Galio's Hideout

Seeing everyone busy, Ge'enda'er took the initiative to cook.

Su Ming nodded to him, then took her breakfast and sat down at the long table.

Just then, Jielusi also stepped into the food cart.

The light in the entire carriage seemed to flicker for a moment. The priestess was wearing a corduroy dress with a rabbit and lamb pattern, layered with decorations: delicate ribbons were twisted into silk flowers at the neckline, adorned with wooden buttons; a woven belt passed naturally through the drawstring loops on both sides of the robe, with pinecone-shaped pom-poms hanging at both ends; the loose long sleeves elegantly covered her wrists;

Her multi-layered ruffled skirt swayed gently as she moved; her long pink hair was braided into two braids, adorned with ivy hair ornaments, and hung down to her chest.

Forest priest girl!

Su Ming instinctively reached for his phone, but then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, he stopped himself.

"Good morning, Priestess Jielusi!" Su Ming nodded in greeting, then focused on the breakfast in front of him.

"That was close!" he thought to himself with relief.

"Good morning, Your Excellency Su Ming." In the dining car, Jielusi returned Su Ming's greeting. Her voice was very soft as she quietly took her food, sat down, and began to eat.

Su Ming felt that this young priestess was completely different from how she had acted the last time they met; she exuded a silent aura. Moreover, her attire had been proper and elegant last time, but this time it was noticeably different.

Yes, what happened?

****

Outside the Doomsday Locomotive, a girl installing a magic circle had a faint blue glow in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

"You installed it wrong, this position should be for earth element." Newman watched with heartache as a magic crystal was ruined by her.

"I have plenty of materials, don't worry about it!"

Zijin reached out and plucked the water crystal, then tossed it away.

She looked up and suddenly realized that a light snow had arrived silently. Fine snowflakes drifted down, like crumpled clouds gently scattering onto the earth. At first, there were only a few scattered snowflakes, barely visible as they brushed past the car window.

As the snow gradually intensified, countless tiny silver sprites danced lightly in the air and rushed towards her, creating barely perceptible ripples on the shield surrounding Zijin.

Newman, however, did not receive such treatment. Snowflakes slipped through his bones, causing his joints to crack slightly in the cold. The halfling skeleton stopped moving and flexed his finger bones. He looked up ahead, his soul fire flickering slightly, as if appreciating the unexpected light snowfall.

"Being a spirit isn't so bad after all," Newman remarked, a rare moment of reflection. "To have such a journey after death."

"My form of existence," Zijin murmured softly, her breath dissipating rapidly in the cold wind, "Is it death, or life?"

Newman was silent for a moment, then said, "Your question has stumped me."

The superposition of Magic Power and laws, upon which the life forms built, are repeatedly altered by top-tier extraordinary individuals. What was originally a clear distinction between survival and death becomes unrecognizable.

Beneath the locomotive, the soft surface snow was crushed by the tracks and then compacted by the vibrating plate. The hard locomotive thus cut through the snowfield.

The snow-covered ground was lowered, forming gullies, and snowflakes fell into them like moths to a flame.

"When boundaries are blurred, cognition becomes difficult to maintain." Newman gazed at the ravaged snowfield. "I'm beginning to understand why you failed back then."

****

The Youth Civilization Train was very fast, and arrived at the outskirts of Compton Forest that very night.

The snow fell heavier during the night, and when the motorcycle stopped, its sound filled the vast snowfield, making the Tranquility even more profound.

The next morning, the snow had stopped. The group wrapped themselves tightly in their warm clothes and stepped out of the train carriage.

Before us, a thick blanket of snow enveloped the entire coniferous forest. The sturdy pine trunks were bent slightly by the weight of the snow, their dark brown bark outlining a strong silhouette against the pure white background.

This sealed forest, in its purest form, quietly awaits the arrival of spring.

But there was no "afterwards".

Zijin raised her hand, and wind blades whistled past, felling sturdy trees in clumps with a loud "boom." Ge'enda'er stepped forward and easily pushed the trees aside, carving a path through the ground, the springy branches kicking up a cloud of snow mist.

The exclusive combat class of the Temple of Light: Paladin.

Newman ventured deeper into the forest and quickly found a suitable spot. After making a rough plan, he had Zijin cast a terrain spell.

With a low rumble, the soil slowly rose under the influence of magic, revealing the outlines of several earthen kilns.

