Deep in the Dream

Luo Zining is losing it.

Luo You immediately deploys her trump card.

“Oh, Zining, you have developed! Your chest is bigger, your skin’s smoother, and your vibe is totally refreshed! You’re almost catching up to me!”

“That last bit was unnecessary.”

Luo Zining’s rage melts into frustration.

She’s started fusing with Divinity Particles, yet she still can’t match this old fogey’s feminine allure. It’s a bit demoralizing.

This geezer only absorbed a tiny bit and ended up like this!

[It’s fine, I’ve only fused ten percent. There’s still ninety percent left! You’ve got a shot!]

Luo Zining prays inwardly, hoping that once she fully fuses with the Divinity Particles, she’ll transform into a big sister who can crush this old fogey. Then, with heavy justice, she’ll slap the face of the one who mocked her figure!

Too bad—

‘Even if you become a big sister, I’m not apologizing,’ Luo You thinks smugly.

Sure, she’s ruthless enough to mess with her daughter’s aunt and sister, but when it comes to Zining, her fingers just can’t muster the nerve.

Well, not exactly—she can get tough, but only when her five fingers ball into a fist hard enough to shatter granite.

For now, she’ll play along with her impatient daughter.

“Seriously, what did you do? You seemed normal just a couple of days ago,” Luo You asks.

“Hmph, what do you ever notice? You’re out till late every night.”

“Well… fair point. My bad. You said you need new bras? Tomorrow, then…”

“No, let’s wait a bit,” Luo Zining says proudly, hands on hips.

“I’ve got a feeling I’m about to explode with growth!”

“Wow, that’s some confidence.”

This kid’s probably cocky because she hasn’t fully fused with the Divinity Particles yet, huh?

Luo You hides the amusement in her eyes.

Hasn’t she heard? The changes after the first fusion of Divinity Particles are pretty much set.

Further fusion only refines the internals—glowing skin, feather-light hair, a more refined face, that sort of thing.

No matter how much more she changes, her figure’s likely locked in.

[Poor thing. Even with Divinity Particles, she’s barely grown a cup and a half. A C at best?]

Luo You sneaks a glance at Zining’s chest, brimming with pity.

Can’t even Divinity Particles save her figure?

Well, a woman’s charm isn’t all about her body—Luo You acknowledges that, being the perfect example herself.

So, all in all, Zining’s future’s still bright!

Luo You’s pretty chill about it.

But the more Zining thinks, the more frustrated she gets. Why can’t she surpass this old fogey who’s only absorbed a sliver of Divinity Particles?

“Dad, are you hiding something from me?” Zining asks, her voice dripping with resentment.

“Probably. Depends on what you mean.”

“Like, are you really just an ordinary person?”

“!”

Luo You’s hand trembles, but she forces calm. “Uh, um… I look pretty ordinary, don’t I?”

Too late—Zining’s already lost in her own imagination.

“Maybe you’ve got real potential to be a magical girl!”

“Uh, why would you think that?”

“Because you’re so cute, Dad! Even as a decorative mascot, you’d be a hit and boost the magical girls’ image big time.”

“No way, forget it. I’m not stooping to be a magical girl.”

Luo You shuts it down without a second thought.

If she became a magical girl, she’d have to fight alongside those sisters?

“No, no, no. That’d make the Magical Alliance collapse from ethical dilemmas.”

“Hm… true.”

Zining nods after a moment’s thought.

“If you were a magical girl, Dad, you’d definitely get captured and interrogated after losing a fight! Especially with that witch hunting magical girls lately. If it was you, she’d probably make you a star… no, something even lowlier!”

So, better to stay an ordinary person.

“…”

Why do you always think of the wildest scenarios?

Luo You, exasperated, points to the door. “Out. You’re done showing off, so don’t bother me. I’m working out.”

“Tch~~”

Her flaunting failed, and she’s taken a hit to her confidence instead.

Zining drops the act, tosses the barbell aside, and storms out.

Back in her room, she immediately calls Zhao Xinxin.

– “Commander Zhao, why aren’t the changes from fusing Divinity Particles more obvious?”

Startled by Zining’s resentful tone, Zhao replies cautiously, – “What’s wrong?”

– “Didn’t you say some people grew multiple cup sizes overnight? I’ve barely grown at all!”

– “Uh, don’t worry, it’ll get better with time.”

Zhao sweats. A teenage girl calling late at night over this? So hard to deal with…

– “Little Red Riding Hood, any signs of awakening abilities?”

– “Not yet… how does it even happen?”

– “No clue. The Alliance’s magical girls who fused with Divinity Particles usually awaken after a night’s sleep. Everyone’s abilities are diverse, but they’re all powerful.”

For magical girls, it’s like gaining a bonus inherent magic—sometimes even stronger.

If you rank magical girls’ inherent magic, the Top Ten’s are S-tier.

Abilities granted by Divinity Particles are typically stronger—SS or even SSS-tier.

Depending on compatibility, one might awaken multiple abilities.

Zining asks softly, – “Are their awakened abilities as strong as the Aurora Witch Elera’s?”

– “…Not yet, it seems.”

Zhao’s voice carries a hint of disappointment.

– “In terms of functionality, their abilities are comparable to Elera’s, but they can’t push them to the absolute limit.”

– “So, if Elera and I awakened the same speed ability, her speed might be several times mine?”

