Chapter 429 Are you going to save the world? Will mom and dad forget you? - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

Su Miao staggered as she emerged into the void, clutching ten servings of packaged dry-fried chicken rice. She promptly stored the meals in her magical space, surveying her unfamiliar surroundings to ascertain her location. Consulting the map, she confirmed that this place was far removed from the city mentioned by the magical girl, Xin Miaomiao. For an ordinary person, reaching this distant location might take years, if it was even possible. However, for Su Miao in her current state, it was not too daunting. After walking for about a week, traversing several perilous zones and acquiring six beautiful bizarre crystal cores, Su Miao reached the city Xin Miaomiao had described. Standing in the void, she glanced around, grateful for the map provided by Xin Miaomiao; otherwise, discovering this place might have taken ages. In the midst of chaos, the city appeared like a mirage. Towering buildings seemed intricately woven from light and shadow, both tangible and ethereal. The streets were wide and tranquil, devoid of bustling carriages, only the gentle whispering of the wind remained. Street lamps cast fragmented shadows, veiling the peculiar city in a shroud of mystery. Within the city lingered an aura of extreme danger. The fleeting dangerous aura vanished, serving as a warning to newcomers. Maintaining a cold demeanor, Su Miao headed down the deserted main road towards the city. The city gate lacked guards, but there was a barely perceptible light screen. This light screen posed no danger. At least to Su Miao, it was harmless. Passing through the light screen, Su Miao entered the city, walking along the cobblestone streets, observing the passersby and the shops lining the road. The inhabitants here were best described as humanoids, featuring human bodies adorned with cat ears and tails, bull horns with human forms and bull tails, horse-eared and horse-tailed girls... They resembled characters straight out of games and anime. Their faces held little expression, their steps steady, as if always in a hurry. The architecture on both sides of the street was highly abstract. This style resonated well with Su Miao. The buildings seemed constructed from ancient stones and building fragments, assembled through magical means, exuding an epic and bizarre sense of time. Yet, one had to admit their practicality, at least within this world. For some reason, desolate cities were abundant in this alternate world. It appeared to be an amalgamation of countless shattered worlds. Regarding this alternate world, Su Miao realized she hadn't inquired much from Xin Miaomiao. As she observed the city, Su Miao sensed uniquely distinct energy fluctuations. No, they were law fluctuations. The source of these distinct auras lay in the plaza not far ahead. Taking a few steps forward, Su Miao reached the city's plaza, vast in size, akin to five or six football fields. At the center of the plaza stood a statue. The statue depicted a witch! Surrounded by a pool, water lilies bloomed within it. Interestingly, though no trees were nearby, a few leaves drifted atop the pool, their origins mysterious. Gazing at the statue, Su Miao discerned the source of danger. The statue brimmed with dense faith power, nearly birthing a self-awareness. However, this faith had never been harvested, merely left to protect the city. From Su Miao’s observation, if this faith were to consolidate, it would surpass even the strength of the fallen supreme deity, Luo He… Utterly astounding. “Your Highness, the Witch!” A lovely cat-eared girl knelt devoutly before Su Miao, her voice trembling with excitement and tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Your Highness, for protecting us. Meeting you is the greatest honor of my life!” Clearly, she was a fervent believer. Unwilling to be mistaken, Su Miao clarified, “I am not her; you’re mistaken.” The cat-eared girl paused, glancing between Su Miao and the statue, seemingly perplexed. Abruptly, a light projected from the statue, landing before Su Miao. Extending a finger to touch the light, Su Miao instantly understood. “Thank you.” Her figure vanished in an instant. The cat-eared girl stared at where Su Miao had disappeared, then looked back at the statue, ancient beyond reckoning, in shock. In her confusion, it seemed she had touched upon something monumental. She let out a cute scream, “A miracle! Your Highness’s miracle!” Ten seconds later, three figures clad in grey cloaks, their faces obscured, arrived at the plaza. Bowing reverently to the witch’s statue, they turned to the cat-eared girl. “What happened here?” Tears of excitement streaming down her face, the cat-eared girl replied, “Three main priests, a miracle, I witnessed a miracle.” The three exchanged glances, coaxing, “Calm down, speak slowly.” “I… I… just saw a pink-haired witch stand here, thinking it was our protector, and felt immense joy.” “But the pink-haired witch told me she wasn’t our protector.” “I was confused, unable to discern the situation.” “Then, the statue emitted a light that landed before her. She looked at the statue, thanked it, and disappeared.” The three main priests appeared astonished. The witch they worshipped was indeed pink-haired. This person also had pink hair yet was someone else? Could it be they had erred, not receiving acknowledgment from their protector? No, impossible. If they weren’t acknowledged, she would not have saved them during countless city perils. Perhaps this pink-haired witch was not their worship recipient, merely passing by. Or she could be acquainted with their protector! Perhaps even a friend? It must be! Otherwise, the statue would not have reacted in such a way. Recalling past instances where threats encroached, they were invariably thwarted by her but this time, it was an equal exchange, directly indicating the truth. “Thank the protector for her shelter!” The three aligned before the statue, respectfully announcing, “Inform the entire city; a witch has graced us with her presence. All shall regard her with the same reverence. In three days, host a witch tea party in the city square!” ... Su Miao overheard the three main priests' conversation. It wasn’t her intention, but their presence piqued her curiosity. These three, no, they shouldn't be called human but rather a blend of humanity and the bizarre, their specific nature now indeterminable. This wasn't the strange part—their real strength was astonishing, one already a supreme deity. The other two were nearly