Su Cheng: "?"
The Emerald Mountain Range?
Isn't that the largest mountain range in the Crimson Sun Empire, teeming with the most magical beasts?
She only remembered accidentally touching a magic array in the Holy City, and as a result, she was teleported all the way to the Southern Continent?
Su Cheng nodded slowly.
Furthermore...
Ian?
This name wasn't particularly common, but it wasn't rare either. If you shouted it on a crowded commercial street, you'd usually get two or three people turning their heads.
Su Cheng couldn't help but look at the blond youth.
He also turned his head to look over, his face still flawlessly beautiful.
They looked very much alike as mother and son. Leia's irises were a common dark brown, but the boy's eye color was much lighter.
Those eyes were like melted amber, or liquid gold in the sunlight. When the light dimmed slightly, they settled, resembling lake water reflecting the twilight sky.
Having the same name was understandable.
However.
The appearance of this young Mr. Ian before her was actually quite similar to another person of the same name in her memory.
The blond youth blinked, "What's wrong? Why do you keep staring at me?"
Su Cheng coughed lightly, "It's hard to imagine. I thought you were sister and brother..."
She looked at Leia as she spoke, "You look so young."
The mother and son both laughed.
"Although I'm not a mage, I possess water and wood attribute battle aura, so I can maintain this state year-round."
Leia said with a smile, "My son is almost twenty years old. Fortunately, he is more like a human in this regard. If he were like an elf, he would probably still be learning to speak right now, wouldn't he?"
Su Cheng: "..."
The growth rate of half-elves also fell into two categories: either like humans or like elves. This seemed to be completely random, but regardless, their maximum lifespan was very long, at least seven or eight hundred years.
Even if they matured early, they would maintain their youthful appearance forever.
"I'm guessing you are from the Silver Moon Empire? I once went there and stayed for a few years. However, it was mostly in desolate places, so I didn't interact much with the people there..."
Leia said enthusiastically, then showed a look of concern. "Oh, you look like you've encountered an accident. I hope everything is alright?"
Su Cheng rubbed her forehead, "I'm fine. I accidentally touched a teleportation array, but I didn't expect it to throw me this far away..."
"From the Silver Moon Empire?" Ian couldn't help but join their conversation, looking at her with a face full of curiosity. "What kind of magic array was it?"
"Actually, it wasn't the Silver Moon Empire," Su Cheng looked at him thoughtfully. "...Are you believers of the Church?"
The two of them showed bewildered expressions at the same time.
"The Church?" Leia asked, "Which deity's organization of believers is this?"
Su Cheng was also stunned, "...The God of Light."
The confusion on their faces deepened.
A question mark seemed to pop up above Ian's head, "The God of Light?"
He repeated the term, then broke down its components. "Is it some deity related to light?"
Su Cheng: "?"
Leia was also quite surprised, "No offense intended, but I've been to many countries and met believers of various deities, yet I've never heard of this one."
Su Cheng: "..."
They didn't look like they were faking it, and there was no need to put on an act for her.
Unless they had never been in contact with the outside world, which was obviously not the case for them, otherwise it would be impossible for them to not even know the word Church.
Wait.
Su Cheng: "What month is it now?"
Ian blinked, "April."
Su Cheng: "..."
She clearly remembered that it was midsummer, almost entering autumn. How did time go backward?
Either she had been unconscious until the following spring, or that teleportation array had thrown her into another timeline.
This was too absurd.
Immediately after, Su Cheng suddenly remembered that before she received the mark of the God of Illusions, she had a conversation with him.
In the time reflected by that memory, it seemed that the Church and the God of Light did not exist, or perhaps it was a time before the God of Light appeared in the world?
Su Cheng: "...Actually, the place I wandered into belonged to an organization claiming to follow the God of Light, but I've never seen this god either, so I don't know what it is. I think it might be a relatively niche faith. The magic arrays they use are also quite strange."
Leia seemed to understand, "It's not strange. These days, there are many similar organizations claiming to believe in some non-existent deity..."
"How is it strange?" Ian pressed on. "Do they not use the Law of Mirror Symmetry or the Phase Anchor Theorem?"
"Oh, the basic theorems are definitely the same, but they add some custom ancient magic runes into the outer array rings, derived from Ancient Elvish."
"For example?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
Su Cheng had no choice but to start discussing it with him.
After talking for a while, she realized that Ian wasn't exactly a serious expert either. His level was probably just having read a few books, so she could barely manage to bluff her way through.
Although most of what she said was also the truth.
