Are you ready? If not, I can tell you about the situation inside later.
Qi Yue’an offered Ling Ru a kind reminder. She knew well that one reason for the ‘Raccoon Dog’ scheme was the Night Watchmen’s distrust of Qi Yue’an herself. The original plan had been for Ling Ru to complete the imitation before infiltration, and then detain Qi Yue’an at the start of the operation, thereby achieving the intended substitution.
However, the current situation saw the genuine article agreeing to help. While the guise of an ‘inspection’ simplified many aspects, it also allowed the plan to revert to its initial version, with Qi Yue’an serving as the insider.
“No, Yueyue-jie… or rather, An’an-jie now. I must do this. It’s not just their wish; I also want to see the truth with my own eyes.”
As she spoke, dense purple crystals began to sprout across her body, forming a thick cocoon. Moments later, the cocoon shattered into countless specks of light, revealing a young woman who was an exact replica of Qi Yue’an. Her aura, magical attributes, appearance, and even her demeanor were indistinguishable from Qi Yue’an’s.
Qi Yue’an scrutinized the replica, feeling a fleeting sense of déjà vu, as if transported back to Ancheng within the Crown of Reason. Yet, this girl was even more like her than those maidens there, who had merely begun with Qi Yue as their template.
“An, I don’t seem to be able to mimic the red flames you use.”
Ling Ru snapped her fingers, and a purple flame of jealousy ignited on her right hand. Her tone and manner of speech were now identical to Qi Yue’an’s.
‘What should I do? Will there be a problem? That wasn’t considered when this plan was finalized…’
She appeared somewhat lacking in confidence, her head slightly bowed as if disheartened, yet her face remained expressionless. It seemed she had even adopted Qi Yue’an’s personality, leaving Qi Yue’an feeling a mix of sympathy and helplessness as she considered how to comfort her.
‘Was I truly like this normally?’
“It’s fine, that’s nothing to worry about. It’s a small gain I acquired from the Crown of Reason, and its essence isn’t truly from me. Besides, only you know about it; I haven’t even told Lin Xiao yet.”
Qi Yue’an offered her a reassuring smile and gently patted her head. “So, go on and do your best. If there’s any risk of exposure, just let me switch back.”
‘But… what will happen to you after I go in there?’
She suddenly recalled this crucial detail. It seemed Qi Yue’an herself lacked any disguise abilities, and even if she possessed them, the departure of “Ling Ru” had already been arranged outside. At best, Qi Yue’an could only hide in a closet or some other obscure corner.
However, just as she fretted, Qi Yue’an’s demeanor abruptly shifted, her voice taking on Qi Yue’s distinct tone. From within her robes, she produced the Crown of Reason.
“Oh, I have my own methods, Ling Ru. Could you spare some magic for us?”
Ling Ru, bewildered by Qi Yue’s sudden emergence, could only nod blankly in agreement.
“…Oh.”
In her hand, a mass of invisible, condensed magic materialized, gradually solidifying into a four-pointed, star-shaped purple crystal, which she then handed to Qi Yue.
“Hmm… no matter how I look at it, Ling Ru, your magic is truly unique. While its lineage is jealousy, it’s attribute-less, and unlike others that are always plasma or waveform, it can alternately manifest as gas and solid…”
She placed the Crown of Reason upon her head and studied the crystal in her hand for a moment. This was a newly discovered method of using the Crown: it could analyze the properties of magic and utilize it in a very limited capacity. However, if used more than three times in a short period or worn for over half an hour, they would be pulled into the Crown of Reason’s inner world.
Qi Wei had warned her that it was best not to overuse it at this stage, or her fusion with the Crown of Reason would intensify excessively. Ultimately, she would lose her physical body, her consciousness and information merging to become one of the trapped spirits within Ancheng.
Two seconds later, a look of sudden comprehension dawned on her face. She caressed the crystal, and colorless magic seeped from it, beginning to swirl around her. Subsequently, new purple crystals formed on her body, and she too emerged from a cocoon, though her appearance was unlike anyone Ling Ru had ever known.
She was clad in a striking red and black judge’s robe, resembling a Yama from the underworld. Her long black hair was gathered into a modest single braid, draped from her right shoulder across her front, and her originally silver eyes had transformed into a vivid crimson.
“Who is that? An’an-jie, the piece I gave you was only enough to mimic appearance and a small amount of magic, so it’s best to choose someone relatively familiar…”
Witnessing this sudden transformation, Ling Ru completely forgot to maintain her imitated tone. She could feel a terrifying pressure emanating from the person before her.
Yet, Qi Yue’an merely offered a faint smile, a gesture that seemed incongruous with her current appearance. Nonetheless, the aura she exuded—a commanding presence that made others feel utterly insignificant, seemingly capable of incinerating countless malevolent spirits—was undeniably real.
