Chapter 335
People were still arriving at the town's dock, and the buildings along the lake shore were piled high with fireworks to be set off that evening. The Dreamweave had designated a celebration area for visitors and arranged for professional staff to take turns guarding it.
On the busiest street, Sister Ellie, holding Emma and Nia's hands, enjoyed the rare liveliness of the town under the protection of musical notes and flowing light, her face beaming with a gentle smile.
Chen Yining and Ji Shuzhu were happily strolling through the streets; Ruan Wutong dragged a few children to play in the haunted house; Lin Bao'er and Liang Xiaoxiao bought strawberry sundaes and ate them while watching the sailing competition; the Little Idol were walking towards the stage, preparing for rehearsal.
"No need. Today is a crucial day. Astrid, just watch quietly. I will wipe out all the calamities in the most inconspicuous way."
Chu Yuanqing responded softly. She activated the spell, and the Quicksilver Blood around her grew and expanded like branches. The cool moonlight shone brightly in the sunlight, and the illusory trunk wove together, with the silver light blooming like flower petals.
--Self-created technique: Mercury Tree.
In just a few breaths, a towering Mercury Tree, hundreds of meters tall, was born under the infusion of magic. It hid in the clouds, like a mobile fortress, and moved to the sky above the stage.
Using this as an anchor point, Chu Yuanqing allowed the moonlight to silently drift down to the entire town along with the Song of Silver and Tin, encompassing all areas of the shining blessing, and imprinting Mirror Reversal marks on all 35,918 people in the town.
The next second, her clone split again, creating more than a dozen smaller bodies that fell towards the town to observe the tourists on the list individually.
Chu Yuanqing sat upright Mercury Tree. She needed to be present at all times and did not plan to leave before the official performance. However, creating a Magic Clone to go to the rehearsal would be just as effective, and she would not be scolded by Yayoi and her daughter.
After all, the technique of creating clones has evolved to the point where simply replicating this body is no different from a physical body. Even Astrid had to admire how ingenious this technique was, as it would never give away its secrets.
The reason the authorities didn't notice is that when she was beating Xiaoyu, she not only revealed this, but also used even more outrageous Martial God Skill, which made the Super AI and the other higher-ups think it was all reasonable.
Astrid said softly:
"The blessing of this town is essentially based on the existence of the Saintess's Destined Magic— [Illusion]—so even as Shine Magic, it naturally encompasses the attributes of time, space, rules, and concepts."
"The Nightmare that infiltrated the Public Performance venue back then relied on hiding inside the human soul, separating it from the physical body, causing the equipment to malfunction. But that method won't work here."
Chu Yuanqing nodded in agreement. Nightmares are spiritual calamities of the mental category. Although they are troublesome, Magical Girl of the corresponding category can still sense the anomaly.
Charlotte's Shine Magic possesses conceptual monitoring capabilities; even a wisp of calamity hidden within a soul would trigger an alarm. The fact that her blessing is not responding can only indicate two possibilities.
1. It is a concept-based Calamity Beasts, and its abilities tend to focus on concealing its true self.
2. It is a rule-based Calamity Beasts; what enters the town is merely its rule-based vessel, not its true form.
As for which one it is? We'll find out when we see it.
Time passed, and after 13 rounds of sailing competition, it was noon.
Luna, like a diligent little dog, wandered around happily by herself, looking here and there, completely unaware of the Pure White Witch following behind her like a ghost. She seemed quite lively.
The girl's blue-gray eyes sparkled as she looked at the framed photo, admiring her idol's youthful and adorable smile. She felt a sense of purification wash over her, and with a silly expression, she clenched her fist excitedly:
"Yay! All that shooting practice from that stinky old man wasn't for nothing. Now let's look for some similar target practice events and see if we can collect more Charlotte -themed prizes."
Thinking of this, Luna quickened her pace. Like a completionist player who wanted to open all the treasure chests on the map, she didn't want to stop exploring even after walking all morning.
Unfortunately, the celebration was supposed to end at 10 p. m., but the townspeople didn't mention when Charlotte would actually go on stage; they only guaranteed that she would definitely show up.
So once the performance starts, she definitely won't leave. She'd rather sit there for seven or eight hours than miss Charlotte's live performance.
This limits the amount of time available for participation in activities.
Moreover, and most importantly, the space near the stage is limited!
Today is Charlotte's birthday. 2,000 seats are reserved for townspeople, and there are 3,000 good seats left.
To be honest, a stage of this scale is quite rare in a small town, but unfortunately there were too many tourists attending the celebration, and few of them were not interested in Charlotte's concert.
Luna felt she wouldn't be able to get a good spot and would most likely end up sitting on a very far lawn, watching the broadcast like she was having a picnic.
But what if? Maybe by participating in some activity, I can get a seat number!
Fifteen minutes later,
The girl, dressed in her climbing gear, looked at the mysterious grand prize at the finish line, her heart burning with excitement.
