"Oh, by the way, is that Flower Youkai outside your house related to Yuuka in some way?" Seeing that Chu Lian had fallen silent, Yukari Yakumo brought up another topic herself. She wasn't ready to return just yet. She still intended to take Yuyuko and the other two sightseeing around this world later. There was plenty to do, so there was no need to rush.
"Her? She's a creation I summoned. She doesn't have anything to do with Yuuka." Chu Lian wasn't particularly curious about why Yukari had asked. After all, Cornus was a Flower Youkai, and her hair was green as well. The only difference was that, unlike Yuuka's blood-red eyes, Cornus had pink ones.
"I see." If the two Flower Youkai weren't related, then there was no need to worry about it. If that woman Yuuka wanted an answer, she could come and ask Chu Lian herself.
"Well, little girl, we won't bother you any longer. We've got things to do, so we'll be leaving now." Seeing that Chu Lian didn't seem particularly energetic, Yukari decided not to disturb her any further. She stretched, stood up, picked up the parasol resting beside the sofa, and lazily opened a gap.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality, little sister. I'll definitely come again next time... It's just a shame there wasn't quite enough food." Having finished the last remaining dish, Yuyuko noticed Yukari preparing to leave. She rose and walked over to stand behind her, waving to Chu Lian as she passed to express her gratitude.
"I'll visit again next time. I look forward to your hospitality." Reimu rose gracefully and bowed to Chu Lian like a genuinely well-educated shrine maiden before taking her place behind Yukari.
"My apologies for disturbing you." Sakuya Izayoi was the last to leave, and this time her attitude represented her own feelings. After all, only that spoiled young mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion could have been responsible for the commanding tone she'd used earlier.
Of course, Chu Lian was privately complaining about each of their actions. If Yukari came again, it would undoubtedly be because she needed Chu Lian to do something. Yuyuko had come purely for the food, and Reimu would probably expect another donation next time. Sakuya wasn't so bad, but just thinking about her mistress was enough to give Chu Lian a headache.
Should I throw Anna into Gensokyo the next time I go there? When she loses her temper, she's just as sadistic and uncontrollable as Flandre. And if she goes berserk in Gensokyo and really infuriates Reimu, that shrine maiden will instantly shoot up to the Transcendence Realm, become invincible throughout Gensokyo, and grab Anna to hang her up and beat her senseless.
But wouldn't doing that mean completely disregarding what her mother, Tírnas, thinks? I bet it would end with two worlds going to war.
As these inexplicable thoughts flashed through her mind, the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms drifted through the air. A gust of wind blew past the window, scattering pink cherry blossom petals.
Chu Lian turned her head, only to discover that Yukari and the others had already disappeared. It seemed they had all left.
"All right, you can come down now." Only after confirming their departure did Chu Lian turn toward the second floor and call out.
A moment later, a whole row of figures emerged from behind the corner. They glanced around cautiously, surveying their surroundings before finally breathing sighs of relief.
"Big Sis, those women are terrifying! Just judging by their strength, every single one of them is above Heaven-rank. Are the women dressed as a maid and a shrine maiden really human? They don't even look like adults yet! They all seem incredibly powerful." Chu Chu stroked her ample breasts as she skipped down from the second floor to Chu Lian's side, sharing her assessment of Reimu and Sakuya.
"They really are human. But when you're in Gensokyo, it's best not to talk about age. Age is the most forbidden subject there, so if you ever meet them again, you absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must not mention it. Otherwise, they'll hunt you to the ends of the earth." Chu Lian raised a finger before the girl's eyes and delivered her warning with utmost seriousness.
"I understand, Big Sis. I won't mention age in front of them. If you're warning me this seriously, the consequences must be terrible, right?" Chu Chu smacked her lips. Those people were genuinely frightening. More importantly, despite looking barely any older than herself, they already possessed such incredible strength. They were truly extraordinary specimens of humanity.
"Lian, those women..." Inori approached and gently sat down beside her, expressing her concern about Yukari's visit. After all, if someone as powerful as Yukari needed Chu Lian's help, whatever she wanted couldn't be a small matter.
