Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 178 The Enthusiastic Unicorn and the Unlucky Puppeteer (Bonus Chapter 2)

Youth Civilization Model Unit.

The train had already arrived at the location designated by Su Ming, and Hanster and Eunil even took turns sleeping for a while. When he opened his eyes again, he found that the unicorn was still craning its neck, looking in the direction Su Ming had left.

"They won't be back so soon," Hanster advised Qiluo. "You won't be able to have lotus root fritters tonight. Go to sleep first, I'll keep watch. If Su Ming is busy, I'll make some for you."

Qi Luo was unwilling, but she had no choice but to agree. She looked up at the snowy night sky, took out a small bottle, and said, "I'll first pray for Alessandro's soul to be released from suffering."

Hanster glanced at the bottle, which contained a tiny, fragmented sphere of light.

"A fragmented soul?" the old man asked curiously.

"He just died during the day, how could he be crippled?" Qi Luo picked up the bottle and examined it closely, only then noticing that the soul fragment inside was much smaller than normal. Upon closer inspection, the eerie light of the soul fragment was still changing, like the rhythm of breathing.

“It’s still beating, the person isn’t dead!” Hansster said.

"Huh? Is that so?" Qiluo was quite surprised.

She reverted to her original form, her single horn glowing. Soft moonlight pierced through the clouds, enveloping Alessandro's soul. Under the influence of the moonlight, fragments of Alessandro's soul resonated with a distant being.

"It really is!" The unicorn was dumbfounded; this was the first time she had encountered something like this.

She told Hanstries what had happened.

“This Alessandro is unusual,” Hanster said, stroking his beard. “Some professions can split their souls, such as Mirror Soul Priests and clone warriors.” He picked up the bottle and shook it. “I’ve also heard that some puppeteers use split souls to control alchemical puppets.”

"You mean I shouldn't have caught him back then?" Qiluo scratched her mane.

"I suppose so."

Qiluo released the soul fragment from the bottle, only to find it floating motionless in the air. She waved her hoof fan, and the soul fragment swayed slightly before slowly coming to a stop.

How do I put this thing back in its place?

"Ask me?" Hanster turned to look at the unicorn. "Aren't you the Moon Prayer Master?"

"I'm familiar with the dead, but when have you ever seen a Moon Prayer manipulate living souls?"

The man and the beast studied it for a long time, but couldn't find a solution. After all, they had never encountered this before; it was a complete blind spot.

"How do you Moon Prayer Masters deal with normal souls of the dead?" Hanster asked.

"There are many methods, but they are mostly about being guided by the moonlight or ascending to heaven after passing away."

"Hmm, if you really send it away, wouldn't the owner of the fragment lose that part of their soul?"

“That’s why it won’t work,” Qi Luo sighed. She racked her brains, then suddenly her eyes lit up. “There is a high-level guiding spell that can send a soul to where it is meant to go.”

"Then use it," Hanster gestured for her to hurry up.

The unicorn sighed, "It's an ancient spell that I mastered by chance, and it's incredibly difficult to use." She looked at the ball of light floating in the air, which remained motionless despite the main soul's calls. "That's all we can do. We can't really harm this puppeteer, Alessandro."

Qi Luo focused her mind, her spiritual power unfolding as if it were tangible. She calmed herself and began to chant a prayer, "All things are intertwined, cause and effect are the natural order!"

Cause and effect? ​​What kind of prayer is this? Hansster felt a jolt of fear.

Something unusual appeared in the void above his head as he was summoned, and the old man felt a sweet taste in his throat. He wasn't physically injured; it was simply a helpless surrender. He unconsciously looked up, but the moonlight had been stripped of its color, and the once-filled snowflakes had vanished without a trace.

Eunice, who was left on the motorcycle, fainted without any resistance.

Even though he couldn't see anything, Hansster sensed that a boundless river was emerging in the depths of the night.

Alessandro's remnant soul slowly rose and floated upwards.

"Huff!" Qi Luo was exhausted, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. "This time it should be okay. The dead are reborn, the living are returned to their rightful place, and the long river will take him to where he should go."

No, what kind of river is this?!

Before the unicorn could finish speaking, an inexplicable darkness suddenly descended. The two looked up simultaneously, only to see countless streams of black energy surging from the river, transforming into Netherworld Butterflies that swept down like a tidal wave. With just a few sweeps, they tore the fragments of souls in the air to shreds.

The appearance of these nectar butterflies seemed somewhat familiar to Hans.

