Time flew by, and Han Hai Cheng entered dusk.
The slanting sun cast a salty and luxurious aura over the city.
The last rays of the setting sun spilled onto the sparkling sea, bathing the city built upon reefs and magic in a golden-red halo.
“We’re here! This is the place!”
An Lin raised her hand and pointed to a restaurant ahead with a huge glowing conch sign, her face beaming with a tragic yet heroic resolve that screamed, ‘I’m going all out today!’
The restaurant was named “Siren’s Tear,” a rather famous specialty eatery in Han Hai Cheng.
Rumor had it the head chef, before being transformed into a witch, was a former siren princess skilled in all kinds of seafood dishes.
The food she made was not only delicious but also had a slight magic-boosting effect.
“Wow… it smells so good…”
As Tunzuo approached the entrance, a rich, savory aroma of seafood washed over her.
It was a blend of butter-fried deep-sea cod, garlic-steamed giant scallops, and a thick soup made from some unknown sea creature.
For Tunzuo, who had endured long periods of hunger, this was simply the fragrance of heaven.
“Come on! Let’s go in and order whatever you want! Big sister is treating today! This is my favorite restaurant in Han Hai Cheng. Their ‘Lava King Crab’ and ‘Abyssal Sea Grapes’ are their signature dishes. You absolutely must try them, little sister Tunzuo.”
An Lin waved her hand grandly, exuding an air of a nouveau riche.
But deep down, An Lin knew that after this meal, the savings she had painstakingly accumulated would likely shrink by half.
The four of them entered the restaurant, found a seat, and sat down.
An Lin skillfully grabbed the menu and, without even glancing at the prices, immediately launched into ordering mode.
“First, one signature ‘Abyssal Lava King Crab,’ extra-large size, double the sauce! Then, one ‘Starry Sea Flying Fish Sashimi Platter,’ the kind that still glows after being sliced! Also, ‘Siren’s Tear Thick Soup,’ four bowls, one for each! For the main course… two orders of ‘Magic Truffle Seafood Baked Rice,’ we can add more if it’s not enough. Oh right, dessert will be ‘Aurora Frost Mousse,’ and drinks, ‘Starlight Sparkling Water,’ with ice!”
An Lin rattled off a whole string of dishes without pausing for breath, so fast the waiter’s pen was practically smoking as he tried to keep up.
“Captain… are you sure we can finish all this?”
Liuli watched the waiter’s notepad getting thicker and thicker with concern.
“We’ll take the leftovers home! We can’t let little sister Tunzuo’s stomach suffer! Little sister Tunzuo, is there anything else you’d like? Order freely, don’t worry about saving money for your big sister!”
An Lin spoke with heroic grandeur, affectionately patting Tunzuo’s fluffy head.
Tunzuo looked at the unheard-of dishes on the menu, swallowed her saliva, and cautiously pointed to a dessert in the corner.
“That… what is ‘Abyssal Konjac Ice Cream’?”
“Oh, that? It’s made from konjac that grows in abyssal fissures. The texture is super chewy, and it has a hallucinogenic effect… I mean, a refreshing, mind-clearing effect!”
With that, An Lin waved her hand grandly at the waiter.
“Two orders! To nourish little sister Tunzuo’s brain!”
Tunzuo: … ‘I suspect you’re calling me stupid, and I have ample evidence.’
As dish after dish was brought to the table, the once-empty surface was instantly piled high.
A huge Lava King Crab was arranged like a small mountain, steam rising from its dark red shell.
The rich Abyssal Sea Grape sauce shimmered enticingly.
The flying fish sashimi was as thin as cicada wings, emitting a faint blue glow on the plate.
The Siren’s Tear Thick Soup had a dreamy purple hue; a single sip made one feel as if their entire witch-being was immersed in the embrace of the ocean.
“Slurp…”
Tunzuo sucked back the drool at the corner of her mouth.
Looking at this excessively sumptuous feast before her, she once again felt the abundance and wonder of the Dunayala world.
On Blue Star, this amount of food might feed a family for an entire year.
“Don’t just stare, eat up, little sister Tunzuo! The meat here is the most tender, try it!”
An Lin picked up a crab claw and handed the whole thing to Tunzuo.
Tunzuo nodded gratefully, carefully cracked open the shell, and put the tender crab meat into her mouth.
Instantly, an unprecedented sense of happiness flooded her taste buds.
Soon, Tunzuo buried her head and began devouring the food with gusto.
Watching Tunzuo’s ravenous display, An Lin felt a twinge of pain for her wallet, but a strange sense of satisfaction also welled up in her heart.
It was as if the pig she had worked so hard to raise… no, the daughter she had worked so hard to raise was finally willing to eat.
