169. Twilight's End (4)
"Say, Guiming, don't you think you went a bit too far?"
Beizhong Guiming and her group left the library, chatting and laughing. Suddenly, one of the girls spoke up.
"Too far?" Beizhong Guiming blinked. "Did I?"
"I agree with Ariel—no matter what, we're women of an interstellar civilization now. Saying those kinds of things to mock someone's appearance is just too classless."
Another fashionable girl flipped her hair:
"I don't know how things are on your planet, but on ours, we don't look down on people who work and study hard."
"Are you joking? That guy is just a backward, primitive, and terrifying freak. Armored species like him shouldn't exist. He should have been drowned in a hospital toilet at birth!" Beizhong Guiming said disgustedly.
"But his academic credits are higher than yours, his grades are better, and he's a member of the Alchemy Club," another girl said innocently.
"Guiming, we went along with you on this, but maybe we shouldn't do it again," a cat-eared girl said with a hint of disapproval. "In my Meowlu tribe, our men are weak, so we take good care of them. What you just did seems pretty disgraceful to me."
"Huh? But I'm the victim here! That man followed me all the way to university—"
Beizhong Guiming stomped her foot angrily.
"...That kind of story might fool strangers."
A blue-skinned girl spread her hands:
"If he's really stalking you, why do you hang out with men all the time?"
"You—" Beizhong Guiming's face turned red. "Why are you defending men?"
The other girls exchanged glances and said:
"We don't get why you have such hostility toward men, especially men from your own race."
"We only played along out of friendship with you."
"You accuse others of discriminating based on appearance, race, or gender. How are you any different from those who discriminate against you?"
Beizhong Guiming was left red-faced and speechless. She didn't know how to respond. These girls all came from good families, and she had worked hard to integrate into their circle.
"I..."
Before she could finish, a passerby suddenly bumped into her.
"Ouch!"
Beizhong Guiming stumbled, nearly falling. She immediately turned to curse:
"Damn you! Are you blind?!"
The passerby froze in place, dumbfounded.
"Hey! Didn't you hear me? You bumped into me and won't even apologize?"
Beizhong Guiming screamed insults, pointing at the trembling figure before her:
"Oh? Scared now? Coward!"
Her companions, unable to tolerate her behavior, stepped forward to pull her away:
"Let it go, Guiming. Enough is enough."
But Beizhong Guiming wouldn't back down.
Already upset by her friends' 'betrayal,' she was eager to vent her anger on this random person.
She stormed up to the passerby, grabbing their collar. It was like grabbing a steel pillar. She growled:
"Hey, you bastard! Didn't you hear me? Turn around and look at me while you apologize—"
She yanked hard, and the unyielding figure turned instantly.
Then she looked up and met a pair of red-and-black eyes.
"—Apologize."
Before she could finish, the figure's eyes split open, blood and crystalline matter tearing apart with a faint sonic pop. Two nerve tendrils shot out, piercing the corners of her own eyes.
Splat!
————————
"What is this thing, Old Lu?"
Hobbs leaned in curiously. He had no training in alchemy and couldn't make sense of it.
Lucite twisted the object lightly, infusing it with magic as he explained:
"As you know, under normal circumstances, unless magic with visible light effects is cast, a caster's magic remains invisible, correct?"
Hobbs rolled his eyes:
"Obviously. Who would cast magic with flashing effects? Might as well paint a target on themselves and shout, 'Here I am, shoot me!'"
"See? Narrow thinking. If something exists, it must conform to certain rules. And if something is created through proper processes, it must have a purpose."
Lucite chuckled, lifting the sphere:
"Recently, I spoke with some students undergoing military training. They complained about a common issue: friendly fire due to unclear friend-or-foe identification."
"Friendly fire? That's standard. Wars always have collateral damage."
Hobbs spread his hands:
"Our magic civilization is pretty advanced. Most use mental node markers. Look at tech civilizations—even with network connections, they can still misidentify ground signals and bomb their own."
"Large-scale bombardments can be avoided, but close-quarters combat, especially urban warfare?"
Lucite raised the sphere, then took out a pair of glasses, placing them on Hobbs' nose.
Hobbs adjusted the frame and focused his eyes. Immediately, he noticed Lucite's silhouette glowing vividly in blue magic energy.
Even across the table, he could see his figure clearly.
"Wow..." Hobbs exclaimed. "This thing's actually useful."
"In modern warfare, even with space vehicles, there's no avoiding combat in buildings, fortresses, or bunkers. In confined spaces, identifying allies and enemies becomes chaotic."
