Chapter 4: Zero

“Yeah, yeah, the comet is so beautiful!” Xixi nodded incessantly, clearly agreeing with Mianbao’s sentiment.

“Alright, my lovely girls, it’s getting late. Time for bed!” Kunta walked over, trembling slightly on her cane, her face bearing a kindly smile as she spoke to them like a grandmother reminding her granddaughters.

Kunta scanned the flock of chattering girls around her and asked, “So, whose turn is it to keep watch tonight?”

Among the girls, one with chestnut hair sitting in a wheelchair “walked” out and reported to Kunta, “Grandma Kunta, it’s me today.” The girl’s tone was cold, devoid of any emotion, and her face was just as expressionless and indifferent.

Mianbao watched from a distance.
‘There’s a girl with disabled legs in the song and dance troupe?’

Kunta walked over, bent down slightly, and gently stroked the girl’s hair with her hand.
“I’ll be counting on you then, Zero.”

After speaking, Kunta straightened up and once again surveyed every girl around her, as if searching for something.

Watching Kunta’s every move, an alarm bell immediately went off in Mianbao’s mind.
Her woman’s sixth sense told her she was in for some bad luck.

‘But how can I have something like a sixth sense!’ Mianbao grumbled inwardly, pulling Xixi up and preparing to slip away.
However, fate was not on her side.
Kunta might be old, but her eyes were incredibly sharp, and she spotted the escaping Mianbao at once.

“Firia, come here.” The old woman’s tone held a non-negotiable authority.
Mianbao’s heart went cold.
She let go of Xixi’s hand and slowly walked over.

“Too slow!” Kunta criticized sternly, reaching out to grab Mianbao’s wrist and pulling her over directly.
“Tonight, you will keep watch with Zero. No slacking off.”

“I know…” Mianbao knew she definitely couldn’t refuse the old witch’s command, so she agreed in one breath.
In truth, the thought of protecting those beautiful and charming girls ignited a spark of masculine passion in her heart.
Of course, Kunta and her coven of old hags were not included among the beautiful and charming girls.

To put it bluntly, Mianbao accepted this order half-willingly.

“Then Big Sister Mianbao, Zero, goodnight.” After saying her goodbyes, Xixi gently closed the carriage door.

The night was deep.
The stars in the sky and the two moons of eerie colors appeared ever brighter.
Under the vast night sky, one could only hear the sound of the wind blowing and the crackling of the bonfire, as well as the occasional low roar of some unknown magical beast from somewhere.

Mianbao sat with her legs crossed, her bluish-white long hair falling onto the grass, curled into pools.
Sitting with Zero, she couldn’t find anything to talk about for a moment, and the atmosphere began to feel a bit awkward.

“Um!” In order to dispel this atmosphere that made her a little uncomfortable, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

“Softer.” Zero interrupted Mianbao with a cold voice, though it wasn’t to cut her off out of annoyance, but as a reminder.

Heeding Zero’s reminder, Mianbao lowered her voice for her next words.
“Zero… how did your legs… get injured?”

After saying this, Mianbao suddenly felt a pang of regret.
By asking this, wasn’t she just opening old wounds?
It was her first time “hitting on” a female, whether counted as a man or a woman, and it was so unsuccessful.

“Nine years ago.” Zero didn’t seem to mind particularly, not even a flicker of emotion appeared on her face.
“In Yousi Fuli Town in Meiluos. There was an explosion. My whole family died, and the roof collapsed and crushed my legs.”

“Zero, you’re actually from the Meiluos Empire?” Mianbao asked.

The Meiluos Empire, famous for its advanced technology and Magi-Knight Armor, was the most powerful and prosperous nation on the entire continent of Lazel.
Moreover, “Labyrinthine City,” the faction established by the Meiluos imperial family, and the Theocracy, established by the theocratic Papal State, were the two largest sects on the continent.

Zero tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at Mianbao with eyes that shone but held no emotion.
“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Mianbao waved her hand.
“I just didn’t expect this song and dance troupe to have people from all over the world.”

“What’s so strange about that?”

“Grandma Kunta travels the world with the troupe. Isn’t it normal for her to take in girls of different nationalities?”

“That’s true.” Mianbao gave a sheepish smile and subconsciously touched her head.

In Zero’s speech and demeanor, Mianbao could always feel a maturity and steadiness that didn’t match her current age, giving Mianbao the feeling that Zero was the older sister.

“The magical beasts in the Wind Forest are generally docile and won’t actively attack humans. Plus, this area is considered safe, so Firia, you can sleep for a while. I’ll wake you in the second half of the night,” Zero said, picking up a branch to poke the firewood in the bonfire.

“Alright then.” Mianbao’s lips curled into a smile.
Zero seemed cold on the surface, but she was actually very considerate.
Although Mianbao felt that letting herself sleep first wasn’t very manly, she had been trained by Kunta for a whole day and was tired, so she “reluctantly” accepted Zero’s suggestion.

So she tidied the uncomfortable dress on her body and, using her arm as a pillow, lay down on the ground to sleep.

The stars twinkled, and the positions of the twin moons gradually and slowly shifted as time passed, minute by minute, second by second.

The soundly sleeping Mianbao seemed to sense something in her dream.
She suddenly opened her eyes and pushed herself up with her hands.
“What’s wrong?!”

“You’re awake?” Zero was still sitting in her wheelchair beside Mianbao.
Her voice was still cold, but it seemed even colder than before.
“I wasn’t planning on waking you, but since you’re awake, there’s nothing to be done.”

Mianbao froze, only then realizing that she and Zero were now enveloped in an ominous black aura.

“A Umbral Beast?!” Mianbao blurted out.

Umbral Beast, a level-three magical beast.
Its attack power was not outstanding, but its concealment ability was extremely powerful.
It could also create an independent space that could hide its aura and sound, called the “Archive.” This concealment ability could prevent even high-level sword masters or magicians from detecting it.
And now, Zero and Mianbao were undoubtedly trapped in the “Archive.”

“So you do know about this.” Zero shifted her eyes, glancing at Mianbao.

“What do we do?” A thin layer of sweat seeped from Mianbao’s palms.
“Sirius” wasn’t with her now.
Relying solely on her pitiful close-combat skills, it was impossible to defeat the Umbral Beast.
Moreover, she and Zero were inside the “Archive” and couldn’t call Kunta and her coven of old hags for help.

Compared to Mianbao’s urgency, Zero appeared much calmer.
“Simple. Just kill it.”

Mianbao found Zero’s reply incredible.
“Kill it with what?!”

“Magi-Knight Armor.”

Zero pushed herself forward a short distance.
Then, circles of text that Mianbao couldn’t understand slowly materialized around her body.
Next, layer after layer of white armor slowly covered Zero’s body.

“Magi-Knight Armor—Snow Dove.”