"But before that, there’s one more issue to address."
Rowena said, "I can’t take another step right now!"
According to her divination, Blanche’s body is very far away from the town, and anyone who has ridden a magical broom knows that it requires physical coordination. With her current state, she’d fall flat on her face after flying just a few meters.
Rowena sneakily glanced at Ethan but ultimately swallowed back the suggestion to carry her; everyone knows Ethan’s house cat is quite protective of its food, and if it found out about this, she’d surely be murdered.
"That’s not too difficult to solve."
Ethan raised his hand, and a layer of red ice instantly covered Rowena’s chair, startling her so much that she shrieked and jumped three feet into the air, dashing to the other side of the room. She didn’t seem exhausted at all.
"You, you, you, you, you wouldn’t turn my face into an octopus, would you!"
Rowena pointed trembling at Ethan. She recently read the Horned Owl Beast Daily, and the Red Death disease had broken out at the Haywood Mine, spreading all the way to Gear City, where the Chamber of Commerce President Talon and Aisoke’s young master were infected, transforming into twisted creations of the Evil God right in front of everyone.
According to a journalist’s interview with a Reception Bureau investigator who wished to remain anonymous, the source of the Red Death disease was a kind of red ice. It melts the structure of humans and objects, forcibly twisting their bodies.
"What are you thinking? Do I look like a follower of the Evil God?"
Ethan couldn’t help but ask.
Rowena’s eyes widened as she looked at Ave and the golden hair on Ave’s head, and then the two spoke in unison, "You do!"
Even the golden hair nodded repeatedly.
It was their first time seeing Ethan’s upgraded ice element, blood-like in color and full of ominous vibes, completely the opposite of the holy upgraded fire element previously.
Ordinary followers of the Evil God were insufficient to describe Ethan’s aura; when he manipulated the ice elements, it was as if the Evil God had descended.
No wonder everyone in Gear City was uneasy, still immersed in the horror of the Red Death disease.
"I’m constructing a mobility device for you, reconstructing your chair!"
Ethan said with some annoyance. He admitted he had borrowed Old Ba’s artistic style a bit earlier, but he personally had no interest in octopus faces.
Under the skeptical eyes of Ave and Rowena, the chair covered with red ice completed its transformation. It still looked capable of seating a person, but now it had two wheels on the sides. The chair was no longer just hard wood; cushions were added, and there was a place to rest the feet below, making it look quite comfortable.
"This is called a wheelchair; it’s perfect for your current state."
As Ethan spoke, he infused the electric elements into the energy crystal, placing it into the slot under the wheelchair. Thus, the first electric wheelchair in the history of the Empire was born.
Rowena hadn’t completely let down her guard, pointing warily at the lump on the wheelchair’s backrest, "What’s that bump for?"
Ethan introduced the electric wheelchair’s functions, "The button on the left armrest is for activating the massage switch, and the control panel on the right can be used to adjust the electric wheelchair’s speed. But don’t use the electric function in town; I’ll be pushing you from behind."
Step by step, Rowena cautiously approached the electric wheelchair and finally confirmed, "It won’t turn people into octopus faces, right?"
"Then let me try it."
Rowena gently placed her hands on the armrests and slowly sat down on the cushion, then took off her shoes and put her feet on the footrest. As she relaxed, completely leaning back against the chair back, she felt she was entirely absorbed by the electric wheelchair.
Her amazement was palpable, and she almost immediately activated the massage function.
Then, the apartment fell into a prolonged silence, with only the sound of the massage device.
Ave felt that Rowena seemed to melt, becoming a puddle attached to the electric wheelchair. This inevitably reminded her of the red ice’s characteristics mentioned in the Horned Owl Beast Daily, and she quickly asked, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, mom, please hand me the blanket, thank you~"
Rowena’s voice sounded much younger; under the impact of the massage function, she trembled constantly. She felt if she had a blanket, this sensation would be like returning to her mother’s warm embrace.
"Who’s your mom? I don’t have a daughter like you!"
Ave angrily rebuked her. Being called mom by someone nearly ten years older than her was quite a shock.
Rowena snapped out of it and took a deep breath, "Ethan, you’re truly a genius to invent something ! I’ve decided that until I fully recover, I’m going to live on this... Please hand me the blanket, thank you!"
Rowena finally wrapped herself with only her head exposed. Ave frowned beside her, while her golden hair bent to her ear, seemingly whispering and plotting something with her—to find a way to trick Rowena off the electric wheelchair when they return, as she also wanted to try it.
"This electric wheelchair is way better than a magical broom. If it could fly, the era of magical brooms would be entirely over!"
Rowena was as happy as a child, and Ethan could only respond with a gaze full of humanitarian concern; it was his first time seeing someone so happy to be seated in a wheelchair.
Obviously, Rowena completely failed to realize what a wheelchair is for, and this obliviousness was quite enviable.
"Let’s go, we’re off to find Blanche’s body!"
Rowena, tucked in her blanket, directed Ethan with her crystal ball.
The journey drew a lot of attention. Since it was the debut of the wheelchair, and Rowena was wrapped tightly in a blanket with only her head showing, residents thought Rowena was dead, and Ethan was pushing her to the cemetery for burial. They even had their condolences ready, only to realize Rowena was grinning widely when approaching.
This made the atmosphere a bit awkward.
Rowena ignored the townspeople mistaking her for a corpse, her mind completely occupied with the automatic navigation function Ethan mentioned.
As soon as they left Ximu Town, she eagerly tried the feature located on the right side of the armrest.
Ethan’s words didn’t get a chance to finish as he watched the electric wheelchair unleash a dazzling electric arc, and looking ahead, Rowena’s electric wheelchair had transformed into a pale blue stream of light, disappearing at racing car speed at the pathway’s end.
You need to take it slow; the energy crystal has many settings and you need to gradually adapt.
That’s what he originally intended to say.