Chapter 53: A Lin Younger Sister Falls from the Sky

The lake where Albion's remains lie is immensely vast in area.

Dark, gloomy, dead silent.

Because of the towering trees growing around the lake district, natural light can hardly penetrate, the entire environment's lighting appears especially dim and mysterious, like some isolated, sealed-off demon realm cut off from the world.

Wanting to find a person in such an environment is already a comparatively difficult matter……

Let alone finding a lump of flesh that doesn't even have a human form……

Although the Servants all worked very hard, whether it was Artoria or Medea, neither had any complaints about this salvage work; it's just that what couldn't be found simply couldn't be found — four or five consecutive days passed with zero results.

"……It still feels a bit difficult, because this lake district is too large, and the target to search for is too small……"

Night.

At the edge of the lakeside bonfire, Xia Zhi flipped through the parchment scroll in his hand by the firelight while speaking in a helpless tone.

"And the thing we're looking for is Albion's severed left hand; it shares the exact same origin as this land it ultimately evolved into, so there's no difference in aura whatsoever — so it seems we can only rely on luck?"

"Also, if that thing hasn't developed sentience yet, trying to create movement to attract it won't work either…… it might not even perceive those movements, so that approach is equally unworkable."

Sitting on a thick trunk on the opposite side, Artoria, holding a string of barbecue, also added a sentence, her tone appearing very serious.

During these few days, she had also fully exerted her strategic ability, thinking up multiple different methods.

However, when the object faced was a clump of ignorant, unaware flesh with no thought, these methods naturally all ended in failure — even no matter how much commotion she made, just short of firing the Oath Cannon repeatedly from the shore……

Even so, there was still absolutely no effect.

That thing wouldn't come over out of curiosity to take a look or anything.

On the contrary, she nearly attracted the Mirror Clan nearby, but because Moss's Calamity had also spread to northern Britain, it quickly occupied the clan's tremendous energy, so they couldn't attend to the great lake side anymore.

"It seems a bit of luck is indeed needed……"

Vivian's expression also didn't look too good; the plan she formulated was of course very efficient, but just like in a game, the more efficiency is pursued, the more unavoidably a luck factor gets involved.

But speaking of it, it really is the case — if that "Dragon" Fairy's predecessor were so easily discovered, going by Fairies' consistent meddlesome and nasty nature, who knows what they would've done long ago.

So it was purely a coincidence — before that, no one had discovered it, until Aurora came to show off that day, and by chance that lump of flesh appeared in the Dark Swamp, wriggling, and was seen.

Damn it, that bitch — how is her luck this good!

Just thinking about it makes me angry……

Why not wait for the day Aurora comes over, then rush over to steal the kill? Or just shelve this plan for now, wait until the Pilgrimage Journey ends and the Calamity is fully suppressed, then slowly come back to farm this — it'll definitely drop eventually?

She sighed, the Paradise Fairy girl made up her mind.

She glanced at the lake over there and spoke: "If it really doesn't work, let's give up searching for now; tomorrow we'll head straight to strike Onyx's bell, and the Mirror Clan's bell nearby……"

Moss swarms have started appearing on this side too; presumably it's spread to a certain extent, and should be putting considerable pressure on the Mirror Clan as well.

Perfect chance to strike both bells in one go!

"Then it's settled…… Index, want another string?" Xia Zhi went along with the decision smoothly, casually picking up the barbecue stuck by the fire and handing it to the silver-haired little nun beside him eating with a mouth full of grease.

"Yes!"

Index nodded decisively and said loudly: "Three more strings — no, five more strings!"

Although she couldn't participate in any search work, during these few days she had also transcribed two complete Mo Shu Shu in one go, so it couldn't be said she did no work; her voice even got a bit louder.

"Just happens to be five strings left……"

Xia Zhi glanced at Artoria's side and also sighed.

"Forget it, take them all and eat; I'll grill some more…… Saber, go get some more ingredients for me, as for how much depends on how much more you want to eat."

Before, just supporting Index didn't feel like much, but now with an additional Artoria, he suddenly discovered that just preparing daily meals wasn't such an easy matter.

"Okay, Master."

Artoria immediately replied cheerfully, stood right up, carried the Holy Sword, and walked off.

Seeing this scene, Vivian's face sank somewhat displeased, she let out a soft hmph, but didn't say anything. She had already discovered that when Artoria was eating, her verbal attacks' effectiveness seemed to weaken.

Or rather, fully immersed in food, Artoria subconsciously blocked out her words, not wanting to waste eating time entangling.

"Right, what are Tetelot and Medea doing? Since they came back today, they've been on the boat all night and haven't come down…… how did they get to chatting like that?"

Perceiving there were still two team members who hadn't been on this side from the start, and hadn't even participated in the discussion just now, Vivian asked.

"Probably some common language; after all, both like making clothes, so getting along well like birds of a feather is normal……" The youth didn't show a shred of guilt — after all, what he said was simply the truth.

"Medea likes making clothes too? Huh, wait——"

The girl frowned doubtfully, immediately after seeming to recall something, her expression shifting slightly. She glared at the youth beside her, stood straight up, turned and headed toward the Vimana at the rear, leaving only one sentence.

"……I'll go take a look."

"……Take care."

Xia Zhi watched the girl's back rapidly approach the Vimana with some regret, knowing the plan was directly exposed — the intention to team up with Medea and make it big hadn't even truly begun before it died in the womb.

It wasn't that he hid poorly, nor that Medea showed her hand — it was that Vivian read the Strategy Guide.

He sighed again and continued flipping through the parchment scroll in his hand.

