Chapter 599: The Sparse Shelter
Walking through the woods.
Who could imagine that there were once skyscrapers here, but now the buildings look like collapsed blocks, awkwardly toppling onto the ground.
I don’t know what this small world has experienced after merging into this expanding realm, nor the means that the extraordinary witches have used.
However… it must be a skill transcending the earth vein, for even the earth vein is unqualified to record the repair process the extraordinary witches undertook.
Only some fragmented information from the repair process remains, and even the Great Knowledge Tree cannot stitch these fragmented pieces into a comprehensible narrative.
It is a considerable distance from Ninglan New City, and even without the obstruction of those plants, it is a bit challenging to see the distant Ninglan New City.
One can imagine how arduous the paths were when the city defense forces ventured out to explore the outside world.
After arriving near the Wanlian Main Network Tree, I decided not to proceed directly but instead to delve deeper into this area, sensing the natural power for the first time.
The normal operation of a world relies on natural ecology. Even though civilization has developed to modern times, humans still dare not destroy natural ecology, as it is too fragile; the interconnected natural selection and food chain means that any broken node could lead to irreparable consequences.
However, it is evident that this world has lost its original natural ecology after undergoing reshaping and repair.
The witches do not care about the collapse of ecology; after all, for witches with long lifespans, they believe that some persistent life will regain dominance in nature and trigger a new ecological reconstruction. It is all just a matter of time.
And now the cost of reconstructing this world is… the biological entities within the ecological balance have gone completely mad!
Perhaps a certain biological entity has lost its natural enemy, becoming a dominant force and heading toward inevitable decline without restraint.
Perhaps a certain entity has adapted to its environment but encountered a natural enemy that can lead to its extinction, making it impossible for them to complete species evolution in such a short time.
Unless… this process is accelerated by extraordinary energy.
Thus, as soon as I entered this “world ruin,” I felt those ordinarily inconspicuous creatures engaging in their final madness.
Undoubtedly, the most populous type of species in a world is insects.
So, as the insects adapted to the world’s changes and humans no longer intervened in their habitat, they became reckless.
If my life level were a bit higher, the invisible life aura I emanated could have made those damned insects stay far away from me for good.
But I have not reached that level.
However, I have many means.
With the help of the Great Knowledge Tree, my number of derived basic spells has reached a shocking level.
I just haven’t shown these means publicly.
In fact, to dispel these insects, I only need to utilize a derivative of the cleaning spell.
“Is this the Wanlian Main Network Tree?”
I looked at the massive shadow of the tree not far away; the transparent artificial sphere that once protected this tree has now shattered.
The Wanlian Main Network Tree now resembles a newly hatched life, welcoming its rebirth.
But this transparent protective layer is also a creation of plant technology. I had learned about it when I invaded the Wanlian Main Network Tree, and it was grafted onto the tree, forming a whole with it at this moment.
“Who! No one is allowed to come closer!”
Just as I approached, I suddenly heard an angry shout.
“Oh?” I turned to look at the source of the voice, a hint of surprise on my face.
Earlier, I had noticed traces of human activity nearby, so I had been paying attention to their movements.
Such a significant landmark as the Wanlian Main Network Tree naturally attracts humans, so I wasn’t surprised to encounter someone here.
I was just a bit surprised that they dared to confront me.
Moreover, their warning to keep away implied expulsion, showing no intention of giving me leeway to stay.
I casually surveyed the surroundings and saw several people holding primitive weapons, examining me with scrutinizing gazes, their eyes even glinting with lasciviousness.
“Is this your temporary shelter?” I inquired in the language of the person who had spoken first.
After all, the contract I signed forbids arbitrary slaughter of innocents, so naturally, I cannot take the initiative to eliminate these annoying characters. However… some of the men’s gazes were somewhat unsettling.
“Yes! But we don’t take useless people here. However, miss, you look quite beautiful, so… hehehe, but where did you come from? Your makeup and clothes are simple…”
The man who spoke first stood on a branch of a giant tree, but before he could finish, a sharp sound suddenly rang out, nearly causing him to fall from the tree.
