Chapter 146 A Branch in the Nest Forest (9)
Having gone through so much, there's one thing she can't explain to Shu Changyan.
The situation in Pinneapolis has largely stabilized, and Shu Changyan is also to be recalled.
If she doesn't want a glaring blank on her final report card, she must return to Cornunos for her second ability trial.
After many days, sitting in the classroom again, she saw her silent expression reflected in the windowpane. It felt as if a century had passed, so calm that it felt unreal.
After she left the new land, the Church of Praise resumed its normal activities, except that the so-called Holy Son, Wei Sheng Qianheng, disappeared. No one mentioned him anymore, as if he had never existed. She didn't know Wei Sheng Qianheng's ultimate purpose, nor what he was doing now.
Because of the peace in Pines, she was unable to find any trace of Wei Sheng Qian Heng. It seemed that all the unusual events in this land had vanished without a trace along with Wei Sheng Qian Heng's disappearance.
Or perhaps the opposite is true; once the microorganisms disappeared, Pinhes seemed much safer.
The instructor for Class A had taken an even longer leave than she had. The substitute instructor was handing out application forms for the second supernatural ability practice to them in the lecture hall. She picked up the application form on the table, which contained a series of long statistical tables.
There are more than a dozen options for travel methods alone, including travel modes, allergy reactions, and dietary restrictions.
The ability practice is arguably the most important test for these ability users at String Light Academy.
For many years, the practice of supernatural abilities at String Light Academy has been conducted in other places because there is no such thing as a pollutant in Pines.
This year's first superpower practice was invaded by Prometheus, so for this superpower practice, String Light Academy still chose the most traditional off-site practice. In other words, this time they will really face the polluted entity in reality.
Pollutants...
Shu Ningmiao put the word back into her mind and pondered it.
The same black blood, the rotting and deformed body, the influence of Pandora—she instinctively felt that the "Contaminated Body" and the "Mandala Disease" were related... According to the information she learned in Pingyi through the combat simulation system, the "Mandala Disease" might even be the first half of the Contaminated Body's process, and the little girl named Alan was one who gradually mutated after contracting the Manla Disease.
But among so many Manla patients in New Territories, she has never seen a patient suddenly mutate after death, and there may be a key point missing between the two.
The "Contaminants" are mostly distributed in coastal polluted areas. The official explanation is that they were produced by the pollution mutation of the Pingyi Experiment. They are not common in the daily lives of civilians and are usually cleaned up by ordinary soldiers of the military. For contaminants below the T3 level, there is no need to deploy superhumans.
Hunting "Contaminated Bodies" has become a common practice in the exams for superhumans, probably because the form of "Contaminated Bodies" has completely mutated, so there is no need to worry about these inexperienced students developing a serious psychological burden.
She quickly scanned the cumbersome options on the application form, searching for information about the destination of this internship.
First, it's unlikely to be Pingyi, which has the most pollutants.
International relations have been quite tense since Lucicole came to power. If they were to be sent abroad, the parents of these students would tear Cornunos apart. The slippery old fox Principal Aloberia would definitely not approve any plans to leave the country.
She slid her fingertips down the grid one by one until she found an unfamiliar place name at the end: Gaber.
Where is this? Is there such a place in Pinhád?
She raised her hand and rubbed her temples.
The surrounding noise grew louder. Chris was searching for this unfamiliar place name on her terminal and exclaimed, "The coast! It's the sea!"
Seeing that Shu Ningmiao didn't react, Chris put her arm around her shoulder and called out restlessly, "Sunshine! Beach!"
These days, things have been going on and everyone is feeling a bit down. But when Chris shouted something out of the blue, everyone's eyes lit up and they started discussing it.
Chris whistled and gestured excitedly, "Which swimsuit should I bring?"
Shu Ningmiao didn't understand what she was shouting about, and asked helplessly, "Is it safe to go into the water in the polluted area?"
“I’ve searched it out.” Chris said in a sweet, coquettish voice, “The waters off Gab are not polluted areas. What’s defined as polluted areas is the high seas extending vertically eighteen kilometers from the Gab waters.”
The person in front turned around upon hearing the voice and chuckled, "It sounds like a poor place. It must be a sea like Pingyi. Do you think it's a well-developed resort area? Don't end up soaking yourself like a four-eyed sunfish."
