Chapter 233: To Leave a Pure Name in the World

"You don't have memories of the outside world, so you don't know the rules out there."

"If you bring up things like death or sacrifice, plenty of people couldn't care less, as long as it doesn't happen to them personally."

"But... do you have any idea just how astronomical the resources a Universal Megacorp pours into a top-tier project truly are?"

Phoenix's bird face actually managed to display a recognizable, sinister smirk.

It was hard to imagine how many times this creature had fantasized about this revenge scenario over the past three hundred years for her expression and gaze to be so utterly vindicated.

"That guy embezzled such an enormous amount of company funds, encroaching on the interests of other board members and the entire company to satisfy his own goals. He's already violated the taboo of all taboos."

"That's the kind of thing that can enrage both the good and the bad to their absolute limits."

"Even the vice chairman might personally come after him, killing that bastard with a single punch!"

She took a deep breath: "However... you don't really need to worry too much about L Corp. After all, you're a chosen magical girl, and the great enemies of that outside world are still the Abyss and the demon beasts."

"There's plenty of other content in the notebook. I've organized all the important intelligence from the outside world, which should at least reduce the information gap a bit."

"Though, I didn't write down some of the more basic common sense. After all, that's a brand-new world for you too. I figured it'd be better to preserve a sense of freshness for you."

"Also, I have no parents out there, no friends either. You could say I have no lingering attachments, so I wrote down my savings account and password in there as well... though withdrawing might be a bit troublesome. There are many, many accounts, since I'm a hacker and all. I don't keep all my eggs in one basket."

She gazed at the girl's sakura-red eyes, chattering on like an overbearing mother hen, her words laced with undisguised concern, as if she wanted to give her everything she could possibly think of.

"Additionally, there are a few people on the dark web who owe me favors. They shouldn't have all died off in such a short time. I've written down the contact methods and recognition signals in there too. Feel free to reach out if you ever need them."

She let out a long breath: "Basically, that's about it."

"Oh right, there's one more important thing!"

As if something had just occurred to her, she wore an expression of utmost urgency: "Remember to clear my browsing history and downloaded files and stuff for me! I can't leave all that embarrassing history out there!"

"To leave a pure name in the world!"

She suddenly fidgeted restlessly on Lin Guang's shoulder: "And try not to look at it yourself either. It'll corrupt you... Actually, forget it. Judging by the look of you, you're probably already corrupted... Anyway, delete everything. Got it?!"

Lin Guang: "........."

What exactly is it?

What do you mean already corrupted?

What kind of misunderstanding have you developed?!

Yet after that ridiculous outburst, the bird whose true name was Hythesla suddenly fixed her gaze on Lin Guang's eyes, staring intently for a full minute.

Only then did she speak with solemn gravity.

"Thank you, Mengmengxiang."

"No matter what, thank you."

Lin Guang was momentarily stunned, then gazed back at her just as intently.

- Though from the very beginning, Hythesla seemed to have been using her words to hint at the cruelty and coldness of the outside world she had experienced, warning not to hold too high expectations.

And yet.

She seemed to have forgotten one thing.

That her every action and word since they first met had nothing whatsoever to do with coldness or cruelty.

That world was, in fact, capable of nurturing someone like her after all.

"........."

Hythesla suddenly saw the girl before her break into a smile that seemed capable of illuminating the entire world.

"Yeah."

For some reason, that bird face, a dozen-plus years old and three thousand-plus months on top of that, suddenly flushed red.

Suddenly, the Cherry-Haired Girl brought up an unrelated topic: "What kind of body do you want in the future?"

"Oh! You mean in the New World!"

She was taken aback for a moment, then quickly caught on, spreading her wings excitedly and tracing an arc across her chest: "It has to be-! One just like Amber's, a super, duper, MASSIVE cup size!"

But after saying that, a flicker of hesitation crossed her golden eyes: "Though... it does feel really comfortable to bury your face in there, but wouldn't your shoulders get sore if it were on your own body?"

"Ah, forget it."

"I'll just use my original body instead. You know, that form from Full Bloom."

"After all, it's my original factory equipment. I've used it for over a decade now. I've grown attached to it."

"And if I ever really want to squeeze something, I can just use Amber's."

"Okay." Lin Guang nodded.

..................

Magical Girl Association.

The air in the reception room drifted with the rich aroma of tea.

Two young women sat facing each other.

Today, Amber was dressed unusually casual and plain. Her black hair was tied back with a simple ribbon, and she wore a loose-fitting light beige knitted sweater. Despite the relaxed cut, it still couldn't contain that enormous silhouette.

Watching the Cherry-Haired Girl sip from her teacup, Amber propped her cheeks on both hands with her elbows resting on the table, speaking with a light chuckle: "How does it taste? Is it to your liking?"

"This is the black tea Miss Ba brought over. Lore-wise, it's the finest black tea in the world. Hers is the only place in all of Kazenari Town that carries it."

Lin Guang set down the teacup and said flatly: "It's very good."

"That's good."

"Phoenix has explained all the crucial knowledge about the outside world to you, right?"

"I won't go over it all again here."

Amber leaned back into her chair, crossing her long, slender legs as she spoke slowly.

"However, there really is still something I need to give you."

Amber straightened up, reaching her right hand into the unfathomable depths of her chest.

Fabric rustled.

The next moment, she pulled out a small booklet still carrying body warmth and fragrance. She pressed it onto the table and gently pushed it toward Lin Guang.

Seeing Lin Guang's questioning look, she smiled and explained:

"The Witches' Guild... is actually a very loose organization. It doesn't have the strict structure of a company. It's just a group of poor souls who had no choice, huddling together for warmth in order to break free from fate."

She seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps lamenting.

"Recorded in here is our Witches' Guild's special method of contact."

"As fellow witches, we can all trust one another. You might find it useful someday."

"If possible, lend them a hand as well."

Lin Guang stared at her.

Witches... breaking free from fate?

Did Amber mean that she was also one of the witches?

What connection did this "witch" have to the witchification of magical girls?

Come to think of it, she had indeed mentioned the so-called "Prophecy of the Witch King" before.

Was it related to that?

But unlike Phoenix's nearly heart-baring outpouring, she seemed to have no intention of revealing more specifics about the Witches' Guild, simply letting the topic drop there.

She said softly: "I'm sorry... some memories are painful for me as well, so I've sealed them away."