Newman began working on the details of repairing the earthen kiln, while several spellcasters began a large-scale logging operation, magical light flashing in the forest. Thick trees crashed to the ground under the power of magic, then were cut into logs, with wood chips and snow flying everywhere.

The two hundred skeletons left over from last time were dispatched, like a diligent swarm of ants, to continuously transport timber to the earthen kiln.

****

Jielusi set off early in the morning for the nearest village. Around noon, she returned to the camp with two experienced charcoal burners.

Upon seeing this strange procession, the large number of undead and the massive mechanical devices, the two simple villagers were immediately terrified, their faces turning pale and their legs going weak.

Fortunately, the Temple of Light had a good reputation in the Northern Lands. Jielusi skillfully used a calming spell, and her gentle words, combined with the holy light, finally calmed down the two terrified masters.

Su Ming suspected that she frequently dealt with similar scenarios.

Ge'enda'er walked over and took out two gold coins.

"Gentlemen, if you're willing to help us finish this batch of charcoal, this is your reward!" the middle-aged priest said with a smile. "If you agree, I can pay you in advance right now!"

1

The two craftsmen looked at each other; this gold coin would be enough for them to live comfortably for quite some time in the Northern Lands. Finally, gritting their teeth, they accepted the coin and cautiously approached the skeleton master who was building the kiln, joining the work team.

Jielusi breathed a sigh of relief and then joined the logging team. Today, she had changed out of her exquisite Morandi-colored sweet-style long dress and put back on the healing magic robe she had worn when she first arrived—it seemed to be the simplest outfit she had ever worn.

The Frostmane Giant Wolf in the carriage were also sent out to work. These proud riding beasts, ever since boarding the Youth Civilization, had been doing nothing but hard labor hauling goods, and were now snorting and pawing at the ground in protest.

The Zijin released a wisp of pressure, and these unruly beasts immediately became diligent again.

By the afternoon, the once lush forest was unrecognizable. Nearly a hundred acres of woodland had collapsed, large trees had been selectively felled, and large holes had appeared in the once continuous canopy, making the entire forest much sparser and shorter.

"Three hundred tons of charcoal? Do we really need to cut down so many trees?" Su Ming looked at the forest before him, scarred and ravaged by clearing.

He asked, somewhat shocked.

"It's not even halfway done yet," Newman said. He had already built four large earthen kilns and was constructing the fifth.

Two of them were already stuffed with wood and lit. The charcoal burners were carefully adjusting the vents to ensure the wood inside burned completely. Because fresh wood was used, and pine trees have a high resin content, thick smoke billowed into the sky, turning half the sky grayish-black.

The group continued cutting down trees and moving materials to fill the remaining earthen kilns.

"This area is rather remote, but the forest cover is quite good," Ge'enda'er flicked the sawdust off his sleeve and interjected, "In the more populated areas of the Northern Lands, the forests aren't nearly this lush."

Su Ming couldn't help but sigh, if there were more things like the Youth Civilization, or if they made more trips, the results would be no less than those of Princess Dafulin's "Hanging River" project.

No wonder coal is called the food of industry—without the support of these "foods," other resources simply cannot fill the bottomless pit of industrialization.

****

As dusk fell, all four earthen kilns were filled with wood and lit. After several hours of thorough burning, the charcoal burners carefully sealed the ventilation openings, allowing the wood to continue smoldering in the oxygen-deprived conditions.

The remaining two earthen kilns will resume operation tomorrow.

The two workers dared not get on the vehicle, so they set up a makeshift shelter in a warm spot near the kiln to monitor the burning.

The others dragged their weary bodies back to the carriages, took a good hot shower, and then gradually gathered in the dining car for dinner. Hansite had set up a large pot on the table, which was simmering various kinds of meat. Their logging operation had yielded a large number of animals in the forest. Many of their nests had been destroyed, so they had no choice but to eat them.

Everyone was helping out, adding sliced ham, tofu, and potato into the pot one by one, with various frozen vegetables laid out on the side. On a winter night like this, nothing is more anticipated than a steaming hot pot.

Apart from Qiluo, who was tapping her bowl and plate with her fork while waiting anxiously for the food to cook, she had this privilege because she had an important task to complete later.

