Wasteland

As night deepened and the moon and stars faded, the city lights gradually thinned, and a thick, inky night enveloped the entire land.

Outside the city, there was no one to be seen, and all was quiet. Only a few small animals roamed the boundless wilderness and jungle.

This is Wasteland, a "blank space" between human cities, beyond the reach of civilization.

Blank spaces don't mean non-existence, but rather inaccessibility, hence the deliberate omission. No one knows how long they can survive in the Wasteland, because almost no one ever makes it back alive.

Over time, "Wasteland" has even become a word used to scare children. Many parents threaten their disobedient children with "If you misbehave again, I'll throw you into the Wasteland," which is very effective. Generations of people have grown up with this kind of warning, and have become accustomed to the concept that "the Wasteland is dangerous," and have never thought about going out.

Of course, human curiosity is inexhaustible. As information networks develop, more and more people are keen to explore the mysteries of the Wasteland, and even some internet celebrities seeking to gain popularity want to challenge themselves in the Wasteland. But these people often end up disappearing in the Wasteland, adding a touch of mystery and eeriness to this ancient legend.

To protect the cities from the dangers of the Wasteland, people built towering protective nets outside the cities and established trestle roads for Landship to pass between them. These trestle roads were the only lifeline for transportation between cities, and like the blood vessels of civilization, they connected cities all over the world, as well as goods and information.

These protective nets seem to possess some kind of magical power; as long as they exist, the city is often safe. People can continue to live and work in peace, as if nothing in the Wasteland has anything to do with them.

Therefore, no one noticed the long plume of smoke rising into the darkness of the night in the Wasteland outside the city.

Desert, lone smoke, waning moon, embers.

A small, thin figure sat huddled by the campfire, hugging his knees, staring intently at the pavilion beneath the protective netting.

The crackling sound of burning was the only noise at this moment, and the leaping flames meant that time was still flowing, but the figure remained motionless and silent, like a statue without any sign of life.

It was a man dressed in black.

Saying it was dressed in black might not be accurate, because what the other person was wearing was not a long robe like the Black Ash Dawn, but a somewhat old and tattered black Daoist robe.

The hem of this black Daoist robe was tattered and torn, as if it had been ripped open. The upper part of the robe was also not a proper fit, as it was simply tied to the body with a waistband.

The woman in the black robe was a young girl, around sixteen years old.

The girl sat quietly in the Wasteland at night, her breaths seemingly possessing a unique rhythm. A misty haze swirled around the campfire with her breaths. Within a few feet, it was as if another world had opened up before her.

Her slightly raised eyes were tinged with the firelight, illuminating the scene within them: her dark gray and silvery pupils moved slowly within them, like a pair of mysterious yin-yang fish.

A cinnabar-colored line on the back of her hand outlines a long-tailed, long-winged eagle. Though only a few strokes are used, it is lifelike, as if it is about to take off and soar into the sky at any moment.

The girl gazed at the pavilion, then closed her eyes after a long silence. The yin-yang symbol in her eyes stopped turning, and her breathing, imbued with some mysterious power, ceased. When she raised her eyelids again, all that remained were a pair of dark eyes.

"The beast's magic power is almost completely gone."

She muttered to herself, "It seems we've arrived too late after all; the remnants of the Apostles have no chance of survival."

"It's not absolutely necessary to save those guys."

After she spoke, another voice rang out from the darkness beside her. "Anyway, it's just a simple deal between the leader and those Apostles. It's best if it goes through, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't. That's their business, none of our concern."

As soon as she finished speaking, a slender Black Cat slowly emerged from the darkness, walked to the campfire, and sat down beside the girl. It propped itself up slightly, as if stretching.

"Don't get it wrong, we only have one goal: to quickly recover the Beast Source left behind by the 'Moth'."

It turned its head, its vertical pupils looking at the girl. "As long as we can get the Beast Source, everything else can be put aside."

"Including that matter that the boss specifically instructed?"

The girl, without looking to the side, said, "They said if possible, I could take two more people with me."

"Which two?" the Black Cat asked, slightly surprised.

"A girl named Bai Jingxuan, and... Cornflower."

