Chapter 36: The Cautious Captive and the Curious Crystal

After applying the bandage, Su Qianyu instinctively stroked the area around the wound.

It wasn’t a mischievous impulse; rather, a book had mentioned that doing so while a patient slept could slightly alleviate their wound pain.

Though it felt strange to admit, Su Qianyu sensed an inexplicable shift in her own mindset.

Gazing at Illo, a single word sprang to mind.

Stockholm Syndrome.

‘Surely, I haven’t been held captive long enough to develop feelings, have I?’

Yet, just as quickly, Su Qianyu banished that unsettling possibility from her thoughts.

Unlike most, she possessed a far clearer understanding of her own unique circumstances.

On the television, an emergency broadcast was currently detailing the recent explosion.

Staring at the ominous black clouds captured on screen, Su Qianyu swallowed hard.

To have survived an explosion of that magnitude, arrived home before her, and emerged with only such a minor injury…

‘Illo… she’s downright terrifying.’

This was no mere common thief, but a bona fide magical girl of immense power.

Indeed, perhaps diligently serving her now was the most prudent course of action.

‘It’s not that I won’t make a move; it’s simply that the time isn’t ripe!’

‘What I must do now is akin to a sniper’s assassination: seize that single, most crucial opportunity!’

With that thought, Su Qianyu stepped forward and switched off the television.

She knew with chilling certainty that if she were to falter, the fate awaiting her would be no better, perhaps even worse, than the predicaments she had faced in her previous lives.

After all, in the world of the Golden Toilet, she had narrowly escaped being ‘modified.’

While rebirth mercifully reset one’s sanity, the searing pain of those memories remained vividly etched in her mind.

The mere thought of Illo’s peculiar ‘games’ sent another shiver down Su Qianyu’s spine.

No one capable of manipulating minds was ever truly benign.

Yet, observing the sleeping Illo, Su Qianyu silently activated her ‘golden finger’ to conduct a subtle test.

‘Hm, alright.’

‘Still the same.’

‘How can someone sleep while wearing an anti-magic stone?’

Her brow furrowed involuntarily as she realized the source emanated from a necklace pressed beneath Illo’s body; Su Qianyu could only retreat silently.

‘Tsk, a cautious one. What a nuisance.’

Still, the timing was perfect. With Illo asleep, she could finally examine the so-called Magical Girl Crystal.

As the thought occurred, Su Qianyu casually retrieved the gem, holding it under the light to admire it once more.

‘This thing… it can even contact people?’

Under the corridor’s ambient light, Su Qianyu noticed her gem appeared to possess a faint greenish hue.

It was undeniably beautiful, yet she had never before encountered a Magical Girl Gem with such an array of functions.

‘Rare. Truly rare.’

With the gem still in hand, Su Qianyu retreated to the inner room.

****

However, moments after Su Qianyu had disappeared into the room, Illo, who had been lying on the sofa, abruptly opened her eyes.

In truth, she hadn’t been asleep from the very beginning.

Touching the bandage affixed to her forehead, Illo offered a wry smile.

‘This girl, does she actually care about such a minor detail?’

Tearing off the bandage, she revealed that the wound beneath had already healed the instant it was applied.

Yet, gazing at the discarded bandage in her hand, Illo’s expression mirrored the same troubled frown that Su Qianyu had worn.

In truth, from the moment Su Qianyu had entered the room, Illo had been subtly probing and reading her innermost thoughts.

Although she had no idea what the stranger who had impersonated her had done to Su Qianyu, the thoughts she glimpsed had suddenly become significantly more hazy.

Nevertheless, even through the haze, she could still discern a faint, simmering undercurrent of defiance.

Fortunately, it was merely a trace, present but not overwhelming.

Clearly, her ‘training’ had proven quite effective.

Shifting from a reclining position to sitting upright, Illo flexed her somewhat numb arm.

Her fair arm cut through the air, creating a soft swish, and the girl let out a languid yawn.