“It’s fine, I just need to alter my appearance a bit.”
She drew forth the mysterious ancient sword that had previously exerted immense pressure upon them. Its flames illuminated the patterns on her robes, making her appear as if she had stepped directly out of a mythical legend.
“Now, I am Magical Girl Youguangyu, here to investigate the conspiracies of Lixing Hall.”
Having declared this, Qi Yue’an opened the window, preparing for her escape.
“If anything goes wrong, just launch a jealousy fireball into the sky, and I’ll rush over to create a diversion.”
“Anyway… I trust Lin Xiao won’t do anything to me.”
With these words, her figure flickered and vanished from the window. Ling Ru, however, could still vividly recall the look of trust on her face, a trust extended not only to Ling Ru herself but also to Lin Xiao.
****
After watching her depart, Ling Ru, or rather, “Qi Yue’an” for the moment, took a deep breath, suppressing the tumultuous thoughts swirling within her.
She meticulously adjusted her facial muscles, allowing her expression to settle into the slightly detached calm characteristic of Qi Yue’an.
Pushing open the restroom door, she walked towards Li Yan and Su Qiao, who were waiting outside.
“Apologies for the wait.”
She gave a slight nod, a gesture entirely consistent with Qi Yue’an’s usual manner.
Li Yan grinned, while Su Qiao elegantly gestured for her to proceed. “Princess Consort, the core area is just ahead. Please, follow us.”
They passed through the final airlock, which required high-level authorization, and truly stepped into the core region of the “Black Sun” base.
The scene here differed once more from the exterior, lacking the bustling production lines and instead exuding the precision and solemnity of a research institution.
At the center of the colossal circular space stood an unimaginably vast and intricate mechanical structure. Countless energy transmission fibers coiled around it like the roots of a giant tree, connecting to the dense array of control terminals and display panels adorning the surrounding walls.
The air was saturated with magic so potent it almost seemed to condense into a physical form, accompanied by a low-frequency hum, as if resonating from the deep core of the earth.
Several technicians, clad in white research coats, their eyes gleaming with both intelligence and fervent zeal, were already waiting.
Upon the “Princess Consort’s” arrival, they all bowed respectfully. Leading them was an elderly doctor with white hair and thick spectacles.
“Welcome, Princess Consort! It is our distinct honor to explain the core of the ‘Black Sun’ project to you.”
The voice of the old doctor, a clear demon-person with a single horn on his head, trembled slightly with excitement.
“Black Sun…”
Ling Ru, mimicking Qi Yue’an’s contemplative tone, repeated the name, her gaze fixed on the colossal central machinery.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Another, younger researcher took over, his voice brimming with pride.
“We believe that the root cause of the demon-person and magical girl phenomena lies in the world’s imbalanced and chaotic magic. The ‘Black Sun’ project is designed to fundamentally resolve this issue.”
He gestured towards the objects embedded in the critical nodes of the machinery, radiating various subtle glows—these were several “secondary holy relics” of diverse forms.
“From the very beginning, with the ‘Mandel Brick’ enabling the one-way conversion of magic into conventional energy, we have, under the guidance of His Majesty the Demon Lord, continuously explored the essence and application of magic. And that holy relic… which we call the ‘Feather of Death,’ endowed us with the crucial characteristic of ‘deprivation’…
The old doctor added with excitement:
“In conjunction with this ‘Black Sun’ core, built with all our technology and the power of the holy relics, we can achieve cross-spatial magic extraction and targeted conversion. Research indicates that the genesis and sustenance of demon-people are fundamentally powered by the collective subconscious of human society—their ‘cognition,’ ‘beliefs,’ and various extreme negative emotions. As for magical girls…”
He paused, pushing up his spectacles.
“While their power source is that mysterious black cat, their essence is fundamentally identical to demon-people. They can be considered a modified form—enhanced in combat ability, with fixed gender presentation, and stripped of the need to directly absorb beliefs and negative emotions. However, this also means they must continuously hunt demon-people to sustain their existence and resist the ‘hunger’ of their soul gems.”
Ling Ru listened in silence, diligently imprinting these complex details into her mind.
She observed that the eyes of the surrounding researchers burned with a singular conviction—a sense of mission to forge history and the future.
“And ‘Black Sun’,”
The old doctor’s voice grew fervent.
“It will change everything! Intelligent demon-people will no longer need to approach humans. We can remotely and safely convert those uncontrollable, irrational demon-people directly into pure magic, or further transform it into conventional energy sources like electricity and heat. According to our calculations, at its rated power, its sphere of influence can cover half the planet, completing a single cycle of absorption and conversion over a city-sized area in just five days. The energy generated… would be enough to sustain a large industrial nation for an entire year!”
