Chapter 186
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Chapter 186: The Story in the Changing Room, a Father and Daughter Meet
Waiting Room, Resting Area.
This is the place where contestants wait for the outcome of the competition. To make the show more enjoyable, the two teams each occupy a spacious room.
Right now, the atmosphere inside the room is quite silent.
However, unlike Tang Liuli, Xie Qingxuan, and Kirimi Miyuki, who were mentally prepared for the magical girl, the silence of a certain adorable daughter feels especially deafening, as if you can hear the sound of the world collapsing and going blank.
As for the other three, they all look towards Chu Yuanqing, who has her eyes closed and is resting.
Chu Wang Shu is in a confused state, unable to sense anything wrong, but they have all helped Chu Yuanqing with magic before and know she has been hurt, so they naturally worry about Pure White Witch’s condition.
Time passes, second by second.
Outside the venue, the Magic Clone begins to dissolve on its own.
Chu Yuanqing felt relaxed and let out a long sigh. She curled up on the indoor sofa, her delicate and pale face showing signs of tiredness. Her eyelashes drooped down, creating a shadow over her eyelids, and the color of her lips had faded a little, making them look soft and fragile.
Now, in both appearance and aura, she was completely different from the man outside who was slaying nightmares. Except for the old ones who had passed away, no one could see the similarities between the two.
Chu Yuanqing ignored the pain of her soul cracking like porcelain, lost in a comforting feeling of lingering fear. The red-black flames flowing inside her, peeling away ashes slowly, took away the warmth of the fire and returned to the silver magic of moonlight.
At this point, the magic continued to fill her, a wild emptiness slipping away.
If it were not for the audience below the stage still pouring out endless positive emotions, drawing upon Flower of the Soul and forcibly using magic would surely lead to the further shattering of her lamp, losing the last place to resist the Sea of Truth.
But no matter how great the risk was, she would protect her daughter and these children in the hall.
At least, ending with a good outcome now could be counted as lucky.
Chu Yuanqing whispered to herself:
"Am I now unable to even defeat the Supreme Disaster Beast?"
Broken Golden Cup," "Echoes of the Past," "Annihilated Massacre.
Although the "Pure White Ode" wiped out most of the nightmarish entities and used these three magical spells born from the "Flower of the Soul," along with the Magic Clone, to destroy all remaining entities of the nightmare.
But today’s series of actions carried the risk of walking on a tightrope and was not replicable at all.
If it weren’t for the nightmare’s strange fear of herself, the "Pure White Ode" would not have built up enough power to release at the most opportune moment on stage and would likely have to be used right at the beginning.
In that case, she would only be able to destroy the physical form of the opponent present and would not be able to use fate and causality to pull all the entities located around the world.
Furthermore, without the audience’s timely feedback of overwhelming positive emotions, restoring her magic power at once to complete the "Annihilated Massacre," she would not have been able to deliver that crucial blow with just "Echoes of the Past" and her own magic.
In other words, killing the nightmare was merely a result of luck, coincidence, and the advantages of the venue.
Chu Yuanqing understood that without the little idols helping her on stage, she could not defeat the nightmare with magic alone, and the opponent was, at best, ranked in the third tier under the "Calamity God."
Well, according to Xie Qing Yu, that would be Grade B.
This is still the nightmare in a weak state, which shows how weak she currently is.
Chu Yuanqing guessed that she could only recreate today’s battle against the nightmare safely on her own after her magic level increased again and the Flower of the Soul wove more spells.
"What a pity, if we hadn’t run into this, the stage could have greatly advanced the progress of magic enhancement."
"But because of this, it should clear Chu Yuanying’s name and his connection to the disaster beast, allowing Little Shu to look more legitimate in front of the officials. My performance on stage against the nightmare can also explain some things, so I won’t be suspected for now."
After gathering her thoughts, Chu Yuanqing closed her eyes to rest. She held back the urge to cough, gently touched the lantern with her fingertips, reminding the little one not to forget to maintain the disguise spell. She smiled at the three people and then looked worriedly at her silly and adorable daughter, feeling a bit conflicted.