Damn it, don't underestimate the obsession of idol fans! If Luna Lawrence is on the line, she'll definitely win this competition and get the CD that records Charlotte's a cappella performance!
The Pure White Witch's expression was subtle. She silently watched as the little girl activated her potential, overcame numerous obstacles, and huffed and puffed her way to the top, successfully taking first place amidst the cheers of the onlookers.
Luna slid down the climbing rope, completely ignoring her fatigue. As if she had won an Olympic gold medal for her country, she ran around joyfully, high-fiving all the athletes and spectators, cheering happily.
The most ridiculous thing was that Charlotte, dressed casually, was standing next to Chu Wangshu, acting as a bystander. The two of them, without really understanding what was going on, raised their hands and bumped hands with each other.
Luna was unaware that she had just given her idol a high-five. She received her prize from the staff, held up the CD with Charlotte's adorable smile printed on it, her blue-gray eyes sparkling, and exclaimed "Yay!"
The Little Cotton-padded Jacket looked at the bouncy fan and thought that if the fan were an audience member, she would provide far more radiance than the average person—she was practically radiant with sunshine.
Thinking of this, Chu Wangshu tugged at Charlotte's sleeve and whispered:
"Sister Charlotte, she's a huge fan of yours! She's quite cute, though. Should we give her a seat ticket? We haven't finished handing them out yet."
Well, the mischievous Doomsday Diva, in order to bind herself to her beloved daughter for parent-child activities, has fabricated a reason. "To fulfill her idol duties and create surprises for fans, she is randomly distributing seat tickets."
So, the two of them are currently wandering around the town as special NPCs who drop gold coins.
Charlotte had no reason to refuse; she was completely immersed in the game. Her beautiful face was serious as she earnestly said:
"Sure, but we need to find a quiet place for her. Otherwise, if I get spotted, I'll be playing Hide-and-Seek with my fans again."
Chu Wangshu nodded in agreement.
So, the mother and daughter, just like the Pure White Witch, followed Luna, resulting in a hilarious scene of the family of three chasing an innocent passerby.
Eleven minutes later, Charlotte finally found an opportunity and intercepted the young fan who was still immersed in happiness in a sparsely populated area.
Luna looked up in confusion, then realized something, clutched her backpack warily, and said possessively:
Charlotte's CDs are family heirlooms; no matter how much money you offer, I won't sell them!
The girl removed her hat, and her pupils reversed their color, spreading out like a gradient of opal blue. Her naturally falling hair also revealed its original appearance, like a lake fairy casting a spell. Her smile alone was enough to transport one to a fairyland.
"Hi~ Hello! I'm so glad you like me so much. This is the perfect birthday present. Please accept it and continue to enjoy the celebration."
Luna's brain went blank. She was overwhelmed with joy and shock. Like a fool, she innocently accepted an autographed photo and a seat ticket, watching the Saintess's figure slowly disappear into the distance, feeling as light as if she were walking on cotton.
After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl came to her senses and processed this beautiful, dreamlike encounter. Her first instinct was to chase after him and say more to her idol.
However, before they could even take a step...
The sudden surge of calamity within his body expanded a thousandfold, engulfing and submerging his consciousness, causing all his strength to evaporate and leaving him powerless to collapse.
The Pure White Witch naturally stepped forward and took the little girl's limp body. Sensing the surging, ever-present calamity, she brushed her fingertips across the girl's forehead, injecting a large amount of magic power to protect her soul and body.
Strangely, even though the calamity was completely dispelled, a mysterious power continued to drain Luna's life force.
Chu Yuanqing estimated that if she hadn't suppressed the calamity, the child would have died after a week of unconsciousness. The magic she was injecting now was only delaying the death by 20 years.
"There was definitely a problem."
"This is most likely a rule-based calamity."
Astrid appeared beside her and said:
"Do you have a way to wake her up? Since it's a calamity related to rules, the simplest way is to ask the person involved directly."
Chu Yuanqing nodded in agreement, and she injected some more magic power to temporarily restore the other person's body to normal.
For at least two weeks, the child will still be able to jump around energetically.
Then, the Pure White Witch pinched Luna's cheek, waking her up. She then snapped her fingers, causing the child's eyes, which had just regained focus, to glaze over again, making her look somewhat silly.
Chu Yuanqing didn't use any mental magic. Her soul realm was very high in the past, and she could easily hypnotize someone with a few simple techniques.
In fact, when she was initially unregistered, penniless, and had to take care of her daughter, she used similar methods to prevent Xiao Shu from starving.
Afterwards, I will be short of money, partly because I have too strong a sense of morality, and partly because I am so mentally weak that I can hardly manage daily life, let alone use random hypnosis.
Astrid was used to it; she had come to regard Chu Yuanqing with an attitude that "nothing would be surprising."
Chu Yuanqing didn't question Luna for long before she caught the lead. She told the little girl to put away her beloved autographed photo and seat ticket and find a chair to sit on, while she and Astrid tidied up:
"A high fever, bizarre dreams, and strange voices making her make wishes."
