Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"I suddenly remembered that there's someone who'll definitely mess things up if I don't take care of him, and he's probably still somewhere waiting for me. I can't just leave him there."

“So…” she looked at Zheng Zha and asked seriously, “Do you… have any tools on you to recruit natives into your team?”

Section 45: Promotion of Chess Pieces

Special items for recruiting natives into the reincarnation team? Ah… of course, such things exist. Zheng Zha remembered that when he conquered the Grand Archives yesterday… no, when he defeated Ex in the previous world, he obtained an item for transferring reincarnators from the final spoils of war. These kinds of items are actually useless in their world of origin, because their essence is the manifestation of the authority of the main god.

Since it involves permissions, there's a possibility that higher-level permissions can override lower-level ones, and that a superior can encompass a subordinate. The reason it's described as a 'possibility' rather than a certainty is because that item, that contract document, is currently not in Zheng's possession!

“That item is with Margot Royd,” Zheng Zha said, then looked at Miss Sirin with a hint of surprise. “Hmm… someone we can’t just leave unattended? Sirin, are you trying to bring people into this world? Or are you planning to use this as leverage to increase your fighting strength…?”

A pretty young woman's lips twitched at the micrometer level.

"Gulp..." She rubbed her temples. A feeling that could be described as 'embarrassment' surged wildly in her mind. How could she possibly gloss over the embarrassing fact that she had misjudged the timeline and that they were actually still in the same era without losing her composure? She was extremely distressed about it.

Concealment and deception? No, that's unacceptable, and unnecessary. There's at least a 99% chance that someone named Zhao Yingkong, from an Eastern assassin family, who has unlocked the fourth-tier genetic lock and has hidden dangers within their soul, is the sister some late-stage siscon constantly boasts about. The remaining 1% possibility is that some fool named Zhao Zhuikong, who missed his sister so much that he simply gender-swapped himself. Based on these two possibilities, Miss Xilin and the Zhongzhou team are definitely from the same era.

Fighting is out of the question, and if I want to return to the East American team, I'll need to switch teams again after becoming a Reincarnator. Becoming a Reincarnator requires the captain's approval and my own level not being higher than the opponent's. The requirement for switching teams is that during a team battle, the captain of the target team whose life level is not lower than my own must sign a contract with the authority of a main god.

In other words, there's only a chance to switch teams if a team fight breaks out between the Central Plains team and the East America team. And if a team fight does break out between the two teams…

[Zhao Zhuikong has a deep-seated flaw in his soul; he'll never make it to Fourth Middle School. That means the team battle against the Central State team is at most a world or two from now. Zhao Yingkong has already reached the beginning of Fourth Middle School, so this severely doting brother would never turn against his own sister. He'd most likely just work behind the scenes, a good, albeit anonymous, older brother.]

[Being rivals is impossible, and it's probably impossible for me to transfer from the Central Plains team to another one. But his sister is here, and if there's a transfer agreement...]

[Fine, I'll sell it. He'd probably be eager to do this kind of deal. But if that's the case, I'll have to put in a lot of effort in this world. At the very least, I need to become a trustworthy friend of the Central Plains Team...]

So, Xilin stopped rubbing her forehead.

“Things have changed a bit. I think I made a mistake before. Some plans need to be changed, and some decisions need to be revised. But before that…” She suddenly stared at Zheng Zha, her unprecedentedly serious gaze causing the 'handsome vampire youth' to subconsciously take two steps back.

"W-what's going on?"—As if infected by the atmosphere, someone also realized the seriousness of the situation.

"You... are married, right?"

"Yes...yes."

"Didn't you have any extramarital affairs?"

“Absolutely not! My feelings for Lori are—” He suddenly remembered Zhan Lan from the Final Destination world, and his tone unconsciously paused slightly. He hesitated for a fleeting moment. But he immediately covered it up loudly. “I am utterly loyal to my marriage! Unwaveringly loyal!”

"Including Zhao Yingkong?"

