Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Eighth stop: Middle-earth of the Lord of the Rings

Section 1: It's not too late to find a time machine now.

With a hazy, misty feeling, Alice clearly sensed that she was rapidly returning from the Gensokyo world to the Main God Space. Even though she had rejected Shinki's suggestion and her life essence had not been able to advance smoothly, her perception had still greatly increased with the unification of her three selves. She could even perceive that every part that made up her body was gradually disintegrating and collapsing during the teleportation, and then being reassembled upon arrival at the target area.

The incident is over, but we wasted three months of our time.

No… I did gain something, but everyone… well, I'll figure out a proper explanation later… Although ninety days isn't actually that much money, a loss is a loss. All those plans and enhancement schemes I prepared have become a pile of worthless paper… Ah, what a headache.

[And then there's Patchouli...]

Alice opened her eyes, and the familiar Main God Square came into view. The large golden sphere of light, as always, floated quietly above the platform, accompanied by a dozen or so pillars of light that descended, and everyone involved in this cycle of reincarnation returned without exception.

She took a light breath...

"Everyone, about this matter..."

"This was quite a good workout!"—Before Alice could finish the sentence, "It's all my fault," Zheng Zha's characteristic, loud, and hearty voice suddenly rang out, drowning out even the first half of her sentence—Zheng was beaming, his face flushed, looking completely satisfied. Alice's expression, however, was one of utter bewilderment.

【…Huh?】

"I have to say, those outsiders in Margot's home world are really tough. That governor of the African ruling region... I think his name is Tutankhamun or something. That guy is even harder to fight than that greatsword guy from the Senzhou team. I killed him more than thirty times before I finally broke his immortality—damn, why is the governor of the Africans an unkillable golden man? Does that mean the Pharaoh can do whatever he wants?!"

【what happened……?】

"You're lucky, I'm in real trouble," Zhang Jie shouted. "What 'Wind Master' and 'Rain Master'? They summon tornadoes thousands of meters high to smash everything in sight, it's driving me crazy! And what happened when you went to assassinate the Asian ruler, Ying Zheng? Didn't Yakumo Yukari say she could help you completely disappear from the sight of supernatural beings, with at least an 80% success rate?"

"Between the lines, it wins, I escape. But in the end, it will die." Zhao Yingkong's words were as concise and decisive as ever. But from her slightly raised, slender eyebrows, one could tell that she was in a good mood.

[Should I go find a time machine right now?]

Alice's lips twitched slightly as she sensed Logandao approaching from her side and behind, seemingly wanting to say something. When she turned around, she saw the large boy, whose entire body exuded an aura of blood and fire, greeting her.

"Miss Alice, you said earlier that once we returned to the Main God Space, you would help me implant the intelligent AI system I obtained from the North American ruling region into my newly modified Tri-Amphibious Knight Titan. Um... shall I hand over their storage containers to you now?"

[So there are loot items too! And when did you even become able to assemble and modify Titans!?]

"Oh, okay." Alice roared inwardly, but outwardly she smiled and accepted the spatial container given to her by Logandao. As she received the container, she casually scanned its interior, and a literally 'battle-hardened' Titan, which had been bathed in at least hundreds of neutron bombs and repaired dozens of times, appeared in her field of vision—she was quite certain that this was the one Logandao had exchanged before heading to Gensokyo, and she was also quite certain that her current mental state was perfectly normal.

Since I am normal, the problem must lie elsewhere.

She nodded, put away the spatial container, and then glanced at the others—she clearly sensed that the auras of everyone in the Central Continent Team had increased by at least one level. Almost all the exchanges they had purchased when leaving the Main God Space had been taken over by the Central Continent Team's reincarnators. Moreover, it wasn't just their proficiency that had increased; the bonds between them had also grown.

She saw that Zhang Heng and Ming Yanwei's relationship was no longer one of one-sided fervor and one-sided indifference. Zhang Heng still felt guilty towards Ming Yanwei, but he was no longer clinging to her like a piece of chewing gum. Ming Yanwei's attitude remained indifferent, but there was less hostility in it.

Losing hatred also means losing love. Although we don't know what they went through, perhaps after some time, they will both let go of each other. No longer lovers, but at least they can become understanding colleagues and partners. And perhaps that's better for both of them.

—The love for Zheng Zha was still in Zhan Lan's eyes, but she had clearly suppressed it. At least when Luo Li walked over from below the platform to help Zheng Zha with his clothes, she didn't show the obvious envy and jealousy she used to. Clearly, she hadn't escaped the shackles of this romantic love, but at least, it wouldn't get in the way under normal circumstances.

