Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

[Main Text] Uninvited Guest: Chapter Thirteen: The Border of Yan Kingdom

The rain stopped and the clouds dispersed before dawn.

The air, though washed clean, isn't exactly refreshing in this place, but the slightly chilly wind is enough to invigorate anyone who has just woken up.

According to the schedule, Nian and Thomas were planning to find Nian's sister's residence today and bring her back to Rhodes Island.

The fact that they now have two more people accompanying them does not mean they will change their original plans.

Therefore, in order to ensure that their journey would not be affected, W and Kroos would have to travel by flying.

Of course, they couldn't fly, so they had to sit on the widened version of the greatsword from that year.

For Kroos, this was a way of moving that had never been seen before.

Huge rocks and building ruins were scattered across the ground like grains of rice, easily left behind due to their incredible speed. She opened her mouth wide at the sight, as if she were about to stick out her tongue, and grinned wildly into the air currents above.

"So high! So fast! So much fun!"

However, unlike the fearless Ceobe, W's behavior was the other extreme—she almost completely crouched down, clinging to the broad blade, with only her tail trailing behind her in a straight line due to the high speed of her flight.

Her face, naturally, looked extremely pale.

"It's not that I've never ridden in a flying vehicle before or that I'm afraid of heights... but this is higher than the bridge of a mobile city, and at this speed, there's not even a guardrail! This can't even be called a vehicle!!!"

W, who fought and lost to Talulah on the bridge of the core city of Chernobog, jumped off the bridge, which was hundreds of meters high, to escape the collapsed hall and shake off the Kingslayer's pursuit.

But now, W desperately wanted to lie flat on the sword to reduce wind resistance and prevent himself from being blown off by the wind pressure generated by the high-speed movement.

The giant sword, now years old, was flying at a speed no slower than a bullet fired from a gun. Its powerful acceleration and wind pressure far exceeded what ordinary people could withstand. Even a robust Sarkaz would feel uncomfortable under such conditions for a long time.

It's one thing for Nian to be a person of unknown origin, but W can hardly understand why Kroos, this seemingly ordinary Pero man, could enjoy this painful journey.

Nian did not respond to W's complaints, but instead flew away using his physical body. Tomat, who followed closely behind, also had nothing to say.

This is the lineup of the four-person team that will soon arrive in Yan Kingdom.

Both Nian and Tomat were still wearing the same outfits they had on when they set off. Nian was wearing her own strapless hot pants suit that kept her warm, while Tomat was wearing the Rhodes Island operator uniform that she usually wore.

W changed into what she considered to be a gothic red and black dress for work—she claimed she had more than a dozen of the same style.

Meanwhile, Kroos acquired a new outfit from Nian: a fitted, elegant, and functional yellow coat and skirt, along with a sturdy and well-organized weapons rack.

The four of them, having rested and recuperated overnight, were ready to set off.

The destination was the heartland of the Great Yan Kingdom, the place where my sisters, who were born at the same time, were located.

According to her, there seemed to be other relatives there, but this time she was mainly looking for a younger sister named Xi.

"I'm not trying to be long-winded, but even though you say you're from Yan Country, I don't have a passport, and she's a notorious mercenary captain with a severe infection. Do you really think Yan Country will let us in?"

Thomas flew his body to a slightly forward position, like a lead goose, so that the airflow behind him was not so strong, and at the same time he could carry his voice behind him, asking questions while looking at the increasingly complex surrounding environment.

This place is no longer an endless desert of sand and stones. The land, dotted with greenery and waterways, separates the towering mountains. Whether it is the towering peaks or the boundless plains, they all seem to be proclaiming this place as a paradise far from the disturbances of natural disasters.

The vast Yan Kingdom is located in an area with a low frequency of natural disasters. It is precisely this relatively stable natural condition that prevents the Yan Kingdom from frequently relocating its urban platforms to avoid natural disasters, unlike most other countries, thus preventing the construction of a large and closely connected civilization.

However, this is only a "relative" environmental advantage. Natural disasters still exist, and there are many city-states like Lungmen that have moved away from their main territories to avoid natural disasters.

The area they have entered is considered to be on the border of the Yan Kingdom.

On the ground, one can vaguely see many mobile settlement platforms scattered in this superior environment. Judging from the platforms and their architectural styles, although most of them are still square pavilions, the intricately carved door railings or the retro brick and tile buildings still remind Tomat of some streets in Lungmen.

“I’ll accept the description ‘notorious’ as a compliment, but you actually know how to follow the rules?”

Because Tomat was blocking the wind in front, W, sensing the reduced pressure, straightened up slightly in response to Tomat's concerns.

"The same thing would be less interesting if someone else complained about it. Besides, do I really look like an unreasonable person?"

These words naturally reminded Tomat of the evaluation he received years ago.

"It's not about whether it's similar or not, it's that your very existence is illogical, and then someone as illogical as you actually talks like a normal person. Is there anything more illogical than that?"

Year after year, he added his own views, but these overly complex arguments made it impossible for Kroos beside him to understand their meaning. He simply tilted his head, opened his mouth, and stuck out his tongue in the wind.

"Whatever, since that's how you see me." Tomat didn't argue any further. "I'm more about 'following the rules' than reasoning. W, you're a mercenary, you should understand what I mean."

Because of his accompaniment, Thomas no longer called W "Cockroach Head," although the other party still seemed to intentionally or unintentionally call him "M-shaped Bald"—even though he only had a slightly receding hairline compared to the average person.

He also swore that if W called him that again, he would pluck out the very precious red hair from W's head.

"I understand a little bit, but I'm sorry, I can't compare you to the 'mercenaries' I know. But let's get back to the point. How does this lady plan to enter the heavily guarded Yan Kingdom?"

