Chapter 395 Hey, original body, you are not socially phobic anymore? - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

The summoning magic in the "Book of the Abyss" is absolutely marvelous! In the magical town's hub, Su Miao lost herself in the book for half a month before setting it down. During those two weeks, she had managed to grasp the basics of the summoning magic it contained. It wasn't that Su Miao was a slow learner, but the magic described in the "Book of the Abyss" was vastly different from the law magic she currently mastered. Nowadays, Su Miao could cast any magic merely through the structures of law. However, the "Book of the Abyss" was different. The summoning magic within required the laws to be concealed as much as possible. If law was involved at all, one had to appear as a novice in understanding them, intentionally leaving flaws in the summoning magic circle. She would even go so far as to hope for the summoned evil gods or demon kings to willingly patch up these deficiencies. This way, one could become a fitting summoner witch. Displaying mastery over laws, and familiarity with numerous ones, might either scare or alert the demon kings and evil gods, potentially endangering oneself. Through this period of study, Su Miao had gained a deeper understanding of magic, reaping significant benefits. “Time flies by so quickly.” Su Miao took out her phone, pondering upon seeing the time. Previously, no matter how fast time went by, she seldom dwelled upon it. Was it because of Lin Jiujing, Xia Xiaoan, and Su Luoli? As she spread her palm, the cores of demon lords and evil kings appeared hovering above. Were the cores of demon kings and the divine essence of evil gods the same? Otherwise, why draw such a distinction? Perhaps when she obtained the divine essence of an evil god, she'd uncover the answer. Hm? A casual glance revealed that the magical town's domain had nearly fully repaired itself. More surprisingly, the ruined spatial passageway had regenerated. Could it be influenced by the starlight’s burst impact? Curious, Su Miao approached the spatial passage. The channel seemed stable, but no creatures from the inner world emerged. Should she venture through it? Better not. As the magical town's domain hadn't fully restored, venturing to the inner world and encountering a demon king would prove futile, only arousing their vigilance. Moreover, Su Miao planned to modify the magical town, facilitating the summoning of demon kings and evil gods. If that's impossible, she’d have to research developing her personal domain. With it, she could conduct summons anywhere. Su Miao then recalled the "Book of the Abyss," curious how the witch who penned it dealt with summoned demon kings and evil gods. Pity the book didn’t mention those details; such knowledge would have been helpful. She should first check on Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing. With a blink, Su Miao stepped into the new camp. Outside remained the perpetual night—its sun-moon imbalance showed no sign of resolution. The current outdoor temperature was minus 10 degrees Celsius. Prolonged nightfall could spell trouble. If she could rectify this celestial imbalance, Earth’s condition might improve drastically, yet it pertained to cosmic operations beyond her current capacity. “Su Miao sis!” Xia Xiaoan, who opened the door, dashed over joyously. She was about to pick some vegetables from the garden, unexpectedly stumbling upon Su Miao's return. Hearing the commotion, Lin Jiujing hurried out. Seeing Su Miao’s return brought her immense excitement. Su Miao patted Xia Xiaoan's and Lin Jiujing’s heads, both evidently overjoyed. “Where's Luoli?” “Luoli went out; with the nightfall, it'll take a few days for her return,” Lin Jiujing informed. Su Miao nodded. “Let's head inside.” Spotting the vegetable basket in Xia Xiaoan's hand, a realization hit Su Miao. During her immersion in summoning magic over the past two weeks, she'd consumed nothing but some black tea. Yet, she never felt hungry, thus forgetting about meals altogether. However now, she wanted to eat. Minutes later, Su Miao, Xia Xiaoan, and Lin Jiujing gathered at the table, savoring the steaming hotpot, their spirits lifted. In such weather and temperature, nothing tasted better than hotpot. It was a tomato broth laden with various vegetables and beef! During the meal, Su Miao noticed something. She ate her usual portion, one that would typically satiate her. However, after doubling that amount, she felt no fullness; she could continue eating indefinitely. [Is this a normal outcome of becoming stronger?] Su Miao remembered cultivators, said to