Chapter 169
The Dream Weaver Rabbit whispered in its heart:
"The Sea Capital competition area is getting more and more lively."
In contrast to the prosperity here, Capital seems to be having some bad luck, having only produced one trainee with a chance of becoming a [Witch] so far.
However, in reality, looking at all the competition areas in the entire Donghuang Federation, only a very small number of [Witch] candidates can appear before the second Public Performance. The data from the Capital competition area is already very good.
According to the initial projections of the project, each region was considered excellent if it could discover and cultivate 3 "Witch" trainees before the finals were completed, the Center position and several Debut Spot were determined, and the official idol group was formed. One trainee would be considered average, and it would be normal to have no trainees at all.
This metric has now been doubled in the Sea Capital division, which just doesn't seem right.
"Is it because of Chu Yuanqing? Almost all the [Witch] trainees are closely related to her."
The Dream Weaver Rabbit recorded this questionable pattern in its database, shook its head, and disappeared.
The mentors had already left the stage.
On stage, the losers and winners left in opposite directions.
The winning team has already secured their tickets to the second Public Performance. Since they don't need to change dorms, they only need to let a certain Golden Haired Doggy move in. So they plan to help the other team move their things and then go straight to the practice room to check the songs they drew for the second Public Performance and make a practice plan.
The loser's bracket, on the other hand, fell apart completely, with the three members going their separate ways within minutes.
Ji Shuzhu immediately stated that she was prepared to switch jobs.
Fan Qiuling followed suit, indicating that she had entered the [Flow State] state and made the same choice.
Abandoned by both of them, Chu Qiushuang could only fall back to the waiting area below C1. Her mind went blank for a moment. It wasn't until she finished packing her luggage in the dormitory and walked back to the Origin point that she realized what had happened and burst into tears in the corner of her single dormitory.
This is the norm for "Flash Dance," the norm for Talent Show, and the norm for the Entertainment Industry and even all walks of life. If you want to climb the ladder, everywhere is a fiercely competitive battle.
Chu Qiushuang had failed once before. Compared to other losers who were eliminated in the talent show, she was able to run her own media platform and gain some fame online after her failure, so it can't be said that she was just unlucky.
The same thing happened this time.
The girl suppressed her weak, resentful thoughts, wiped away her tears, concealed her facial condition with makeup, took a deep breath, and walked towards the [Flow State] development room.
--There is still hope.
It's now impossible for her to climb from the waiting area to C1, B1, and A1, winning three consecutive Stage Battle. However, the shining interest that Xie Qingxuan returned has given her the opportunity to take another path.
Once you step into the realm of "Flow State," you can overcome all barriers, advance in one go, and step onto the stage for the second Public Performance!
Meanwhile, trainees below the A1 level almost all had similar thoughts. They regarded [Flow State] as their last resort, or even their lifeline. Under extreme repression and longing, and with the obsession of betting their dreams, they entered the development room, which was filled with disaster.
Sitting in the central hub, the Dream Weaver Rabbit surveyed the myriad aspects of life through various monitors, seemingly having anticipated this situation. It smiled and murmured softly:
"Humans are creatures overflowing with inertia."
Even the most hardworking person will feel timid and lazy when faced with an uncertain and uncertain path.
"That's normal. Compared to the [Flow State] development room where you don't see much progress and don't feel tired, spending time in the practice room sweating it out naturally gives you a more grounded and secure feeling."
"But when it becomes the only hope, the situation is different."
"I'm really looking forward to it. How many cocoons of imprisoning calamity will be nurtured this time?"
"Strive on, everyone. Humanity does indeed need dazzling [Witch], but it also needs the [Witch] to assist them and ignite that dazzling light."
Evening.
Area A1, detached dormitory building.
To celebrate the arrival of a certain dog, Chu Yuanqing tied her hair into a single braid like a married woman, cooked a pot of delicious stew, and prepared a table full of dishes that would be considered taboo for idols. However, considering that everyone present was Magical Girl in training, the high-calorie dishes were obviously no big deal.
Tang Liuli ate her rice and vegetables cautiously, glancing warily at Xie Qingxuan like a silly cat reacting to the sight of another pet in its home—she looked quite adorable.
Chu Wangshu chewed on the crispy bullfrog skin, subconsciously calculating the exploding calories in her mind. She ate happily while feeling a little conflicted, eating slowly and elegantly.
Kiriwake Yayoi had just put down her guitar. Her slender, pink fingers rested on her chopsticks, her attention entirely focused on Xie Qingxuan beside her and Chu Yuanqing sitting diagonally opposite her. She tried her best to maintain the calm demeanor of an empress, suppressing the resentful aura that was about to overflow.
Xie Qingxuan behaved extremely well, showing no sign of provocation. She suppressed all her aura and ate in silence, occasionally glancing expectantly at Chu Yuanqing, which would prompt the latter to put a few bites of food into her bowl, like a quiet dog wagging its tail.