The treetop of the tree he stood on let out a piercing sound, followed by the rustling of leaves, and the once dense canopy parted, with the cut-off trees forming a slanted and even cross-section.
This cross-section narrowly grazed the man’s scalp, and his somewhat unruly hairstyle was directly sheared off at an angle, with fine hair brushing against his ear and falling onto his shoulder.
At that moment, the man was so terrified by this horrifying anomaly that he clung tightly to the tree trunk, one foot already slipping off the branch.
“Now do you know why my clothes remain unruffled?”
At this moment, I held the long sword from the box of books, its tip pointing at the guy, with a mere strike of energy and sword light that these ordinary plants and trees naturally could not withstand, nor could these ordinary people.
“None of you are allowed to run! Stand still in the open space in front of me, all seven of you. If there’s one less, I’ll k*ll one.”
My voice was loud, and as everyone realized something was amiss and prepared to flee, my voice pierced into everyone’s ears, the cold killing intent sending chills down their spines.
I certainly didn’t have time to talk excessively with them. If the previous speaker had used a better tone, I might have cooperated properly with them to witness their efforts in a gentler manner.
But now… since they had chosen the most effortless method, I would naturally proceed all the way through.
As I threatened them and made a second strike that cleaved a menacingly jagged cut into the ground, the seven people obediently stood in the open space before me.
They realized that no matter how fast they ran, they couldn’t outrun my sword light.
The morning sun shone obliquely on the ground, penetrating through the treetop I had cut away, casting light upon them, beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads.
They kept their heads bowed, eyes fixed on the deep, smooth cut in the ground, swallowing hard subconsciously.
Their minds were racing with wild thoughts of what kind of person they had encountered; after all, this was extraordinary power!
Could it be a player?
After all, their original world had been invaded by players, and their civilization had no extraordinary advancement power system, so it’s no wonder they thought this way.
“Now, someone explain the situation here—how many people are gathered near the Wanlian Main Network Tree? Since this is a temporary shelter, what resources do you rely on? Where does your food come from? Speak clearly.”
I looked at the seven individuals, one of whom was a woman. Since they had come to stand guard, they were either strong individuals protecting the weak, or they were the weak sent to carry out tasks.
But it didn’t matter what either situation was.
At that moment, the seven people fell silent for a while, and finally, the initially irritating spokesperson spoke first, but this time his tone was no longer flippant but carried a slight tremble.
“Uh… My name is Ryan… I don’t know… how should I address you, my lord?”
“I’m not interested in your names. As for me… you can call me Catastrophe Witch.”
I was preparing to continue using this title while mingling in the expanding realm. Naturally, the main reason was that I didn’t want to tell them my real name.
After all, I don’t like others calling me by my full name, let alone they wouldn’t dare, and I didn’t want them to call me by my nickname either, so I naturally had little choice.
“Catastrophe Witch?!”
Upon hearing this title, one of them suddenly exclaimed in shock.
“You’ve heard of me?” I turned my head to glance at that person.
“I… I’ve seen it! I saw that report before… You really are that Catastrophe Witch?”
“Hey! I also remembered! I saw it on the plant network…” Ryan chimed in, slapping his thigh.
“I have indeed been to your world, so if you say you’ve seen the report, I am indeed the one you speak of,” I explained.
However, I was a bit surprised; I didn’t expect to meet someone who recognized me. However, I remembered that I had once used a disguise, but that mattered little.
“Really? Then… Catastrophe Witch, did your actions also cause the anomalies in our world?” The only woman among them asked with trembling anticipation.
“I don’t have that kind of power. The trajectory of your world was originally destined to collide with this world where you currently stand; what happens has nothing to do with me.”
Once my words were finished, they subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
“What? Were you relieved to hear it wasn’t my doing? Even though I don’t have such great power, crushing you would still be a breeze.” I dispersed the sword in my hand, and the original tag of the “Catastrophe Witch” created a fireball the size of a human head above my palm.
