Chapter 421
"The Young Lady is still sleeping upstairs, and the others are cooking in the kitchen. The alcohol content on the menu is very low. Please feel free to order anything you'd like to drink."
Chu Wangshu sat at the bar, removing her mask and hat to reveal her pretty and cute face. A slightly shy smile appeared on her lips as she looked down at the menu, pointed to a name on it, and replied:
"No need to be so polite with me, um... just a Moon Boat drink will do."
--moon.
Although she doesn't remember who named her, the girl still has a special fondness for moon-themed items. Among the stationery she bought when she was in elementary school were many erasers with moon patterns, some full moons and some crescent moons, which were cute and fun.
But now, thinking about these things makes my heart ache inexplicably.
A hint of melancholy crept into the girl's eyes.
The old man glanced at the little girl's expression, but politely said nothing more.
Today is a great day for these Little Idol to celebrate their successful debut and the fulfillment of their dreams. However, considering the calamity that Sea Capital has encountered today, and the responsibilities that Magical Girl need to shoulder, it is only natural that these children's emotions will rise and fall.
But what makes young people young is that they still retain the youthful spirit that the elderly have lost. There's no need to worry too much; the rainbow will appear after the rain.
Shilon cut clear, round ice cubes, took out a transparent glass, added pale red pomegranate syrup to the bottom, filled it with ice, gently added Boston Blue Orange, poured in vodka and stirred, added lemon slices and mint leaves, and finally inserted a straw with a paper boat hanging from it, presenting a beautiful and brightly colored appearance.
The drink is now ready and has been placed on the bar.
"Your Moon Boat"
There is actually a non-alcoholic version of this product, but the current Chu Wangshu might be more suitable for drinks with a little alcohol.
The girl whispered thank you, then looked up at the crescent moon outside the French windows, quietly listening to the melody lingering in the room, and sipped her Moon Boat drink alone.
For some reason, this coffee shop felt familiar and welcoming to her, as if she had left behind beautiful and unforgettable memories there. Whenever she encountered it or thought of it, it would lift her spirits and make her happy.
But now...
Chu Wangshu shook her head, unwilling to wallow in these messy emotions any longer. For the sake of her fans, her seniors, her mother, and everyone else who supported her, she needed to pull herself together and focus on the task at hand.
First, the specifics of debuting and related work.
Second, regarding Magical Girl, disaster groups, Disaster God, and sunflowers.
The former needs no further explanation.
As for the latter, it refers to some unexpected events that occurred after Charlotte's mother used her Shine Magic to dissolve the disaster swarm's conspiracy.
Sunflower.
This thirteenth Disaster God – [Child of Man] – who had been rooted in her soul, flesh, and consciousness since birth, tricked her into activating [Great Full Bloom], thereby bypassing the three blessings that protected her and nearly causing a great mistake.
Chu Wangshu understood that it was, in a sense, inevitable that she would be deceived.
Since the sunflower is indeed the Lantern Fairy, in the game of Werewolf, it would be considered a "golden water" (a person who is considered safe and reliable) by both the Witch and the Seer at the start of the game, making it trustworthy no matter how you look at it.
Only from a God's-eye view can one know that it is the product of a conspiracy where the "Child of Man" submits to the Magical Girl system, actively peels itself from its own soul, slowly accumulates in the form of fragments, and is eventually reborn in the Life Form of Lantern Fairy.
Fortunately, Mom's Shine Magic seemed to have completely defeated it.
This caused the opponent's power and strength to flow completely backward into the Soul Flower, causing her magic, soul realm, Destined Magic, various spells, and even more minute details to increase exponentially with each breath, and this has continued unabated until now.
But the biggest gain was not that, but rather... the rank, authority, some knowledge, and intelligence belonging to the Disaster God.
In other words, she infiltrated the enemy in a very unusual way, uncovering a secret that Charlotte's mother hadn't fully understood even in the previous playthrough, and gaining a deeper understanding of the Disaster Group, this enemy of civilization.
