The stars of the celebration were, of course, the residents living in the Witch's Forest.
This didn't just include ordinary Transmigrators and witches.
Everyone's reaction after hearing the world consciousness's announcement was largely the same.
First came a moment of stunned silence, followed by an explosion of cheers.
“Haha! Moving here despite all the obstacles was truly the best decision of my life!”
A burly man covered in tattoos threw his head back and laughed heartily after hearing the announcement.
He was a local from District 666, originally spawning near the Abandoned Ruins.
Back when he was enslaved by Sherlock, he had seriously considered ending it all. But Lan Qingyou's appearance had been like a star in the night sky, leaving an indelible light in the hearts of those victimized slaves.
So, the moment he heard they were recruiting permanent residents, he came.
He was part of the second wave of people to arrive in the Witch's Forest, excluding that group of uninvited guests.
He hadn't come for any Witch potion, nor was it out of a sense of gratitude. He simply wanted to spend the rest of his days in peace and stability.
After all, he was someone who had suddenly gone from a free man to a slave and then regained his freedom.
No one understood the importance of a stable life better than him.
Even if he looked like some high-profile convict.
Well, in truth, he probably had been a high-profile convict back on Blue Star.
District 666 might lack many things, but criminals were not one of them; after all, it was one of Blue Star's exile colonies.
In fact, there were many like him.
Lan Qingyou had rescued a significant number of slaves back then.
One could say that at least half of the people in the Abandoned City had used the teleportation circle set up by the Supreme Council to move here as soon as Diana announced they were accepting residents.
“The Away Scroll was a bit pricey, but now it looks like it was worth every penny.”
A beautiful woman who had purchased a scroll from the witches nodded smugly.
Unlike the burly man, she had come from elsewhere.
Initially, she had come here purely to try her luck and see if she could get a Witch potion.
But upon arrival, she learned that a hundred people had received Witch potions just a few days before.
So, she immediately sold off her belongings back home and bought a house in the Witch's Forest to take a gamble.
Later, after hearing about a scroll that could transfer an entire shelter, she gritted her teeth and bought one, placing her shelter on the outskirts of the Witch's Forest.
Since she wasn't a witch, she didn't enjoy land rights, and her funds were a bit tight for purchasing land.
Thus, she had resorted to this plan.
As long as she survived, she didn't care how much her shelter was battered by mana turbulence or mana tides.
Besides the two of them, others were also buzzing with discussion.
“The Witch's Forest is definitely the place to be. I'm glad I didn't listen to those people telling me to go to Holy Kabbalah.”
“Stop calling it the Witch's Forest. It's Typhon City now.”
“No, the full name should be Witch's Forest: Typhon City.”
“Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right. You know more than the world consciousness, don't you? Are you the legendary Mr. Know-it-all?”
“Drop the sarcasm. Personally, I think the name is pretty good.”
“What do you mean 'good'? Typhon is a god of destruction. Isn't that like saying this is a city of destruction?”
“What, you don't like it? If you don't like it, you can clear out. Why are you still here? Are you just asking for a slap?”
“Don't you start talking nonsense. I never said I didn't like it; it just feels a bit awkward. I wonder who came up with the name.”
“Who else could it be but the Witch of the Tower?”
“Come to think of it, the 'Tower' card in Tarot is also said to represent destruction.”
“Oh! So she named it after her own title? That makes sense when you think about it.”
Rumble!
While everyone was talking, the ground shook. Then, in the distance where the magic circle met the outside world, a city wall made of bluestone rose from the earth.
Those far away might not have seen it clearly.
But those nearby saw it all.
Especially the first wave of people who had moved into the Witch's Forest without permission.
Because they had entered illegally, most of their 'dwellings' were built on the outskirts, making it easier to flee if the witches decided to evict them or go on a killing spree.
To their surprise, not only had their status been regularized, but the land where they had built their dwellings was officially allocated to them for building houses.
Of course, the condition was that the city had to be built first; they could only work on their own homes during their breaks.
Even so, this was an enormous boon for them.
Thus, the first wave of illegal immigrants became the residents of the outermost area.
Normally, such a peripheral area would breed a sense of insecurity.
Especially during mana turbulence or mana tides, seeing the chaotic scenes just outside that thin, film-like barrier would make anyone's heart race with anxiety.
But now, it was different.
With a city wall, at least it was 'out of sight, out of mind.'
Perhaps because it was built of bluestone, the wall looked incredibly solid.
Inspired by this, some emboldened residents climbed the bluestone steps onto the wall.
The wall wasn't very wide, about ten meters or so.
Outside lay the scenery of the Abandoned Forest—a view they had grown tired of, yet now found fresh and new.
The circular city wall had a total of eight double-leaf iron gates, each corresponding to one of the eight cardinal and ordinal directions.
If it weren't for the lack of roads leading to them, they would have looked like a perfectly integrated part of the city.
“The circular walls, the buildings and rivers inside... it's like I've been suddenly transported to that place they call the 'movie backlot of the anime world.'”
High up on a giant tree, someone carving out a hollow looked down at the city and walls and remarked.
Beside them, the person installing a railing for the hollow chuckled.
“You mean that circular city that seems to appear in every single isekai anime?”
“Yeah, the classic circular isekai city. Tsk tsk, the immersion is just off the charts, isn't it?”
“Too bad we're not heroes or demon kings. We're not even adventurers.”
“So sentimental. If you feel that way, just go register at the Adventurers' Guild and become one.”
The person set down their tools, brushed the sawdust off their hands, and looked cheerfully at the one installing the railing.
“Nah, I'm not cut out for fighting. I'm just happy to be settled. Besides, I've opened a restaurant on Fenrir Street. Want to come by later and try it? The prices are very fair.”
“You have a restaurant and you're still out here working?”
“This is the tree hollow I bought.”
“Fair enough... A restaurant, huh? Sounds good. Why don't we go now?”
“It's a shame alcohol is so expensive, otherwise we could have a drink.”
“Forget about that. I heard even the witches only use it for brewing potions.”
“Tsk tsk, brewing medicine with alcohol. Those witches really are extravagant.”
Rate on N.U.