—Midnight, nothing to say, low presence is low presence, as always.

Cheng Xiao seems to have made some progress in martial arts; at first glance, he does resemble a grandmaster of boxing. Although his combat strength is still worrying, at least he's no longer the complete slacker he used to be. He could probably hold his own in other second-tier reincarnation teams, although in the Central Plains team he's still... well, never mind.

—The Overlord and his adopted assistant caught Alice's eye. Clearly, the Overlord had undergone a substantial growth process in this war, which she had no recollection of. Judging from the fierce aura he exuded, Alice even suspected he had unlocked his genetic potential. His assistant, Chelsea, was currently perched on his shoulder as a small bird, chirping softly when her gaze fell upon her.

That's good. Among the secondary echelons, she's the only one who sensed Alice's gaze.

Besides her, the only other person who sensed Alice's gaze was Xiao Honglu. When her gaze met Xiao Honglu's, she sensed a subtle doubt and a fierce competitive spirit. The target of this struggle was obvious: Chu Xuan, who, like Alice, was frowning.

Section 2. Well, actually we don't need a time machine.

Chu Xuan —

The moment Alice's gaze met his, the surrounding environment underwent a dramatic transformation. A mental space for impromptu conversations was created within that vision, and the two entered it.

He raised a hand to stop Alice from speaking before she could utter a word.

"No need to explain further, I know what's going on. The world line was altered by external interference, just like Anubis in the previous intervening world. However, unlike Anubis, the other party not only created a world, but also created a record of everyone's experiences in that world. Interference is meaningless, and you don't need to tell me who is behind it all."

Alice opened her mouth, then closed it. A hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes, then turned into helplessness.

"So why did you bring me here?" She forced herself to speak, glancing around at the empty world around her. "This seems to be some kind of new ability, something you acquired in that fictional history?"

“You can certainly understand it that way.” Chu Xuan nodded slightly and adjusted his glasses. “Although the other party’s actions rendered most of my arrangements in that world futile, the reason is simply that the difference in levels is too great. Even if I’m dissatisfied, it’s meaningless. The main reason I brought you here is to tell you about that memory that you don’t know, so as to avoid any unpleasant things from happening later.”

He nodded to Alice, and then the transfer of memories began.

....................................

It has to be said that Shenqi's craftsmanship is far superior to Alice's. When the memory sharing was completed and the constructed history was transmitted to her mind through Chu Xuan's perspective, she couldn't help but marvel at Shenqi's storytelling talent—the story itself was just so-so, but she arranged the details flawlessly.

In the timeline woven by Shinki, their plan to lure Gensokyo to the outer realms was flawed from the very beginning. Although the World-Destroying Flower was successfully deployed, it failed to erupt in time due to some unforeseen event. This resulted in two rapid-response fleets jumping directly from the Earth to the outer reaches of Gensokyo to unleash their firepower, forcibly destroying the Great Barrier of Gensokyo before the dimensional shift. Only then did the World-Destroying Flower, which had seemingly missed its target, begin to take effect.

With their reinforcements tied down, Gensokyo, having lost its Great Illusion Barrier, was unable to escape the gravity field to reach a safe zone for its easily disrupted dimensional shift. Left with no other option, the sages of Gensokyo activated an alternative plan, teleporting Gensokyo to a large void within the Earth's mantle. Meanwhile, the outsiders' anti-mystical forces arrived just before the barrier was fully repaired.

What followed was a series of uninterrupted wars.

While repairing its external barrier, Gensokyo continuously teleported through the mantle cavity. Simultaneously, it engaged in close combat with the anti-mystical forces that had detected teleportation attempts and were pursuing them, occurring on average every half hour. The intensity of the battle gradually escalated, evolving from a secondary reaction force with average combat power at the third-tier limit to an elite force centered around extraordinary life forms. Because the battleground remained underground, outsiders couldn't utilize overly powerful destructive weapons. Furthermore, because Gensokyo was in a hurry to escape, it was neither able nor had the time to inflict a devastating blow on the pursuing forces. Therefore, the nature of this chase never truly shifted from a 'hunt' to a 'revenge'.

Revenge means a fight to the death, while hunting doesn't necessarily require going all out. Because of the collapse of the Great Imaginary Barrier and the aborted escape plan, outsiders were unaware from the beginning that Gensokyo was planning a dimensional shift, aiming to detach itself from this world. In their minds, the inhabitants of Gensokyo, lurking in the mantle, were merely a group of fish in a barrel destined for destruction; the real concern was not to push them too far, lest Gensokyo crash into the Earth's core and cause a catastrophic collision.

