Millennium Witch

Yvette thought for a moment and took out a portrait. It was a memory projection created using a spell, and it was basically no different from a photograph. It showed Rosalind at the age of 22, wearing a mage's robe, already a beautiful blonde mature woman.

Have you seen this girl before?

"Hiss... She has such a human aura. Her cultivation level must be very high, right? What's her name?" the elder exclaimed in admiration. Bingyu, who was standing to the side, glanced at her a few times and immediately showed a surprised expression, gasping in astonishment as she did.

“Her name is Rosalyn Theon, my student,” Yvette said.

“So she’s your student. No wonder her cultivation level looks so high, just like yours.” The Grand Elder stroked his non-existent beard and shook his head. “I’m sure I’ve never seen a mechanical race member like her before. Because if I had, I would have been very impressed.”

“Is that so…” Yvette sighed in disappointment.

But just then, Bingyu suddenly raised her hand and said cautiously, "Uh... I think I've seen her before..."

Chapter 52 Mass Death Incident

Yvette immediately turned her head away. She had already prepared herself for disappointment, but she didn't expect there to be a twist.

However, considering that Bingyu didn't give her the same sense of maturity and experience as the Grand Elder, Yvette decided to manage her expectations and not be overly eager for her speech.

“That was about 30 years ago. I was only a few years old then, and I hadn’t yet found my path in human cultivation,” Bingyu said hesitantly. “Then one day, I heard that a traveler who seemed to have a very high level of cultivation was passing by, so I took a look and felt that he looked a lot like the person in your photo…”

More than 30 years ago? If Rosalyn was 22 when she left, she would have been almost 200 years old then, and her appearance hadn't changed?

However, living to such an advanced age certainly cannot be judged by the standards of an ordinary person. Looking younger, or even rejuvenating, wouldn't be surprising. Black Tower Pharmaceuticals has developed rune-based elixirs for eternal youth, and the Radiant Continent may possess similar methods…

Yvette made her judgment in her mind, then asked, "And then what happened?"

"I don't know... um... I remember seeing her outside the sanctuary. I joined in the fun for a while and then left. I don't know what happened... I thought she was a divine messenger." Bingyu covered her forehead with one hand, recalling the event earnestly.

"Were there any conflicts or anything like that?"

"No, I don't think so. As far as I remember, nothing happened during that period. With God's protection, life in the kingdom was always peaceful."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for the information." Yvette nodded her thanks, her expression gentle. Although she wasn't sure how much of Bingyu's words were true, or if he had simply misremembered or mistaken her for someone else, it still gave her a glimmer of hope.

Then she looked at the elder and said, "Sir, could you please keep an eye out for the girl in the portrait? If she visits one day, please tell her that her teacher is traveling on the mainland and that she should go home and read the letter her teacher left for her."

"Leave it to me," the elder said with a smile.

……

That night, Yvette had a wonderful dream, something she hadn't had in a long time. Although she didn't remember what happened in the dream, when she woke up and looked in the mirror in the RV, she noticed that the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, making her look somewhat sweet and lovely.

But this was so out of character that she quickly turned her lips down, reverting to her usual emotionless, doll-like demeanor, which made her feel much more comfortable.

Then she turned her head and saw Bingyu's face pressed against the car window, like a female ghost, eerily watching her. And after being discovered, she didn't seem to feel any remorse at all, but instead gave her a bright smile, revealing two rows of neat white teeth.

Yvette's fist clenched instantly, then she took a deep breath and heard Bingyu calling from outside, "Kind Miss~ Kind Miss~ You've been sleeping for so long! I've been waiting for you for ages!"

"What do you want?" Yvette walked to the car window, looked down at her, and said expressionlessly.

"We're exploring the ruined city of 'Agasha,' and we've invited Mr. 'Gunman' from the Royal Guard to accompany us to ensure our safety. Would you like to come along?"

"Need not."

"Hey~ don't be so boring. It's rare to have an expert protecting you. Such opportunities don't come often on a trip," Bingyu persisted in persuading her.

Yvette thought about it and suddenly realized it might not be a bad idea. She was new to the area and unfamiliar with the aberration ecology of Agashe, so having a local as a "guide" would be helpful for her hunting plans.

