Chapter 813

Chapter 813: Whisper by the Ear

Inside a cottage on the plains, the wooden-patterned ceiling greeted Lolan Hill’s awakening eyes. After a night’s rest, she felt significantly better, with much less pain in her chest.

In yesterday’s twilight duel, had Lolan Hill not used the Necromancer Sequence but another sequence instead, she might have suffered an early defeat.

Bumansa’s talent for cutting and separating matter was akin to a game character dealing high real damage with every attack, unaffected by any armor or shield. A confrontation would almost always end in annihilation. To defeat such an opponent, one could only resort to indirect strategies or control.

Lolan Hill employed the “Dance of Doom,” a special ritual from the Necromancer Sequence. Upon completion of the dance, it would shred the opponent’s heart and soul, creating a dual slaughter of body and spirit. She had learned this technique from a secret manual left by Granny Ge Luo, later refining it with the traditions of the Xiangyu Sect, merging ancient witchcraft rituals with incantations into a strange secret art.

Originally, such skills were developed for desperate battles or assassinations, bringing severe side effects regardless of success or failure. However, due to the unique talents of the young girl, her soul was spared from these intense side effects, allowing her to use it without hesitation.

Impressive as ever, Bumansa managed to fight Lolan Hill to a draw despite all this. The deep red flower arrows locked onto their targets, imbued with elf curses and fairy secrets. Attempting to evade them would result in great losses, and even the best defenses crumbled under Bumansa’s talent. Neither dodging nor enduring was viable, and failing to find the correct solution within seconds would lead to immediate piercing.

Recalling the battle scene while lying in bed, Lolan Hill searched for the optimal solution she hadn’t considered at the time. Feeling a chill on her shoulder, she tried to turn over but found herself unable to move the blanket. Turning her head, she saw Bumansa sleeping soundly on her side.

When two people share a quilt, it often becomes a zero-sum game — either the east wind prevails over the west or vice versa, with equal sharing being rare.

“Alas, my little quilt.”

The girl thought for a few more seconds before reluctantly scooting closer to Bumansa, curling up and pressing down on the remaining edge of the quilt to block the gap where cold air entered.

After sleeping peacefully for a while, it seemed to be noon outside. At this moment, Ye Ling quietly pushed the door open and returned.

Seeing the two still asleep, she sighed in relief and happily placed a basket of purchased items on the dining table.

After Lolan and Bumansa collapsed, there was no one left to cook for Ye Ling. Asking her to learn cooking was quickly abandoned after just a few minutes of trying.

“Why should I bother learning something when I don’t lack money?” Standing in the kitchen, the dragon maiden calmly reflected before heading out with Dai Ju to buy food, leaving Lan Ya behind to guard the house.

Excited and enthusiastic, the duo strolled through the town without restriction, buying everything delicious they encountered. By the time it was nearly noon, Ye Ling remembered that her two sisters needed feeding and hurried back with a mix of regret and unease.

“Good thing you’re still sleeping.”

Ye Ling tiptoed back to the dining room, took out a small jar of honey from the basket, and tasted it with a spoon. As promised, Dai Ju, who helped carry the goods, finally received her large chicken leg.

Though not as tasty as what Lolan Hill cooked, the portion was generous. After finishing, Dai Ju lounged on the table like a ball, her eyes flickering between open and closed, ready to drift into a blissful afternoon nap.

In the bedroom, both Bumansa and Lolan Hill had awakened.

In fact, since Ye Ling had sneaked into the house, the two had noticed her presence but chose to pretend to sleep.

Lolan Hill fidgeted with the quilt, dragging a section toward her. Bumansa smiled secretly and released the part of the quilt trapped under her body. They lay there for a while before whispering softly to each other.

“Lolan is still so amazing,” Bumansa reminisced.

“Not really, just taking advantage of other aspects,” the girl humbly replied, believing she wasn’t as hardworking as Bumansa and had wasted much time sleeping.

“To be able to make up for it in other ways is also a kind of ability,” Bumansa didn’t mind.

