[R18g!]
Come quick, come quick, come quick!
This commotion, along with the news spreading online, actually attracted more and more viewers to the live stream. Compared to the small minority of fans who genuinely wanted the best for their idols, the number of viewers who were simply there to watch the spectacle and find amusement in this "interesting" scene grew significantly.
"Gan"
Hayden, of course, witnessed all of this. He and Angela were both watching from the sidelines.
How could he possibly stand by and watch something like this happen?
"Force the end of the ceremony!"
So he immediately said to Ms. Echo.
However, Ms. Echo exchanged glances with the other lich operators in the company, and hesitated: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? The boss will be unhappy. Besides, forcibly ending the ritual could very well leave Panya in a vegetative state."
If the ritual of dissolving the corpse to ascend to godhood could be so easily and temporarily withdrawn, its danger wouldn't be so high. Now, Pania's consciousness has become [Magical Girl Pazuzu], separated from her body and entering the lower reaches of the astral plane, struggling against the inner demons emerging from the sea of collective unconsciousness. If someone outside forcibly disconnects her from the connection, her consciousness may very well truly dissipate, leaving only an empty shell of a body.
"If we forcibly end the ritual now, there's still a 20% chance her astral form will return. If we drag it out any longer, she'll really die!"
Hayden responded with a cold retort.
"What's crawling out of the sea now isn't a demonic entity at all!"
[Excellent. As expected of you, Mr. Hayden, your judgment is very astute.]
Before he could finish speaking, another person's voice came through the company's internal communication channel.
This is no longer a demon welling up from the sea of the unconscious. What's now pulling at [Magical Girl Pazuzu] is genuine death!
The company's internal communication channels echoed with the cheerful laughter of the goddess Mickett.
Her voice was filled with joy and anticipation.
This is truly a delightful surprise!
Just as she said.
A closer look reveals what exactly is entangled with [Magical Girl Pazuzu] now.
It was her own corpse.
If the ritual of corpse dissolution and reincarnation fails and goes out of control, Pania will certainly die. Moreover, she will die a horrific and tragic death, becoming a stitched-together fragment of her own body and Pazuzu's.
These are the things that are pulling her along right now.
Those things crawled out of death; her deathly appearance was pulling her towards her demise.
However, the goddess Mikkuri was very pleased to see this. Because true death is an immense mystery, one that remains unsolved to this day. No one knows what death truly looks like; even large corporations can only simulate their own "artificial underworld," using various tentative and simplified methods to study and contemplate death, rather than finding a real underworld and actually entering it to research it.
However, at this moment, for some unknown reason, perhaps due to the use of many new technologies, what was originally just a "simulated" ritual has now given rise to real "death"!
They are the tip of the iceberg of death, the embodiment of death, a mystery that even the god of capital could not fully grasp. All that is born is destined to die, and every living thing must fear!
Therefore, the goddess Mikkuri was incredibly excited and joyful to see this scene!
What can be observed can be intervened upon; what can be intervened upon can be controlled. The biggest problem with the mystery of death has always been that no one knows what the other side of true death is like.
Death itself is merely a "natural phenomenon" and should not involve any will.
However, at this very moment, something unexpected happened on the other side of death. As the goddess of death for the Smoke Mirror Company, Mickett was practically bursting with excitement at the sight!
So how did a research-oriented mage like Hayden feel? He didn't know why such an unprecedented and strange phenomenon occurred, or why the other side of [death] would react on its own initiative—but Hayden couldn't help but turn his head to look at Angela beside him.
Whenever strange and illogical things happen, it seems like seven or eight out of ten times they're related to Angela. It's just a pity that Angela seems a bit distracted right now.
“Miktikashiva, this ritual will only fail if it continues. We have no other choice but to forcibly sever it and try to bring her astral body back!”
Hayden couldn't resort to force; he could only offer this suggestion directly.
On the contrary, Mr. Hayden. The situation is excellent. Her own death is battling against her, and with so many fans and spectators involved, providing a great deal of subjective energy for revelry and pleasure, the ritual is not necessarily doomed to fail.
However, the goddess Mikkuri disagreed with his view.
Death is the best entertainment. Stories of life-or-death moments, incurable diseases, legends of the dead rising from the dead, crocodiles that will die in 100 days… Everyone wants to see others die, to savor the feeling of their own life by witnessing the death of others, or to understand the mysteries of life and death.
Miktikahiva chuckled merrily as he finished speaking.
These days, kittens are merely props to be appreciated, used for entertainment and enjoyment by audiences.
Have you forgotten? I am the goddess of death and revelry.
That's true.
Do you remember last year when Hayden and Angela encountered the Day of the Dead and got involved with the [Bopuma] organization? That was originally a Central and South American cultural event, a festival that was first promoted by the Smoke Mirror Company.
