Chapter 97 Part 1

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Chapter 97 Part 1: The Second Episode, the Self-Destructive Calamity Seed (1)

The next day.

Early morning.

Chu Yuanqing rubbed her eyes and slowly got out of bed. She shuffled in her slippers to the end of her bedroom and with a simple motion, opened the curtains.

Looking out, she saw shimmering bands of light moving like fireflies, resembling the stars in the night sky. These beams illuminated the massive underground cavity, casting a magical glow across the space.

The bands of light weren’t just beautiful—they were air purification devices simulating real sunlight. Coupled with virtual projection technology, they transformed the underground environment, mimicking the outside world.

It was still early in the morning. If she had waited just a little longer, the real sunlight would have started streaming into the room.

The view at that moment was absolutely breathtaking. It almost felt like she was in the shelter beneath the main city.

Taking a deep breath, the girl gradually regained her composure.

Perhaps because of her miraculous recovery yesterday, Chu Yuanqing felt much better physically than she had anticipated.

She glanced over at the bed where the green-eyed cat was still asleep, its face slightly scrunched up as though trapped in an unsettling dream. With a soft sigh, she walked over to the bedside. Gently, she smoothed the child’s furrowed brows with her fingertips and then pinched the plump cheeks.

Ever since being tricked into that kiss, she had realized that the other person’s sexual orientation wasn’t quite what she had assumed. Being pinned down on the bed had only made it clearer—this kid was ninety-nine percent likely to be a lesbian.

Why had this happened? And why was it that the person she liked seemed to be… herself?

After looking at the other person’s homework, Chu Yuanqing had a clearer understanding of the situation.

Despite Tang’s mother seeing Liuli as nothing more than a tool to fulfill her own artistic ideals—causing untold harm in the process—she had still been the only family member who allowed Tang Liuli to experience love.

Tang Liuli’s feelings towards her mother were complicated—full of both love and hatred. This twisted mix of emotions, compounded by her father’s indifference, domestic violence, and selfish exploitation, naturally influenced her sexual orientation.

Chu Yuanqing wasn’t interested in changing that. She respected the values of others.

Her next task, however, was to remove herself from the other person’s selection criteria as a potential partner.

This wasn’t going to be difficult.

After all, she had merely happened to enter Tang Liuli’s psychological defense zone—essentially, just a fleeting infatuation.

Objectively speaking, Chu Yuanqing knew she didn’t meet the other person’s standards for a partner.

She felt confident about that.

On a lighter note, just two weeks ago, she had been a middle-aged office worker. How could any maternal instincts have developed within her? It was merely Little Liuli’s imagination—a misunderstanding that would soon be resolved.

“It’s so hot,” she muttered to herself, furrowing her delicate brows.

The sticky sweat on her skin made her clothes cling to her body, almost to the point of tearing at the seams. The air was stifling, and she couldn’t help but loosen her tight collar with her fingertips.

Her features were laced with concern. The faint yet persistent rejection from last night still lingered, leaving her underwear and short sleeves damp with sweat. A subtle white tea scent hung in the air.

Despite the strange qualities of this magical girl, the scent wasn’t overpowering. However, her soft, smooth skin in the center of her chest felt uncomfortably sticky when pressed together, causing her unease.

Also… had her chest gotten bigger?

It shouldn’t have, right? Was her body still in the process of puberty?

“You’re still young, you’ll grow up in the future.”

Xie Qingxuan’s words suddenly echoed in her mind like a nightmare.

Unconsciously, Chu Yuanqing glanced at the half-asleep golden retriever lying next to her, her pupils trembling.

No way… It can’t grow that much… right?

She quickly pushed the unsettling thought aside, replacing it with a more urgent task. She grabbed a new set of underwear from the cabinet, then entered the bathroom to shower and change.

Meanwhile, in the central hub of the underground base.

The prison, resembling a giant magic cube, was hidden deep in the underground of Zhelong Town. It consisted of dozens of cells made from precious metals like mercury and gold, which were being slowly implanted with nanobots. These bots wiggled into cracks to secure entry.

“Magic threshold stable.”

“Covering index normal.”

“Ether detection secure.”

“Start transfer.”

Dream Weaver Rabbit had switched to the persona of a super AI, like a divine being high above the earthly realm. With the help of the ether satellite, Fuxi, it summoned temporary concentric ether particles, guarding the outer walls of the entire prison. These particles spun and intertwined slowly.

This careful method ensured that any unexpected events could be avoided.

Dozens of mechanical arms were deactivated, and 99% of their activity ceased. The cells transformed into physical Calamity Seeds after shutting down, each being cast into seemingly empty chambers.

Moments later, the nanobots successfully sealed the cracks.

And in the very next instant, the Calamity Seeds—once invisible—began to stir violently like a pack of enraged lion kings. The seeds grew, fleshy and bloodthirsty, ignoring their own weaknesses, roaring in fury and hunger. The sound of cracking and burning echoed from dozens of cells.

Gold, mercury, silver, and even legendary metals—rich in history and myth—suffered silent consumption, while the energy waves emitted from the seeds were blocked by the external defenses.

Time passed… and peace returned to the magical prison.

The Ether Ring shattered and disappeared.

The projections within the central chamber began to discuss eagerly:

“No surprises. This result mirrors that of previous experiments.”

“When Calamity Seeds of the same grade face off, they fight until only one survives, consuming the others and evolving to the next level of life.”

“This hastens the progress toward the ‘Blooming’.”

However, the conservatives still voiced their opposition:

“I admit that the threat of the Disaster Wave is pressing, but ‘Dazzling Stage’ is still in its early stages. Isn’t this a case of premature escalation?”

“Especially with our treasure from the Donghong Federation—Chu Yuanqing.”

“We can’t afford to take unnecessary risks, especially with the chance of creating Disaster Shells.”

The radicals, however, believed that this was much ado about nothing:

“All the bases in the Dazzling Stage area have multiple safety measures. Even if a Grade B Calamity Seed hatches, there’s a 90% chance of protecting the contestants.”

“Even if a Grade F Calamity Seed consumes its peers, it will only reach Grade E. Minister Chen! We mustn’t be overly cautious. If we wait too long, the crisis will only intensify. We must prevent the Disaster Wave from forming!”

“As for our treasure in the Donghong Federation, she is so exceptional that we had to modify the venue temporarily. Otherwise, who knows if her next performance will trigger another Calamity Seed malfunction?”

“While this is a good thing, it’s causing the environmental conditions in Sea City to fall behind other regions.”