75. The Journey Accelerates
"Is this the right path?" The Tarnished glanced sideways at someone.
"My guidance tells me it's just up ahead," Xiling assured, patting his chest.
"Why don't I believe it?" Kevin asked doubtfully.
Dan Heng, who had been maintaining a vigilant observation, now withdrew his gaze from his surroundings, frowned slightly, and turned to Xiling, asking, "Xiling, are we really heading towards the city-state? The density and aggressiveness of the monsters we encounter along the way have increased significantly. This doesn't seem like we're approaching a sanctuary, but more like we've stepped into the heart of a trap."
"How about I fly up and take a look?" Houraiji Kyuushou offered, her eyes filled with eagerness.
"Let me do it," Elaina, perched on a hovering broom, said calmly.
As soon as she finished speaking, she lightly ascended into the air, her wand swiping smoothly through the air. In an instant, a shimmering magic circle silently unfolded before her.
Through the magic mirror, everything on the ground was magnified. For a brief moment, Elaina's gaze froze.
A breathtakingly majestic, massive city wall rose at the end of the horizon.
However, what froze Irena wasn't the wall itself, but the surging, seething ocean beneath—a terrifying wave of tens of thousands of Demonic Beasts!
Like thick, simmering asphalt, they tumbled and roared, emitting deafening, terrifying roars. They charged forward, fearlessly pounding their flesh and blood against the cold stone wall. A dull thud and a splatter of rubble and blood accompanied each impact.
It was a pure, unadorned scene of war unfolding before Elaina's eyes. Only the primal smell of iron and death permeated the air.
"What... is... that?" Elaina murmured, her face turning slightly pale.
Elaina had never witnessed anything like this, witnessing such a reckless barbarism, using flesh and blood as battering rams.
This scene was beyond her understanding of the beasts.
Slowly descending from the sky, Elaina's expression was still a little dazed.
"What's wrong? Did you see something?" Lemuen asked with a hint of concern. Elaina's dazed expression was clearly visible to everyone present.
Elaina squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, shook her head, and tried to regain her composure.
"No, I'm fine. It's just... the scene was a bit shocking."
Elaina forced a smile of relief at the corners of her mouth, but the smile didn't fully reach her eyes.
"Are you really okay?" Luo Tianyi leaned forward, her eyes filled with worry.
"If you feel any discomfort, please speak up. Don't force yourself."
Facing her companions' concern, Elaina smiled.
"Don't worry. I'm a witch who cherishes my journey the most. I won't treat myself badly."
At this moment, Dan Heng approached.
"Elaina, what did you see?"
Elaina began to describe the scene to her companions clearly:
"Directly ahead, there is indeed the outline of an extremely large city. But... in front of the city, stands an unimaginably massive wall. And below the wall..."
She said...
"It's surrounded and assaulted by a swarm of monsters like a raging tide! They are frantically attacking the wall, trying to drown and destroy it."
After hearing Elaina's words, Xiling gave her a thumbs-up.
"See, I chose the right path."
"Yes, the destination is right, but what about the journey?" The Tarnished asked, seemingly puzzled.
"Haha," Xi Ling chuckled dryly.
"Even though there were a few errors along the way, at least the result was good, wasn't it?"
Just as Xiling finished speaking, a group of Demonic Beasts emerged from the high hillside, gazing intently at the group below.
Normally, at a time like this, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash would have been on high alert, but at this moment, they remained calm.
Why?
The answer is simple: they'd encountered countless similar situations along the way!
Because they didn't have Merlin to guide them, they relied solely on a hero instinct to find their way to the destination.
As mentioned earlier, although they had reached the correct destination, there were some minor mishaps along the way. They had already encountered dozens of encirclements and attacks. At first, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others were vigilant, but after it repeated so many times, they had become accustomed to it and were numb.
Luo Tianyi once again used her abilities to force the Demonic Beasts to submit and commit suicide.
Luo Tianyi, nicknamed "small fry crusher" by Xiling, lived up to the title. Without sufficient strength and a strong will, Luo Tianyi's voice could directly control weak opponents. The easier it was to control, the less mental energy Luo Tianyi consumed. These Demonic Beasts were essentially created with a single purpose: to kill, making them the easiest to control.
After dozens of attacks, Luo Tianyi hadn't expended much mental energy.
"Say, are we just going to go slowly. Is that really okay?" Elaina, after witnessing the scene, said this.
Their mission.
[The Last Glory of Uruk]
[Mission Completion Conditions.]
[1. Defeat the Three Goddesses Alliance.]
[2. Defeat the Goddess of Creation, Tiamat.]
