Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Three Methods, Elise’s Past

Galtigus City, in the sky.

That "firework," forged by the archbishop, fell from the sky like a heavy swamp. Erebus’s heart became Disaster Debris, at the center devouring black blood, about to form a brand new disaster aura vortex.

If no one stopped it, and it fell into this ancient city, the millions of people inside would turn into resources, creating a hellish ecosystem for Disaster, forming a device like a signal tower, serving as an anchor point for the arrival of the Calamity God.

This was the standard backup plan for the archbishop’s death.

The difference was that during the first playthrough, the Calamity God could fully descend and, depending on its "mood," use the archbishop’s corpse to carry its power, creating stronger apostles to present the so-called trials.

But for now, the protection of the Golden Sea was still in effect; the Ten Directions Prison Realm, built from red and black magic, quickly intercepted the area of the "firework." Combined with Echoes of the Past and the vanquished King’s Sword, this "corpse transformation" was quickly dealt with.

The only thing left at the scene was the Disaster Debris, which had been purified by the fierce fire, stripped of its genetic chains and remnants of souls.

There were so many of them, and they were much more varied than the batch once pulled from the Countermeasures Bureau; just the heart of Erebus alone was a high-quality treasure that Esther’s little vault could not hold.

Although Russell seemed weak, the power of the Supreme Disaster Beast was truly formidable. If Erebus were in its complete form, the Shadow Dimension it could unleash would be enough to swallow tens of millions of square kilometers, turning them into a dark land of death.

Even in the first playthrough, it was the world-ending BOSS before the version update, a gatekeeper of the [Calamity God] chapter.

However, the fragile human soul, without any blessed enhancements, or years of evolution and training, could not harness much of the power of the Supreme Disaster Beast, even if it stitched together the abilities of many disaster beasts.

On the other hand, Russell’s death was indeed very unfair.

Even if she did not use her self-created technique—Morpheus’s Magic Mirror, and brought out the setup she used to defeat Little Yu, including the mercury tree, mercury song, infinite mirror reflection, and Spiral Demon Sword, she still could not save this ancient city.

This was just like how the entire Salzburg was crushed several times within the Mortal Realm Barrier.

When it actually came to fighting, both sides output an absurd amount of power; who had time to protect the area? It was only due to Russell being tricked by "mirage" and being guided high into the sky before self-destructing, while setting up a barrier in advance, that she could remain calm as if nothing had happened.

Normally, she needed to use the configuration mentioned above, then add [Echoes of the Past] and [Annihilated Massacre] to strike down Russell in one blow, but this ancient city would still turn into ruins.

Even though death was inevitable, at least this way of dying seemed more grand and gave a sense of pride.

Now, this archbishop had died quietly. Even if the Church of the Gods had planted many spies in their homeland to monitor the situation here, they would likely assume that Russell hadn’t had a chance to act yet, rather than that she was already dead.

After all, on Fanol Continent, even the mightiest empire could not gather double-digit legendary heroes, and to kill an archbishop without making a sound must be the work of a Saint.

In the First Divine Age, a Saint referred to the embodiment of a divine being in the world, and later it evolved to mean something greater than a legend, almost like a demi-god.

It was worth mentioning that the title of Saint was the honor given by the emperor to his subjects. Throughout the continent’s history, only the original Three Oaths and the three great Sages have held this title in thousands of years.

In this age, there was no one who could be called a Saint, but due to the emperor’s legacy, the Karembu Empire could unleash equal, or even more terrifying power in three ways.

The first was the Adjudicator with golden blood.

The second was the revived Tree of Thought, Holy Sophon.

The third was a weapon to kill gods, formed over a thousand years, based on the alchemy left by the emperor, developed with the strength of the whole nation.

Chu Yuanqing recalled this background; through Russell’s memories, she knew that the current situation was very unfavorable for her side. Combined with the historical issues, the empire was nearly torn apart and in ruins by the Church of the Gods.

If nothing unexpected happened, in a few days, the empire’s three ways to control the Saint would either be erased or fully grasped by the enemy, creating a nearly impossible challenge.

Moreover, since the bishops did not trust each other, Russell also did not know the positions of the others. They self-destructed too quickly before squeezing out all the information, making the future look grim.

The Pure White Witch sighed wearily. For some reason, looking at the current situation of the empire, she suddenly felt like a mother watching her child smoke, drink, perm their hair, skip class, fall in love too early, and be addicted to the internet, feeling frustrated.

How did it happen that once the emperor left and Holy Sophon fell asleep, the empire quickly fell into power struggles, mutual decay, and foul play? Even the progress in alchemy stopped, and it became awkwardly dependent on Lucy Tiffany to open the windows of opportunity.

From the information revealed by Russell, if it weren’t for the law mechanisms that were being automatically executed after Holy Sophon fell asleep, and the backing from the Freyr-Baath clan, she believed the Church of the Gods could be celebrating with champagne.

What is the advantage on my side? This is the advantage on my side.

Chu Yuanqing rubbed her forehead and glanced at the Disaster Debris wrapped and sealed by Mercury Blood, planning to collect all of it back to Charlotte’s Space for Couples, intending to give it to Little Sakura as a gift.

