Chapter 71: The Idol’s Secret and a Familiar Mystery

“Popular idol Jiuge debuted at the tender age of sixteen, quickly rising to fame with her enchanting voice and magical performances.”

Teresa read the introduction to Jiuge on the website, then glanced at Gu Song’en, whose appearance, upon closer inspection, was strikingly identical to the idol’s.

At this moment, Gu Song’en dared not meet anyone’s gaze, cold sweat continuously beading all over her body.

“Upon closer inspection, this disguise technique is quite remarkable,” Teresa remarked. “Even without obvious alterations, it still prevents immediate recognition.”

“Stop talking…”

In truth, it was less a disguise technique and more a form of magic.

To prevent her identity from being exposed in daily life, she would cast a layer of magic imbued with a slight cognitive interference effect over herself during idol activities.

However, given her inherent Dengji (TL Note: A system of power ranking or cultivation level in web novels, often similar to a character’s “level” in a game.), those with stronger perception or who were unaffected by cognitive interference could easily recognize her with a quick comparison.

Bai Li, of course, was not someone who deduced things through comparison; she simply discerned the truth by reading expressions and reactions.

After all, she suffered from selective face blindness, making it unlikely for her to remember the appearance of an idol who was utterly irrelevant to her.

Even now, looking at the photo of the idol Jiuge on Teresa’s phone, she still couldn’t recognize her.

“By the way, why did you become an idol?” Lin Xi mused aloud. “You really don’t seem like the type.”

To Lin Xi, Gu Song’en was a tsundere (TL Note: A Japanese term for a character who is initially cold or hostile but later shows a warmer, kinder side.), leaning slightly towards the ‘female imp’ archetype, yet in reality, she was quite considerate of others, a trait that perfectly aligned with her identity as the student council president’s sister.

Such a studious individual and an idol who sang, danced, and actively engaged with fans in public were, arguably, two complete opposites.

It was a known fact that in this era, traditional and pure idols had become exceedingly rare.

Professional espers, who joined official esper organizations to protect civilians like the “superheroes” in fiction, had largely replaced this role, even having their own merchandise.

Furthermore, some professional espers pursued side careers beyond their organization-assigned tasks, engaging in activities such as photography or public speaking.

Given that professional espers were inherently talented in combat, serving fans proved considerably easier for them than for traditional idols.

Even if fans treated them with disdain or spoke without inhibition, it was often understood and sometimes even enjoyed.

Consequently, most people opted to directly join esper organizations as professional espers rather than becoming idols, or they would become streamers online.

A straightforward idol like Gu Song’en was truly a rare breed.

“Uh… there’s a reason for it…” Gu Song’en stammered. “Though, it was mostly the result of a sudden whim…”

According to Gu Song’en’s explanation, there was a period when her stress management had spiraled out of control, leading to her being ordered to temporarily cease her studies.

While idly wandering the streets, she stumbled upon an idol agency recruiting new talent.

Whether it was a momentary lapse in judgment or the onset of a rebellious phase, she impulsively walked in and, by sheer coincidence, was selected.

As fate would have it, she also possessed a natural talent for singing, was quite adept at dancing, and with the addition of magic, her popularity skyrocketed.

It was all rather sudden.

“After all, many mages need to chant spells when using magic,” Lin Xi speculated. “That must have helped with articulation, right?”

As for physical fitness, once awakened, one’s abilities wouldn’t be lacking.

At the very least, they would surpass unawakened adults from the old era.

This could be understood as a game character leveling up: even without allocating skill points, learning new abilities, or equipping gear, their base stats would still increase, though the growth rate would vary for different attributes.

“Pretty much,” Gu Song’en admitted. “I never expected it to turn out this way.

My older sister even generously displayed my merchandise in her room once she found out.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t already a fan of yours from the start, and just stopped hiding it after you told her?” Bai Li quipped.

“…But honestly, I’m quite immersed in it,” Gu Song’en confessed, ignoring Bai Li’s teasing as if unwilling to face the truth. “I even feel it’s more interesting than being a professional esper, though I haven’t actually tried that.”

“Indeed,” Teresa chimed in, recalling the occasional newspaper photos of Jiuge she’d seen. “The expression on your face when you made the front page truly conveyed genuine happiness.”

“She even made the front page of newspapers?” Bai Li asked, surprised.

“Xiao Bai, even I know that,” Lin Xi replied. “Even though I don’t follow idols, her news frequently appears not just in newspapers but also in online reports.”

Since some members of the Weichangzhe Organization enjoyed collecting newspapers, Lin Xi had seen numerous reports about Jiuge; she was practically a celebrity.

“Speaking of which, that makes me a little angry,” Gu Song’en grumbled. “Not long ago, I finally managed to finish my last concert before my hiatus, only for some sudden newcomer to steal the front page from me.”

With her idol identity fully exposed, Gu Song’en seemed to shed her inhibitions, beginning to speak freely about her time as an idol.

“Are you referring to that mysterious individual who became famous overnight due to an attack, whose very nature—whether they were a special humanoid Otherworld Beast or not—remained unknown?” Teresa inquired.

“Exactly, that’s the one,” Gu Song’en confirmed.

Hearing this, Bai Li felt that the mysterious individual they were discussing sounded somewhat familiar.

“It caused a sensation across the entire continent at the time,” Teresa recalled. “Just when everyone was wondering if another victim would emerge, the story simply vanished, as if it were nothing but a rumor.”

“But wasn’t that mysterious person called ‘Blood Moon Witch Anno’?” Lin Xi pondered. “I don’t know if it’s because I’ve watched some magical girl anime, but I can’t help but feel there’s some connection to magical girls…”

‘Hmm, indeed. They’re talking about her.’

Bai Li had initially assumed her attack would, at most, only spread through Tiangong City, or perhaps a few nearby cities.

She had never imagined it would resonate across nearly the entire continent.

Upon reflection, however, she had, in that instance, shattered the barrier of Shen Jingbing—an esper whose strength rivaled a C-rank, and whose defense reached mid-C-rank levels, earning her the moniker [Immovable Shield of Tiangong]—with a single strike, and had done so with considerable ease.

Such a display of power was certainly worthy of widespread attention.

“Well, news cycles are incredibly fast-paced things,” Teresa commented. “Look, now the news reports have already shifted to a new set of topics, like cultists or newly emerging esper item manufacturers.

Even the Aixi University student council elections made headlines.

The fact that your hiatus news is still on the trending list is already quite good.”

Though Bai Li felt a strange sense of déjà vu regarding these trending topics, she chose to ignore it, as changing the subject was far more pressing at the moment.