And once the summoning is successful, the first things that will be destroyed when the will of "natural disaster" descends upon this world are the summoners who are closest to it!
Which third or fourth realm expert would risk almost certain death to do such a heartless thing that harms others and does not benefit himself? Are you crazy?!
Those crazy and deranged cultists might not have the courage to do this!
Qi Ji was fully expecting Meili's suspicion. She did not rush to refute or explain immediately, but continued to focus on the three members of the team and said calmly:
"In fact, I'm not completely sure. This is just a possibility I speculated based on the current intelligence... But it doesn't matter. I'm planning to go to Jie Lian Island, and I will be able to verify it myself then."
"Wait, if your guess is true, then wouldn't it be a way to our own death if we went to Jielian Island?!"
Meili couldn't sit still anymore and interrupted in astonishment:
"Even if it's just a shaky guess, since there's such a possibility, we should avoid the risk!
“Although we may still be affected by the natural disaster if we return to the Northern Continent, it is better than running headfirst into the birthplace of the natural disaster, right?!”
"Well, that's true. From a rational point of view, going north back to the Northern Continent and seeking refuge in the Empire or the Holy Church is far less risky than continuing to the Linking Island. What you said is wise and correct."
Meili originally thought that Qi Ji would make some excuses, or at least explain the reason why she insisted on going to Jie Lian Island, but she didn't expect that this girl actually admitted it directly. This reaction made Meili stunned.
Amid the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Qi Ji laughed and said:
"So, if you want to change your route, I have no problem with that at all."
"Then, then what do you mean..."
"I just said 'I'm planning to go to Yule Island', not 'we'."
Qi Ji stretched out a finger and shook it in front of him, saying very casually:
"You can take the boat back to the North Continent. I will continue to Jie Lian Island. As for transportation...
"Well, let's take that small boat. It's a little broken, but at least it can still be driven. You can't use it anyway, and it would be a pity to let it rot in the sea. It should be okay for me to give it to you, right?"
"……What?!"
Her words shocked everyone! Meili's expression changed dramatically and she shouted in astonishment:
"You're alone?! Are you kidding me? How is this possible?!"
Qi Ji shrugged: "At least have some confidence in me, don't you still not believe in my ability?"
Rather than saying this to Meili, it would be more accurate to say that this was said to Friong and the other two. Unlike Meili, in the eyes of the Friong team, she was a magic fighter who practiced both magic and martial arts, and she was also a rare genius who had reached the third level of both magic and martial arts!
Friang and the others also understood this meaning, but they were still shocked and worried. Lina stepped forward and said:
"But, but no matter what, going to a place like that by yourself... is too, too dangerous!"
Meili also responded with great agreement:
"Yes, yes, yes. I don't know why you are so obsessed with investigating the relationship between Jie Lian Island and the natural disaster, but this kind of thing is impossible for you to handle alone. You should calm down and come back to the North Continent with us!"
I never thought that there would be a day when I would be advised to calm down...
Qi Ji couldn't help but smile knowingly, then shook his head and said:
"I have reasons to do this, so please don't try to persuade me."
Why? Fun, of course!
That's the scene where the cultists summoned the evil god! In the game, it would at least be an important side quest, and maybe it could unlock some hidden dungeons.
Besides, things like "natural disasters"... are new and novel things that she has never come into contact with before. How can she resist the desire to explore them?
The unknown, for Qi Ji, the unknown and the mysterious are the most valuable resources!
"The Scourge summons... a gathering of mages..."
Seeing that Qi Ji looked relaxed but had such a firm attitude, Friang suddenly seemed to have thought of something. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, and a light of understanding flashed in his eyes.
After a few seconds of silence, he nodded first and said:
"I understand, Miss 105. On behalf of everyone here, I can give you that boat. I wish you... a safe journey."
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I forgot to say it yesterday, please like it in the new week!
Chapter 527: Maybe it’s an accidental success?
"Eh?!"