These past two days Index finished the "Baopuzi"; from the Mo Shu Shu perspective, it has no Outer Chapters, only twenty Inner Chapters, discussing immortals, alchemy, the art of Talismans, discussing Golden Core and Immortal Pill production methods and Application.

It can be called packed with value — there are even records of Immortal Pills that make one ageless and deathless upon ingestion.

Besides that, there's also a complete "Jinwu Yutu Ji", a Mo Shu Shu expounding Yin-Yang Dao, yet likewise tracing back to China, from which one can glimpse the original source of that thought and doctrine.

He flipped through while pondering, his expression slowly turning somewhat grave.

And then——

Index gently tugged his arm, looking at him with some worry.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine……"

He skillfully patted the Loli's head; although he didn't see a "Favorability +1" prompt pop up above her head, Xia Zhi believed this definitely worked; he raised the Mo Shu Shu manuscript in his hand and waved it: "This knowledge can't harm me — hasn't that already been proven?"

"Hard to say, this time it's two books' worth of knowledge……" The silver-haired little nun said seriously, observed him carefully, confirmed he truly showed no symptoms, only then set her mind at ease, let out a breath, and grew curious again.

"Why was your expression so grave just now?"

"Oh, I was thinking about how one might become an immortal..." the youth answered with a straight face.

"Become an immortal... that means becoming a Magic God, right? Because you keep researching magic and step into the Domain of Gods and such." The silver-haired little nun pouted. "This is really, really difficult. Although this book teaches you how to become an immortal, just it alone is still far from enough."

"Far from enough?"

"Of course. One could even say that if you really only follow its teachings, you definitely won't be able to succeed..."

The little nun shook her head and directly entered Magic Teacher mode, and only at this time could she feel that in this awkward, strange phase, she was truly able to bring forth her own knowledge and help the other party.

"Why do you say that?"

Xia Zhi put down the book and asked very humbly.

"This is hard to explain. As of now, although the specifics are unclear, at least those existences who call themselves Magic Gods all need to browse and read through a large amount of Mo Shu Shu Original Scriptures and understand their contents, then exercise power in a special way."

The little nun also seemed not to know how to describe it, trying very hard to organize her words: "You can understand it like this: They are figures who were treated as 'gods' and spread in mythology; it was their deeds that formed mythology, not the reverse..."

Magic Gods are the prototypes of mythology——

It is They who created the system of mythology, not imitated it.

Simply put, like Othinus, she did not become a Magic God by imitating Odin's experiences in Norse mythology, borrowing the ritualistic destructive act of "digging out one eye with her own hands"...

In fact, it is actually the reverse: Othinus first originated that special ritual and became a Magic God. Afterwards, such deeds were recorded, forming mythology, and only finally were mistakenly transmitted as Odin's story.

"That makes sense..."

Xia Zhi recalled for a moment the intelligence regarding that world.

It seems that apart from the Monk's ritual being a clearly precedented method of achieving Buddhahood, all other Magic Gods chose the original route; They are the ones who open roads, who are pioneers, not mere imitators.

Moreover, the Monk's example isn't a good reference either; what's more, among so many Magic Gods, only that fellow is an imitator — this itself has no persuasiveness.

Put that way — one still has to walk out one's own road?

He lowered his head and flipped through the manuscript in his hand again, feeling like he was guarding a treasure mountain but didn't know how to start. Although in theory, obtaining Index and drawing out the power would let him become a Magic God, unfortunately actual operation is not easy.

"If only one could just make a wish directly..."

Taking stock of his trump cards, the youth subconsciously thought of the Holy Grail, that omnipotent cauldron capable of granting any wish.

However, its essence is just that; even gathering one million or ten million Holy Grails probably wouldn't complete even one ten-thousandth of the progress of his wish... Xia Zhi felt increasingly regretful; why isn't that thing a true wishing machine?

"Indeed unrealistic. Rather than pinning hopes on that kind of Mana Crystal, might as well wish directly to the heavens; maybe a Lin Younger Sister will fall down..."

He closed the manuscript in his hand and directly stood up, preparing to also go on the ship and take a look, and by the way put in a good word for Medea.

"?"

Just at this moment, Xia Zhi seemed to sense something and raised his head to look at the sky.

In this very instant, the firmament above conspicuously split open a rift like a mirror surface; that rift seemed to connect to another dimension, flashing for an instant before vanishing without a trace, but following it came a slender human figure plummeting from high altitude.

"Ah——!!"

A scream tearing through the vast sky rang out along with the free-fall motion.

Xia Zhi blanked slightly; his gaze transformed in a split second. He fixed his eyes on the direction of the sky and spoke decisively and deeply: "I desire to cultivate the Dao and prove the Way, ascend in broad daylight, step into the Domain of Gods, dominate all laws..."

"Hey hey! Xia Zhi, Xia Zhi, that side! That side—— looks like a girl fell from the sky..."

Index at his side stretched out a hand in terror and anxiety, tugging at him, her fingers trembling as she pointed at the sky, her whole face expecting him to hurry up and pay attention to this sudden situation.

"Wait, let me finish the wish first..."

"What are you babbling about? Look quick, she really fell!" Index almost raised both hands to cover her eyes; she didn't dare look directly at that heart-stopping scene.

"Relax, I slowed her falling speed, and that side is the lake surface... she won't die from the fall." The youth waved his hand and said, "Wait, I'll go fish up the Lin Younger Sister now——"

He gently patted the little nun's head top, then strode straight toward the lake; every step landed steadily on the lake surface, as if walking on flat ground.

He soon reached the landing point just now and, without hesitation, reached into the surging waves and grabbed, smoothly lifting the target...

Huh... why does this hand feel a bit off?

(Chapter End)