Then, she flew back to Tiffany’s ancestral home courtyard and landed, removing her Magic Armor.

The Pure White Witch took out a beautifully decorated crystal bottle from her storage ring. She drank it down as if it were soda, savoring the strawberry-flavored Magic Potion made by Lucy Tiffany and feeling the magic within her body come to life, showing a satisfied expression.

These Magic Potions contain a large amount of magic essence, combined with alchemy to adjust their properties, enhancing the body’s ability to absorb them and resulting in a quick recovery of magic.

The most important thing is that these are also useful for magical girls and work even better than for human Magicians. If the Countermeasures Bureau could replicate these Magic Potions in large quantities, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce the death rate of magical girls on missions.

Unfortunately, although she inherited some of Lucy Tiffany’s memories, the Historical Echoes were not generous enough to give her all of the abilities.

For example, in the case of alchemy, the related memories are vague and extremely obscure.

But interestingly,

Chu Yuanqing always felt particularly smooth when she learned again using the other person’s notes, with bursts of déjà vu that sparked her thoughts and intelligence, making her feel as if she was truly an alchemy genius.

Perhaps there were similarities with the forging she learned in the past?

Chu Yuanqing did not think too much; the things she learned in the Slit World seemed far away. Even if she forgot ninety-nine percent, the remaining instincts could still connect the dots.

The Pure White Witch sat back down on the edge of the bed and released a Divine Messenger Barbet to deliver a message to Esther. She looked at the very thin little girl who was still deeply asleep, placing her hand gently on the girl’s forehead, and softly said:

"Elise, can you hear me?"

"I am Chu Yuanqing, and I am also Lucy Tiffany. You know Charlotte, and you know Sister Ellie, right? They are my family too."

"So, you don’t need to worry that I am a bad person. I have already dealt with the intruder, and you are safe now. I will protect you."

Chu Yuanqing could sense the child’s soul waves. She felt a connection with her, as if she saw the girl huddled in a corner, crying alone, with a stubborn, pouty expression.

The gray and white dragon beard begonia, trapped in the soul, hid fear, loneliness, loss, sadness, self-pity, and… the courage that had never gone out.

This was proof that Dragon Witch Elise had not given up completely.

If possible, she wanted to communicate more with her.

Unfortunately, if Liuli were here, even in this state, she could directly communicate with the child, right?

Without the green-eyed cat’s Spirit Power, there could only be a one-sided conversation; there was no way for formal communication, let alone acting as a mental mentor and helping the child overcome difficulties with comforting words.

But even if communication were possible, it wouldn’t help; Dream Weaver Rabbit had already invited a world-class psychologist and other magical girls skilled in mental techniques, but the results were minimal.

From the very beginning, after she heard Esther’s request, what she wanted to use was not clever talking or Lucy Tiffany’s alchemy, but a simpler and quicker, one-time solution.

Chu Yuanqing’s golden eyes glowed softly, her delicate face radiated a sense of sacred motherhood. She lowered her gaze and gently caressed the girl’s brows; after politely introducing herself, she softened her tone and smiled reassuringly:

"I have been invited to be your Dream Weaving teacher and help you heal."

"I can see your Flower of the Soul; its decline is quite frightening, isn’t it?"

"It’s like a person trapped in a dark haunted house, where even the sounds from outside are unclear and hard to understand, as if you are the only one in the world suffering."

"But that’s okay; just like when you were on stage, and the audience’s cheers could reach your ears, even in the darkest places, light can come in."

The voice faded away.

The soul’s light shimmered softly, the intricate patterns of the Ideal Homeland became hot and vibrant, born from the wishes in the heart’s dimension, dancing like little fairies, surrounding the sleeping beauty on the bed.

The world of the mind.

The girl hugged her knees, sitting alone in the corner. She was completely naked, her gray hair covering her white back and hiding her delicate curves. In her spiral gray eyes, emotions were almost entirely concealed, and her childlike face lost its liveliness.

After sacrificing the Lantern Elf and temporarily sealing the rampage of the Calamity God, she had been asleep ever since, helplessly watching the Flower of the Soul slowly wilt away.

It was an extremely terrifying process.

Because regression involved the complex structure of the soul, past memories, obsessions, wishes, and emotions—all the things that shaped one’s personality—flowed slowly in reverse like disassembled materials.

And if anything went wrong, not only would one fail to maintain their original self, but the soul would completely collapse irreversibly.

The worst part was that intense emotions could disrupt the process of regression, causing it to go awry, like a traffic accident on a crowded road that led to a terrible chain reaction.

But who could avoid feeling emotions?

The reverse process of the Flower of the Soul was akin to reliving past lives—confusing, twisted, and chaotic.

In fact, she had already known she would die when the Lantern Elf passed away and the Lantern Gem dimmed, showing signs of decline.

Yet the ties of reality were like an anchor, pulling away threads of life.

That was like the older sister who spoiled her, the teammates who cared for her, the stage that loved her, the fans who admired her, the gentle Mother Ellie, and the lovely Teacher Dream Weaver…

Elise had the ability to sense the outside world; she could hear the voice of that older sister, but she merely buried her face in sadness, waiting for the countdown to death.