The real hunting moment could be scheduled for the night, a time fraught with danger—to mimic humans, the townspeople sleep at night, and she could easily avoid suspicion by devouring the mutants in the ruined city at that time.

Besides, she can use cloaks and masks to disguise herself, so even if she happens to encounter a machine race that doesn't sleep, she will only be seen as a strange humanoid deformity.

Oh, and starting tonight, all car curtains must be drawn...

……

Around five in the morning, the summer light had already spread above the horizon, painting a cool, pale white. Following the icy rain, Yvette arrived at the "Kingdom Guard's" simple encampment, an abandoned courtyard consisting of low shacks covered with many metal plates.

"Hello, I am 'Gunman'," said the mechanical puppet that claimed to be Gunman, its voice hoarse and deep, like that of a weathered, mature, and reliable middle-aged man.

Its design resembles a pre-apocalyptic magical mech, surprisingly tall at over two meters. Although its rusted body is covered in metal scars from repairs and welding, the runic gun it wields and the concealed sword on its arm still look quite intimidating.

—This is very likely a military-grade weapon of the same specifications as the Alloy Blade. If that's the case, let alone second-stage aberrations, hunting third-stage aberrations might not be impossible. No wonder it can become a guardian, protecting this puppet town of less than a hundred people and keeping it standing for about 30 years through storms.

"Good morning, Mr. Gunman," Bingyu greeted politely. "Is it just the three of us together?"

"The film will be here soon, this time with four people. Also, don't forget, you need to pay 'rewards' for this operation," the gunman said nonchalantly.

"Huh, payment? Uh, what... what do you need?" Bingyu seemed to only realize this now, her tone suddenly becoming somewhat awkward, and her voice trailing off, "I don't think I have anything to offer..."

“Anything is fine, but it needs to have ‘value’,” the gunman said, emphasizing the word “value” slightly.

This is what it means to not just give anything away, but how do you determine the value of something? The mechanical puppets don't even have a monetary system...

Thinking about this, Yvette suddenly realized something and asked, "Is this part of the cultivation?"

“That’s right.” The gunman still spoke very little, but there was a hint of surprise in his tone.

"If I want to buy on credit, would you accept?" Yvette asked.

“Of course.” The gunman’s tone sounded surprisingly satisfied. In fact, it had always been looking forward to this “legendary human act” of buying on credit, but unfortunately, very few people in the kingdom would hire it, so today was the first time it had accepted credit.

As for when they will repay the debt? That's unnecessary, because the mechanical puppets have no desire for money. Their so-called transactions are merely imitations of humans, so how could they possibly remember debts owed to them?

Soon, Bingyu also learned the trick of buying on credit. After waiting a while until the film arrived, the four of them finally set off for an area on the outskirts of Agash, where they spent the whole day exploring.

This place is a suburban area of ​​Agashe, belonging to a former district called "Caiguang District".

According to the gunman, the strongest aberration in this zone is a three-stage aberration monster. It's unclear what prototype this monster mutated from; it looks like a stitched-together composite of a human, a bird, and a dog, yet the stitching is bizarre and abstract.

Moreover, this stage-three aberration also controls a newly formed brood mound. If no one intervenes, it won't be long before a powerful brood mound force emerges in the Rainbow Zone ruins of Agash.

However, the gunner itself did not feel a strong sense of crisis. On the one hand, as a damaged magical mech, its strength should not be underestimated. On the other hand, the mechanical puppet was not on the menu of the mutated creatures, so the probability of it being attacked would be much lower.

Moreover, if a new Mother Nest is born, this new Mother Nest power is more likely to wage war against other Mother Nest powers lurking within Agasher, and will not focus on Puppet Town at all.

……

Since it was a newcomer, Bingyu didn't want to explore too deeply for the time being, so the first day's exploration of Agasa only went as far as six or seven kilometers before stopping.

But there were still many gains.

For example, many books from before the apocalypse, relatively well-preserved handicrafts, and even food packaging boxes with fairly clear handwriting were treasured by Bingyu and the film roll, and were carefully placed into the large sack they were traveling with.