The girl paused for a moment before uttering the last name. "Didn't the deputy leader tell you? She should have been there too."

"... That kind of thing can only be described as doing one's best."

The Black Cat replied, "Although Cornflower has been seriously injured for many years, she clearly still retains some strength. Sparrow was captured in the pavilion; Moth also died in the pavilion; and the Magic Armament that appeared in those videos online almost certainly indicate that she was behind it."

"Sparrow... if she's sent to the Investigation Institute like this, her chances of survival are slim. I never imagined that our last meeting would be our final farewell."

A hint of melancholy crossed the girl's face. "But so be it. In any case, I'm just not as skilled as them, so this ending is fair enough."

"Isn't that your direct subordinate?"

The Black Cat asked, puzzled, "Even if she's a bit rebellious, does that mean we should just ignore her like this?"

"We are seekers of truth, living alone in this world, not toddlers taking their first steps under the watchful eyes of our parents."

The girl spoke, "The path to enlightenment is always fraught with obstacles and dangers, trials and tribulations. If you cannot overcome them, then that is your fate."

Is it really okay to say this now?

The Black Cat said, "Cornflower aren't so easy to deal with."

"... It doesn't matter."

The girl lowered her eyes slightly, and a hint of life slowly appeared on her previously blank face. "If she is strong, that's fine. I look forward to fighting her while she still has power. That way, I will learn something regardless of whether I win or lose. I don't like fighting that bullies the weak."

"You need to change this habit. Fighting is fighting, not a stage for you to display some kind of martial arts spirit. You're too merciful to your opponents."

The Black Cat sighed rather human-like, "Alright, enough gossip, go to sleep. I'll keep watch for the rest of the night."

As it spoke, it gazed at the boundless Wasteland in the distance. Because it turned slightly to the side, revealing a pair of somewhat thin wings on its back, it revealed its true identity—a Fairy.

Is it okay to only sleep for two hours?

The girl tilted her head slightly. "You didn't sleep at all during the day, did you? Does that count as staying up all night for a cat?"

"I am Fairy, not a real cat."

The Black Cat Fairy wagged its tail. "Black Cat too, and you too, don't always treat me like a pet cat."

"A black cat is calling others 'Black Cat'."

The girl smiled faintly, "Would you call that a lame joke?"

"If you know it's a lame joke, then don't waste your time."

The Black Cat Fairy glanced at her with some displeasure. "Go to sleep quickly, we still have to continue our journey to Fangting tomorrow."

"Okay, I'm going to sleep."

The girl said no more. She leaned against the campfire, wrapped herself in her large Daoist robe, and looked at the Black Cat Fairy with her dark eyes. "Thank you, Semi."

"Go to sleep."

The Fairy turned her head away, continuing to gaze at the vast Wasteland, and slowly murmured the girl's name:

--"kite".

Early in the morning, Larkspur came from her bedroom to the kitchen, tidied her clothes, and took off her arm sleeves from the doorway. She was about to prepare breakfast when she smelled the aroma of boiling rice porridge coming from the kitchen.

She looked into the kitchen and saw a pink little dog Fairy bustling around the stove, effortlessly wielding kitchen utensils much larger than herself with remarkable skill.

"Nini?"

The Larkspur asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why are you making breakfast again today? Didn't you say I'd do it?"

"It's best not to trouble Lady Cornflower with trivial matters."

Nini, standing by the stove, turned to look at Larkspur and said, "Besides, today might be the last time I cook for everyone here."

These words jolted Larkspur's mind, which had been still somewhat drowsy, much more awake. She paused briefly at first, but quickly realized what they meant:

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, the Kingdom finally contacted me last night, saying that I need to go back for a period of observation and training, and wait for the next assignment."

Nini turned down the stove's heat, hovered in the air, and gave a slight bow to the Larkspur: "We expect to set off today. Thank you all for your understanding and care these past few days."

"There's no need to be so polite. In fact, everyone has benefited from your kindness."

Larkspur shook her head. "But does that mean Moko will become the official Seeder of Fangting City from now on?"

Yes, that's right.