The environment of the Ideal State could not slow down the collapse; her death would come sooner than Teacher Dream Weaver imagined, and the dragon beard begonia would truly fall apart today.

But this thought did not linger long. The brilliance representing the will of all beings dispelled the surrounding darkness, illuminating the narrow yet vast world like one light after another.

Then, the clear voice of the older sister, like pure spring water, sang familiar nursery rhymes in her ear:

"Edelweiss, edelweiss."

"Every morning you greet me."

Elise lifted her young face, and in a daze, she returned to the time when Mother Ellie held her and she listened to the song of the edelweiss with other children. Without realizing it, she began to sing along:

"Small and white."

"Clean and bright."

"You look happy to meet me."

And the wonderful thing was,

The music of the edelweiss changed, becoming softer and more beautiful, like the gentle flow of water under the sun, carrying the fragrance of flowers deep in the valley, the scent of earth, and the fresh mix of grass and dew.

This melody, written by the Pure White Ode, combined her most wonderful, warmest, and happiest memories, and infused the care and love of the Pure White Witch, like the compassion of a divine being, bringing the nurturing touch of a mother.

Elise’s thoughts melted away. She felt as if she were lying in an ocean made of clouds, sugar, chocolate, and cheese, with all sorts of cute and playful things floating in her heart, bringing warmth that made her forget her fears.

In her inner world, a wish from Chu Yuanqing, a fan, burned brightly with her will, creating a grand pure white light like a bubble.

This was an aurora that existed for just a moment, yet it surprisingly stopped the decay, making the half-withering dragon beard begonia bloom again and fully restoring the Lantern Gem that lay within its petals.

At this point, the chains that held her awareness shattered, and the whole inner world melted away in the white light.

Chu Yuanqing’s golden eyes lost focus, and she coughed a few pale coughs. She looked down at Elise, turned off Ideal Homeland, and cut off the incoming wishes, revealing a relieved smile.

Luckily, just before leaving, she caught the start of the seventh season, which filled Ideal Homeland with a wave of wishes. Otherwise, saving this child might have cost much more.

Well, although using fan wishes to support other little idols could be seen as even more draining than bloodsucking in the showbiz world, it was an unusual form of NTR; Little Yuanxiao were so kind they probably wouldn’t mind, right?

As Chu Yuanqing thought of this, she bit her lip and felt a strange sense of guilt.

The girl stopped overthinking. After easing the feeling of weakness, she reached out to gently pinch Elise’s soft little face, looking at the trembling girl, and hesitantly asked:

"Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Elise sleepily opened her eyes. She looked at the Pure White Succubus beside her, staring for a while before finally breaking away from the beauty of the older sister. Her small, expressionless face turned a little shy and pink.

The little girl slightly turned her gaze. She didn’t mind being pinched on the cheeks by Honey Qing; she just thought the older sister’s hands smelled nice. So, she sat up and politely replied:

"I’m fine now; thank you."

"Thank you, amazing doctor sister."

Chu Yuanqing thought Elise was so sweet, just like a doll. She couldn’t help but touch the child’s soft gray hair, reminiscing about how cute her daughter had been when she was this small—so easy to lift high up; super adorable!

Elise blinked her gray eyes and quietly watched the Pure White Witch, showing no sign of resistance. As a child of her age, she was already used to being treated this way by her teammates in the girl group.

Of course, most importantly, in the little girl’s eyes, the Pure White Succubus was beautiful, gentle, and warm, so very motherly that it made her want to snuggle into her arms and sleep while being spoiled.

However, due to her sense of shame and manners, she couldn’t bring herself to make such a request.

Chu Yuanqing happily chatted with the little girl for a while.

The relaxed atmosphere came from two reasons: first, Elise had just woken up and needed to check everything to make sure she was okay, and second, she was very tired after her treatment and needed to rest for a bit.

During this time, she also learned about Elise’s situation.

This child’s parents were scientists working for the Countermeasures Bureau, and they tragically lost their lives in an experiment involving Light Stone and the "Disaster Bell."

After that, because Ellie was very close to the child’s parents, Ellie’s team took care of the child for a long time.

By the way, Esther was also part of the team; at that time, she was still the Original Witch and had not yet become the cold AI she was now.

So, it was understandable why Elise valued her AI teacher, who taught all the magical girls, so highly and saw her as one of the reasons to keep living.

Additionally, it seemed that since she lived in the Countermeasures Bureau and occasionally came into contact with Light Stone, Elise unexpectedly gained the recognition of Light Stone at the age of 9, qualifying her to become a magical girl.

By that time, the idea for "Dazzling Stage" was already taking shape, and after discussing it with Esther, Ellie arranged for Elise to become an idol trainee, helping her prepare for her future as an idol.

This meant that the child had more experience in being an idol and a magical girl than many of the older captains.

Yes, that included Sister Little Yu.

Elise blinked and answered seriously about Xie Qing Yu.

"Did Sister Chu ask me about Sister Little Yu? She has always been very kind to me, so… every time I get to fight against Sister Little Yu in practice battles, I feel really sorry."