Frion's words puzzled Lina greatly. She stared at her captain's profile in disbelief and said loudly in an extremely surprised tone:
"Captain, what you said is not right!? I have no objection to giving that broken boat to little Sharon, but she wants to go to such a dangerous place alone! Even if she is a demon... well."
Lina is a outspoken person, and in a panic she almost revealed Qi Ji's identity as a "magic fighter" in front of everyone.
At the last moment, she suddenly realized that in addition to the three members of the team, there were also Mary, sailors, refugees and other "outsiders" in a sense.
Qi Ji might not have told them this information yet, so it was definitely not convenient for him to talk about it casually, so he quickly stopped talking.
"Well... Anyway, even if she is very strong, we can't let her take risks in vain! No, I have to persuade her..."
Lina said this excitedly, then turned her head and stared at Qi Ji. She raised both hands and placed them on her shoulders, pressing down very hard, as if she was afraid that this petite black-haired girl would slip away when no one was paying attention.
"Xiaoxue... Yao Lingwu, listen to me, I don't know what you are obsessed with, but that kind of thing is definitely not something you can handle alone!
"No matter what, you should come back to the Northern Continent with us and seek help from the nine major churches or those big countries. Maybe we can even get help from legendary masters or even angels on earth..."
The taciturn male mage Io also advised:
"Yeah, with the legendary strongman and demigod here, it's better than being alone, right?"
“These guys…”
Seeing the concerned and worried expressions on the faces of the two men, Qi Ji gave a helpless smile and was about to say something when Friang spoke first:
"Everyone, I think Miss 105 has her own plans."
This calm and composed man stretched out his hands, placed them on the shoulders of two team members, Lina and Io, and pulled them half a step towards him.
"Captain! You..."
Before Lina could finish her words, Friang's face suddenly darkened and he said in a very low voice:
"Come here first. There are some things that cannot be said publicly."
Seeing his sudden change in expression, Lina and Io looked at each other and immediately understood. Lina said to Meili:
"Excuse me, let's talk for three of us."
Meili understood what he meant, turned around and left the front deck, and joined the crew in the work of resettling refugees and the wounded, leaving the place to the three members of the team and Qi Ji.
"You guys take your time chatting." Qi Ji also walked to the side, but with her hearing, it was hard for her not to hear the conversation between the three people.
Lina says:
"Captain, what's going on?"
Friant said in a deep voice:
"Have you forgotten? Miss Sharon has an identity. She is the 'Moon Valley Magic Fighter' who caused a big disturbance at the last Mage Gathering a few years ago."
"Well, that's true..." Lina nodded, but there was still confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand why he said that.
Ai Ou seemed to have thought of something and frowned:
"You mean, the reason why Ms. Sharon insisted on going to Jie Lian Island to investigate is related to her last disruption of the wizard gathering?"
"Well, if Miss Sharon is really the Mochizuki Valley Demon Fighter, then this is obvious."
Friant nodded slightly and said affirmatively:
"What I am going to say below is just a guess. It may not be true. But as long as we acknowledge this guess, then Miss Sharon's abnormal persistence can be completely explained."
He rolled his eyes, glanced past the two team members at Qi Ji who was leaning against the railing not far away enjoying the sea breeze, and after confirming that her attention was not directed in this direction, he continued in a smaller, almost whispering voice:
"We do not assume Ms. Sharon's true identity, but only analyze her motives based on her behavior.
“First, she broke into the venue of the last wizard gathering three years ago in the form of a mysterious person and caused a big disturbance at the gathering, completely disrupting all the arrangements of all the participants.
"This caused the rally to end abruptly, and most of the original plans could not be completed.
"Three years later, for some reason, Ms. Sharon stopped disrupting... er, the event, so the Mage Gathering was held as normal. Then this happened:
"After the gathering, it seems that a strong person performed an evil summoning ritual, which led to the arrival of this generation's 'Underwater Disaster'."