Chu Wangshu already knew the origin of the disaster group.
To understand this, we must first explain a concept.
That is the Sea of Truth, the source of infinite mysteries, in which countless multiverses, single dimensions, and micro-worlds float and sink.
Although there is no time scale, there is a cyclical pattern.
For example, if you have a can of Coke that hasn't expired, and you shake it slightly, you'll hear countless bubbles popping and bursting inside.
On a scale magnified to the Sea of Truth, each bubble is a world, and these worlds are like cells in the human body, constantly evolving and being replaced by nature.
The essence of a disaster cluster is the echo of these bubbles.
Infinite worlds, infinite dimensions, infinite civilizations—their birth and death compose a brilliant symphony, yet they can also weave deeper shadows as they fall.
The so-called calamity swarm is a phenomenon created by the birth and death of the world. It is the tentacles of the entropy of chaos, the memes that have gathered after the fall of all worlds, and also a monster that yearns to be accepted by the mother sea again and endlessly seeks evolution.
There are many such monsters, and those that have arrived in her world constitute a relatively powerful horde, far beyond what ordinary multiverses can contend with.
But they still failed here, buried in the previous cycle. The reason they can start over now is simply because their mothers yearn for a better and more perfect future.
Chu Wangshu drifted far away.
Looking back now, the Gap World my mother experienced in the past may not have all originated from the worlds destroyed by the current disaster groups; it's possible that some of it came from the shadow of the civilizations that built them.
The [Child of Man] she inherited is essentially a composite entity formed by the Disaster Group by refining the possibilities that this world showed in the previous playthrough and incorporating a large number of fragments of civilization genes.
The girl sorted out her thoughts, wanting to extract useful information to tell her mother, Dream Weaver Rabbit, and the younger seniors. However, for now, knowing the origin of the disaster swarm wouldn't give her side much of an advantage.
On the contrary, the status and power of the Disaster God are of greater help to her.
For example, changes to the Destined Magic [Child of Man].
--[Child of Man].
--Effect 1: Final Blessing. When you have a wish, the power of Funeral Procession will be briefly revived for you.
--Effect 2: A pure white legacy. When you have a wish, the power from the high walls will protect your path.
--Effect 3: Gift of the Stars. When your heart desires something, the Soul Flower will be restored to its full glory, and the endless Cosmic Dimensions will open their arms to you.
--Effect 4: Lord of the Disaster Swarm (Crippled): When encountering Calamity Beasts, it can intimidate, tame, and devour them. Using it on Calamity Beasts with the Disaster God sequence will have a certain failure rate. If successful, it can integrate and weave abilities according to the acquired gene concepts and integrate them into itself. It can also be given to other creatures to create Dependents.
The first three items remain largely unchanged, except that the prerequisites have been removed, making it very convenient to use at will.
The last item has changed drastically, going directly from [the favor of the disaster group] to half the Lord of the Disaster Swarm.
Beyond what is described in words, she also possesses a passive skill that involves devouring civilizations and consuming all energy types that have been merged and swallowed by the disaster swarm, using it to evolve and replenish herself.
At the same time, she mastered the calamity energy, including its basic branches such as domination, transformation, creation, and absorption. The calamity energy belonging to the Disaster God -- [Child of Man] has now condensed into a jet-black gemstone, which is placed in the stamen of the Soul Flower and can be used at any time.
This part is too complicated.
Chu Wangshu hadn't figured it out yet, nor did she have the mind to understand it. She guessed that this must be a shared authority of the thirteen Disaster God, and only by combining all of them could the word "crippled" in the parentheses be removed.
To put it more simply, she now has an additional transformation mode: wielding Lantern Gem, she can transform into Magical Girl; wielding a jet-black gem, she can become the Disaster God -- [Child of Man], able to freely switch between the two sides.
Currently, as a Disaster God, she should be far stronger than herself as Magical Girl.