Just as the surrounding laughter broke out, a boy said hesitantly, "This place looks familiar. I think I've heard You An mention it before?"
"Really?"
"That's right, I've heard him mention it before."
You An, who liked to sit in the back row and secretly play with the cat, was dragged over by someone. He had fallen asleep during the morning theory class and was still not fully awake, looking listless. His bright red short hair and the eyebrows that flew up to his temples were slightly furrowed.
A boy he knew well tossed him the application form. It took him a while to react. After a moment of stunned silence, he uttered a single syllable in surprise: "Huh?"
The people around him started chatting excitedly, and someone asked him, "Is Gab fun?"
"Is there anything good to eat?"
Is there a beach? Are there beach chairs on the beach?
Are there any shopping malls?
“How could there be a shopping mall?” You An finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
He looked completely stunned, and it took him a long time to say, "It's just a small, run-down fishing village."
He lowered his head and counted on his fingers: "Our village doesn't even have a proper road. Only the outer part has been repaired. You have to take a train to the nearest city, then a one-hour bus ride to the edge of the village, and then take a car from a villager to get back. There is a sea and a beach, but no beach chairs..."
"Then I think I'd better not go."
"But I didn't take many elective courses this semester, so I don't have enough credits."
"It can't be that exaggerated, can it? I've never been to a place like that before."
"You An, then you must have seen the pollutants since you were a child. How cunning."
"No, there isn't any." You An looked just as puzzled as they were, but still patted his chest and assured them, "I've never seen any pollutants. The sea where I live is beautiful, there's no pollution at all. Every family relies on the sea for their livelihood, and I've been eating seafood there since I was a child. Don't worry."
Shu Ningmiao did not participate in their heated discussion. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and zoomed in on the map. Gab was indeed an inconspicuous little place in the coastal area, but it was close to the high seas—close to Intori to the southwest.
On the map, Gabo and Intori are separated only by the sea.
Cornunus's choice of this location must have been at the behest of several Pinheid factions. Since it was close to the high seas, no one knew what the unpredictable ocean currents might bring.
Pollutants, Manla disease, Pandora.
Intoli, where relations are tense and war could break out at any moment.
She rubbed her aching temples, wondering which was more troublesome, these things or the hidden Wei Sheng Qian Heng behind the scenes.
The sunlight streaming through the classroom windows was also joyful. Although the superpower practice was an important exam, as long as they were away from the Master, they didn't have to attend classes. For the students, it was like going on a spring outing, and everyone was filled with silent excitement.
Chris skipped off to discuss with the others what swimsuit to wear. You An sat down in Chris's spot, answering the others' questions softly, but his eyes were fixed on Shu Ningmiao. He coughed lightly, looking slightly embarrassed.
She had been keeping an eye on the serval he kept by his side, and they were getting a little more familiar with each other than at first: "Don't you want to go home?"
You An's face was slightly flushed. He met her gaze and paused for a moment: "I'm just a little... embarrassed."
She couldn't understand why You An was blushing all the time. She silently raised her eyebrows and looked back at the application form.
The pen tip moved in her hand, quickly sketching from top to bottom.
"Are you participating in the practical training?" You An glanced carefully at the form she filled out and found that she had selected all the simplest options. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Don't you think it's a bit shabby?"
"Go." Shu Ningmiao put down her pen and answered without the slightest hesitation. Reality was cruel: "You won't get first place if you miss the second experimental exam."
“Gabo doesn’t have any big hotels.” He counted on his fingers: “The village has muddy roads, all dusty and damp, the air is sticky and salty, you can’t grow vegetables, you can only catch things from the sea to eat, and many of the old men and women in the village don’t even speak the common language of Pine…”
She handed in the application form, then turned her head to look at him: "Just a few days."
She's climbed up the sewers in New Town, so how bad could they be?
“Yeah, it’s only a few days… but this time the school chartered a bus, so I can secretly bring Mimi back with me, hehe.” Seeing that she didn’t seem to mind, You An rested her chin on her hand and looked on with a hint of anticipation: “I also miss my mom and dad a little bit of their chattering and whining.”