The swarm of dark butterflies did not give up, and following the guidance of cause and effect, they continued their rush towards the horizon.

Soon the existence of the distant main soul dissipated, and a faint sense of satisfaction emanated from the air. The Netherworld Butterfly shattered, and the karmic consequences that had been repaid were all released.

The man and the beast stared at each other in bewilderment.

“What you’ve done is actually a curse, isn’t it?” Hanster said.

****
The snowmobile side.

The search process was long and tedious. After searching back and forth for half an hour, they moved 20 kilometers north and began a new round of searching.

Another half hour passed, and the second area was also searched. The wind picked up, the night deepened, and the temperature began to drop sharply—all signs that a blizzard was imminent.

Su Ming took out some maltose candy and he and the girl each started eating one; in the cold wilderness, the two of them needed to replenish their energy.

He checked the trajectory of the vehicle's gyroscope and found that the error was small; the accuracy of the snowmobile's route was within 100 meters.

“Let’s end it here. It’s unlikely that Catherine will go any further,” Violet said. “We’ve done our best and left the rest to fate. That’s enough.”

Su Ming glanced at the multi-functional wristwatch on his wrist. It was already 1 a.m., and his eyelids were starting to droop after riding his bike for so long.

Based on the data on the drop in air pressure, he calculated, "There's still some time before the blizzard arrives." Su Ming said, "Let's search again twenty kilometers north, and then return to the train."

Violet nodded.

The snowmobile restarted. After an unknown amount of time, just as Su Ming was about to fall asleep, a magical signal flare suddenly rose up behind him.

It was an extremely rare bluish-brown color, not very dazzling. The small orb of light rose slowly over the vast white snowfield, casting its flickering light towards the biting wind and the night sky.

"It must be her!" Zi Jin exclaimed with delight, patting Su Ming on the back. "Let's go quickly!"

The light brown color was the same as the color of Violet's hair. The newcomer not only sensed the ghostly energy but also recognized her. This must be someone who knew her well.

****
Su Ming turned the car around, drew his shotgun, disengaged the safety, and checked the magazine.

Zi Jin cast a shield spell on both of them at the same time. This was the first time Su Ming had enjoyed the scholar's buff in actual combat.

It took them nearly ten minutes to reach the location where the signal flare was to be launched. Violet jumped out of the carriage, and the Divine Scepter appeared beneath her, lifting her into the air. The Staff of the End also returned to its original form and was held in the scholar's hand.

"I'll go first!" The girl telepathically communicated with Su Ming.

Su Ming nodded, slowed down, and stopped the motorcycle. The engine noise disappeared, and the snowfield fell silent. Suddenly, a snowdrift not far away parted, and a figure stood up from it.

Violet landed quickly, assuming a battle stance, while Su Ming also became alert to the scholar's flanks.

The woman raised one hand, while the other was placed protectively against her chest, where something seemed to be bulging. She approached slowly, her voice slightly hoarse, "Long time no see, Lady Elisa."

Violet breathed a sigh of relief and cut to the chase, "Catherine, don't be wary of me. You helped me last time, this is my way of repaying you—where are those pursuers?"

As Catherine approached, Su Ming noticed that her steps were unsteady, and she was clearly in very poor condition.

“If we get out of here in ten minutes, there will be no pursuers,” she said.

“Then we’ll leave in ten minutes,” Violet said, turning to Catherine. “Can you still hold on?”

Catherine was surprised by Violet's behavior; she made the decision directly, showing more freedom than she had previously imagined. She looked at Su Ming standing behind her, "This is your new master, Ainz Ooal Gown?"

Although it was well concealed, Su Ming still sensed a familiar hostility.

"Elisa, kill her!" Su Ming suddenly shouted.

"Huh?" Zijin looked at Su Ming, puzzled. After realizing it was a joke, she glared at Su Ming, who gave her a helpless look.

Watching the interaction between the two, Catherine subtly breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, I had preconceived notions," she apologized to Su Ming. "I didn't expect you two to be partners."

Su Ming is the controller of the White Bone Mark, so logically, Violet is under his control. No wonder Catherine only released a signal flare for help when she saw Violet was about to leave. She clearly hesitated for a long time, truly facing a desperate situation with no other choice.

The air on the snowfield was exceptionally clean, and Su Ming detected a scent that shouldn't have been there. He suddenly holstered his gun and walked towards Catherine. "You brought a child?"

