Panya's difference between her online and offline performance was so astonishing that even Hayden was stunned for a moment.
What the hell is this?
Could it be a split personality?
149: Magical Girl Pazuzu
too weird.
Seeing how this little girl Pania transformed into a lively, energetic, and bouncy person the moment she logged onto the StarNet and entered her own virtual streamer space, Hayden found it all very strange.
Her faint presence from just moments ago has completely vanished. The current Pania—no, it should be called [Magical Girl Paniazuzu]—is far from lacking presence. She's flapping her raven wings, flicking her scorpion tail, and hopping around on the virtual temple tower; her presence is practically bursting at the seams.
Not only that, her personality also seems to have become noticeably strange.
"This Demon King, who is already the most perfect and adorable person in the world, feels three times cuter than usual today! Is this the power of fried chicken legs?"
Since it's a virtual space on the StarNet, there's no need to worry about physics. The magical girl Pazuzu pulled a mirror from the void and looked around, observing everything.
"Hayden! Bring me two more of the same fried chicken legs tomorrow! I want to devour them to further enhance this demon king's great power and beauty!"
Should we say she's a bit naive, or that she's become arrogant, or that she's become stupid?
In any case, the current behavior of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] is completely different from the behavior of Pania in the material world.
Hayden had indeed heard that many virtual YouTubers are completely different people during their streams and in real life, but Panya's situation seems a bit too extreme. Isn't there something wrong with this?
Moreover,
“Miss Pazuzu, are we that familiar? I’m here to discuss a collaboration project with your company. Shouldn’t you be a little more polite to me?”
Hayden couldn't help but complain.
Idols? What are idols? Are they people who can boss around capitalists?
Although Hayden wasn't a capitalist, he was currently waving the coattails of a big capitalist. Hayden himself didn't really mind the little brat being arrogant in front of him, but Miss Panya, if you keep acting like this, won't you suffer a terrible fate when you encounter other gods in the future?
However, upon hearing Hayden's words, the magical girl Pazuzu raised her head, puffed out her chest, and proudly replied, "The path to idolhood is one where millions compete fiercely for a unique and extraordinary path. If I were only thinking about not angering you, a businessman who came to discuss a cooperation project, and if my mind were filled with nothing but forbearance, how could I be an idol who stands above thousands?"
"If I fawn over big businessmen today, I'll have to fawn over the audience's various challenges tomorrow! The way of an idol is to constantly break all shackles, not to scheme and endure, to suppress one's own feelings, and certainly not to be scheming and twisting one's true nature. An idol is to be worshipped and admired by millions, and to do whatever they want! Not to be the audience's electronic pet!"
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】stood tall with her hands on her hips, exuding an arrogant and domineering aura that left Hayden momentarily stunned.
Do you want to be an idol or cultivate immortality?
If a normal person heard a virtual streamer idol say such things, they would probably think she has something wrong with her mind, or suspect that she is high on some kind of drug.
However, hearing her tone of voice, Hayden couldn't help but recall Pazuzu's behavior ten days earlier when they fought the real great demon Pazuzu in Newbeam City.
Pazuzu, Pazuzu, look at its demonic and wicked nature, its murderous intent. And look at the little girl's arrogant and domineering aura—it does seem a bit like her?
Hayden grew increasingly suspicious, so he decided to play along with the magical girl's words, resorting to his old trick: "You talk such big, but what skills do you actually have to show off? Stop just spouting nonsense!"
When magical girl Pazuzu heard Hayden's words, she laughed instead: "I'm not live streaming, I'm not recording, and I'm not practicing right now. Why should I waste my power just to perform for you?"
Wow
Her words were so bizarre that Hayden was completely dumbfounded.
Fortunately, the magical girl hadn't finished speaking: "This great demon never owes anyone favors, nor does she need your charity. No matter how powerful or high-ranking a capitalist is, I dare to stand up to them! But on the other hand, since I did eat two of your chicken legs, I'll give you a special demonstration of my true power today!"
Before he could finish speaking, Hayden immediately realized—this girl had actually started a live stream!?
Virtual live streaming by businesses is essentially just people working for the company. How dare they start live streaming on their own without consulting the operator at all?!
Do you know how arrogant you are?
Hayden was astonished.
He quickly switched his virtual avatar to stealth mode. In an instant, hundreds or thousands of viewers noticed that the newly debuted idol, [Magical Girl Pazuzu], had suddenly started a live stream without warning, and curiously opened the live stream to check it out.