"This should be the whole process."
Astrid said:
"The data proves that Luna received the ticket after making a wish, and her wish came true by a twist of fate."
Chu Yuanqing frowned and said:
"After it is realized, the calamity spreads, drawing life force to complete the closed loop."
Make a wish -- fulfill your wish -- complete the harvest.
Behind this simple mechanism lies not only the life of the person making the wish, but also the question of to what extent the other person will evolve as a result.
If this rule-based calamity possessed intelligence, it could easily spread rapidly through a pyramid scheme, reaching an enormous scale and even evolving into an urban legend, attracting even more people to make wishes.
Ten or eight is fine now, but what if it were tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions?
Worst of all, Luna and the other problematic tourists at the festival were probably not controlled by the Calamity Beasts; they just happened to bump into the wishing ghost, made a wish related to Charlotte, and were then attracted like a magnet.
In other words, the number of people worldwide who have heard each other's voices, or even made wishes, is probably a number that's hard to imagine.
Astrid realized the same problem. She immediately organized the files, uploaded them to higher management, convened a meeting, and said to Chu Yuanqing:
"I searched global information and found case records that seem to be related to wishing."
"If I'm not mistaken, the price for fulfilling a wish is directly related to the size of the wish."
"For example, if someone wants to become the world's richest person, once their wealth increases to a certain level, they will die, or even experience a catastrophic mutation."
The Super AI's tone turned serious, and it said quietly:
"And even if you only wish for a piece of candy, your life will be in danger sooner or later."
"At the same time, if you don't make a wish promptly after hearing its voice, it will force the victim to make a wish by inducing tragedy."
"Most importantly, after reviewing all the data and comparing them one by one, it was found that every time a wish is made, the concentration of 'disaster energy' in the local area increases. When it accumulates to a certain level, it will cause an unprecedented disaster."
In other words, it could inadvertently trigger a global Disaster Tide.
At the same time.
Donghuang Federation, East Flow Island.
Osaka City, Nishinari Ward, Kamagasaki.
The old, run-down apartment had beer cans and various kinds of household garbage piled up in the entryway. On the cabinet sat a nearly dusty photo frame containing a smiling family of three.
Hei Mitomi walked numbly into the cramped home. She stepped through the messy entryway and looked around the cramped and empty room.
If it were the day before yesterday, her father would have been drunk and demanding money on that tatami mat, but she had just been to the police station yesterday and seen the body covered with a white sheet in the morgue.
The girl looked down at the porcelain jar in her arms. She was a high school sophomore, and her family's money had been gambled away. The rest had to be saved for her mother's medical treatment, so she was cremated that day, and the funeral would be held later.
The urn is inexpensive, has a cool touch, and isn't heavy.
Hei Mitomi walked to the tatami mat where her Dad had been sleeping. She knelt quietly on the floor, placing the porcelain jar on the mat with both hands, her movements slow and gentle, murmuring softly:
"So that's why people are so light when they're burned to ashes."
It's strange. She had thought countless times about killing him, the alcoholic and gambler, while he was still alive. But now that he had turned into a cold corpse and become a few handfuls of ashes in a porcelain jar, his identity as her father suddenly became clear.
Hei Mitomi remembered riding on her Dad's back when she was 7 years old, waving at the fireworks in the sky, and when she was 9 years old, her Dad complained that he was too tired from work, looking like an uncle opening an ice-cold beer and asking her mother to make him some fried chicken.
Those memories usually play hide-and-seek with you, only slowly coming back when the person imprinted in your past disappears, as if trying to help you recognize the value of that person in your heart.
Thus, hatred and the pleasure of seeing the enemy die were mixed together in a complex emotion amidst the overwhelming sorrow.
A dark mist lingered in the girl's eyes. She didn't notice anything amiss, but silently got up, intending to finish packing her Dad's belongings and then get to the hospital as soon as possible.
The police have already informed the mother of this news.
Although she didn't know what her mother would think, she wanted to spend more time with her.
This apartment is small; our original home was much bigger and cozier. But after my father gambled and sold the house, the family had to move here. My mother also developed leukemia after we moved.
Hei Mitomi tidied up for a while, really hoping to find something valuable among her Dad's belongings to sell at a secondhand shop and raise enough money for her next chemotherapy session.
Unfortunately, the most valuable items inside were an old, cheap mechanical watch and a few pairs of dusty leather shoes. If they were truly valuable, they would have been sold off as gambling money long ago, and wouldn't be here now.
As expected, there was no miracle.
"So... the only way to save Mom is to sell herself?"
Hei Mitomi murmured blankly, looking down at her slender yet fleshy thighs, touching her pretty yet cold face with her hand, a stiff smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
With only 50,000 yen left in the house and the rent still unpaid for the month, she numbly packed up everything that seemed sellable. The darkness in her eyes intensified, and she decided to face reality.