Chapter Fifty-Six: Orbital Ion Cannon

"O Holy Light, you are the gift of Aeon, your power is unstoppable, may you cleanse all evil from this world!"

Hearing these priest-like whispers, Catherine was stunned. Meanwhile, countless viewers watching her live stream cried out in disbelief—the chant was all too familiar! It was the incantation penned on the front page of the Nine-Year Compulsory Magic Education textbook, famed as the easiest to trigger, with minimal consumption and the fastest casting speed among the 'minor forbidden spells':

The Orbital Ion Cannon!

Along with the super forbidden spell "Magical Sky Net," one thousand four hundred and seventy-two magical satellites ascended into the skies of the continent. Each satellite formed a node in the Sky Net, typically used for transmitting energy and data. In emergencies, powerful mages could connect with the nearest satellite using their immense spiritual strength, channel the stored energy, and unleash the weakest of seventh-level spells—the Orbital Ion Cannon!

Though considered the weakest seventh-level spell, magic above the seventh level was regarded as 'advanced magic' in the continent’s magic system. Its power was incomparable to lower-level spells. To say a seventh-level spell is ten times stronger than a sixth-level one would be an understatement!

The brilliant radiance struck the spatial gate without a sound; a torrent of energy swept through, eroding the edges of the wide-open portal. Its fundamental structure was visibly destroyed, and the swirling rainbow vortex within ceased its orderly rotation, devolving into chaotic currents. The spatial gate lasted barely half a second before collapsing entirely, vanishing without a trace.

With the spatial gate closed, naturally, the giant claw of energy formed by the Demon's Grasp was severed. The front section, cut off from its energy supply, quickly dissipated into the air. The Cthulhu octopus inside the gate watched its cooked duck fly away, wailing in anguish like a newborn's cry—heart-rending and echoing across the wasteland for ages!

Catherine was held in mid-air in a princess carry, gently landing on the ground. Though the scene was romantic, no one paid it any heed; the live stream erupted with questions, viewers pouring out their excitement:

"What is that enormous hole in the sky?!"
"I've lived for decades and never knew there were four moons on this continent! I feel like my life has been wasted!"
"Why is the fourth moon so big? And why does it look less like a physical object to me?"
"Same here... but maybe it's because the streamer's magic-eye sprite is low quality, making the image blurry and giving us a false impression?"
"The moon's hollow is trivial! Can someone explain how a magic circle can be drawn from three different starting points? My ten years of study were all in vain!"
"Not just three! It can be drawn from ten different places! If that Cthulhu octopus had a hundred tentacles, it could start a hundred times!"
"No wonder casting 'Demon's Grasp' always felt awkward—turns out the spell needs three starting points!"
"Official ID 'Grand Mage Rubick' tipped the streamer three Explosive Fireballs! Message: Damn, I just drew lines simultaneously with both hands to construct the circle, tried to cast a fourth-level spell 'Weakened Energy Stream,' and it blew up! Nearly killed me! But dual-line casting is fast; maybe it's a new direction worth researching!"
"Official ID 'Invoker Carl' tipped three Chaos Meteors! Message: Only three fireballs? Rubick, you're so stingy! I tried dual starting points, got a third-level 'Air Cannon' drawn, but the error rate was too high! The speed boost isn't worth the risk!"
"Official ID 'Little Evil Mage' tipped three Chaos Meteors! Message: Not necessarily! Multi-line casting can be practiced—it's just a matter of skill. When your mana grows, this technique might actually have practical uses!"

"Let's discuss spellcasting later! I want to know who fired the Orbital Ion Cannon? Teacher Ling and the others should be deep in the monster-infested rainforest by now, right? How could there be someone else, and such a powerful mage at that?"
"This must be at least a fourth-level mana suppression zone, right? To cast such a powerful spell—could that person be a Saint Mage?"
"So there are mages living in the monster rainforest? Judging by the voice, it must be a very old man?"
"Streamer, ask Teacher Ling! My curiosity is about to explode!"
"If I can't get an answer, I'll die!"
"Official ID 'Sky Net Management Association Security Division' issues a gold alert: Streamer, please respond. How can someone access orbital weapons in the monster rainforest? Our emergency check shows no mage in the area has permission to use the Orbital Ion Cannon. Could Teacher Ling share what he knows with us?"

All other messages in the stream vanished, leaving only the emergency notification from the 'Sky Net Management Association Security Division' pinned at the center of the screen. To ensure Catherine saw it, they posted it three times. Though Catherine was full of questions herself, she relayed their inquiry first.

