“So if Aedes Elysiae is gone, then our backup plan is to obtain some clues from that secret realm?”
“That’s right.” Xian Ling nodded.
“Oh, speaking of which…
Fourth Mirror, do you think I fit the description of ‘childlike innocence’?”
“Your appearance is certainly deceptive enough, but considering how meticulous you are, with several backup plans behind every plan, I don’t think you’re very much like a child.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment…
Though it probably won’t matter.”
Because she had spent who knew how long in Aedes Elysiae while playing the game in her previous life, Xian Ling was already thoroughly familiar with the map.
Even though the village had now become ruins, she could still navigate using certain landmark structures.
After repeatedly checking her bearings for quite some time, Xian Ling finally brushed aside a large pile of fallen leaves in the deepest part of the forest within the Ritual Courtyard under Fourth Mirror’s curious gaze, revealing a tangled mass of roots thicker than her entire body.
“This should be the place…”
Xian Ling clapped her hands against the massive roots.
“But there’s nothing here…”
“Idiot, don’t use your eyes.
Use your data perspective to feel it.
This is the one place I absolutely can’t be wrong about.
In Aedes Elysiae alone, I have the confidence to call myself ‘Ying Yueyue.'”
“Milady is making references I don’t understand again…”
Several faint glimmers reflected across Fourth Mirror’s surface.
“But there really does seem to be a passage here.
It’s just that it doesn’t belong to the same timeline as us…”
“That’s Oronyx’s power.
Just break through it temporarily.
She won’t mind.”
“Alright…
Milady, I’ve opened a temporary passage here, but the entrance might be a little narrow.”
“It’s fine.
If it were Ruan Mei Onee-san’s bust size, she really might not fit through.”
Xian Ling made a rough gesture, then immediately crawled into the tree hollow.
“Too bad the one who came with me this time was Herta Onee-san.
Even if she needs to come in later, there’s no risk of getting stuck.”
Passing through dense grass and intertwined branches, Xian Ling followed the enormous roots downward.
After an unknown amount of time, her vision suddenly opened up.
Within the vast underground world, crystalline larvae and butterflies drifted everywhere.
Several curious-looking fairies held farming tools in their hands while whispering among themselves from afar as they stared at Xian Ling.
“Traveler from afar…”
A somewhat aged voice sounded before Xian Ling.
Then an elderly fairy with gray-white fur and a kindly face appeared before her.
“I am the village chief of the Membrane Maze, Dolimem.”
“Hello, Granny Village Chief.”
Xian Ling gave a polite bow.
“Sorry for the intrusion.
I hope you won’t mind.
I know the Membrane Maze never invited me here, but the situation is urgent, and I desperately need your help—for the sake of saving this world.”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
Dolimem gently shook her head.
“Those children simply haven’t seen anyone enter the Wonderland voluntarily before.
Some mistook you for the Black Tide, while others are simply very curious about you…”
“Although the Wonderland did not actively welcome you, I can sense the kindness in your heart.
Therefore, you are still an honored guest of the Wonderland, mi.”
“Now then, child, tell me…”
“I can see that your heart is filled with many questions.”
“Thank you very much!
Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Delight appeared on Xian Ling’s face as she immediately sat down across from the village chief.
“I want to know…
Is Cyrene still alive?”
“So you’re a friend of that child?”
Dolimem was briefly stunned before quickly replying:
“Of course.
If you had arrived one ring of growth earlier, you might even have met her.
Not long ago, she came to the Wonderland to bid everyone farewell.
If I remember correctly, she went to study and become a priestess of Oronyx, mi.”
“So the current time is one year after Aedes Elysiae was destroyed by the Black Tide…”
After pondering for a moment, Xian Ling raised her head again.
“Then, Granny Village Chief, has anything unusual happened in the Membrane Maze recently?”
“Ah, by recently, I mean within the last five thousand rings of growth…”
“Silly child, that can’t be called recent…”
Dolimem revealed a kindly smile.
Xian Ling irresponsibly guessed that the other party probably thought she was a bit lacking in common sense.
“However, I think I understand what you’re trying to ask…”
“The Black Tide has indeed become somewhat different recently.
Within it, I can smell something familiar, yet I can’t quite place where that familiarity comes from.”
“Oh, right.
If we’re talking about abnormalities, some changes have also occurred within the Membrane Maze itself.”
As she spoke, Dolimem seemed to recall something, and a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
“In the past, the fairies of the Membrane Maze always increased one at a time after a certain period.
But not long ago, six fairies were born all at once…”
“Hm?”
Xian Ling’s gaze instantly sharpened.
As a veteran lore theorist from her previous life, she naturally knew some theories regarding the Membrane Maze.
Among them was the speculation that the increase in fairy numbers was most likely tied to the number of reincarnations, with one fairy being added during each cycle.
However, according to the village chief, six fairies had appeared all at once during the last increase.
Now that was interesting.
Either, for some unknown reason, the Eternal Return had occurred six times at once—which was impossible, because Eternal Return couldn’t be “saved up.”
Or there was another possibility…
Xian Ling casually glanced at Fourth Mirror.
The latter immediately understood the girl’s meaning and began monitoring the data of the entire Membrane Maze.
“Granny Village Chief, then these six fairies…
do they have any special characteristics?”
“They do.
Though rather than special, I’d call them strange, mi.”
Dolimem nodded.
“Among the six, one is no different from the other fairies.
But the remaining five…
they seemed to know one another from the very beginning.”
“Furthermore, unlike other newborn fairies, who are curious about everything, they often appear worried.
They’re constantly hiding away together and discussing something in secret.”
“Damn, they’ve even formed a clique?”
Fourth Mirror delivered a sharp remark from the side.
“A clique…
Yes, that’s quite an appropriate description.”
Dolimem swayed her fluffy tail.
“However, although they aren’t very sociable, they’re always remarkably perceptive when it comes to understanding the preferences of other fairies.
As a result, most fairies don’t hold any prejudice against these strange fairies.
After all, most fairies in the Wonderland have rather distinct personalities.”
“Milady…”
At this point, Fourth Mirror couldn’t help but speak up again.
“Don’t you think these strange fairies have a behavior pattern that feels very familiar somehow…”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Xian Ling stretched lazily and vigorously, rotating her wrists as she rose to her feet.
Then the girl revealed a radiant smile.
“Granny Village Chief, could you take me to meet those special ‘fairies’?”
“I think…
I can explain why they don’t fit in.”
===
T/N: I fixed a couple of mistranslations from the previous chapter.
If you spot any, do let me know.