"Of course—ugh! What nonsense!" Zheng Zha angrily waved his fist. He shouted, "I admit that when her alternate personality was dominant, she was indeed a little dependent on me. But that was just a glimmer of hope. Her main personality awakened in the second horror movie after she joined the team! She even died once recently, and after she came back to life, the connection between us was at most that of comrades and colleagues!"

"And why do you care about this... How do you know so much!?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious. It's just to rule out some unexpected factors. If a sister-complex person found out that their beloved sister had been sexually or psychologically taken advantage of, they would go completely mad. But the dominant personality has already awakened... so Zhao Yingkong probably doesn't have any other potential romantic partners in the God Realm, right?"

"She hasn't even conceived yet—wait, you haven't answered my question yet!"

"Relax, relax, a grown man shouldn't worry about such useless details." Xilin waved her hand, casually and easily changing the subject. "There are some more important things to tell you."

“I just made a decision,” Miss Celine said, tilting her head slightly, her tone relaxed. “I’ve decided to join you and become a member of your team.”

"Oh... Huh!? You want to join?" Zheng Zha was first taken aback, then surprised. Then, his brain, as sharp as a durian, finally started working. Regardless of anything else, he could at least piece together what Xilin had said earlier. And with such a dense network of clues, even he could arrive at a conclusion that wasn't far off from the truth.

"Is it because of Ying Kong... Zhao Ying Kong? You just mentioned being a sister complex and all that, and you know her family in the real world. And you want to pull her into the cycle of reincarnation?"

"You can interpret it that way, it's fine. I... do know someone closely related to Zhao Yingkong. Yes, the main personality Zhao Yingkong. And that person should be her brother. I was his comrade-in-arms in the past, you should be able to guess what that means." Sirin shrugged, noticing a subtle tremor emanating from the deepest part of the underground tomb. That was likely the sound of the Dragonborn and her new friend leaving the ruins. It seemed they had deliberately quickened their pace, not wanting to be associated with them.

As expected, but it's not a problem.

Because the situation has changed.

The spectator who once thought herself an observer watching the game unfold from a superior vantage point is now caught in the game herself. However, while acting as a piece, she also possesses a degree of influence beyond the chessboard. This is a trump card she hadn't been able to unleash even after being brutally defeated and demoted by Ismir's avatar. Now, she has decided to hold nothing back.

The shadow beneath her feet trembled subtly, spreading silently into the distance like ripples on a lake. The tremor was fleeting, vanishing from the hall before any living being capable of sensing the change could even observe it. The next moment, the shadows in the many other chambers of the tomb began to sway.

Strange objects writhed in the shadows, struggling to escape. They were strange concretions composed of blue and purple bubbles and fluids. They moved like living things, yet their outlines revealed no physical characteristics associated with any known organism. Their stay at this point in time was extremely brief, vanishing from the shadows in the blink of an eye, disappearing into an unknown timeline that no one could know or observe.

They are servants of the Lords of Time, the hounds of Korolos. When Time goes awry, they correct it. When Time is interfered with by something else, they hunt it. For an entire past era, Sirin served the Lords of Time in this way. And when she was banished from the Court of Time, this power as the hounds of time was not stripped from her.

And so, the power of time began to surge. Following her will, it rushed toward the various targets she had anchored—she had already discovered a noteworthy clue when she battled the incarnation of Ismir in the rewind of time. And now was the moment to verify its effectiveness.

Thus, the game, now with an extra piece, began to accelerate. And while she finished her arrangements in that brief moment, she still had time to continue the conversation she hadn't been able to finish earlier.

"Alright, we don't need to worry about these trivial details. Anyway, I'm now planning to join your team. As the captain of the Zhongzhou team, do you agree or disagree?"

She went straight to the point, forcing both sides to the negotiating table with no room for maneuver. And as expected, her interlocutor, caught off guard, instinctively put aside the minor incident that had occurred earlier. Her earlier, self-disclosure of information related to Zhao Yingkong further threw Zheng into disarray.

She achieved her goal, albeit through a long and winding detour. She managed to smooth over her earlier blunder of pretending to be a senior. While Zheng Zha might never have cared about such a trivial matter, she couldn't pretend it didn't exist.