Watching the flickering flames, they became increasingly tense and dry-mouthed.
They had no doubt that this “fire magic” could reduce them to ashes!
“No, no! We didn’t think that!”
“We absolutely did not…”
“Then stop wasting my time; answer the questions I asked earlier quickly, okay?” I directly interrupted them. The mention of the Catastrophe Witch almost led the conversation astray; however, as I inquired, I spotted someone approaching, probably drawn by the commotion.
But I didn’t mind. With a wave, I extinguished the fireball in my hand and redirected my gaze toward the initial speaker.
“We… we estimate around a hundred people gathered here… roughly that number… but most of them are injured, or children and women… I beg you, spare them…”
“I’m not interested in you; don’t obstruct me. I’m too lazy to deal with you. Continue.” I said.
“Continue… um, what else did you ask…?”
“What means do you rely on to establish this shelter? Weapons? Firearms? Or something else? Additionally, how do you survive? What do you eat, and where do you get your water source?” I inquired more carefully.
In truth, I wasn’t very interested in this information; if I truly wanted to know, I wouldn’t even need to press them.
But they would seem… somewhat in the way of my research on the Wanlian Main Network Tree, and I didn’t particularly wish for these innocent people to be affected while I studied it.
“Weapons… the weapons are ones we manufactured ourselves… as for food, it’s all scavenged from nearby, and water… well, there’s a puddle of water over there…”
“You dare to call this a shelter? But a grand landmark like this should attract people from around, right? How come there are only about a hundred people here?” I continued questioning.
“This… not long ago, there were many people here, all together resisting those monsters, but just when we gathered a certain scale, we encountered a group of people who didn’t speak our language; they had strange equipment, likely… probably the locals of this world…”
“And then a large number of people followed them away?” I asked.
“Yes, those people were clearly different from us; they tried to communicate, and though we didn’t understand, we figured out roughly where their residence was. We heard that if you stand on the tree and look afar, you can see the city… so many people followed along…”
“Alright…” Listening to their explanation, I began to understand the situation.
Since that was the case, there was nothing more to ask.
“Let’s go; my goal is the Wanlian Main Network Tree. After returning, explain my existence to those in the shelter, and don’t come bother me. I allow you to stay here; those who are tired of living can come find me, and I’ll send them to d*e.” After I spoke, I ignored them.
My tone was incredibly arrogant; it was clearly their territory, yet I said I allowed them to stay.
But that was the truth; they lacked the strength and thus had no room to refute.
As I truly approached here, gazing at the sturdy Wanlian Main Network Tree and the now blurred outer transparent shield, they relied on these structures to build their shelter.
There were significant human traces visible, many makeshift tents erected, and even extinguished campfires.
But now it was all abandoned.
After my arrival, I saw some figures peering out, and those seven hurried individuals quickly came forward to block them, for if they provoked me, they would indeed be left with nothing!
They didn’t want such a tragedy to occur.
I merely cast a glance and then walked straight to the most eye-catching Wanlian Main Network Tree.
Immediately, a primal rune that I had obtained from the Wanlian Main Network Tree appeared in my hand.
A primitive rune.
Originally, there were many artificially manipulated spaces within the Wanlian Main Network Tree, allowing those maintenance personnel to operate directly inside the tree.
But now all those traces had vanished, leaving only some relatively empty tree cavities, and no human traces were visible inside.
It seemed the Wanlian Main Network Tree had grown well after exiting human control; hopefully, the internal data was still preserved.
As I combined this primitive rune controlling the Wanlian Main Network Tree with the rune from my Great Knowledge Sharing Technique, the Great Knowledge Tree immediately manifested a spell image.
Now I possessed the Great Knowledge Tree, along with the Great Knowledge Sharing Technique and other means. With this primitive rune, I felt that I would certainly be able to obtain more answers that I previously did not know.
