Sandstorm (Part 1)

"I have something I want to do..."

That was what Alesha said to Lester. With those azure eyes of hers, she gazed at the sandstorm surging in from afar—and at the trace of a keen, powerful presence.

The sandstorms on Sky Island were like ocean waves, one after another. They were not so stubborn as to collide head-on with the strongest wave. Now was the time to hunker down; once they had weathered the greatest sandstorm before them, they would press deeper in.

The Ghost Witch Lester wore a rather comical sandproof suit resembling an astronaut's outfit. Beside her, she and the similarly dressed Lilia were leisurely using binoculars to watch the sandstorm. Sand waves infused with magic were truly one of life's spectacles. With luck, one could even acquire all manner of magical minerals swept along by such a storm.

"You're heading out? Then be careful. Don't get lost again," Lester said indifferently.

"This time, I've laid out a route back," Alesha said. She nodded at Miss Chen Ligu, who had only recently joined them but had already blended in quite well, opened her lace parasol, and leaped forward—yet landed lightly upon the sand.

Rewrite cognition.

Alesha manipulated the magic in her eyes, quietly opening a tiny back door in the laws of the world. The wind and sand could no longer obscure her belongings or her body. The oncoming waves of sand automatically parted before her, while the soft, sinking sand beneath her feet became as solid as a concrete floor, ensuring that her round-toed dress shoes with their medium heels would not sink deeply into the sand.

Even the raging wind could not lift her from the ground. Instead, it gently caressed her hair, like a daughter fondly brushing against the warmth of home.

Alesha knew that