Chapter 414 Mental Pollution, Bright Heart - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

Corpses, bodies scattered everywhere. At a glance, there were no less than a hundred corpses here. The bodies lay haphazardly outside the magical barrier, frozen like stone, meeting a tragic end. Inside the magical barrier, however, it was immaculate; not a trace of blood could be seen. "Did you do this?" Su Miao asked. Leaves rustled, responding with a whispered susurration. Su Miao unleashed a burst of starlight, cleansing the residual grievances and fragmented souls around her. "Take it all and use it as fertilizer." The leaves rustled again, yet no roots emerged to claim the bodies. Su Miao was somewhat taken aback. The mutated trees she had planted before had never wasted nutrients; she hadn't expected this one to reject organic matter. She said nothing more, instead casting a violet flame to reduce the bodies to ash. Entering the villa, Su Miao cast a cleaning spell before taking a magic journal off a nearby bookshelf to read. Her main body was presumably conducting experiments within the realm of the Magic Town. A day later, Lin Jiujiu returned piloting an aircraft, with Xia Xiao'an and Zhang Qian in tow. Fortune was on their side; barely had they set foot in the alloy villa when the sky darkened outside. The polar night descended once more. Su Miao peered at the sky, pondering whether it might be time to voyage into space and discern the cause of this polar night. So far it was known that, periodically, the moon settled between the Earth and sun, barely moving, plunging most of the world into darkness. Another factor was the frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which shrouded the atmosphere in thick clouds. Due to air currents and other influences, some clouds grew so dense that light couldn't penetrate them. It was akin to the deluges and ominous blackness of the pre-apocalyptic world. Su Miao had tried to disperse them, yet her efforts proved ineffective. Her research suggested that only with the terrestrial flora’s recovery to full self-purifying and regulatory capabilities could these clouds dissipate completely. “Su Miao, sis!” Lin Jiujiu entered the villa, exhilarated at seeing Su Miao in her familiar spot. “Your vacation was for two weeks; back already?” Su Miao enquired. “Sister Su Miao, something happened to Xia An, and Zhang Qian too. They were exposed to the abyssal priest's mental pollution," Lin Jiujiu explained. Su Miao replied, “Alright, let me have a look.” Out of caution, Lin Jiujiu had not brought Xia Xiao’an and Zhang Qian into the villa, opting to place them in the courtyard instead. Closing the magic journal, Su Miao returned it to the shelf. In the courtyard, she found Xia Xiao’an and Zhang Qian lying on military cots. They were in far better shape than before, at least not in a comatose state; previously, Xia Xiao’an and Lin Jiujiu would sleep for days whenever anything troubling happened. Yet, this mental pollution was something Su Miao encountered for the first time. How to articulate it? It was reminiscent of concepts like knowledge pollution and consciousness contamination. But at its core, it was akin to the latent dangers posed by Xia Xiao’an’s excessive use of telepathy; only this mental pollution had caused her to face those dangers prematurely — with an unexpected twist of fortune preventing her ruin. Moreover, the suppressant drug Lin Jiujiu had administered to Xia Xiao’an worked wonders. Without it, Xia Xiao’an might have truly succumbed, making treatment much more difficult. “Sister Su Miao, I…” Xia Xiao’an gazed at Su Miao, her demeanor uneasy. She had aspired to grow strong for her sister’s sake, yet had ended up like this. Su Miao procured two paper cups, manifesting small water orbs inside them. “Drink water first, then rest a few days. Don’t use your abilities or meditate; I’ll create a magic potion to treat you.” “Thank you, Sister Su Miao.” “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for forgetting your warning.” Shaking her head, Su Miao replied, “It’s fine. You’ll remember from now on.” Xia Xiao’an nodded softly, “Yes.” “Rest well.” Su Miao gently patted Xia Xiao’an’s head, turning her attention to the slumbering Zhang Qian. According to the abyssal priest’s information, Zhang Qian was targeted by an evil god due to possessing a ‘Heart of Light’. And what was this Heart of Light? Su Miao placed her fingertips over Zhang Qian’s heart, releasing a trace of magic to investigate. Zhang Qian’s heart