survive on air and dew alone. Initially, she thought these cultivators forwent food to save cultivation time. Now, it seemed they reached a level where nourishment wasn’t necessary. Just like Su Miao now could go without sustenance for weeks without issue. This was fortunate; future engrossments in magic study would no longer risk her hunger. After the meal, following a brief rest, Su Miao began to evaluate Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing's study achievements. Initiating with a comprehensive exam, she tested their grasp over recent knowledge. The exam totaling 150 points included multidisciplinary comprehensive questions. It served as the ideal assessment tool. After all, who knew when such knowledge might be needed in future examinations? Once the test concluded, Su Miao had an AI system grade the papers before checking the AI’s mistakes herself, arriving at final scores. Xia Xiaoan scored 126 points. Lin Jiujing scored 119. “Excellent results.” Su Miao set down the papers, genuinely pleased. “Next, we’ll assess your combat mech piloting skills. Retrieve your mech transformers.” "Alright." Praised by Su Miao, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing eagerly prepared to impress further. Both headed outside, aware of the ongoing darkness. Would piloting mechs in this night be okay? "Begin," Su Miao nodded. For others, the night might be pitch-black, yet for Su Miao, it was as clear as day. As for Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing, their mech’s internal systems utilized various optic detectors, rendering piloting unaffected by darkness. Before long, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing activated their transformers, maneuvering their mechs skyward, executing complex piloting techniques. According to AI evaluations, their piloting skills both reached an impressive A grade level. Their capabilities are formidable. However, how proficient is their combat performance in actual combat? Su Miao pondered creating a specialized trial ground within her magical town domain for Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing. This space could generate diverse enemies, offering them a realistic mech combat experience. The demonic tribes, as potential exam opponents, would be ideal. “Su Miao sis, how did our results fare?” Lin Jiujing asked expectantly. “Both are A-grade, very commendable.” Su Miao continued, “In due course, I’ll set up an examination arena for you, facilitating real mech battles.” Real mech battles? Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing looked forward to such prospects. However, moments later, Xia Xiaoan sensed something amiss, though couldn’t quite pinpoint it. “Next, we'll evaluate your martial prowess,” Su Miao advised. “Engage in a friendly match without using special abilities, simply sparring. I’ll step in if things become dangerous.” Considering the perpetual night and avoiding damage to the magical barrier’s foliage, Su Miao set up the sparring area just beyond the barrier.    Regarding lighting, there was no need to worry. Su Miao tossed a large red fireball into the sky, illuminating the nighttime expanse. Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing donned their martial uniforms, standing outdoors in minus 10 degrees Celsius, unfazed by the cold. Their apparent qi shielding indicated they’d both mastered basic martial arts. “Begin,” Su Miao announced from her aerial position. Brandishing wooden swords, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing launched into action, their speed likened to lightning, clashing hundreds of times within breaths. Observing their duel, Su Miao was pleasantly surprised. She knew they’d advanced significantly in martial arts, yet not to such an extent. It was delightful. What Su Miao didn’t know was the duo’s dedication post-assignments, rarely relaxing. Their sparring bouts had exceeded hundreds of rounds. Shortly, Lin Jiujing’s wooden sword snapped. Xia Xiaoan’s battered sword rested at Lin Jiujing’s chest. Lin Jiujing held her broken sword, her chest heaving—she had lost. “Well fought!” Xia Xiaoan sheathed her wooden sword. Round one went to Xia Xiaoan! This was a test of weapon control; whoever's wooden sword broke first, lost. The second round tested them on hand-to-hand combat, deciding the winner through raw skill alone. After a brief rest, the two began their unarmed duel. In the combat arena, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing shifted between fast and slow, executing unexpected moves with finesse. Since their foundational skills were both rooted in the Tai Chi Heart Flow, they knew each other