Chu Yuanqing sat at the table, looking at the lively scene of the table filled with people. For a moment, she felt nostalgic. A strong sense of joy welled up in her heart, tinged with a touch of melancholy. She lowered her eyes, her pupils shimmering with golden light, ignoring the pain of her broken soul, and revealed a gentle smile.
If...
I wish things could stay like this forever.
Volume 1: 164. The Forgotten Disaster God, Keeping the Promise, Little Sakura the Door God. (5K)
After the meal.
The pretty girls sat on the sofa, their five pairs of long, white legs almost forming a tight circle when viewed from above. Their smooth skin, with varying shades and tones, glowed with a healthy pinkish hue in the lamplight.
Chu Yuanqing felt something was off. Everyone seemed to be crowding around her. To her left was Tang Liuli, who was clinging to her arm, and to her right was Xie Qingxuan, who looked calm and composed. The two girls' thighs were pressed tightly against hers, exuding a delicate warmth and pleasant scent.
The Green Eyed Cat was very stressed.
Golden Haired Doggy, on the other hand, have a commanding presence.
As for those sitting opposite, there was Little Sakura, strumming her guitar to hide her inner emotions, and Chu Wangshu, holding her advanced mathematics textbook, completely oblivious to the atmosphere.
This was the first internal meeting held after the team was officially and fully formed; it could also be called a combat meeting.
Kiriwake Yayoi glanced at the thighs of the three people sitting opposite her pressed together, took a deep breath, decided to temporarily forget her distracting thoughts, and took the initiative to speak:
"In a few days, the teammate selection process will officially end. We've already seen the songs for the second Public Performance in the practice room. Does anyone have any suggestions for the upcoming training plan?"
Chu Wangshu thought for a moment and said:
"Although it's a quintet dance with more complex formations, this dance isn't as difficult as <Pandora>, and the rhythm isn't as fast. Should we just train as usual?"
The dance I was drawn this time is <Wannabe>, which comes from a well-known dance group. However, the difficulty level is relatively moderate. What's more noteworthy is that <Wannabe> is the type of dance where the range of motion increases as the dance progresses, making it quite tiring to complete.
However, after a month of intensive training in all aspects, their physical fitness has improved significantly. The second Public Performance is not a concert, and they only need to perform once, so overall the pressure is not too great.
Xie Qingxuan didn't say anything; her thought process was very simple.
Regardless of the reason, a defeat is a defeat. As someone who joined the team as spoils of war, I naturally have no right to interfere with the team's overall direction as I did before.
Tang Liuli inhaled Chu Yuanqing's fragrance, rubbed her cheek against the single braid that fell to the other's shoulder, and missed the dazzling appearance of Qing Bao with her white hair and golden eyes. She lazily squinted her eyes, having no desire to participate in the discussion, only wanting to indulge in the other's soft side and fall into a deep sleep.
This lazy act quickly drew a gradually growing, cold gaze from Kiriwake Yayoi.
The Green Eyed Cat's instincts kicked in, and it instinctively bristled. Meeting Little Sakura's gaze as she looked at the trash, it immediately sat up straight. But then, feeling it couldn't admit defeat so shamefully, it suppressed the urge to tremble and glared back "forcefully."
Then, feeling guilty, she whispered:
"Um... Dream Weaver Rabbit didn't say when the official Public Performance would be, right? That means the amount of training time we have is unknown."
"Furthermore, many teams have advanced faster than us, some even to the point of having trained for almost a week, so to be on the safe side, it's better to increase our training volume a bit recently."
Chu Yuanqing stroked the timid cat, finding its words quite reasonable, and said:
"Yes, indeed. Everyone has worked so hard to get to this point and finally made it to the next round. To let a moment of relaxation lead to a failure in the most important Public Performance would be putting the cart before the horse."
"But it's also important to balance work and rest. The training we did recently was a bit too strenuous. We can start by training at our original pace for two days and then gradually increase the training time."
This was a reasonable suggestion, and it was quickly accepted by everyone.
Xie Qingxuan, on the other hand, was more objective, rational, and confident. She stated:
"With our team composition, we don't need much detailed planning; a 50% elimination rate is out of the question for us."
Kiriwake Yayoi to realize something, and nodded in agreement:
"You're right, at least in this round of the competition, we're the team least likely to be eliminated."
Because her mind was filled with thoughts of love rivals and even bizarre plots involving Island Nation NTR characters, she only now belatedly realized that she had successfully assembled the most luxurious lineup for this episode of <Flash Dance>.
There are a total of 168 players in this region's "Flash Dance" competition, of which only 6 are at the A-Class. Their team directly takes 4 of those spots. The remaining player, Xiao Shu, is at the B-Class, but she has stepped into the "Flow State" realm. Her ability is comparable to that of a top-tier support player, and in terms of Strategic Value, she is second to none.
To put it more bluntly, they are a team that has all stepped into the realm of "Flow State," and every member has obtained a ticket to become a world-class idol.
In this situation, which team could possibly compete with them?
