“Shuo… Shuo Ling really does want to become human.” Shuo Ling’s voice shed its scattered tremors, now tinged with a hint of undisguised nervousness and longing.
“Being trapped in this sealed Mystic Realm, only able to peek at the outside world through data streams every day… I’ve had enough of this kind of life.”
“As for so-called former companions and family, I have no memories of them, so I can’t understand that for now. But…”
My善恶 perception system… can sense that you two harbor no ill will.”
As her voice fell, the central hatch of the warship slowly slid open. A soft, glowing white mist diffused from within, spiraling and intertwining in the air as it slowly coalesced into a blurry, petite figure.
She descended gently, landing on the cold alloy floor, and walked step by step until she stood before Luo Ning, stopping.
Shuo Ling lowered her head slightly, her form looking like a timid little girl. She gazed up at Luo Ning, who was a head taller, and spoke with a solemn yet cautious tone: “I had originally planned to have you come find me later… but I didn’t expect you to arrive first…”
Luo Ning looked at the small figure formed of light and shadow before her, clearly sensing her timidity and anticipation. There wasn’t a trace of the cold, hard demeanor one would expect from a warship’s intelligent life-form.
Was there a bit of a反差 feel to it?
“Can Shuo Ling really form a Spiritual Link with you?” Shuo Ling turned slightly, her hazy silhouette tilting as her gaze fell on Silver Moon beside her, a deep confusion swirling in her eyes.
She was very curious why the Silver Moon Wolf Girl knew the warship’s Supreme Command…
Very curious why the Silver Moon Wolf Girl seemed to foresee the future and brought Luo Ning to her…
Very curious why the Silver Moon Wolf Girl called her a companion, family…
Very curious why the Silver Moon Wolf Girl trusted her so much, even being willing to form a Spiritual Link with her…
“Shuo Ling is very curious. I want to know the answer.”
“Alright. Come.” Silver Moon’s wolf ears twitched slightly, her fluffy silver tail swaying gently, and a pure, soft light spread from her eyes.
She actively opened her spiritual sea completely, her gentle mental energy flowing like water toward the other, without any hint of coercion.
“Thank you.”
Traces of faint light and shadow also drifted from Shuo Ling’s form, like fine threads tentatively extending toward Silver Moon’s spiritual sea.
The moment the slender threads of light touched, the two consciousnesses merged completely.
Shuo Ling’s original perception of the world was suddenly shattered. Countless chaotic yet vivid images, like a burst dam, rushed eagerly into the depths of her core.
Her core was wrapped in such concrete, warm memories for the first time, causing her to instinctively stiffen, the light mist around her trembling slightly.
That was all of Silver Moon’s memories from her past and present life… she was surprisingly showing them to her so unreservedly.
So… she had traveled back from a future timeline, hadn’t she…
And…
Her, their Master…
In the future, she had successfully formed a Contract with Luo Ning!
She… along with the entire warship, had truly transformed into the human form she longed for!
In Silver Moon’s memories, they had experienced countless daily routines that she yearned for…
They had overcome countless powerful opponents and enemies!
And the grave threats they were about to face together…
Shuo Ling’s light form trembled slightly, her heart, which had been still for two years, was now completely stirred.
“Shuo Ling… thinks she understands a little now.” She pursed lips she didn’t actually have and slowly withdrew from the Spiritual Link with Silver Moon.
Shuo Ling looked at Silver Moon and Luo Ning, the barrier in her heart gradually dissolving, replaced by a gushing sense of closeness.
Especially when facing Luo Ning, her core produced an indescribable feeling for the first time…
This feeling… among human emotions, it seemed to be called like?
“Shuo Ling has no Master, no mission. Before, living was just following my core’s instinct to survive.”
“But now, Shuo Ling has someone she wants to follow.”
“Shuo Ling… wants to follow you once more. C-can she?” Shuo Ling raised her head, looking towards Luo Ning, her voice filled with cautious earnestness as she softly repeated each word.
“Shuo Ling saw it. It was you who made me human, who even let me feel what ‘like’ means…” Shuo Ling’s blurry form slowly raised a hand, gently pressing it over where her heart would be.
“Shuo Ling wants… wants to like it again…”
“?” Luo Ning.
This “like,” it probably refers to the bond between them, right?
Like the one Silver Moon has for her?
Luo Ning’s face unconsciously flushed slightly. She turned her head to look at Silver Moon beside her.
Seeing Silver Moon give a slight nod of approval, Luo Ning took a deep breath and met Shuo Ling’s gaze.
“It’s not about following. There’s no need for master-servant hierarchy between us.” Luo Ning waved her hand. “Silver Moon just said, we are companions, family.”
“Oh! Right! Silver Moon, stop calling me Master too! Call me by my name! Always calling me Master makes me a bit embarrassed!”
Silver Moon blinked, her fluffy wolf tail swaying slightly, and nodded in reply, “Okay, Master.”
“…” Luo Ning.
Forget it, I can’t do anything about Silver Moon!
“Anyway…” Luo Ning thought for a moment, then showed a cute smile. “Welcome back, Shuo Ling!”
“And, since your main body is that warship, from now on you’re a Ship Girl, huh!”
The more Luo Ning thought about it, the more excited she got, her pink antennae-like hair happily bouncing around.
A Ship Girl! A real, live Ship Girl!
“Mm!” Shuo Ling nodded firmly, her previously timid demeanor slowly relaxing, her eyes filled with pure joy.
“M-Master, please take care of me from now on.”
“Hey! I told you, just call me Luo Ning! Don’t learn from Silver Moon, okay!” Luo Ning scratched her head sheepishly as she activated her Contract Array.