With the outsiders slowing their offensive, Gensokyo gained a respite. For the next two months, the two sides played a game of cat and mouse deep within the mantle. Several times, the outsiders laid elaborate traps, only to have them foiled by Chu Xuan or Xiao Honglu. Only after the Great Fantasy Barrier was repaired did the final battle begin.

It was a great war. After the witches made their move, the outsiders suddenly launched an unprecedentedly strong offensive. However, it was precisely because of this that when the spacetime trap was activated, trapping the outsiders' army deep in the mantle, and Gensokyo was directly teleported to outer space through pre-prepared arrangements to undergo dimensional shift, there was a time difference between the two.

The outsider legion was delayed, leaving only the rulers, who were extraordinary beings, and their elite followers to participate in the final battle. Everyone gained immense experience during this long battle, and just as the final outcome was about to be decided, and the outsider legion escaped the trap and arrived, the dimensional shift in Gensokyo and the exchange period provided by the main god also came to an end.

“This is quite an… interesting timeline.” Alice rubbed her head, looking somewhat troubled. She sighed softly. “I know nothing about these things… but I think they… are probably true. If that meme virus hadn’t triggered on time, it might have really led to this outcome.”

“It seems you’ve already had a similar experience on your line of work.” Chu Xuan nodded. “Then, some of my conjectures can be proven.”

"The one who made the move really took good care of you, Alice Margotrovid. While this shift in the timeline has left me deeply displeased, since the goal of strengthening the team has been fully achieved in another way, there's no need for me to interfere beyond my capabilities. But—"

"You should take care of these personal matters sooner rather than later."

He said that, and then the conversation ended.

The two separated from the mental space, while only a few microseconds passed in the outside world. The observant Zhao Yingkong and Zhang Jie, skilled in mental interference, seemed to sense something, but after noticing that it was Chu Xuan and Alice communicating, they decisively chose to ignore it. Soon, the lingering passion from the battlefield of Gensokyo quickly cooled, and after agreeing on a time to meet again the next day, everyone returned to their respective personal spaces.

..............................

4/8

Section 3: Admonition from the Devil

Although she hadn't had high hopes, Alice was still slightly frustrated when she returned to her personal space and Patchouli didn't follow her as before, or even come in before her. She stood at the door for a full five minutes after that, but in the end, she still got the result she hadn't expected.

Should I take the initiative?

Alice thought to herself, but she quickly dismissed the idea—she and Patchouli weren't the kind of ordinary young couple who had only known each other for a few months or even days. Romantic reserve was meaningless to them. And since Patchouli had already decided to avoid seeing her, Alice's best course of action was to respect Patchouli's will and determination, rather than presumptuously making the choice for her.

Patty and I are equals. If I arrogantly make choices for her, it would mean I consider myself superior to her.

Then...she will be gone from me forever.

Alice went to her bedside—the magnificent bed, exuding the fragrant scent of roses, now seemed so offensive to her. Before, she might have needed considerable effort to restrain her impulse from crushing the bed into dust in an instant. But now, though still agitated, she had her agitation under control.

She can extinguish that irritability at any time, whenever she wants.

However, it was precisely because she 'didn't want to' that those terrible emotions continued to torment her heart within her chest.

She sighed softly and sat back down on her bed. At the same time, Shanghai and Penglai silently emerged from her shadow, tidying her somewhat disheveled hair and clothes to soothe her restless heart.

The statement that 'Patchouli will leave her forever' was not an exaggeration. She understood perfectly what it meant—love doesn't disappear; only people disappear. The pact made by the two witches across countless generations was to walk hand in hand on a completely equal footing. Neither was stronger than the other, neither was more important than the other, and there was no such thing as one dominating the other, or one taking charge of domestic affairs and the other of external affairs, typical of ordinary couples. There was only absolute equality.

Having taken the initiative wouldn't have been a big deal in the past. In the past, the reincarnated self would have had ample time to wait for the two, making hundreds or even thousands of years of waiting unacceptable and uncompromising. However, the problem lies in the God's Realm, a place of endless and unavoidable crises and challenges. The stronger the reincarnator, the more arduous the challenges bestowed by the God. And that is the real issue.

Patchouli knew she would wait, and she understood that she would wait. Because if their positions were reversed, Patchouli would do the same thing. But precisely because Patchouli understood her, she naturally understood what Patchouli was thinking at that moment.

What Patchouli fears is not the inability to become extraordinary; she fears being unable to participate in the battlefield I'm on. She fears becoming a burden to me, even for a fleeting moment; the mere thought of that causes her immense anguish.

