Chapter 32: Chapter 29: End of the Song and the Crowd Disperses
Emerald Sparrow mentioned in her lessons to Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang that a Magical Girl's magic outfit could grow through hard work and dedication.
This was not an unfounded assertion, as she herself was a testament to that. When she first became a Magical Girl, her magic constructs were not like this.
Back then, she didn't have the seemingly endless amount of silk threads she has now, nor did she have the tailor's scissors she held in her hands. All she had was a sphere made of Magic Silk, which, if one were to liken it to something, resembled a ball of yarn.
When the ball of threads unfurled, it released a limited quantity of Magic Silk, whose strength was barely sufficient, possessing almost no lethality, only occasionally useful for restraining the movements of Remnant Beasts. Such a weak magical outfit caused Lin Yun considerable dismay for a long time; not only did An Ya console him, but even Su Shengzi, who was always so wilful, spared a few words of comfort in the spirit of humanity.
For a long time afterward, Lin Yun treated his magical outfit as a means of controlling his enemies, engaging in combat using basic Magic Power techniques.
This situation lasted until he was promoted to the Leaf level, and after immersing himself in Spiritual Thought, he found the strength of his Magic Power Lines had significantly improved. They could bind stronger enemies and turn the Magic Silk into sharp edges capable of cutting through weaker Remnant Beasts.
He began to specialize in a combat style that manipulated the silk threads. The more he used it, the more proficient he became; the more it evolved, the more powerful it grew; the number of silk threads were ever-increasing, and their strength became as firm as rock.
However, such a combat method had its limits.
As the strength of the threads themselves reached their limit, increasing the lethality of the magic outfit became an arduous task, and Lin Yun once again felt the constraints of his own abilities.
Was there anything more that could take him further?
Lin Yun had pondered that in the past, desperately wishing to grow stronger. Then, as if in response to his desire, his magic outfit transformed once again—
The threads interwove and drew together, constantly changing shape under Emerald Sparrow's manipulation. As if pulled by a giant hand, they shed their semi-visible state and took on a new form:
Azure Magic Silk interlaced to form a cube as exquisite as a sculpture, with an empty center protecting Emerald Sparrow inside. Its surface too was adorned with intricate openwork patterns, making it appear as a delicate piece of art.
The mightiest sonic attack of the fish-shaped Remnant Beast was thwarted by this seemingly fragile work of art.
"Quite exaggerated, if it had more time, I might not have just seen a chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast," Emerald Sparrow said.
She relaxed her grip, and the web of lines that protected her frayed, the cube of protective silk threads dissolving with it. With a cold expression, she muttered to herself, "Good thing I'm not too late."
No sooner had she finished speaking, the sky full of Magic Silk emitted a deep resonance.
As if responding to the Remnant Beast's grand display earlier, the hum of the threads went from low to high, and then the Magic Silk connecting the whole cave started to revolve.
They spun, descended, and converged orderly, forming pieces of openwork blades that appeared harmless, crafted from Magic Silk and emerging along the inner walls into midair. More and more floating blades appeared until at last, a sea of azure light enveloped the scene.
If the strength of the silk was insufficient, then they would weave fabric from the silk. And if the fabric was too soft, then they would make the silk tough and hard.
When the "fabric" made of silk reached a certain level of strength and sharpness, the "fabric" too would become invincible.
"Masterpiece," that's the name Emerald Sparrow gave to this form of her magic constructs.
She had used this power the previous night when she had rescued Lin Xiaolu, but then it was merely against an Inchworm-stage Remnant Beast, nowhere severe enough to unleash her full power.
Now, she could act at will.
The fish-shaped Remnant Beast at the center of the cave was now completely bound without anyone noticing, its mouthparts opening and closing, but its highly compressed body could only emit "roaring" sounds of airflow.
Emerald Sparrow raised her hand and once again touched a few strands of Magic Silk, and the sharp buzzing sound around her stopped with this action.
The concert had ended.
The pervasive azure light rushed toward the center where the Remnant Beast and the chunks of flesh around it were located, moving as fast as lightning. In an instant, all that could be heard was a "shushing" sound.
The enormous fish-shaped Remnant Beast, the myriad egg-stage Remnant Beasts scattered across the ground, and the previously active tentacles all turned into a shower of fragments under this single strike.
...
...
The cavern rumbled, and the space began to crumble gradually.
Amidst the filth and rotten flesh on the ground, points of light like a nebula surged up, flowing into the palm of Emerald Sparrow's hand.
Upon reaching the chrysalis stage, the Remnant Beast's Echoes became something to treasure, as they could secure greater contributions within the kingdom and also meant access to higher quality resources.
These resources were of no use to Emerald Sparrow herself, but without a doubt, they could help Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang enhance their strength faster, enabling them to stand on their own sooner.
In earlier years, some had calculated that under the premise of optimal resource distribution, just three chrysalis-stage Echoes could ensure that a Magical Girl with extremely low talent could blossom into a leaf-stage. And taking into account that the Magical Girl herself would also engage in Magic Power training and Spiritual Thought, three Echoes were actually more than enough.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Emerald Sparrow had no way to contact the kingdom to exchange resources, and it seemed she would have to personally return there in the near future.
Thinking this, Emerald Sparrow's Magic Power surged beneath her feet, intending to burst out of the cavern as quickly as possible.
Yet, just before she left, she suddenly felt something and looked down, only to see a structure resembling an altar in the middle of the pool, adjacent to the remnants of the Remnant Beast.
An altar?
The space was on the verge of collapse and did not support her staying any longer, so she could only imprint this scene in her mind. Emerald Sparrow took another deep look at the place, then without lingering any longer, she accelerated and flew away from the cavern like the wind chasing lightning.
With the chrysalis-stage Remnant Beast slain, the nest it forged naturally dissipated without a trace. Therefore, as Emerald Sparrow left the cavern, she also left the previously intricate space labyrinth. By the time she returned to reality, she found herself in an unknown sewer.
She continued to fly and quickly found an exit. Popping open a manhole cover and flying out, she left the foul-smelling sewers and returned to the surface with its fresh air after a long absence.
However, the expression on Emerald Sparrow's face didn't improve upon her return.
She floated down to the ground and almost immediately took out her phone. After confirming she was reconnected to the signal, she immediately selected a number and dialed it.
"...Hello?"
Soon, a somewhat drowsy female voice came through, "In the middle of the night, what's up?"
"I think I need some explanations," Emerald Sparrow said while kicking a manhole cover beside the road, so it fell back into place.
"What exactly has the Abnormal Strategy Bureau been keeping from me?"