Millennium Witch

"go ahead."

"I wanted to ask, having stayed here for so long... when are you planning to leave?"

"Long?" Yvette was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that what seemed like a fleeting three months to her seemed like a long time to the young puppet girl before her. She thought for a moment and replied, "Soon."

"Soon? How about we go together?" Bingyu asked expectantly, her eyes sparkling.

"Together?"

"Yeah, since you're traveling alone and I'm traveling alone too, why not travel together? It's definitely safer with two people than one, right?"

"..."

Yvette didn't want to argue with her, but she was also in a bit of a dilemma.

She didn't dislike the cheerful puppet girl, but she certainly wouldn't travel with her. The biggest problem was that Ice Rain's presence would restrict her ability to use her tentacles to devour the mutants. She didn't want to gamble on whether Ice Rain could keep her secret, and besides, who knew what tricks the God of Machines might have up his sleeve?

After thinking for a moment, she said, "I like being alone."

"Hey~~ why? Wouldn't it be better to go together?" Bingyu said disappointedly.

“This is my path of cultivation,” Yvette offered her invincible excuse.

This worked perfectly. Bingyu immediately fell silent. In the worldview of the machine race, in order to become human, each machine race has its own path of cultivation, and this path may be full of quirks that others cannot understand. So even the most unreasonable things will become normal under this excuse.

"Alright." She looked disappointed and said in a somewhat forlorn tone, "Then I'll be going now... Kind lady, I hope we can meet again in the future."

"Are you leaving? When?" Yvette asked.

"Tomorrow morning then," Bingyu said pitifully. "Kind lady, you must get up early to see me off, don't sleep until noon again."

"……understood."

The next morning, amidst the farewells of the residents of Puppet Town, Bingyu, riding her motorcycle, bid farewell to everyone and departed first. Although she was alone, her self-defense equipment was quite good, and her destination was another Puppet Kingdom a few dozen kilometers away. If she drove fast enough, she could definitely arrive before dark, so the danger wasn't that great.

After she left, in the following days, perhaps because she was the only outsider, or perhaps because she lacked the binding power of the ice rain, Yvette felt somewhat out of place here.

As expected, all good things must come to an end, and she thought it was time for her to leave.

But before that, she made a trip to the ruined city of Agasher, firstly to conduct a final, thorough hunt, and secondly because she discovered a hidden dreamlike mist there, which she planned to use to revisit the primordial civilization before leaving.

I had some things to do during the day, and the loose structure of the second volume also caused me to experience writer's block, so I apologize for the late update.

Chapter 54 Protest March

On the seventh night after the Ice Rain left, under the bright moonlight, Yvette silently hunted down the last mother hive she had left in Agathel.

She deliberately left this mother nest to make good use of its monster-gathering ability. Before leaving, she could come here and hit it every now and then, forcing it to gather all the aberrations in the surrounding area. This way, she wouldn't have to do it herself to clear out the remaining aberrations in Agash.

Yes, clearing out all the aberrations in Agashe was her parting gift to the Puppet Town before she left.

As for whether it will cause secondary fright to the townspeople and add an even scarier ghost story...

That's not important anymore.

Anyway, she's already gone.

And so, in the thick of night, she transformed into a bizarre being with endlessly extending silver hair, completing a bloody cleansing of the entire center of Agasher. Only when the ground beneath her feet was a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, and no more new mutants dared to approach, did she use her tentacle-like silver hair to pierce and drain the last bit of flesh from the mother nest, tossing its shriveled shell to the roadside.

It really does resemble an evil god... She slightly raised the corners of her mouth, then entered a high-rise building and found the dream mist she had discovered there before.

She was already experienced with the passage of time in reality within the dream's fog; six months in a dream amounted to only a few minutes in reality, a very short time.

However, unlike in the past, this time the dream fog is much smaller, only half the size of the original. I wonder if the dream will also shrink by half and become three months.

If that's the case, then we must hurry... Thinking this, she immediately went inside, and didn't forget to use her not-so-skilled earth elemental magic to block up the nearby stairwell entrances.

……

A moment later, a cold metallic touch came from beneath her, and Yvette opened her eyes abruptly, finding herself leaning against a metal bench.