After all, Miss Sirin is someone who cares about her image.

then……

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

"baffling."

The sorceress rubbed her forehead, bewildered by everything unfolding before her. She felt as if what was happening now had been repeated many times before. Although the developments were slightly different each time, the final outcome should have been roughly the same.

Where is this place? — This is the third level of the box, an area where reincarnators from various different queues are scattered. It is the branch among the eight branches representing the worldview of 'The Witcher 3'. And at the end of the branch, a 'fruit' formed from the convergence of countless tiny worlds is nearing maturity.

Who is the sorceress? — She is Felicia Corrie. She is also Zhan Lan, a reincarnation of the Central Continent Team. She acquired the identity of an ordinary sorceress in this world long ago through the Hunting Saint Ritual. But exactly how long ago… is hard to say.

After all, time... time has never had any meaning.

She is currently located on the coast of the Skellige Isles in the northwestern region of the Wizarding World. The plot should then be at a point where Geralt-Garron, the Witcher searching for his daughter, has uncovered numerous clues that ultimately point to a strange region called the Isle of Mist. At this point in time, Felice Corrie should have already died; however, after the sorceress's true form manifests as Janran, the plot naturally shifts.

Naturally, the sorceress, who should have been burned to death in Novengrih Square, survived. However, before she could act, she hesitated due to a strange sense of déjà vu. She hesitated for about ten seconds, and then, just as those seconds passed, the protagonist of this world, the legendary witcher Geralt of Garonne, 'coincidentally' passed by the square where she was, and so the subsequent events unfolded naturally.

The witcher created some chaos in the shadows, which the sorceress used to escape. From then on, the two formed a strange relationship, almost like allies.

When the Witcher was searching for clues about his daughter, the sorceress helped him a great deal. When the sorceress was surrounded by witch hunters for strange reasons, the Witcher also provided assistance. The close cooperation between the two even made the other female protagonists in this world, who were the main sorceresses who provided assistance to Geralt-Garron in the original script, a little jealous and suspected that there was something between them.

Many people believe this, and perhaps even the protagonist of this world has some illusions. However, Felicia Corrie, or rather, Zhan Lan, knows that all of this actually stems from a kind of déjà vu that often lingers in her mind—she always feels like she is falling into an abyss. And then, when she rises from the abyss, she witnesses all sorts of bizarre and unpredictable scenes.

She saw herself break free of her restraints in the square without hesitation, decisively delivering the killing blow. In an instant, she wiped out all the living people in the square. However, the next moment, the Witcher, who had witnessed her carnage, emerged from the shadows and raised his steel sword, the kind used to kill mortals, at her.

There are many kinds of processes and many kinds of results. Sometimes she is the victor, defeating or even killing the Witcher with trickery after a hard-fought battle. But most of the time she is the loser, successfully defeated by the Witcher because of her incomplete power and condition—similar scenarios have occurred many times, perhaps thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of times. Sometimes she suspects that she has experienced this many times over, but more often she feels that she has gained some kind of power similar to predicting the future.

After all, her exchange was with a Spirit Prophet, and prophets are supposed to be good at prediction.

And it was precisely because of this that she was able to find the one that suited her best among countless 'developments' and then successfully arrive at this place.

Island of Mist.

She saw this place countless times in that abyss-like illusion, and each time her 'prediction of the future' ended abruptly here. Because in her vision, as long as she set foot on that island, she would inevitably encounter insurmountable trouble.

Sometimes, it's a terrifying natural disaster that falls from the sky and can't be resisted.

Sometimes they emerge from the seabed, giant monsters or strange beasts with mythical power.

Sometimes, it's the Wild Hunt legions that cross the border, spreading death with their invincible power.

And sometimes... it's the reincarnation team.

The Reincarnation Squad, West Sea.

She felt that this might be the final outcome.

Section 46: The Reincarnators of the West Sea Team

Whether it's an illusion or reality, a prediction of the future or a time loop... it's all irrelevant now. Because I've prepared so much to come here, to cope with this upheaval.

Moreover, I have no other choice.

