As she walked, she soon discovered many strange things one after another.
Although the rocks and steps had been weathered and peeled off, none of the steps had collapsed.
Although the wooden handrails have not been sterilized, they have not decayed or blackened at all over the decades.
The air quality in this space is obviously very fresh and good, and there is no lack of trace moisture, but there is no animal or plant of a slightly larger size to be seen, not even moss or insects. Microorganisms do exist...
All kinds of contradictory and conflicting phenomena are strangely coordinated here, forming a kind of absurd and bizarre unity, which is really weird.
"Tuk, Tuk, Tuk..."
With her hands behind her waist, Qi Ji climbed up the rock-carved steps step by step, with ease, as if this mysterious scarlet space was her own back garden.
In the silent and empty darkness, only the slight but very obvious sound of footsteps echoed rhythmically.
As she walked, she was getting further and further away from the ground, rising higher and higher, and soon she could no longer see the ground with human eyesight alone.
The blood-red full moon above his head showed no signs of getting closer, as if it was just a non-existent shadow that was impossible to reach.
More than half an hour passed like this, and the scenery above, below, left and right did not change at all, giving people the feeling that she was standing still.
Qi Ji himself was very patient. He continued to climb in a spiral shape along the inner wall of the rock, keeping a steady pace, neither impatient nor anxious, and did not directly launch any perception or detection.
Before she reached the end of the stairs, the communication from Hill entered her mind.
"What's the matter?"
After the connection was established, Qi Ji saw through the orange-haired girl's sight that she was in a place similar to a military camp, with tents and wooden houses everywhere, and many armored and blade-wielding people wandering around.
It seems that this girl is still in that camp? However, looking at the details of the building, it seems to be different. She must have gone to another place.
"Sir, I want to report a situation to you."
Hill hid in a corner where no one noticed him, talking to himself in a low voice.
"explain."
After getting Qi Ji's permission, she reported very quickly:
"The Church of Redemption has decided to send a large force to conduct a comprehensive investigation and development of the ruins. Because of my special experience, I was selected into the first group. Now we have arrived at the edge of the ruins...
"Look, this is our temporary base."
The picture then swayed left and right several times, allowing Qi Ji to see the entire picture of the place.
In a certain direction, she saw a gray-white conical structure looming in the distance, old and dilapidated. It was the tip of a tower.
It is obviously a building among the ruins of the city of St. Hydra.
Qi Ji was not surprised, this development was completely within her expectations, or it could be said that it was the most reasonable thing for the Holy See of Redemption to do.
So she posed a question about her real relationship:
"Have you talked to Otilia?"
Take a day off
School starts today and I have been busy most of the day. I really don’t have time to write, so I’m taking a day off.
Chapter 449: Stay on Standby
"Lord True Creator, ever since you gave me instructions that day, I have been asking about Deacon Otilia's whereabouts."
Hill seemed to know that this topic was truly important. When Qi Ji mentioned it, he immediately said:
"But I haven't seen her since then...
"Because when I first returned to the headquarters, the Church of Redemption sent a notice instructing me and all members of the previous vanguard team to return and stay in Camp No. 2, so I didn't have time to look for her..."
Qi Ji did not blame her. It was really not easy for this girl to collect, organize and copy such a large amount of information to offer to him under such tight time conditions.
Forcing her to negotiate with Ottilia... would be too much to ask.
However, Qi Ji sensed a clue from her words:
"You said before that after Otilia talked with you that night, she left Camp No. 2 and returned to the headquarters? Then as the leader of the vanguard team, wasn't she called back to the camp with you?"
Although he knew that Qi Ji couldn't see it, Hill in the temporary base outside the ruins still shook his head:
"No, I didn't see her traveling with us... Maybe the Church of Redemption has other plans for her. After all, Lady Otilia is a very talented and powerful 'Requiem Master', and there are many places in the Last Kingdom that can use her."
Just because you didn't see her doesn't mean she's not there...
Qi Ji did not comment on Hill's speculation and changed the subject:
"How many people are there in your group?"
Hill frowned slightly and recalled for a moment, then answered thoughtfully:
"The first batch of troops are mostly combat members, responsible for thoroughly clearing all the more significant threats in the ruins. There are a total of one hundred people... I was assigned to the 'No. 3 Team', which is a team responsible for exploring the 'Abyss'."
When she first described the bottomless hole in the ruins to the officials of the Last Kingdom, she used the word "abyss". Now the Last Kingdom has taken it as the official name of the hole, and it has become a unique proper noun.
"So, you're going to go down that big hole again later?"
"Yes, according to the original plan, we will set off tomorrow morning at the latest, or in an hour at the earliest."
As she spoke, Hill turned her head and looked to her left. Through her vision, Qi Ji could see that in an open space not far away, a dozen fully armed soldiers were sorting and maintaining their weapons and protective gear.
The expression on his face was full of seriousness and solemnity, and he showed the courage to face death head-on.
Obviously, these people are what Hill calls "Team Three".
"We are now on standby in the base, waiting for Team One and Team Two to clear the road leading to the 'Abyss'. Then we will set off."
Hill retracted his gaze and said.
"abyss……"
Qi Ji recalled the strange environment that Hill was in at that time, and was suddenly touched. As if he thought of something, he slowly raised his head and looked at the distant and unreachable blood-red full moon above his head.
After a few seconds of silence, she said quietly:
"Something may happen in a while. I can't say how long it will take. You'd better make some preparations."
"Something happened? What?"
Hill was a little confused. She didn't doubt Qi Ji's words, but the problem was that the other party didn't say what would happen. How should she prepare?
"Watch out for the 'abyss.'"