Yvette didn't pick up any trash at all; instead, she kept asking the gunman about all the known information within the colored light zone, understanding the distribution density of the mutants and the location of the mother nest, making her seem like a mutant researcher with unique tastes.

After resting for a night, the four-person exploration team immediately regrouped and set off again the next day, fueled by Bingyu's enthusiasm.

The objective for the day was to venture deeper into an area of ​​about 10 kilometers—at which point they would be close to the most bustling commercial district of Caiguang, where the danger would increase significantly. But perhaps it was precisely because of this that the curiosity of the explorers would be aroused even more.

"This place is very close to that high-level aberration and the range of the mother nest. You need to observe carefully and try not to make too much noise. Although I am confident that I can fight the nest master, there are too many other aberrations to protect you." The gunman warned seriously halfway there.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Bingyu patted her chest. Unlike film, she had a weapon for self-defense—a military-grade pistol. Moreover, as a lone traveler, she had experience exploring Silver Mirror Continent alone before setting off, so she wasn't that vulnerable.

However, if Yvette were to give her opinion, the main reason would be that this girl is brand new, and her movements are far more agile than the old, weak, and disabled group in Puppet Town. In the end, putting everything else aside, as long as she can escape faster than a roll of film, she'll be much safer.

Having received a response, the gunman said nothing more, calmly and shrewdly continuing to lead the team.

But soon, upon entering the colored light zone again, a bizarre scene appeared before everyone's eyes.

This was a scene resembling hell. In the deathly silence, as far as the eye could see, the withered corpses of countless mutated creatures lay scattered among the broken walls, like mountains of corpses.

Judging from their dead state, they seemed to have been drained of all moisture, their skin tightly wrapped around their jagged skeletons, presenting a nauseatingly withered and emaciated appearance that was horrifying.

In an instant, a cold and hollow wind, carrying a faint fishy smell, spread around.

"How...how could this happen..."

"Good heavens... God of Machines above, God of Machines above..."

Ice Rain and Film were both stunned. They had only been gone for one night, so how did this place suddenly become such a horrific sight?

Mass death incident?

A sudden mass death of mutated creatures overnight?

Are there any records of similar bizarre events in the history of the various kingdoms of the Machine Race?

The calm, experienced gunman standing to the side was stunned and speechless for a long time upon seeing this scene before suddenly raising his voice and looking around regretfully, saying, "Gentlemen, it seems that today's exploration cannot continue..."

Then it became serious and solemnly announced, "This is a mysterious and unknown event that has never happened before in the history of the kingdom. I must report this matter to the council immediately!"

First, send, then, modify

Chapter 53 Before leaving

As the instigator of the sudden incident, Yvette didn't intentionally create such a large-scale event. It was just that on her way to the Mother Nest, she mistakenly killed the Nest Master for a roadside Tier 2 Aberration, prematurely provoking the Mother Nest's attention and retaliation, which led to so many Aberrations piling up like a mountain—it can only be said that the Mother Nest's ability to gather monsters is too strong.

If you look closely, you'll find that in addition to the dried-up corpses that have been drained, there are also many traces of being bombarded by spells, though they are not so conspicuous.

Moreover, she did not expect that Bingyu would be so eager to go further the next day, venturing so far into the distance, which led to the premature discovery of the scene.

She thought she would have to hold back for a while, hoping it wouldn't attract the attention of the God of Machines.

Soon, after the emergency evacuation, along with the gunman's report, the entire mysterious incident spread like wildfire throughout the small Puppet Kingdom.

The description of the event gradually evolved from an objective fact into something akin to a supernatural occurrence, causing great anxiety among the town's residents. Wherever one went, discussions about the event could be heard.

"This must have been done by a vampire! I've read about it in human books!"

"How terrifying! What if tomorrow morning, we're lying on the ground like those mutated creatures?"

"Impossible, we're not human, why would they want to absorb us?"

"Maybe vampires also suck up engine oil?"

The Grand Elder took this matter very seriously and went directly to the sanctuary to communicate with the gods, but the final feedback he received was "investigate on your own first."