"Mage with permission?" Ling Mo smiled strangely. "This question... I can't really answer in words. Watch this stream—by tonight at the latest, you'll have your answer."

"So, Master, you know this powerful mage?" Catherine was excited. "So we're not the only humans in the monster rainforest! Let's hurry and go meet this grand mage! I never imagined a mage could survive in such a mana-suppressed zone—it's incredible!"

"Sure, I'm sure there's lots of curious people. Let me take the opportunity to advertise," Ling Mo's face wore a perpetual odd grin. "Tonight's stream will cover many issues mages care about. At our current pace, there’ll be a truly spectacular scene by evening. Spread the word, stay in the stream, and don't leave!"

"Viewer 'Radiant Lady Lux' tipped a Meteor Firestorm! Message: Since Teacher Ling is advertising, I have to support! Teacher Ling, reply to me—I'm your little fangirl!"
"Viewer 'Tibbers’ Soft Belly' tipped a Meteor Firestorm! Message: Ignore the previous chick, Teacher Ling—she’s obsessed with anyone she sees. I’m your real fan!"
"Viewer 'Nine-tailed Fox Ahri' tipped a Meteor Firestorm! Message: Ling’s stream is genuinely thrilling, but the streamer’s magic-eye sprite is really low quality! Earlier I tolerated it, but when the Cthulhu octopus appeared, the tentacle spellcasting details weren’t captured at all. I can’t stand it! Isn’t there a solution?"
"Viewer 'Green Skins Are Inferior' tipped a Meteor Firestorm! Message: Can't take it anymore! When the stream was just entertainment, the quality was bearable, but now the content is so crucial—missing the details is killing me!"
"Exactly! I tried to rewind and spot which satellite fired, but the footage was so blurry, I couldn't see anything!"
"Racial discrimination—may your whole family die!"
"Come to the Frostwolf Clan if you dare; I'll beat you until you shit yourself!"
"..."

Seeing the viewers' outrage, Catherine was helpless. She took out her two spare magic-eye sprites from her spatial pouch and gave a bitter laugh. "Thank you all for your support, but I was just a small-time entertainment streamer before. Buying these three magic-eye sprites cost most of my savings. Who could have predicted this? They're all the same model, so swapping them doesn't help."

Just when viewers were mourning their loss, the 'Sky Net Management Association Security Division' spoke again:

"Streamer, the Orbital Ion Cannon's activation has allowed us to pinpoint your location. After an emergency meeting, we've decided to use super-spatial transmission to send you the latest, most advanced magic-eye sprite, and simultaneously grant you high-level Sky Net bandwidth. However, there are some conditions to clarify."

Delighted at the prospect of receiving such a gift, Catherine hurriedly asked, "What conditions? As long as they're not too outrageous, I'll agree to all!"

"First, the prototype magic-eye sprite costs thirty-three thousand two hundred and fourteen gold coins. Second, super-spatial transmission to your location, after calculation, consumes the equivalent of seventy-three thousand gold coins in energy. Rounding up, it's one hundred thousand gold coins. If the footage or information you provide has value, it's yours for free. If not... you know what that means."

One hundred thousand gold coins!

Hearing the sum, Catherine shivered. Though she'd received generous tips these past days, after splitting with the platform, she'd earned less than twenty thousand gold coins—a fortune previously unimaginable. But to pay back a hundred thousand gold coins... even selling herself wouldn't cover it. She was quite nervous.

Catherine looked at Ling Mo, who instantly understood her meaning and laughed. "You get the profit, I take the loss? And you dare nod? I'll smack you!"

"Wow! Don't hit me, Master! With your power, earning a hundred thousand gold coins is easy, right? Besides, you're the one leading us there. It's not fair for me to shoulder the risk when I know nothing!"

"I'm willing to agree, but your greedy face really annoys me—I want to hit you all the more!"

"For a hundred thousand gold coins, hit me all you want! Ow, that hurts! Right, over there, you can send it now! My master agrees!"

"..."

A string of ellipses appeared from the other side, then: "Please stay close to your current location. Once the Fourth Moon phenomenon ends and spatial structure stabilizes, we'll transmit the magic-eye sprite at once."

(ps: Some readers ask why I don't update immediately at night but wait until the next morning? It's because, well, anyone who's written long documents knows—if you check your work right after finishing, you miss typos and awkward sentences. Sleep on it, look again in the morning, and the flaws jump out. Authors always write at night, sleep, review over breakfast, polish, then post. That's all.)