harleyscars Page 12
Page 12
[Ice Queen: I am but a bored player in this game of emotions.]
Esdeath's voice was as cold as ever, but this time it carried a hint of inquiry.
[Ice Queen: Since she's become dependent on you, just win her over. Isn't it natural for the strong to dominate the weak and conquer the woman who moves your heart? Why bother with this?]
In Esdeath's logic of the strong, the solution to this problem is simple and direct.
Faced with her questioning, Gu Chuan's answer once again left everyone confused.
[Observer: I have no moral concerns.]
[Observer: It's just... she's too stupid. So stupid that it's impossible to bring oneself to use any complicated methods on her.]
[Observer: It's like... you wouldn't try to explain relativity to a golden retriever that's trying so hard to play fetch with you.]
This metaphor left the girls in the group speechless once again.
[Gem Magician: Stupid, idiot? He actually used "idiot" to describe me...]
[Butterfly Dance: So... Mr. Gu Chuan wasn't being kind, but rather he felt the other person was too naive, so he couldn't bring himself to "take action"?]
[Ice Queen: ...]
Esdeath fell completely silent. She realized that she couldn't understand this man's thought process at all.
He is powerful, ruthless, and disregards the rules of the world, yet he will give up his readily available power for some inexplicable, almost "gentle" reasons.
This man was more like an unpredictable and contradictory enigma than any other dangerous person she had ever encountered.
Just as the atmosphere in the group was becoming increasingly strange, the cold, emotionless notification sound of the [Movie Club] system rang out again, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
[Warning: An anomaly in dimensional fluctuations has been detected. The system is about to undergo a mandatory underlying upgrade to stabilize the anchor point.]
[Announcement: The new 'World Quests' module will be launched soon.]
[Announcement: Following this upgrade, new members will be joining the [Cross-Dimensional Film Club]. Please be prepared.]
A series of announcements, like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly stirred up a thousand waves.
23 new recruits are on the way? The Service Department has no choice but to accept their request.
[The Gem Magician: A newcomer?! A newcomer is coming?!]
[Butterfly Dance: Great! The movie screening is finally going to be even more exciting!]
[Sword Dao Shura: I wonder which world this member will be from.]
The news of the new member's impending arrival instantly overshadowed all the previous gossip and shock, successfully diverting everyone's attention.
[The Gem Magician: I'd like something easier to understand! Preferably something technologically advanced, so that if Mr. Observer makes improvements, we might be able to understand it a little better!]
[Ice Queen: I only hope that the world of newcomers will have strong enough individuals worthy of my conquest.]
The girls in the group got excited, speculating about the newcomers' identities and the world they came from, looking forward to new stories and new technical exchange materials.
Gu Chuan was surprised to see that the chat group was about to be updated. The mention of newcomers reminded him that he had never experienced the joy of "spoiling" other people's plots. Maybe he could try it next time.
However, upon further reflection, an inexplicable sense of foreboding welled up in Gu Chuan's heart the moment he reread the announcement.
"System upgrade... Stabilize anchor point D..."
He muttered to himself, his brows furrowing slightly, "Why would a forced underlying upgrade be carried out at this time? Unless... the system itself has also detected some kind of 'anomaly' that could threaten its stable operation."
He immediately used his "observation" ability, putting all his recently recovered mental energy into scanning the world status of his fellow group members.
In Rin's world, the Holy Grail Ritual (Aberration) remains highlighted, but its status is stable.
In Esdeath's world, the decay of the empire and the flames of revolution are burning slowly, but no sudden changes have been observed.
In Shinobu Kocho's world, the "Curse of the Demon" remains constant.
Everything seemed unchanged.
But when Gu Chuan's gaze swept over the world where Saeko Busujima lived, which should have returned to peace, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The [Biohazard] entry, which he should have "corrected" and which had turned gray, is now lighting up again in a strange way!
Although the overall color remains gray, representing "resolved," a completely new sub-entry he has never seen before is beating unstablely like a heart, flashing with an ominous scarlet light.
[Sub-entry: Conceptual Mutation—T-Ω Virus (Adaptive Evolution, Anti-Editing Properties)]
This term is still in its latent period and has not been identified as active by the system, but the conceptual fluctuations filled with malice and antagonism, like the sharpest alarm, pierced the depths of Gu Chuan's consciousness.
"Anti-editing features..."
For the first time, Gu Chuan's expression turned serious.
He understood instantly.
His seemingly perfect solution, the miracle that eradicated the concept of a virus at its source, has been countered.
Something learned his abilities while he was editing the rules of the world.
Instead of resisting it head-on, it chose to adapt and evolve, developing entirely new characteristics that enable it to resist and even become immune to conceptual editing.
This is not simply a viral mutation.
This is a... malicious, adversarial patch from the very rules of the world.
The crisis is returning in a way he could never have predicted.
"The righteous path is one foot high, but the evil path is ten feet high..."
Gu Chuan frowned as he looked at his nearly depleted inspiration points. "If that's the case, does using my editing power to resolve the issue directly actually make the other side stronger? To be on the safe side, perhaps I shouldn't try to solve the problem directly next time."
This is probably what is called "abnormality," and its power far exceeds Gu Chuan's imagination.
but……
That's what's interesting.
He wanted to see exactly what this so-called distorted narrative was.
……
The Service Club activity room after school was as quiet as ever.
Yukino Yukinoshita was holding a cup of black tea, elegantly turning the pages of a thick hardcover book.
But only she knew that her thoughts were no longer on the pages of the book.
These past few days, the image of that man—Gu Chuan—has been uncontrollably appearing in her mind, along with that chilling and incomprehensible scene in the student council room that day.
She decided that, for her own sake and for the sake of other innocent girls, she had to completely isolate that dangerous guy from her world.
but……
"boom--!"
The door to the activity room was suddenly pushed open, and a pink figure rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying with her aura of chaos that could disrupt the entire academy.
"Xukino-chan!"
Fujiwara Chika clasped her hands together, looked at her with sparkling eyes full of endless anticipation, and solemnly announced, "I, Fujiwara Chika, have an ultimate problem concerning my life, and I would like to entrust it to the Service Club!"
Yukino's teacup trembled slightly, the ripples of black tea spreading out, just like the turmoil in her heart at that moment.
Fujiwara Chika took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and said loudly with her face flushed, "Please... teach me how to fall in love! I want to experience that feeling... of my heart racing and my face turning red when I see the other person!"
"My heart is racing"... "My face is flushed"...
These words, like keys, instantly unlocked the door to her long-sealed, terrifying memories.
She immediately thought of the man who could create this feeling so easily.
“I’m sorry, Secretary Fujiwara,”
Yukino's voice was even colder than usual, "The Service Club does not accept such requests."
She refused without even thinking.
Are you kidding me? Go and touch that monster? Absolutely not.
However, Fujiwara Chika showed no sign of giving up. She rushed forward, hugged Yukino's arm, and began to whine, "But, Yukino, isn't the Service Club supposed to help all students in need? I'm so, so troubled right now! This is the biggest problem of my life!"
"No." Yukino said firmly.
"And what's more! I've already found a really amazing 'relationship coach'!"
Fujiwara Chika dropped a bombshell, "It's Gu Chuan! Last time he gave me a little 'guidance,' and I experienced an unprecedented feeling of 'heart flutter'! So, this time, I'm asking the Service Club to help me invite Gu Chuan to give me a more advanced 'lesson'!"
Xue No: “…”
She felt her blood pressure soaring.
Ultimately, after much pleading and cajoling from Chika Fujiwara, Yukino Yukinoshita, adhering to her principle of teaching others how to fish, reluctantly accepted the most challenging request of her career.
……
24. What exactly is your relationship?
……
Student Union Room.
With a feeling of heading to her execution, Yukino pushed open the door.
She saw Gu Chuan preparing decorations for the upcoming school festival alone, cutting out colorful cardstock.
Her first reaction was to turn around and run away immediately.
However, as soon as she turned around, she bumped into a soft body.
"Oh! Yukino, you're here!"
Fujiwara Chika had appeared behind her without her noticing, grabbed her hand without a word, and dragged her into the student council room. "Great! Look, Gu Chuan-kun is all alone and looks so pitiful. Let's help him!"
Yukino was forcibly seated next to Gu Chuan, and forced to begin the most awkward and longest "club activity" of her life.
She deliberately kept a safe distance from Gu Chuan, kept her head down, and silently cut the cardstock in her hand, not daring to breathe.
But as time went on, her fear began to be replaced by a stronger emotion—confusion.
The Gu Chuan in front of me... doesn't seem... that scary?
He did not exude that inhuman, terrifying aura.
He was very serious and focused when he cut the paper. Even when he noticed that she had ruined a piece of cardstock, he gently handed her a new one and said softly, "Don't be nervous, take your time."
You could tell that Gu Chuan's voice was calm, carrying a soothing power.
Could it be... could it be that what I saw that day was really just my imagination?
A tiny, almost imperceptible thought quietly sprouted in Yukino's heart.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, and also in order to complete that damned "commission," she finally mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation with Gu Chuan in a casual, half-hearted tone.
"Gu Chuan... about... about that day, about Secretary Fujiwara..."
Gu Chuan paused slightly while cutting paper, then looked up and met Yukino's eyes, which were full of inquiry and vigilance.
"Ah, that."
He chuckled and said in a relaxed tone, "Secretary Fujiwara's curiosity is always so strong. The other day she asked me what 'the feeling of being in love' was, and I just joked with her, saying, 'It's probably like your heart racing and your brain being oxygen-deprived.' I didn't expect her to take it seriously and even tried to breathe rapidly herself, which made her dizzy from lack of oxygen. Yeah, that's about it."
This explanation is... full of loopholes and utterly absurd.
Yukino's eyes were filled with suspicion, as if to say, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Strangely, this explanation somehow aligns with Fujiwara Chika's reaction of "my heart is beating so fast" at the time.
She doesn't believe it.
But she couldn't find any stronger evidence to refute it.
Just as she was sinking into deeper logical confusion, a massive project was finally completed through the efforts of the three of them.
A huge, ornate banner that read "Wishing the Shujiin School Festival a complete success" was successfully hung on the wall.
"Wow! It's finished! It's so beautiful!"
Looking at the fruits of their labor, Fujiwara Chika clapped her hands happily and jumped up excitedly.
"We are truly the best team! Gu Chuan-kun, the font you drew is so beautiful! Yukino-chan, the cherry blossoms you cut out are so cute!"