They continued exchanging insights about extraordinary cultivation and combat before gradually moving on to other topics.

“Are you planning to return to Clancia?”

“Yes.”

“Go back to see everyone first, settle down.”

“What about afterward? The ideas and plans you mentioned the other night seem grand and troublesome. Need help?”

“Yes, it will involve many things.” The girl hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“I want to bring peace to the world.”

“That’s quite an ambitious idea, no wonder you’re hesitant and lack confidence.” Bumansa teased a bit but surprisingly did not doubt her friend. She believed that Lolan Hill indeed had the strong possibility to achieve it.

“Can you explain your reasons?”

Bumansa turned around, looking at the silver-haired figure draped over her shoulder.

“Because time is running out.” The girl gently closed her eyes and then reopened them slowly. Numerous numerical information floated in her pale blue transparent pupils.

“So we need to quickly consolidate most of the world’s forces, eliminate internal consumption, and move forward together.”

Since Dorothy’s prophecy, centuries have passed, and chaos phantoms may come from beyond the stars at any time. It’s like the pendulum of doomsday; although we don’t know when it will suddenly arrive, we can at least confirm that it will definitely come, and the more prepared we are before then, the better.

Compared to the era of dragons and giants tens of thousands of years ago, the current Ivar World has regressed overall. Back then, there were remnants of Sequence 10, and three survivors of the Sequence 10 Seraphim remained. But now, only the Destroyer Dragon Bahamut remains, still patrolling the outskirts of the stellar system.

The past court of the Giant King has disappeared, and the number of star-touring dragons has dwindled. The backup left by the Divine Winged Sun is getting fewer and fewer, and the legacy of our predecessors is gradually running out.

Lolan Hill knew that saying this would be hard for others to understand, so she began recounting the tragedy of Oz Country hundreds of years ago and the impending crisis of the chaos calamity sweeping again.

“What a beautiful yet cruel world.” Bumansa looked at the ceiling above.

“Is Lolan an ancient person?”

“Eh?” The silver-haired girl was surprised and turned to look at her companion.

“It seems I guessed right.” Bumansa held Lolan Hill’s hand.

“You’re too exceptional, filled with concerns and breadth that don’t match your age and identity.”

“Only someone from that era could care so much about the direction of the entire world and humanity. In your eyes, everything is a whole.”

“But people today won’t think about so much, perhaps lacking this special emotion.” Bumansa explained slowly.

“Just like the residents of this town, if you suddenly tell them how you intend to inherit tens of thousands of years of history and mission, they won’t have a sense of reality and won’t understand at all.”

“But you’re different, Lolan. Time has left almost no traces on you, which prevents many common mindsets from eroding your will.”

“A person starts to grow up because they’ve reached a certain age, and everyone around them begins to hold them to new standards. A person starts to age because they feel their body weakening day by day, making tasks increasingly difficult, and people around them lower their expectations. Eventually, they themselves believe they should let go, step back, and stop.”

“But you, not only in appearance but also in mindset, have maintained that purity, uncolored by time.”

“Perhaps you haven’t even realized how beautiful this color is.” Bumansa sighed faintly.

“As for me, though I’m just making bread and pastries, I’ve lived in big cities over the years and heard plenty of experiences from former classmates.”

“Some were dazzling, while others fell into the dust, turning into the very people we once despised.”

“In the tide of the times, everyone changes, twisting themselves to adapt to the drastic environment and find survival in the cracks.”

“So eventually, I grew weary and came back here.”

“I, actually, am quite disappointed with this world. Surprising, isn’t it, Lolan? This is what I truly feel inside.”

“When the emperor’s ceremonial officer proclaimed orders everywhere, I stood among the noisy crowd feeling alienated, only sorrow and loss.”

“Because the truth, even if you told those people, they wouldn’t listen. They seem poisoned, stepping onto that dark path. And the upper echelons of the empire, driven by their own interests, push them further along.”

“The whole world seems to fall into a maddening fever, driven by profit, sliding towards the abyss, and all you can do is stand aside and watch quietly.”

