Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Chapter 55 The Witch's Trial

Lop Nur… Zheng Zha had heard of this place before arriving in the world of reincarnation. It was known as the "Ear of the Earth," possessing natural caves that supposedly led directly to the Earth's core. The Soviets had attempted deep exploration there, and verifiable records survive. Later, due to changes in international relations, the project was halted and abandoned.

Of course, this wasn't the end. The desolate Lop Nur region later became a site for nuclear testing and gained notoriety due to the disappearance of a scientist. Stories and legends about 'ancient city ruins,' 'extraterrestrial civilizations,' 'immortal spirits,' and 'the Pisces jade pendant' abounded. Zheng Zha, in his spare time in the real world, read related amateur science magazines to pass the time. But he didn't take these rumors to heart.

—Up to this very moment.

"Lop Nur... Could the legend be true?" Zheng Zha adjusted his body in mid-air, making himself more comfortable as he moved towards the church under the influence of gravity. "I've heard stories about Lop Nur before, but I always thought they were just boring tales made up by a bunch of busybodies."

Patchouli raised an eyebrow. She immediately connected to the Great Library's network system. Before Zheng Zha uttered the words "boring story," she accessed the database of the Transformers and Ju-on worlds on the Great Library's supercomputer, Display One, and retrieved various stories and legends about Lop Nur from other worlds. After correcting for similarity, she combined them with the Lop Nur data from this world into a document. Then, before finishing the word "story," she used microcurrents to stimulate her brain cells, accelerating her thinking and quickly skimming through the information.

She showed no outward signs of anything amiss, not even a change in her expression.

“They are indeed boring stories,” Patchouli replied. “The legends are also false. There is no such nonsense as this—at least not in this world, not yet.”

"I chose Lop Nur because there is indeed a natural cave beneath Lop Nur that runs through the earth's crust. The people of the Eastern Continent have built a large refuge there. It has a huge volume, enough to hold more than ten million people. It is about six thousand meters deep, enough to completely insulate against solar storms. Through reactors, geothermal energy supply, and the development and exploration of various underground edible plants, that refuge can operate independently underground for a thousand years without any problems. My secondary goal in going there, besides setting up the magic array, is to settle the newcomers and the main characters of the story there, so they don't die inexplicably."

“You just said ‘it doesn’t exist yet’?” Zheng Zha keenly caught the information deliberately revealed in Patchouli’s words. “So you mean it will exist later? Related to angels… Hell?”

His pupils narrowed slightly: "You can do something like that!?"

“I can do it if I want to… provided that we act according to the original plan.” Patchouli glanced at him indifferently. Her gaze was as pure and indifferent as ever, making it difficult to find any emotional fluctuation in it.

"My original plan was to curse all the high-ranking officials in North and South America to death after confirming the existence of the angels. While creating chaos, I would send down the legions, establish production lines, expand factories, and use the mechanical legions to sweep across the American continent. Anyway, these people would only live for a few more days at most. Rather than letting their lives be wasted in the solar storm, it would be better for me to take care of them. At least I can play an additional role."

"I will cleanse them, using their blood, tears, pain, and curses to awaken the resentment of the indigenous people who have lingered over the Americas for centuries. This will create the underworld, the antithesis of heaven, from nothingness. With sufficient magic, I can even create the seven gods of the underworld from nothing. Especially the Lord of the Sun, the king of Miktlan who dwells in the Nine Abysses—He is opposed to the sun. I can then exercise His divine authority to forcibly disperse the solar winds blowing across the Americas when the fifth solar storm arrives. While I exercise divine authority, my mechanical legions will acquire the concept of 'Warriors of the Underworld.' Then, by chaining spells and strengthening this concept of 'Warriors of the Underworld' to the standards of the Apocalypse, my legions will gain the ability to participate in the battlefields of the angels and fight for us."

"After that, it's simply a war of quality. I will build factories, expand production lines, and liberate AI. We will endlessly produce mechanical soldiers through the self-replicating method of mechanical manufacturing. Because they have been given the concept of 'warriors of the underworld,' I don't need to worry about malfunctions, loss of control, or betrayal. Their destiny is set; they will eventually fight the angels. And once the battle begins, it will not end easily. With this unlimited force as support, it will not be difficult for us to survive the next few days."

"This was my original plan. The Americans were no match for me after I gained control of the satellite network. My legions have also descended. After analyzing the nature of the angels and taking precautions against accidental attacks orchestrated by them, their development will not be hindered in any way. At the same time, I have identified the mineral deposits, industrial zones, and resource points around the world. All that remains is to implement the plan step by step. Even if something unexpected happens, I have corresponding contingency plans. Apart from the unsolvable situation where 'the angels are so strong that they can easily crush us and our legions,' this plan has very few flaws. And you rejected it just minutes ago."