– “Don’t overthink it, Little Red Riding Hood. Few have fused with Divinity Particles, so we can’t be sure. There’s no fixed rule.”

The lack of a firm denial feels like confirmation to Zining.

She knows her compatibility likely can’t match Elera’s, meaning a huge gap in ability mastery.

– “Sorry for bothering you, Commander Zhao. I’m going to sleep.”

– “Come back the next few days to finish fusing the remaining Divinity Particles.”

– “Got it.”

The entire call is overheard by Luo You, eavesdropping through the wall.

Walls have ears.

“Hm, so she hasn’t awakened any abilities yet.”

Luo You crosses her arms, experienced in this.

Others might not know how abilities awaken, but she has a rough idea.

‘The truest desires in your heart determine what abilities you awaken.’

She realized this the night before she defected from the organization.

That night, she had a dream.

…

On a boundless, deathly still sea, she stood alone at its center, wandering, lost.

As if a millennium had passed, or she’d returned to the past, a pink light flickered in the distant sky, threatening to drag the world into a mysterious spacetime.

Radiant beams of unmatched distortion surged, closing in. Fierce winds whipped her hair, as if the pink glow would melt her into nothingness.

Then, the endless pink halo converged, forming an unforgettable arc in the sky, splitting the vast heavens into yin and yang, creating two distinct spacetimes.

At the arc’s end was a comet, fleeting yet eternal, its colors forever altering the surrounding scene. When she came to, only an intoxicating pink halo remained.

More beautiful, more real than any filtered game.

In that spacetime, there was serene silence, as if eternal.

…

“Thinking back, that was one hell of a dream,” Luo You sighs.

“Most people forget half their dreams the moment they wake, and without deliberate recall, they’re gone soon after.”

But that dream shook her to her core—she couldn’t forget it if she tried.

Like the comet she saw as a child crashing into the Sea of Realms, so vivid. To her, pink became the color of that comet’s ultimate speed.

That comet had an official name among the people—Fei Tianlan.

When she woke, she gained an ability—her final awakened power.

Unmatched speed.

If she had to name it—

“‘Harmonious Light · Tianlan’… sounds pretty good, right?”

Luo You’s eyes light up with delight.

She’d never given this ability a proper name until now, and it feels right.

Like Unrivaled Charm · Wondrous Law, it’s a name with deep meaning.

Sadly, after extreme testing, she found her top speed couldn’t match that comet’s crash into the Sea of Realms.

Divinity Particles, at their core, are ‘universal particles’ that manifest one’s wishes and aspirations, taking different forms based on the user’s will.

For example, Three Lives, Ten Directions is Divinity Particles transformed into energy-absorbing particles, released as a medium.

Or Harmonious Light · Tianlan, where Divinity Particles create a force field around her, granting unparalleled speed.

It sounds a bit like physics, but it’s entirely different.

Depending on the user’s will, Divinity Particles can take countless forms, mimicking countless physical properties.

Some, like Unrivaled Charm or the Spirit-Coral of Null, defy physics entirely.

“Even Divinity Particles couldn’t replicate Fei Tianlan. What is that thing?” Luo You feels a thrill.

It’s not her ability falling short—it’s that Divinity Particles, a miraculous force, can’t recreate Fei Tianlan’s miracle.

Does that mean Fei Tianlan itself is a miracle equal to or surpassing Divinity Particles?

Luo You desperately wants to get close to Fei Tianlan, to see it with her own eyes, touch it with her hands, feel its presence, and discover what kind of miracle it is.

“Well… Divinity Particles grant abilities based on the user’s deepest understanding of a color, manifesting as unique powers.”

Luo You glances toward the next room, as if seeing Zining anxiously awaiting her own awakening.

“If Zining had the same dream of Fei Tianlan crashing into the Sea of Realms, what ability would she awaken?”

Not everyone sees Fei Tianlan as ultimate speed.

Online, some call it ultimate beauty.

What kind of seductive power might Zining awaken?

But that’s just Luo You’s imagination—Zining wasn’t even born when Fei Tianlan fell.

“Come to think of it… did I awaken brainwashing and hypnosis because I subconsciously tied green to NTR?”

That’s too ridiculous.

Luo You shakes her head. No way!

There’s got to be a deeper reason for her hypnosis ability!

“I wonder what Zining’s compatibility is. The number of powers she awakens should tie to that.”

Luo You isn’t sure if the number of powers correlates directly with compatibility or the amount of Divinity Particles.

Her own compatibility was 79%, with a massive amount of particles—perfect conditions.

Zining has a small amount of particles, so her growth depends heavily on compatibility.

Luo You recalls her own abilities didn’t awaken all at once but over time.

First was Three Lives, Ten Directions.

Then Azure Impact.

Then Spirit-Coral of Null.

And finally, Harmonious Light · Tianlan.

Roughly every two or three months, sometimes a year or two.

“She’ll just have to wait.”

It’s not her awakening, so no use overthinking. Luo You takes a bath, hops into bed, and falls asleep.

She dreams.

The world turns black and white, everything frozen.

From stars to dust, all still.

Suddenly, the white vanishes, leaving only black. Things start moving again, and she realizes a world-ending meteor is tearing through the atmosphere, crashing a hundred meters away.

The heavens and earth fall silent.

But the moment it touches her, everything—

Ring ring ring ring ring!

“…Hello?”

Luo You jolts awake, staring blankly at her ringing WeChat call.

The caller: Liyun.

‘Was I… just having some weird dream?’