As soon as they entered, they saw the magical girl Pazuzu take flight!
Within the StarNet space, a fierce gale swept through, causing sand and stones to fly everywhere in the virtual desert. The magical girl, however, rode the wind into the air, singing loudly, her voice carried directly to the ears of the audience!
"The theater curtains have been drawn! On this battlefield of sublimation, where lives are staked, who can compare to me?"
"Where can great music be born from rigid and inflexible dogma and dry and mediocre ideas?"
"Fate! I tell you! You cannot block my path to ascension!"
"So come! Follow me! Spread your wings and soar high! Win glory!"
"My song is the freest wind! Send me to pluck the highest star from the summit!"
Amidst a melodious and beautiful song, the magical girl Pazuzu soared higher and higher, riding the wind and swirling in the air, like a black bird summoning a storm, continuously pouring her breathtaking song into the ears of the listeners.
Song is magic
The existence of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] itself is also an extremely powerful form of magic.
Therefore, Hayden could see that the more she sang the song, the stronger the presence of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] became in this StarNet space. Magic amplified magic.
The song of "Magical Girl Pazuzu" amplifies the magic that allows Pania to play as "Magical Girl Pazuzu".
Now, Hayden has finally seen the light.
Little Pania wears the virtual costume of [Magical Girl Pazuzu], speaks what it can speak, sings what it can sing, and does what it can do. This is the witchcraft ritual magic of "playing".
The ancient Greeks linked the words "romenon" and "drama" in their language. Dramatic actors donned elaborate costumes, masks, and animal skins or feathers to proclaim their identities; these actions enhanced and amplified their individuality, forming a magical ritual of "acting."
Hadn't Hayden also studied and used a lot of makeup and role-playing magic before? Essentially, it's all the same thing. Someone who dresses up as a wolf can become a wolf, and someone who dresses up as a Pazuzu can certainly become a Pazuzu.
This "Magical Girl Pazuzu" is simply a virtual costume used to perform the makeup process within the StarNet space.
Most of her audience didn't understand all this; they didn't know how powerful and terrifying the "acting" magic was in her singing, or that she was playing an ancient great demon, yet they were still completely captivated by her performance.
This newcomer is amazing!
[Awesome! Awesome!]
Holy crap, another amazing content creator has appeared!
[From today onwards, I'm a long-time fan of hers]
Are all the verified accounts starting to get popular now?
Even in stealth mode, Hayden can still see the comments posted by viewers in the live stream.
Moreover, at some point, several other employees of Qiqimiti Entertainment Company also entered this virtual live streaming room in stealth mode.
"Synchronization rate 87%!"
They gasped in amazement as they checked various stats of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] and recorded her singing.
"It's actually increased to 87%!"
“The synchronization rate of other idol trainees is not even 50%, and even Pania herself has never exceeded 70% before!”
"Is this also an effect of the chip?"
What is it? Eighty-seven percent? What kind of eighty-seven percent?
Hayden grew increasingly alarmed as he listened. Could it be that by simply singing and amplifying magic, the "Magical Girl Pazuzu" could replicate 87% of the Great Demon Pazuzu's power?
That can't be that ridiculous!
Not only that, these lunatics at Smoke Mirror Company also want to use personality chips to mass-produce replicas of this role-playing method?
So Hayden immediately moved closer to the employees and tentatively asked, "While this synchronization rate and the ability to play magic are indeed remarkable, it's ultimately something that happens in StarNet space, so it shouldn't be that scary, right?"
The question only elicited strange looks from the employees: "Mr. Hayden, this power certainly has practical effects in the material world."
really?
But Hayden persisted, pressing further: "For example, what effects?"
Before he finished speaking, he already knew.
As [Magical Girl Pazuzu]'s singing and flight reached their highest point, her figure in the StarNet space suddenly disappeared!
???
Hayden was initially taken aback and didn't react for a couple of seconds before realizing what was going on.
At the same time, the employees of Qiqimiti Entertainment Company quickly adjusted the camera angles in the live stream. All StarNet users who entered the live stream, including Hayden, immediately saw a new scene.
A shocking scene that made Hayden gasp in horror:
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】She—she actually went to the real world!
Everyone watching the live stream could see that the magical girl Pazuzu, who was 1.5 meters tall, had golden lion ears, a milk chocolate skin, hairy claws, hobby feet, black raven wings, and a long scorpion tail, had appeared in the material world!
Moreover, professional magicians like Hayden could immediately see that this image, which should have been virtual, had now formed a semi-physical entity with astral properties in the material world using a large amount of astral energy.
