Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon

Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Witnessing a Miracle

Chapter 295 -294: Witnessing a Miracle

The three of them reached the summit of the tower, and the view before their eyes suddenly expanded significantly.

They could see the dense, dark green forest stretching far into the distance, until it blended with the horizon. Many logging sites dotted the eastern woodlands, with their chimneys puffing out faint white smoke. The cleared land at the south gate, on the other hand, looked like a bald spot on the top of a head, quite jarring to the eye.

Li Xi took the folding tripod hanging on her waist, placed it next to the parapet, then retrieved a palm-sized metal disc from her backpack and set it at the center of the tripod.

Seeing the young girl skillfully adjust the image-capturing device, Lanqi asked with some confusion, “You’re a Talent… why would you want to become a reporter?”

Talents possess magical powers and can drive fantastic mechanisms; they are rare and valuable individuals, typically recruited by nobles or large companies, with perks far exceeding those of a reporter who needs to run around everywhere.

“Because I don’t want to be used like a tool by those high-and-mighty types, only to serve a select few,” Li Xi smiled. “Besides, being a reporter is the most suitable job for me—compared to mere words, real images are far more persuasive. If more Talents recorded the truth, it would never be buried, right?”

“I think it’s because you’re foolish,” Todd commented dismissively. “Ouch—”

As soon as he finished his sentence, he unexpectedly received a stomp on the foot from Li Xi.

“What about you, then? Why did you want to become a reporter?”

“The salary is high, you know. Even though the risk is great and the work is tiring, it’s the best-paying job I could find,” Todd admitted without reservation. “If I were a Talent, I’d definitely go work for some big nobleman.”

The young girl puffed her cheeks in irritation, “No ambition!”

“Isn’t pursuing a good personal life an ambition? Besides, the world is just that cruel. Many people can’t even get a stable life if they beg for it…”

While the two were arguing, suddenly a strange humming sound inserted itself into their conversation, interrupting their dispute.

Lanqi heard it too; the sound seemed to come from above, like the howling of the wind, but without the wind’s lightness. He looked up, but couldn’t find anything—today was still a brisk autumn day with the sun high in the sky, the sky a deep blue adorned only with a few wispy clouds and nothing else.

“Did you hear that sound just now?” Todd asked quietly.

“Yes, it came from the sky,” Li Xi nodded. “Could it be distant thunder?”

“Thunder doesn’t sound continuous like that, and the weather doesn’t seem right for dry thunder either.”

The three gazed upward for quite some time, and just when it seemed they would find nothing, the strange humming sound reached everyone’s ears once again.

This time they heard it more clearly; it started out sharp and became more resonant, as if it was gradually approaching their location.

“Look over there!” Li Xi, as a Talent, was the first to exclaim. She pointed toward the southern end of the sky, near the sea area.

Lanqi squinted and looked for a while before spotting a peculiar bird at the edge of the clouds. Its wings were square, its body slender, and its whole being shone a lovely silver in the sunlight. Not only were its wings motionless as it moved slowly through the air, but its body also exhibited no swaying.

But he quickly realized!

Where in the world is there a bird so large!

From this distance, the “bird” was larger than a person… no, it was even comparable to a bungalow!

It was an artificial object!

…

In a corner of the cleared land outside the south gate, Qiu Ji was also waiting for the “miracle” to arrive. In a day and a half, he had learned quite a bit about the changes happening inside Thistlefort—a perk of being promoted to chief editor was that even if he didn’t go out to gather news material himself, the information would still flow to him through his subordinates.

“Sir, the black tea is here,” the assistant said, hastening over with a small kettle, pouring the steaming tea into a delicate porcelain cup, “Be careful, it’s hot.”

Of course, this was one of the perks the editor-in-chief could enjoy.

“What do you think about what Mr. Dane said… How credible do you believe it is?” the assistant asked while tidying up the tea set. He was one of the team members who knew the full picture, though he had never actually met the celebrity journalist in person.

“Dane, how should I put it, is too idealistic, and sometimes very self-centered…” Qiu Ji pursed his lips and thought, unable to suppress a smile, “But there’s one thing that’s indisputable, and that is his attitude towards the truth. When this man talks about news, he absolutely will not fabricate a lie.”

“So, you believe that a miracle will definitely happen at Thistlefort?”

“What are you thinking, that’s a different matter,” Qiu Ji said, lifting his teacup to take a sip, “He’s not a prophet; it’s normal for him to be deceived. Perhaps what he believes to be true is just a clever scam, and that’s why we need to come here to witness it with our own eyes.”

“I see,” the assistant said thoughtfully, “I understand your point… The truth can sometimes vary from person to person.”

“Exactly, if he has been deceived, then I’ll have a good laugh at him when I get back,” Qiu Ji laughed heartily, “But speaking of which, there are really a lot of people here today. It would be something if the miracle took place in the center of this clearing. Sitting here, we can only see a sea of heads.”

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd ahead. People were shouting something and looking up towards the south. Many were stretching their arms out, pointing and gesturing at the sky.

Qiu Ji quickly caught on to this change. He sprang from his bench, turned around, and looked up, only to have his view blocked by a sunshade.

“Quick, put the umbrella away!” he called out as he rushed outside. This time, Qiu Ji saw what everyone was pointing at—five silver birds glided in formation through the clouds, flying over the heads of the crowd. Upon closer inspection, one could see a sixth, much smaller bird leading the way, as if guiding the others.

As they passed over the clearing, a dull roar rolled across the sky, sounding like a continuous series of dense thunder.

My goodness…

Qiu Ji whispered in his heart.

Those weren’t birds, but enormous man-made marvels! Judging from their flight path, they were clearly in a controlled descent. He turned his head sharply towards the clearing… the flat land mixed with crushed stones, the broad avenue lined with red flags, the answer seemed to surface.

The Paradise Sect’s project was designed for this very moment!

…

“Captain Chen, the landing spot is now visible. There are no crosswinds; the surface conditions are good, and the tower has given us the green light,” the co-pilot reported, sticking his head out of the cockpit and observing the ground through the most primitive of observation tools—a telescope.

The pilot referred to as Captain Chen had been suddenly summoned by higher-ups and sent to the Northern Prefecture Control Center for technical support overnight. However, he could never have imagined that he would have to pilot a four-engine transport plane lacking any electronic devices to execute a transport operation in a never-before-verified region.

The moment he saw the new airport, Captain Chen understood why he had to lay on a medical chair for a “physical check” before leaving and sign so many confidentiality agreements. But following orders was a soldier’s duty, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, the mission had to be accomplished first.

Fortunately, although there was no electronic navigation, the lead plane provided direction, making crossing the ocean to the target location not too difficult.

The real challenge was landing.

Although he had undergone training for field takeoffs and landings, operating an old plane like this in a wild landing was a first for him. Plus, with no electronics on board, he had to rely solely on his own hands and experience.

“Approach from the southeast, decrease altitude to five hundred meters, we can pick up the speed a bit more,” the experienced co-pilot said, able to judge speed and height quite accurately just by using his eyes and a finger moistened with saliva. “We are the lead aircraft. It’s better to circle a few more times than to make a mistake; everyone’s watching us.”

After circling over the clearing twice, the plane’s nose was already aligned with the direction of the runway. Captain Chen could clearly see the onlooking crowd below, nearly ten thousand strong. They were densely packed around the clearing, clearly full of hope for this batch of relief food. But what he did not know was that the vast majority of them were seeing a real plane for the first time.

“Gear down!”

With a forceful push on the control stick by Captain Chen, accompanied by a thud, the specially made set of six wheels extended from the belly of the plane.