Chapter 119 (First Release)...
Ning Wanwan was slightly taken aback, the word "royal city" swirling in her mind.
"Royal City... what's that?" Ning Wanwan couldn't help but ask, "Is it another city?"
The village chief glanced at Ning Wanwan and replied politely, "Yes, it is our capital city, and the center of all cities and villages."
"All the powerful and influential people gathered there."
At this point, even the middle-aged village chief couldn't help but show a hint of longing on his face.
Ning Wanwan murmured softly, "The center..."
"Miss Ning, you don't even know this?" The village chief looked puzzled. "This is common knowledge among us. Why do you seem to be hearing about it for the first time, Miss Ning?"
Ning Wanwan: "I... I suffered a head injury before and lost some memories..."
Ning Wanwan gave a somewhat vague explanation, and the village chief showed a hint of sympathy.
"Ah, so you injured your head... Well then, Miss Ning, you should rest well these next few days. We'll talk about everything on the day of the test," the village chief said kindly.
Although his attitude was good, every word he uttered emphasized that they would wait until Ning Wanwan's talent and aptitude test results came out before making any further statements.
Ning Wanwan lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement. "Thank you, Village Chief."
Dispelling those complicated emotions, she began to think about the "royal city" she had just heard about.
For some reason, when Ning Wanwan heard the name "Royal City," a strange longing arose in her heart.
I really want to go.
Ning Wanwan had only wanted to enter this village to survive, to find shelter from the blizzard and a source of food; she didn't actually have any particular longing for it.
But the royal city... was like a lost traveler suddenly hearing about a destination. After hearing about this place, Ning Wanwan sincerely wanted to go there.
Could it be related to my lost memories? Ning Wanwan could only guess at this.
However, the place that is called the "center of the world" has an irresistible attraction for ordinary people.
However, as a central city, the "ticket" to enter the royal city is likely the same as in other places, requiring either strength or talent.
Generally speaking, ability and talent are essentially equivalent, unless there are other opportunities, such as...
Ning Wanwan glanced subconsciously at the sword box in Ansel's hand, then quickly forced herself to look away.
She didn't notice the meaningful look that Ansel was giving her as he turned his head.
Under the village chief's arrangement, Ning Wanwan and Ansel moved into a nice house together. Clearly, it was because of Ansel that the village chief arranged such a good place to stay; the house was sturdy and warm, perfectly able to withstand the cold outside.
It was a place that Ning Wanwan was extremely satisfied with.
Thanks to Ansil, Ning Wanwan is living here with him.
After enjoying a delicious, warm meal, Ning Wanwan let out a sigh of relief, feeling all the fatigue of the past few days dissipate.
She was so happy that all the complicated emotions in her heart seemed to disappear.
“Goodnight, Ansel,” Ning Wanwan said to him.
"Good night." Ansel and Ning Wanwan were in different rooms, and he smiled brightly at Ning Wanwan and said, "Sweet dreams."
Unfortunately, Ning Wanwan didn't have a good dream.
In her dream, she vaguely saw a pair of purple, demonic vertical pupils.
[Don't you want to make a choice? Deep down, you probably want to be treated with respect by the village chief and the others, just like him.]
Why suppress your desires? It's pathetic.
[You were the first to discover that place with the most powerful weapons, and you were the first to activate the mechanism.]
[He was just like you before, an ordinary person without any talent or aptitude.]
[In the end, he obtained the most powerful weapon and escaped the fate of being looked down upon by others, but you are still just an ordinary person.]
[So, don't you want a change?]
[If you open the box containing the most powerful weapon, you will receive...]
The devil's tempting words kept echoing in people's minds, constantly shaking their hearts.
Ning Wanwan, still half asleep, covered her head, finding the noise bothersome.
“I do really wish I were the one who escaped the fate of an ordinary person… After all, no one wants to be despised and ridiculed, powerless to protect themselves… But at this point, I can’t make another choice.”
Ning Wanwan said to the "devil's" voice, "So what you said is right, for me, it's not time yet."
[...]
"And, I want to get some rest," Ning Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then clasped her hands together in a pleading expression.
"I've been out for so many days, I'm really tired. I finally get to sleep in a soft bed, could you... please be quiet?"
If she were awake, Ning Wanwan probably wouldn't have made such a direct request, but right now, she was just too tired and wanted to take advantage of her sleepiness to have a quiet, undisturbed nap.
[...]
The devil fell silent.
"Is it okay?" Ning Wanwan was still not reassured and kept asking.
The devil seemed to chuckle.
[How pitiful.]
Okay, I agree.
...
After waking up, Ning Wanwan stretched and felt that she had slept incredibly soundly.
