Night descended.
Belobog, a city teetering on the edge of apocalypse, had no dazzling neon nightlife. The entire city sank into a quiet ambiance. Aside from a few flickering lights, only the dim starlight of the night sky remained.
After a full day of interaction, and with Serval's help, the group had gained a solid understanding of the local culture, probably only needing to queue up at the Administrative Department to become official citizens of Belobog.
Having feasted enthusiastically on local delicacies and enjoyed refreshing drinks, the Trailblaze team cheerfully waved goodbye to Serval. Chatting and laughing, they made their way back to the Goethe Hotel.
Given Belobog's conditions, alcohol was undoubtedly a luxury item, with spirits regarded as medical resources. What the group drank were merely beverages—considering the taste and production method, one could tentatively call them cola. In a city where it was winter year-round, taking a big gulp of ice-cold cola in the freezing weather sent a chill through the entire body that was more than just 'refreshing'! It was just that Belobogians seemed to prefer theirs at room temperature.
"Haa~ Learning feels like it takes five or six times longer than just playing around!" March 7th's sweet voice carried a hint of lament as she tried to firmly hold onto the newly learned knowledge in her mind. Soon, though, she lifted her little head, an expression clearly stating, 'I've worked so hard, I deserve a reward!' lighting up her face.
"I'm going to take a nice hot bath and then have a wonderful sleep~!" The warm glow of the geomarrow lamps and the aroma of tea lingering in the air were deeply comforting. She could no longer suppress the desire for an intimate embrace with the hotel's soft bed!
"What about the trash can battle we agreed on?" Stelle pouted, grumbling reluctantly, like a child whose parents had promised them two hours of cartoons before bed, only to be stood up.
"We absolutely did not agree on that!" March 7th shuddered, the mere thought of the trash can battle sending a shiver down her spine as she retorted with horror.
"The meeting with the Supreme Guardian might be tomorrow. I'm going to rest first." Dan Heng completely ignored Stelle's suggestion, merely dropping the line coolly before drifting back to his room like a solitary spirit. It was clear his nerves were thoroughly frayed by the antics of the "Husky" and "Samoyed," and Caelus, who occasionally added to the pressure. Compared to when they set out, his usually impassive face was noticeably more haggard, and the fatigue in his heart was as widespread as the ice and snow outside the city.
"Goodnight, everyone~" White Seele offered a smile as healing as a small animal's, waved, and turned back to her own room.
She pulled out her phone from her skirt pocket; its back depicted fluttering quantum-blue butterflies. The phones in this world were much more advanced than she remembered. Even with frequent use, a single charge lasted several months. The phone's casing color and design could be freely customized, and it boasted features like iris and brainwave control. However, White Seele wasn't very adept with electronic devices, not nearly as skilled with the advanced operations as her 'parallel world self.' She habitually used the old-fashioned button input method.
She had intended to check the time, but upon lighting up the screen, the first thing that popped up was an unread message from [Silver Wolf Sister]. Although most of her evening gaming time was spent with her 'parallel world self' playing with Silver Wolf, White Seele's own interactions with Silver Wolf weren't infrequent. Whether it was their shared love for games or their strikingly similar appearances, when facing Silver Wolf, White Seele inevitably thought of Sister Bronya, and then couldn't suppress the urge to communicate with her, to confide in her.
The message was an inquiry about her progress in learning keyboard controls. White Seele instantly felt a warmth akin to Sister Bronya's concern, a smile gracing her lips as she carefully typed her reply.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Being one mind, Seele could clearly feel the emotions rippling through the girl's heart at that moment and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Oh, Silver Wolf, Silver Wolf, White Seele is clearly using you as a substitute! This is somewhat disrespectful to Silver Wolf! Not like me, I genuinely care for my big sister!
Just as Seele was lamenting the decline of public morals, the prevalence of 'substitute' tropes, and how even White Seele had fallen victim, a soft, sweet voice sounded in their mental channel.
[My parallel self, is something wrong?] White Seele could also sense the strange emotions rising in Seele's heart.
