Chapter 398 The hostage can be killed - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

"Who? Who is it?!"   Ruan Jingquan, the head of the base, shouted in agony with his eyes shut.   His eyes had been injured in an explosion, rendering him unable to open them, and even if he could, the surrounding scene would remain blurry.   He was furious beyond measure, his body radiating a terrifying energy that threatened to annihilate everything around him.   As the notorious leader of a private base, Ruan Jingquan possessed immense strength. Yet, his frequent indulgence in seeking women had made him weak.   It was this state of mindlessness and defenselessness that had left him severely wounded by a sudden explosion.   Usually, in battle, neither sniper rifles nor rocket attacks fazed him, so he never anticipated a betrayal from his own people.   Facing the rampaging Ruan Jingquan, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou were not indulgent.   First, they employed psychological suggestions.   Next, they attempted to control him through dreams.   However, Ruan Jingquan, engulfed in extreme pain, managed to resist all of their powers.   Their abilities failed, but Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou remained unsurprised.   During such apocalyptic times, no leader of a private base was ever a pushover.   Moreover, the target was in deep pain and madness, which served as the best shield against their psychic attacks.   Nonetheless, that resistance had its limits.   Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou had more tricks up their sleeves.   "It's you two! Wretches!"   Though unable to see, Ruan Jingquan's sense of smell for women had heightened considerably.   He targeted Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou, spreading his arms wide for a dreadful attack.   It was an assault infused with soul energy, brutal and perilous, difficult to defend against. Many ability users had perished under such an attack.   Mirror Image!   Lin Jiuyou stepped forward.   In an instant, she conjured a concert stage domain, shielding herself and Xia Xiaoan from Ruan Jingquan's attack.   Simultaneously, the mirror image replicated his attack, reflecting it back fully.   Boom!   Unable to see, Ruan Jingquan failed to react, enduring the brunt of his own assault.   His blood vessels burst, blood flowed from his seven orifices.   His mouth opened, and he fell backward.   Nearby, Su Miao watched in astonishment.   For with that single blow, Ruan Jingquan's entire being shattered, body and soul alike.   There truly was brutality in this strike.   No wonder this nameless base could rise to prominence, its defenses so lax, all due to confidence in their strength.   Yet, he was swiftly and decisively killed by Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou.   "Well done!"   Su Miao offered praise.   After slaying Ruan Jingquan, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou exchanged glances, then turned to clear the corridor of bodies, swiftly moving on to their next target.   Following the massacre, few living remained inside the base.   Their objective was to eliminate the remnants and rescue the hostages.   "Don't kill me, I'll give you everything!"   "I'll fight you!"   "So young, how can your hearts be so merciless?"   "Following that pink demon, you've become devils too, you beasts!"   ...   Unable to overpower them, having failed in ambushes, the ability users of the nameless base spewed curses, forgetting their own past misdeeds.   Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou didn't waste time on words. Within ten minutes, they exterminated all remaining personnel.   Ordinarily, those attempting to flee could have survived had they immediately abandoned the base.   However, with the outside world in an endless night, temperatures plummeting to minus ten degrees, survival without adequate resources was impossible.   Thus, they returned to gather supplies, believing Ruan Jingquan could stall Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou.   Little did they know, Ruan Jingquan couldn't even hold them off for a minute. The seemingly formidable base leader was swiftly killed.   "Aside from hostages, no survivors."   Lin Jiuyou confirmed within her dreamscape, "Hostages are over here."   Xia Xiaoan nodded, "Understood, let's go, time is running short."   Six minutes later, they arrived at the nameless base's dungeon.   Inside were three girls.   Two were in their twenties, one was eighteen. Despite prolonged hunger, their youthful beauty remained undeniable.   Particularly the eighteen-year-old, whose beauty was almost beyond reason.   