However, having just experienced the sunflower incident, Chu Wangshu, whose heart was filled with shadows, still had some doubts, fearing that it might be some kind of conspiracy.
At the very least, I should wait until I've talked to my mother and the younger generation before deciding whether to use these unfamiliar and dangerous powers.
Time passed with the ticking of the clock. When they had drunk half of a cup of Moon Boat tea, Little Sakura came out of the kitchen. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing an apron, looking every bit the virtuous wife.
The girl placed the steaming sukiyaki on the round table, turned to look at Chu Wangshu, and smiled:
"Xiao Shu, you're back? Dinner's almost ready. Could you go upstairs and call Liuli?"
Chu Wangshu put down her cup, said softly, and walked to the door. She knocked a few times, and only went in after hearing no response.
The Green Eyed Cat was lying on the bed, sleeping in an unexpectedly docile posture. Her white dress didn't have many wrinkles. Around her were a group of eyeless teddy bears, and their presence created a strangely eerie feeling.
The girl's delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her sleeping face did not look happy, which slightly reduced Chu Wangshu's guilt about waking her up.
Chu Wangshu walked to the bedside and noticed an empty pen refill on the floor. She picked it up, looked around for a trash can but couldn't find one, then thought for a moment and placed it on the table.
The bookshelf on the table was filled with all kinds of books related to actors, drama, screen, and movies, as well as stacks of thick notebooks, which I couldn't tell were biographies or reading notes.
These must have been the books the other person read when they were a child star.
Liuli is indeed very powerful.
Only someone as hardworking, dedicated, and talented as her could receive so much praise and honor at such a young age, even managing to portray a little-known Magical Girl drama so perfectly.
The little girl, as if possessed, picked up the top notebook. She glanced guiltily at the still-sleeping Liuli Cat Cat, then curiously opened the cover, inexplicably beginning to anticipate that it was a character biography from <Magical Girl Daliana>.
However, upon opening the title page, there was a blank sheet of paper with no famous quotes, no English words, musical notation, or character analysis; there was only a passage of incomprehensible text.
[My ideal partner: 163cm tall, 46kg, measurements 86/51/84, white hair and golden eyes, 17 years old, excellent at telling bedtime stories, super cute and sunny, and a beautiful girl with maternal instincts.]
???
Shocked, Chu Wangshu quickly closed the book, putting the notebook back as if it were burning her hands. Her lovely face was flushed, and her mind was a jumble of information and gossip, as if she had discovered a huge secret.
Unexpectedly, Liuli actually likes girls!
But in an instant, the feeling of having gotten the juiciest gossip vanished.
The young girl felt inexplicably bored and looked at Tang Liuli on the bed with some confusion.
Sigh, why did I suddenly feel no emotion after finding out?
Is it possible that, subconsciously, the fact that Liuli is made of neodymium copper isn't surprising at all?
Never mind, anyway, she's not a girl who's 163cm tall, 46kg, with measurements of 86/51/84, white hair and golden eyes, 17 years old, tells amazing bedtime stories, is super cute and sunny, and has a maternal side.
Chu Wangshu decided to treat this as a minor incident. She quickly shook the listless Green Eyed Cat awake, helped it downstairs, and together with Little Sakura and Xie Qingxuan, tried to use the aroma of sukiyaki, turkey, and various delicacies to bring it back to its senses.
Only then did the long-awaited victory celebration officially begin.
Everyone moved the large TV in the coffee shop to a spot near their table, put on a random program to add to the atmosphere and liveliness, and discussed the girl group's positioning while eating.
This has actually been largely settled online. The roles within each team are nothing more than lead vocalist (strongest vocalist), lead dancer (strongest dancer), rapper (strongest rapper), visual (best-looking), ACE (strongest overall ability and best fits the group's concept), and most importantly, Center position (the absolute center of the group).
It's worth mentioning that these roles can be stacked; for example, someone can be the visual center, lead vocalist, and Center position all at once, depending on their individual characteristics and abilities.