Although she always hoped her daughter would not be involved in related matters, both the fact that the other party stepped into the Heart Flow and the accidents at the venue confirmed that this day would eventually come.
In the past, Chu Yuanqing could still be optimistic, thinking of finding opportunities to fix problems and eliminate all sources of crisis, letting her daughter live a life completely unaware of the disaster beast, happy and healthy.
But the appearance of the nightmare showed that the officials could no longer control the situation, and similar events would only increase in the future; it was impossible to keep it hidden for a lifetime.
So, either she or Xu Ying should tell Little Shu some things, so this child could have some expectations for the future.
As the thoughts stirred in her mind, an announcement played over the speakers in the room:
"If anyone sees a strange monster in the venue, please do not panic."
"This is an issue caused by the mayfly nano devices installed at the venue, which have affected the electronic signals and disturbed the projections of the virtual reality."
"Everything is now back to normal…"
The staff had clearly received the notice and were using the announcement to manage the situation after the nightmare incident.
Chu Yuanqing felt a bit speechless but also found it reasonable.
For example, a disaster beast like the nightmare cannot be captured by electronic devices; it does not have a clear physical form. The terrifying monster the audience saw earlier is essentially a vague and abstract mental imprint, which is why it appears to be wriggling.
In other words, the contestants in the waiting room could not see this disaster beast taking shape; all they could notice was themselves revealing their disguise and showing their white hair and golden eyes.
And that was indeed the case; the other contestants in the waiting room hardly reacted to the announcement. At most, they were curious about what the projected monster looked like and who had seen it, which became a topic for the girls to chatter about together.
As for the five thousand audience members on site…
These people were supposed to be the hardest to fool, but [Pure White Ode] erased their memories, and they were all lost in the stunning beauty of the Pure White Witch, immersed in the glorious stage of the five-layer [Heart Flow], completely unaware that they had just walked through the gates of the underworld.
Therefore, the only job that needed to be done for [Dazzling Stage] was to deceive a few little idols present at the time, keeping this matter hidden would require no effort at all.
For the incredibly wise green-eyed cat, this deceiving broadcast was not just a soothing message, it was like another kind of horror story.
After hearing that, Tang Liuli’s head started spinning; she had seen Chu Yuanqing’s magic and had a complete logic in her mind about this event—strong enemies came to attack Honey Qing, only to be defeated by Honey Qing’s magic—she naturally didn’t believe this broadcast at all.
The green-eyed cat, based on this train of thought, was very suspicious of how quickly [Dazzling Stage] officials dealt with the situation.
The quick response of that red-eyed rabbit couldn’t mean that the program [Dazzling Stage] itself is involved in the underworld, could it?
Thinking carefully, since the monster dared to appear in public, the hypothesis that Honey Qing wanted to evade danger through the popularity of [Dazzling Stage] no longer holds true.
Is it possible that Honey Qing joined [Dazzling Stage] because it was originally related to magical girls, thinking it would be easier to find a target to restore her injuries?
Little Sakura was a bit silent. She still hadn’t come to her senses. This stage for the second performance was the best moment in her 7-year idol career, with the most audience. In her imagination, this would be a milestone, and it should bring more emotions.
However, the arrival of nightmares not only snuffed out those hopes and joys, but also shattered her beliefs into pieces, even making her question her dream of becoming an idol for the first time.
Kirimi Miyuki wanted to be an idol because she had been saved by the light that idols brought.
Therefore, she firmly believed that becoming an idol could bring happiness and joy to many people, just like it had saved and healed her as a child.
But if such monsters became abundant and peace vanished, could idols still bring salvation to everyone? Did the effort and heart she put in to rise to the stage still hold any meaning?
Kirimi Miyuki couldn’t find the answer to this question. Even the announcements on the radio sounded especially cold and harsh, hinting at mockery. She thought, a bit discouraged, that if there were many magical girls like Little Qing out there secretly protecting the world.