Leia did not participate in the two's discussion on spatial magic and magic array studies; she merely led the way in front.
Su Cheng soon learned that Leia had taken a mission from the Mercenary Guild to search for a rare magical plant that grew in specific environments and seasons within the Emerald Mountain Range.
"Did you choose it yourself?" Su Cheng asked, "Or was it assigned by a mercenary group?"
"I used to have a few companions," Leia sighed softly. "Later... there was a time when I was dating Ian's father and wasn't with them. They took a mission, encountered a crazed dragonborn, and all died because of it. After that, I never wanted to join a mercenary group again."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, it all happened many years ago, and mercenaries are just like that."
Leia turned back to look at her son. "I often tell him that if one day I also leave because of an accident, he needs to accept it as quickly as possible..."
"Can you not say things like that?"
The blond youth showed a helpless expression, "Most mercenaries are still alive. Every time we go to the guild, we can see so many people. They aren't dead!"
Leia: "...Alright."
She looked at Su Cheng and shook her head silently, seeming to regret that her son was still so immature.
Su Cheng: "..."
There were many magical beasts in the Emerald Mountain Range. Although low and mid-tier magical beasts were the majority, it was already quite dangerous for ordinary people, like a maze fraught with peril.
However, Leia had obviously been here more than once. In areas where the dense woods overhead could completely block out the sunlight, she could still perfectly distinguish directions.
Both mother and son were highly skilled. They stepped lightly over the thick fallen leaves and crossed deadly wetlands and swamps, making almost no sound at all.
Su Cheng wanted to ask about the current time, so she chatted with Leia casually.
The latter chatted with her quite enthusiastically, while also observing the surrounding environment, from tiny scratches on the tree bark to footprints in the mud that were barely visible.
Ian fell a few steps behind them. From time to time, he used a knife to scrape some moss off the tree trunks, or dug up some rhizomes from beneath certain ferns, wrapping them in some kind of broad leaves and placing them into his leather backpack.
Su Cheng and Leia discussed various historical events, finally beating around the bush to figure out the era name.
The Azure Moon Calendar.
Su Cheng: "..."
She had actually traveled back four or five thousand years.
As noon approached, the sun rose to its zenith. Brilliant golden pillars of light pierced through the layered branches and leaves, casting dappled halos on the forest floor.
Leia stopped and looked up at a massive black oak tree ahead. Its trunk, over five meters in diameter, was covered in deep grooves and moss, with gnarled roots plunging into the earth.
"Are you guys hungry?" she asked casually. "Also, Chengcheng, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Su Cheng shook her head. "No, actually, I'm not in a hurry either—"
"Let's just go with this one," Ian said as he organized his backpack. "There might not be a better one later."
Leia looked toward the top of the giant tree. "Then let's get ready for lunch!"
Her tone was relaxed, her eyes holding a hint of anticipation, as she explained to Su Cheng, "You haven't been to the Southern Continent before, so you might not recognize it. This is the territory of the Giant Tomb-Feather Bird—"
Leia explained with educational patience, "Ordinary Tomb-Feather Birds basically only eat insects, or livestock at most. But along our way here, that blue moss on the tree trunks is a special magical plant formed by the mucus they spray to mark their territory, and you can see human teeth in those oval coprolites under the fallen leaves... Only Giant Tomb-Feather Birds eat humans."
Su Cheng listened intently. "Thank you, I really didn't know that."
As she spoke, she looked up alongside Leia. Hidden within the towering canopy, a massive, messy nest resembling a small hill was faintly visible.
"...The meat of the Tomb-Feather Bird is sour and tough, requiring long periods of marination to be edible. It's not a great ingredient, but their eggs are quite good. Ordinary ones are too small, but the giant ones are a different story."
"I understand," Su Cheng nodded. "What tier of magical beast is a Giant Tomb-Feather Bird?"
"If it's capable of reproducing, it should be at the eighth tier," Leia said calmly. "So once I get the eggs, we have to run away as fast as possible—"
Su Cheng: "..."
She felt like she could probably fight it.
But there was no need to.
Su Cheng figured that since the Holy Church didn't even exist yet, exposing her spatial magic wouldn't be a problem.
Besides, she was also very curious about how that egg would taste.
Su Cheng: "I'll take you guys out. I'm a spatial mage. Just tell me which direction and how far. However, with the density of this forest, I can probably only teleport us high into the air, but I can bring you back down if you're worried—"
"Thank you so much!" Leia said, pleasantly surprised. "I'm fine. Even though I'm only a Grand Battle Master, I won't fall to my death, and Ian knows a bit of wind magic."