Patchouli's voice was gentle, calm, and steady, as if she were simply outlining a simple plan, like "chicken for dinner tonight." However, in Zheng's eyes, it was no different from the howling and roaring of demons in purgatory. He seemed to see a tide of blood churning beneath the girl's tender, exposed skin, countless corpses, flesh, bones, and organs tumbling within it. Dead souls screamed in terror amidst the waves, suffering endless torment.

How many people must be killed, how many cities destroyed, how many races and civilizations wiped out, to achieve such indifference? Such detachment? The billions of lives across two continents are like a speck of dust in her eyes, easily wiped away. The births, deaths, joys, and sorrows of countless people hold no value whatsoever in her perception. Perhaps, in her eyes, those ordinary people are less than ants under a roadside tree.

Is this the mindset of an immortal? Everything except what they care about is worthless, like dust. Perhaps in her eyes, everyone in the team except Margot Lloyd is someone she can easily discard… Tsk, compared to that, someone like Chu Xuan is somewhat more acceptable.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself, but before he could even organize his thoughts, Patchouli answered the question he hadn't asked, as if she could read his mind.

“Don’t worry, Alice sees everyone else in this team as trustworthy companions. So do I. I won’t scheme against you,” Patchouli replied, her gaze sweeping to the side, glancing at Zhang Heng and Zero, who were enveloped by another gravitational field not far away.

The force field was semi-enclosed and moved very quickly. Combined with the perspective issue, the two people on the side could not possibly hear their conversation.

Since no one else heard, no one stepped in to smooth things over, and an awkward atmosphere immediately arose between the two. Of course, this was an awkward situation that Zheng Zha perceived as one-sided.

He coughed softly.

"Well, you and Margot Royd really are...similar in style."

“It’s different.” Patchouli cruelly pulled away the ladder that led him off the stage. “Alice is good at precise manipulation, so she’s used to setting up one link after another, and every step, whether it succeeds or fails, can smoothly advance to the next step. I’m good at the big picture, so I’m used to accumulating a huge amount of power by snowballing, ignoring irrelevant details, and crushing everything in one fell swoop.”

"Her weakness lies in unexpected external factors, while my weakness lies in the time it takes to accumulate momentum. Of course, for both of us, gathering intelligence on both sides is the top priority. In the absence of sufficient intelligence, we usually avoid taking action if possible, but now, we have gathered enough intelligence."

She glanced at Zheng Zha. "I know what you want to ask. Don't worry, different regions require different strategies. In a unified civilization like the Eastern Continent, which has been passed down for thousands of years without interruption, blood sacrifice would only summon enemies. All I need to do is to go deep into that underground cave before the apocalypse and complete the arrangements inside."

A bright ball of electricity flickered in her palm; it was a sphere formed by the aggregation of a strong electromagnetic field.

“The cave can also be seen as a tower, a natural tower extending from the surface to the earth’s core. A tower is a structure for transmitting messages and lighting lamps. I will arrive there and then initiate the appropriate ritual to slightly alter the geomagnetic field. Then…” Her fingers clenched lightly, and the bright sphere immediately disintegrated, transforming into streaks of lightning that scattered in all directions. “I will mix this electromagnetic signal, which can forcibly materialize angels, into the geomagnetic field. Since the strategy of strengthening the legion and using machinery to assemble underworld warriors is unusable, we will have no choice but to bring the enemy to our level and then use sheer numbers to achieve victory.”

She shrugged and added, "However, this plan has flaws. Without the concept enhancement, the mechanical legion's combat effectiveness will decrease. At the same time, I can't liberate the AI ​​and let them expand freely without worrying about mechanical rebellion, which is almost inevitable when facing alien civilizations—this means that if the situation escalates to the point of needing to start a quality war, then one of us, Alice or I, will have to be responsible for commanding the legion throughout. The team's overall combat effectiveness will drop, and we'll only be able to adopt a relatively passive evasive strategy when dealing with solar storms. There might even be some damage in the process."

"Here are the two plans, and their advantages and disadvantages are laid out before us. The advantage of the latter is probably that more ordinary people in this world can survive. At least on the twelfth day, and assuming we haven't failed, the refuge in Lop Nur will surely continue to operate. If the angels destroy the world within seven days as described in the original Book of Revelation, and they can survive until the thirteenth day after we leave, then perhaps the civilization of this world can survive this cycle."