"Mm. There's something very important I need to do. And it's about time you all knew about it too." Chu Lian glanced around. Apart from Tina and Anna, all the girls were present. Although the white-haired girl was watching from the corner of the second-floor landing, at least that meant she was listening.
"How should I explain this? Do you remember the theory of traveling between worlds that I told you about at King's Cross Station in England?" Chu Lian closed her eyes and thought for a moment before choosing a familiar starting point for the discussion.
"I remember." Li Xiu'er nodded. She still remembered Chu Lian promising to take her traveling to another world. I wonder if she still remembers that promise?
"Back then, I said that every world had countless points through which you could travel to other worlds, right? Well, I've discovered that my theory was wrong. Only certain worlds possess countless points connecting them to other worlds. Each of those points corresponds to a passage, a passage leading to a different world."
With that, Chu Lian explained Yukari's theory of world classifications to the girls before continuing.
"Worlds possessing countless such points are extremely, extremely rare, and ours happens to be one of them. Every world of this kind is incredibly precious. Some of the ones that have been discovered have already become the personal worlds of certain overwhelmingly powerful beings. Others remain undiscovered, and no one even knows where they are. At present, ours is the only known existing Myriad Worlds Nexus that hasn't been developed. The fundamental requirement for becoming a Myriad Worlds Nexus is possessing countless points that can connect to every other world. I'm still not entirely clear about the other conditions, but knowing that much is enough."
"That's precisely what Yukari Yakumo is interested in. Strictly speaking, Gensokyo, the world she inhabits, is a peculiar existence somewhere between a Minor World and a Major World. Perhaps it's a miracle brought about by her power over gaps. But that doesn't really matter. What she wants now is to find a world Gensokyo can depend on. That world must be capable of supporting Gensokyo itself and gathering an enormous amount of energy, enough to transport all of Gensokyo here."
"Our world meets those conditions, but it doesn't currently possess the necessary capabilities. That's because the vast majority of those points are still nothing more than isolated points. They haven't established connections with corresponding points, meaning no lines have been drawn between them. Even the existing connections are tenuous, not truly open passages. But since the corresponding points already exist, there must be a way to connect them. That method involves traveling to the other world and completing a series of world-changing quests, or conquering it outright, allowing your aura to merge with that world. Afterward, the boundaries between the two worlds can be opened."
"The amount of energy needed to open those passages is enormous, but that's not something we need to worry about. They'll handle it themselves. All I have to do is travel from world to world and accomplish whatever I need to do."
Chu Lian stopped speaking at that point. Seeing everyone staring at her with such serious expressions, she felt rather bewildered. "What's wrong?"
"Chu Lian, are you saying that you're going to become busy again, and that you'll be traveling to all sorts of different worlds?" Seeing that none of the others were speaking, Cai Ya decided to ask first.
"Yes. This is an opportunity for me to grow stronger, and also an opportunity for all of us to grow together." After a moment's thought, Chu Lian understood what they were worried about. They were simply afraid that she would leave them behind for another long stretch of time.
She was well aware of that habit of hers and felt deeply guilty about it. So this time, she didn't hesitate and explained herself directly.
"All of us together?" Liu Yanran considered those words, and her bright eyes lit up. Looking at Chu Lian expectantly, she asked, "Do you mean we can accompany you to other worlds?"
Her question expressed exactly what everyone else was thinking. Please, let that be true. Whether it meant visiting another world or simply staying by Chu Lian's side, they wanted both.
"Of course. But that doesn't mean everyone can come every time. There might be a few occasions when we can all travel together, but generally speaking, some worlds may require me to go alone, while others will only allow a limited number of companions. Still, I promise I'll take each of you to at least three different worlds. Would that be all right?"
Hearing Chu Lian's promise, the other girls finally relaxed. That was more than enough. They understood that she had difficulties of her own. As long as they could still be together, everything would be fine.
