Chapter 608: Gradually Getting on Track in the Expanding Realm
A week after the first group of students arrived in Ninglan New City, the second batch of applicants also began to enter the Expanding Realm.
For most people, many things were gradually falling into place.
For example, with the help of the Great Knowledge Seed, the teaching assistants from the first batch who learned the commonly used language of this civilization have already engaged in in-depth communication and understanding with the refugees.
The crystal mining areas and other zones surrounding Ninglan New City are collectively referred to as resource points, which have been numbered and data surveyed.
The mining of some extraordinary materials has allowed the city defense forces of Ninglan New City to undergo professional training and standardized mining.
Mining techniques for energy mining areas are also gradually being popularized, and customized special energy protection alchemical items have started to go on sale. Using these alchemical items, one can resist the corresponding energy radiation while mining in specific energy mining areas.
With these alchemical items and the standardized regulations, most people have already secured their stable “jobs” in the Expanding Realm.
What has changed even more significantly is the establishment of disaster relief tent planning areas outside Ninglan New City. Currently, the refugees no longer need to sleep outdoors; at least they can hide in tents at night and avoid the night winds.
Some medicines have also started to circulate for common ailments like colds and coughs, and those who were severely injured have gradually begun to receive surgical treatment and so on.
After receiving this assistance, the refugees also heard an even better piece of news: in another notable location not far from Ninglan New City, the Wanlian Main Network Tree.
A teaching assistant named Yang Yuelan has opened a shelter there, and she has collaborated with the All-purpose Association, Witch Secret Realm Association, and several other groups to help complete the construction of the shelter.
Moreover, they promised that once the disaster refuge is built, it will be able to accommodate all the current refugees, allowing them to live without diving in tents and return to a normal modern life.
This undoubtedly gave hope for survival to those refugees. After enduring a disaster, even if they received assistance, it was during a time of confusion regarding their future; this assistance only allowed their bodies to survive, while their spirits remained trapped in the disaster. Only by providing them with hope and motivation to live can they maintain vigor and enthusiasm even in the midst of disaster.
During this time, the teaching assistants who communicated with the refugees learned about the name of the giant tree from them, the “Wanlian Main Network Tree.” It is a very important tree in their civilization.
However, after gaining some understanding, they became disinterested because it is a central hub that structures the plant network through roots and serves as a base station for their civilization’s internet access.
According to refugees who had been there before, they have now lost the means to communicate with the Wanlian Main Network Tree, and plant technology products similar to phones cannot connect to the internet.
Moreover, they are not professional maintenance personnel and do not know how to repair it.
Various communication devices that were originally used are now merely decorative bricks, and even earth energy cannot be charged.
Thus, after learning this information, the teaching assistants naturally lacked interest; they still had the academy network and even tasks to establish base stations for the academy network outside Ninglan New City to facilitate communication among students going out.
So they speculated whether that teaching assistant Xiao Han studying that tree was simply doing something thankless. Is the academy network not usable or inconvenient?
What good is it to help these people rebuild the so-called plant network? By the time the plant network is improved, they don’t even know where to promote the academy network.
However, while the students of the Witch Academy were operationally thriving, students from other extraordinary academies steered away from the area where the Witch Academy is located and headed off to farther places.
They did not want to clash with the Witch Academy’s crew; although those resource points do not belong to anyone specifically, and no one has the right to stop each other from mining resources here, working in the same area would inevitably lead to conflict. They also anticipated that the Witch Academy might cause them trouble, so they consciously kept their distance from the surrounding areas of Ninglan New City.
Their primary goal was still to use Ninglan New City as a springboard for transporting and trading supplies.
Initially, they had ambitious plans to build a city comparable to Ninglan New City, gathering those refugees for urban operation and opening stable pathways alongside the academy.
But now, due to various factors, they had to compromise with reality and the Witch Academy.
From the start, the Witch Academy began to exert pressure on them from all angles, to an extent that, even if they were being serious, they might not have a valid reason.