Qi Ji spoke without beginning or ending, and then immediately interrupted the conversation, showing his charlatan style:
"That's all for now. Contact me when you reach the Abyss."
After saying this, she unilaterally cut off the contact without waiting for the other party to respond.
"Forehead……"
Realizing that the will of the "true creator" had left, Hill in the temporary base scratched his head blankly, somewhat confused.
"...Forget it, let's check the spell materials."
She shrugged and looked around. After making sure that no one was noticing her, she took off the backpack on her back.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, she placed the backpack on her legs, opened it, and with the help of the dim light, she rummaged through the items inside in a very covert manner.
Packed in the backpack was a pile of materials sealed in bottles and jars, neatly stacked in an orderly manner.
These are the spellcasting materials that Hill prepared in advance as a mage in order to improve the efficiency and strength of his spellcasting.
For a mage, being prepared and being unprepared are two completely different concepts. If one is caught completely off guard, even a senior mage can be killed by a simple knife.
But if he is given enough time and materials to prepare in advance, then the role that the righteous mage can play in the battle... can even be comparable to that of a dozen well-trained professional soldiers - of course, they have to be mortal soldiers.
Hill is currently only the lowest-level "apprentice".
Although she believed that she had basically mastered all the spells at this level and could consider becoming a "true magician", time was too tight and she did not have enough time to do so.
As an "apprentice", it is difficult to cast spells with significant effects in a short period of time without relying on "external forces" such as spiritual items and spiritual materials.
When she fell into the abyss before, she was lucky that she fell for a long enough time, otherwise she would not have been able to release the degraded version of "Flame Escape" in time to save herself.
"... the leg hairs of the Hundred-Eyes strain... the tooth powder of the fire dragon... this is, uh... the real heart of the Shapeshifter? Yes, that's right... the next one is..."
She methodically counted the materials in her bag, glancing up from time to time to avoid being disturbed.
Most of these materials are processed biological spiritual tissues of alien species and monsters. In the Gray Forest, apart from the evil spirits, there are very few ordinary animals, let alone alien monsters.
The food of the residents of the Last Kingdom is basically various plants. Those animals that are not infected by the "rust plague" are rare animals. They are well protected and raised in special shelters. They are used as research subjects by scientific researchers and are not eaten.
The spellcasting materials in the backpack were obtained by sacrificing the spiritual equipment she collected from the bottom of the "Abyss" to the real Creator in exchange. They were all products of His world.
"The 'other world' where the real Creator lives has so many species? No wonder they were able to develop such a systematic and advanced cultivation system... When will we be able to be like that?"
Looking up, she looked at the lifeless gray-white woods not far away and the leaden black clouds in the sky that never dissipated.
To Hill, and to anyone in the Last Kingdom, they have been a part of this world since ancient times. It has always been like this in the past, it is like this now, and it will always be like this in the future.
Just like air, it seems natural.
She couldn't imagine what a world without these things would be like, but it must be... so beautiful that she couldn't describe it in words.
She didn't know what a world without the curse of the Rust Plague would be like, she only knew that such a world was worth pursuing.
that's enough.
So, the girl gave up her fantasy, and only her longing remained in her heart... and the courage that was as hot as fire.
Chapter 450 Contact
Inside the mountain of Mountains of End, Qi Ji, who had closed the Mirror of Redmormon, suddenly stopped for some reason and stood quietly on the stairs carved on the steep stone wall.
The full crimson moon above her head was still vague and illusory, and did not get any closer despite her climbing.
"It seems that we have to hurry up a little."
Qi Ji curled his lips nonchalantly, walked to the outer edge of the stairs, raised one hand, and gently pressed it on the simple wooden railing, feeling the rough, cold, and hard touch in his palm.
After a few seconds of silence like a virgin, she suddenly exerted a little force on her palm.
"Whoosh-"
The slender and petite figure suddenly leaped into the air and floated to the center of this extremely deep "shaft" with a diameter of four or five hundred meters, and then...
"brush!"
Flying straight upwards!
The posture was extremely light and agile, and only made a barely perceptible whistling sound.
With the help of the invisible force, her body was like an arrow shot from a bow, piercing towards the illusory blood moon at an extremely fast speed.
"Brush la la..."
The cold air turned into a gust of wind, blowing fiercely across his cheeks, causing the thick and wide cloak to crackle, and the corners of the clothes to flutter and swing in the dimness.
The blood moon, the only source of light, was too dim. When her body was in the center of the "shaft", the surrounding arc-shaped stone walls and the stairs carved into the rock walls were completely invisible.
This made her feel as if she was suspended in the vast, dark and silent deep space of the universe, with almost absolute darkness in front, behind, left, right and below her.
The red full moon above is the only star in this deep sky, emitting a weak, dim, weird, yet extremely eye-catching crimson light.
"It's too dark. This is not good."
Qi Ji muttered, raised one hand, and snapped his fingers:
“…Let there be light.”
"brush!--"
Three translucent rings suddenly appeared, about two meters in diameter, wrapping her in the center, rotating in an interlaced manner at a very fast speed and in an indistinct pattern.
The moment these three rings appeared, they burst into brilliant light with billions of colors, instantly illuminating the surrounding space.
It easily overwhelmed the crimson glow of the full moon, just as the light of a single star could not outshine the brilliance of the galaxy!
The colorful starlight shines, and the surrounding stone walls are dyed with dreamy and brilliant colors, making Qi Ji feel as if he is in the vast starry sky.
As if blessed by this endless starlight that contained infinite energy, her ascension speed increased indescribably:
The surrounding stone walls suddenly dropped so fast that they were no longer discernible to the naked eye, blurring into a hazy patch as if filled with mist. The stairs that spiraled up along the inner wall also became blurred and could no longer be distinguished.