“At first, I had high expectations for the big city when I went to Long Harbor, but later I realized human nature is the same, just in a larger circle.”

“These past two years, recalling the past, I found that the school days were the happiest and warmest. That’s why I was so happy to see you and Ye Ling visit.”

“Thankfully, Lolan is still the same, so beautiful and serene, and Ye Ling is as pure and cute as in school.”

“Can Lolan understand how surprising this is?”

“It feels like a long-standing unconscious agreement fulfilled, and someone really responded to your call, standing before you again. At this moment, the past and the present overlap, creating a hazy and dreamlike beauty.”

“Therefore, I hope you can stick to your thoughts and continue forward.”

“If this is the future that Lolan hopes and dreams of, it must surely be more beautiful than the present.”

Bumansa slowly expressed her innermost feelings, taking some time to calm down.

“Come on, Little Lolan.” She sat up on the bed, looking at the slightly inexperienced and delicate girl beside her, stroking her soft silver hair, softly encouraging her.

“I understand.” The girl looked at the familiar face above her, blinking her eyes to hide the warmth gathering in the corners.

“Then let’s start.” She gathered her thoughts and sat up on the bed.

First, they would return to Clancia to exchange intelligence with Pulman and other national elites, informing them of the situation they would face in the future and preparing accordingly.

Next, they would find Vimya, help her restore her strength, recruit her, and despite her lacking the memories of Sif Nai Lian, the familiarity and closeness etched into her soul would make her a natural companion and friend for the young girl.

Then, they would have a good exchange with the Wise Ones’ Assembly and the witches of various factions. Even though the world has changed, they still control the direction of most of the world’s powers behind the scenes.

With goals set, Lolan Hill became invigorated.

Changing into a clean white dress, she sat in front of the dressing table in the bedroom, starting to comb her scattered hair, preparing to tie it up.

Watching this scene, Bumansa also smiled faintly, coming behind Lolan Hill to help comb her silver hair, tying a delicate hairband, and securing it into a slightly large light blue bow at the back.

“I’ll go out with you again today and tell you about the origins and changes within the empire over these years.” Bumansa placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder and spoke softly.

“I know, you will intervene in this country sooner or later.”

“After all, the current empire can hardly be called wonderful. Even staying in this peaceful remote town, I often hear about domestic uprisings and wars.”

“After losing to the Snowhua Seven Nations, various forces have risen. Some have been influenced by Clancia and are preparing to start a new revolution, while the old nobility of the empire hasn’t completely collapsed yet, resulting in chaos.”

“Bumansa…” The girl looked up at her companion.

“No explanation needed. I can guess many things roughly. Some things are better kept mysterious, aren’t they?” Bumansa put her finger to her lips in the mirror, winking playfully as she whispered softly in the silver-haired girl’s ear.

After getting dressed and finishing grooming in the bedroom, the two walked out of the room. At this time, Ye Ling was happily spreading honey on cookies, then putting two together and nibbling on them.

Suddenly, the cookie in her hand was taken away and bitten into.

“Ah, my cookie.” Ye Ling looked up.

“Is it Bumansa sister? Is Lolan sister awake too?” Seeing the two emerge, Ye Ling asked hesitantly.

“Yes, if we didn’t wake up soon, we’d starve to death.” Bumansa grabbed the fleeing Ye Ling, rubbed her a bit, and then let her go.

“Is this what you bought this morning? How come most of it is snacks? Didn’t you just buy according to your own preferences?” Bumansa rummaged through the basket.

“No, it’s not like that. Actually, I bought a lot of main dishes too.” Ye Ling insisted she was considerate and sensible, pointing out that those items were in another basket.

“Here, these are for the two elder sisters.” She picked up another basket from the dining cabinet and brought it over.

“It’s heavy. I spent a chicken leg to get Dai Ju to help transport it back.” Ye Ling patted her chest, emphasizing how excellent Dai Ju was as a ‘transport chicken.’

As for this ‘transport chicken,’ she was currently snoring in a chair, her round body wrapped in fluffy feathers, resembling a giant plush toy.

(End of Chapter)