Chapter 388 She's shining! - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

"Do you see that big rock up ahead?" Myna flew beside Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An, reiterating her warning, "You mustn't get too close to that rock. No, to be safe, we should maintain a distance of at least 1000 meters from it." This large rock on the outskirts of the magical town was purposefully placed there by Myna, ensuring they wouldn’t accidently fly too close next time. Her Highness Su Miao's magical town is extremely dangerous; wandering in by mistake could cost lives. Out of caution, Myna decided it was better to stay even further away. "Hmm, got it." Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An nodded vigorously, making a note of it. From here they could already see the outline of the magical town, though it was not clear enough. Even a telescope wasn't helpful; they had to get a bit closer. For some unknown reason, it always felt as if the magical town was far away, requiring them to move nearer for a clearer view. But, they kept their eyes on the big rock, ensuring they never got too close. "Stop here. We can't go any further." Myna landed on Lin Jiu Jiu's shoulder as she spoke. They were now 1200 meters from the rock, and from this spot, they could more or less see the magical town. However, they only managed a glimpse of the abstract outline of the town before the world around them changed. "Danger!" Myna shrieked loudly. She quickly grew in size, attempting to ferry Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An away, but it was too late. It was as if the sky around them had been enclosed by invisible walls, and regardless of how Myna flew, she couldn't get out, not even a short distance horizontally. "Jiu Jiu, Xiao An..." Myna wore a puzzled expression as she saw their casual outfits transform into sleek performance gear, automatic rifles appearing in their hands. Not far off, a massive skeletal head bristling with cannons loomed before them. Its cannons launched spheres of light that floated toward them at a moderate speed. Simultaneously, new demon creatures spawned nearby, curiously nudging the incoming spheres, as if trying to eat them. Inevitably, the spheres collided with the demons. With one hit, bleeding ensued. Two hits, and they became delirious. Three hits, they fell. By the fourth and fifth hits, their bodies turned ethereal, flickered, and vanished entirely. "Avoid those light spheres; whatever you do, don’t let them touch you." Myna hurriedly cautioned, "We've been sucked into Her Highness Su Miao’s domain. It's perilous here, and a slight misstep could be fatal." The area they had entered with Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An was unlike the previous one; it was completely unfamiliar. However, the scenery eerily resembled an old arcade game. "Use your rifles!" Myna ordered. Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An opened fire immediately. To their surprise, the bullets from their rifles were much like the light spheres from the monsters, just smaller and faster. Yet, the bullets couldn't nullify the monster’s projectiles; they simply passed through each other, necessitating continued dodging. Fortunately, thanks to their daily Tai Chi training, they were well-grounded in martial arts, adeptly jumping and dodging. "The health bar is visible!" Myna shouted while observing a creature ahead, "This monster is killable. Keep shooting!" Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An nodded, maintaining their gunfire. Gradually, they adjusted to the combat rhythm. But as the monster's health dipped below 20%, it started firing bullets in a spiral pattern. In these circumstances, even though the spiraling bullets were slow, approaching them required Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An to weave through the gaps between these bullets, avoiding contact while seizing opportunities to damage the boss. A slight lapse in evasion or greed for more damage would result in getting hit. Meanwhile, another wave of newly arrived demons was slain amidst the shower of bullets. Myna longed to assist, yet found her attacks entirely ineffective against the monster. It seemed only specific firearm-type weapons could harm this creature. As it stood, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An were embroiled in the dangers of dodging the monster's bullet assault. Myna watched anxiously, helplessly calling out, "Your Highness, please help!" Though Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An had some Tai Chi training, allowing them to evade the monster's bullets for now, they couldn't keep it up indefinitely. Once their internal energy waned, they'd be doomed. During their dodge maneuvers, a powerful demon was teleported to their location. This demon warlord swiftly discerned the key to survival here and mimicked Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An's dodging techniques. Initially, he found the movements simple, with little difficulty. However, after three minutes, he witnessed the monster launching rows of bullets. The bullets flew in threes, moving in a pattern akin to oscillating fans, increasing in speed and leaving no room to breathe. The demon warlord was dumbstruck, managing to dodge the first wave, but not the second. Seconds later, the unnamed demon warlord was blown away. Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An barely managed to continue their evasions, yet no one could say how much more peril lay ahead. To attack or not to attack this monster, either option was fraught with danger. Continuing to shoot would only result in more densely packed, terrifying bullets, virtually impossible to dodge. "Ah!" Lin Jiu Jiu was the first to falter. Her footwork failed, body tilting, almost as if she intentionally ran into the dense barrage. In a crucial moment, Myna swooped to her aid, saving her by a hair’s breadth. But the next second, Xia Xiao An found herself in danger. Myna intervened again. Three seconds later, both women and the bird were cornered at an air-wall, trapped with no escape. "Sister Su Miao!" Hearts racing, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An feared every breath could lead to getting shot by the monstrous projectiles. "Your Highness Su Miao, save us!" Myna's cries grew more desperate; her ability to shield Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An nearly exhausted. Then, unexpectedly, the giant monster emitted rumbling noises, advancing toward them, as though intending to fill the space entirely. Certain death loomed... Despair descended upon them. Abruptly, the monster halted, all bullets hanging suspended in the air. Su Miao appeared in the realm, reaching out to whisk Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and Myna to the back area of the magical town, a safe zone. Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An burst into tears, sobbing heartily, "Sister Su Miao, we thought we'd never see you again." Myna reverted to her human form, Su Luo Li, nervously pinching fingers, looking afraid of rebuke. Su Miao sighed, "What brought you here?" Xia Xiao An gathered herself first, explaining, "We thought Sister Su Miao might have inadvertently entered the Inner World, so we wanted to check on you." "Luo Li marked the spot outside with a big stone, telling us not to go beyond it." "We stopped 1200 meters from the stone to observe." "Yet, less than a second in, we were dragged in." After conveying the series of events, Xia Xiao An broke down again, tears streaming. Just moments ago, they had truly thought... Su Miao glanced outside the magical town, seeing the large stone marker Myna used and traces left further out by Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An. What to say to that? Indeed, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An weren’t at fault. The magical town's domain had slightly expanded outside after forming, much like how it had engulfed the magical platform created by Sir Suo Chen. However, there was a difference in how the magical town’s domain absorbed energy from the Inner World with Sir Suo Chen's platform. Due to interference from the Vampire Demon King, Saluo Torrispeya, the gateway collapsed. The collapse meant that the magical town’s energy demands needed supplementing from other areas. This prompted the activation of various magic arrays within the domain, enhancing the difficulty of many gaming facilities to process more demon creatures to replenish the domain’s energy needs. Gratitude was owed to the Evil Spirit Demon King, Sathlit Torrispeya, whose contribution ensured the magical town’s greater stability. Otherwise, if Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An encountered an uncontrollable BUG, they could have died outright. Much like what was happening in some areas within the town. Su Miao noted how stronger demon creatures vanished in the blink of an eye upon entering these areas. For instance, at the Music Fountain Square. Clearly, there were some "people" providing a demonstration at the music fountain square, but the demon creatures arriving had no idea what these "people" were doing, nor did they know they were supposed to dance along. As a result, these demons spent less than three seconds there before transforming into blood-colored notes, adding a unique hue to the music fountain. This was due to the incomplete rules of the music fountain square, which triggered an insta-kill bug. Otherwise, the arriving demons would have had more chances. There was also the concert venue modeled after Lin Jiu Jiu's dream stage. If Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and Myna entered there, Su Miao dared not imagine the outcome. For the demons in that area were turning into points of light, disappearing amidst their frantic cheers. No matter how many entered, they all vanished. Very efficient indeed. "Now that you're here, let's get to work." Su Miao addressed the teary-eyed pair, "Three demon kings have arrived in the town, which is extremely dangerous." At the mention of demon kings, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An immediately stopped crying. Myna's eyes widened in shock. With a blink, Su Miao bestowed management rights over the concert stage area to Lin Jiu Jiu, Xia Xiao An, and Su Luo Li. Magical seals appeared briefly on their foreheads before disappearing instantly. "I've given you all access to the concert stage area. Jiu Jiu, lead Xiao An and Luo Li in merging the concert domain with the stage area, which should benefit you all." Su Miao instructed, "Your job is simply to sing and dance, perform like idol girls, and ignore whatever happens beneath the stage. If danger arises, the magical seals will transport you back to the resting area." "Understood." Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An wiped away their tears. "Luo Li, keep them safe." With an additional reminder, Su Miao sent the trio to the concert stage. Standing in their idol costumes under the dazzling lights, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An felt a surge of excitement. Seeing Su Luo Li in her adorable dress, Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An's fears dissipated into the clouds, replaced by delight. Had it not been for the residual fear from their near-death experience, they'd have dismissed the ordeal as nothing more than a nightmare. But truly, Su Luo Li was irresistibly cute! As Su Luo Li appeared on stage, the demon audience below erupted in wild cheers, utterly charmed by her. Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An exchanged a glance and began their performance. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" The demon audience cheered intensely, turning into points of light to make space for newcomers, every face radiating joy, happiness, and bliss. Emotions they had never experienced in the Underworld. Su Miao took a brief glance at the stage to confirm Lin Jiu Jiu and Xia Xiao An had gotten into the groove, feeling slightly reassured. ... Vampire Demon King Saluo Torrispeya opened her eyes. She found herself lounging sideways on a throne, face propped on one hand, observing the masses below. She spotted 120 armored warriors in her view, and the leading mech spoke, "Vampire Demon King Saluo Torrispeya, your end is near." Saluo Torrispeya looked at the speaker, chuckling, "Just you ants?" The lead mech retorted, "Saluo, drop your arrogance, your presumption. Do you think this is the blood-drinking, ignorance-embracing Middle Ages? Let me tell you, this is the era of humanity conquering the stars and lighting up the cosmos!" "Now, you have a choice: surrender or die!" Saluo Torrispeya laughed in disbelief. Humans dared to speak such words to her, a Demon King, demanding her submission—where did they get such bravado? Wait! Saluo Torrispeya quickly gathered her thoughts. She recalled coming to Earth with Hell Demon King Charlotte Sadwind, mistakenly entering a divine domain of a pink-haired witch and falling into her trap. While merely closing her eyes to heal, she had been transported here, confronted by incomprehensible ants. Moreover, this seemed like a barren, lifeless planet. Everything here was an illusion. She had to shred this place apart. Just as Saluo Torrispeya resolved herself, the mech on the opposite side initiated combat. "Why bother with the monster? Attack!" A jet-black mech fired first, launching a terrifying gray energy beam toward her. The beam's power was incredibly fearsome, seemingly capable of destroying an entire planet with multiple shots. Saluo Torrispeya felt a chill. However, a quick sense check altered her expression again. The source of these beams was indeed Evil Spirit Demon King Sathlit Torrispeya, explaining the gray color—wasn't the witch even trying to hide it? In the next moment, all 120 mechs launched their attacks; Saluo Torrispeya dodged instantly. Behind her, the destructive energy beams obliterated the desolate planet thoroughly. Boom! Saluo Torrispeya eyed the shattered planet, her expression twisted. Her useless sibling, Evil Spirit Demon King Sathlit Torrispeya, lacked the power to actually destroy a planet. Yet extracted from him, the strength could annihilate one with ease. Damn, the witch who crafted this divine domain was insane... (End of Chapter)