After a brief interlude, the three of them continued to stroll through the forest. Song Qianqian's brain had finally barely digested all the information, and more importantly, she realized that Acheron was the one leading the way now.
Song Qianqian: (๑˙ー˙๑)
Worried they might get even more lost, Song Qianqian hurriedly grabbed Acheron, who was still walking ahead. "Um... Acheron, maybe you should just tell us directly what we should do?"
Acheron stopped, then after a moment of serious thought, calmly gave her reply. "I...don't know what to do."
Song Qianqian: (⊙_⊙)?
It was only then that Song Qianqian suddenly remembered that Acheron was, after all, an "Otherworlder." Her understanding of mystic realms probably wasn't extensive. 'Then what on earth should we do?' Song Qianqian immediately felt a bit troubled. She wasn't alone in this world; outside the mystic realm, she had her family to think about.
Seeing this, Acheron patted Song Qianqian's shoulder, signaling her not to worry. Then she glanced at the "invisible person" beside her. "She's not weak; she should know quite a bit about mystic realms."
Hearing this, Song Qianqian immediately turned her hopeful gaze toward Jiang Qingning. The meaning in her eyes was clear. Seeing this, Jiang Qingning didn't hide anything and began recounting everything she knew.
Mystic realms, as the name suggests, are places where countless Ability Users have been lost or perished. The reason lies in their unpredictability and near-total lack of discernible patterns. Therefore, when authorities manage them, they generally avoid intervening lightly because the final outcome is difficult to determine.
In a best-case scenario, the mystic realm disappears, personnel return safely, and with good luck, they might even bring back some special items from within. In a worst-case scenario, the mystic realm spirals out of control. Even if people return, dangerous Extraterrestrial Creatures from within might follow them to this world, potentially triggering even more serious disasters.
Hearing this, Song Qianqian unconsciously recalled a certain news report she had once seen. "A village on the outskirts of the urban area was completely destroyed by a fire, resulting in numerous casualties."
As for why she remembered this, it was because the village in the news truly was utterly burned down. But the problem was, it was destroyed too cleanly. The entire area was left with nothing but scorched earth; nothing else remained. Even if the village was quite backward, burning away all traces would take at least two days and two nights. Yet, the light from such a massive fire should have been noticed by the city long before several days had passed. So, if not for the report, probably no one would have known a village once stood there. At the time, netizens even joked that the area might have been "sanitized" by an alien UFO.
Jiang Qingning clearly noticed her expression and understood she was making some guesses. In fact, in recent years, the concealment of Supernatural Abilities has gradually relaxed. If it weren't for the country still upholding "belief in science," it probably would have been common knowledge long ago. Some powerful aristocratic families have also learned the truth in secret, something the state tacitly permits. Perhaps in the near future, Ability Users will no longer be a secret.
Having thought this, Jiang Qingning cast aside distracting thoughts and continued sharing information about mystic realms. Because the circumstances of mystic realms' appearances vary greatly. Like the current situation, where everyone is drawn into another world. There are also mystic realms that merge with present reality, like opening your bedroom door to find a vast green prairie inside. Coupled with the varying environments within mystic realms, the methods to resolve them also differ.
"So, is there a way to deal with our current situation?"
Jiang Qingning shook her head, explaining with a hint of uncertainty. "Currently, there are three somewhat universally applicable possibilities summarized, but they can't be called definitive answers. First, similar to defeating a final boss in a game, as long as you eliminate the 'core' of the mystic realm, it will naturally collapse. Second, the mystic realm itself might have a time limit. You just need to survive until the time is up. Third, for realms that merge with reality, the solution might be finding a specific exit within the realm."
After listening, Song Qianqian roughly understood. Just as she thought they might be able to leave soon, Acheron unexpectedly poured cold water on her hopes.
"Indeed, given our current situation, it's impossible to confirm which 'strategy' to use. It's even more likely the answer isn't among them."
Hearing this, Song Qianqian was stunned, her expression shifting from excitement to silence. Acheron's calm analysis was very reasonable. 'No wonder Jiang Qingning's expression is so calm; she clearly realized this too.' This caused the hope that had just risen on little Qian's face to fade into despondency. Could she really not go back?
The next moment, Song Qianqian felt a flick on her forehead.
"Ouch!"
Only then did Acheron's unhurried voice continue. "Stop overthinking. According to her, the hardest thing to guarantee in a mystic realm is your own safety. Now that I'm here, I won't let you get hurt. As for solving the mystic realm, that's just a matter of time. So, little Qian, aren't you supposed to be clever? Why have you suddenly become so silly?"
Rubbing her forehead with both hands, Song Qianqian lifted her face to glare at Acheron with a wronged expression, her lips pouting in dissatisfaction. "That's because you talk with dramatic pauses! Why not just say everything at once?"
Acheron: (๑•. •๑)
Song Qianqian: （＞⤙＜）
And so, the group simply sat down right where they were, planning to rest and recover their strength. After all, not everyone was Acheron. Song Qianqian was still just an ordinary person, and Jiang Qingning, who seemed fine, was actually still injured.
Acheron crossed her arms and leaned against a tree, recognizing with a glance from the corner of her eye that this world's mystic properties felt familiar. 'Strong for preserving life, but before overwhelming power, it's just a struggle to survive. However... her gaze... did she recognize me?' Acheron slightly closed her eyes, deciding not to dwell on it further.
They were quite lucky on their journey, not encountering any more Extraterrestrial Creatures. Just as the three were continuing their rest, Acheron suddenly frowned slightly, as if sensing something. "It feels like it's about to get dark soon. Looks like this really isn't our original world."
Noticing the light filtering through the forest gaps growing dimmer, Song Qianqian realized it was probably approaching nighttime here. Just as she was wondering if she should go find some firewood while Acheron rested, a strange sound suddenly came from nearby.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
The sound came from Jiang Qingning's direction. Song Qianqian immediately stood up and hurried over. Hearing this, Acheron also slowly approached.
"When did this little thing appear next to me!" "Wow, it's so cute!"
Where the trio's gazes converged was a small, adorable Yellow Animal Spirit. The entire spirit was small, covered in fluffy fur, with a pair of pitch-black little eyes darting around. The next moment, the creature took the initiative and spoke.
"Do I look like a human, or like an immortal?"
A cute, ethereal voice came from its mouth, startling Jiang Qingning once again.
"Could this be... the legendary spirit seeking validation?"[1]
But before she could answer, Song Qianqian beside her seemed to associate the question with a keyword. Without considering the danger, she instinctively replied with a description of a small, adorable humanoid figure.
Acheron: ...
Jiang Qingning: ...
Animal Spirit: (๑•. •๑)?
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene fell into an eerie silence. The creature clearly hadn't processed it, standing there dumbfounded, completely not understanding what this human was saying. The three watched as the spirit tilted its fuzzy head. Immediately after, a dazzling white light suddenly erupted from its entire body.
Acheron: (●—●)
Jiang Qingning:(゜ロ゜)
little Qian: （⊙▽⊙）
[1] This saying comes form old Chinese folklores/novels. Usually, a spiritual creature would come up to a human and ask them "Do I look like a god?" If the human answers "Yes" The creature gains human form or divine status. If they answer "No" The creature's centuries of cultivation are ruined. Thou, the question here is a bit different.