Having the ability and power to act as one pleases, yet not being reckless, is indeed similar to many mercenaries who pursue a free life. In order to ensure their freedom, choosing to restrain themselves with rules is indeed necessary.

However, most mercenaries make this choice because they understand the consequences of acting recklessly. After all, no matter how powerful they are, they will be punished if they act recklessly. As for the man in front of them, a guy who somehow destroyed a city, what punishment would he be afraid of? Or has he developed this instinctive self-restraint because of something else?

"There's no need to enter any major cities in Yan. Xi hates living in big cities. She's supposedly living in a remote mountain village now. It's just a village, so we don't need any identification. The likes of the Inspectorate won't notice us."

As Nian descended and lowered its altitude, W instinctively gripped the not-so-sharp edge of the greatsword to steady itself, while Kroos held Nian tightly, staring wide-eyed at the earth that was gradually approaching.

Thomas followed, carefully sensing the presence of the earth.

Strangely, there was no powerful aura similar to that of Nian within it.

[Main Text] Uninvited Guest: Chapter Fourteen - Like an Illusion, Like a Dream

"...Thus, the long-tailed monkey was imprisoned by the Great God under the Five-Mountain Range of Originium, where it has been deprived of its freedom for a hundred years."

"That's it? You fought so brilliantly before, but you still got taken down by a god?"

"Hey, the next story will start a hundred years from now, when the Lateran ascetic passes through this place. For today, we'll stop here. Please be kind enough to give us some tea money. We've been thirsty all day, so we need some good tea to soothe our throats."

The mountain villa, covered with a thin layer of snow, transforms everything in sight into a black and white ancient-style painting.

Covered bridges, tiled roofs, withered trees, and smoke—this scene, reminiscent of a stereotypical ink painting, unfolds before Tomat's eyes, accompanied by catchy storytelling and noisy discussions.

"This gentleman looks familiar, and his clothes and appearance don't seem to belong to the Great Yan people. May I ask what brings you here?"

Coming to his senses, he found himself on a stone path flattened by trampled snow. The figures of villagers around him had all dispersed, leaving only the storyteller, who hadn't been able to collect his tea money, standing on the high platform. He awkwardly tapped his folding fan, narrowed his crimson eyes, and stared at Tomat, who was still standing there in a daze, before asking him a polite question.

The storyteller appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with a shaved head and a short beard. Judging from his appearance alone, it was impossible to discern his race, except for his pointed ears, which were particularly noticeable.

He lifted the hem of his long robe, stepped down from the storytelling platform, and as if reminding the engrossed Tomat that the storytelling had ended, he moved a little closer and continued in a different guise:

"Young sir? May I ask what brings you here?"

But Tomat was not in the mood to respond; he was simply thinking quickly about the current situation in his mind.

where am I?

What was I doing before?

—I am in a mobile village at the foot of a mountain within the territory of Yan Kingdom.

—And I was discussing with Nian and the others how to find her sister.

My most recent memory is "that I was landing with them".

Have I lost my memory?

No, my mind is very clear, and my memory is not fragmented.

Did I appear here the instant I was falling?

What about them in those years?

Ignoring the storyteller's questions, Thomas looked around and sensed the surrounding atmosphere.

There was no festive atmosphere.

That's impossible. Nian's aura was so outstanding that even if someone was hundreds of miles away, they could detect it if they sensed it carefully.

The probability of the two people widening such a large gap in such a short period of time is extremely low.

It seems that I am separated from the others.

Furthermore, the surrounding scenery was also unusual. Where he was, he could see the sun above the clouds when he looked up, and when he looked into the distance, he could see the bright moon hanging high in the sky.

A sky with two colors, the sight of the sun and moon shining together is nothing short of extraordinary.

Whether he accidentally wandered into some strange place or was deliberately isolated by some hidden figure, it means he is in a disadvantageous environment.

Before he could even react, he had fallen into the trap. Whether it was an illusion or some other trick, Tomat should be on guard.

Only after quickly finishing these tasks did Thomas turn his attention to the storyteller in front of him.

This is not a spiritual world; the storyteller before you is a real person.

There was nothing particularly special about his aura, and he was not an infected person.

"I'm looking for someone named Xi, who likes to stay home and draw."

This is all the information about Xi that Nian had told him.

Since Nian ultimately brought herself to this place, she is most likely here—considering Nian's special abilities, there's no reason why her sister Xi wouldn't have the same strange tricks.

Intuition also told Tomat that the current situation was related to the person named Xi.

Saiyan instinct compelled him to ask the storyteller directly, rather than tentatively projecting a beam of energy into the sky.

"Ah... I've never heard of such a person. This village isn't big. If such a person really exists, I'll definitely know about him."

Thomas asked questions without introducing himself, which made the storyteller, who looked like a scholar, somewhat embarrassed, but he still sincerely said that he knew nothing about it.

"What's going on with the sky today? Why are the sun and moon appearing at the same time?"

Unable to find the person, Tomat turned his attention to the most suspicious thing: the sky.

"Hmm? Isn't this how the sky is? Could it be that the heavens outside of the Great Yan are not like this?"

But after hearing Tomat's words, the other party looked puzzled, stroked his beard, and asked Tomat about the situation outside in an incredulous tone.

This is a separate space.

As mentioned years ago, his younger sister could directly "create a world".

But why are they being deliberately separated now?

However, when Tomat thought about how Nian originally planned to blow up her house and forcibly take her to Rhodes Island, he suddenly felt that it wasn't surprising that she would do such a thing.

Even with a slight understanding of the current situation, the first priority is still to find a way to leave this place...

God knows whether the other party intended to trap him or what.