"However, some of those worlds will be extremely dangerous, while others will be relatively easy. Who gets to come will also depend on everyone's strength. And if there's a particular world you'd like to visit, remember to tell me. I'll consider it. It can be from a novel, an anime, a movie, or even a game."
Chu Lian herself wasn't entirely sure what kinds of worlds she would end up visiting. But if the girls had preferences of their own, she would do her best to accommodate them.
"There's no need for that just yet. After all, even you don't know exactly which worlds you'll be going to, right, Big Sis? Besides, if visiting those worlds requires meeting certain conditions, our wishes might not be possible to fulfill anyway. We can discuss it again after you've visited a few worlds."
Her proposal was certainly tempting, but after exchanging glances, the girls all shook their heads. They would have loved to name the worlds they wanted to visit, but that would place too much pressure on Chu Lian, who hadn't even tried doing any of this yet.
"I see. That's fine too. Once I've visited a few worlds, become familiar with the process, and figured out how everything works, I'll definitely take you all to your favorite worlds whenever I can. That's a promise." Chu Lian gently stroked Chu Chu's cheek, her voice exceedingly tender.
Isn't it wonderful that they're willing to be so considerate of me?
Relationships between people require mutual effort if they're to remain strong and last for a long time. If one person keeps giving without receiving anything in return, eventually they'll grow weary.
The girls had seen everything Chu Lian had done for them, and they had always tried to repay her in their own ways. Whether their methods were right or wrong, weren't they all expressions of heartfelt affection?
They thought about her, and she would think about them in return.
Perhaps because of this inexplicable surge of emotion, the entire hall suddenly fell silent...
A quiet silence settled over them, filled with a faint, comforting warmth. Perhaps not every girl wanted Chu Lian to keep traveling from place to place, but they understood that this was her mission, or perhaps even her destiny. And so, none of them said anything.
There was something intoxicating and deeply endearing about this tenderness. Perhaps that was why Chu Lian was sometimes so afraid of leaving this place, yet equally afraid of being unable to leave.
It was a warmth she could easily become addicted to. When the girls treated her with such affection, there were times when Chu Lian simply didn't want to do anything, no matter how many responsibilities awaited her.
"Hey, promise me... or rather, promise all of us that no matter which world you go to, you'll take good care of yourself. Because we can't bear to lose you. Do you understand?" Inori took one of Chu Lian's hands and pressed it against her cheek, using her warmth to soothe Chu Lian's slightly cool palm. Her words expressed not only her own feelings but those of all the other girls as well.
"I understand. I'm still in a weakened state right now, but I have Yaya." Those words caused Yaya, who had been standing silently behind Chu Lian with her head lowered, to look up. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
She had thought Chu Lian no longer wanted her by her side. After all, bringing Yaya along to those worlds would always be inconvenient. She hadn't expected Chu Lian to rely on her so much, entrusting everything to Yaya whenever she was weak.
Tears rolled down her fair cheeks, yet she was already smiling, smiling with such overwhelming happiness. Chu Lian is so wonderful. So wonderful, so wonderful...
Repeating those words of affection in her heart, Yaya raised her head and stared at the ceiling, refusing to let any more tears fall. I mustn't let her see me crying. She'd definitely tease Yaya if she did.
Chu Lian didn't notice Yaya's every movement, but through the connection between their hearts, she could still sense the girl's violently fluctuating emotions. Perhaps she isn't staying silent because she has nothing to say. Maybe she simply doesn't want to disturb me?
"Sister Yukari told me just now that she'd come back in five days. I imagine she's already chosen the first world I'm supposed to visit, or at least decided where she needs me to go first. So I'll have to finish dealing with all those miscellaneous matters over the next few days before getting busy again. Sigh." As she spoke, Chu Lian turned toward Inori and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Inori..."
Before she could continue, however, a slender finger pressed against her lips. Inori narrowed her wine-red eyes, gazed into Chu Lian's eyes, and whispered, "There's nothing to apologize for. You haven't done anything wrong. Do you understand, Lian?"