Above her was a vast, transparent glass dome, filtering the intense sunlight and casting its warmth evenly. The surrounding air was no longer salty and fishy; instead, it was filled with the aroma of roasted coffee and the fresh scent of some synthetic fragrance. Large expanses of lush green grass were within reach, and some elderly people were strolling along a smooth, mirror-like composite material path not far away.

It looks like a park, and considering the surrounding skyscrapers, holographic advertisements, and fish-like floating cars, this should be Agassi's Central Park...

Having quickly determined her location, Yvette activated her magic ring and checked the current time period.

2129...that is, four years after the original owner participated in the Metamorphosis Project?! And just one year ago, a special event occurred at the Abyss Base: the Firefly Core awakened its self-awareness!

She almost subconsciously started looking up various news articles about Ish Island, but apart from gang shootouts, which happened every day, she didn't see anything unusual.

This makes sense; the Abyss Base is of paramount importance, and Black Tower Pharmaceuticals wouldn't allow such important information to be reported...

Immediately after leaving Central Park, Yvette headed towards the outer ring road. As an undocumented person with no money or legal status, her means of making money would inevitably have to be through gray areas, and remote slums were the most suitable place for her to showcase her skills.

But as she walked, a clamor of voices caught her attention. She walked through an alley and found a huge march, with angry people holding signs that read "John the Liar" and "Corporate Dogs Out," heading towards the city center.

It turns out it was a protest...

The "John" being protested against by the marchers is John Tito Lokivid, the new president of the United States of New Eden. He is a middle-aged white man with a bald head, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and has a refined appearance, but his physique is surprisingly muscular, clearly indicating that he has used many rune-infused potions.

However, Yvette didn't know much about this President John. After all, when she last appeared in his dream, the new presidential election hadn't even started yet. Now, judging by the time, the new president should have only been in office for about a year.

In just one year, he's already sparked public protests and demonstrations. This president is quite something, isn't he? What a sight to behold...

She thought of certain figures on Earth and joined in the fun.

"Young lady, are you here to protest too?" Perhaps because we were standing too close, a woman with an agitated expression suddenly walked over, holding up a protest sign as she asked.

"No... I was just passing by, Auntie."

"Little girl, come on over! The cause of justice needs everyone's strength! Getting that piece of dog shit off the presidential throne is related to the rights of every one of us!" The woman enthusiastically tried to shove the sign into her hand.

Unfortunately, I am not a law-abiding citizen... Yvette glanced at the huge parade and found that there were very few young people, and even fewer minors aged fifteen or sixteen.

She suddenly understood the aunt's idea: a conspicuous girl like her would attract attention in the procession, which would increase the exposure of their parade to some extent.

“If you could lend me some money, I could agree,” Yvette said.

The aunt was stunned. She hadn't expected such a beautiful and refined young girl to utter such vulgar and worldly words. It was as if she was defiling their righteous and glorious cause. She instinctively wanted to leave.

But after hesitating for a moment, he turned back and asked, "How much...do you need to borrow?"

"600 points. Also, Auntie, could you please transfer them to me in digital currency?"

"……it is good."

The aunt was speechless. She probably guessed that this pretty young girl was actually unregistered, otherwise why would she specifically emphasize wanting digital currency? But 600 points was still a drop in the ocean for an elderly woman like her with considerable savings, so she didn't refuse.

And so Yvette took the sign that read "Shit John" from her aunt, walked to the front of the parade, and earned her first pot of gold after entering the dream world.

……

That evening, after the parade ended, Yvette used the digital currency she had earned to hail a taxi and head to the Bayard district.

That was the slums of Agasher, similar to the Blackwater district of Ish City. For her, who was both an undocumented immigrant and a rune hacker, it was like a fish in water.

The taxi glided through the neon lights, the scenery outside the window flashing by. The president's face darted across the giant holographic billboards of the skyscrapers. With nothing else to do, driven by curiosity, Yvette looked up information about the president.

According to online information, the current president, John Tito Lokived, was a doctor who later abandoned medicine for politics, rising from a civil servant to mayor and becoming the leader of the Conservative Party, one of the two major parties in the United States of New Eden. He has a very positive public image and excellent reputation.