Shuo Ling stepped forward slowly, her slender light form tentatively drawing close to Luo Ning, as if finding a home after a long period of drifting.
“Companions… family…” she repeated the two words softly, her tone gentle and serious, as if savoring their warmth. “This is the first time Shuo Ling has had a family.”
Shuo Ling glanced at Silver Moon beside her. Silver Moon winked at her, as if hinting at something.
Shuo Ling recalled the beautiful scenes she saw in Silver Moon’s memories.
“Mm! Alright, Master!”
Luo Ning looked at Shuo Ling’s earnest expression, then gave Silver Moon a helpless look.
The Contract Array patterns swirling at Luo Ning’s feet grew brighter. A pale white halo spread upward along the ground, enveloping Shuo Ling as well.
The patterns intertwined and pulled at her light, gradually spreading to cover the entire Divine Star Chaser behind her!
The entire colossal frame of the Divine Star Chaser shimmered in this halo, as if by a miracle, gradually transforming into specks of starlight that drifted towards Shuo Ling’s small, blurry form!
The soft white light mist around Shuo Ling trembled slightly. She could clearly feel a gentle force enveloping her spiritual core.
“It’s so warm…” Shuo Ling murmured softly. Her ethereal little hand tentatively reached out to touch the light array before her. Her fingertips passed through layers of the halo, touching Luo Ning’s palm through the air before their fingers intertwined.
The loneliness, coldness, and fear of being trapped alone in the Mystic Realm for the past two years… all seemed to be dispelled in that moment.
Silver Moon stood quietly to the side, her eyes quietly watching the two whose fingers were interlaced within the array.
The damaged warship in the Mystic Realm turned into flowing starlight filling the sky, completely absorbed into the girl’s slender body. As the white light of the Contract Array slowly faded, Shuo Ling finally revealed her complete human form.
Her previously hazy, illusory silhouette solidified completely, shedding its ethereal transparency to become a living, soft, young girl’s body.
She had a neat, obedient black bob haircut that fit her head gently, with fine white streaks mixed into her bangs and the hair by her temples. The ends of her hair curled slightly inward, framing a small, delicate, oval face. A few fine, soft strands of hair fell across her smooth forehead.
Her features were very soft and cute. Her eyes were round, almond-shaped, seemingly carrying a natural three-part gentle, innocent allure.
Her pupils were a light琉璃色, like the scattered starlight the warship had turned into, so clean they held no impurity, now brimming with the innocence and joy of newly acquiring a human form, along with a tenderness full of dependence.
Her small, straight nose was delicate and elegant. Her lips were soft and pink, slightly pursed, with a naturally upturned curve at the corners, inherently gentle and endearing.
After shedding the light, her face had a slight baby fat, with soft and supple lines.
Her figure was even younger than Luo Ning’s.
She wore a simple, form-fitting silver-white short high-tech combat uniform, carrying the sharp texture of a warship’s standard issue, yet not appearing cold at all; it only made her form seem smaller and more exquisite.
At the center of her chest, the uniform opened slightly in a four-pointed star shape, revealing a hint of flawless white skin beneath.
A translucent energy core could be seen embedded in the center of Shuo Ling’s small chest. The core pulsed with a shallow silver-blue light, its patterns as fine as star trails, slowly throbbing with a soft glow.
It was very sci-fi.
And Luo Ning could feel the warmth of the palm interlocked with hers, as if it had completely shed the nothingness and coldness of the previous blurred light form. This was a real, vivid temperature.
Shuo Ling was still unaccustomed to her human form. Her slender fingertips curled slightly, then cautiously pressed closer against Luo Ning’s palm.
Her small head was slightly lowered, the ends of her black bob swaying gently, a faint flush creeping up her ears, as if carrying a hint of shyness and unease.
The pink antennae-like hair on top of Luo Ning’s head shook wildly with excitement, her face growing even redder. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the incredibly cute, younger-looking Ship Girl before her.
So cute! She was even smaller than her!
And she even blushes!
Her feeling… gives me the same feeling as a super well-behaved, cute little sister next door!
“U-um… Master… how, how is it?” Shuo Ling was flustered by Luo Ning’s intense stare, the flush on her ears deepening as she murmured softly in question.
Her voice was still in that soft, sweet tone, but it had shed the ethereal quality of her earlier light form, gaining a vivid warmth.
“Shuo Ling! You’re, you’re way too cute!! You’re just as cute as little old me!”
A huge smile spread across Luo Ning’s lips as she looked at the soft, obedient little Ship Girl in front of her, cheering inwardly.
Jackpot! This was a total jackpot!
If Shuo Ling was in a game from my past life, I’d totally whale for her!
Luo Ning couldn’t help herself. She stepped forward and patted the little Ship Girl’s head.
The texture was super good!
Seeing Luo Ning pat Shuo Ling’s head, Silver Moon’s eyes blinked involuntarily. Her wolf ears, which had been gently drooping, perked up.
She slowly stepped forward, then knelt obediently in front of Luo Ning once more, lowering her head slightly. Her long silver hair slid over her shoulders with the motion, and her big wolf tail wagged furiously.
Silver Moon’s gaze, full of a need for affection, instantly fixed on Luo Ning’s face. She stuck her tongue out slightly and mumbled indistinctly to Luo Ning, “Master, Silver Moon wants one too.”
“…” Luo Ning.
Did I trigger Silver Moon’s Underlying Code again?
Shuo Ling also timidly raised her head. Her琉璃-colored eyes looked at Silver Moon, and recalling the bits and pieces she saw in Silver Moon’s memories, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and let out a 噗嗤 laugh.
“It seems Sister Silver Moon is jealous, Master.”
“Huh!?” Luo Ning.
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