Zijin sat in the corner, using a hot air dryer to dry her long hair; the delicate scent of conditioner filled the carriage. After a busy day, Jielusi finally changed into a candy-print lace-trimmed loungewear after showering. Although still sweet and decorative, the overall style was much simpler.

Hansite brought out a steamer of freshly steamed rice. Everyone served themselves a bowl. Younier thoughtfully packed two hearty dinners and some hot soup, which she then delivered to the two cooks in the shack.

Qiluo swept the remaining rice, along with the tray, away.

"Miss Qiluo, what time does the ceremony begin tonight?" Jielusi asked softly.

"Just wait until the moon reaches its highest point, around ten o'clock," the unicorn replied without even looking out the window, after all, she was a follower of the Moon Goddess.

Would you mind if I used "Light Rain Moistening" to assist you?

"Hmm, the Children of the Moon don't reject anything that saves effort." Qiluo sipped her hot soup, licking the rice from the steamer.

Then I went and got another drawer.

Unicorns' ability to withstand heat is truly unmatched at the dinner table.

Su Ming wasn't very hungry and didn't eat much. He didn't participate in the daytime logging, after all, there was still a lot of work to be done on the mechanical side. The completion of the new locomotive was just the beginning of a new phase of the plan.

Especially with the accelerated pace of the journey and the adjustment of the intensity of the Divine Might Prison conquest, many subsequent arrangements must be deployed immediately.

After putting down his chopsticks, Su Ming returned to the work compartment and woke up his dormant computer. Not long after, Zijin came looking for him.

Su Ming noticed that she had already changed into her outdoor clothes, and even had her coat draped over her arm.

"Shall we go now?" Su Ming glanced at his watch. "Aren't you going to rest for a while?"

Zijin's magical power far surpassed that of the others, so she was naturally the main force in the hundred-day tree-processing process.

"Wasn't your mission on Earth waiting for you?" Zijin said. "We need to speed things up."

****

Su Ming pushed out the snowmobile and set off with Zijin.

The thick, heavy clouds that had piled up like mountains during the day had now vanished without a trace. The bright moon hung in the sky, casting its cool, silvery light, draping the snow-covered plain in a hazy veil. On the silent snowfield, the faint rumble of engines was exceptionally clear. The tracks crunched and groaned as they rolled over the snow.

They quickly left the massive motorcycle far behind.

About half an hour later, the snowmobile slowly came to a stop in a hilly area. All around was a vast expanse of white, with not a single withered tree in sight. Only the undulating snow-covered hills outlined the contours of the land, casting shadows of varying depths under the moonlight.

After searching around for a while, Zijin could only shake her head helplessly at Su Ming.

Su Ming also discovered that Zijin was actually a bit directionally challenged, but he had never given her a chance to reveal it.

Moreover, facing a snow-covered plain with no landmarks, asking her to find Galio's secret hideout was indeed asking too much.

Conventional reconnaissance methods are ineffective here. If this outpost hadn't been well concealed, it would probably have been thoroughly searched long ago.

But Su Ming vaguely sensed something, like a firefly flickering in the darkness, appearing and disappearing. He closed his eyes, letting his senses follow the faint fluctuation, gradually locking onto the northwest direction.

Restarting the snowmobile, Su Ming followed the sensation and drove off. As the distance closed, the fluctuation became clearer and clearer, eventually pointing to an inconspicuous little snow hill.

Su Ming jumped out of the car, gathered Magic Power in his hands, and a ripple of magic spread out. The snow and the surface frozen soil were lifted by an invisible force, revealing a hidden door with a metallic luster underneath.

"I had forgotten that you are Galio's successor," Zijin realized.

"I remember it very clearly. This old man forcibly activated my spiritual power in order to drag me down with him," Su Ming replied.

Opening the hidden door reveals a vertically downward passage.

Su Ming took a piece of hemp rope from his pocket, lit it with a lighter, and threw it in. The flame traced an orange-red path in the dark passage before finally landing steadily on the ground and continuing to burn.

"You could say that you turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise."

After confirming that the air was circulating, the two descended the stairs one after the other. The six months of closure had left a faint musty smell, but breathing was still relatively easy. At the end of the passage was a metal door engraved with runes. Su Ming simply raised his hand to show his magical mark, and the complex magical lock automatically disengaged.

This saved Zijin the steps she had originally thought she would need to break or violently smash open.