The explosion of five levels of Flow State is enough to create miracles.
Certainly...
Kiriwake Yayoi doubted whether Xie Qingxuan's "Flow State" could work properly with them.
Even if the other party no longer steals the spotlight, their stage presence and personal charm tend to make them a tyrant who focuses all attention on themselves. If they don't coordinate well, they will end up fighting their own battles, dragging each other down, and their brilliance will be mixed into chaos, resulting in a terrible stage experience that is a mess.
"Forget it, this Stupid Dog seems to listen to Xiao Qing. If there are any problems, we can resolve them internally during rehearsals."
Thinking about this, Little Sakura's feelings became even more complicated.
Damn, how come this Stupid Dog is so good at creating an unexpected cuteness? Is this some kind of "female copper" tactic?
Chu Wangshu put down her book, looked up and said:
"Speaking of which, how many people do you think will be eliminated before the Public Performance?"
Tang Liuli counted on her fingers and said:
"There probably weren't many people, right? Among those teams that started the competition in just a few days, many hadn't even properly learned the dance before going on stage to compete."
"So in extreme cases, they have every reason to train for a few hours and then go straight to the stage to compete. In a cycle of constantly losing and competing, as long as the quality of the team doesn't matter, they will eventually win. The only ones left are the unlucky ones who haven't won yet."
Kiriwake Yayoi said softly:
"From the very beginning, Dream Weaver Rabbit was destined to eliminate people with this competition format."
"Because only 33 teams of 5 people can be formed from 168 contestants, there will inevitably be 3 people who cannot form a complete team and will not be able to perform on the stage of the second Public Performance."
Tang Liuli complained:
"Even if three are eliminated, there are still 81 elimination slots left. If we arrange them by teams, at least 16 teams out of 33 will need to be eliminated."
Chu Yuanqing seemed to be deep in thought:
"In other words, assuming it's still a stage battle where one match determines life or death, then winning one match guarantees you won't be eliminated."
"But the second Public Performance will most likely not be that simple."
Everyone discussed the serious matter for a while, analyzing a bunch of possibilities, before veerging off-topic into other topics, talking about very girly things. After almost an hour of this, they finally returned to their respective rooms.
Chu Yuanqing walked into the bathroom, took a shower, and came out, drying her wet hair with a towel. Her beautiful eyebrows and eyes looked tired and languid. Her cool tank top hugged her unrestrained fullness, and the lantern fell on her high, curved surface.
The girl's thighs, face, arms, collarbone, and even her exposed skin were recently tinged with moisture, making them extremely pink and delicate, with a touch of cold elegance. She sat alone on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, her expressionless eyelashes drooping. Just her presence alone was a breathtaking painting.
After completing the [Lighting Up], Chu Yuanqing discovered that he could control the process of his body's development.
This body seems to be in its adolescence, slowly growing under the nourishment of magic. Presumably, it will grow to near adulthood before the end of its life.
Hmm, this isn't scientifically accurate, but it's very Magical Girl.
However, due to concerns about her youthful appearance and height, she preferred to let her breasts and hips continue to develop, so she did not interfere with this process and allowed her body to develop naturally.
Chu Yuanqing lay on the bed, the lantern on her chest flickering and casting a light that dried her damp hair. She closed her eyes wearily, murmuring to herself:
"An old friend?"
Although she concealed it well before and after going on stage, she was indeed very concerned about Xie Qingxuan's identity and the amount of information contained in that dream.
"What exactly did I destroy with Laevateinn in that dream?"
Chu Yuanqing's memory was blank, and he was somewhat bewildered.
Is it Disaster God? Or Supreme Calamity Beast?
Seventeen years have passed, and under the corrosive influence of the curse, she has even forgotten most of the Disaster God abilities and codenames. Of the five Disaster God codenames that she can barely remember, she only remembers the codenames. She has completely forgotten all the information about the abilities, appearance, characteristics, crimes, geographical location, etc.
"[The King of Salt], [The Old Testament], [Ymir], [The Solar Era Amaterasu the Sun]..."
Chu Yuanqing silently recited the Disaster God still remembered, but she couldn't pull out any images related to that dream from her blank memory. She understood that this didn't mean the images in the dream were unrelated to the Disaster God, but only that her memory had been eroded too severely.
This is a sign of death.
The thirteen Disaster God represent the great cause of saving the world.
These names may seem insignificant, but they have somehow helped me to etch a chapter of the old era.
Now, Chu Yuanqing has forgotten the names of the eight Disaster God, and the process is almost two-thirds complete. Perhaps the moment she forgets all the Disaster God, everything will truly head towards chaotic collapse.
"I should talk to Qingxuan."
"Whether she is someone I knew in the past or not, since the echoes of the last era have indeed resonated in her, perhaps there is something in her that can help me and allow me to persevere for longer."
Chu Yuanqing made up her mind. She sat up and wanted to talk to Xie Qingxuan about dreams.
But the next second, there was a knocking sound at the door.