Zhan Lan stood gracefully atop the lighthouse at the northernmost tip of the Skellige Islands, gazing into the distant horizon. From what might be called 'precognition' and from the common sense available in this world, she knew that even the fastest ship would take a full seven days to sail from the Skellige Islands to the Isle of Mist.

Seven days isn't too long. Using magic could further shorten the process. Zhan Lan knew that if she used the knowledge and skills in her mind, she could reach her destination in just a few steps. But she also knew it was pointless; she had to stay here, and going too early or too late would lead to trouble.

Arriving too early would mean encountering the Wild Hunt—these time travelers, also searching for Ciri, the adopted daughter of Geralt of Garonne, the Imperial Princess who can freely open portals through time. Their individual combat strength might not be exceptionally high, but their numbers are enormous, and they are aided by terrifying frost storms.

That wasn't ordinary cold air; it was some kind of bizarre, curse-like phenomenon. Zhan Lan initially thought it was just a normal mass of ultra-low-temperature cold air, which caused her considerable suffering. In her prediction, even if she brought all the witchers, sorceresses, and wizards she had met on the continent, they would ultimately be wiped out by the Wild Hunt Legion's endless numbers and the auspicious celestial influence.

Zhan Lan didn't know why these creatures were so strong, but the feeling of being defeated by them was incredibly real. The excruciating pain and weakness she felt when she fought to the death, when a general in the Wild Hunt pierced her chest with a sword, seemed so real that just recalling it made her feel weak and cold all over. And until she reunited with her other companions, she didn't think she had any way to deal with these monsters.

This is the result of arriving too early; arriving too late would present a different scenario. In Zhan Lan's 'premonition,' when that situation occurs, and she arrives at the Island of Misty Clouds with her allies, she will see the sky burst open like a shattered eggshell, riddled with countless fragments. Then, an endless torrent of energy will sweep down, reducing everything to nothingness—this would be the worst-case scenario. A slightly less severe scenario would be that the sky merely cracks without collapsing, but a massive amount of energy will still flood into this land, causing the native species to mutate into terrifying monsters that only appear in high-magic worlds within a very short time. Mortals, however, will not receive the same benefits.

The vast majority of sorceresses and wizards would absorb excessive energy immediately due to their overly powerful magical constitution. Exploding on the spot was the best-case scenario. Even those lucky enough to survive would be twisted and corrupted by the high energy in a brief moment, forcibly evolving into crazed monsters adapted to survive in high-energy environments. And once the sorceresses and wizards were gone, the remaining witchers would naturally not fare any better.

Everyone will die, including herself. And in her 'premonition,' even if she ignored the 'main storyline' from the beginning, hiding in some random corner would still lead to the same result—the sky would shatter, and destruction would sweep across the entire land. And no matter where she hid, it would be the same.

So I had to come here...not too early, not too late.

Too early or too late is not good, but in the middle of this time frame, once visitors arrive on the Island of Misty Clouds, they will be met by another force that does not belong to this worldview.

The Reincarnation Squad, West Sea.

Zhan Lan estimated that this Reincarnation Squad was the reason why the Wild Hunt Legion wouldn't arrive at this time. In her 'premonition,' as long as she arrived at Misty Island at this 'appropriate' time, the West Sea Team would arrive at their destination at the same time—they seemed to have no fabricated identities in this world and had gone through a fierce battle. And it was precisely for this reason that they were hostile to all the native inhabitants of this continent.

They were likely a breeding team with only two members. The absence of any other new members suggests they were either all used up or completely wiped out. Both members possessed at least a third-tier gene lock, along with at least SS-level high-level enhancements and numerous corresponding auxiliary treasures. This allowed them to exert survivability and combat capabilities comparable to a typical fourth-tier member.

Perhaps they were flawed fourth-tier powerhouses, but Zhan Lan couldn't tell. Even with her acquired 'precognition' ability, the information she could gather was quite limited. She only knew that the West Sea team's captain was named Reinhardt, possessing extremely high-level vampire enhancements, and that the sage was named Yurian, possessing extremely high-level mental enhancements and Saint Seiya power. And that was the extent of her knowledge; the resources she possessed were only enough to force the West Sea team to reveal this level of their strength.

