Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

The vehicle sped across the wilderness, its black steel exterior imparting a sense of sturdiness and safety. Tilan leaned against the car window in the passenger seat, feeling the wind whooshing past her ears, her soft long hair fluttering freely in the breeze.

Unusually, she wasn't napping in the car, nor was she reading or practicing. Instead, she rested her chin on her fair wrists and looked out at the boundless scenery passing by.

If before she had been a lone orchid blooming in the Secluded Valley, today she was a black rose blooming resplendently in the bright wind. The aura she emitted was palpable to her companion sitting in the driver's seat.

The president today is quite extraordinary, thought many members, not daring to tease her as they might have done in the past.

"What's up ahead?" the girl asked after a long silence, her voice crystal clear, like wind chimes.

"It's block 1824, our sampling location," came the reply.

"How far are we from the old site of Jielou City?"

"Just 50 kilometers from there."

"After sampling, let's head there," she decided.

"Yes, President."

Life had returned to its daily routines, with them darting around the Northern Second District's Gobi, taking samples at various targeted points and gradually nearing the old site of Jielou City.

A day later, the black steel behemoth travelled through the wilderness, approaching the imposing, abandoned structures that once spoke of former glories.

Gazing at the once-familiar, towering buildings, Tilan felt an involuntary sense of nostalgia. Although she hadn't spent much time here, perhaps because of her mother, she always felt a connection to this place.

But today, peace was far from this place.

With the departure of Jielou City's former powers, a power vacuum had emerged. Some of the forces that had previously roamed the Northern Second District began to occupy it.

Giant rocks were deliberately placed in the middle of the road, with insurmountable ruins on one side. From a nearby tall building, figures could be seen stealthily peeping out.

After seeking opinions, the black steel vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and halted its advance. The people on both sides of the road quickly emerged, holding various makeshift weapons aimed at the vehicle.

"Get out of there, right now, or we open fire!"

"Hurry up! Did you hear me?" The leader brandished a hefty grenade launcher and had a tattoo of a viper in blue on his dark arm.

The car door opened, and a girl with black hair and a black dress leapt out gracefully. Her fine figure and looks immediately captured everyone's attention.

"Oh, she's pretty. Heh, if you keep us company for a few nights, we might let you go, eh?" said a few men with lewd expressions on their faces.

In response, the girl shook her head, undisturbed by the guns pointed at her, and looked towards the far-off ruins, wondering who else might remain there.

Seeing her nonchalant reaction, the lead man grew infuriated. He tilted his head, gesturing for a minion to advance and seize the beautiful girl.

"Bang, bang." Two short gunshots rang out. The minion who approached had his arm pierced, dropping his submachine gun. He curled up on the ground in pain.

"Who was that!" They shouted immediately, searching around, only to discover two people who had risen to the roof of the vehicle. They stood back to back, holding guns.

Firefight sounds echoed continuously; in a matter of seconds, bullets rained down on the vehicle's body and roof. The surrounding attackers sprouted blooms of blood, dropping one by one as they were hit.

Half a minute later, those who had blocked the road were lying on the ground, wailing in agony. Meanwhile, the girl in front of them leaped over the massive rock that served as a roadblock as if untouched by the chaos, standing atop it and looking out at the scene ahead.

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'Swoosh—'

At that moment, from between the distant high-rises, a specialized sniper bullet shot out, headed toward the standing girl. It looked as though it would hit her, and everyone was incredibly tense, but the bullet ultimately passed through her body and exploded in the mud beside her, having no effect on the girl.

"Phasing?" mumbled the sniper in the distant high-rise as he rolled over, preparing to leave his vantage point. Since his shot had missed, a qualified sniper would consider moving to a new location.

However, before he could dive into the nearby tunnel, a blue-purple spark shot through the window into the room and instantly the blue firelight exploded, freezing him in place on the ground, transformed into an ice statue.

At night, by the roadside in the courtyard of an abandoned area, Tilan and her companions were resting.

"Did those people during the day manage to contact the officials?" Tilan descended from the towering building, then lightly landed beside the campfire, gently shaking her disheveled long hair, allowing it to fall neatly into place.

"They got in touch—there should be a train coming by tomorrow afternoon." The only train station here had gradually fallen into disuse due to the relocation of Jielou City, but now it was being used once again.

"The department in charge of security in the Northern Second District has pulled some personnel; they're probably sending quite a few people over," recalled Yalian, thinking back on the news they received during the day.

"Oh crap, are we going big this time?" Kinsenke asked, munching on roasted ham while resting his foot on a stone.

"Yes, since they've gathered together, let's take the opportunity to clean up," said Tilan, using her hands to push away the strands of hair beside her ear, then tying them up neatly with a ribbon.

"Let me help you with that," offered Deloris, watching Tilan's hair-tying efforts, she came over, had her sit down, then began to neatly comb the hair and tie it with a ribbon, even fashioning it into a large bow, adding a touch of cuteness to the girl's otherwise resolute and efficient aura.

"The president does look better this way," Phyllis whispered, only to receive a sideways glance from Yeyeber, who was sitting beside her. Both of them were Elves, childhood friends with a very good relationship.

After entering the old part of the city, within just half a day, the group encountered several instances of highway robbery, extortion, and thugs coveting a damsel's beauty, and ended up stopping midway to deal with these issues.

"Will they never learn, these people?" Ruby stood up after touching up her makeup, stepped outside the courtyard, and looked at the series of ice sculptures, as if they were museum exhibits.

"You know, it's only today that I've found out just how strong Tilan really is. Although people mentioned it occasionally, I always thought they were just joking and egging her on," remarked Efnie, standing beside her, with Guluo and Valke visible on patrol in the distance.

"Hehe, I told you earlier, our president is super strong," chuckled Guluo, sitting on the rooftop, leaning back in a chair, gently rocking as he gazed up at the crescent moon in the night sky.

"It's just that she's usually so friendly, that it might have led you to the wrong impression."

"Don't talk about me that way—none of us together could necessarily win against her."

"Really? Even Valke?" Ruby was slightly surprised. In her eyes, although Valke was often silent, his strength was acknowledged as the best among the new students at Edith Academy, and he had a notable reputation within the academy.

"Yes," Valke nodded earnestly beside her, not ashamed of this reality.

"That's quite something..." Ruby could only refresh her understanding once again.

"Tilan indeed is very special," Efnie also muttered softly, then looked at the orange-red fireball appearing in her palm, wondering when she might catch up to Dailan's silhouette.

Shortly after, she extinguished the orange-red fireball and lightly leaped to the rooftop, her dress billowing like a fish swimming in the breeze of the evening wind.

Although she hadn't progressed yet, the experiences of this period had rid her of the fear of failure, and it seemed as if life itself had become much more open.

It was truly marvelous, this feeling. She spread open her palm, looked at it, and then slowly clenched it.

The world seemed a bit broader than she had imagined, and she was thankful to her for helping her understand this.

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