"...Is it impossible to create a Netherworld in the Eastern Continent? For example, Fengdu, the eighteen levels of hell or something?"

“Yes, but it’s very difficult.” Patchouli tilted her head slightly. “To construct the concept of the Underworld, killing is inevitable. You can’t even bring yourself to kill Americans, let alone the people of the Eastern Continent. Moreover, this ritual must be completed before the solar storm. After the solar storm, the Earth’s surface environment will become extremely bad, almost like a dead magic zone for Alice and me. High-powered ritual spells will be basically unusable, making the construction of the Underworld even more impossible.”

Zheng Zha fell silent.

After listening to Patchouli's plan, he realized something: both plans were quite feasible, yet neither required the presence of anyone else in the Middle-earth team—the witches could overcome the difficulties simply by relying on each other. The task entrusted to him and the others was likely merely to protect themselves in the impending upheaval.

She didn't care about anyone else at all—no, not only that, she didn't consider anyone else in the team as a usable fighting force. She suspected everyone in the team except Margot Lloyd, viewing them as potential unreliable factors.

[...Is it because the team is now almost falling apart? Even though she's acting so obedient to me and revealing her plans, she's really just trying to tell me one thing—]

['You are of no use to me; your greatest contribution is only to disrupt my plans and add to the chaos.' — Is that so?]

[Damn it, damn it, damn it!]

A surge of rage welled up within Zheng Zha, and he instinctively clenched his fists. The second-tier gene lock within his body silently activated. He glanced at Patchouli, who had turned away after explaining her plan, focusing on manipulating the gravity field towards the church. A cold glint appeared in his eyes.

However, the next moment, a chill crept up from his back, coiled around his spine, and touched his brain, making his mind suddenly clear in that extremely short instant.

He suddenly realized something.

Why did she deliberately manipulate the gravitational field to separate Zhang Heng and Lingdian from us? If she simply wanted us to see the reality of the situation, wouldn't it have been better to tell us all directly?

Why would she do this on purpose?

Section 56 Partial Identification

Every effect has a cause; nothing happens without a reason.

'Think, you need to think, Captain Zheng Zha.'

A familiar voice rang in the man's ears. He knew who it was, and he knew that person was not nearby—because it was merely an echo rising from the depths of his memory with the waves of his thoughts, a prompt given to him by his subconscious self, which lay dormant deep within his instincts.

[Norrell wouldn't cause trouble for no reason. The fact that she's spending so much time talking to me at this time definitely doesn't mean she wants to provoke me and completely dismantle this already somewhat fragile team. Therefore, this isn't an indication that 'someone else is the problem.']

[She wouldn't be so shallow, because Margot Lloyd wouldn't go to such great lengths to bring a burden from her home world. And judging from the sophistication of her previous plans, if she truly wanted to be hostile to others, or to be used as a pawn… we wouldn't have realized it from the beginning. A simple comparison is enough: she controlled the satellite network, deciphered the nature of Death, assembled a mechanical legion, and devised several plans sufficient to get the entire team through this horror movie. And the others… even the most intelligent Xiao Honglu, could only think of using advanced technology to cooperate with the local government, and even that hasn't been done yet.]

[...This isn't Xiao Honglu's fault; it's due to information suppression and a different strategic perspective. If it were me now, I'd probably just have to recklessly charge through, killing anyone and everything in my path. Perhaps we'd already be facing a dire situation.]

[Besides, that sudden surge of anger I felt just now... was really strange. I've been navigating the cutthroat world of office politics for years; while I wouldn't call myself a master of self-control, I'm at least a person of some composure. How could I possibly get so easily angered by a couple of words that weren't even veiled barbs, and even just now I was thinking...]

He took a deep breath, his mind racing. He felt a heat rising to his forehead, his thoughts becoming exceptionally sharp, a multitude of ideas flashing through his mind in just a few seconds.

I understand, this is a test.

He recalled the two sentences Patchouli had said to him not long ago—

—'Now, I'll tell you all about our preparations for this horror film.'

"Then, let's see if you have the capacity to shoulder this responsibility."

[Capacity... I see. Was she testing whether I had the magnanimity to be a captain and shoulder the burden of the team? The plan, the scheming, the sudden outburst of anger—it was all deliberately orchestrated by her. In other words, this was her test of me; only by handling the current situation correctly could I gain her approval.]

So... what should we do?

He couldn't help but calm down and think hard. He combined his strengths, weaknesses, and other known conditions into one. Then he filtered them according to different categories to find the combination he needed.