well, making the bout even more challenging. Shortly, Xia Xiaoan lost by a half-point margin in this round. “I won!” Lin Jiujing jumped up in delight. Xia Xiaoan stared at her hands, puzzled by her loss, as she usually won. Su Miao clapped, “Very good, keep improving.” Xia Xiaoan, a bit perplexed, asked, “Su Miao sis, why did I lose?” Su Miao explained, “You lost because you know Lin Jiujing too well. You've often used mind-reading, haven’t you?” Xia Xiaoan's face flushed red—well... She didn’t mean to use mind-reading often; Lin Jiujing’s thoughts, as a beautiful idol, were just so loud and clear. Su Miao continued, “That’s why I insisted you avoid using abilities during sparring. Abilities aren’t all-powerful. You might face foes who neutralize your abilities, making your fundamental skills crucial.” Xia Xiaoan nodded, “I understand, Su Miao sis.” Still, she envied Lin Jiujing's rapid progress. She recalled when she first started training in Tai Chi Heart Flow, she could easily best Lin Jiujing single-handedly. Su Miao said, “Alright, the final test will assess your abilities. Give me a moment.” How would this ability assessment proceed? Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing were intrigued yet unclear. Su Miao took out her phone, sending a message to Shelter No. 1. Seconds later, several coordinates arrived, accompanied by relevant target intelligence. Storing her phone, Su Miao snapped her fingers, extinguishing the large fireball illuminating the sky. “Are you ready, or do you need a break?” Su Miao asked. “No need, Su Miao sis!” “Me neither!” They replied. Su Miao announced, “Good, let’s go! I'll take you to the exam site.” Lifting them each in one hand, Su Miao encased Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing in a protective magical aura, stepping forward. After about a dozen strides, they arrived at a mountainous area. The harsh weather had rendered the landscape barren, devoid of plants. In the perpetual night, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing could hardly see a thing. “Su Miao sis…” Xia Xiaoan looked uneasy. She clutched her mouth, appearing very uncomfortable. Lin Jiujing’s condition was slightly better, but not by much. Oh dear. Su Miao set them down gently. Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing immediately moved to opposite sides to begin vomiting… The more they’d enjoyed that morning’s hotpot, the more they regretted it now. [Was I too fast?] Su Miao reflected. Hadn’t Su Luoli often transformed into a bird form, flying them around without issues? In theory, they should be fine. Once they calmed down, Su Miao handed each a cup of magical water. After drinking, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing sighed in relief, feeling revived. “Su Miao sis, I’m ready now!” “So am I!” Announced Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing. Su Miao briefed, “Ahead lies a private base filled with beastified ability users, around 200 in number.” “Your task is to infiltrate, rescue the hostages, and eliminate the deranged beastified users.” “This mission tests your ability control—you must go in unscathed and come out unscathed.” “If anyone gets injured, it’s a fail.” In this post-apocalyptic world, medical resources were scarce. An injury almost meant certain death. Moreover, mysterious gray fogs and contaminations targeted ability users. Injuries made them more susceptible to corruption. This explained why severely wounded Taoist ability users quickly became corrupted and mutated into monsters in the inner world’s Demon Ridge. “Got it.” Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing nodded. Su Miao encouraged, “In this ability test, you can collaborate; martial arts and mech skills are also allowed.” Their eyes sparkled with newfound confidence. “The exam duration is two hours. Head out now.” Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiujing immediately equipped their night vision gear from their space storage, delving into the darkness. Su Miao laid out several energy stones, arranging a concealed magic array, then set up a magic lamp, table, strawberry juice, and her magic book to pass the time while awaiting their return. For additional security, a magic phantom clone materialized beside her. For some unknown reason, the newly formed magic phantom looked sleepy, “Hey, Original, not afraid of socializing anymore?” ? Su Miao stared blankly at the clone, startled. Had the gaze not confirmed the clone as a part of her, she would have dispelled it immediately. How could a normal magic phantom ask such a question? The clone sighed, “What, still socially anxious?” (End of chapter.)