If, under such circumstances, I were to presumptuously make choices and arrangements for her, then… even if I only intended to help her, the 'help' I offered at this juncture would essentially be no different from viewing her as a burden from a position of superiority.

Therefore, I cannot take the initiative to go to her; I absolutely cannot.

After all, we witches... are a bunch of fanatical lunatics.

She closed her eyes and lay down on her bed. She mentally rehearsed similar scenarios and quickly arrived at the outcome if she were in Patchouli's position.

She would work incredibly hard, relentlessly, to explore the path to becoming a transcendent being. Even at the greatest cost, even with the worst aftereffects, she would find a way to reach that level. So that she wouldn't be powerless to stand by and watch Patchouli need her help in some important future war—the mere thought of it sent chills down her spine, and Patchouli's feelings at that moment were undoubtedly even stronger.

I will definitely succeed, I must succeed no matter what. But what if, before that happens, I become an objective burden with no hope of success whatsoever...?

[I'll probably try to transform myself into some kind of secret elixir, or a powerful magical artifact... Since I'm no longer worthy to be with her, then let me become a part of her power—and since that's what I think, Patchouli's thoughts shouldn't be too far off.]

“And this possibility is something I cannot tolerate,” Alice said softly, her eyes closed. “This must be stopped. But… how should I do it?”

She fell into deep thought, but her contemplation only brought her more confusion. She wasn't unaware that this situation could perhaps be perfectly resolved with a single, heartfelt confession and a sweet kiss. But she simply didn't dare gamble on the possibility of failure.

She could only wait, and she dared only wait. The supercomputing abilities and powerful instincts possessed by extraordinary beings were rendered useless at this moment. She was fully aware of her own foolishness and indecisiveness—Alice was Alice, and even in her confusion, she still understood herself.

Shanghai and Penglai floated cautiously to her ear, gently brushing against her cheek. Only with the comfort of the two little dolls was she able to find some relief from her rather ridiculous entanglement and distress, and turn her attention elsewhere.

No, to be precise, it wasn't being put into other places, but rather being wasted meaninglessly. Because she didn't want to face it, she chose to escape—for the first time since becoming a transcendent being… she felt weary and exhausted.

Soon, she fell into a deep, dark sleep.

..............................

"To be honest, the way you are makes me feel very embarrassed. Although I know very well that my IQ is bound to drop significantly as long as Patchouli is around, the fact that this conversation has been triggered can only mean that the possibility I dislike the most has become a reality."

Alice opened her eyes abruptly, and before her was a reflection of herself, an exact replica of the other. The same face, the same figure; aside from the dark red and black of the other's clothing, they were virtually indistinguishable in appearance. Yet, the difference in their aura was like that between a lion and a hyena—vastly different.

"You are! The Demon Team—" Alice suddenly opened her eyes, only to find her vision blank. She immediately realized she was in her own dream. And then this clone of herself invaded her dream!

No, it wasn't that the other person invaded my dream; rather, she had been there from the very beginning. She constructed this dream through a certain medium, and that medium had always been by my side!

"Shanghai or Penglai... are they both?"

“There’s no need to be so nervous. What’s here is just a triggered smart message—and the trigger condition for this message is that you’ve come into contact with ‘Shinki’ in a short period of time. Anyway, you should soon realize the abnormality I showed when I left that request. But to save time, let’s be decisive.”

Alice blinked, the copy's message flashing through her mind.

“Indeed, I should have noticed that anomaly immediately.” She rubbed her head. “When you sent me the request via message, you said you had only unlocked the third stage of your genetic lock, but you also knew about ‘Shinki’… You couldn’t possibly have come into contact with her before becoming a transcendent, let alone formed a request with her that required you to send me that kind of message.”

"No wonder your hidden agents in Shanghai and Penglai were able to escape my detection. So you already possessed extraordinary technical skills back then..."

"It's unavoidable, you're just too slow, and I don't want to follow the path suggested by that crazy woman, Shenqi. Of course, I'm not lying." The clone shrugged and sat down next to Alice on the bedside table.

"In order to ensure that I could still be on the same level as Patchouli when she came, I had to repeatedly lower my life level—from the third to the fourth, and then back to the third. After going up and down three or four times, I finally managed to suppress the life energy that kept rising too quickly on its own within my tolerance range. Although doing so made me look like an idiot in the demon team, I think this level of price is completely acceptable."

"At least when Patchouli is copied, I won't have to rack my brains like you are now, right?"

“You…” Alice’s pupils contracted.