Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 51 Mastering the Return to Origin
"Is the person in the photo the Hong Kou you've been talking about all this time?"

The girl's voice was full of curiosity and energy, which was quite out of place with the oppressive atmosphere of the cafeteria.

She opened the box, brought the photos inside close to her eyes, and examined them carefully, her big eyes blinking.

"Wow, she's so beautiful." Her attention was completely drawn to the person in the photo.

"Ran Bing! Give it back to me!"

Mark suddenly stood up, both anxious and angry, and reached out to grab it.

This iron box is the last and most important thing that Hong Kou left behind.

Ran Bing nimbly jumped back and hid the tin box behind her back with a grin.

"Don't be so stingy! It's not like you'll lose a piece of meat just by looking! Besides..."

She tilted her head and winked mischievously: "Didn't you always say that Hong Kou was amazing? She's probably living a good life somewhere on the ground right now, eating something a million times better than the Lighthouse! You always have such a long face, she'll be unhappy if she finds out, right?"

"What do you know!"

Mark, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly raised his voice, attracting the attention of several city guards not far away.

He clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently.

Ran Bing's words touched upon a fantasy deep within his heart that he dared not touch.

Seeing Mark's agitated state, Ran Bing stuck out her tongue, seemingly realizing that she had gone too far with her joke.

Somewhat reluctantly, he handed the tin box back to Mark, muttering under his breath, "Why is he being so mean..."

"I just felt that since you said Sister Hongkou is so strong, she'll definitely be fine..."

Mark snatched the tin box back and hugged it tightly to his chest, as if guarding a last treasure.

He didn't intend to continue being harsh with Ran Bing. This little girl usually followed him around, and she was one of his few playmates.

Seeing that the two little brats had finished their tussle, Xuefeng handed the milk on the table to Mark.

"Drink it, little boss~"

With a gentle smile, he teased in a relaxed tone, "You don't expect me to arm wrestle with you like the captain before you're even ready to drink, do you?"

Mark gave a soft snort, grabbed the milk bottle, unscrewed the cap, and with an almost death-defying expression on his face, tilted his head back and gulped it down.

Seeing that Mark obediently finished drinking, Xuefeng finally showed a satisfied smile.

Although the lighthouse provides milk to the children, supplies are scarce, and they only get three bottles a week.

Mark is able to drink milk every day because Xuefeng and the others have been exchanging their contribution points for it.

"Have you finished your homework?" Xuefeng asked Mark, naturally changing the subject.

"Once you've finished writing, go report to Instructor Elon. He said that starting today, he'll officially teach you the basics of piloting a gravity body."

"The captain secretly taught you before, so you have some experience. It won't be too difficult for you to learn."

"I want to go too!" Ran Bing immediately came over, her big eyes shining, having completely forgotten about the little argument from before.

"You're so young, what can you do there?"

Mark rejected Ran Bing without hesitation, not because he was stingy or didn't want her to continue following him.

The main problem is that old man Elon has no sense of martial ethics; he even hits children.

He was beaten badly last time.

If she were to teach me how to drive a gravity vehicle and then practice with me again, wouldn't Ran Bing see my miserable state?

Ran Bing will definitely laugh at me then.

"Hmph! You stingy guy!" Ran Bing pouted and stomped her foot, looking at Mark with a resentful gaze.

Mark glanced at her but didn't say anything.

He put the metal box back into his pocket, but didn't return it to the dormitory because there were too many people there and it wasn't safe.

You can only have your own room after you grow up.

Mark jogged to the armory. He took a deep look at the black gravity vehicle not far away. It was already being piloted, and the logistics personnel were adjusting it according to the pilot's operating habits.

"mark!"

Elon stood at a distance and had long ago seen Mark staring intently at the gravity vehicle that Red had been piloting.

Mark snapped out of his daze upon hearing Elon's voice.

Reluctantly looking away, she ran towards Elon.

Elon took in Mark's lingering gaze, but said nothing. He simply patted Mark's shoulder with his rough, heavy hand.

"Mark, if you want to pilot a gravity vehicle in the future, you'd better study hard."

His rough fingers pointed to several cold metal frames lined up beside him; they were gravity simulation training machines, or rather, the various parts of a disassembled gravity body.

"Let's go up and give it a try."

Dragon Bone Village, on the edge of the training ground.

Hong Kou slowly closed her eyes, and dark red light flowed from various parts of her body, eventually converging at the top of her head.

These past few weeks, after class, she and Xiao would come to Wulan Aodeng for physical training, and in the afternoon they would go to the mining area to use equipment to help them feel their own life essence.

At this point, he had finally learned the principle of returning to the origin and was able to use it proficiently.

"It feels... like I've locked myself in a transparent shell." Hong Kou opened her eyes and casually moved her body.

Feeling the life essence, or rather the emotions, within my body, firmly locked in a state of returning to the origin, no longer unconsciously dissipating as before.

Ulan Aodeng stood by with his arms crossed, watching with a satisfied nod: "Not bad, much faster than I expected."

Just then, a familiar voice with a slightly mocking accent came from behind.

"Hey! Two freshmen have graduated? You've already mastered the Return to Origin Technique?"

Qianli strolled over, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, a signature hearty smile on his face.

"Perfect timing, I've got a job! I can take you out and broaden your horizons!"

Hong Kou and Po Xiao were invigorated.

Finally, I can make some practical contribution to the village.

The two had been living off the crystal coins given to them by Yang Chen, and now they were finally able to go out on fieldwork and earn money.

"What kind of job?" Dawn asked, her tone filled with anticipation.

"Run an errand, deliver the goods!" Qianli pointed his thumb toward the village entrance.

There was a supply depot over there, where several medium-sized trucks equipped with crash barriers and canopies were parked.

"Didn't Boss Yang repair a batch of old-world junk a while ago? Our village doesn't need it, it's just sitting there in the warehouse anyway."

"We've already made contact with Elder Nan. The neighboring settlement is in need of some basic industrial parts and electronic components. Here they are, all packed up, we'll deliver them over."

"The settlement next door? It doesn't sound that far away?" Hong Kou asked curiously.

"Yes, they're about half a day's drive from here. They're considered pretty assertive neighbors," Qianli explained.

"The terrain there is complicated, and there are quite a few Devouring Beasts around. They've managed to establish themselves by relying on the terrain and their ruthlessness. They've had a long-standing relationship with our Dragonbone Village. I'll show you around and let you see how other settlements live."

He paused, looked at the two of them, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "And... they took in a few people who had traveled from the lighthouse before, the ones I mentioned to you before."

"Maybe we'll run into someone we know in the past, and we can chat and brag a bit?"

Red Collar and Dawn exchanged a glance.

They both saw the complex emotions in each other's eyes.

The journey of a lighthouse is essentially an exile; those who grow old or lose their value are sent away to avoid becoming an unnecessary burden.

After all, we used to live in the same place, so it would be good to see each other again.

And you can also visit other settlements.

(End of this chapter)