Did the version of herself that only sang and danced really have the right to shoulder a more glamorous identity and win more love from the public?
Xie Qingxuan’s perspective was completely different. She wasn’t like the green-eyed cat, who would daydream, and she didn’t care about idols like Little Sakura did, or even with deep devotion.
Her first reaction was only a simple set of logic.
I want to protect Little Qing.
Only by becoming a magical girl can I gain the power to protect Little Qing.
How can I become a magical girl?
Of course, apart from those who do not believe at all, there are still some who were tricked.
For example, a certain adorable girl who seems to be waking from a dream.
Chu Wang Shu’s mind finally returned from the confusion; she instinctively glanced at the big screen. The team competing against her on stage was still dancing, and the audience below, while not overly excited, showed no signs of panic, as if everything was a dream.
Could it be… that everything is just a hologram?
That makes sense; how could such monsters really exist!
As the girl thought this, her heart felt much lighter. She lived in a peaceful time and had spent 17 ordinary years. Compared to a real monster shattering her understanding of reality, a hologram was far easier to accept.
Although this reason has many flaws, those who have witnessed the nightmare can understand the terrifying pressure on the soul and the shock that shakes the mind. But the technology of "Dazzling Stage" has always been quite magical, so it is… quite normal to cause such results, right?
Chu Wang Shu did not want to think too much; her expression made the Pure White Witch, who wanted to say something, choose to swallow her words for now.
Chu Yuanqing felt a bit soft-hearted. Even if she did not make it clear, her daughter would eventually have to face the truth in an official talk about what happened. This child didn’t have much time left to worry about these little troubles.
So, let’s wait a little longer.
Chu Yuanqing lowered her long eyelashes. Her gaze became unfocused, and the sharp pain in her mind grew stronger, making her unable to help but cough a few times. Then, she looked at her daughter and smiled, saying:
"Little Shu, we still have one or two hours until we perform again. Don’t you want to see your dad? He should be waiting for you in the family area now."
Upon hearing this, Chu Wang Shu blinked cutely, suddenly remembering the long-awaited event. Her lovely face lit up with excitement, and she stood up eagerly but then felt a bit shy and sat back down, pretending to be calm as she softly said:
"Mmm, I will go right away."
After saying this, the adorable daughter hesitated for a few seconds and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, trotted out of the resting area towards the place where the family of the contestants waited.
Chu Yuanqing sighed with relief. She then coughed several times, and her vision began to blur. The surroundings and the shapes of people became more abstract. The nearby sounds grew distant, as if muffled by thick ocean water. Her senses felt fuzzy, like a sign that the curse was returning.
——[Echoes of the Past].
This magic that stole power from the past wouldn’t drain the blessed walls that protect against the curse, causing serious backlash. However, it seemed to attract some attention from the Sea of Truth, intensifying the pain in the soul.
"Little Qing, are you feeling very bad?"
Tang Liuli had only seen such an expression when the Pure White Witch coughed up blood. She immediately realized something was wrong and rushed to Chu Yuanqing’s side, her green eyes filled with tears.
Xie Qingxuan pressed her lips together. She knew what Chu Yuanqing needed most at that moment. She glanced at the camera in the lounge and then at Little Sakura who was approaching. She helped lift half of the Pure White Witch’s body.
Kirimi Miyuki understood without needing words. She pushed aside her embarrassment, deciding that in a crisis, she would set aside her ideals of pure love. She helped support Chu Yuanqing and, along with the three of them, went into the changing room where there were no cameras, locking the door tightly behind them.
"Who will go first?"
Little Sakura had just asked this question.
Xie Qingxuan had already lifted the chin of the Pure White Witch. Her platinum lashes hung low, as if she had entered a state of emergency, causing their lipsticks to blur at the edges. Afterward, she would probably have to go back and have the staff touch up her makeup.