Having said this, even a fool could guess what he meant. Lina's eyes suddenly widened, and she said with sudden realization:
"You mean, at the last Mage Gathering, there were bad guys who wanted to summon a natural disaster, and it was because of Xiao Xuelun's intervention that they failed?! And preventing the natural disaster from coming was also Xiao Xuelun's purpose in destroying the Mage Gathering!?"
"Keep your voice down... Well, I think this is a reasonable guess." Friant made a gesture to silence, and then said with a serious expression:
"In this way, it is completely understandable why Ms. Sharon is so determined to go to Jielian Island to investigate:
"She failed to prevent the natural disaster from being summoned by some lunatics this time. To remedy the situation, it is only natural for her to go to the scene of the disaster for investigation."
"You're right, but..." Lina was completely convinced by his theory, but her expression was still complicated:
"But why doesn't she tell the truth? It was like this three years ago, and it's the same now. It seems like she's the only one handling it. Logically, if she tells the church or the country about such a big conspiracy, they will definitely get strong support, right?"
"Who knows?" Friant shrugged.
"Maybe Miss Sharon had some reason to keep it secret and act alone. Maybe she had tried that before, but failed for some reason...
"In short, Miss Sharon is neither stupid nor crazy. She must have made her current decision after careful consideration."
"So, we shouldn't obstruct her, otherwise, our kindness and worry may drag her down instead." Finally, Io concluded.
"Is that so..." Lina lowered her head in depression and stopped talking.
Friant sighed:
"In short, we are just small fry and cannot provide any substantial help to Miss Sharon... The only thing we can do is to provide moral support behind the scenes. Any rash actions will only cause trouble for her."
"This guy... has quite a rich imagination." Qi Ji, who was pretending to look at the scenery from a distance, almost couldn't help laughing out loud.
But to be honest, Friant's speculation... did make Qi Ji think of a possibility.
A possible truth about the real "Moon Valley Demon Fighter" who caused a disturbance at the wizard gathering three years ago.
"To stop someone from summoning a natural disaster... Well, that makes sense. But why didn't the Moon-Watching Valley Demon Fighter do the same today, three years later? Did he fail because his experienced opponent was well prepared, or...?"
Qi Ji narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark brown pupils flashing with a playful gleam:
"Or is it that we are no longer able to stop it?"
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I finally got the 16TB hard drive. I copied it all day, but I only transferred half of the original 3TB of resources...
Chapter 528: Resuming Solitary Travel
In the end, Qi Ji still reached the lifeboat that was in a semi-scrapped state.
In fact, even if they are unwilling to give it, it doesn’t matter. With her means, it would be effortless for her to cross the South China Sea relying solely on her own strength.
She bought a boat specifically just because she wanted to indulge in sailing again... Of course, as long as she wanted, it would be no problem for her to create a boat out of thin air.
"…Be careful on the road!"
Standing on the obviously tilted lifeboat, Qi Ji heard concerned shouts coming from somewhere behind him.
Turning her head, she saw Lina, Frion, Io, Mary, the Challenger sailors and others standing on the edge of the deck of the unknown two-masted light sailing ship a few dozen meters away, waving goodbye to her with reluctance.
The one who shouted that just now was Meili.
Her reaction was the calmest among all of them except Friant. She did not lean her entire upper body over the railing and scream with tears streaming down her face like Lina did. She just held the railing with both hands and said in a voice that was neither too high nor too low:
"If you encounter any danger that you cannot handle, you must put your own safety first! If you need to evacuate, evacuate immediately, and don't have any psychological burden!"
Even though she tried to appear calm, her gorgeous eyes couldn't help but reveal deep feelings of longing and reluctance, and her tone of voice couldn't help but be tinged with excitement and worry.
It's just like what the old woman told her children before they left for a long journey...
Seeing her earnest look, Qi Ji said nothing, but just waved at them.
Then, his mind moved slightly.
"brush--"
A barely perceptible green light lit up from the water at the bottom of the lifeboat, changing rapidly as if it had life, and skillfully interweaving the pattern of the "Tree of All Things", the holy emblem of the "Earth" realm, forming a pattern supporting the bottom of the lifeboat.
