Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

After gearing up, the group set off again, this time aiming for one of the few mid-sized cities in the Northern Second District, Lebyon, a city once famous for its heavy industry. As the Northern Star District was gradually decommissioned, this place also slowly declined, without capital, without income, and the pollution brought by heavy industry could not be controlled, spreading rapidly to the surroundings. In this already cold region, there was not a single plant in sight.

Fortunately, thanks to technological development, it is now possible to synthetically produce basic starch foods, and the remaining industrial behemoths in this city also continue to emit residual heat, providing rudimentary food for the nearby residents.

Sitting by the car window, Tilan watched the distant scenery, her black hair dancing in the wind, bringing with it a bit of coolness, but not cold.

It was already the end of March, and the temperature here was gradually warming, making it a bit more comfortable.

"This time going to Lebyon, mainly because it's one of the rare industrial cities, we should be able to buy cheap fuel. Additionally, we can try to look for opportunities inside to supplement our funds," Yalian explained the purpose of the trip to everyone from inside the vehicle.

"However, going to a city with a concentrated population also represents a certain risk, unlike the small groups we encounter on the road. If there is a major conflict, the situation may exceed our ability to handle," he continued to analyze.

"So we need to be careful along the way, leaving a few people in the car midway, ready to move at any time."

"The ones staying behind are agreed to be Yeyeber, Deloris, Phyllis, and Ximu."

Deloris didn't like to stand out here and had volunteered to stay behind. Additionally, as Elves, Yeyeber and Phyllis also rejected the terrible air and environment of Lebyon, thus choosing to stay put. As for Ximu, since he could drive, he also stayed to facilitate mobility at any time.

"That's the situation, and now we're about 40 minutes away from our destination, so everyone can rest up a bit."

On the desolate land full of gravel and coarse sand, a large white truck drove straight towards the north. Under the grey-blue sky, it looked like a tiny white dot kicking up a trail of dust, and at the end of that sight and the horizon, the city stood silently like the remains of a giant beast.

Old, hollow, rust-eaten steel structures stood tall but empty, mechanical arms dangling in the air, huge domes with broken glass and only skeletons remaining. In this grey-white and rusty steel jungle, a bit of white steam slowly rose, telling of the meager warmth and the strenuous survival of those beneath the bare skeletons.

This was the past of Jade Skirt, once a bustling metropolis that served as the capital of the planet.

Although today's Northern Second District still retains two larger residential areas, such as Sun Burning City and Withered Tree Garden, during the prosperous days of the Northern Star District, these two were merely inconspicuous pieces of that prosperous picture, whereas cities like Lebyon were once one of the shining stars of the Northern Star District.

The closer they got to Lebyon, the more they could feel the prosperity of the past. The numerous residential ruins along the roadside, where one could vaguely see the former dome gardens and spiraling tower business centers, the giant Ferris wheel-like aquarium where people of the past could even look up from the ground to see fish swimming in the sky.

But now, only various outlines and wrecks corroded beyond recognition remained, the once aquarium-filled Ferris wheel now only a collapsed skeleton. Continue reading on empire

Passing through most of the city, which had become ruins, as they gradually reached the central area, signs of life began to reappear – crude laundry racks hung on the sides of houses, and occasionally some old-fashioned vehicles passed by. Occasionally a relatively intact building stood on the roadside, with its newly painted anti-corrosion paint indicating that people still maintained it.

The vehicle slowed down and eventually stopped in an abandoned large parking area.

Soon, eight people jumped out of the truck, and after agreeing on a rendezvous time, they split into two groups to explore the city.

"Looks like we need a guide," Yalian suggested, looking at the streets and shops of various sizes.

"Let's start walking, we might encounter someone suitable on the way," Tilan suggested.

In their group were Tilan, Yalian, Efnie, and Xie Lian; the other group consisted of Valke, Ruby, Kinsenke, and Guluo.

After the decision, the four advanced along the streets. Since this was one of the surviving central areas, the shops and stores were still relatively 'dense'; at least, out of every five shops along the street, two were open.

Some locals entered these shops to buy basic necessities or to eat a not-so-bad lunch in the restaurants.

Entering one of the shops, the girl's gaze swept over the goods. Most of these items were rough and simple, like laundry powder packaged in a plain white bag, labeled with a few lines of black text describing it and nothing more.

No brand, no specific manufacturer, and even the list of ingredients was rudely written, as if they were no-brand products from a small workshop. Yet, these were indeed local industrial products, which if taken to other places might not even receive a second glance, but here they were both useful and necessary.

Beyond that, there were many other crude and rudimentary daily necessities, such as cleaning tools, common simple electronics, kitchenware, generators, heaters, and so on. Their crude appearance and workmanship unavoidably reminded one of the difficult days at the start of the Sixth Era.