Miktikahiva is the patron goddess of the American Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead itself is a festival that simultaneously prays for the dead and commemorates death, while allowing the living to revel and enjoy life.
If she were to say that the ceremony had not failed and still had a chance of success, then Hayden, a non-professional, would naturally be unable to refute it.
But now, seeing [Magical Girl Pazuzu] trapped in a sea of corpses, being pulled by layers of claws, he just couldn't believe it was all right!
Is this really okay?! If this continues, the fur covering Pazuzu's chest and lower body will be completely torn off! The situation is utterly hopeless!
It's too late to say, then soon!
"Trying to kill me with this? Dream on! Burn it all! [Pazuzu - Burning Storm]!"
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the deep sea! The sound was violent and incredibly sharp, like a hurricane rising up, its sonic waves exploding. All those watching the battle could now clearly see concentric ripples bursting forth from the sea, each erupting with a flash of red light!
The crimson flames were so bright that they illuminated the entire black sea, making it appear as if a setting sun were resting on the water!
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】has unleashed her ultimate move!
Faced with an endless stream of corpses, her own embodiment of death, she was not afraid at all!
At least he doesn't look scared!
Even if an idol is actually very scared inside, they absolutely cannot show it as scared on the outside!
[You can become a god just by casually doing a live stream? There's no such thing as a free lunch!]
"So what if it's just fighting for death? I'm already prepared!"
159: Replacement Cost Issues
Break through!
Boom boom boom boom!
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】unleashed her full power, unleashing layers of raging winds, bursts of exploding flames, and towering fireballs that exploded within the Sea of Consciousness, shattering the sea surface within a radius of several miles into pieces from the inside out.
The crimson fireball was so bright that it illuminated the dark sea, turning it red like a setting sun resting on the water!
Even the darkness of death is forced to retreat somewhat under this firelight!
Death, do not be arrogant!
On the sea, which was a deep red under the glow of flames, a song could be heard.
Although some may see you as powerful and terrifying, you are undeserving of that reputation!
Amidst the raging flames, the magical girl Pazuzu sings aloud, defying death and resisting the darkness.
You think you can destroy all living beings, yet you still can't kill me!
Rest and sleep are, in fact, a reflection of your true self.
And I am the one who falls asleep, the embodiment of dreams!
You are nothing but a servant of fate, time, monarchs, and madmen!
My dream will not succumb to death; only my dream will remain forever clear!
I will overcome death! I will be reborn!
Burning! Everything around us burst into flames!
A loud and beautiful song poured from her mouth, bursting forth like a thousand horses galloping. A firestorm began to sweep across the land, amplified by her song, making the heat and flames of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] even more powerful and fierce than before. The power of both the flames and the shockwaves from her song were at least twice as strong as before!
At the crucial moment, in a time of crisis, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] unveiled her new song and new tricks! What a timely, classic, and unexpected reversal!
Even the corpses that crawled out of the dead seemed to have no idea that [Magical Girl Pazuzu] would suddenly come up with a new trick. They were originally real, but after being shocked and exploded by the song that defied death and the super fire storm, their bodies twisted and changed like waves on the sea, as if they were about to dissipate.
Seizing this opportunity, the magical girl advanced instead of retreating, charging into the corpses with lightning speed. As she charged, she sang even more confident and domineering songs, unleashing a storm of fire. These endless corpses of her own were instead blasted aside, shattered, and utterly unable to withstand her onslaught!
Amazing!
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】uses her unparalleled divine power to create a vortex of flames, singing loudly at the center of the chaotic vortex.
Is she really so powerful, domineering, and unrestrained that she can even shatter death?
Everyone has a degree of admiration for strength, and victory and power are the easiest ways to attract worship and goodwill. Seeing how awesome the magical girl is, most viewers who were originally waiting to see a zombie-like magical girl with animal ears were happier and more excited, although some complained, "I've already taken my pants off and this is what you show me."
At this point, most people believed, and were looking forward to, seeing [Magical Girl Pazuzu]'s amazing comeback and powerful performance.
—However, at this very moment, the goddess Mikt, who was also looking at this scene, at the crimson sky illuminated by the flames, let out a soft sigh.
The true mystery of death has always been knowledge that we, the deities of death, can only dream of. Even just observing this embodiment of death today has been incredibly beneficial. If I could apply these insights into new technologies, they would undoubtedly bring me considerable profit; and if this little cat truly triumphs over death, the mysteries and knowledge we can observe and comprehend would clearly be even greater, leading to even greater gains.