He participated in the presidential election last year, and with impassioned slogans such as "fighting against super-capital," "strictly controlling the boundaries of AI," and "saving the people with affordable healthcare," he narrowly defeated his rivals and became the new president of the country.

However, from the moment he gained power, his public image suddenly reversed. The heavy blows he once wielded against large companies instantly turned into gentle comforts, and he even introduced a series of tailor-made laws for Black Tower Pharmaceuticals and Lintui Biotechnology.

By then, it was too late for voters to realize the truth, and they could only condemn him as a fraudster of the century. Following this, the opposition's investigation uncovered a series of allegations of "embezzlement and bribery" and "misuse of funds." After only one year in power, he was beset by troubles, constantly facing impeachment or on his way to one, and his midterm election defeat was already a foregone conclusion.

A dozen minutes later, after reading through all the related reports about President John, Yvette felt utterly bored—politicians make a bunch of promises before taking office, and then change their tune in the blink of an eye once they're in power. What a recurring historical pattern, there's nothing new about it.

But it doesn't really matter. The president of the United States of New Eden changes every four years. By the time the apocalypse comes at least 20 years from now, the presidency will have changed hands countless times, so it's not worth paying attention to at all.

……

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped on a dark street in the Bayard district.

In stark contrast to Central Park, the air here is thick with the smells of cheap synthetic food, engine oil, sweat, and some other pungent odor. Rusty buildings with tangled pipes block out most of the daylight, with only flickering neon signs providing illumination, painting the streets in eerie patches of red, blue, green, and purple.

Yvette opened the car door and quietly surveyed her surroundings.

According to the intelligence she gathered, Black Street is the largest gathering place for mercenaries in the entire Agasher region, and most of the major shady transactions take place in this area.

Unlike before, this time, in addition to entrusting others to help her sell some restricted-level spells, she also plans to do some mercenary missions to earn more money.

This time, she wasn't just looking to buy a professional book for 50. After learning that the Sanctuary headquarters belonged to the "Blessed Ones" magical mech unit of the God of Machines, she felt a huge threat and decided to upgrade her equipment, such as replacing her civilian-grade magical ring and purchasing more military-grade equipment.

She even plans to take the opportunity to study at a professional school to learn some cutting-edge knowledge related to the legendary "space runes," which may be used in the future to study the aurora belt and the abyss.

All these expenses add up to at least 200 million credits, and this dream event might only last for three months.

Under such dual pressure, he naturally couldn't sit and wait for others to sell his spell packs. He had no choice but to take the initiative and, as a lone mercenary, accept high-yield commissions.

Chapter 55 Inheritance of Identity

Deep in the dark alleys of the Bayard district, the "Lorne River" meanders by, like a dark and gloomy scar.

This is one of Agashene's most famous rivers, having witnessed the city's rapid development and attracting countless tourists every year. However, the section in the Bayad district is quite unsightly. Under the neon lights, the river water changes into bizarre colors, and foam and industrial debris gather and float on the greasy surface, making it almost like a large, stinking ditch.

On the other side of the embankment, a completely different kind of hustle and bustle came rushing in. Bar signs shimmered, cheap hotel signs flickered, and the crowded streets were packed with people dressed in strange clothes and of all kinds. The air was filled with the aroma of cheap perfume, fried food, and some kind of vague exotic spice.

From this perspective, although it is similar in positioning to the Blackwater district, it can still be felt that the level of prosperity in Agasher is indeed much higher than that in Ish, and even the slums look more pleasing to the eye.

Yvette's gaze fell on the pedestrians on the street as she pondered whether to use her hacking abilities to steal some intelligence to further refine her next plan. Unexpectedly, a few seconds later, a shuttle suddenly flew in front of her.

In terms of design, it is a steam lantern-style shuttle, driven by wind elements. The bright yellow lampshade has a black grille, making it look like it came from a magic school in a fairy tale, which is very cute.

“Miss,” a clear male voice, with a businesslike affability, came from inside the lampshade, “we are Ajash Police (AJSP) conducting a routine check on the illegal immigrant status in the Bayard district. Please show your ID card. Thank you for your cooperation.”

ID card? Yvette stared calmly at the flying lantern before her, saying nothing. She didn't have an ID card, and even her cryptocurrency account was just a temporary registration on some random platform. How could she prove her identity?