After finishing, the golden retriever adjusted its breath, looked at the Pure White Witch’s dazed expression and her sparkling, alluring eyes. She couldn’t help but rub her thighs together, barely holding back her feelings, and then calmly stated:
"One minute for each person, taking turns. That way it works best."
Kirimi Miyuki was greatly shocked and felt extremely embarrassed.
Why does a group activity work best? Isn’t the magical girl meant to be for kids? Why is there no pure love at all?!
The green-eyed cat did not hesitate to become the next main doctor, adding a wave of emotion deep within the Pure White Witch’s soul, causing a completely different magical reaction.
Meanwhile, Chu Yuanqing’s nostrils flared slightly, and after unwittingly making some muffled sounds, she began to regain a bit of her reasoning, and her senses started to clear.
And when Little Sakura endured the embarrassment and took her turn,
Chu Yuanqing had almost returned to normal, gaining some ability to process outside information.
However, her sense of responsibility as a father made her temporarily overlook the help from her little idol after she woke up. Almost instinctively, she immediately constructed a magic spell and placed a Magic Clone in the already checked area of the family room, so she would not miss seeing her lovely daughter.
Only then did the Pure White Witch realize how ridiculous the scene in the changing room was.
Chu Yuanqing’s high moral standards could not help but feel deep guilt and remorse for the little idols’ selfless dedication and their willingness to endure hardship. She politely waited for Kirimi Miyuki to finish and blocked the golden retriever that wanted to continue, saying:
"Um, Qingxuan, you really don’t need to keep going; I have already calmed my injuries."
As Chu Yuanqing spoke, she observed from the perspective of the Magic Clone. The place she had chosen was a bathroom stall, so stepping out would not attract much attention from others.
The family area was a large space with a living room, display area, lounge, and snack area. There were many different places, and quite a few contestants who were scheduled to perform later were here meeting their families.
The reason "Dazzling Stage" was done with such care was probably based on the idea that it’s better to open up than to block.
Shortly after the Magic Clone walked out, it caught the attention of many people. After being approached by other contestants’ parents, it quickly fell into a long-awaited social interaction. However, because she had been dazed for a few minutes, her adorable daughter arrived on the scene before she could chat for long.
Chu Yuanqing naturally cut off the conversation. After a long time, she finally saw her daughter as a father again. Before she could say anything, her daughter hugged her tightly.
Chu Wang Shu’s personality is quite reserved; she usually doesn’t act very clingy or outgoing. She was scared by a nightmare and couldn’t help but hug the other person to seek comfort and safety.
But as the little girl hugged tighter, her mind began to wander. What if that monster was real and caused something bad to happen to her dad? Would she regret inviting him to see the performance for the rest of her life?
These thoughts didn’t come to her when she was on her way, but when she saw Chu Yuanying, they flooded into her mind, filling her with fear. She hugged tighter, buried her face in his casual suit, and breathed in the familiar scent without saying a word.
Seeing this, Chu Yuanqing increased her magical energy, making her other self feel warmer and more real. She then sighed with relief and gently touched her adorable daughter’s hair with love.
On the other side,
Xie Qingxuan blinked her eyes and asked with confusion:
"Really? But Little Qing, your face is still so pale, and you don’t seem very focused."
The green-eyed cat was a bit skeptical. She poked Chu Yuanqing’s face with her finger and said seriously:
"It must be fake; Little Qing has fainted again."
Kirimi Miyuki’s eyes shimmered like cherry blossoms, and she elegantly wiped her mouth with a tissue, looking a bit worried.
Chu Yuanqing was still lost in the fun activity with her daughter and didn’t notice the little idol’s worry. When she came back to reality, her soul was filled with a shining light that eased the pain of the curse by more than half; she felt a little light-headed, almost overwhelming her mind.
Colleague’s home, family area.
The lovely daughter looked at the suddenly distracted Chu Yuanying with a puzzled expression and tilted her head to ask:
"Daddy? What’s wrong?"
