Chapter 176
--A raging fire that scorches everything.
--A Dark Tide slowly engulfing the ancient capital.
Tang Liuli wandered through shattered dreams, witnessing many magnificent scenes she could not recall.
--I saw a slender figure, the blade stained with black snow, as he cleaved down a god from the heavens.
--I witnessed the tragic fate of being forgotten by the whole world, dying in solitude and loneliness.
--I saw that person, whose soul was withering and whose flesh was dry, yet who wore a radiant smile and gladly welcomed death.
It was like a collection of comic book and novel stories pieced together, ultimately brought to life in a dreamscape through brilliant imagination. Though seemingly chaotic, it was like hot gold being pressed, unforgettable and stirring the emotions within.
However, as the Heart Tide gradually subsided, the optimization of [Cocoon of the Heart] stalled, and the dream that lingered in consciousness shattered.
Tang Liuli's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and tears silently welled up in her eyelashes. All the information about the dream had been wiped away by some force, like a white horse that was not a horse, ambiguous and unrecognizable, impossible to trace back to its source, leaving only an emotion that was hard to erase.
When I get up in the morning,
The Green Eyed Cat had completely forgotten everything. Even while brushing its teeth, all it could think about was Qing Bao's alluring appearance yesterday—white fur and golden eyes—and how it had utterly defeated her. It selectively ignored its own embarrassing moment of fainting and was quite pleased with itself.
Until after washing my face,
The girl looked at her face in the mirror and noticed something was wrong. She leaned closer to examine it, blinked in confusion, and muttered:
"Hey? Why are my eyes a little red?"
"Could it be... that Xiao Qing did something strange to me!?"
After thinking for a moment, Tang Liuli gave up on this possibility.
There's no way around it, Qing Bao is just too cute. When she transforms into Magical Girl, it's absolutely unfair. The other person doesn't need to do anything strange; it's only me who wants to do strange things to Qing Bao.
So, maybe you just didn't sleep well?
Tang Liuli forgot about the little thing as soon as she turned her head. She only used a steam eye mask during her lunch break to wipe away the only trace of it completely.
That day, in the underground central control room.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit initiated an emergency meeting. Projectors popped up one after another in the room, waiting for all qualified individuals to arrive. Its expression was inscrutable. It simply shared all the information and then said quietly:
"From the day Chu Wangshu participated in <Flash Dance>, apart from that one appearance in Zhelong Town after the Public Performance, Chu Yuanqing has not left any image on any electronic devices."
"The spending records and other information retrieved by Dream Weaver were almost entirely zero; the only thing worth retrieving was those two phone calls."
"The key point is that, according to the base station information, both calls were made from Chu Yuanqing's mobile phone."
"What this means, you all should know, right?"
Everyone's hearts sank, and they quickened their pace in reviewing the information.
All candidates for the [Witch] roster undergo a very thorough screening and investigation.
This is not similar to the political vetting process for civil servants.
Because it involves the survival of human civilization, as long as one can become a [Witch], criminal records, past statements, character, personality, and even other factors are all trivial details that do not need to be cared about. The real purpose of this review process is to eliminate some abnormal special probabilities.
It's important to understand that even though [Pure White] suppressed global calamities, the seal was no longer perfect after it began to act strangely; otherwise, there wouldn't have been a failed case like the [Inverted Tower Incident].
Therefore, globally, there must be a number of [Calamity Species] that have already successfully hatched.
Especially recently, that towering, pure white wall seems to have gradually shifted its weight towards the thirteen forbidden zones, and even the [Calamity Species] at the top of the pyramid, forcing it to weaken its suppression of the lowest-ranking [Calamity Species].
This is a very serious matter.
Suppressing the incubation process only means that those calamities cannot be born, but it does not mean that the resurgence of their consciousness can be completely suppressed.
Although humanity has not yet confirmed this possibility, in the worst-case scenario, a calamity possessing intelligence could easily drive the Calamity Beasts that have miraculously hatched to lie dormant, causing immense panic, disrupting the Kindling Project, and even delaying humanity's salvation plan.
On the other hand, in order to race against time and implement the <Flash Dance> plan, it was necessary to rely on the power of the disaster energy to create a lot of [fuel].
This is a double-edged sword that requires constant vigilance; uncontrollable calamities must never be allowed to infiltrate <Flashdance>.
Therefore, the attitude of Dream Weaver Rabbit and everyone present was predictable, not to mention that this matter had already involved the [Witch] candidate who was regarded as Donghuang Treasure, who harbored the hope of saving the world, who had repeatedly shown amazing talent, and who was likely comparable to that Saintess.
--Chu Yuanqing!