Chu Lian nodded slightly and gently moved Inori's hand away before replying, "I understand. But I haven't fulfilled my promise to take you to another world, and that's my fault... Still, I promise you that we'll definitely go there, because it's a world I absolutely have to visit."
Chu Lian offered neither an explanation nor an excuse. She simply admitted her mistake without hesitation. And she wasn't lying. That was indeed a world she would inevitably visit. After all, now that she had access to Dungeon Worlds, why wouldn't she go?
"What worries me now is whether, after entering a world through a passage I didn't open with my own abilities, its world's consciousness might drive me out or even regard me as an enemy. That's something I need to be careful about. After all, although my World Affinity is extremely high, in the eyes of many world consciousnesses, I'm still essentially an invader."
Chu Lian didn't explain some of the terminology in much detail. Now wasn't the time. Although the existence of the system might already have become faintly apparent to those at the very pinnacle of power, it remained a secret from everyone else.
"I don't think there should be a problem. After all, Big Sis isn't going there to do anything wicked." Chu Chu understood her big sister's charm perfectly well. Normally, Chu Lian deliberately suppressed her allure to prevent it from affecting others, since it was the kind of charm that seemed capable of making heaven and earth revolve around her.
But if she ever displayed her full charm, even Transcendence Realm experts, let alone Heaven-rank experts, would find it difficult to dislike her as long as they harbored no malicious intentions.
Although a world's consciousness might not fall into that category, it didn't change Chu Chu's judgment. As long as Chu Lian didn't do anything truly excessive, a world's consciousness probably wouldn't intervene.
"I can control myself, but I can't guarantee that I won't have to do something outrageous while carrying out my objectives. If I opened the passage with my own abilities, none of this would be a problem. It's precisely because I won't be using my own power that I have to worry."
As she spoke, her eyes lowered, revealing a mixture of concern and resignation. She already had more than enough troublesome matters to deal with. Even with such a generous time limit, this quest would be extremely difficult to complete. If she also had to contend with interference from world consciousnesses, she couldn't be certain she would succeed at all.
"Please rest assured, Host. In any world you visit, you will receive the same treatment as in a Dungeon World. However, completing objectives there will grant only the most basic rewards, without any additional system rewards.
"In other words, you may obtain certain points or items acquired directly from those worlds, but you will not receive system-awarded titles, auras, items, or other benefits. Previously, the system restricted both the quantity and quality of items the host could bring back from Dungeon Worlds. Those restrictions will not apply to these other worlds.
"However, the host is advised to remember that ill-gotten wealth ultimately flows away like water. The system's judgment of good and evil is fundamental to determining whether the host remains qualified to possess the system."
Shiroha's mechanical voice rang out, informing Chu Lian of something important. Previously, the items she acquired in Dungeon Space had always been subject to restrictions.
Particularly powerful items that weren't obtained as quest rewards couldn't be brought back. Otherwise, she would have acquired all sorts of treasures in [Overlord] long ago. There would have been no need for her to worry so much now.
But Shiroha had just informed her that although she wouldn't receive additional system rewards from worlds outside the Dungeon system, she would be allowed to bring back anything she obtained there without restriction. Her excitement immediately soared.
If that was the case, then even with the system's judgment of good and evil, her gains would certainly be substantial. After all, most of the time, the factions belonging to the villains were the ones holding the greatest treasure troves. Protagonists generally relied on their protagonist halos and special advantages, so they often possessed relatively few valuable items. Consequently, the system's moral judgment wouldn't have much of an impact on her.
"Phew. Looks like there's nothing to worry about anymore." She had closed her eyes while listening to Shiroha, leaving the others somewhat puzzled and concerned. Has she thought of something bad?
Now that she had opened her eyes and immediately reassured everyone that there was no need to worry, they finally relaxed. It seemed she had received some kind of information. In that case, they no longer needed to be concerned either.
"Mm, what else do you have to take care of?" Liu Yanran rose and walked over to Chu Lian, sitting sideways on the sofa beside her as she began counting off her responsibilities.