Another researcher’s eyes sparkled with fervent aspiration.
“More importantly, the global magic concentration has been rising abnormally recently. This would ordinarily be a catastrophe, but with ‘Genesis,’ this surging tide of magic will become an inexhaustible source of clean energy!
“It will usher in a new era for human civilization, empowering our Lixing Hall, and indeed all humanity, to truly possess the means to venture into the stars!”
“The Global Emergency Organizations are still trapped in the old world’s zero-sum mentality, mired in suspicion, slander, schemes, and denigration. They are oblivious that Lixing Hall has already cast its vision towards a far more distant future.”
“I believe that freedom and the future will ultimately be pioneered by Lixing Hall.”
While Ling Ru maintained her composure outwardly, a tempest raged within her. The machine’s efficacy was astonishing; if their claims were true, this was indeed a monumental, epoch-making achievement.
However, a chilling thought uncontrollably burrowed into her mind.
Such efficient energy accumulation and instantaneous release capability… if maliciously exploited, converting concentrated magic into heat or kinetic energy at a specific location instantly…
Would that not mean Lixing Hall possessed the power to unleash undefendable, astonishingly potent strategic strikes anywhere within a hemisphere, at any time?
Were they truly building this solely for “clean energy” and “solving the demon-person problem”?
She forced herself to stop thinking, merely mimicking Qi Yue’an’s likely reaction: a slight nod, her gaze fixed profoundly on the colossal ‘Genesis’ core.
—-
Meanwhile, Qi Yue’an, disguised as “Youguangyu,” moved like a shadow through the base’s complex maintenance tunnels.
Plying the Crown of Reason’s faint perception of energy flow, coupled with Qi Yue’s wild intuition for direction, she evaded several patrol teams. Finally, near a relatively secluded backup energy node, she sensed a familiar magical fluctuation.
She descended silently from a ventilation shaft, landing not far from several concealed figures.
“Who’s there?!”
A low shout cut through the air, and several sharp gazes instantly locked onto her.
Leading them was Chen Ling, who remained calm but her eyes held a grave intensity.
Beside her were members of the Greed Wolf squad: Vic, the grey-red haired girl, warily raised her customized pistol; beside her, a sleepy-looking companion in pajamas cradled a paper-thin computer terminal, her fingers flying across the keys; and two other teammates whom Qi Yue’an vaguely recognized.
“It’s me.”
Qi Yue’an lowered her voice, using the cool, clear tone of “Youguangyu,” but deliberately allowed a faint trace of Qi Yue’an’s original magical signature to emanate—a subtle sensation that only familiar individuals could discern.
Chen Ling’s eyes flickered, evidently recognizing her, and she raised a hand to halt any potential attack from Vic.
“…Why do you look like this?”
“The situation is complex; long story short.”
Qi Yue’an approached, her gaze falling on the computer screen held by the pajama-clad girl. It displayed complex structural diagrams and continuously scrolling code, but a prominent red “permission lock” prompt stood out.
“Encountered trouble?”
Vic irritably ran a hand through her hair.
“More than trouble! This damn door uses a triple lock of biometric information, magic fluctuations, and dynamic passwords. Cracking it takes time, but time is precisely what we lack! The unaffiliated groups outside are already fighting over scraps of energy crystals, and any significant commotion will quickly draw a large-scale search from Lixing Hall guards!”
The girl in pajamas let out a massive yawn, her eyes watery as she spoke:
“…The core area’s firewall… is thicker than expected… the key update frequency… is too fast… it needs… a higher authority node…”
Qi Yue’an looked at the thick alloy door. There were no obvious keyholes, only a few faintly glowing sensor areas. She could feel a strange energy fluctuation emanating from beyond the door.
“Higher authority…”
Qi Yue’an mused for a moment, then raised her hand. A barely perceptible wisp of magic, a blend of jealousy fire and prison-suppressing fire, gently touched one of the sensor areas.
This was part of the Lixing Hall system authority she had naturally acquired after her deep binding with the Crown of Reason as the “Princess Consort.” Though incomplete, perhaps…
The sensor area flashed faintly, and the scrolling code on the screen abruptly paused for an instant, displaying a new prompt:
“Special authority fluctuation detected… Verifying correlation…”
Chen Ling and the others immediately held their breath.
Qi Yue’an concentrated, attempting to convey the intention to “pass” through her connection with the Crown of Reason.
She felt her consciousness touch a cold and vast data stream, within which a command representing the “Feather of Death” supervisory authority shimmered faintly.
“Correlation confirmed… Highest-level identity detected… Partial authority temporarily granted… Warning: This operation will be recorded…”
“Click—”
A soft sound echoed as the heavy alloy door slowly slid open to one side, revealing a deeper, more intensely energetic passage.