I'd like to recommend a book by a friend.
Synopsis: "My dream is to become a real racehorse girl and run on the racetrack."
Xia Chi looked at the almost completely blind racehorse girl in front of him and said these words with hopeful eyes, then pondered for a moment, "Even if it requires ten times the effort of an ordinary person?"
"Um!"
Even if it might result in a bloody mess?
"Um!"
Even in the face of countless cold stares and ridicule, and all sorts of unforeseen accidents?
"Um!"
"Alright, then please place your complete trust in me, and I will do everything in my power to help you create this miracle."
In short, it's the story of how a genius trainer guides a blind racehorse girl to the top.
Book Title: <Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Creating Miracles with a Blind Horse Girl>
Volume 1: 170. A Coincidence That Shouldn't Exist, The Evolution of Magic Clone. (5K)
The atmosphere inside was heavy.
Among the many projections, an elderly man, impeccably dressed and with a ramrod straight back, stated:
"So far, within the Donghuang Federation, only this child has shown the potential to advance to the Klein level [Witch]. Anything concerning her, no matter how small, is a major issue."
No one present objected to this.
The calamity that struck 17 years ago, and the Pure White High Wall that sheltered humanity, delivered a devastating blow that could be described as a magical, dimensional reduction, forcing nations large and small around the world to unite and find a way to ensure the survival of human civilization.
The Donghuang Federation, the Holy United States, and other new political entities, large and small, all managed to unite the forces of human civilization into one by completing a series of exchanges of interests, merging of positions, unification of resources, and the formation of alliances during this period.
During this period, there was naturally no shortage of dirty tricks and some of the usual backstabbing and infighting. However, under the common crisis that could be called the Sword of Damocles, the salvation plan called the Fire Seed still emerged out of nowhere and was gradually implemented over the years, and officially launched with <Flash Dance> as its core.
The core of the <Flash Dance> project, to put it simply, is a large-scale testing ground for cultivating [Witch], [Calamity Shell], and [Fuel].
Ignoring the unstable [Calamity Shell] and the auxiliary [Fuel], the [Witch], who possesses idealistic authority and is untainted by the aura of calamity, is the core of the plan.
In short, [Witch] is equivalent to nuclear weapon of the New Era.
Each [Witch] cultivated in the <Flash Dance> competition zone naturally belongs to the local national political system. Combined with the current international situation, Chu Yuanqing's importance is self-evident.
Although the Donghuang Federation and the Holy United States are in a state of diplomatic relations, and both sides are sparing no effort to provide manpower, material resources and technology to various small countries, and help each other build the framework of the <Flash Dance> arena (underground shelter), they seem to be very close and can be described as working together.
However, when it comes to strategic talents like [Witch], it's a completely different story. To give a simple example, the Saintess of the Holy United States is a [Witch] who has the potential to reach Klein's level (magic power).
This radiant idol will naturally uphold her duty and fulfill her responsibility to eradicate calamities. But given that she resides in the Holy United States, will she first eliminate the [Calamity Species] on her own side, or will she travel thousands of miles to the Donghuang Federation to carry out calamity eradication?
The answer is self-evident.
This doesn't even qualify as intrigue; it's simply a matter of priority.
However, given that [Pure White] is teetering on the brink of collapse, with disaster gradually resurfacing and time becoming increasingly urgent, no one can guarantee that the salvation plan can be perfectly implemented.
Therefore, this priority may determine the life or death of millions, tens of millions, or even billions of people.
In this context, who would show the slightest disrespect to Chu Yuanqing was born in the Eastern Empire?
It is only natural that everyone would take it so seriously.
Before long, the room was filled with the sounds of discussion:
"Chu Wangshu, will there be any problems with this newly added [Witch] candidate?"
"Chu Wangshu's father has been nowhere to be found, yet he has somehow made contact with Chu Yuanqing, who is completely unrelated to them. This is clearly a frame-up by the Cult of Disaster Gods."
"The problem isn't with Chu Wangshu. You all know the security checks and equipment in the underground base; there's no way a Calamity Beasts could have gotten in. Besides, she used [Flow State], which is impossible to fake."
Someone proposed the following hypothesis:
"Could this be a conspiracy orchestrated by those lunatics? If they can replace the trainee's family member, they can use that identity to get close to them legitimately. Even if they can't get close, they can use the death of a relative to twist the mind of the [Witch] trainee."
Someone calmly countered:
"If that's the case, then Chu Yuanqing is merely a sacrifice in their plan."
"But the problem is, how do you explain why they didn't attack Chu Wangshu? Even if it was a long-term strategy, with this level of camouflage, it could have easily remained hidden without revealing any flaws. There's no reason why we would discover such an obvious weakness."