Hayden and Alastor had done the same thing before. After all, Alastor had once projected an astral object into Hayden's house over the internet, and Hayden had once reached out and grabbed someone into the screen over the internet.
In short, it was the condensation of spiritual energy, a semi-physical "consciousness." Panya's physical body still lay in the company's sealed operating cabin, but her "mind" had already transformed into a semi-physical entity, leaving her body.
Her mind, cloaked in the image of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] and imbued with immense spiritual energy, manifested itself somewhere in the material world through the internet.
It looked like a fairly ordinary hospital, not like a big city, or at least not a bustling part of a big city.
In the dimly lit hospital room at lights-out time, a little boy lying on his bed was looking down at his phone, listening to a live stream of "Magical Girl Pazuzu" with headphones on, when he never expected the streamer to suddenly jump out of his phone. The poor child was instantly terrified!
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】 tilted her head and glanced at the little boy, her eyes seeming to see right through him.
"cardiac disease?"
As she spoke, she stretched out her lion-like hand and ripped it open with her claws—with a sharp tearing sound, what was torn open by her claws was not the little boy's hospital gown, but a plume of black smoke that instantly shot out from the little boy's chest!
"You mere disease, show yourself!"
With a command from [Magical Girl Pazuzu], the black smoke actually condensed and took shape in the ward, transforming into a monster that was two meters tall, with the head of a jackal and the body of a human!
"Rats in the gutter don't need much attention. But those that are nibbling away at the lives of my audience must be killed!"
The magical girl raised her hand and punched, sending it flying out of the window and out of the ward. She then leaped out herself and began fighting the jackal-headed monster in the night sky outside the hospital building, exchanging blows and claws! Not to mention the average live stream viewer, even Hayden was completely dumbfounded.
The livestreaming industry in this era is indeed highly competitive and diverse. Although Hayden doesn't watch livestreams much, he considers himself well-informed and has seen all sorts of things.
But who has ever seen a streamer perform a magical girl fighting monsters live?!
Moreover, this jackal-headed, pitch-black monster is quite powerful, seemingly at least at the mid-level demon level. But compared to [Magical Girl Pazuzu], it's like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance!
Within minutes, the magical girl's fist sent the dark monster flying into the sky. The gusts of wind whipped up by her flapping wings acted like invisible ropes, binding the dark monster firmly in the air.
The jackal-headed monster found its movements blocked and immediately went berserk as if it wanted to smash open the surrounding wind walls. But no matter how it struggled and howled, it was held back by the air currents and had no way to break free!
"O messengers of darkness and calamity! There is no place in this world for you to hide!"
Meanwhile, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] flew atop the hospital building, reaching out to aim at the monster, her five fingers spread wide, making a grasping motion in mid-air.
"Submit to me! Become a wisp of starlight beneath my feet! [Pazuzu - Sky-Burning Storm]!"
The scorching wind gathered in her hands, compressed, and then burst forth like an invisible dragon, coiling and strangling towards the jackal-headed monster, tearing it apart, burning it to ashes, and swallowing it up by the fierce wind!
Only the magical girl Pazuzu remained, soaring proudly like a queen standing high in the sky. Her unrestrained presence was as dazzling and eye-catching as a supernova; there was not a trace of Pania's trembling, sickly appearance.
What a magical girl live stream show!
While this magical girl's style is undeniably strange, making one wonder if she's truly a magical girl or an evil demon lord, that's not the point. These days, magical girls need something unique to gain popularity.
Hayden snapped out of his daze, turned his head through the network, and looked at the little boy in the hospital room. Under the bright moonlight, he clutched his chest, his face filled with disbelief, his eyes wide.
His chronic myocarditis was cured the instant the monster was destroyed.
How could this be? This is outrageous!
Fortunately, Hayden had read a lot of miscellaneous books, so he immediately understood what was going on.
The battle that just happened may have seemed like a live, exciting show, but it was actually a very profound form of magic.
The "pathogenic energy" within another person is summoned, condensed into a conceptual monster, and then defeated as a demon formed from the plague, thus conceptually healing the person.
What profound magic this is! A sophisticated ritual combining power, skill, and compassion—its immense power is beyond description.
Even if other spectators don't understand the knowledge, they can at least witness this wonderful and beautiful scene.
Wow, this streamer is amazing!
Wow, that's handsome!
Are all V's these days monsters?
Even if they don't fully understand what's actually going on, at least some viewers can vaguely grasp the meaning: