The mist carried the faint fragrance of sea spray and salt. The three of them had returned to Whiterun Island within Gaia.
After temporal adjustment, Gaia had gradually come ever closer to Earth's ecological conditions.
It no longer had that subtle time difference from Earth. It had officially become a part of Earth, a counterpart within folded space. This was a rare and welcome development.
With the experience from their first trip, their exploration went far faster than before.
Lin Qiang donned her invisibility cloak. Along with the likewise invisible Qin Shunying, each carried a lamp that gave off a warm yellow light no oil lamp could produce, like the glow of a burning fireplace.
The only visible one, Jiang Han, held a staff as she strolled ahead. Lamps carried by invisible people floated at her side, while an unmanned carriage followed behind her.
The three proceeded along the road they had discovered earlier. Every so often, they saw huge craters blasted into the ground by primal magic, now filled with water and overgrown with fluorescent forest algae and rock coral.
Such unnatural growth rates. Next time, I can bring Cen Jing here—she'll definitely like land where plants grow so quickly. Jiang Han looked at the water-filled crater she had blasted out with her Flame Burst Spell as a marker and pondered for a second or two.
"What is it, Miss Han?" asked the invisible person beside her. From the voice, it was Qin Shunying.
"I thought of a friend. Next time, I want to bring her in to explore with us." The corners of Jiang Han's lips rose slightly, then pressed together again a moment later. "A good friend."
The lamps beside her swayed twice. Amid a cough, Lin Qiang's voice rang out:
"Friendship is the finest pick-me-up. Whenever