However, Liuli and Warner, sitting across from them, ate somewhat absentmindedly.
They watched An Lin’s extravagant spending and the ever-increasing numbers on the bill, silently mourning for An Lin’s wallet in their hearts.
After dinner, Tunzuo practically had to hold her stomach and lean against the wall to walk out of the restaurant.
She had never eaten such a satisfying, full meal.
Tunzuo felt warm all over, and even the shadow magic within her seemed unusually active.
After the feast, An Lin’s wallet had been bled dry, but Tunzuo’s stomach was immensely satisfied.
“Burp—”
Tunzuo let out a satisfied burp, sighing that this was the life a witch should live!
“Alright, fed and watered, time to take care of business. Liuli, Warner, you two head back and rest. I’ll take little sister Tunzuo to buy some witch essentials.”
An Lin wiped the lingering grease from her mouth, glanced painfully at her wallet, and turned to Liuli and Warner.
“Goodbye, Captain. We hope we can still witness your beautiful, prosperous life.”
Liuli and Warner bid farewell to An Lin with tearful eyes and clasped fists, as if they could already see the miserable state An Lin would be in after going bankrupt.
After seeing off Liuli and Warner, An Lin led Tunzuo to a commercial street in Han Hai Cheng.
The street was bustling with people, all sorts of witches and exotic creatures weaving through the crowd.
Some had wings, some dragged tails, and some were simply elemental beings, creating a fantastical scene.
“First, we need to buy this.”
An Lin stopped in front of a shop named “Flying Broom Emporium,” pointing at the various brooms displayed in the window.
“A broom? Don’t witches all know how to fly? Why do we need a broom?”
Tunzuo looked at the brooms in the window, confused.
“Free flight is an ability only high-level witches or witches of special races possess! For most witches, brooms are the primary mode of transportation. They not only conserve magical power but also provide a magical shield for more comfortable and safe flying. Plus, riding a broom is a fundamental skill for witches and a required course at witch academies.”
An Lin pointed at the brooms in the window, explaining in detail to Tunzuo.
“Oh…”
Tunzuo nodded, somewhat understanding.
“But… aren’t brooms just made of bundled twigs? These look… rather unique?”
Tunzuo looked curiously at the brooms of various shapes and designs.
“Those you mentioned are outdated antiques! Brooms nowadays are highly magi-mechanized. Look, this ‘Gale Thunder’ model has a built-in acceleration engine, with a top speed of three hundred kilometers per hour. And this ‘Cloud Stroll’ comes with a levitation system, more comfortable than a sofa to sit on.”
An Lin pulled Tunzuo into the shop, picking up the latest models one by one to introduce.
Inside, the broom styles were diverse.
Some resembled traditional twig brooms, others were full of futuristic tech vibes, and some were even shaped like flying horses or dragons.
Seeing Tunzuo and An Lin enter, a saleswoman eagerly approached.
“Greetings, esteemed customers! Are you looking for an entry-level or a high-performance competitive broom?”
“Let’s look at the entry-level ones first.”
An Lin said this while turning to look at Tunzuo.
“Little sister Tunzuo, your innate magic leans towards the shadow attribute. We need to find a broom with an affinity for shadow magic for you.”
After some browsing, An Lin finally spotted a uniquely designed broom in a corner.
Its handle was pitch black, entwined with silver spiral patterns.
The broom head wasn’t ordinary twigs but a bunch of specially treated shadow moss, looking both mysterious and elegant.
“This one!”
An Lin’s eyes lit up as she picked up the broom and handed it to Tunzuo.
“This ‘Night Phantom’ model is new this year, specifically designed for shadow-aligned witches. Not only is the flight stable, but it can also turn invisible at night. It’s perfect for you, little sister Tunzuo.”
Tunzuo took the broom from An Lin.
Its touch was warm and familiar, as if resonating with the shadow magic within her.
“Come on, give it a try. Hop on and feel it out.”
An Lin instructed from the side.
Tunzuo nodded, said nothing, gripped the broom handle with both hands, spread her legs, and prepared to straddle it like a horse.
“Stop! Stop! I said stop!”
An Lin reacted swiftly, grabbing Tunzuo’s hand to interrupt her next move.
“What’s wrong? Is my broom-riding posture incorrect?”
Tunzuo let go of the broom, looking at An Lin in confusion.
An Lin pointed at Tunzuo’s long gothic-style dress, then at the broom, lowering her voice.
“First, little sister Tunzuo, you’re wearing a long skirt. The straddling motion is too wide, it’s very easy to have a wardrobe malfunction! This is a public place!”
Tunzuo looked down at her skirt, her face instantly turning half red.