Su Cheng turned her head.
The blond boy was looking at her with shining eyes. "I thought you were a magic array master, I didn't realize you were also..."
"We can chat later," Leia patted his head. "Let's go up first. One each should be enough, right? Is Chengcheng human?"
Su Cheng: "...Not really. But don't mind me, as long as I get a bite to eat, I'm good."
She wasn't a proper dragonborn anyway, and since their companion had been killed by a dragonborn, she didn't really want to bring it up.
The three of them immediately began climbing the tree.
Su Cheng needed to prepare for the upcoming group teleportation, which was a bit more difficult than teleporting alone, so she simply blinked her way up.
As soon as she landed, she smelled the intense stench of rotting meat, as if she had entered a warehouse stuffed with offal, mixed with the musky scent of birds and the rusty smell of blood.
The nest was built from dried vines and branches, nestled in the shadows formed by the tree forks, with a diameter of about three or four meters.
The gaps in the branches and leaves below were stuffed with grayish-black feathers, along with tree bark that had been gnawed on the edges, and various bones and relics.
The core of the nest was also paved with a mixture of feathers, dirt, and crushed bones. A slight step produced a crunching sound, and there was even rotting meat crawling with maggots around the edges.
Su Cheng: "..."
Can these eggs really be delicious?
Around the outer edge of the nest, one could find tin helmets, deflated waterskins, rusty copper coins, torn lace hairbands, and other items that clearly belonged to humans.
The very center of the nest, however, was relatively clean, forming a shallow pit lined with tender twigs and emerald green leaves.
Inside the pit were many white gravel stones radiating heat, with five enormous bird eggs piled on top.
Each egg was twenty to thirty centimeters tall. The shells were rough and thick but faintly transparent, to the point where one could even see the viscous dark yellow liquid flowing inside.
The mother and son were accustomed to the sight of the nest, clearly having done this sort of thing more than once.
Su Cheng followed their lead and also hugged an egg to her chest. "Hold on to me."
They each reached out a hand and grabbed her arm.
At the same time, an extremely sharp, long screech echoed from the distance.
The sound rapidly approached.
The figures of the three abruptly vanished.
They then appeared in the sky dozens of miles away.
Su Cheng observed the layout of the surrounding mountains and teleported them one more time to ensure they were completely out of that bird's territory.
The descent was also swift.
As they neared the tree canopy, the mother and son successively used their battle aura to form air cushions, stabilizing themselves in mid-air before easily slipping into the forest.
Su Cheng used wind magic just before impact.
They still chose to set up camp by the water. Leia skillfully cleared a space, started a campfire using coal stones and moss, and took out a pot to start greasing it.
Ian ducked into the nearby woods and soon returned with a large handful of fresh, rust-red ferns, as well as a bunch of sweet-smelling, orange-red berries.
He picked up an egg, cracked a hole in the top, and poured out the egg liquid that looked like melted cheese.
The golden egg liquid quickly solidified, its edges frying into curly, crispy brown rims, emitting a rich aroma.
He pulled out salt, black pepper, and several spice jars, glancing back. "...Ready?"
As Ian spoke, he took out a spoon, pressed the fried egg inside into smaller pieces, and scooped them into bowls.
He opened another egg and scrambled it with some kind of plant root, while the third egg was made into a soup with wild vegetables.
Su Cheng took a bite of the fried egg and was quite shocked. "...It's delicious!"
The flavor was savory and rich, carrying a primal, wild umami. She had never eaten such a delicious egg before.
The texture of the scrambled eggs and the egg drop soup was also highly unique. She couldn't help but shower the chef with praise, "Your cooking skills are amazing!"
"Thank you," the blond boy revealed a bright, slightly shy smile. "Um, if it's not too presumptuous—are you a Blessed of the God of Doors?"
Su Cheng: "God of Doors?"
Ian nodded. "Yes, the Lord of Dimensions, the Endless Doors, the Master of the Realm of All Things. An ancient chief god whose authorities are spatial and planar powers."
Su Cheng: "...Oh, when I was learning spatial magic, I 'saw' Him once."
Ian nodded in understanding, showing a look of admiration. "Then you must be a noble Folder. I've heard that in your eyes, this world takes on a different form."
"Actually, it is not really about the eyes," Su Cheng thought for a moment. "It is just that when you cast a spell, you need to feel the world from a different perspective, otherwise you won't succeed."
The blond boy hugged his knees and tilted his head as he looked over at her. "Hmm?"
Su Cheng was so struck by the sight of him that she suddenly forgot what she was going to say.