[Ahem, it's nothing. I was just thinking about Silver Wolf Sister,] Seele quickly replied, slightly dampening their mental link to prevent White Seele from realizing her 'substitute' behavior, thus protecting the child's pure and tender heart.
[Oh, okay. Then... my parallel self, do you want to wash up?]
After sending a message saying, 'Seele is going to take a bath, goodnight Silver Wolf Sister~', White Seele placed her phone aside. Relaxing her body, the girl sat on the bed in a W-sit, her knees, clad in white stockings, glowing with a faint rosy hue under the light. She had no control over her body; she couldn't even return it to her parallel self if she wanted to. Both 'using' and 'returning' it were unilaterally controlled by Seele.
Taking back the body to bathe before sleep was her 'parallel world self's' habit. Seele would say that every corner of the body needed to be thoroughly cleansed to wash away fatigue and greet the next day full of vitality! Although, no matter how you looked at it, Seele's way of bathing was a bit too meticulous—so detailed that, initially, White Seele hadn't dared to open her eyes, fearing she'd explode if she glanced! But after so many days, she had more or less gotten used to it. This was Seele's body, after all, and she was already very grateful that Seele often lent it to her!
Besides...
Thinking about how it felt when Seele bathed, a sense of shame gradually welled up in White Seele's heart, while her body also reacted almost like a conditioned reflex. She couldn't help but press her legs together, unconsciously rubbing them lightly, her pretty face flushed crimson.
That feeling was actually quite comfortable. So much so that White Seele now found herself faintly looking forward to Seele's bath time every night.
[...] Perceiving the faint, suppressed longing in the girl's heart, Seele couldn't help but fall silent. If this continues, Seele might very well be led astray by her and become a 'bad girl'! As everyone knew, for ancestral crafts handed down through generations, whether it was needlework or kneading techniques, there was only the difference between doing it once and doing it countless times.
But, this is my own body, after all.
[Mm, I've taken it back now.]
As her voice fell, Seele had already regained control of the body. She shed the clothes that clung to her curves, revealing the exquisite, jade-like, delicate figure beneath. Seele gazed at herself in the mirror: the delicate collarbones, the full, pert curves, combined with that youthful, angelic face, held a fatal allure. Logically, she saw this body every night and should have long since become accustomed to this sensory impact. And indeed, that was true.
But this time was different.
Because...
Just as Seele was shedding her clothes and preparing to bathe...
On the other side.
Cold liquid sprayed from the showerhead, transforming into a dozen streams of water, washing away imperceptible dust, yet unable to cool Caelus's agitated body. His heart had begun to race the moment the door locked, and it simply wouldn't calm down.
After a mere 10-minute shower, Caelus emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, lay down on the large, soft, fluffy bed, and let out a heavy sigh.
[Ho-Host, Character Cards aren't meant to be used like this!] Clearly seeing what Caelus intended to do, the System in his soul space cowered in a corner, trembling.
[Why not?] If the System hadn't spoken up, Caelus would have almost forgotten about its existence. He immediately activated his Persona, constructing a false personality wall in his mental space to block it.
Then, Caelus's consciousness shifted to the Valkyrie Interface.
Silverwing: N-EX Character Card, activate!
A familiar surge of impact swept through his soul; Caelus fractured once more. The tearing sensation of his five senses and consciousness shattering and reforming, like a basin of ice-cold water at zero degrees, instantly extinguished all the chaotic thoughts and fervent heat in Caelus's mind.
Until...
A warm, soft, and delicate body fell into Caelus's arms. The sensation of being hit by a heavy object and being caught by a soft cushion simultaneously registered in his central nervous system.
That dual perspective, incomprehensible to carbon-based lifeforms, shifted again, as if a computer had opened another window using a screen splitter, changing from a dual to a triple perspective.
Caelus was lying on the bed, the lamp above emitting a warm glow.
The silver-haired beauty's face was hidden in the backlight, her silver-gray pupils appearing somewhat cold, yet the pale cherry-red hues within them were so captivatingly soul-stirring. Reflected in those eyes, like a shimmering silver sea, was the young man's familiar face. Caelus's, no, Bronya's gaze continued downwards, towards her own chest.
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