"You need to finish your endorsement work for Fantasy Entertainment. You should be able to get that done tomorrow or the day after. Then there are a few things online that you need to respond to. After all, your fans are still eagerly waiting for your new works. And there's Sword and Fairy, which has reached the final installment of its serialization.
"You should make some time to finish it properly. Next comes the game, but all you need to do is film one or several promotional videos. The game itself isn't even finished yet, so there's no need to do much more for now.
"Besides, once the game begins operating, Uncle Chu will assign people to handle most of the work. All you'll need to do is collect the money. As for finding a representative, we really don't have anyone suitable here, so you'll have to find one yourself. Mm, that's everything I know you need to accomplish in the near future."
Chu Lian thought it over and realized that those were indeed the things she needed to do recently, though there didn't seem to be very many. Once she responded to the issues online, she could leave the rest to the Heart of First Love Alliance.
As for her serialized novel, it had already reached its final installment. Once she finished it, she could suspend serialization for a while and take a break. She had only just finished making arrangements for the game, so there was no need to concern herself with it at all.
She could film the promotional videos and advertisements together, and she could handle all of that at home. After all, she possessed advanced technology capable of replacing backgrounds and settings, so there was no need to travel around. As for a representative, she'd see what she could find. If she couldn't find anyone suitable, she would have to ask her mother to fill in temporarily.
Come to think of it, I'm really not that busy after all. But I'll have to put off filming the advertisements and promotional videos until this bleeding debuff wears off. Otherwise, making a mistake would be terribly embarrassing.
While she was contemplating her responsibilities, the girls beside her began smiling at the sight of her expression. Evidently, something had occurred to them.
"My album... I don't care what you say, you absolutely have to leave me a song, even if it's only the lyrics. Otherwise, hmph!"
Cai Ya twirled a lock of curled hair around her finger, her tone somewhat threatening. Chu Lian had stood her up far too many times already. This time, she was determined to settle the matter.
"I'll get the song ready!" If she had to include the musical score, it would certainly be troublesome, but providing the lyrics to a single song was much easier. Chu Lian believed that even with nothing more than lyrics, this genuinely gifted young musician would be able to handle the rest. There was no need to worry about Cai Ya making a mess of things or to concern herself with what happened afterward.
Chu Lian could tell that Cai Ya's words weren't so much about demanding a song as they were about wanting a gesture of affection from her. When dealing with this girl, who always preferred to conceal her true feelings, all Chu Lian could do was respond with care.
"Also, Big Sis, you should probably make some kind of statement about the Valkyrie. Even if you don't appear on the news, you could at least record a video announcing your existence. After all, a lot of people want to know whether the Valkyrie is real.
"But you need to be careful. You've worn that qipao at school before. Although your figure and everything else were completely different, people could still recognize some similarities in your appearance. So you'd better make a few adjustments, or you could easily run into trouble."
Chu Chu had brought up something the others hadn't considered. Still, it wasn't something Chu Lian absolutely had to do. She could ask Li Mingxue about it first.
"Well then, is there anything else?" Chu Lian tilted her head and looked toward the other girls. She was already feeling lazy and didn't want to think about so many things.
"Not that I can remember. Just finish those things first." Li Xiu'er scratched her little head, unable to recall anything more. That was probably everything.
"We'll wait until you come back." Nana and Lux made their position quite clear. Whatever matters they had to discuss with Chu Lian could wait until her return.
"Wait until you come back before resurrecting the other spirits." Kurumi Tokisaki's voice came from upstairs. Evidently, she was paying close attention to the matter as well.
"Well then, since there's nothing else to take care of, everyone should head back to bed." Perhaps they were tired, or perhaps they understood her feelings without needing an explanation. Whatever the reason, the girls didn't disturb her any further after hearing those words. One by one, they departed, eventually leaving Chu Lian and Inori alone together.
Under the night sky, as cherry blossoms drifted through the air, four figures stood atop the roof of Chu Lian's house, gazing at the moon, their thoughts unknown.