He felt the heat in his head gradually intensify. But this was not a reason for him to stop thinking.

Without a doubt, she and Margot Lloyd together are the strongest in the team, both in strength and intelligence. So, what can I do on top of that?

Integration, yes, that's all I can do. To become the hub connecting everything, thereby amplifying power even further.

[But... this is based on the premise that the team needs to unite its strength. She has prepared a complete plan, and there is no need for anyone else to exist in the plan. Yes, they can do everything themselves. Even when they arrive at the church later and use the 'Eden' ritual they have arranged to deal with the angels, it's the same—since Margot Lloyd could handle another one in Boston all by herself, then Norrell, who is of equal standing to her, will certainly not be much worse off.]

This is troublesome. How can you sell a product to a customer who has no need for it?

The fever in his brain turned into a slight tingling sensation. But he knew very well that it was a consequence of overusing his brain. In his mind, he rapidly pieced together and combined all the information he possessed, forming one solution after another, only to discard them as soon as they took shape, because they simply could not solve the real problem.

What does she really want?

[Dominance? No, they would have already seized that power long ago.]

[Benefits? Does the existence of the team offer them any benefits? This isn't a team battle. Perhaps in the long run there are benefits, but clearly, that level of benefit is far from sufficient.]

Ugh... my head is getting more and more painful.

Zheng Zha's temples throbbed violently, his blood rushed, and his heart pounded like thunder. The genetic lock he had subconsciously activated dozens of seconds earlier hadn't been deactivated. And it was precisely because of this that he felt his energy being rapidly depleted as his mind sharpened, with nearly two-thirds of his energy quickly disappearing without a trace.

Patchouli seemed to finally notice his unusual behavior. She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. Her gaze remained as indifferent as ever, and Zheng Zha detected not a trace of expectation or disappointment in the side of her eyes.

She was like a cold-blooded, ruthless judge—presenting criteria, making evaluations, and assigning results. There was no targeting, no favoritism whatsoever. She simply observed quietly, calculating the future that was about to unfold.

Zheng Zha, however, couldn't even muster the energy to feel frustrated.

Is it almost time to answer the questions? Ugh... at least give me a little more time to think!

He thought to himself, but this surge of emotion quickly turned to ashes. He realized that his thinking was nearing its limit, and if he continued, his brain would probably catch fire.

[I'm so unwilling to accept this. How long has it been since I felt this kind of frustration after failing a professional title evaluation? Norrell, as the examiner, is a bit too strict. With so few hints, how is anyone supposed to know what you're thinking?]

[—Who knows what you're thinking!]

[—Who knows what you're thinking? ...What are you thinking?]

Zheng Zha's pupils suddenly contracted, and a thought flashed through his mind like a shooting star.

There's a basic technique in psychology called 'empathy.' Since I can't figure it out myself, why not try putting myself in her shoes?

What would I do if I were Norrell?

He abruptly closed his eyes, and in the instant Patchouli looked at him and was about to speak, he forced his brain, which was about to stop functioning, to work at full speed. With a rapid exchange of bodily fluid energy, his face turned bright red in an instant, and puffs of hot air billowed from his mouth and nose, which then quickly condensed into mist upon contact with the air.

What would I do if I were Norrell?

What would I do if I were Norrell?

What would I do if I were Norrell?

[Damn it... I need to get out!]

The pressure in his cranial cavity began to drop, and even with his eyes tightly closed, Zheng Zha knew they must be bloodshot. A warm, slightly fishy liquid swirled at the base of his nasal cavity. Undoubtedly, this was a symptom of overworking his brain, causing capillaries to rupture. Moreover, his exposed skin was burning hot from the rapid energy exchange of blood cells. Both his physical and mental energy were rapidly draining away.

The approach is wrong; this won't work.

One-tenth of the body fluids have evaporated, and 12% of the blood cells have become inactive due to the rapid energy exchange. Organs and muscles have suffered varying degrees of damage, not from external force, but from the rapid depletion of energy causing some proteins to begin self-decomposing. This is akin to burning a boat to start a fire or drinking poison to quench thirst. If this continues, life will end within half an hour.

It can't be Patchouli; it's pointless to try to fit her mindset into it.

Because she never reveals any genuine, undisguised emotions to anyone other than Alice. Lacking sufficient information, no matter how hard one tries to simulate, one can only obtain a blank slate.

Therefore, the correct way is...

What would I do if I were Margot Royd?

What will you do?

What will you do?

He suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his bloodshot eyes.

[—The plan will be adjusted directly!]