deities themselves, formidable in power. Given Su Miao’s understanding of this alternate realm, such power sufficed to dominate a region, yet they devoutly worshiped a witch indifferent to gathering faith… Su Miao blinked, opting not to ponder further. Moments ago, the witch statue conveyed coordinates for her parents' location in the Astral Sea. With one step, Su Miao appeared in a secluded city district. Her target: a small shop. From it emanated a warm, yellow glow. The shop was run by an elderly couple, their eyes brimming with stories, vigor untouched by age. Inside stood various items: slate books, peculiar instrument fragments, bizarre machinery, diverse tomes, and miscellanea. Most items bore the marks of ages, likely lost and buried. The couple had painstakingly collected them across this alternate world. Su Miao paused, hesitating to approach. From her magical space, she retrieved a family photograph. In the picture, her parents held her as a three-month-old, standing with her grandparents. Her parents appeared so young, but the elderly before her had aged a lot. Yet their spirit remained unchanged. Taking a deep breath, Su Miao cautiously moved forward. “Dad, Mom…” She’d practiced addressing a photograph countless times alone but had never faced them for real. Here and now, familiar shyness washed over her. But this time, she couldn't maintain her cold facade to disguise herself. Attempting to enter a state of absolute calm, her inner turmoil hindered her efforts—the subconscious resisted. “Miss, would you like to buy something?” Her white-haired mother greeted her from the store's entrance. Hearing her voice, her father turned, beaming at Su Miao. “Don’t worry, our prices are fair.” Advancing a few steps, tears unwittingly streamed down Su Miao’s face. Seeing her daughter in tears, Su Miao’s mother hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong, dear? Such a beautiful girl, it’s such a pity to see you cry. Did something happen? You can tell us, and we’ll help you.” She continued, “We have a daughter around your age.” “If she survived the apocalypse…” At this, tears welled up in her mother's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. “Oh dear, I just got some dust in my eyes.” With a gentle smile, she said, “Come, have a seat. We just received some spring water; have a drink to calm down before speaking.” For some reason, the closer she got to Su Miao, the more her tears flowed. “Forgive me for saying so, but seeing you reminds me of our daughter, as if you were her.” The tears, once begun, wouldn’t stop. Her father approached, looking between Su Miao and her mother with concern on his face. Su Miao declared, “Dad, Mom, I am Su Miao.” She opened her arms, throwing herself into her mother’s embrace, crying, “I’m Su Miao, I finally found you.” Her teary-eyed mother was momentarily stunned, unsure of the situation. Her father, too, was visibly shocked. Once they regained their composure, the three held each other and wept for a long time. “Oh, I should go buy some groceries.” Her mother stood abruptly, still in disbelief that after the world’s end, having landed in the dangerous alternate world, their daughter had found them once more. Nothing could bring greater joy or happiness than this. Her father promptly produced a jade token from behind and handed it over. “Buy plenty; let's indulge a bit.” Su Miao said, “No need to buy anything; I have it all here.” ? Her parents eyed her empty hands skeptically. Where was the food? With a gesture, Su Miao accessed her magical space, producing tomatoes, potatoes, corn, cabbage, steaks, beef, string beans, raspberries, strawberries, watermelons, mulberries, apricots, and peaches… Limited by the space, she only took out a little of each, yet even that quickly filled the room. The elderly couple was utterly amazed at the bounty. Had the earth changed so much in just a few years since they ended up in the alternate world? “We can’t eat all of this.” “Indeed, and we have nowhere to store it.” When they had ended up in the alternate world, storage spatial devices were still in development; they knew nothing about them and certainly didn’t possess any. Without delay, Su Miao presented her parents with two spatial storage devices, instructing them on their use. Seeing the Shelter No. 1 insignia, they were comforted and overjoyed. The emblem indicated Shelter No. 1’s prosperous development, alleviating concerns about the continuation of humanity. Having weathered numerous tribulations, the elderly couple quickly adapted to all that Su Miao had brought. Her mother wasted no time in storing the supplies Su Miao provided, preparing a lavish feast. Gathered around the table, the family ate while recounting past events. Su Miao learned of her parents’ work and their experiences in the alternate world. Despite various crises—distorted space nodes, bizarre creature attacks, deranged object assaults, self-mutations, and mineral radiation—of the 300 who entered the alternate world, only 32, including her parents, survived to settle in this special city. “Miao Miao, what did you go through during the apocalypse?” her mother asked with concern. Su Miao shared a general account of her time with her grandparents and what transpired post-apocalypse. She omitted details about figures like Xin Miaomiao. Even so, her parents regarded her tale with the incredulity reserved for mythological epics—outrageous beyond imagination. After Su Miao finished, they exchanged bewildered glances, slowly returning to reality. Could this be true or false? If false, it implied Su Miao’s mind had been affected by the apocalyptic ordeal. If true, it signaled that their daughter, Su Miao, as a witch, could incite a twilight of the gods… Essentially, their daughter, Su Miao, was akin to a supreme deity… How could one even begin to comprehend such a thing? Especially considering their lifelong devotion to science, was science rendered obsolete? “Miao Miao, is what you said true?” her father inquired. Su Miao nodded. “Yes, I’m here to find you. Shelter No. 1 is thriving; I can take you back to Earth, to Shelter No. 1. It’s very safe there. Alternatively, you can stay here, which is also very secure.” Her mother quickly picked up on a key point in Su Miao’s words. “Miao Miao, do you have something you need to do?” Su Miao nodded. “Yes, I have things I need to take care of.” Her mother asked, “You need to leave Earth?” Su Miao answered, “Yes, to another universe.” Her mother, worried, asked, “Are you going to save the world? Will Dad and Mom forget about you?” ... (End of Chapter)