Therefore, based on past performances, we can quickly draw conclusions about who is matched with whom.
But now, whether it's Xie Qingxuan, Kiriwake Yayoi, Chu Wangshu, or Tang Liuli, they are all in a state of deep confusion while trying to finalize these things, and no one is taking the initiative to take the lead or acknowledge the Center position.
It's as if all four of them unanimously chose to wait, waiting for the one who is more suitable for the Center position and can better determine the concept of the group to appear.
Volume 1: 396. The Little Cotton-padded Jacket's Amazing Wisdom.
The vegetables and meats in the sukiyaki pot float and roll in the bubbling broth, the delicious oil glistening enticingly, making the colors of the ingredients even more vibrant, and filling the nostrils with a sweet and delicious aroma.
Xie Qingxuan wiped her lips, then glanced down at the glass that still contained half a glass of lemon slices and ice. Through the reflection of the light, she could vaguely see a delicate, indifferent, and somewhat gloomy face reflected in the transparent glass.
"Everything today is strange, like living in a dream."
Even if she remembers parts of her past from the first timeline and reunites with her former comrade Charlotte, her personality shouldn't change much.
Because for the Demon King in the first playthrough, the Diva, the enlightened one, Witch are not truly indispensable. They can entrust their beliefs and lives to each other, and they surpass most of the worldly definitions of friendship, making them one of each other's most reliable comrades.
The problem is that, for that Demon King, entrusting each other with their lives does not mean they are close. In her eyes, they are just moving towards the same goal, and thus they meet and help each other on the same path.
In short, without Chu Yuanqing as a link and bond, the Diva, the enlightened one, the Witch, and the Demon King in Xie Qingxuan's memory are somewhat detached. Theoretically, this bond can no longer change Xie Qingxuan's current personality.
But the truth is,
After self-reflection, Xie Qingxuan was able to perceive changes in her attitude towards her sister, her feelings towards her parents, her pursuit of love, her judgment of the stage, and her thoughts about idols...
These ideas, which require years of accumulation and dramatic changes to gradually change, have now been completely transformed without anyone noticing.
Even though this sense of unease was constantly being swallowed up, worn away, and driven away, she still did not waver in her doubts.
Firstly, it's because of his personality—the second playthrough is alright, but the Demon King in the first playthrough is an extremely obsessive type, to the point that even if you take a step back, he still has some mental problems.
Secondly, it's because of the blessing—after the Third Performance, her Magical Girl identity was revealed, and <Flash Dance> promoted her as planned, stacking its own weight and continuously amplifying [Titan's Authority], which is equivalent to constantly stacking resistance.
So,
In Xie Qingxuan's statement, there was no confusion, no hesitation, and no self-doubt; there was only an inexplicable certainty.
Chu Wangshu's emotions fluctuated; the strange feeling that had subsided within her was stirred up again by the other person's words, and she asked:
"Does Sister Xie feel the same way?"
Kiriwake Yayoi glanced at the untouched food on the table, her cherry-pink eyes sparkling. She pursed her lips and said softly:
"Ever since our last performance, I've felt something's off. I don't know how to describe it, but... something just doesn't feel right."
Tang Liuli raised her gloomy eyebrows. She was still not in good spirits after waking up. A faint dark circle covered her emerald eyes. Clearly, several hours of light sleep could not soothe the loss of her magic.
This feeling of spiritual thirst, mental lethargy, and near-dried-up thoughts, where not a trace of strength can be squeezed out, is extremely frustrating.
The Green Eyed Cat was absent-minded while eating, like a potted plant that had been watered by dark clouds and withered, looking very listless. In the past, she would have already entered the state of the great detective Sherlock Holmes Liuli.
But now, the extraordinary wisdom hidden deep within the soul is severely suppressed, making it impossible to grasp the glimmer of insight that leads to the truth, or to offer any constructive opinions or directions.
But...
"It's really strange; my magic power has been depleted for no apparent reason."
Tang Liuli sipped the alcoholic juice and continued: