A little black devil’s dream

Headquarters of the Alien Organization

“Are you alright, Aula?”

“Oh? If it isn’t Yue.

Didn’t expect you to have time to visit me.”

“You got whipped and strung up.

Of course I had to come see how you’re doing.

A lot of people are waiting on your next result.

Recover quickly.”

Two of the people who held nearly all the power within the Alien Organization now spoke face-to-face.

Only, Aula was literally floating in place.

Nothing serious.

Just… her butt hurt.

Yue’s face was refined and delicate, her clothing old-fashioned, like an ancient scholar-poet.

Looking at her, one couldn’t easily tell if she was male or female—she lingered in an ambiguous state.

Compared to her, Aula’s flowing waves of azure hair and hourglass figure made it unmistakably clear she was a beautiful elder sister type.

“Yue, when can you bring Herrera back to us?

If she was here, I could conduct my experiments without restraint.”

“Don’t count on it.

For now, best not to assume Herrera is our backing.”

“I’ve been asking around lately, and guess what?

Apparently Herrera started a family.

Even adopted a daughter.

Unbelievable, right?”

There was seven parts disdain and three parts mockery in Yue’s smile.

“Herrera? The type to have a family?

Ridiculous.

Family only slows a magical girl’s pace.”

“Herrera’s got troubles of her own now,” Aula chuckled softly.

“Time she paid for the sins she sowed all those years.”

“What do you mean?”

“From what I’ve learned—the Magical Alliance’s Top Ten have formed a special unit.

Their sole purpose: hunt Herrera down.

Drag her to trial.”

Aula’s tone brimmed with schadenfreude.

“First Seat Xingyue has made her return. Who knows what trump cards she has this time.

Second Seat Manjusaka has remained guarding Sidheim, widely respected.

The rest of the Ten have grown dramatically stronger through advancements in magic.

Herrera really may be in trouble this time.”

Yue exhaled, uninterested.

“Speaking of—you made Herrera threaten me personally.

Ordered me to whip you.

What was wrong with that Wangchuan experiment?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Aula grinned innocently, whether feigned or real unclear.

“Whether you do or don’t—stop provoking Herrera.

If she decides to leave you an unforgettable memory, she will.”

“Got it, got it.”

Yue’s voice hardened.

“Be cautious in your experiments from here on.

The Alliance’s eyes are on us.

They won’t declare war on the Alien Organization outright.

And governments won’t allow two great forces to clash again.

But just in case—be careful.

The real rulers of the Magical Alliance aren’t the magical girls.

It’s the magical beings deep in the Sea of Realms: Sidheim itself.

Keep playing with fire, and we might draw them.”

“Fortunately, Wangchuan died in the Sea of Realms.

Otherwise, that would be our weak link.

I’ll negotiate with the higher-ups.

Push for looser conditions.

Get your next results quickly.”

“Ara~ got any good materials for me?”

“No. Stop obsessing over one-shot curiosities like Wangchuan.

What we need is a breakthrough that can be replicated in batches.

Mass application.

Our organization first.”

“Without resources, things will be difficult.

But you can handle it, right?”

Yue’s gaze bore down with quiet pressure.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?” Aula smiled confidently.

Even a national-level lab composed of elites might hesitate to make guarantees—

But she dared.

“If I had proper materials, I could accelerate at least—speaking of.

I saw it.” Aula suddenly dragged out her tone, like some sly green tea girl.

“The way Herrera disposed of Wangchuan’s remnant matter.”

“…I saw it too.

What’s your take?” Yue’s voice dropped.

“If Herrera herself handled Sea of Realms residue, fine—that kind of supreme artifact like Divinity Particles makes it possible.

But it wasn’t her.

It was her little follower.

Tell me—what sort of being can consume Sea of Realms matter?

A dimensional beast, maybe?”

“Even if so, that doesn’t concern me.

I’m concerned with one thing only—”

Aula leaned forward.

“Remember my old research?

Inside a Plunder-Light beast lies unique Realm matter.

To other beasts, it’s deadly poison.

But Herrera’s little follower devoured it all—without rejection.

That’s what I want to know.”

Yue snapped.

“Don’t you dare scheme, Aula.

The Alien Organization is a nail in every faction’s eye already.

If even Herrera takes the opposite side, it’s over.

Dissolve the group and beg for work herding oxen instead.”

That pressure made Aula waver, hands rising with frantic reassurance.

“I’m not thinking what you think!”

Yue relented.

“If that follower has Divinity Particles…”

“That’s the likeliest case,” Aula admitted.

Herrera wasn’t the only holder.

Others existed.

But she held more than half of all known Divinity Particles herself.

The Organization had scoured the planet for years—

Spent immeasurable resources—

And found nothing.

Only rumors:

A holder working inside human government.

A few magical girls in the Alliance bearing faint glimmers.

“But suppose Herrera’s underling isn’t a holder.

Suppose that adaptability is hers alone—”

Aula’s eyes burned with mania.

“Then it validates my hypothesis.

Everyone says Divinity Particles come from the Sea of Realms.

But what if—Divinity Particles are the supreme Realm Matter itself?

And those who merge with them perfectly…

Are the ultimate evolution of the Sea of Realms—

Plunder-Light-class beings!”

“You’re suggesting… Herrera is a dimensional beast?” Yue frowned.

“Not saying that.

Maybe Divinity Particles are exceptions, letting beings outside the Sea adapt.

My point is—if that mysterious head that broke through the Sea barrier was a complete Plunder-Light being, it proves me right.

There’s another route to ultimate evolution.

Divinity Particles aren’t the only key.”

On this, Aula was ecstatic.

Her creed: never judge strange phenomena by appearances.

Find their source, and mystery becomes reproducible.

She hadn’t cared for Divinity Particles at first—because their origin was unclear.

But after seeing the avalanche in the Sea of Realms, she couldn’t contain the thrill.

‘I want so, so badly to dissect Herrera’s body.

She herself is a fountainhead specimen.

If I could strip her down to nothing…’

Lust and twisted excitement flickered across Aula’s eyes.

“Yue, one question.”

“Speak.”

“If I became a magical girl…

Would Herrera come to hunt me?”

“…What?”

“Haha~~~”

Luo You awoke with a stretch.

By then, it was already noon.

Such sweet sleep.

Maybe next time she had insomnia, she should try a little wine.

“Wait—oh crap!

I’m late for work!”

She bolted upright, reaching for her phone.

But one message calmed her instantly.

She flopped right back onto the bed.

It was from An Min’er—

Saying she wouldn’t be exercising the next two days.

“Well then,” Luo You muttered.

“No one booked me today anyway.

Not a big deal if I’m late.”

She still called her manager.

“Hello, Luo You? What is it?”

“Manager, I… well, last night I went drinking with a client, overdid it. Slept through the morning. Dock my pay if you want.”

Dead silence on the other end.

Then careful words.

“That client… you mean An Min’er?”

“Yeah.

She’s the only one I train, right?”

“No problem, no problem!

Why mention pay cuts?

We’re not some wolf-culture company.

We respect relationships here!”

He almost sounded terrified.

“Don’t worry about coming in today.

I’ll even approve… not one, but three days off.”

“Huh? Oh, no need!

I’ll head in soon enough.”

No matter what—

As a famous fitness blogger and pro coach—

Discipline was everything.

You can’t fish three days, sunbathe two—that’s not a coach!

Even without clients, she’d find her own work to do.

Looking down, she realized she was still in yesterday’s outfit.

Stockings and all.

Best get washed.

Even if young girls like her smelled sweet by default—the sticky feeling was annoying.

After a hot shower, she slipped into clean clothes.

This time, on a whim, she chose a pair of sheer black silk tights she’d bought ages ago but never worn.

They were expensive.

Cool and silky, top comfort.

So thin, she had to put them on slowly, carefully, terrified of snagging a tear.

That would make things… far too enticing.

“Mmm. Perfect. Suits me after all.”

She pressed her thighs together, wriggled once or twice.

Ah, that slipperiness. Worth every coin.

Then she sat before her mirror, stretching her feet toward it.

Time to prepare a post.

But before she could snap the picture—she froze.

Silk had this infamous trait: “a scratch feels ten times as ticklish.”

She dragged her nails lightly along the smooth sole of her foot, amplified sensitivity firing up her nerves until she shook like a leaf.

“Eeeek~~ ticklish~~! Okay, post it! Post it!”

Clutching the toe of her tights, tugging it slightly, she let her translucent pink soles peek spectacularly.

Some folks were addicted to sights like this.

“Hehe~ Wearing hi-socks to work today.

Hope I don’t get dragged off by some strange big sis again~!”

Finished her post, brushed her teeth, ready to leave.

But—

“Morning, Dad.”

Luo Zining blocked her at the door.

Her eyes flicked downward.

Those black tights.

“Stockings that pretty?

Planning to go seduce which rich woman?”

“I have no idea what you’re implying.”

Luo You snorted, lifting her chin.

“Seduce a rich woman?

I already know plenty.

Though… if I’m being honest—only An Jiu’er counts.

Oh, and Ji Yue.”

Cold gaze.

Zining sighed.

“Dad, really.

Let me give you one line: play with fire, and you’ll burn to death.”

“You’re the one vivid with imagination.

According to you, every time it ends with me enslaved, chained up, my limbs gone—what really goes on in your brain?”

“Tch. Say what you want.

But if you ever do end up in a basement, don’t call me for help.”

She jabbed her finger at the tights.

“Well? How much were they?”

“Uh… six, six thousand…” Sweat trickled down Luo You’s temple.

“Six?!”

Zining’s eyes bulged.

The most expensive in her wardrobe—eight hundred yuan.

She wore those only once a month.

And this decrepit old man blows six thousand on himself?!

“I-I’ll buy you a pair too?” Luo You winced at the pain in her wallet.

“Hmph! You said it!”

Zining crossed her arms.

“Then again… do you even know how to wash them?”

“Uh… probably?”

“You don’t.

When you get home tonight, just toss them in the laundry.

I’ll wash them for you.”

“…Oh.”

Luo You blinked, baffled.

Daughter scolding one second, acting filial the next.

Girls were impossible to read.

‘But… where’s Auntie?’ She looked around.

If she was going to the trouble of wearing this outfit—

She wanted to tempt her aunt!

“Your aunt’s out.

Won’t be home until late,” Zining said flatly.

She knew where Ji Yue had really gone.

Huanhai Branch.

After painstaking effort, she’d gotten Xingyue to agree to tutor her in magic.

She’d set out early this morning, radiant, determined not to return until she was stronger.

“I see…”

Luo You sighed.

So, no teasing Auntie today.

But almost at once—her phone buzzed with another message.

“Coach, sorry.

I know I didn’t book you today.

But could I still join you for training?”

“Hm?”

Luo You replied, puzzled.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t free?”

An Jiu’er’s excuse came instantly, pre-prepared.

“The invitation I had got canceled.

Suddenly I’ve got free time.”

“That so?

Fine. I’m heading to the gym now.

Come find me there.”

As she ended the chat, Luo You mused.

Life was funny like that.

Packed schedules… and suddenly, an empty hour falls into your lap.

A little gift of happiness.