The crucial point is that she is indeed an undocumented immigrant... Thinking of this, Yvette sighed inwardly, wondering if she would be deported by the New Eden government as an illegal immigrant on her very first day after transmigrating? Or be locked up and imprisoned?

Running away isn't out of the question, but to outrun the shuttle would definitely reveal one's mage side, and that mage identity would increase one's visibility at the police station, instantly transforming one from a lowly roadside clerk into a five-star general...

So she decided to play dumb first: "I lost my ID card."

"Lost? I see. Then please look at the camera, miss. We can provide you with an ID card retrieval service. AJSP's official website is currently running a promotion; if you proactively replace your ID card with the new generation, the price will be 10% lower than usual..."

As if triggered by something, the officer piloting the flying lantern suddenly began reciting a series of advertising slogans until Yvette was getting a little impatient. Only then did it release a yellow scanning light that swept across Yvette's face.

"Identity verified! Hello, Ms. Yvette Theon, resident of Blackwater District, Ish Island, Ish City! Your identity has been confirmed. I can apply for a new generation ID card for you immediately. Activating VIP now will exempt you from one month of in-app ads..."

The police officers' advertising and sales pitches started again from the flying lantern, but Yvette was no longer paying attention. She was a little dazed, thinking, "Isn't this the identity I had when I entered the dream last time?"

Back then, four years ago, she had the welding torch replaced her ID card with a new one that went through the police department, but the name remained the same: Yvette Theon…

Is it still usable?

Why can it still be used?

Could it be that she entered the real world instead of a dream?

Or perhaps she can alter the course of the dream world and introduce a new timeline?

"Um... Miss? I mean... what do you think?" Noticing that Yvette hadn't spoken for a while, the officer behind the flying lantern probably felt a little awkward and asked tentatively.

“…Okay, thank you.” Yvette, coming back to her senses, heard her own dry voice.

"Okay, please wait a moment. Your new ID card will be delivered to this location within five minutes!" Flying Lantern said happily.

After the flying lanterns departed, Yvette stood beside the Lorne River, watching the shimmering water resemble schools of neon-colored fish. Soon after, another dusty shuttle pierced the night, accurately dropping a small, lightweight box. Yvette caught it expressionlessly, tore open the package, revealing a metal card that carried the weight of past trust.

She immediately placed the ID card on the magic terminal and successfully entered the citizen account page, where she saw her familiar identity name and the more than 2 credits she had left over from her last dream.

In addition, she entered the message interface and saw many surprised, shocked and worried messages, mostly from Mrs. Susan, Mary and Hans, and a small number from Welding Torch—he had sold all the remaining "Arcane Wind Blade" packaging packages and wanted to restock, only to find that Miss Mage had mysteriously disappeared.

After sending several messages, three years ago, the welding torch finally gave up and left a message asking Yvette to reply if she was still alive. Many buyers are still eagerly waiting for this message.

It seems the welding torch is quite reluctant to give up the Arcane Wind Blade distribution business...

Yvette smiled slightly, thinking that the financial pressure had eased considerably. Then she sent messages to the welding torch and the Hoffman family to let them know she was safe and to explain that she had encountered a highly dangerous and unforeseen situation and had only recently regained her identity.

As for what high-risk, unforeseen circumstances could cause her to vanish for four years, she didn't say, and it's believed that neither the welding torch nor the Hoffman family would ask further.

Well, in two years, Mr. Reggie Hoffman will be released from prison. We could set up a timed congratulatory text message...

Are Hans and Marie still hoping to play with Rosalind again? They probably hope so someday, but considering the timeline, they've only spent four years in their dream, still high school students, while Rosalind is over two hundred years old. They wonder if they'll ever be able to play together again…

Thinking of the events of two hundred years ago, Yvette felt much better, as if she had returned to that rainy night when she stood outside Groney Clinic with an umbrella, watching the students walk out of the clinic looking dejected.

Next, she searched online, intending to find information about the Bayard district and mercenaries. However, after logging into a social media account with her real-name verified ID card, an unexpected comment caught her attention.

It was a message from three years ago, from an ID called "The Fire Bearer," who said in a private message: "Friend, are you interested in learning about our 'Civilization Survival Society'?"

Yvette's eyes narrowed slightly.