As for the dream, it seems I dreamt of something strange, but I don't remember exactly what it was.
Since she couldn't remember, it was probably just some unimportant, random dream. Ning Wanwan thought to herself.
The next few days passed peacefully.
Although I had to help out with some chores in the village, as an outsider occupying lodging and food there, I had almost no free time each day. But having hot food and a warm place to stay was a completely different experience from when I was wandering in the snow.
Ning Wanwan was very satisfied with this kind of life. If it weren't for the fact that this kind of life was only temporary and everything would not be settled until the test day, Ning Wanwan would be even happier.
Ansel expressed his doubt: "Wanwan, why won't you let me talk to the village chief for you? You can just stay here directly, there's no need to wait for the test day, he won't have any objections."
Ning Wanwan: "Forget it... There's no need. He clearly knew we came together, but he still insisted on waiting for the test day, which shows that the talent effect of being companions is unlikely to benefit others..."
"Besides, I can't rely on you forever, Ansel, can I?"
Will Ansel really stay in this village forever? Ning Wanwan thought it was unlikely.
Before meeting him, Anseil was not from this village, not to mention that she had not forgotten the "royal city" and "distinguished guest" that the village chief had specifically mentioned to Anseil.
While it might have worked if Anseil had forced the village chief to agree to take her in, what happened after that? What if Anseil left?
Can the village chief really keep her around?
So, similar to the village chief's idea, Ning Wanwan also wanted to wait until the test day to discuss everything.
Ansel: "Hmm... okay."
He didn't press the matter further and started talking to Ning Wanwan about other things.
Ansel is now in the village, and he has things to do every day. He and other talented people go outside the village to clear out monsters and prevent the village from being overwhelmed by monster hordes.
"The monster's blood splattered all over my clothes today, it stinks," Ansel complained to Ning Wanwan unhappily.
As he spoke, he shook his hand, his face full of disgust. It was clearly an unlucky thing, but it made Ning Wanwan unable to help but smile.
These past few days, Ansel and Ning Wanwan have been chatting about the various things that happened that day during their meals.
"Ansel, do you think I have any talent?" Thinking about the test day that was coming up, Ning Wanwan couldn't help but feel anxious and worried again.
Ansel stroked his chin.
"Hmm... I don't know if you have any talent or aptitude..."
“But Wanwan, maybe you have some special skill in intuitively avoiding traps.” Ansel winked at her meaningfully.
Ning Wanwan: "..."
There are no traps.
He's saying things that are incomprehensible again.
“Wanwan, you may not have realized it yourself, but I know very well. You’ve avoided a lot of traps, which is better than many people.” Ansel seemed to be praising you very sincerely.
Ning Wanwan nodded perfunctorily: "Oh, so what kind of traps are there? Can you give me some examples?"
Ansel frowned in embarrassment: "Well, I can't say now, but Wanwan will find out later. Maybe Wanwan will become the first person to achieve a perfect clear."
Ning Wanwan listened to him while eating dinner: "Passing the test sounds like some kind of challenge."
"Hmm, pretty much, except the failure rate is extremely high."
Ning Wanwan: "Oh."
Could it be that Ansel views all the hardships around him as a test?
That's a pretty good angle; could that be the reason he's always been optimistic?
However, Ning Wanwan thought of the freezing snow that filled the sky when she first opened her eyes after losing her memory, and the unbearable hunger she experienced while trapped in a cave, and couldn't help but nod, "The mortality rate is indeed very high."
Ansel: "Right, right?"
Ansel was inexplicably excited, nodding as if he wanted to say something more, but Ning Wanwan had already expressionlessly picked up the next piece of food with her fork.
"Aren't you going to eat? Your food is getting cold."
"Eat!" Ansel said immediately, then leaned over and bit Ning Wanwan's fork with a thud, squinting his eyes and smiling.
“Wanwan’s dinner is still the best.” He said, his purple eyes sparkling.
...
The next day, after Ansel went out, Ning Wanwan looked outside and noticed that the snow on the ground was fresh again.
"It seems to be getting colder and colder. The blizzard is probably coming in the next day or two." Ning Wanwan exhaled a puff of white breath into her palm.
Both strong winds and blizzards are terrifying, so for safety reasons, Ning Wanwan tried to minimize the frequency of going out.
Suddenly remembering something, Ning Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then looked towards the back of the house.
From there, you can vaguely see a dilapidated-looking house next door.
During this period, Ning Wanwan almost never saw anyone enter or leave the house.
"It's probably an abandoned house..."
As Ning Wanwan was thinking about going back, a pure silver-white light suddenly flashed in the corner of her eye.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 16:49:06 on March 13, 2024 and 08:16:22 on March 14, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: I'm not the Demon King (5 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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