Chapter 66: A Proposal and an Ominous Glow

After a night steeped in mutual affection, a new day dawned, brimming with the promise of work.

On Wednesday morning, as Lily of the Valley pushed open the office door, she found Xia Shi and Lu Chen already present. Lin Wan, seated behind her desk, wore an expression of clear irritation.

Lily of the Valley swiftly strode forward, inclining her head in apology.

“My apologies for the delay. The sheer number of reporters at the entrance proved quite a challenge; it took me some time to finally shake them off.”

“It’s alright. You were actually scheduled for a day off, but then you went and defeated Envy. The three of you have been called in to manage the fallout from that incident.”

Lin Wan picked up an A4 sheet from her desk, waving it up and down with an air of frustration. It was the record of Envy’s interrogation.

“Xia Shi, you’re familiar with Envy’s magic, aren’t you?”

“Indeed. Given just a single drop of another’s blood, he can concoct a potion that allows him to transform into that individual.”

“More precisely, it’s a secret elixir known as the ‘Masquerade Potion.’ He apparently brewed hundreds of bottles, stashing them in various locations across the city. Should these concoctions be overlooked, there’s no telling what mischief other eccentrics might unleash with them.”

“Envy has already disclosed the method for locating these potions. Your mission today is to retrieve every last one.”

“Fireworks, you are tasked with scouring the Glorious District, the Iron West District, and the Lin Nan District, leaving no stone unturned, to recover all Masquerade Potions hidden there.”

“Lily of the Valley, the vast Maple Forest District falls under your purview.”

The two magical girls nodded in acknowledgement. Meanwhile, Lu Chen, looking rather perplexed, raised his hand.

“I see. So, what exactly is my role in all of this?”

“You’re assigned to document Lily of the Valley. Currently, half the city’s eyes are fixed upon her.”

With that, Lin Wan swept her hand dismissively, declaring in a loud voice:

“Right then, the detailed instructions have been sent to your phones. Unless you’re illiterate, you can take your time to read them yourselves.”

“Understood.”

“Understood!”

“Understood~”

The trio responded in unison, their voices ringing out. They then exited the room and ascended to the rooftop. There, the two magical girls transformed in a flash of light, before soaring away in separate directions.

The Maple Forest District lay in the desolate, far-flung suburbs, a sprawling expanse of land encompassing an abandoned amusement park and the enigmatic White Barrier Forest.

To conserve precious time, Lily of the Valley once again pulled Lu Chen into the sky.

This time, however, she tempered her speed, thoughtfully fashioning a comfortable chair from vines. She even placed a magazine upon it, making the aerial journey comparable to a first-class airline experience.

The pair swiftly traversed the sky, soon gliding over the densely packed urban sprawl before reaching the verdant, grassy outskirts.

As Lu Chen sat composed in his vine chair, scrolling through his phone to confirm the filming requirements, Lily of the Valley suddenly broke the silence.

“Mr. Lu, I have a question that I’m hoping you might be willing to answer.”

“Absolutely. Is it related to our current mission?”

“No, it’s unrelated. I was just wondering if you and Fireworks have… made any progress?”

‘A topic of gossip, of all things,’ Lu Chen thought, a slight surprise in his voice.

“M-my apologies. You two seemed unusually close today, and I couldn’t help but feel a little curious. If I’ve overstepped, I’ll certainly keep quiet!”

“It’s quite alright; there’s nothing to conceal. I actually plan to propose to her this weekend… Woah!”

The vine chair abruptly lurched, as if caught on a rollercoaster track. Lily of the Valley’s voice, now tinged with excitement, rose as she spoke:

“That’s incredible…! Will you become husband and wife after that? Congratulations!”

Lily of the Valley was practically bouncing with the excitement of a young girl. Lu Chen let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s a bit premature for congratulations, as we still need to see if Xia Shi agrees. Moreover, even if she accepts, there are numerous troublesome matters to address before we can truly marry. We’ll need to undergo medical examinations, conduct property checks, discuss whether to move, meet her adoptive mother, and seek her approval—among many other things.”

The young woman’s voice immediately lost its warmth.

“…That sounds incredibly complicated.”

“Lu Chen recalled statistics indicating that half of all couples experience a decline in satisfaction within the first year of marriage, often feeling less happy than before. Yet, he was certain that he and Xia Shi would belong to the fortunate half. After all, marriage is a momentous life event, deserving of solemn consideration. If I am truly blessed to hold a wedding banquet with Xia Shi, I sincerely hope you will grace us with your presence.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it immensely! Thank you so very much!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than a compass in Lily of the Valley’s hand suddenly emitted a vibrant red glow.

