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Guinaifen put herself in the Stelle's shoes.
If this weren't just a story but her real-life experience…
Having stumbled upon such a shocking scoop, there was no way she'd let it slip away!
Sure enough, while following Judge Huohuo on the way back, she was anything but well-behaved! Seizing every opportunity to dig for more.
"If I could film a few clips of Tail and title it 'Eerie Ghost Fire Appears in Fyxestroll Garden, Possesses Innocent Foxian Girl,' that'd definitely grab attention, right?"
"Miss Huohuo, could you ask Tail to come out for a photo?"
Huohuo replied softly but firmly: "Miss Guinaifen, we are currently carrying out official duties. Please focus on leaving Fyxestroll Garden."
Two guards stood at the gate.
After walking some distance, only the three of them remained on the path.
They were almost at Fyxestroll Garden's exit.
Glancing at the map, Guinaifen sighed.
"Is this quest really ending just like this?"
"Even though Fyxestroll Garden's under the Judges' control now…"
"Come on, throw in some twists!"
Guinaifen felt like an actor whose role was about to wrap up, stuck in the final mundane scenes.
Just then—The plot seemed to take a sudden turn!
Huohuo muttered nervously: "It's so quiet… it's getting scarier…"
"Please stay close…"
The moment she finished speaking—
Guinaifen screamed from behind:
"GHOST! AAAAAAH—!!!"
The shriek startled even Huohuo.
"W-W-WAHHH—!!" Her voice trembled: "W-What's wrong?!"
"D-D-Don't be scared! I-I'm here!"
"I-I'm not scared! J-Just lost my balance…"
"Wait, where's Miss Guinaifen? Miss Guinaifen—?"
"D-Did she get separated from us…?"
Looking back— The street was completely empty.
No Guinaifen, not even a shadow of a ghost.
"I just wanted some plot twists, not to actually go missing!" Guinaifen groaned internally.
Meanwhile, Huohuo whimpered:
"N-No way… W-We have to find Miss Guinaifen!"
"The atmosphere here feels off… I'm so scared, stay close to me…"
[...]
(Totally not scared.)
"Sure, I'd believe you if your voice wasn't shaking."
"Isn't the Ten-Lords Commission supposed to hunt these things? How can a Judge be this terrified?"
"How did Huohuo even become a Judge if she's this timid?"
"She's gotta be the weakest Judge in the Ten-Lords Commission, right?"
"Tail's a spirit possessing her—what do you guys have?"
"I've got bulletproof chat messages."
Inside the Courtyard
Seeing the chat mocking Huohuo for her cowardice,
Tail burst into laughter: "HAHAHAHA—!"
"See that, little Huohuo?"
"Everyone's saying you're unfit for the job!"
"I agree—just quit early and go back to being a regular Foxian!"
Huohuo pouted: "Tail, even you're making fun of me…"
Nearby, Xueyi and Hanyue were discussing the escaped Heliobus from the Creation Furnace.
Hanyue nodded. "If this is happening in the story, it's a sign similar events are occurring in reality."
"We must verify this with the Artisanship Commission."
"Huohuo, stay here and monitor the story's progress."
Huohuo froze: "Huh…? A-Alone?"
Xueyi said expressionlessly: "Correct."
"Contact us immediately if anything unusual happens."
"B-But the story's already getting super creepy!" Huohuo protested.
"That's the work of the Heliobus. Precisely why we need to investigate."
"O-Okay…"
After Xueyi and Hanyue left, the already eerie courtyard grew even more unsettling.
And the game's plot took a darker turn.
The Stelle, originally searching for Guinaifen, ended up lost.
Pausing before a strange bronze mirror, they turned to leave— suddenly, her reflection reached out and yanked them inside!
Watching this, Huohuo gasped, covering her mouth.
Her eyes reddened—on the verge of tears.
"W-Waaah…! This story's too scary!!"
...
Aboard the Astral Express
The Stelle was playing her own account.
After completing the companion quest of Argenti he had joined the gacha pool.
They were testing his skills in the trial mode.
"His first skill is an AoE attack…"
"And his ultimate can consume more energy for a stronger version."
"The more targets Argenti hits, the higher his energy regeneration…"
The Stelle's eyes lit up with realization.
"This character's designed for crowd control!"
"But the current meta doesn't need AoE…"
"It's all about Destruction's dominance!"
"I'll just do one pity pull. Argenti, don't disappoint me!"
Just as they were about to summon—March 7th suddenly shouted:
"Stelle, come quick!"
"Something's wrong in the story—you're getting possessed by a ghost!"
"Huh?!"
The Stelle immediately abandoned the gacha and rushed over.
"Weren't you just leaving Fyxestroll Garden with Huohuo? How did you end up possessed?!"
"Your reflection dragged you into the mirror!"
As they spoke, the in-game Stelle descended a staircase.
Ahead, clusters of ghostly flames flickered in the darkness.
A sinister voice echoed: "I've heard the whispers of Fyxestroll Garden's leaves, the cries of its flames…"
"They tell me you bear the scent of battle against Phantylia…"
"So… powerful. Merely sensing your presence makes me shiver!"
The voice grew increasingly excited, almost frenzied:
"Let me taste you… Just one bite!"
The in-game Stelle broke into a cold sweat— and so did the real one.
"What the—?!"
"Oh no… This thing's after ME!"
[Enter Battle]
The two Clockwork Goldfish they fought were different from usual—shrouded in an eerie silver glow.
Though defeated, the voice dismissed them as mere pawns.
After the battle, a green flame suddenly materialized, circling the Stelle.
"Let me see…"
"The one who drove away Phantylia…"
"What flavor…"
"Will you be?"
The flame appeared behind the Stelle— and before they could react, it POSSESSED THEM!
Green fire engulfed her hands and body.
Before the Stelle could even worry about her in-game self, they noticed the chat exploding with excitement:
"WOAH! Ghost-fire Stelle unlocked for a limited time!"
"So cool!!"
"I bet the Stelle smells amazing—this villain's got good taste!"
"Even the Stelle got possessed? These ghosts are terrifying!"
"If we met a Heliobus, we'd be puppets in seconds!"
"I'm pulling my feet back under the blanket…"
A spectral eye formed beside the Stelle—
far more sinister than Tail's harmless demeanor.
The Heliobus introduced itself as Cirrus.
It proposed a deal: "I'll help you break Furrynox's illusionary maze…"
"In return, you help me escape the Ten-Lords Commission's purFyxestroll t."
"Mutual benefit—no debts. Deal?"
In reality, this wasn't a choice.
Even if the player refused, Cirrus smugly noted it was already in control—this wasn't a negotiation.
Though Cirrus seemed untrustworthy, following its guidance led them through the maze—
straight to Huohuo, who was curled up in a corner.
The moment she saw the Stelle, she lit up with relief.
"It's you! Thank goodness—a living person!"
"I thought I'd be trapped here forever…"
"Have you seen Miss Guinaifen? I still haven't found her…"
Three dialogue options appeared:
[Let's go find her.]
[She's probably stuck somewhere too.]
[Forget that—let's get out of here first!]
Guinaifen didn't rush to choose. Instead, she smiled fondly.
"Huohuo's such a sweetheart!"
"Even though she's terrified, her first thought is still about my safety…"
"What a good kid. I like her."
"Wait… Shouldn't I be the one worried about her?!"
But then— things took an even wilder turn.
Because the Stelle, now controlled, started mocking Huohuo mercilessly.
The young Judge's face fell—on the verge of tears again.
To be continued…
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