[If I had known earlier that this kitten possessed such talent—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it could trigger such an anomaly, since the cause is unclear and it seems quite strange at the moment—in short, if I had known that something like this could happen, I should have invested more money in her beforehand and strengthened her more, at least to the point where her basic attributes were at the level of a god. That way, perhaps we wouldn't have failed.]
Her voice came through the company's internal communication channel, filled with regret and sorrow.
[Perhaps I should have used different consumables... but that might not have produced the same effect. Is it because this kitten is special? Or is there another reason? I really want to dissect her and see... I'll examine the body right away.]
This is getting more and more frightening!
Hayden, like many viewers, had initially thought that "Magical Girl Pazuzu" might actually be able to turn the tide, overcome death, successfully dissolve her body, and transform her true spirit into an immortal deity. However, Mikt's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him, sending chills down his spine. He quickly asked, "Mikt Tikashiva, what do you mean by that? Wasn't she on the verge of winning?"
His words, however, elicited a soft chuckle from the goddess Micket: "Mr. Hayden, you are always a little too gentle in these matters. This gentleness even hinders your naturally superhuman wisdom. That's not a good thing."
You really have a way of recognizing my wisdom!
Hayden immediately started to complain in his mind, but of course he didn't actually say it out loud.
Every investment we make is meticulously calculated; not a single coin is wasted. According to our original plan, what the magical girl Pazuzu was supposed to fight and defeat was merely a common, perfectly normal inner demon related to the fear of death that surfaced from the Sea of Unconsciousness.
Fortunately, the goddess Mikt quickly explained to him with a smile.
[That inner demon was, after all, merely simulated, not real death. In contrast, the kitten is now fighting against an avatar that somehow appeared, manifested from real death, and of course, using the resources and budget we originally allocated to her.]
To put it somewhat dramatically, this is like trying to fight a real war with paintballs from a training ground—or at least it's like taking police weapons to the battlefield and expecting to defeat the army.
The goddess Mikt smiled wryly and said,
[Mr. Hayden, by using the resources we've invested in her, we can calculate her fighting strength. That way, we can be certain she will lose. This is what's meant by the war being over in the planning stages.]
When Hayden heard this, he really wanted to complain that this old saying was definitely not used in this way.
However, on the other hand, the goddess Mikkuri was inherently this kind of eccentric personality.
If we had invested more resources in her back then, perhaps we really would have seen the kitten win. This was a huge investment mistake. But it's something that couldn't have been predicted. What a pity, truly a pity.
As the goddess Mikt finished speaking, she let out a soft sigh, clearly feeling a deep sense of regret.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a strange change occurred.
Originally, the vortex of flames created by [Magical Girl Pazuzu] had completely suppressed the sea surface around her. The corpses that crawled out were instantly incinerated, unable to entangle her any longer. However, at this moment, something new surged from beneath the surface. The corpses that had previously emerged and been burned were no longer appearing alone. The seawater churned, the surface trembled, and a colossal shadow pierced through the flames—
—It was thousands upon thousands of corpses, assembled into a mass of dead flesh, that managed to break through the sea of fire! A pale, gigantic fist formed from countless corpses roared through the air, slamming towards the magical girl's head!
[Do ants, huddled together, think they can defeat a lion?]
The magical girl naturally scoffed, gathering her strength to take the punch head-on!
However, these giant corpses, resembling an army of the dead, were not so easy to deal with. After the clash between fire and death, [Magical Girl Pazuzu]'s expression changed. Her whole body felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her chest felt suffocated, and she felt as if she was about to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The giant corpse was unusually cold. Just touching it felt like freezing it into ice.
Now, it seems that the corpse giant is stronger than her!
Even if she wins in a head-on confrontation now, there's no guarantee that Death won't send out an even stronger enemy or form from the other side... Hmm, something feels off about the design...
The Death Goddess of the Smoke Mirror Company carefully observed and pondered the battle, looking like a zoologist watching a tiger and a bear fight in the wild.
To her, Panya's impending death was merely a minor loss resulting from a failed investment, like abandoning a poorly managed factory. Expecting the goddess Mikt to help Panya out of kindness and compassion was clearly impossible, a pipe dream. Rather, Hayden suspected that this inhuman monster, Mikt, might not even possess the capacity for compassion.
To be honest, Hayden had long anticipated that things might turn out this way.
“Miktikashiva, with her outstanding personality, abilities, and willpower, as well as her ability to trigger abnormal situations, is a unique experimental subject. If she is lost, it may be irreplaceable.”
So he tried to speak as calmly as possible.
“Destructive research methods simply cannot guarantee the success of the experiment. If Panya dies now, we won’t be able to reproduce this anomaly. Even if we get some data this time, how can we conduct reproducible research? Without reproducibility, what methods do you plan to use for research next time?”