Chapter 121: Idealistic Organisms

“Oh my god, I nearly died of fright!!”

“Bullet screen protection!!”

“Good thing I was watching with the bullet screen on, otherwise I’d have wet myself from this scare!”

“Damn it, I wasn’t watching the bullet screen!”

“Quietly saying, I’ve already peed a little…”

“This new version of the Magic Eye Sprite, the filming angle is way too direct! It’s like this little girl is talking right to me!”

“I thought this little girl was super cute just a moment ago, and now it’s turned into a horror movie!”

“Damn, I was hoping to have some naughty fun with the little girl, but now I’m too scared to even think about it!”

“Little girl? Haven’t you heard she’s over forty?”

“Auntie, your head just fell off!”

“How is she even alive like this? She looks like a zombie from the Rotting Lands!”

“Zombies just have more rotting parts on their bodies, right? You don’t often see one with such a refined and elegant head angle!”

“Viewer ‘All the good things about lolis, name it and I’ll give it’ sent the streamer a Meteor Shower gift! Along with the message: ‘Streamer, right now I want to kill you! You cured my years-long loli obsession!’”

“Viewer ‘Lolis are the ladder of human progress’ sent the streamer three Meteor Showers! Along with the message: ‘To the previous one, can a loli obsession be cured? You were cured with such a small dose, do you even deserve to be called a true loli fan?’”

“Viewer ‘Lolis have more than three good points’ sent five Meteor Showers! Along with the message: ‘What’s so scary about this scene? It actually reminds me of a lot of new ways to play!’”

“I’ve reported all of the previous comments one by one, no need to thank me, I’m **.”

“Spend the rest of your life regretting behind bars in the Military Police!”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Teacher Ling not know something, this is so rare!”

“Suddenly felt relieved, Teacher Ling doesn’t know everything after all. I thought he was a god just a few days ago!”

“Obeying the cult, is it really that terrifying…? Their missionaries even came to preach in our backwater before. Luckily, I didn’t go!”

“The people who died, from what they said, were all technical workers?”

“Not sure, keep watching, maybe Teacher Ling will mention it later.”

“...”

Watching this terrifying scene, Catherine struggled to hold herself back from screaming. Seeing Veil sobbing uncontrollably on the ground, she was at a loss. She looked at Ling Mo and asked, “Master? What’s... what’s wrong with Veil?”

Ling Mo sighed again, his tone tinged with pity. “Her aunt… is actually dead.”

“Dead?!” Catherine exclaimed, pointing at the little girl still smiling. “Isn’t she fine over there? Except for looking a bit strange, she’s communicating just fine!”

“Before she died, she released that star magic. You could say it succeeded, or failed,” Ling Mo explained. “Her body was taken away by the blue brain, but her soul was projected out by the star magic. Normally, with her soul’s strength, it should have dissipated the instant it left the body. But perhaps because she was too close to the ‘Star Willow,’ which also possesses star power, her soul absorbed the energy leaking from it, transforming into a stable spirit and temporarily surviving.”

“So, she became a ghost?!” Catherine shivered slightly and took a step closer to Ling Mo.

“You could say she’s a type of ghost, but more precisely, she’s a ‘Wraith’ wandering the Rotting Lands,” Ling Mo explained. “Her current situation is even worse than those wraiths. Since she’s sustained by the Star Willow’s energy, she can’t leave its influence range, becoming a true ‘Earthbound Spirit.’”

Earthbound spirits—this peculiar kind of spirit Catherine had heard of before—cling to a particular object or building, never able to leave. They gradually weaken and fade away or transform into vengeful spirits that attack passersby. Most unfortunate ones are purified by light magic or priestly blessings, while a rare few evolve after absorbing enough soul energy into more powerful ‘Earthbound Demons.’ She opened her mouth, hesitated a long while, then finally managed to say, “Why can’t she leave? Can’t we just forcefully take her out?”

“That’s impossible,” Ling Mo shook his head slightly. “Ghosts and spirits like these are ‘psychic beings.’ They can only exist within the world they perceive. For this earthbound spirit, the big pit where the Star Willow grows is her entire world. The edge of the pit is a terrifying endless abyss. If she steps outside it, her inability to comprehend the world will cause her to collapse.”

“Psychic beings?” Catherine suddenly felt this term was familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere, but couldn’t recall exactly where. Now she understood, her voice filled with pity. “So, Lady Veil’s aunt will never be able to leave this pit?”

“That’s right. Veil just tested this and started crying because of it. Also, the Star Willow’s residual energy won’t last long. Soon, her aunt will dissipate again,” Ling Mo nodded and added, “Even if her aunt doesn’t dissipate and maintains her spirit form, she will inevitably be affected by the ferocious power of the Beast Rain Forest and lose her sanity, turning into a demonic monster.”

Veil had listened to their entire conversation carefully, not missing a word. She gradually stopped crying and studied her aunt closely. She noticed Misaya showed no reaction to Ling Mo’s words and still looked at her with confusion. Veil asked in a hoarse voice, “She must have heard all this too. Why didn’t she react?”

“Because these things exceed the knowledge she had in life, she can’t comprehend them and so filters them out automatically,” Ling Mo looked at Veil, his tone heavy. “That’s how psychic beings are. She can’t accept external information anymore. Forcing her to accept it will only provoke her aggression or cause her to collapse. Veil, I know this is hard for you, but you must make a decision. Better a short pain than a long one. This way is better for both her and you.”

“Let me think... I need some time…”

Veil closed her eyes in pain, then reopened them. Holding Misaya’s hand, she led her back to the center of the pit. It was clear that as they moved farther from the edge, Misaya’s body gradually returned to normal. Her claws became normal arms, her head returned to its proper place, and she looked like a charming little girl again.

At that moment, she was chatting with Veil about past times, sharing childhood stories. The two ‘people’ laughed and talked happily, a scene of familial bliss. Unable to bear witnessing this ‘family joy,’ Ling Mo was about to look away when suddenly, Veil, who had been smiling and listening, abruptly grabbed Misaya’s neck with both hands. A solid, icy-blue psychic energy surged out, spreading like a tide and flooding into Misaya’s body!

Ling Mo was shocked and shouted, “Veil! Are you crazy?!”