What was the reason?
Was it a disgust for the helplessness of being a Strange Person?
Or was it to play along with Tang Nai’s narrative?
Or perhaps it was because the few short months of being a Magical Girl had already fulfilled all the fantasies she once had about life.
Su Mu couldn’t say for certain, but she was sure of one thing: she thoroughly enjoyed this period of time.
She could push open the door and bathe in the sunlight to her heart’s content.
She could feel the peace of being surrounded by others, the warmth of being cared for, and accept it all with a clear conscience.
She didn’t have to curl up in the shadows like a rat, feeding on the mental waste of humanity.
However, it was said that after a Strange Person reached B-rank, they would instead become unfettered beings who possessed powerful abilities and lived with a glamorous appearance.
In contrast, Magical Girls would fall into depravity under various triggers.
The more powerful a Magical Girl was, the easier it was for her to encounter the tribulations of fate.
Whether it was the erosion of their Authority or the inability to maintain a “perfect image” leading to a gradual fall, it seemed like a price they had to pay for the luck they enjoyed before reaching maturity.
But Su Mu didn’t think she would regret it.
“Actually, I’m just asking. I’m helpless regarding your situation, too. But you’re an interesting fellow. Interested in meeting up?”
Tang Nai’s reply left Su Mu slightly stunned.
One had to know that in the “future,” Tang Nai had actually turned herself into a Magical Girl.
Furthermore, the woman clearly didn’t understand Su Mu’s situation yet, so how could she be so certain?
Most importantly, no matter the time, even though Tang Nai was insidious, her presence always brought an immense sense of security.
It was as if any trouble would be easily solved before her, yet now she was saying things like “I can’t do it.”
If she couldn’t do it, why did she ask in the first place?
“Don’t be in a hurry to curse me. I know you feel like you’re being toyed with and you’re anxious, but don’t be in a rush. Perhaps after we meet, you might change your mind.”
“Fine.”
Su Mu felt a bit gloomy.
The Tang Nai of this moment felt very foreign to her, as if she had never truly known this woman before.
Could a mere three years change her that much?
“Let’s meet in the Dream World. We’ll meet at the highest point of the Neon Veil.”
“I’m not even C-Rank yet.”
“It’s fine. It won’t take long. I believe in your capabilities.”
Su Mu closed the private message, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
‘She’s so well-spoken. Is this still the Tang Nai I know? Who else could have influenced her these past few years? It couldn’t be me, could it?’
‘…Impossible, absolutely impossible!’
Amidst her wild thoughts, Su Mu closed the private message and restarted her livestream.
‘It’s just C-Rank. I’ll break through it right now for you to see.’
***
“Why do you bother? My Karamiti, you knew it was a trap, yet you stepped in anyway. Can’t you let go of that little girl named Su Mu?” Tang Yin spoke with a contemptuous, mocking tone as she looked through a transparent barrier about five centimeters thick at the disheveled Ye Wanqing trapped within.
“With your original abilities, even if you couldn’t hurt me, you could at least ensure your own safety. Yet you still insisted on barging into my domain. Are you really that impatient to return to my embrace?”
With trembling hands, Ye Wanqing smoothed her slightly scorched, crimson hair.
She forced herself to maintain her composure as much as possible, revealing a cold sneer.
“So what? Your abilities cannot change what is already established. I will always find a chance to break free again, and that will be your disaster.”
Though her words remained tough, Ye Wanqing’s condition was quite dire. In this tight prison, she was not only suffering from the backlash of her own Authority and flames, but she had also not closed her eyes for a peaceful sleep until now.
Even the few brief naps she managed were rudely interrupted by physical pain.
This was why she couldn’t maintain communication with Su Mu.
Her nerves had frayed to a severe point where she couldn’t even send out a message, and her Magic Power was nearly exhausted.
Ye Wanqing had lied.
She told Su Mu that she couldn’t obtain her freedom because she had returned to the point in time when she was being researched by Tang Yin.
In reality, Su Mu could have exposed this lie because there was a serious discrepancy in the timing.
According to the normal timeline, Ye Wanqing should have already appeared in the public eye as Magical Girl Miti.
She was Lando’s senior, so it was naturally impossible for her to still be trapped in the Research Institute at this time.
The truth was that to prevent Tang Yin from interfering with Su Mu’s past, Ye Wanqing had disregarded the influence of her Authority and forcibly broken into Tang Yin’s observation, attempting to disrupt her plans.
To deal with this unexpected variable, Tang Yin had no choice but to specifically extract her and remain in a stalemate with her across this barrier.
“If you’re so capable, stop watching me from the side and try to do what you’re supposed to do.”
Hearing this, Tang Yin’s face darkened.
Just as Ye Wanqing said, she had to maintain this sealing barrier right now.
Otherwise, the other party would immediately contact Tang Nai, and at that point, she would be unable to accomplish anything.
Even though Ye Wanqing looked weak, Tang Yin didn’t dare to gamble.
She knew exactly how much potential this masterpiece, which she had created with her own hands, contained.
If she grew careless, Ye Wanqing’s terrifying Authority might find an opportunity to erase her in an instant.
“I want to see how much longer you can hold out. Don’t think I don’t dare to move against you…”
“You don’t dare.” Ye Wanqing cut Tang Yin off decisively.
Although her eyes were beginning to lose focus, she still managed to lock her gaze on Tang Yin’s blurry silhouette.
“Don’t forget, my photos are still with Tang Nai.”
Hearing this, Tang Yin clenched her fists, her pupils shrinking slightly before she let out a cold snort.
“But she has already given her tacit consent to all of this…”
“Then she must have also expected my intervention.”
Ye Wanqing spoke calmly, her mind soon failing her again.
She curled up with her eyes closed and quickly fell into a state of semi-consciousness.
Seeing this, Tang Yin didn’t bother to wake her up again but silently sat down against the barrier.
‘Heh, have I been outcalculated again? It doesn’t matter. It’s not the first time anyway. At worst, I’ll just try again.’
***
While fully preparing for a world-shaking event, Su Mu unknowingly leveled up to D Rank.
But to her surprise, her second ability was not Scan.
Su Mu stared blankly at the dark purple fingerless gloves on her hands.
Countless invisible thin threads extended from the knuckles.
With a thought, these bright pink silk threads would manifest, turning into indestructible blades or steel cables to bind her enemies at her will.
It turned out to be a combat-type ability, which surprised her a bit.
After all, she wasn’t particularly fond of fighting.
However, now was not the time to dwell on that.
There was still a distance to go before reaching C-Rank, and Ye Wanqing had suddenly gone silent recently, which made her feel inexplicably uneasy.
She had to go find Tang Nai quickly.