When Yaxiu and his companions had taken the initiative to engage the gryphon unit, they had thought to show a bit of mercy since they were newcomers, intending merely to beat them into submission and see if there would be room for negotiation later.
Yet Yaxiu soon realized that they were the ones at a disadvantage.
The gryphon unit flew exceptionally fast; without using movement miracles, Yaxiu's group couldn't hope to catch up. But the gryphon unit excelled at turning weather and terrain to their advantage. These meteorologists refused to clash with Yaxiu's trio directly, constantly dodging while conjuring extreme weather such as thunderstorms and tornadoes, doing everything they could to impede the footsteps of these three invasive specimens.
The meteorologists cast their arts while constantly keeping to the furthest safe distance. Whenever Yaxiu's trio tried to turn and strike back, the meteorologists flew far out of reach; whenever Yaxiu's trio tried to flee, they chased relentlessly. Even Sanctuary Sorcerers were kited to the point of nausea, unable to find a single chance to hide away. They were hunted for a full day and night, yet more and more gryphon meteorologists arrived, even rotating in shifts, practically tackling Yaxiu's trio like a Fishcleaver Dragon boss.
It wasn't until their seventh failed attempt at hiding that Igola suddenly realized they might be under surveillance by a miracle, which explained why they were found no matter where they hid.
After multiple tests, they confirmed with certainty that the surveillance originated from the sky. Once they applied camouflage targeted at the sky, the gryphon meteorologists immediately lost the ability to pinpoint their exact location.
Afterward, Yaxiu and the others successfully slipped into a surrounding town. Checking against a map, they realized the gryphon meteorologists had chased them for several hundred kilometers. The meteorologists naturally refused to drop the matter: if they couldn't pinpoint their exact location, they would conduct a carpet search!
To shake off their pursuers, Yaxiu and his companions boarded a luxury train, reversing direction and heading straight for Jialesi.
The gryphon meteorologists would never have guessed that these three migrant workers, having already been exposed as lacking temporary residence permits, not only refrained from fleeing in panic, but boldly headed for the Starry capital, Jialesi. Truly, they were remarkably ambitious migrant workers.
Although it was described as "boarding a train," using any mode of transportation required identity verification—even a Lalafell needed a quarantine inspection certificate. Yaxiu and the others couldn't even disguise themselves as Lalafells, so they had to rely on the omnipotent Igola to bewitch the attendants, slipping onto the train and hiding in a restroom. Only after the train had traveled beyond the gryphon meteorologists' search zone did they dare step out.
Dignified Sanctuary Sorcerers, and their first illegal act in the Starry Kingdom was evading a train fare.
"I was being very responsible, alright? I didn't close my eyes for a single moment," Yaxiu said leisurely. "Unlike a certain two children who fell asleep, eh? Sigh, taking care of two children is so exhausting..."
"I was resting my eyes," Harvey immediately countered. "If I wanted to sleep, I'd sleep in a coffin. I wouldn't faint on my feet. But you're right—taking care of two children really is exhausting."
Igola nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation. "You two actually think you aren't the kids here? If I hadn't been babysitting two giant infants, do you think I'd end up passing out in a restroom?"
Just then, the carriage door was suddenly pushed open. A handsome, blond young man hurried through the carriage like a gust of wind.
Yaxiu and the others caught only a glimpse of the figure's retreating back before Harvey suddenly remarked, "A woman."
"Mm, indeed," Igola agreed. "And she has a great figure."
"Have you two been starved for too long? You see a good-looking guy and think he's a woman?" Yaxiu rubbed his forehead. "Why don't you head to the restroom and take care of your biological needs? Just don't go together."
"Didn't you sense it?" Igola asked.
"Sense what?"
"The scent of the Black Crow!"
"Do you mean a bloody stench or something?"
Harvey explained, "The kind of scent from someone who is clearly a woman, yet insists on carrying herself as a man."
Yaxiu said, "First, are you talking about an actual smell or some metaphysical intuition? Second, are you even sure Tamashi is female?"
The Swindler and the Necromancer exchanged a glance. Igola murmured uncertainly, "Could a man really look like that...?"
"Before I met you, I never thought a man could look so coquettish either," Yaxiu replied. "That premise doesn't hold up."
Harvey raised a hand. "I have evidence. The Black Crow has a wide pelvis and perky, prominent hips. Doesn't that prove it?"
"Still doesn't hold up." Yaxiu spread his hands. "Igola here is more than enough to shatter your argument."
"Fair point..."
"You two bastards are intentionally roasting me, aren't you?" Igola's shoulders trembled with rage as he said coldly, "Yaxiu, weren't you carrying the Black Crow on your back all that time? Didn't you feel anything at all?"
"She usually wore armor; her whole body was rock-hard," Yaxiu said helplessly. "How could I feel anything? Besides, I wouldn't have been thinking about that sort of thing back then."
Igola posed a leading question dripping with malice: "Then do you hope the Black Crow is a man or a woman?"
"Does that even need to be asked?" Yaxiu answered without a second's hesitation. "I wish you two were women!"
Smack!
Yaxiu raised his hands to block the pincer strike from left and right. "Alright, alright! Weren't you both exhausted? Sleep a bit while there's still time. I'll stay wide awake and keep watch. Once we reach Jialesi, we still have to figure out a place to stay."
Yaxiu naturally knew why Igola and Harvey were so worn out—one had regenerated starting from an eyeball, and the other's body had looked like a ragged doll leaking stuffing. Although they had managed to recover with great difficulty, they had depleted far too much life energy. They needed not only massive amounts of food, but also ample sleep to adjust their bodies, like oiling brand-new gears to ease their run-in period.
They were utterly exhausted.
Not to mention they had just survived the world-ending event at the Silent Spiral, and upon crossing over into the Starry Kingdom, had been hunted day and night by gryphon meteorologists. Even if forged from iron, they could not withstand such relentless torment.
"Mm," Igola covered his eyes with an arm. "I really am a bit tired... but a swindler doesn't feel sleepy in an unsafe place like this. Danger is more invigorating than any stimulant."
Yaxiu: "Are you saying the restroom gave you a tremendous sense of security?"
Resting his chin on his hand, Harvey said, "Maybe he wanted a lap pillow."
"And you?"
"Of course I want one too, but it's not very convenient for Alice to come out right now, so I don't feel like sleeping either."
Igola ignored their nonsense. "Yaxiu, I noticed you spoke with an accent similar to that female conductor's. Is this really your first time in the Starry Kingdom?"
Although speech and writing achieved worldwide standardization through the information carried by Void Realm sorcery spirits, Void Realm phonetics and script were merely treated as the 'official language.' Since each country was an isolated island unto itself, regional dialects naturally developed. For instance, the Blood Moon tongue had convoluted cadences, sounding almost like singing; the Gospel tongue couldn't differentiate between 'f' and 'h' sounds, sounding rather cute; and the Senluo tongue favored trailing suffixes and elongated vowels, sounding somewhat coy.
Therefore, when Yaxiu spoke with the female conductor earlier, neither Igola nor Harvey had said a word. The moment they opened their mouths, the conductor would have realized they weren't locals. Yet Yaxiu switched accents so naturally that she hadn't suspected a thing, let alone connected them to the invasive alien species being hunted by the gryphon meteorologists.
"It really is my first time," Yaxiu said. "I just used to chat a lot with someone from the Starry Kingdom, which is how I picked up the accent."
Igola nodded, then asked:
"Then is the reason you want to go to Jialesi so badly... just to see that person?"
Chapter 757