This is a normal tactic; had the positions been reversed, they might have acted even more ruthlessly.
Thus, they were forced to start by building a shelter to gather refugees. As the saying goes, dreams are good, but everything needs to be built brick by brick.
But let’s not forget that they only have one semester of time, and before anything formally began, they had already wasted so many days—with the time they really had, they practically didn’t have a full semester at all.
As for next year’s plans, they were still unsure, but they knew that if they could not establish a stable transport route to connect with their academy and have operational and maintenance facilities around it, their academy would be forever distant from this Expanding Realm!
Thus, their tasks were heavy.
Not only that, but they also needed to deal with various potential crises caused by overlapping dreams.
In just the days since they arrived in the Expanding Realm, three areas of overlapping dreams had already appeared outside Ninglan New City, and they continued to spread.
Fortunately, the mentor Elena in Ninglan New City truly teaches everything; even people from other academies learn Dream Demon Spells. In a short time, they all felt that the mentor of the Witch Academy had greatly broadened her horizons.
And at this moment, in the disaster refuge.
In recent days, the people gathered here have witnessed too many miracles, the extraordinary power that can shape the earth with a wave or bend metal, dazzling them.
These individuals are students from the Witch Academy who have mastered construction spells and have a dedicated club.
After the Magic Capital was destroyed into such a state by players before the start of school, they rushed to carry out infrastructure reconstruction and building repairs.
They have completed such miracles in the shortest amount of time.
And now, their figures appeared again here; after all, professional matters should naturally be handled by professionals.
They are synonymous with expertise in infrastructure construction.
And during this time, the seven people designated as responsible for the disaster refuge were also busily engaged.
As the appointed leaders of the disaster refuge, they need to communicate with others and be responsible for everyone inside the refuge. They have acquired this power, but it also comes with corresponding responsibilities.
Even if they know nothing about this, they still do their best; if they do not understand, they find someone who does to collaborate. If no one in the refuge understands architecture, they ask Ninglan New City to select architectural talents and communicate with them.
As communication and exchanges between the disaster refuge and Ninglan New City increased, roads connecting both realms also began construction. After all, the idea that “wealth comes by improving roads” is always right.
To develop, the disaster refuge naturally has to rely on Ninglan New City, as all new building materials need to be transported from there.
“Those women all call themselves witches… Clearly, we represent the leaders of the disaster refuge… Their attitude is rather…”
“Put away those show-off thoughts; we are not on the same level as them. Our current position is to beg for food; you expect to show them a high-and-mighty attitude to get money?”
After sending off their counterpart’s leader, one person among the seven in charge of the disaster refuge quickly began to complain.
“Rein, don’t belittle our team like that; they need us too, don’t they? Being needed means having value. Haven’t you experienced the workplace? Even among people, at my previous company… haha, the gap was larger than between humans and livestock, not to mention the absolute disparity in strength between us and them.”
“Were your company that bad?”
“I have already distanced myself from that company; I have never felt so free.” The speaker was the only female among the seven.
Her name is Zhuang Ru, and she has a certain aura of a strong woman, but it is merely a façade.
“Isn’t it great? The world is reshuffling; all order…”
“We just have good luck; those with bad luck are already dead. If others hear you say that, they might scold you.”
“I know my worth. By the way, have you all felt their attempts to woo you after contacting those witches? It seems like they are at odds with the Catastrophe Witch, trying to sow discord in front and behind.”
“Are any of you feeling the same? I’m about that too, but when I asked them if they could give me a way to harness extraordinary powers, they fell silent.”
“You’re crazy… Why are you talking about this? What is this…”
“I didn’t betray; I simply refused them in a different way. They have never regarded us as equals. Although the Catastrophe Witch… uh, you all know, at least she gave us a chance to harness extraordinary powers! Just the seven of us!”
