Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 167 Useless Sentiment

At dawn, Laurel’s eyes opened slowly. The softness in her gaze was gone, replaced by a quiet, distant coldness as Ling Xuan took control of the body. For a brief moment, she remained still, her gaze fixed ahead as the memory of the previous night surfaced uninvited, clear and stubborn in a way she did not appreciate.

No matter how she tried to dismiss it, it refused to fade into something insignificant like everything else she had long learned to ignore.

She sat up gradually. Her thoughts drifted back to the moment that should have meant nothing to her, yet lingered in a way that made her expression tighten ever so slightly, as she recalled the weakness in Laurel’s grip, the way her fingers had clung to her clothes without strength yet refused to let go, and the way her body had leaned forward as if she had nothing else to support herself with, as though that fragile hold was the only thing keeping her from collapsing completely.

Ling Xuan’s fingers curled faintly at her side as she stood, her brows drawing together in quiet irritation. There had been no reason to allow that, no benefit in tolerating such contact, and under normal circumstances she would have tossed her away like a ragdoll.

Yet she did not, and that unsettled her the most.

Her gaze lowered briefly to her hand, as if expecting to find an explanation there, but there was nothing.

’Why didn’t push her away.’ She frowned.

The realization settled quietly in her. The more she thought about it, the less sense it made, because she had every opportunity to act, every reason to reject it, and yet she had chosen not to, whether consciously or not, and that alone was enough to irritate her.

"...Useless sentiment," she muttered under her breath.

The words did not carry the usual sharpness they should have, as if even she was not entirely convinced by them, and that only deepened the faint crease between her brows.

She finally turned her gaze away and stepped forward, forcing her attention onto something more practical as the group around her began to gather their things. Soldiers moved with efficiency as they packed supplies and prepared to move again, their voices low as the calm of the morning stretched around them.

Ling Xuan moved ahead without saying anything as the group followed behind her. Their formation fell into place naturally as they resumed their journey across the scorched land. The faint scent of ash still lingered in the air while the ground beneath their feet remained uneven and dark.

’You don’t get to decide that... you don’t get to stand there and act like you know everything about me...’

Ling Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she walked, her gaze fixed ahead while Laurel’s voice replayed in her mind, persistent in a way that made it difficult to dismiss.

Her jaw tightened faintly as she exhaled through her nose, her fingers curling once more before relaxing again.

’Foolish,’ she thought, yet the word lacked the sharpness it usually carried, as if it no longer held the same weight it once did, and that realization irritated her more than anything else. Still, she did not allow it to show, her expression returning to its usual calm as she continued forward.

Suddenly, a soft glow unfolded in front of her, its light-blue interface hovered before her.

[Host, navigation assistance is now available.]

Ling Xuan’s gaze settled on it, as the map expanded, and routes formed and reformed across its screen. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

[The current path has been recalibrated. Deviation reduced by seventeen percent.]

Ling Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "It’s changing," she said flatly.

[Yes,] the system replied without delay. [The target signal is not stable.]

Ling Xuan’s gaze sharpened. "Moving?"

[Possibility one: the source is mobile. Possibility two: the surrounding environment is undergoing continuous alteration.]

Ling Xuan let out a quiet breath, her eyes flicking across the shifting route. "Finally got a map, but the flowers had suddenly grown legs."

[That is correct. I advise you to move faster, as being in one place will decrease the success rate of obtaining the Snow Lotus.]

Ling Xuan closed the panel with a flick of her fingers.

"I don’t need you to repeat the obvious."

The system dimmed slightly before disappearing, its voice calm even as it faded.

[Acknowledged. The map will be visible on the crop panel system]

Behind her, Chris had been watching for a while, his gaze lingering longer than usual as he believed something about her felt off, leaving a faint sense of unease settling in his chest. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward to walk beside her, his eyes briefly shifting to her before returning ahead.

"Where did you go?" he said, trying to keep his tone casual, though there was a hint of concern beneath it. "I didn’t see you last night."

Ling Xuan did not bother to look at him, her gaze remaining forward as her steps did not slow.

"That has nothing to do with you," she replied flatly, her tone colder than expected.

Chris fell silent for a brief moment, his brows knitting together slightly as he glanced at her again. A small smile tugged his lips. ’The angry one is back.’

"...Right," he said, though the word carried uncertainty. After a few more steps, he spoke again, lowering his voice slightly. "You disappeared last night. I just wanted to know where you went."

This time, Ling Xuan turned her head, her gaze landing on him with a sharpness that made him pause instinctively.

"That is none of your business," she said calmly.

Chris slowed, his steps falling out of rhythm for a moment as he watched her move ahead without waiting for him, his expression tightening slightly as the unease settled more firmly in his chest. ’Seems like she is in a very bad mood today.’

Ahead, Ling Xuan’s attention returned to the path as her gaze swept briefly across the ground before pausing, her steps slowing just enough for her to notice the subtle change beneath her feet.

The soil was damp.

Her brows drew together slightly as she crouched, brushing her fingers lightly against the surface before lifting them again, her gaze sharpening as she felt the moisture.

’This shouldn’t be here.’

She straightened slowly, her eyes scanning the area once more before settling ahead, her thoughts connecting it with what the system had said earlier.

’The environment is changing... why? The meteor shower came more than a week ago... Why is the earth still moist?’