked to find many of the Old Tree Town ability users asleep or in a dreamwalk state, acting disgracefully, depleting their vital energy and weakening significantly. Some murmured in their sleep: “Succubus, succubus, who knew there truly are succubi, and how marvelous the little succubus is.” “Quickly, flog me, call me trash fish, trash fish…” “…” What the heck was happening here? Just as Wang Xuandao was about to act, his surroundings shimmered, revealing a vision. A captivating succubus appeared before him, wearing a sheer silken dress, seductively approaching him. Step by step, the succubus’ sheer garments slipped away. Wang Xuandao felt parched. He calmed himself, saying: “All I see is an illusion.” In a flash, the succubus before him seemed struck by lightning, the illusions around him shattered, and normalcy returned. “Besides succubi, a nightmare demon too. I almost fell for it!” Wang Xuandao waved his duster, chanting a spell. Thunder! With a thunderous roar, the concealed nightmare demon retreated, their dream manipulation shattered. Nearby succubi were similarly startled, their hidden forms exposed. The succubus standing before Wang Xuandao turned pale, her sultry figure twisting away in retreat. “Miscreant, think you can escape after deceiving me?!” With a stride, Wang Xuandao reached the succubus, sweeping his lightning-charged duster. With a crackling glow, the succubus struck crumbled into a charred skeleton on the ground. The nearby succubi, witnessing this, were terror-stricken. This human was terrifying. Meanwhile, the ability users at various strongholds recovered, thunderous flashes breaking the succubi and nightmare demons’ joint assault, stabilizing their defense. However, the fiercest battle was yet to unfold. Ability users looked to the skies. A dense mass of gargoyles and various flying demon creatures crossed into the toxic wasteland, deploying a swarm of demon warriors and commanders, attacking the human defense lines. “Raise the formation!” Expert Daoists activated formations, unleashing bursts of wind, fire, lightning, and thunder, exterminating many incoming demons from the sky. Yet, strong demons still breached the formations. For a time, the human side suffered heavy losses. Especially those enjoying the dreamscape created by the succubi and nightmare demons—many were slain before they realized what was happening. From afar, high in the sky, the succubus leader Bellsde stood proudly, boasting, “How about it? Isn’t my battle plan a success?!” … “Majesty, majesty, I found a magic book!” Myna returned swiftly. Sitting in the courtyard, fretting over her domain, she clutched a magic book, flying back swiftly. Su Miao looked at Myna with curiosity. Could it be that Myna’s treasure-hunting ability had improved? Myna placed the magic book on the table. The book’s title: “The Dangerous Magic Castle” Author: ■■★☆★■■ Publisher: ■■■■■ ? Su Miao gazed at the familiar format, a sense of recognition stirring within her. This magic book was as thick as “Potionology,” and its binding matched “Potionology’s” style. “Myna, where did you find this book?” Su Miao asked, puzzled. Myna replied, “Over there, in a dried-up mire. I happened upon a safe while passing by, dragged it out and found this magic book inside.” Sounded entirely plausible. With Myna’s ability, every outing revealed many treasures. Where food was hidden, where weapons were stored, secret bases, or enticing treasures—Myna found them with ease. Yet, with life by Su Miao’s side so good, common things rarely piqued Myna’s interest, and without Su Miao’s prompting, she didn’t seek them out. This magic book discovery was sheer chance. But was it really chance? Su Miao blinked, choosing not to think too deeply. For the magic book seemed to offer useful insights for crafting her magical domain. … “Magic is for play; that was my initial thought when I first engaged with magic, like creating breathtaking fireworks to illuminate the entire universe for me!” “However, we must acknowledge that magic, when removed from fairy tales, becomes very dangerous.” … “I don’t recall when, but I wished to leave a legacy, so I built magical castles and wrote a book.” “Magic castles can be simplistically understood as checkpoints, instances, small worlds, labyrinths, dungeons, etc.” “Overcoming a magic castle’s challenges rewards you.” “Fail the challenge, and you die.” … “This book mainly discusses how to use magic to create a dangerous magic castle.” “Remember, an unthreatening magic castle isn’t fun.” … Reading the book’s contents, Su Miao wore a peculiar expression. The author of this book was decidedly odd, extraordinarily so. Taking a sip of watermelon juice, Su Miao began delving into the magic book. After only a few pages, a complex magic array surfaced in the text. She considered herself well-versed in the study of magic arrays, having even developed a mobile magical barrier, yet her existing knowledge made the book's contents quite challenging to