They were incredibly strong, enough to overwhelm Zhan Lan and all her allies combined. More importantly, their greatest weakness lay in the limits of resources Zhan Lan could mobilize—psychic beings could easily manipulate any native other than Zhan Lan to obtain crucial intelligence, making alliances and leveraging each other's strengths impossible. Furthermore, the Wild Hunt wouldn't appear at the same time, rendering their strategy of using one enemy to devour another useless.

But Zhan Lan still had to go, because she had no other strategy but to go and reach the Isle of Mist. And importantly, whether she went early, midway, or late, as long as she brought her allies, or more precisely, the Witcher Geralt-Garonne or the sorceresses who accompanied him, she would inevitably find the Sleeping Beauty on the Isle of Mist.

Ciri, Ciria Fiona Ellen Lianren—No matter when Zhan Lan lands on the Isle of Mist, she will always encounter the silver-haired girl sleeping in a wooden hut. Whether she lands while fighting the Wild Hunt, being unilaterally beaten by the Returners, or even witnessing the collapse of the sky, in the aftermath of battle or escape, there is a high chance that she will 'accidentally' stumble upon or destroy a wooden hut, and then catch a glimpse of the motionless sleeping girl lying on the bed.

It's a strange phenomenon, but perhaps with enough observation, some flaws can be found. Zhan Lan suspects that the entire Misty Island has been sealed off by this Sleeping Beauty, only to be opened upon arrival of those who meet the conditions. Therefore, no matter when she sets foot on the island, she will inevitably encounter powerful enemies. These enemies have already found her and are eyeing her covetously.

[What a pity. If only it were only this bad... If it were this bad, I could easily gather a force strong enough to crush any who dared to challenge me, and even wait for my teammates to arrive before dealing with them. Unfortunately... I can't wait that long, because if I wait any longer, this world will be destroyed...]

Finding Ciri and awakening her is currently the only way to break the deadlock, as she possesses the ability to open a time portal and escape with everyone before the heavens shatter. Furthermore, the Wild Hunt, with its similar abilities, and the West Sea Reincarnators, who are virtually immortal even without these abilities, are not suitable for negotiation. However…

How to do?

Zhan Lan sighed softly, roughly concluding her thoughts. In a few days, this world would face destruction or ascension amidst the shattering of the heavens. And even if she, as a sorceress, hid at the edge of the world and avoided the first wave of the cataclysm, she would still perish in the second, third, and fourth impacts!

Why did the world end? Zhan Lan didn't know, and didn't want to know. She guessed that this was likely why she was the only one left in this world, while her other teammates were not. Because during one of her 'premonitions,' she used various methods to look out into the void when the sky shattered, and vaguely saw two humanoid beings battling in a sea of ​​energy!

She didn't know who the two people were, but one of them gave her a feeling that 'it looks like Patchouli,' yet there was a strange difference between her and the Patchouli she knew. The other seemed to be a strange girl she had never seen before, yet she felt a sense of familiarity towards her. This made her head throb.

An internal conflict within the Zhongzhou team? Impossible.

Now, if we consider another possibility... now that I've encountered the West Sea Team here, will my companions, and other reincarnators who aren't my companions, encounter similar situations?

She stopped thinking, because continuing would be a simple waste of time. While she needed to stand atop this beacon and wait for the right opportunity, waiting didn't mean wasting computational energy on meaningless, fragmented areas. For someone whose talent and wisdom were only average within the team, extraordinary planning and scheming were still a long way off.

and……

"Felice!" A voice rang out from the base of the tower. Zhan Lan immediately turned her gaze and saw the white-haired witcher standing beneath the lighthouse. Geralt Garonne, the protagonist of this world—this witcher who didn't particularly enjoy climbing—was standing at the base of the tower, loudly calling out her name in this world.

“Yennefer has discovered something with her telescope; you’d better come and see.” The legendary Witcher spoke in his distinctively deep, husky, and magnetic voice about the important information his 'close partner' had discovered.