Lucite explained seriously:
"I developed this—the 'Magic Mark Sphere.' With a bit of magic infusion, it makes an individual's silhouette visible through specialized lenses. I also added a network interface for analyzing similar magical signatures and tracking their trajectories. It's especially effective against tech civilizations, which can't counter our methods."
"This thing is incredible!"
Hobbs immediately sat up, impressed:
"Lucite, you're a genius. This could be used not only on the battlefield but also in disaster relief. Imagine earthquakes or floods. Rescue teams could quickly locate missing people using this."
Creak—Creak—
The man in the cap and mask reading nearby began to tremble. Lucite and Hobbs glanced at him but paid no attention, continuing their discussion.
"And human trafficking," Lucite added:
"Trafficking and slavery are rampant even in the interstellar era. This technology could help reunite families and recover lost children."
"This is revolutionary. You can fake many things, but not magic."
Hobbs' sharp mind worked quickly:
"What's your plan? This could be commercialized. Whether through partnerships or starting our own company, it has huge potential—we could even break into the interstellar market and make a fortune!"
Thud!
A book fell to the ground. The man in the cap and mask suddenly lowered his head, his body stiff. Red-and-black markings surfaced on his exposed skin. The fabric at his elbows bulged as if something sharp were growing.
The two were so engrossed they ignored the commotion.
"Oh, I plan to give it to Leoz," Lucite said casually:
"Without Leoz giving me the Alchemy Club invitation, I wouldn't have created this."
"Fair enough."
Hobbs frowned:
"But Lucite, isn't your family struggling?"
"It's fine. I plan to keep researching."
Lucite was unconcerned, holding up the glasses excitedly:
"Of course, I'm not stupid. I'll give the Magic Mark Sphere's tech and patent to Leoz, but the glasses are also my invention. We can continue collaborating and making money!"
"Glasses? That's smart. Selling them separately ensures sales—they need each other to function," Hobbs said, impressed by Lucite's cleverness.
Hobbs stroked his chin:
"By the way, you haven't explained what these glasses can actually do."
"These? Let me tell you, honestly, I think they're even better than the Magic Mark Sphere. I've added several features to them at this stage," Lucite said confidently.
Lucite put on the glasses. The alchemy device adjusted automatically, fitting his uniquely non-human head shape. The glasses emitted a faint glow, magical flows flickering within:
"The glasses can now scan targets, identify their information, link multiple perspectives and reconnaissance results, and analyze them through a magi-brain to produce answers. I've also programmed them with a wealth of information on military equipment and humanoid species. For example, I'm looking at that man reading next to us—"
He turned excitedly toward the man, but the view through the glasses suddenly went black.
"Huh? Could something be wrong?"
Lucite was puzzled.
"Old Lu!" Hobbs shouted.
Then, a clear prompt appeared on the glasses:
[Target: Bio-weapon 'Blood Pressure Condensed Cannon' muzzle.]
[Caliber Analysis: 20mm.]
[Power: 95,000 joules per shot.]
Squish.
The sound of flesh writhing echoed. Blood condensed rapidly and, under extreme pressure, shot out.
Bang!
A burst of high-pressure blood struck Hobbs' head, and a red mist exploded.
Splatter—
Red blood specks splashed onto Hobbs' face. He instinctively squinted, the metallic scent filling the air, leaving him momentarily breathless.
Steam rose in wisps.
His vision obscured by blood, Hobbs barely made out the attacker's appearance through the gaps. The figure slowly removed its tattered clothing disguise, revealing muscular, biologically textured armor that expanded and contracted with its breathing.
The cap and mask fell to the ground. Its face split open, petals-like, revealing rows of teeth akin to a lamprey. A terrifyingly long tongue protruded, the tip mutating rapidly to form a red-sclera, black-pupil eye.
Hobbs only locked eyes with that pupil for an instant before it shifted, radiating a dazzling cyan-blue that blossomed in its depths.
Like a crescent moon, cold and brilliant.
"Oh, White Candle Star!"
A voice echoed over Trivira, and simultaneously, numerous infiltrating passersby exploded into action. Their true forms as bio-weapon soldiers were revealed, arms transforming into blood-compression firearms, aimed at civilians and students. Muscle triggers were pulled.
Squish, squish, squish, squish!
Crimson bullets sprayed across the campus. Countless students, who had been enjoying the tranquility of campus life, were slaughtered instantly. There was no time for spellcasting, no warnings. Everyone was precisely targeted and killed in an instant by the bio-weapon soldiers.
"Hehehehehehehe—"
A horrifying, piercing laugh resounded:
"The long-lost Crimson Moon rises once more!"