Hearing movement, the girls inside the cell opened their eyes, bewildered as they looked towards Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou outside.   "You are saved."   Xia Xiaoan simply said, drawing her sword. She infused it with true energy, slicing through the alloy bars effortlessly to open the door, "Let's go."   "Is this some kind of script?" one of the girls recoiled, "You're trying to deceive us."   The other two wore skeptical expressions, hesitant to leave the cell.   ...   [Another beast's woman?]   [So young, yet under that beast's influence? I refuse…]   [Are they truly here to rescue me?]   ...   Xia Xiaoan overheard their thoughts.   A wave of irritation washed over her, knowing that by Su Miao's style, these two would have been executed immediately.   But if they killed them right away, would they fail the exam?   Lin Jiuyou noticed Xia Xiaoan's state and asked: [Xiaoan, what's wrong?]   Xia Xiaoan replied: [These two women think we're the beast's associates, acting in a play to deceive them.]   Lin Jiuyou paused, raising a hand to point at the two women.   In an instant, they collapsed to the ground, blissful expressions on their faces.   Then, from her spatial storage, Lin Jiuyou retrieved a gun, fired twice, ending their lives.   Xia Xiaoan was frantic, "They were hostages, Jiuyou! Why did you kill them? Our exam..."   Lin Jiuyou responded, "The exam requires us to rescue hostages, it doesn't specify how many."   Xia Xiaoan blinked, recalling Su Miao saying something similar.   Seeing Xia Xiaoan back to her usual self, Lin Jiuyou breathed a sigh of relief.   Moments ago, there was an alarm in her heart, a sensation that unless these two were eliminated, she would suffer.   That peculiar feeling was something Lin Jiuyou was unwilling to experience.   So, she acted decisively.   Moreover, Lin Jiuyou was certain this wasn't Xia Xiaoan's psychological suggestion but her own judgment.   "Xia Xiaoan, Lin Jiuyou?"   The remaining girl in the cell spoke up.   Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou looked over, surprise evident.   The girl introduced herself, "My name is Zhang Qian. Thank you for saving me."   Xia Xiaoan replied, "Glad you know us. Let's go, we need to leave."   Zhang Qian inquired, "This base leader was very strong..."   Mid-sentence, she realized the futility of mentioning private base leaders to Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou.   For those who knew of Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou were aware they were associates of Su Miao, the sorceress, who could dispatch any foe effortlessly.   Thinking of Su Miao, Zhang Qian felt sheer admiration surge in her heart.   Hearing Zhang Qian's thoughts, Xia Xiaoan's mood brightened.   "Don't worry, the base has been cleared," Lin Jiuyou assured.   Cleared?   Seconds later, as Zhang Qian followed Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou outside, she saw bodies strewn everywhere, understanding what "cleared" really meant.   "The examination is over. Xia Xiaoan, Lin Jiuyou, well done."   The magical phantom of Su Miao stood inside the base, reaching out with magic resurrecting the dead.   The fallen bodies rose, autonomously gathering supplies from the base, storing them into several spatial containers, respectfully presenting them to Su Miao.   "However, Xiaoan's issue seems a bit severe. Luckily, Lin Jiuyou was there."   "Yet Jiuyou also appears to have some issues."   "How troublesome."   "Oh well, let the main body deal with the rest."   Su Miao collected the spatial storage device, took a step, and vanished from the private base.   The remaining undead stood there, glancing at each other with confusion.   After a long pause, they dispersed, returning to their familiar haunts, doing as they pleased.   "They both passed."   The magical phantom of Su Miao returned to the temporary magical barrier before Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou.   After a single glance, Su Miao absorbed all the information.   "Now, leave the rest to you. I'm going to rest."   The phantom tossed the spatial storage onto the table, preparing to dissolve into pure magic to return to the main body.   "Hold on a second."   Su Miao infused a bit of magic into the phantom.   "Oh no, are you making me work overtime, main body? How about letting me retreat, and summon another phantom?" The clone shook its head, "You shouldn't torture yourself because of your social anxiety."   Su Miao also seemed at a loss for words, "It's not that simple, you've seen Xiaoan's situation. You'd handle this better."   "Handle it better? What do you mean?" the clone retorted.   