Chapter 190: Deep Self

“Place.”

“Mm, the interdimensional beasts that crossed over all have black substances clinging to them. We haven’t found anything harmful so far.”

“Take me to see it.”

Xingyue’s main reason for finding Zhizhi was this.

She hadn’t come just to tell Zhizhi to be careful of UU or anything like that.

At this tense moment, discovering abnormalities on the interdimensional beasts in Jiehai meant she had to come check it out herself.

“Here it is.”

The corpse of the interdimensional beast gave off a stench, with black substances stuck to its body.

But now it looked as though that blackness had merged into the beast itself, forming something like ‘black spots or tattoos’.

Several interdimensional beasts were in the same condition.

“Did they pass through somewhere?”

Xingyue observed.

It was similar to how, on Earth, a creature passing through a typhoon zone would pick up certain climate traits.

Maybe it was the same for these beasts.

“There are complex climate changes in Jiehai too. Maybe they picked it up then?”

“Maybe.”

Zhizhi agreed.

After all, only the section of Jiehai she was guarding had shown this situation, which at least meant there was a fierce climate shift somewhere in that direction.

Xingyue needed to hurry to the next place.

“Remember, don’t get too close to Luo Youyou. Keep the bottom line of zero-rank magic in mind.”

“Okay, okay~ I get it, do you think I don’t understand something this big?”

Seeing Xingyue off, Zhizhi continued grilling fish in the snow, completely at ease.

The changes in Jiehai were unpredictable.

Any strange phenomenon was normal here—she’d seen plenty over the years.

“Mmm… Xingyue, that girl (chewing)… keeps stressing I shouldn’t get close to (chew) Youyou (chew). What exactly is their relationship? (chew)”

Zhizhi didn’t think Xingyue and Luo Youyou had that kind of relationship.

It just didn’t make sense.

Known facts: Xingyue disappeared for seven years.

Seven years ago, Luo Youyou was fifteen.

Even if they were in a relationship, it was impossible for them to have just started seven years ago.

That would mean they’d gotten together when Luo Youyou was twelve or thirteen.

Impossible.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t imagine Xingyue getting involved with a twelve- or thirteen-year-old kid.

Unless those two had been Qingmeizhuma, growing up together and developing a yuri relationship from a young age.

But Zhizhi had already ruled out the ‘Qingmeizhuma’ possibility, because when she’d decided to bring Luo Youyou in, she’d checked her entire background—there was no such thing as Qingmeizhuma.

Luo Youyou had only graduated middle school, so they couldn’t even have been classmates.

That was as far as the investigation went.

Going any deeper wouldn’t be good; she might even dig out the real identities of Xingyue or other magical girls, which was against the rules.

If she had to guess what Xingyue and Luo Youyou’s relationship was, it could only be that Xingyue simply valued this junior.

Or, considering Luo Youyou’s magical girl talent, maybe her family background was actually very impressive!

Maybe she was the descendant of some famous magical girl who was an old acquaintance of Xingyue.

“Wow, if that’s true, Youyou’s the real deal, a proper magic second generation!”

Zhizhi exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.

That meant Luo Youyou becoming one of the Ten Seats was practically guaranteed.

Sizzle, sizzle—

“Lady Zhizhi! Lady Zhizhi! Emergency!”

Her subordinate’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Zhizhi wiped her shiny lips.

“Speak.”

“Come to the sea wall quickly. Someone from the Jiehai Exploration Team that the government sent out two years ago has returned! There’s an urgent report!”

***

Luo You picked up a call from Yue.

“Huh? You’re asking what my chances are against Xingyue?”

Yue said helplessly, “You saw Xingyue use zero-rank magic before. That group asked me to ask you.”

“Tch, obviously it’d be a landslide! Xingyue? I could crush her with one hand!”

“…Alright, I’ll pass on your reply.”

Just as Luo You was about to hang up, Yue added, “Oh, they also asked if you could arrange another meeting with the Dusky Witch.”

Hearing that, Luo You knew that group was ready to make their move on the Dusky Witch.

Either join, or be forced to join.

Before answering, Luo You asked, “How’s your contact with them? Did you get any intel about the ‘Box’?”

“If it was that easy, they’d have gotten themselves killed with stupidity already.”

“Then forget it, let them approach the Dusky Witch themselves. I’m not getting involved.”

“Alright. There’s one more thing.”

Yue said, “They haven’t said it directly, but they keep hinting—see if you’d be willing to deal with Xingyue personally?”

She’d been mentally prepared for this from the start.

That group went to such lengths to win over the outsiders’ organization, largely for this trump card, didn’t they?

Now they’d brought the organization in, holding a king in their hand.

How could they not play it?

Right now, the only person in the world who could possibly go toe-to-toe with the strongest magical girl was the Aurora Witch, Ella.

Luo You had long expected this.

“Not interested, not interested. Tell them I won’t go all out on my own Xingyue.”

“…Okay.”

Yue knew this couldn’t be rushed.

Even if refusing made the group’s trust in the outsiders’ organization plummet, agreeing too quickly wasn’t smart either.

Better to string them along for now.

“Ah, one last question.”

“Why do you have so many? Can’t you ask them all at once?”

Luo You shook her leg impatiently.

“Say it.”

“Did you really sleep with Xingyue? Or are you just showing off?”

“Nonsense, I’ve slept with her twice!”

“Alright, got it, I’ll contact you next time.”

After hanging up, Luo You stomped her feet angrily.

What the heck! Doubting this witch’s record?

If she said she slept with Xingyue, then she slept with Xingyue!

What’s to doubt??

Luo You called Xue to check on her situation.

“Hello?”

“You!”

“You’ve stayed at home, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I haven’t gone out.”

“Listen, you need to be careful. Don’t make any trouble at a time like this. You know your own identity, right?”

No matter how Xue answered, Luo You still lectured her over the phone until she nearly made Xue cry.

After thinking it over, Luo You decided it was better to be cautious, so she planned to move Xue somewhere else.

Xue had appeared in the terrorist incident last time; even if nothing’s certain, Luo You just didn’t feel safe.

Even if the chance was tiny, she wanted to snuff it out.

“Xue, I’ll come over soon. Wait for me.”

“Okay.”

Xue hung up, relieved, and went back to her FPS game.

“Hey, stop yelling at me! I was busy just now, okay? Couldn’t get to the controls!”

“Screw you, I said I was busy, try cursing again and see what happens?”

“You’re running a 3-12 trash record and you dare mouth off to me? I’m 12-3! What’s your problem?”

While flaming her teammates, Xue sniped her way to victory in bomb mode and slowly took off her headphones.

Back

She tilted her head back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“So bored…”

Since leaving the Nine Abyss Sea, what had she done?

Absolutely nothing.

It didn’t seem any different from when she was in Jiehai—just muddling through life.

Sen Gan Deng Yuan

Fine, looks like it’s another 3k weekend.