Zijin looked at the alumna in surprise, only then realizing what she was carrying in her arms. "You actually brought a child here!"

“I saw the child crying before I left home, and I softened and took him with me.” Catherine’s expression darkened. “It was my fault.”

"How is he?" Su Ming asked.

Catherine loosened her clothes, revealing the head of a one-month-old baby boy who was wrapped up tightly. "He's fine. He just doesn't have any milk right now, so he cried himself to sleep."

Su Ming reached out to help Catherine up. She initially struggled, but eventually gave up her guard and let him support her.

"Let's go," Su Ming said to Zi Jin.

The scholar looked to the south, where all she could see was darkness, but she knew someone was approaching.

“Thirty seconds,” she said to Su Ming.

Su Ming nodded and led Catherine toward the motorcycle.

The former saintess put away her divine scepter, placed the bone staff before her, and then chanted softly. A magic circle appeared beneath her feet, rose into the air, and transformed into a stream of light that shot into the distance.

Su Ming glanced back and felt that in just half a day, the girl's charm had gained an indescribable and inexplicable allure.

He took his backpack from the snowmobile rack, pulled out a thermos, opened the lid, and handed it to Catherine. The thermos was steaming, and the sweet aroma emanating from it seemed particularly strong in the monotonous snowy air.

The fallen Star Queen took a sip; it was probably milk mixed with rice porridge and oatmeal, with a lethal dose of sugar added. Considering this was an extremely cold region, and that it was essential to carry high-sugar rations as emergency food, she knew this was necessary.

However, contrary to its status as an emergency food, it also has a strawberry aroma.

Elisa's love for strawberries was common knowledge at the academy, because anyone who gave her one would invariably receive a love letter along with it. Catherine harbored some resentment; after all, during the naval battle, she had painstakingly devised a plan to kill only the Controller and rescue her.

This couple of dogs!
****
Catherine drank the contents of the cup in one gulp and immediately felt her stomach warm up considerably.

In the distance, a dark, cold wind brought a muffled rumble, accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground.

Su Ming couldn't help but glance sideways. Using terrain magic to create an avalanche? Miss Belladonna really went all out.

"They're lucky." Violet had already returned, looking very dissatisfied. "I reckon a small number of them managed to escape."

“That’s fine. You should leave some for Catherine to settle her own accounts,” Su Ming said.

He helped Catherine into the snowmobile, and Violet looked at the cramped cabin before jumping into the back of the vehicle.

"You sit in the front and drive," Su Ming said.

“I just used a large-scale terrain spell, I’ll dig a trench into it,” Violet sighed.

She lifted the newly installed tarpaulin by Su Ming, found a comfortable position, and nestled inside.

Su Ming took off his winter coat and gave it to Zi Jin, using it as a blanket. He then climbed into the snowmobile, started it, and began speeding through the night. The wind picked up, and began to carry small snowflakes.

Su Ming quickly noticed that Catherine was in worse condition than she appeared.

"Give me the child," Su Ming said. "I will take good care of him."

“…Thank you.” Catherine did not insist and handed the baby to him as instructed. He immediately tucked the child into his sweater and wrapped him in his arms.

The baby smelled of milk and a bit sour, clearly indicating that he hadn't been properly cared for in the past couple of days.

He noticed that Catherine didn't have any luggage, so he contacted Miao Xin, saying, "Get me a baby bottle."

【Now?】Miao Xin checked the time; it was midnight here on Earth as well.

[There are others as well.] Su Ming quickly named a few medicines.

Miao Xin was having a bit of a headache. She was already quite good at stealing, but it would be troublesome to attract attention for such a small matter.

But it's easy to solve.
-
When snowflakes appeared in the sky, Su Ming and his group returned to the Youth Civilization Station.

Qi Luo glared at Su Ming with resentment, her saliva freezing at the corners of her mouth. "Lotus root cake!"

"You didn't stay up until now because of this, did you?" Su Ming was somewhat surprised by her persistence.

He walked into the carriage, took the baby out of his arms, and said, "Yunier, go get the formula and some hot water."

Yunier immediately went to the warehouse and got a can of formula. She looked it over and over but couldn't find the label. "Is this suitable for newborns?"

"Don't worry, it's just baby formula," Qi Luo replied. "Su Ming asked me to remove the label when he placed the order."

Upon hearing this, Violet, who was carrying Catherine in, glared fiercely at Su Ming.

"This type of milk powder has the best quality assurance," Su Ming said awkwardly.

(End of this chapter)