grasp. Myna, you've truly stumbled upon a treasure. Su Miao waved her hand and set a feast on the table: “Luo Li, later you can eat with Xiao’an and Jiujiu.” Luo Li responded happily, “Of course, Your Highness!” Seeing the table brimming with delicacies made Luo Li's heart leap with joy, filling her with happiness. Su Miao returned to studying the magic book. Initially, she found the magical arrays inside quite taxing to comprehend, but as she read more, she began to shape a conceptual magical castle in her mind and gradually understood some of it. Notably, the magical castles mentioned in the book were all designed to be mobile. Following the book's theories, creating a magical castle to the extreme amounted to a small world, analogous to a domain. Then, Su Miao only needed to imbue it with her understanding of various laws to ensure that the magical castle she created was, in fact, a genuine domain. Five days later, Su Miao finished the entire book. Although there remained much she did not fully grasp, it didn’t hinder her ability to begin practical experimentation. The book contained detailed case studies on constructing magical castles, listing the necessary materials, and specifying which magic arrays to inscribe. “Luo Li, where's the nearest deserted city?” Su Miao inquired. Myna, who had been browsing online, swiftly returned her focus: “Over there, there's a large deserted city, with a platform nearby for entering the inner world of the Twelve Zodiacal Divisions.” The Twelve Zodiacal Divisions? Su Miao recalled the Daoist who had stopped by Old Tree Town to have a few slices of iced watermelon—one of the earliest respondents to her apocalypse post. What a coincidence. Myna added, “Like Jiujiu’s platform, all the staff there are gone.” Su Miao nodded, “Good.” If it’s deserted, that’s even better. She could build a simple magical castle amid the city's ruins. Right then, Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an stepped out. Su Miao took out a spatial storage device: “Jiujiu, Xiao'an, while I’m away, stay in the camp. Here’s plenty of supplies and your next set of high school courses to learn.” Hearing about the new courses, Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an took a deep breath. They had just completed their middle school courses, and now they were already moving on to high school? Su Miao explained, “I’m not going far, just to that city’s ruins. If you want to visit, give me a heads-up first to avoid danger.” The magic book specifically mentioned that while the magical castle poses no threat to its creator, numerous unpredictable dangers could arise during its construction. Not to mention, Su Miao planned to integrate some laws into the castle. Lin Jiujiu and Xia Xiao'an nodded repeatedly. They always remembered what Sister Su Miao advised. Moreover, they were planning a great surprise for Sister Su Miao in due time. With her instructions complete, Su Miao headed to the city ruins Myna mentioned. The area had been ravaged by earthquakes, floods, snowstorms, beast tides, insect plagues, windstorms—all buried under drifts of sand. Were it not for the fragmented high-rise buildings standing above the sand, future generations might only discover the city during excavations centuries or millennia later. Standing high in the sky, robed in her witch's garb, Su Miao cast a magical scan over the ground. Instantly, her magical perception revealed numerous life forms. Yet these life forms were devoid of humans, solely comprised of deeply buried mutated animals... Su Miao glanced at the white sky, forecasting that the polar day would persist for quite some time. Today’s temperature stood at 3 degrees Celsius; recent days showed a gradual drop. As long as it didn’t plummet to snowstorm-level extreme cold, conditions were favorable for construction. Su Miao, holding her alloy staff, pointed toward the ruins. Immediately, the ground shook, causing innumerable cement, bricks, steel, and concrete to lift as if by magic. From an aerial view, countless magical tendrils cradled beneath these materials could be seen. Once, Su Miao couldn’t have imagined operating on such a scale. Now, she executed it effortlessly. Then, Su Miao summoned magical illusion clones. These clones spread throughout the city, using magic hands to assemble and rearrange the materials. Since this was her first attempt at building a magical castle, aesthetic beauty wasn’t a priority—establishing a framework sufficed. Given she intended to weave laws into it, any misstep could trigger an explosion. Such wastage was best avoided. “This piece here, that one there, and this over here…” Su Miao began constructing the castle to her vision. The magical castle occupied 1,260,000 square meters. Due to material constraints, it appeared highly abstract. Yet that was fine since it was merely an experimental piece. Once completed, its size could be adjusted and the castle relocated—further refinements could come later. … (End of Chapter)