She had, in fact, intended to thoroughly interrogate Su Qianyu.

However, based on her earlier probing, it seemed unlikely she would extract any truly useful information through an interrogation.

Someone capable of anticipating her abilities, and specifically designing traps for Magical Girls.

Someone who, to prevent her from stealing information, had even gone so far as to tamper with Su Qianyu herself.

Considering all the information now at hand, Illo instinctively knew that her opponent must have already prepared countermeasures for any interrogation she might attempt on Su Qianyu.

Staring at the bandage in her hand, Illo gently stroked it before carefully adhering it to the corner of the table.

She was deep in thought.

Pondering who could have orchestrated such a meticulous series of events, managing to almost entirely thwart her.

Their familiarity with her abilities and habits strongly suggested the culprit was someone she knew.

Coupled with an exceptionally high magical aptitude and a knack for counter-reconnaissance.

Naturally, Jasmine was the first person Illo subconsciously considered.

Yet, the thought surfaced for only an instant before she vigorously shook her head, dismissing the possibility entirely.

‘Jasmine… how could she possibly help a monster against me?’

Illo let out a soft laugh, suddenly realizing how foolish her own assumption was.

Leaving aside the inherent animosity Magical Girls faced from monsters.

As far as she knew, Jasmine certainly wouldn’t use the internet to locate people in the same way she did.

Moreover, she hadn’t received a single piece of communication.

The sole missing person’s case… it couldn’t possibly be connected to Jasmine, could it?

As minutes ticked by, Illo remained outside, lost in contemplation.

****

Meanwhile, inside, Su Qianyu had locked the door and was slowly beginning to toy with the crystal in her hand.

“My word, this thing can even play games?”

Staring at the panel before her, Su Qianyu felt as though she had stumbled upon an entirely new world.

With something this entertaining at her disposal, why on earth would she bother with her phone?

Having observed Illo stir through her remote sensing abilities (TL Note: Literally ‘moving objects through air,’ referring to a form of clairvoyance or telekinesis), Su Qianyu simply tucked the crystal into her bedcovers.

‘Holy Sword? Forget it!’

Gazing at the projected screen, this marked Su Qianyu’s very first encounter with a Magical Girl terminal.

It displayed not only detailed descriptions of various monsters’ and yokai’s weaknesses and characteristics, but also a plethora of applications she had never before encountered.

Clicking here and there, Su Qianyu immediately immersed herself in the interface.

Witnessing the Magical Girl communications within, her eyes widened in astonishment.

‘So Magical Girls can be this eccentric?’

As she scrolled through the forum, Su Qianyu felt much like Granny Liu (TL Note: A character from ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ known for her rustic observations of urban sophistication) entering the Grand View Garden, if she had then witnessed Tang Sanzang (TL Note: A Buddhist monk from ‘Journey to the West’) uprooting a weeping willow by its branches.

Within its depths, there were even various discussions centered around Magical Girls like Illo.

Reading through the messages, Su Qianyu immediately rubbed her hands together, eager to join the fray.

“So Illo holds such a high status in your eyes, but she’s an entirely different person when she’s with me, you know?”

A smirk played on Su Qianyu’s lips as she recalled the trove of photos stored on her phone.

“If you’re brave enough, click on the video and see for yourselves!”

‘It’s time to show them what a true keyboard warrior looks like!’

Yet, just as she was poised to dive into the discussion, she discovered that none of her messages would send.

It was only then that she noticed a cluster of glowing, garbled characters in the upper right corner, where her user information should have been.

Hesitantly, she clicked on it, only for a message to appear, stating that her Magical Girl identity had yet to be verified.

‘Does this mean I’m currently logged in as a guest?’

‘No wonder my messages wouldn’t send!’

Just as she prepared to delve deeper, a pop-up window abruptly materialized, consuming her entire field of vision.

“You, wish to know how to kill Illo?”