Chapter 122: At Wit's End

As a Saint-tier mage, Weiss possessed one of the most abundant mental reserves among all humans. She exerted her full power, her vast, ocean-like mental energy surging into Miserya’s body. It was clear to see that under this immense infusion, the ethereal, ghostly quality of Miserya’s form began to fade, replaced by a sense of tangibility. The faint glow on her skin retracted into her body; without close inspection, she looked almost indistinguishable from a normal human.

Ling Mo sighed. "Why force yourself? The mental energy poured into a spirit body is lost permanently. If you do this again, you will drop from the rank of Saint-tier mage to Grand Archmage."

"I have no choice. I just can't bear to watch my aunt vanish before my eyes," Weiss said, releasing Miserya and offering a gentle smile. "When we were little, Mom passed away early and Dad was always busy. Auntie raised us almost entirely by herself. I can't just stand by and watch her die."

"..." Ling Mo was silent for a moment before saying, "There has never been a precedent for a land-bound spirit finding salvation. Even a creature as strong as 'Meng Po,' the Level 8 magical beast by the Sanzu River, cannot stray too far from the Bridge of Helplessness. Even if you inject her with enough mental energy to make her stronger, what does it matter? Can she ever surpass a Level 8 magical beast?"

Weiss paused, then smiled bitterly. "So, the essence of 'Meng Po' is a 'land-bound spirit'? That is the first time I've heard that. Very well, Mr. Ling, you have successfully extinguished my last shred of hope, but... I still wish to delay the inevitable for as long as I can."

"Fine, that is your freedom." Ling Mo nodded and turned his attention away from them toward Catherine. "Sit down and meditate for a while. It seems we will need to stay in this place for a few days."

Catherine nodded slightly. She stared blankly at Weiss, who was still chatting with Miserya, and sat down slowly. She summoned her Magic Eye Sprite to her side and said with a touch of melancholy, "Do you see, friends? This is the fate of wilderness adventuring. You never know when you might be separated from the people you care about forever. Those who watch my streams regularly know that before I met Teacher Ling, whether it was me or people I met on the road, we would frequently encounter life-threatening dangers. Sometimes you don't even know where the danger is coming from. I used to think that as long as one was strong enough, these things could be avoided. But now it seems that even a Saint-tier mage cannot escape such a fate."

"Sigh, streamer, don't say that. Wilderness adventuring is truly risking your life for a stream; I've always believed that!"

"The scene is so heartwarming, but the thought that the cute little girl is about to disappear makes my heart ache!"

"I can't handle such sad scenes, I'm out."

"Hundreds of adventurers and streamers die in the Eight Forbidden Zones every year. When you think about it, it really is a high-risk profession!"

"Why not just stop streaming? Do you have to go to the Eight Forbidden Zones?"

"Isn't it better to stay in modern society? Sipping soda and eating snacks, isn't that a blast?"

"Bullshit! Just because you lack a pioneering spirit doesn't mean others shouldn't have one!"

"You think the Eight Forbidden Zones are just dangerous? They hold countless treasures!"

"Think of the Male Butcher Bird! The hope for disabled people all over the world!"

"The combined area of the Eight Forbidden Zones is larger than the top three countries on the continent, and they are located in such annoying spots. Can we really afford not to understand them?"

"If we're going to explore, it should be official organizations. I feel like individuals or private adventure groups are just going in to die."

"Isn't this an official inspection team right here? Aren't they all dead as well?"

"That’s different, isn't it? This team wasn't killed by magical beasts, but by the Obedience Cult!"

"Does it matter who kills them? Are you still naive enough to think that the dangers in the forbidden zones only come from magical beasts?"

"..."

Watching the viewers debate, Catherine smiled slightly. "Those who understand us think we are on a meaningful adventure, while those who don't probably think we are just courting death. But think about it: two hundred years ago, if there had been more 'death-courting' adventurers, perhaps the news of the attack on the Golden Fortress would have reached the continent earlier, and maybe many lives could have been saved? I don't expect everyone to have a good impression of us; all I ask is that when we die on our journey, you, sitting in front of your screens, can observe a few seconds of silence for us... Let's not talk about such heavy topics. Let's hold a giveaway! The prize this time is—soil from the World Tree crater! Same old rules, ten viewers, first come, first served!"

A flurry of gifts flashed across the screen as Catherine began to interact energetically with her viewers. On the other side, Weiss and Miserya had been chatting for a while, but now fell into a momentary, awkward silence. Weiss quickly spoke up.

"Auntie, you haven't seen En in a long time, have you? Let me call her out so she can talk to you for a bit."

Miserya clasped her hands together and clapped happily. "That would be wonderful! I remember you two little girls; En was always the one who clung to me. You, Weiss, were always so mature from a young age, even when you tried to act spoiled, you’d get embarrassed and run off after only a moment!"

Weiss puffed out her cheeks. "That’s only because... Auntie, you look so young! Throwing myself into a little girl's arms to act spoiled feels strange no matter how you look at it!"

Watching Miserya gaze at her with a smile, Weiss felt embarrassed and quickly added, "Alright, Auntie, enough talk. It's En's turn now!"

With that, she closed her eyes, and the mental energy surging around her vanished without a trace. When she opened her eyes again, the gentle temperament had disappeared, replaced by the vibrant, energetic air of a lively girl.

However, once Vane appeared, she didn't say a word. She just stared fixedly at Miserya, which made Miserya feel a bit flustered. She opened her arms to Vane and said, "What's wrong, En? Seeing you in that graffiti mage robe again, I thought you'd come out with some crazy lines. Why are you so silent?"

Vane said nothing. She walked over to Miserya, summoned her three-headed-height golem, and opened the chest cavity to reveal the power core inside. Then, a strange, intense light flashed from her hands as she grabbed Miserya, pinned her firmly, and began forcing her into the golem!

Subjected to such rough treatment, Miserya’s face showed signs of pain. She looked up at Vane, bewildered, and asked, "En, what are you doing?!"

"Putting you inside the golem so you can become its main soul. That way, we can be together forever," Vane replied concisely, continuing to shove Miserya toward the core. Miserya wailed in agony. Ling Mo, unable to watch any longer, slapped Vane on the head and barked, "Let go! Do you think this piece-of-junk doll can contain a complete human soul? Can't you see your aunt's form is already becoming unstable and is about to collapse?"

Vane stopped, her hands dropping dejectedly, and she bowed her head. But in an instant, she looked up again and said, "It can't contain it? Does that mean the vessel isn't perfect enough? Then a native human body should work, right? Why not just find someone and perform a soul-transfer?"

As she said this, her head turned around, and finally, her gaze locked onto Catherine!