Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 15 – How Will You Know If You Don’t Try?
Although Hua Qingling’s words were just speculation, they weren’t baseless. They were judgments based on her extensive knowledge and Luo Yan’s situation.
Compared to Hua Qiling, who was relatively new to this, Hua Qingling knew much more about “Primordial Demons.”
At least so far, Luo Yan felt she was right.
“But I can’t seem to control the power of ‘Envy’,” Luo Yan said with a troubled expression. “Whenever I focus, whether I intend to or not, the ability activates involuntarily.”
It had been the same in Ghost Town. Only “Ruin” level ability users could somewhat resist the mental erosion of “Envy.”
Moreover, on the surveillance monitors, because she was within “Ghost Town,” a spiritual domain constructed using the Witch of Envy’s power, the effects of “Envy” were amplified, even “Ruin” level ability users losing consciousness instantly.
If she could freely control “Envy,” Luo Yan’s combat strength would be formidable. At least before her, anyone below “Ruin” level would be insignificant, regardless of their numbers.
Unfortunately, it was indiscriminate.
“Actually, Miss Luo Yan, you don’t need to control it yourself. This power from a ‘Primordial Demon,’ although powerful, is usually uncontrollable, even if it belongs entirely to you,” Hua Qingling smiled faintly.
“Moreover, aren’t you two working together quite well now? Covering your eyes to prevent the ability from activating, and using ‘Eagle Eye’ to see… If you need to use ‘Envy,’ just remove the blindfold.”
Luo Yan pondered for a moment, finding this reasonable.
“That’s true. Thank you for explaining, Sister. But if that’s the case…”
Luo Yan raised her right hand, intertwined with Hua Qiling’s, and said with a troubled expression, “It would be quite troublesome for Hua Qiling, having to hold hands all the time… Wait, can ‘Eagle Eye’ be shared without holding hands?”
“Yes, that’s not a problem…” Hua Qiling replied casually, then, seeing Hua Qingling giving her a “that’s all the help you’re getting from me” look, she quickly corrected herself. “But it would significantly increase the consumption of spiritual energy.”
After saying that, she felt her face flush.
Oh my god, what am I saying…
Increased consumption was true, but if they didn’t use the advanced “Eagle Eye Vision,” the additional consumption was manageable.
But that meant she couldn’t hold hands with Miss Luo Yan all the time…
Miss Luo Yan’s hand was so soft and small, holding it was so comfortable that she didn’t want to let go. It felt like letting go would mean losing the entire world.
“Ah, but if it troubles Hua Qiling…”
Luo Yan said, worried.
“It’s not a problem, not a problem,” Hua Qiling quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry, Luo Yan, leave it to me!”
Luo Yan hesitated, then slowly nodded.
Since Hua Qiling insisted…
Hua Qingling watched them with an amused smile, then, after they settled the matter, she continued,
“Alright, Miss Luo Yan, I have a general understanding of your situation. I’ll request a good sniper rifle for you, and various types of bullets, to facilitate the use of your… alternative method of releasing ‘Envy’s’ power.”
Luo Yan’s combat style in Ghost Town had been explained to Hua Qingling. There was no need to hide it.
“The next investigation mission will be entrusted to you two. The Disaster Response Department will provide full support,” Hua Qingling paused and looked at Hua Qiling. “And no one will obstruct you this time.”
Clearly, as a young and inexperienced Director, Hua Qiling’s work in the Disaster Response Department had been constantly hampered, both openly and covertly, by the older generation.
Hua Qingling, having finally returned, naturally took the opportunity to “visit” each of them and “clear the air” for her sister’s sake.
Hua Qiling’s gaze flickered, and she looked away slightly.
“…Thank you, Sister, but there was no need to do that.”
She was still quite proud and didn’t want to rely too much on her sister’s help, even though they were very close.
Their relationship seemed strange to outsiders.
But undeniably, they considered each other their most important family.
As the atmosphere turned slightly awkward, Anna finally finished making the maid outfit and rushed out.
“Ahahahaha… Lady Luo Yan, your maid outfit is ready!”
She ran over excitedly, then, seeing their sudden silence, she hesitated. “Wait, did I come at a bad time? Am I interrupting?”
“No, you came just in time,” Hua Qingling chuckled and took the maid outfit. “It’s been a while, Anna. Your skills seem to have improved.”
“R-Really?” Anna lowered her head shyly, scratching the back of her head. “But compared to Big Sister Hua, I’m still far behind…”
“No, you’ve surpassed me now. I haven’t done any tailoring in ages. I can still draw designs, but actually making clothes… I’m rusty.”
Hua Qingling held up the maid outfit and gestured towards Luo Yan. “Mm, it will suit you perfectly, Miss Luo Yan.”
“…Really?”
Luo Yan looked at the colorful garment, then at her simple gray dress. “But… am I… suited for this… maid outfit?”
Even without any aesthetic sense, she could sense the difference, but…
Luo Yan suppressed her urge to question whether this was even a maid outfit.
In her opinion, the skirt was heavy and cumbersome, the matching white gloves would easily get dirty while working, and the oversized bow in the back was completely pointless…
This wasn’t what a maid should wear!
Luo Yan had expected some differences from her understanding of a maid outfit, but not this much…
However, Hua Qiling and Anna were practically drooling, their eyes glued to the outfit.
“Put it on, put it on!” Anna jumped up and down, eager. “It will definitely look great on you! Lady Luo Yan, I can’t wait to see you in it!”
Hua Qiling nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“It will suit you,” Hua Qingling smiled faintly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Miss Luo Yan, how will you know if you don’t try?”
Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 16 – “Death”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Luo Yan took the frilly maid outfit.