“Second, aside from specialized broom racing competitions, witches have long phased out the straddling style. The mainstream now is the side-saddle style and the sword-riding style. They’re both safer and more elegant.”
An Lin cleared her throat, speaking seriously.
“Huh? The straddling style is outdated? Why? Isn’t it the most stable?”
Tunzuo was puzzled.
She remembered from the animations and movies she’d seen, witches always rode brooms using the straddling style.
Tunzuo’s question caused a faint blush to appear on An Lin’s cheeks.
She hemmed and hawed for a moment, her eyes darting around, before finally muttering quietly.
“That’s because… it’s too abrasive…”
“Too abrasive?”
Tunzuo blinked innocently, not catching on immediately.
An Lin was so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
Reluctantly, she leaned close to Tunzuo’s ear, adding in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“It’s… that area… riding for too long gets chafed and sore… you understand, right?”
Tunzuo froze for two seconds, her brain working rapidly before she finally realized which area An Lin was referring to.
Instantly, Tunzuo turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
Too ashamed to speak, she quickly lowered her head and obediently adjusted her posture, sitting sideways on the broom.
“Ahem, alright, let’s continue. How does it feel? Is the broom’s center of gravity stable?”
An Lin also coughed awkwardly twice, trying to change the subject.
Tunzuo, sitting on the broom, felt the gentle magical fluctuations and nodded.
“Very stable, and very comfortable.”
“Then we’ll take it!”
An Lin grandly pulled out her wallet.
Though her heart was silently bleeding, she maintained an air of generosity on her face.
After buying the broom, An Lin took Tunzuo to a somewhat mysterious-looking bookstore.
The shop sign read “Knowledge and Sanctuary,” and a string of shell wind chimes hung at the entrance, making crisp sounds in the breeze.
“Little sister Tunzuo, wait for me outside. I’m going in to buy you a surprise.”
An Lin said mysteriously before walking into the shop.
Tunzuo nodded obediently, holding her newly bought broom as she waited outside the bookstore.
Not long after, An Lin emerged from the bookstore, holding a thin book with a black hardcover.
“Here, this is an essential item for your life in the witch world.”
An Lin handed the book to Tunzuo.
Tunzuo curiously took it and opened it, only to find the pages completely blank, without a single word.
“What is this? A book of blank pages?”
Tunzuo flipped through the blank book in her hands, looking at An Lin in confusion.
“Don’t worry, try injecting a bit of magic into the book. Then something magical will happen~”
An Lin playfully winked, giving a mischievous hint.
Tunzuo did as told, channeling a wisp of weak shadow magic into the book.
The next second, something magical happened.
The originally blank pages began to flow like water ripples.
Then, glowing text and patterns emerged from the pages, eventually transforming the page into an interface resembling a tablet screen.
On the interface, icons for all sorts of software were displayed: news feeds, social apps, academic paper databases, and even shopping websites and game centers.
“Wow…”
Tunzuo’s eyes widened in amazement at the miraculous transformation of the book in her hands.
“This is a Grimoire, a social device exclusive to witches. It can connect to the Magic Net, which is our large-scale social network. You can download papers from it, chat with other witches, and learn about the daily news and gossip happening in the Dunayala world.”
An Lin explained with a smile.
“Magic Net?”
Tunzuo fiddled with the Grimoire in her hands, perking up her ears at yet another new term.
“Yes, but since you don’t have an ID yet, you can’t register your own Magic Net account. After I get your guardianship contract sorted out, I’ll help you register one using my status as your guardian. Then you’ll be free to browse the net.”
An Lin said with a hint of regret.
“Guardianship contract?”
Tunzuo keenly caught the key term from An Lin’s words.
“Mhm, it’s a legal document proving I am your guardian. With this, I can legally raise you, send you to witch academy, and… help you handle various matters.”
An Lin explained it this way to Tunzuo.
Tunzuo nodded, somewhat understanding.
Although she knew nothing about witch society’s laws, Tunzuo could feel that An琳 genuinely wanted to take care of her.
“Alright, let’s call it a day for shopping. It’s getting late. Tomorrow we’ll go handle the guardianship contract. After that, you can officially settle in the Dunayala world. For now, let’s go home!”
An Lin beckoned to Tunzuo and led her towards the direction of her home.
Night fell, and Han Hai Cheng was brilliantly lit.
An Lin walked ahead, while Tunzuo followed behind, carrying her new broom and Grimoire.
The shadows of the two witches stretched long under the streetlights.
Holding the Grimoire, Tunzuo looked at the bustling, unfamiliar world of Dunayala, feeling a surge of unprecedented anticipation.
The witch world, it really does seem interesting!
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