Su Miao retrieved a vehicle from her magical space, "Have them escort the hostage back to the Qilian Sanctuary, and you keep watch from the shadows."   The clone took a step back, "Main body, I have social anxiety too. I just talk more in front of you."   Su Miao was uncertain how to reply.   The clone sighed, "Alright, I'll do it. Let's hope Xiaoan makes more friends on this journey, though you should realize this might not be enough."   "I'll try to research some potions to help Xiaoan," Su Miao responded.   The study of potions included some remedies for healing the psyche.   Previously, they lacked materials and conditions to brew such potions, but that's changed now.   In the newly opened inner world, everything Su Miao needed could be found.   The clone's demeanor turned serious, "Main body, let's not forget, our time is limited."   "I understand," Su Miao nodded.   "Alright, leave it to me," the clone agreed.   Su Miao smiled, withdrew everything in the magic barrier into her magical space, and vanished.   Meanwhile, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou led Zhang Qian outside the base.   Despite the cold, the sense of freedom improved Zhang Qian's mood.   "Here, wear this," Lin Jiuyou offered, pulling out a down jacket from her spatial storage.   "Thank you," Zhang Qian said, blushing as she donned the jacket. "Will I get to meet Su Miao?"   "I don't know," Xia Xiaoan shook her head.   Su Miao had social anxiety; whether she'd meet strangers was uncertain.   If it’s a beautiful girl, maybe it’d be okay.   They walked forward, spotting magical lamps illuminating the dark and a vehicle behind them.   Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou were puzzled.   Why a vehicle?   Remembering their prior journey with Su Miao, they smiled.   It must have been prepared by Su Miao, worried they might get sick during travel.   "Jiuyou, there's a note here," Xia Xiaoan said.   They approached and found a message left in front of the magical lamp.   [Jiuyou and Xiaoan, congratulations on passing this exam, applause!]   [Here's an additional task: escort the rescued hostage back to her sanctuary at Qilian.]   [The task spans 20 days.]   [Balance your training; a mix of relaxation and effort is natural.]   [This is your post-exam holiday. Enjoy it.]   [—Su Miao]   What?   A holiday?!   Lin Jiuyou and Xia Xiaoan looked at the message, delight writing itself plainly on their faces.   It was their first time hearing of a holiday under Su Miao’s tutelage.   The stress of being pushed to study intently and the tension of exams dissipated in a heartbeat.   Zhang Qian stood aside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Su Miao, which didn’t happen.   Unbeknownst to them, Su Miao's clone sat within the vehicle, observing them with resignation.   Protection duty? Boring.   Despite that thought, Su Miao recorded Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou’s symptoms in a notebook.   No overtime, please!   Hopefully, during this time, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou will make more friends.   While making friends in a post-apocalyptic world seemed a luxury, having an extra friend wasn't bad.   Moreover, it could help heal their hearts.   Not worried about bad influences, Su Miao trusted in their abilities.   One could read minds, the other dreams. Malice could not hide from Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou.   With Zhang Qian, Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou boarded the vehicle. Zhang Qian curiously examined her surroundings.   This was the latest model from the sanctuary, one she always wished to see, though never expected under these circumstances.   Xia Xiaoan and Lin Jiuyou's adept handling impressed her.   How extraordinary they are.   Three minutes later, the vehicle took off smoothly.   Curious about the girl's constant mental chatter, Xia Xiaoan asked, "How were you captured?"   Tilting her head, Zhang Qian recounted, "We'd just acquired a batch of energy ores, readying to return when a blackstorm made our vehicle crash, scattering our group."   "Before we could request help from the sanctuary, the base’s men came, capturing us."   "They were all killed, and I was the only one left."   The memories brought a shadow over Zhang Qian's expression.   Xia Xiaoan refrained from asking further. Many answers lay within people's thoughts.   This young girl was putting on a brave front to keep them unworried.   "Have something to eat," Lin Jiuyou offered, taking out tasty treats from her magical space.   Strawberries, mulberries, cake, watermelon, raspberries, apricots, beef roast, and more.   The sight of this feast astonished Zhang Qian.   So many mutant fruits…   (End of the chapter)