Nini sat up. "After I leave, the Kingdom should send someone to bring Moko's official appointment documents, as well as the Magic Mirror and other tools needed by the Seeder. This also means that I, the derelict Seeder, can finally leave this city completely."

That's not actually your fault.

The Larkspur said softly, "You are merely a victim in this matter; you don't need to take so much responsibility upon yourself."

"But if I hadn't arrived at Fangting, and if it weren't for Lady Cornflower's presence, that city would probably have already fallen because of my mistake, wouldn't it?"

Nini sighed, "You don't need to comfort me like that. We Seeder bear a heavy responsibility, so even after going through the relevant training, I just... need some time to think things through."

"... As you wish."

Larkspur nodded. "Then let's not talk about these things anymore. I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you. This time, the return journey shouldn't be like the one we came in. However, I have one more thing to ask of you, and that is Moko."

Nini laughed upon hearing this, "I've disciplined it these past few days, teaching it many things and rules, but it's still early, and it needs some time to truly grasp them. I hope everyone can be a little more tolerant of Moko. Of course, this doesn't mean you should tolerate its naughtiness, but rather that when it does something wrong, you should at least tell it and give it some guidance. After all, it..."

"After all, it's not really Seeder, right?"

Larkspur picked up where Nini left off, placing one hand on her hip and calmly saying, "It's not just that I've never been Seeder; it's that I've received almost no education related to Seeder. Fundamentally, I'm not on the same path as you Seeder."

"... Yes, you guessed right."

Nini looked helpless. "Because it's actually Fairy in the Garden. According to the normal plan, it should be a 'gardener' in the future, not Seeder."

"As expected."

The Larkspur understood. "It seems to know a lot about Fairy, but is completely ignorant of most common knowledge about magical girls; it knows about some Kingdom, but is completely ignorant of the Material Realm. It seems there's no other possibility that it grew up in Garden."

"Yes."

Nini continued, "Moko isn't a bad person at heart. Aside from being a little playful, he's a child who really craves recognition. If he can gain recognition from others, he's very willing to learn and work hard. Please give him a chance."

"I wouldn't be that harsh on a Fairy; I've seen plenty of unreliable Fairy anyway."

The Larkspur crossed her arms. "But what exactly is your relationship with it? Why did it run out of the Garden just to come to Fangting City to find you?"

"My relationship with it? If I had to say... although there's no such kinship among Fairy, we could be considered sisters, right?"

Nini looked thoughtful. "Our Mana Source originates from the Garden and develops spirituality later in life, so we've been good friends since childhood."

"However, even among Fairy, who are generally late bloomers, Moko is one of the slower-growing ones. While everyone else is already able to leave the Garden and work independently, it is still living carefree in the Garden."

"Furthermore, although I can't say much, Moko's status in the Garden... is a bit special. It's more special than any of us Fairy, and the treatment it receives is unique. The Great Fairy Chief is also exceptionally indulgent towards it, never disciplining it strictly, which is why its personality is so... flamboyant."

"After I grew up, I chose to leave the Garden to receive training as Seeder, but Moko and I have always been friends, and we still often play together."

"Later, I was assigned by the Kingdom to Fangting City as Seeder, so when I left, I said goodbye to it and told it that if it missed me, it could come to Fangting City to see me..."

At this point, Nini's expression became complicated. "I just didn't expect it to be so efficient. Because I couldn't contact it for two years, it actually tracked me all the way to Fangting City. It didn't even tell the Great Fairy Chief; it practically smuggled itself out of the Garden to find me."

"... But in a sense, it saved you because it did that, right?"

The Larkspur narrowed its eyes slightly. "It was because it impulsively came to Fangting City alone that so many things happened afterward. It caused trouble, but it also set the stage for everything."

"So, although it made many mistakes, it also inadvertently did some things right. Even if we're just talking about rewards and punishments, I won't be too harsh on it."

"Magical girls need to grow, Fairy need to grow, and the Seeder is also a member of the Magical Girl Squad. Helping each other is only natural."

She looked at Nini seriously. "Is telling you this an explanation?"

"Yes."

Nini smiled with a sense of relief, and once again bowed to the Larkspur: "If you say that... then I'm relieved."