“However… speaking of extraordinary powers, I’ve had some progress with a meditation method and a meditation technique listed in the system. Did you succeed?”
“The meditation method hasn’t worked; at least I’ve been trying for days and can’t feel this thing called mental power. As for the meditation technique… honestly, it’s a bit hard to get into, but I don’t see any use; however, I feel refreshed after using it.”
“How coincidental, I’m pretty much the same.”
“I see. However, I’ve got some insights into the meditation method. You guys take a look at this.”
While they were muttering among themselves, one of them spoke up; the others turned their gazes, and this man called Wan Zhuang bent slightly, placing his palm on the ground and then slowly lifting it.
“What are you looking at?”
“This! Earth energy! I can control earth energy!” Wan Zhuang explained, and even his tone carried a hint of pride!
After all, he was the first to succeed!
But this goes back to a prior coincidence. Previously, he sat cross-legged on the ground at night trying meditation again and unexpectedly succeeded. When he excitedly attempted to stand and pushed against the ground, the tiny bit of mental power he cultivated sensed unusual fluctuations underground, and combined with the system’s prompts, he realized he could control earth energy.
However… this earth energy is very weak, but that does not detract from the fact that he has grasped extraordinary power!
“Wow! Wan Zhuang, how did you do that?” Wan Zhuang’s success instantly ignited the spirits of the others; if someone succeeded among them, it meant they could too!
Amidst the noise, Wan Zhuang enjoyed the flattery and began to share the power he had mastered.
However, he is still quite weak; the earth energy he controls may not even be enough to charge a phone. Yet, under much persuasion, they tried to charge their phones.
“Wow, it worked! It worked! The phone is really on!”
“Your control of earth energy is quite good. If it charges too quickly, will it explode the phone’s battery?”
“Can you not jinx it?”
“Wait! Wow, the phone can actually connect to the internet? Wow, the Wanlian Main Network Tree is still operational?”
Soon, Rein pointed to the signal on Wan Zhuang’s phone; there was actually a direct signal connection.
“Hey! Try going online, see if you can post and get any replies.”
“How is that possible? We have been in this world so long without an earth energy charging point, and the Wanlian Main Network Tree mutated and can’t connect. Who can we ask?”
“Just try; what if?”
“Yeah, yeah, your earth energy is that limited; quickly check before it runs out.”
Encouraged by the others, Wan Zhuang opened the software on his phone to go online, but before they could ask anything, the screen suddenly flashed, and a scene popped up forcefully.
“Wait, what’s going on? Is the phone stuck? Or is it broken?”
Shortly after this was said, a figure appeared on their phone screen.
“I was wondering where the signal came from; it’s you. Can you use earth energy to charge your phone? Who among you has already learned to harness earth energy? That was quick.”
With that familiar voice coming through, everyone instinctively shuddered.
“Catastrophe Witch! You, you are…”
“I’m modifying the Wanlian Main Network Tree. I was a bit surprised to see your phone signal could connect; I’m too lazy to waste words with you. Since someone has successfully gained mental power, come to me. Those without mental power should work hard on their own. Alright, I will hang up for now.”
At that moment, Wan Zhuang’s phone screen returned to normal, but shortly after this, the earth energy was consumed completely, and it turned off.
“This, this…”
In this moment, Wan Zhuang didn’t know what to say; they actually connected directly with the Catastrophe Witch?
“Wan Zhuang, go ahead, help us scout. If you master more powerful extraordinary powers… don’t forget your brothers.”
“Yes, don’t forget your brothers, good luck!”
At this moment, a few people stepped up to pat his shoulder, and for a while, it was hard to tell whether their expressions were envious or grateful.
Extraordinary power is always accompanied by danger; even though they are very focused on extraordinary powers, they cannot ignore the danger. And at this moment, someone is paving the way for them. They can only offer their blessings.
They must bless him, sincerely hoping that Wan Zhuang will succeed; if he doesn’t succeed, it means their chances of success are also slim.
