Chapter 475: Setting Off

The night was long, and with no entertainment to speak of, Li Ziyu started a conversation with Guli Geli. He asked her about the sights and sounds of the Void Land, and in turn, told her about the world outside.

Guli Geli yearned for the world outside, while Li Ziyu was filled with curiosity about the Void Land. They spoke back and forth, and the conversation flowed pleasantly.

The conversation wasn’t just idle chatter. A great deal of information can be gleaned from such casual talks. By speaking with Guli Geli, Li Ziyu finally began to get a general understanding of the Void Land, no longer completely in the dark as he had been before.

They talked until Guli Geli grew sleepy and started yawning every so often. Only then did Li Ziyu let her go and rest.

After Guli Geli left, Li Ziyu was still wide awake. He went over everything that had happened that day, as well as the information Guli Geli had revealed during their conversation.

Once the rush of excitement faded, Li Ziyu finally felt drowsy and went to rest.

…

Li Ziyu woke up, his eyes heavy with sleep. He sat up in bed, looking dazed and a little confused, as if something was wrong.

“Where is everyone? Mengmeng, Meng Ni… Ugh.”

He had called out subconsciously, but the act of speaking fully woke him. As his awareness returned, he shook his head and swallowed the rest of his words.

‘The Cat Girls aren’t here. When I went to the Desolate Land of Death, I left everyone behind in the Wasteland, including Mengmeng and Meng Ni. Even though it’s been a while since I left the Wasteland, I’m still not used to them not being around.’

‘It’s easy to get used to a life of luxury, but hard to go back. I’d grown accustomed to having the Cat Girls waiting on me, so things feel a bit off now.’

Li Ziyu let out a self-deprecating laugh and ordered an Undead to bring him fresh water to wash up.

After washing up, Li Ziyu turned his attention to the Great Tomb and discovered the Leopard Woman was already awake. She was a restless sort, wandering all around inside the massive structure. Fortunately, because of the Soul Contract, the Undead didn’t attack her. Otherwise, given her behavior, she would have been dead countless times over by now.

Li Ziyu ordered an Undead to bring them some food. Then, with a casual snap of his fingers, a figure materialized in his room.

Guli Geli looked left and right. This time she wasn’t flustered like before, seeming to have gotten used to the way Li Ziyu summoned her. Her eyes quickly fell on Li Ziyu, and a happy expression appeared on her face as she called out, “Good day, Master.”

Smiling and nodding, Li Ziyu replied, “You’re up early. Are you hungry? Let’s eat something together.”

The moment she heard there was food, Guli Geli’s eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly and said with anticipation, “I’d love to!”

Breakfast was a meat broth, some bread, and crisp green vegetables. Li Ziyu preferred something light in the morning, as eating anything too greasy right after waking up was unpleasant. Guli Geli, however, showed little interest in the vegetables; she was a pure carnivore. Seeing her picking at her food without enthusiasm, Li Ziyu had an Undead bring out some roasted meat. That immediately brightened her up.

Watching Guli Geli eat with such a happy expression, Li Ziyu couldn’t help but smile as well.

‘What should I do next?’

A look of uncertainty flickered in Li Ziyu’s eyes. ‘I came from the Otherworld to this Void Land, and it feels just like when I first arrived in the Otherworld. I’d finally gotten the situation in the Wasteland under control, only to be inexplicably transported here. I don’t know anything about this place.’

‘Whatever, I’ll stop overthinking it. I got here by accident, so I’ll just move the Fortress forward along the edge of this forest. First, I’ll see what this Void Land is like. I’ll try to find some Void Crystals, hunt some Void Creatures, and study what they can be used for. Yes, that’s the plan.’

‘As the saying goes, “Well, I’m already here…”‘

‘I can’t go back empty-handed. I should bring some local specialties with me… Speaking of which, does a Leopard Woman count as a local specialty?’

A hand suddenly appeared in front of the daydreaming Li Ziyu. Slender fingers waved vigorously in his face, making his vision swim. Li Ziyu blinked, and his thoughts, which had drifted off to parts unknown, finally came back to him.

He pushed the hand aside and saw Guli Geli clearly. She had already finished her breakfast; she hadn’t touched a single bite of the vegetables or fruit, but all the meat had been devoured, down to the last drop of broth.

“All done?”

“Mhm, mhm!”

“Alright, then. We’re getting ready to set off.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. We’ll follow the forest. We’ll go wherever it takes us.”

“But that way, we’ll be easily discovered by the Void Creatures in the forest. We’ll be attacked.”

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing? Let them come. I’d like to see what they’re made of.”

“Master, the nearby Tribes are territorial. If we just wander into another Tribe’s land like this, they’ll attack us.”

“Who said anything about walking over there?”

“Huh?”

“I’m taking the Fortress over.”

“…The Fortress?!”

Guli Geli’s voice jumped an octave. Her beautiful leopard eyes went wide, filled with a sense of absurdity and utter disbelief.

‘Seriously, was that something a sane person would say?’

She had thought Li Ziyu was joking, but he just shrugged.

“Is there anything wrong with that? If they want to attack, then let them. If they dare attack me, I’ll see them off,” Li Ziyu said with a nonchalant expression. ‘I really don’t believe every Tribe has a backer as powerful as the Black Ridge Tribe. I’m not even afraid of the Black Ridge Tribe, so why would I be afraid of some other small-fry Tribes? That’s a joke.’

“See them off to where?” Guli Geli didn’t understand what he meant and asked in confusion.

“To see their Ancestors. Their souls will go on to meet their Ancestors, while their bodies… their bodies will become our new companions,” Li Ziyu said, glancing at the Skeleton Undead around them.