The Grand Elder dared not do so, for this was the first bizarre event the kingdom had encountered in 30 years.

Previous major events, whether it was infighting among the Mother Nest forces or the attack of high-level aberrations, all had traceable causes. How could so many people die suddenly overnight? And in such gruesome ways?

So it could only declare a few days of martial law, and everyone should stay inside the kingdom and wait for the aberrant ecology of the colored light zone to recover a bit before organizing people to go and take a look.

On the other hand, unlike the Grand Elder who was filled with trepidation, Yvette was much more at ease upon learning that the God of Machines had not paid attention to the matter.

During her conversations with the townspeople of Puppet Town, she learned that there was a combat force called "God's Graces" at the Holy Temple headquarters in Silver Mirror Continent.

The description states that those blessed by the gods are selected from among the most accomplished individuals in human cultivation. They undergo a transformation under divine grace, gaining powerful and new bodies to become top warriors who maintain the kingdom's peace. Furthermore, each blessed individual possesses combat power comparable to top-tier weapons before the apocalypse, capable of easily killing fourth- or even fifth-stage mutated creatures.

Based on this description, the Divine Grace is definitely a magical mech, not the old, weak, or disabled type like the "Gunner," but a brand-new, cutting-edge type.

These high-level magical mechs typically possess extremely strong military-grade magic barriers and weaponry, making them top-tier in combat. With only a civilian terminal capable of storing 6 rune points, Yvette strongly suspected that in the event of a conflict, her spells might not even be able to break through the opponent's shield.

Of course, it's different if you turn on "blackout".

Over the past 200 years, while the tentacles haven't evolved any new functions, their defensive and offensive capabilities have steadily increased, now far surpassing her spells and alloy blades. However, the mutated magic is dwindling with each use, and she doesn't want to waste it unnecessarily.

I wonder if there's a "Dream Mist" in the ruined city of Agash... I'll ask around later. If there is, I'll go in and get some military-grade equipment, especially the magic terminal. I can't let the 6 rune points limit me anymore...

Yvette thought quietly and decided to keep a low profile for a few days, make plans and gather intelligence, and continue hunting after the storm had passed.

……

And so, time slipped away quietly, and the cicadas' chirping at the end of summer was swept away by the autumn winds, leaving the branches golden.

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye since Yvette took up temporary accommodations in this remote corner of the world.

During this period, the "mass death of aberrant creatures in the Color Light District" became increasingly outrageous and indistinguishable from a ghost story, destined to leave a significant mark on the kingdom's history books and become a lasting historical mystery.

Yvette regularly hunts in the ruined city, gradually increasing her distorted magic power from 40,000 to 43,000. However, she is too far away to be easily noticed by the residents of the puppet town.

Meanwhile, her long-term life in the town has made her increasingly familiar with the residents of the Puppet Kingdom.

For example, she taught the elder the details of the tea ceremony, how to prevent the tea leaves from getting damp, why it is important to keep the tea clean, why boiling water should be used to brew the tea, what posture is required, and so on.

She assisted the judge in studying a civil code left by humankind, helping her to better understand the historical context in which many laws were created.

In her spare time, she would observe the town's gardeners at work, learning from them how to prune flowers and plants. She would also watch the Royal Guard train, and then Ice Rain would drag her along to guess who would win.

So, in those days, she gradually rediscovered a sense of the life she had shared with her students at the manor. Only, it was much more lively here. Through her diligent performance, the puppet town seemed to truly embody the vibrant atmosphere of human society, making her occasionally feel a little disoriented.

……

It was a late autumn morning, and golden leaves covered the entire town. Occasionally, a few leaves would be swept up by the wind, tracing graceful arcs, flying over rusty tin shacks, over the old church with its pointed roof, over the statue-like meditating puppets, and finally landing on Yvette's fluffy silver hair.

Then she shook her head from side to side, knocking the leaves off, and continued walking forward, intending to go to Mr. Film Roll to see his collection of many human books that had not yet rotted.

Soon, Bingyu appeared from the narrow alleyway beside her and greeted her, "Hi, kind lady! Good morning!"

"good morning."

Can I ask you a question?