“This is the method to locate the Masquerade Potions.”

This was the method for detecting the Masquerade Potions. According to the Demon Furnace, the compass would glow red whenever a potion was nearby, with the light intensifying the closer they got.

The young woman’s smile vanished, her emerald eyes swiftly scanning the ground below.

“Let’s begin our work.”

The two descended slowly, touching down within the abandoned amusement park. Following the compass’s unwavering guidance, they commenced their search.

****

The “Emerald Grace” was an exceptionally versatile form of magic, proving remarkably efficient in both combat and reconnaissance.

Whenever the compass glowed, Lily of the Valley would summon a layer of shallow grass within her visual range, relying on the subtle perceptions of its blades to pinpoint the hidden potions.

Whether the Demon Furnace had buried these artifacts underground, wedged them into rock crevices, or concealed them within walls and trees, none could evade the young woman’s keen gaze.

Lily of the Valley summoned flora, moving methodically through the overgrown Maple Forest District, searching every nook and cranny. Lu Chen followed closely, his lens meticulously documenting her every action.

“…Just one more bottle.”

In less than half a day, Lily of the Valley had scoured the entirety of the Maple Forest District. She was now deep within the White Barrier Forest, searching for the final potion.

Though the Demon Furnace had been captured, the forest’s mist remained utterly indifferent, clinging to its usual gloomy density.

The young woman gazed around, her emerald eyes swirling with light. Tender seedlings broke through the soil, emerging like vigilant guards to patrol and search wherever her gaze fell.

Moments later, a flicker of intuition stirred within her. She darted towards a withered tree, swiftly retrieving a potion concealed deep within its hollow trunk.

A slight smile played on her lips as she carefully placed the potion into her backpack. After a swift count, she turned to look at Lu Chen.

“Thirty-four bottles in total. That should be everything, right?”

The Demon Furnace had delegated the trivial task of concealing the potions entirely to his subordinates, remaining completely ignorant of the specific details.

Nonetheless, while he might not have known the precise locations of the Masquerade Potions, he did recall the quantities hidden within each district.

Lu Chen lowered his camera, offering a confirming nod.

“That’s correct; you’ve done excellent work. Xia Shi has also collected all of hers, so let’s return and report our findings.”

“Alright… oh.”

Lily of the Valley acknowledged him, taking a step towards the young man. Just then, the compass clipped to her waist flared to life once more.

—No, to be precise, it didn’t light up; it darkened.

The artifact’s surface, once pristine white, was now marred by a blotch of inky black, reminiscent of clear water sullied by a drop of ink.

Lily of the Valley gazed at the compass with a perplexed expression, then turned her head to meet Lu Chen’s eyes.

“Are you certain there were only thirty-four?”

Lu Chen opened the mission description on his phone and offered it to the young woman. The contents were precisely as he had stated.

“That’s what it says, but that idiot Envy might have simply misremembered the quantity. What concerns me more is why it’s emitting a black glow this time.”

Lily of the Valley stared intently at the inky black luminescence, a sudden, ominous sensation rising within her heart.

“I don’t know. To be safe, it would be best to investigate.”

“Agreed.”

The young woman held up the compass, and guided by its subtle pull, she and Lu Chen ventured deeper into the forest.

The fog grew steadily denser, and the color on the compass deepened further, soon becoming entirely opaque black. It even began to tremble faintly, like a small snake sensing a hidden burrow.

Lily of the Valley’s heartbeat gradually quickened. This was far from her first visit to the White Barrier Forest; she had, in fact, ventured into its very core on numerous occasions.

Yet today, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the air here was exceptionally heavy, possessing a subtle, ominous quality entirely unlike its usual state.

She cast her gaze around, yet still found no trace of any potions. All that met her eyes were unyielding withered trees and scattered rocks.

The scene was one of uniform desolation.

The young woman halted her steps, turning to Lu Chen.

“It would be best not to continue today. Let’s head back now.”

“Surely we’re still in the shallower reaches of the White Barrier Forest, aren’t we? Why turn back?”

“My apologies, there’s no concrete reason. It’s merely a gut feeling.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say… What is that?”

As the mist churned and swirled, Lu Chen suddenly discerned a vague, indistinct outline. He narrowed his eyes, realizing it was a small, dilapidated shack.

The shack stood starkly amidst the withered trees, its exterior plastered with brightly colored objects—what appeared to be a collection of horror movie posters.

The young woman likewise scrutinized the wooden shack. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her compass.

“I detect no dangerous magical energy. Let’s venture inside and take a look.”