[3. ???]
Hearing Elaina's words, Xiling pondered. It was indeed a bit slow.
Isn't there a way to reach our destination more quickly?
Yes, brother! There is!
The corners of Xiling's mouth slowly curled up, revealing a smile that chilled everyone present.
"Hehehehe... Your words remind me. Slow? That won't do! Time is life, efficiency is victory!"
Xiling's voice was filled with an eerie excitement:
"So, it's time to speed up our journey... a little!"
Before he finished his words, Xiling suddenly raised his right hand, fingers spread out, palm facing down, pointing at the ground beneath his feet and the surrounding space!
Buzz!
A low, yet heart-pounding humming sound echoed. With Xiling as the center, the scene within a radius of dozens of meters began to undergo a bizarre and incomprehensible transformation!
The soil, rocks, fallen monster carcasses, twisted shrubs, all tangible objects, resembled wax figures thrown into a high-temperature furnace! Their forms instantly lost their stability, their edges blurred, softened, and dissolved, transforming into a viscous liquid substance that shimmered with a strange energy sheen!
Under the stunned gazes of Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, the dissolved matter didn't disperse. Instead, as if it were kneaded and pulled by invisible giant hands, it frantically gathered, compressed, and shaped itself in front of Xiling! The liquid matter swirled, stretched, and combined at high speed, emitting a teeth-grinding creaking sound and the clanging of metal forming!
Just a few breaths later, the humming sound abruptly ceased. The distorted light suddenly faded.
A bus appeared before the crowd.
It wasn't a traditional bus, but it was still a bus.
Xiling took the lead, opening the door and waving excitedly from the driver's seat.
"No time to explain! Get aboard!"
Kevin grumbled as he climbed aboard, "Your hero's strength is a bit outrageous!"
"That's just the beginning! I can do far more than you can imagine!" Xiling puffed out his chest proudly.
"Heh, for example," Kevin asked curiously. The others also boarded the bus one after another, finding a random seat.
Xiling's lips curled up at Kevin's curious gaze, then suddenly his expression turned extremely serious.
"Change!"
"What's wrong with you?" Kevin took a step back in disgust at Xiling's expression, but soon realized something was wrong.
Something seemed to be happening to his body.
Suddenly, Kevin seemed to realize something!
His pupils trembled violently, and he immediately lunged at Xiling.
"You bastard! Stop your dangerous thoughts!"
"Let go, let me go! I'm not doing this anymore! I'm not doing this anymore!" Xiling slapped Kevin's arm, which was holding his neck back.
"You bastard! I can't believe you could even have such a horrible thought. You're no ordinary bastard!"
"I can't breathe!"
Everyone in the car looked at the two people in the driver's seat in confusion.
Some were confused about what Xiling had done to Kevin. Finally, after Xiling's repeated assurances, Kevin finally let go, and Xiling immediately moved to the driver's seat.
Gripping the steering wheel slightly, Xiling felt a flicker of regret.
The plan to transform everyone in the chat group except me into beautiful girls had failed.
He hadn't expected Kevin to come up with the correct answer so quickly.
It was a shame he didn't get to see the beautiful Kevin.
Just then, Xiling turned the key.
But it wasn't necessary.
This wasn't a traditional bus; it didn't need gasoline or electricity.
A silvery-white magical energy began to envelop the entire vehicle. Xiling then turned to face the people in the back seat, putting on a serious tour guide's face and announcing in a clear, clear voice:
"Dear visitors, please take note! The Hero Special Sightseeing Bus is about to depart! The journey may be slightly bumpy, so please be careful! If you see any beautiful scenery outside the window—like hordes of monsters, exploding art, or someone lucky enough to be thrown out—please take a picture and send me a copy as a souvenir when you get back!"
"Enough of the reminder. Fasten your seatbelts, you safety-conscious bastards! I built these for you, so don't forget to wear them!"
Xiling pointed at those who weren't wearing seatbelts.
Soon, everyone had fastened their seatbelts, and Xiling nodded with satisfaction, turning to look ahead.
He stared silently ahead for a few seconds.
The Tarnished nudged Kevin beside him.
"What's that guy doing?"
"How should I know?" Just then, the bus started to move, and Xiling, without warning, stepped on the accelerator.
The bus launched almost instantly, carrying a tremendous shove, like an arrow shot from a bow, rushing forward with a frantic momentum determined to crush everything in its path into dust!
And this time, Xiling didn't pave the road with magic.
A bumpy journey officially began.
——
——
A/N [Author Notes]:
The will of the hero is supreme! Kevin, transform!