appeared no different from anyone else’s. Curiously, though, Zhang Qian was undeniably quite beautiful. It was a pity, being in this post-apocalyptic world — otherwise, she might have adorned herself beautifully every day, living a blissful life. Was Zhang Qian’s beauty what caught the evil god’s attention? True, some outlandish behaviors among the demon kings of the inner world made it possible. For instance, the great demon king Colette, whom Su Miao released back, had a collection of figurines among all his possessions. While admiring one particular figurine, Colette mentioned it was a gift from a subordinate demon king, insisting it wasn’t personally meaningful. His conflicted, painful eyes betrayed him, suggesting otherwise. After some thought, Su Miao returned the figure to Colette. The majestic great demon king wept openly in that moment. Given such precedents, it wasn’t hard to imagine evil gods taking notice of Zhang Qian. Satisfied Zhang Qian’s heart bore no peculiar trait, Su Miao withdrew her hand and offered her a cup of water. As for using Zhang Qian as bait for the evil god, that would have to wait until the main body returned. Messages were already relayed; Su Miao expected the main body would respond soon. … In the Magic Town. Su Miao busied herself adjusting the sequencing of certain governing laws. She had been engrossed in these adjustments for five days, utterly absorbed. Through this manipulation of the central law sequences, Su Miao experienced what she thought might be an epiphany. How to describe it? Previously, the concept of a domain was foreign to her. But in that moment, she understood what a domain was. If she so wished, she could unfurl her domain with a mere thought — a domain that was uniquely hers. When Su Miao finally received the avatar’s message, ten days had passed. Standing above the Magic Town domain, Su Miao surveyed the town, which resembled a world anew, basking in her sense of accomplishment. “A sacrificial offering specifically requested by an evil god?” “That means the newly arranged summoning circle needs revision — luckily, I have spares.” “Perfect timing. There are still imperfections in the domain. I could capture an evil god for study.” Setting her plans, Su Miao approached the world’s passageway. So many days had passed since demon king Colette returned to the inner world without preparing the potion she needed. How inefficient. Retracting her gaze, Su Miao's pink hair danced in the breeze before she vanished on the spot. In an instant, she stood above the alloy villa. "Main body, you’ve returned. I'll leave the rest to you." The magical phantom clone yawned, transforming into pure mana and reintegrating with the main body before Su Miao could respond. Accompanying its return was all of the clone’s memories from that time. “Heart of Light?” Su Miao cast her eyes upon the still-sleeping Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian appeared distressed, as if haunted by a dreadful nightmare. Su Miao approached, placing a finger on Zhang Qian’s brow. … Inside her dream, Zhang Qian witnessed the aircraft explode, watching the empowered, brave souls escorting her perish one by one. Among them were friends, family, and countless innocents. Chasing her were the terrifying abyssal priests. With their cephalopod-like tentacles and eyes, they were monsters straight out of the deep sea. Fishing enthusiasts often streamed on the survival app, where they caught bizarre fish. During apocalyptic floods, for example, some fished up massive mutated creatures from freshwater. Not rebar nor the strongest empowered beings could contend with such monstrous fish. Maritime regions yielded even more extremes, like a hundred-ton mutated jellyfish — fully transformed, an utter horror. In a game, it might earn someone the title of ancient god. One fishing enthusiast unknowingly touched one and went mad on the spot. Before long, they had become an octopus-like monster themselves. Yes! Zhang Qian remembered. These abyssal priests resembled those transformed fishermen. Was there a connection? She couldn’t ponder further before more abyssal priests surged at her. “Becoming a sacrifice to my god is your honor!” “Come, embrace my god!” “You shall gain eternal life!” “…” The eerie voices, and the bizarre tones, continuously polluted Zhang Qian's ears, warping her perception, attempting to brainwash her and corner her into inescapability. Time seemed to drag on, until a gentle current washed over her being, banishing the abyssal priests. They cursed