This matter is too strange and too abstract; applying conventional logic will not lead to the truth.
For the next hour, this group of bigwigs belonging to the Donghuang Federation continued to outwit each other, proposing hundreds or even thousands of hypotheses and conjuring up countless terrifying and abstract conspiracies. They even discussed and debated the question of whether there was a problem with the similar names of Chu Yuanqing and Chu Yuanqing.
During this time, they listened to both of the father and daughter's phone calls together, but still couldn't detect anything amiss.
The only conclusion they could draw was that Chu Yuanqing had promised to appear at the second Public Performance, which made them feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. They were considering whether to increase their precautions, cancel family tickets, or even cancel the live Public Performance altogether.
Someone sighed:
"Do you think it's possible that Chu Yuanqing has nothing to do with the calamity, nor with those lunatics who worship the calamity, and that the problem is simply with this person?"
After reviewing all the available information, the Dream Weaver Rabbit closed its eyes and said softly:
"Chu Yuanqing is indeed problematic. His only trace in this world is the 17 years Chu Wangshu existed. No information can be found going back, as if... he was born on that day 17 years ago."
--17 years.
This is an extremely sensitive number.
Because whether it's calamity or [pure white], their arrival both occurred on that day 17 years ago.
And coincidentally, the day Chu Yuanqing first left his mark on the world was precisely this special day that changed the fate of humankind.
Could this be a coincidence?
On the other hand, Chu Yuanqing, who was also involved, has a name that is extremely similar to this man's. Moreover, when the [Flow State] burst out on stage last time, it was as if it resonated with the high wall that protects humanity, causing the majestic [pure white] to tremble and vibrate at the same time.
Are these two people both connected to the incident in 2017? Or is it simply a coincidence that doesn't need to be considered?
If we delve deeper and use exhaustive calculations to disregard some logic, we might discover a hidden secret—a secret that could potentially involve the survival of the world.
Unable to reach a conclusion immediately, Dream Weaver Rabbit's crimson pupils revealed a data stream like an ocean, indicating it was preparing to mobilize the host's computing power.
In an instant, the keywords [Chu Yuanqing] and [Pure White] triggered some pre-set rules, granting it the highest level of autonomy and bringing everything to a standstill.
The Super AI fell silent, casually blocked the relevant data, and said indifferently:
"Since we can't draw a conclusion yet, let's continue to observe. Increase the protection of the relevant [Witch] candidates, and create a separate list of those qualified to become [fuel], also adding them to the list of those to be monitored and protected."
"In addition, we need to strengthen our defenses in other regions. It was alright that the predecessor of <Flash Dance> was hidden in the shadows, but now that it has opened up regions all over the world, it is too big a target to attack. Perhaps... we should send more [Witch] to be stationed in the cities for defense."
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
This is certainly a very safe and secure approach.
The problem is that there is a severe shortage of [Witch] around the world. Most of them are responsible for eliminating those [Calamity Species] that have gone out of control, and for constantly monitoring the thirteen forbidden zones that can reproduce and spread calamities on their own, and for regularly cleaning them up to achieve the effect of suppression.
In this situation, trying to insure hundreds of regions worldwide with a single [Witch] is simply wishful thinking. Not to mention that with the forces spread out like this, they are easily defeated one by one, so it's hardly safe at all.
On the other hand, the recent anomalies of [Pure White] have become increasingly obvious. Once it hatches some troublesome Calamity Beasts, there is a possibility that it could join forces with the Cult of Disaster Gods to target the contestants and their families.
Even if it's just a possibility, the mere thought of the consequences if it actually happened sends chills down everyone's spine. If the [Witch] trainee, comparable to Saintess, were killed, it would be tantamount to prematurely extinguishing the candle of civilization's survival.
This sparked a new round of discussions about safety within the building.
It is worth mentioning that from beginning to end, no one suspected that Chu Yuanqing had any problems, and even the obviously flawed call records were completely ignored.
The reason is simple: Magical Girl are idealistic, and [Flow State] inherits this characteristic. The personality it embodies and the physical sensations it gives to people are directly related to the host's true self.
Chu Yuanqing's impeccable background, his sacred and compassionate nature, his unique "Flow State" like a nun's love, and even his seemingly insignificant connection with "Pure White," all serve to prove that he has nothing to do with the Calamity Beasts.
Apart from that, nothing else matters to them.
Regardless of whether she made the call herself, Chu Yuanqing remains the only treasure of the Donghuang Federation. All they need to do is protect her life and prevent any external factors from interfering with this Little Idol's inner world.
This point has long been a consensus among everyone.