Chapter 421
No trace was left.
When Maria opened her eyes again, she had once again arrived in the Yan.
However, the Yan at this point in time lies between the Yan she recently visited and the Yan in reality.
It was a very delicate moment in time.
At this moment, she seemed to be in a vast farmland.
In the distance, one can still vaguely see many people bending over to cultivate the land.
"Are you alright, Hunter?"
The Doll's voice came from Maria's ear.
She was a little worried about Maria's health.
For them, this is a rare instance of them actively using their abilities.
When she traveled to Yan earlier, she was considering whether Maria's body could withstand continuous time travel—not because she was worried that Maria would have any problems, but because she was concerned that being in too many different eras and places would cause Maria's thoughts to become confused for a while.
But clearly, her idea was somewhat unnecessary for Maria.
"I'm alright, Doll... Do you know where this place is?"
Maria shook her head, got up, and slowly moved towards the crowd.
"Feel sorry."
The Doll's voice continued, "I can't teleport to a fixed point yet... As for your location, you'll probably have to figure it out yourself..."
"Fine."
Maria shook her head, not thinking it was a problem.
Soon, Maria bypassed the edge of the wilderness and gradually walked into the track.
The people working diligently nearby soon noticed this outsider.
They straightened up and looked in their direction with some surprise.
"Girl!"
An elderly man approached and shouted at the top of his lungs, slowly and deliberately.
How did you get here?
"Um?"
"This is the experimental field area; outsiders are not allowed to enter."
The old man kindly reminded Maria.
Maria blinked in confusion.
"Experimental... field?"
"Hmm? From outside?"
Maria's puzzled expression made the old man understand something; he frowned and smiled.
"It was just arranged this year. Apparently, they've been researching some new seeds, but we don't know the yield yet, so they've marked out a spot to plant them and see how it goes."
"These seedlings are quite delicate... You can look at them, but please don't touch them."
The old man gave a few more reminders, then buried himself in his work again.
Maria watched for a while before resuming her actions.
But she seemed to be pondering what the other person said.
After walking for a while, she gradually stopped.
"A strange smell..."
She whispered, looking down at her feet.
With her powerful body and incredibly keen senses, Maria could clearly feel the strange aura emanating from the ground beneath her feet.
That was... an aura that didn't belong to humans...
"Umbilical Cord?"
Maria hesitated, then slowly knelt down on one knee, reached out, and grasped a handful of soil.
The soft black soil exudes a unique aroma, like burnt straw, which, while making one feel dizzy, also brings a strange sense of comfort.
But Maria keenly sensed something unusual about it.
With her terrifying senses, Maria discovered the delicate crystals hidden within almost instantly.
Originium?
No, it doesn't seem like it.
More than Originium, this thing is more like...
Umbilical Cord?
As she pondered, Maria slightly relaxed her brow.
For her, discovering the Umbilical Cord wasn't scary; what was scary was not knowing where the Umbilical Cord was.
Now that we know this area contains Umbilical Cord... why don't we just come and retrieve it ourselves?
As she pondered this, Maria slowly rose to her feet.
Not far away, a little girl with two pigtails came running over.
Upon seeing Maria, she wasn't shy at all; instead, she stared at her curiously for a few moments.
"What are you doing, sister?"
"..."
Are you hungry?
The little girl's thoughts weren't too complicated. She just smiled at Maria and said, "If you're hungry, I have some biscuits at home... Sister, would you like some?"
The little girl openly expressed her kindness to Maria, and her words helped Maria understand exactly where this place was...
"Is this... the Great Wilderness City?"
"Oh right? Sister, didn't you know?"
The little girl seemed a bit strange.
Maria has come all this way, how could she not know where she is?
Maria simply shook her head.
In the Yan era that she was familiar with, food was not scarce, but it was certainly not abundant either.
This is related to the men's continuous conquests over the years, but it is not the sole reason.
The main reason is that the area, population, and arable land of the Great Yan are not matched.
Any civilization needs a population to develop, and a large population needs food... Food requires farmland, stable weather and geographical conditions, and good seeds.
This was actually a major problem that plagued the Yan back then.
Fortunately, due to the benefits of the continuous campaigns against the Great Beast, many things could be temporarily suppressed. However, Maria could also foresee that shortly after she left, after the Demon-Subduing and Calamity-Suppressing Campaign ended, Yan would fall into a difficult transition period.
In this situation, being able to freely invite strangers to one's home for dinner... seems to be something only that city called Dahuang (Great Wilderness) could do...
Maria had always been quite curious about the Great Wilderness.
For various reasons, she has never had the chance to come and see this place.
Did I never expect to arrive in this way?
It has to be said, it's quite a delicate situation.
"So, do you know why that so-called experimental field was established?"
Maria spoke again, asking the little girl a question.
But the little girl just pointed to her lips, looking completely bewildered.
What is that older sister saying? It's so hard to understand...
"That's true... you're just a child too..."
Seeing the girl's confused look, Maria paused for a moment before coming to her senses.
What should I say to a child?
They don't need to care about these things...
After pondering for a moment, Maria nodded slightly.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need food... Where is your highest-ranking person here?"
Maria still planned to find someone in charge and ask them what was going on here, and if there had been any unusual movements...
After all, even without consciousness, the Umbilical Cord can actively influence its surroundings... Maria certainly doesn't want things to change because of her.
The girl understood the question.
"Over here, over here..."
Immediately, she waved her little hand and began to lead the way for Maria.
The two of them walked through the fields.
The crisscrossing paths divided the field into squares of varying sizes and shapes, and as the two walked across, Maria felt as if she were witnessing the life of wheat.
From seedling to adulthood, from ear formation to yellowing...
Step by step, they approach the final stage of their life cycle.
The wind is pushing them, causing them to sway and shake against each other.
And in these shimmering golden fields.
A figure, blurry and indistinct...
"Sister Shu! Someone is looking for you!"
The little girl cupped her hands into a megaphone shape and shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her voice startled the woman who was working hard in the fields in the distance.
The woman in casual clothes also stopped writing in her notebook and turned her head away, looking somewhat puzzled.
The wind blew across her body, and naturally, it also caressed the body of the black-clad woman in the distance...
Then...
She was stunned.
Her tall, imposing figure was clad in a striking hunting outfit. A gentle breeze would softly ruffle her white hair, lightly brushing against her stunning face.
Its gray pupils gazed calmly in this direction, and its pinkish-white lips looked incredibly warm and moist.
The sharpness of a fighter and the gentleness of a woman coexist in one person!
This completely stunned Shu.
But compared to these, another feeling suddenly welled up in my chest.
Have we met somewhere before?
Shu also found it difficult to describe exactly what he was thinking at that moment.
She could only feel her emotions beginning to surge.
She stared blankly in their direction, her body unconsciously moving closer.
"Sister Shu?"
The little girl looked at Shu with a puzzled expression, not understanding what was wrong with him.
Only when the girl spoke did Shu belatedly realize that he was already right in front of Maria...
A hand even touched Maria's face!
This?!