and swore from afar, afraid to approach. Their proximity meant dissolution. Yet Zhang Qian found herself trapped, unsure of how long she could persevere. In the void-like space, she crouched with her knees drawn in, uncertain of how much longer she needed to endure. Suddenly, a dazzling light descended from the sky. Zhang Qian looked up in bewilderment and saw beautiful, long pink hair. This was... The witch, Su Miao? Glancing at the distant abyssal priests, she watched as they transformed into black bubble-smoke and vanished amidst their curses. "Hello." Su Miao descended gracefully, facing Zhang Qian. Encountering Su Miao for the first time, Zhang Qian felt a surge of nervousness, "H-hi..." Su Miao nodded, "I'll be brief. You've been tainted by the abyssal priests' corruption, and you won't awaken soon. I plan to use your body to summon the evil god keeping an eye on you, then dispose of it. Do you agree to take this risk?" Huh? Zhang Qian looked confused. The information Su Miao provided was overwhelming. She didn't know how to react. The abyssal organization had seized her to offer her as a sacrifice to an evil god. Now, did the witch Su Miao intend to do the same? "Rest assured, the entire summoning process poses zero risk to you, absolutely none." Su Miao continued, "Everything happening around you has been the evil god's doing. As long as this evil god exists, those close to you will continue to suffer misfortune, just like you’ve experienced." "Once I summon the evil god and extract its divinity, destroying it, you’ll no longer be under its influence." “…” Confusion, shock, and anguish flickered across Zhang Qian's face. She processed Su Miao’s intentions: the witch didn’t mean to sacrifice her to the evil god, but rather use her as bait to summon it, then kill it and seize its divinity. Though Zhang Qian, like many, often skimmed the late-night app knowing Su Miao's formidable power, hearing her talk nonchalantly about killing an evil god was astonishing. Thus, Zhang Qian was immensely shocked. Anguish arose from realizing that those around her had suffered due to the evil god’s influence. "Okay, I’m willing!" Zhang Qian resolves firmly. Su Miao nodded, "Good. Rest and recuperate during this time. After I deal with the evil god, I’ll prepare a magical remedy to heal your mental contamination." “Thank you,” Zhang Qian expressed her gratitude. Su Miao nodded, placing a finger on Zhang Qian. Instantly, a law of light descended, prompting Zhang Qian to close her eyes and slip into a deep slumber. Su Miao cast a glance deep within Zhang Qian’s consciousness, noting wisps of gray fog that flitted away. This mental corruption was truly troublesome. Returning to reality, Su Miao’s consciousness settled. Looking at the slumbering Zhang Qian, she found her resting peacefully. Moreover, affected by the law of light, Zhang Qian’s body began to undergo unique changes. Particularly at her heart, like a lamp being lit. A gentle golden radiance emanated, enveloping Zhang Qian’s body in a cocoon of light. "Heart of Light?" Su Miao observed Zhang Qian's body, puzzled at how the mere presence of light laws could incite such transformation. Su Miao couldn’t discern it, but the evil god targeting Zhang Qian did, suggesting its potent abilities. Yes, meticulous preparation was essential for the impending summoning to ensure nothing could go awry. … The Void Abyss. Spurred by matters of treasure, demon kings and evil gods erupted into a grand conflict around the Void Abyss. Meanwhile, some demon kings and evil gods banded together, constructing altars for unclear purposes. Si Wu, observing the growing tumult among the demon kings and evil gods, could only muster a cold smile. "What are you smiling for? Move aside at once." "Dawdling with the affairs of the Great Demon King Kento, can you bear the consequences?" A demon king from Mist Island admonished. Without much dialogue, Si Wu, plastering on a smile, swiftly packed his things and vanished with a flash. "What a waste of time. Even as a demon king, he lacked any resolve, utterly disappointing. I had considered recruiting him for the Council of Demon Kings, but not with this level of cowardice." "Indeed, sir." The demon king from Mist Island addressed his followers, "Inform the higher-ups that I effortlessly defeated a demon king, seizing this foothold." A follower queried, "Lord Demon King, should we construct an altar?" The demon king retorted, "An altar? Have you the funds for that?" His entourage fell silent instantly. (End of chapter)