Chris happened to return at that moment and interjected, "You have so many people in your family? It's a big family! Impressive."
“No, my family consists only of me, my parents, my younger brother,” You An replied, cupping her face in her hands, “and my pet.”
"Where do we begin to be human?" Chris asked, her eyes wide.
You An put his hands on his hips, laughed, and made a face: "How rude!"
“Are you a princess from a fairy tale?” Chris rolled her eyes. “It’s really impressive to keep so many things.”
"What's your special ability, Princess?" another boy teased, putting his arm around You An's shoulder. "It's not just talking to animals, is it?"
"no!"
Shu Ningmiao didn't get involved in their heated argument. Her eyes were blank as she thought about what to bring. Since You An could secretly bring a cat, she could bring a sword too, right?
Two days before her departure, she went back to prepare. Not long ago, Shu Changyan had returned once, and there were clothes and luggage that he had helped pack at the door. The house was as quiet as a tomb.
After he returned, he sent her a message to explain, and then completely disappeared. This was a common occurrence for Shu Changyan in the past few years.
The entire crew is currently in a near-vacuum closed environment, where communication, entry and exit, and movement are prohibited. This is a preparation period before a major mission, serving a similar purpose to the disinfection pool in a swimming pool.
After that, Shu Changyan's sense of boundaries became even weaker. He took care of everything, and after he had done all the chores, she had nothing left to do. So she took her luggage and went back to the entrance hall, gently closing the door.
Cornunos chartered the entire train, with teachers accompanying him and protection promised by the Pinheid authorities, so it did seem very safe. Therefore, despite it being a voluntary program, many students participated.
Before departure, there was a speech ceremony by Principal Aloberia. Student parent representatives hugged Principal Aloberia and politely said that the students were grateful for his concern. This ordinary person without superpowers smiled and waved his broad palms, shaking hands with the parent representatives in one hand and the representatives of the attending parliament in the other, saying: "Superpowered people are the future and hope of our country. Of course we care, of course we care."
The group of students with superpowers below were all laughing.
The councilor also shook hands with the principal, revealing the same smile, and promised: "While we are passionate and honing our skills, we are also paying more attention to the safety of the students. This time, we have specially drawn personnel from the military to ensure that this practice can proceed smoothly."
The two men kept repeating the same thing over and over, which Shu Ningmiao found tiresome. She got into the car early and casually found a window seat. Not long after, the other people also casually walked in one after another, making noise and looking around at the interior of the car.
Yu An, carrying a large bag with the zipper half-unzipped, raised an eyebrow in exasperation: "Is this your first time?"
“Of course.” Someone patted him on the shoulder: “I can’t believe that so many people can sit in such a narrow carriage. The narrowest place I’ve ever been is the cockpit of an airplane.”
You An rolled her eyes at the person and caught a glimpse of Shu Ningmiao's silhouette against the light, leaning against the window and staring motionlessly at the calm sky.
He squeezed through the crowd with difficulty, feeling a "thud" as he bumped into something hard. Shu Ningmiao's profile was blocked. He looked up and saw that what had bumped into him was the shoulder brace of the person who had unknowingly slipped into the line.
The man seemed to sense something and turned around, glancing down at him. He was a tall woman with plum-colored eyes. She was strong and stood there like a tree with firm roots. Her brown hair was tied up, and her dark skin made her look like she didn't belong in Pines. She looked older than a student.
She was wearing thin but unusually sturdy protective gear from her shoulders to her knees. You An bumped into her without warning, and his bones ached. Seeing his expression, the woman paused for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry."
He scratched his head and quickly said it was nothing. The woman didn't stand on ceremony anymore, stopped looking at him, and readily sat down in the spot he had just wanted to sit in, leaning casually against Shu Ningmiao.
You An's face scrunched up.
The train started moving, causing the table to tremble. Shu Ningmiao seemed to finally snap out of her reverie, glancing at the two people, one standing and one sitting, and unexpectedly revealing a look of surprise.
Shu Ningmiao's gaze fell directly on the woman. Before she could even be surprised by her appearance, her brows furrowed instinctively: "Xiao Jiang?"
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Author's note: I'm starting to wrap things up. It's the final winter volume, with about fifty chapters left.
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