Chapter 52: Gap City
After hours of high-intensity, continuous operation, Lonis was feeling dizzy and exhausted.
But fortunately…
She had finally broken through the blockade of the storm area.
Lonis took a deep breath, a relieved smile appearing on her lips.
Thankfully… everyone’s will, along with the slimes, still remained here.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to get through here alone.
Thinking this, Lonis looked at the slimes beside her, but she found that they were also exhausted and had all collapsed.
Even the Little Star Fish was too weak to fly, collapsing onto a nearby seat.
Realizing this, Lonis quickly found a hat and put them all inside… The Little Star Fish and the slimes were huddled tightly together, their sleeping postures truly adorable.
“Hmm, what should I do next? Eat something, then bring over the bedding? Sleep in the cockpit tonight?”
Lonis had just let out a sigh of relief,
but then she noticed…
At the edge of her vision, another island immersed in the skyline had appeared.
However, unlike the previous island, this one had lights!
And if Lonis wasn’t mistaken… the arrangement of those lights was very regular, not only square but also perfectly aligned, very orderly.
This only happens in one situation…
A modern city!
Only skyscrapers and large commercial complexes would have such lighting.
So…
“Wh-what exactly is that place?!”
Lonis gasped, her heart filled with unimaginable shock.
Steering the ship, Lonis slowly approached the island.
The closer she got, the more serious Lonis’s surprise became.
Because it was indeed a modern city.
It had not only skyscrapers with glass curtain walls, but also a TV tower, utility poles, cars, and even a modern port.
However…
Although the entire city was brightly lit, Lonis couldn’t find a single trace of anyone in it.
Not only that, but the Star Fish that had been guiding her seemed somewhat afraid of this place, hovering only over the nearby sea area, unwilling to venture further onto the island.
“I must not be hallucinating, right?”
Lonis took a deep breath, and after much hesitation, she decided to dock the Time Shuttle at the port.
Because the port here could at least provide shelter from the wind, and the Little Fox plush toy was indeed looking towards this place.
This meant that even if they hadn’t ended up here, this island should have some crucial clues!
“Hmm, it’s only 7 PM now, no need to go to bed yet, let’s explore the island first?”
However, this time Lonis was more cautious.
To prevent anything strange on the island, the Little Fox put on the chastity protection gear that Elus had bought before they departed.
And what about the key?
It was also hidden by Lonis on the ship!
This way, she should not suffer any terrible violations. Lonis also brought some professional surveying equipment to record her exploration.
“Hmm… Although it feels a bit strange, I guess that’s all I can do?”
The Little Fox took a deep breath and walked towards the island.
…
After walking into this port city, Lonis’s confusion became even more apparent.
Because although the city looked very similar to the port cities she remembered, many places were somewhat off.
For example…
The potted plants were not living plants but extremely realistic plastic potted plants.
The doors and windows of some houses were fake… Through the glass, you couldn’t see the inside of the house at all, but it was covered by a sticker depicting an interior style!
Even when Lonis smashed the glass with her Frost Dagger, she couldn’t enter the house… because behind the doors and windows, there was still a thick wall.
This feeling…
It was like playing an open-world game that cheated players.
Even more bizarrely, although the city streets appeared orderly, in reality, some things
appeared in the wrong places.
For example…
What should have been a refrigerator appeared in the place of a trash can.
What should have been a surgical spotlight appeared on the traffic lights at an intersection.
And the signs that should have been used for directions were covered with mosaic patterns.
Also, the text on the signs on both sides of the road was nonsensical.
Lonis could understand each individual word, but when put together, she had no idea what they meant.
For example…
『Tǎn xīn piǎn zhū jiào』
『Miè mèng zhěn ā』
…
It could be said that if Elus hadn’t explained the Land of Eternity to her before, Lonis would have almost believed she was still in a virtual world.
All her encounters with her companions, all her memories with Elus, were just a dream woven by the system.
After waking up from the dream,
her body would be old and frail.
Around her would be a lonely coffin, a dilapidated room dim and colorless, almost destroyed.
What awaited her would only be the despair of solitary death.
“Hoo… If that were the case, it would be too terrifying… Lonis, calm down.”
Lonis took a deep breath. In fact, every memory of her saving the world as a hero had faded, and recalling them was like looking through a thin fog, unclear.
But the events after she woke up, she could recall them clearly as long as she tried to remember.
In that case…
At least she had been revived, not in a dream.
And even if this were still a virtual world, so what?
Even if it were a virtual world, wouldn’t she still save her wife, Elus? Even if it were a virtual world, could she abandon her companions and enjoy herself alone?
Will is not about whether the world is objective, but about your own choices.
“So…”
Thinking this, Lonis’s mood calmed down a bit.
At this moment, she began to feel immensely curious about the truth hidden within this city.
Undoubtedly, there were no people living in this city, so who, and for what purpose, had built this city?
There were no more clues to be found on the streets outside, so the only option was to go inside.
She at least needed to confirm whether these buildings had furniture inside or were just empty shells with nothing in them.
Having made her decision, Lonis chanted a spell and summoned the Emerald Green Long Whip and the Crimson Lotus Hammer.
Although her strength was not enough to wield the huge hammer, she could tie the Emerald Green Long Whip to the end of the Crimson Lotus Hammer and swing the Crimson Lotus Hammer like a shot put, using centrifugal force!
The immense destructive power could melt the frozen ice of the Snow Realm Royal Capital, let alone these small walls!
Lonis swung the great hammer and smashed it against the wall!
Rumble!
With a violent impact, the wall cracked completely as expected.
However, the scene that met her eyes next…