But after taking it, she looked bewildered.
“Wait, how… do you wear this?”
This wasn’t surprising. The “Ghost Town” she had lived in was a fragment of time left over from the “Calamity Tide,” stuck in a period of the Old Era.
In that era, the definition of a maid hadn’t yet changed its meaning, as it would later.
At least back then, she still had to do chores… she was a servant.
How could a servant’s clothes have so many extra adornments for the sake of aesthetics?
Moreover, just by touching it, she could tell the fabric was expensive, definitely not something an ordinary servant would wear… So could this even be called a maid outfit?
As Luo Yan struggled, Anna stepped forward, puffing out her chest.
“Let me! Lady Luo Yan, I’ll help you put on this beautiful maid outfit!”
Anna stared intently at Luo Yan, practically drooling. “Hee hee… Lady Luo Yan, an even more beautiful Lady Luo Yan…”
“Ahem.”
Hua Qingling coughed, glancing at Hua Qiling and winking.
“Sister, what’s wrong?” Hua Qiling, completely oblivious, pointed at herself. “Is there something on my face?”
Hua Qingling almost choked. She glanced at Luo Yan, then back at Hua Qiling, winking again.
“Did you get something in your eye? Really…?”
Hua Qiling was completely lost.
“Ahem, ahem…” Hua Qingling coughed forcefully, then sighed. “Miss Luo Yan’s situation is rather special. It’s best not to let her stay with Anna. You should help her change… understand?”
“Me? But… oh, oh, oh, oh, I understand, I’ll do it, I’ll do it…”
Hua Qiling nodded repeatedly, as if suddenly enlightened.
She immediately turned to Luo Yan. “Let’s go, Luo Yan, to the fitting room… Anna, you stay here, don’t follow us.”
Hua Qingling rubbed her temples. Honestly, she had to spell everything out for her sister; she was truly dense sometimes.
Anna’s face fell, her excitement replaced by disappointment. She hung her head and mumbled,
“…Oh, okay.”
Seeing Anna’s disappointment, Hua Qiling felt sympathetic and tried to comfort her.
“It can’t be helped, Anna. Luo Yan’s situation is a bit…”
“There’s no need. I can change myself.”
Luo Yan’s voice interrupted Hua Qiling.
Holding the maid outfit in her free hand and examining it, Luo Yan continued,
“It’s alright, even if I haven’t worn one before… I can figure it out.”
Hua Qiling opened her mouth to speak, but after a moment of hesitation, she simply hung her head and mumbled, just like Anna,
“…Oh, okay.”
She had intended to comfort Anna, but now she needed comforting herself.
Hua Qingling, finding the scene both amusing and endearing, simply smiled and watched.
“Where’s the fitting room?”
Luo Yan asked Anna.
“Turn left at the front, it’s on the right,” Hua Qingling answered.
As the first owner of the “Flower Shop,” she naturally knew the layout.
Luo Yan nodded slightly, released Hua Qiling’s hand, and, following the last vestiges of “Eagle Eye” vision in her mind, walked towards the fitting room.
Having lived in the town, where her vision was always limited, she was used to navigating in this way.
…
The beautiful girl stood before a full-length mirror, her simple gray dress slowly sliding down, revealing her delicate, snow-white body, her sickly pale skin particularly striking.
Her long silver hair cascaded down, almost reaching her ankles.
—No wonder Luo Yan had complained about it being a nuisance. If she didn’t tie it up, it would probably hinder her even walking.
With no one else around, Luo Yan removed the blindfold, revealing a pair of clear, cherry-blossom pink eyes in the mirror.
Since obtaining a portion of the “Witch of Envy’s” demonic power during their battle, the crimson in Luo Yan’s eyes had become more vibrant.
From an almost imperceptible pale red, it had gradually taken on a pinkish hue, even when her “Envy” ability wasn’t active.
The demonic power was slowly eroding Luo Yan’s body. She didn’t know if this was good or bad, but she had definitely become weaker.
And one more thing…
Luo Yan’s gaze shifted downwards. Just below her collarbone, slightly hidden by her silver hair, was a dark Higanbana tattoo.
The tattoo seemed ordinary, nothing special.
But Luo Yan hadn’t forgotten that she had used a Forbidden Technique in the town, “Manjusaka.”
The scene that had appeared then, a shower of Higanbana petals, was almost identical to this tattoo.
Moreover, Luo Yan was certain she hadn’t had this tattoo before. It had appeared after leaving the town, or more precisely, after those battles.
To say there was no connection between the two…
Luo Yan didn’t believe it.
Based on what Hua Qingling had said earlier, about Luo Yan being a “Calamity Infected” who had been secondarily infected by the power of a “Primordial Demon,” it now seemed that she might have been infected by more than one type of demonic power.
Luo Yan touched the Higanbana tattoo with her finger, and a name surfaced in her mind.
—”Death.”
“Is that its name?” Luo Yan frowned slightly.
Was this, like the “Eye of Fear, Envy, and Defilement,” a Demonic Offering?
But there was no malevolent aura…
When the “Eye of Fear, Envy, and Defilement” appeared, its overflowing malice could be felt from miles away.
“…Never mind, it doesn’t make much difference now, one or two.”
Luo Yan sighed, giving up on further investigation.
Although Hua Qingling hadn’t explicitly stated it, how could Luo Yan, the one experiencing it, not understand?
Demonic power that belonged entirely to her… it sounded wonderful, but the cost would likely be something else…
Like… her lifespan?
“But for me, being alive… is already a luxury.”
Luo Yan exhaled and dismissed these thoughts.
Composing herself, she began to examine the maid outfit, which no ordinary maid would ever wear.
Leave a Reply to Li Xian Cancel reply