Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 346 - 315: Fake Cat and Sharp Knife

Chapter 346: Chapter 315: Fake Cat and Sharp Knife

Farosa carefully observed the silver kitten, trying to find the slightest difference between it and Mack’s true form.

But it was impossible, the shapeshifting magic had copied every detail, making Du Qianqian’s new appearance flawless, she had always been able to replicate the voice of the person she was imitating, and now she sounded exactly like Mack.

"You really did pick the best skin for yourself," Farosa said, her fingers intertwined, casting a meaningful glance at Du Qianqian. "Back when this cat had its prestige in the Taixi Continent, your appearance alone would have scared many off."

"So, Mack is truly gone?" Xu Yang mused, knowing Mack’s remains were still in the company’s cold storage.

"There won’t be any corpse transformation," Farosa explained, "Just as we still have souls after death, Mack has a soul after its death, which does not affect the mortal world and will return to its homeland, or to the Afterlife World. It will likely be a few thousand years before it can regain its form, so it can no longer cause mischief."

"I see..." Xu Yang understood.

"Meow meow," Du Qianqian tried to imitate a cat’s meow, but she didn’t really know how a real cat sounded, so her speech was more convincing than her imitation.

"I must go store the katana," said Farosa, upon learning that the portal was open, planning to return the Godslayer Weapon to Nangong Island.

For the Mystics who coveted it, it was like a beacon in the darkness, attracting them from thousands of miles away to seize it—truly troublesome, not something you can carry around indefinitely.

"You could also take Lila to survey the island, to facilitate the transportation of supplies and building materials for future development," Xu Yang suggested.

Farosa smiled lightly, signaling her understanding.

She had wrapped the Godslayer Weapon in wax-soaked linen to reduce the leakage of its malevolent aura, but no matter what, she couldn’t conceal its fluctuations. She cradled the Godslayer Weapon in one hand, playing with it for the last time with affection.

She hoped that one day, she could display it proudly in this world, facing her enemies with the dignity of a ruler. Farosa thought secretly.

To cleanse the rebels and trample over their blood-and-bone remains.

However, no matter how much she cherished the weapon, she had to temporarily store it beyond this world. Time was of the essence, and before learning to create a pathway between the two worlds herself, Farosa could only rely on the portal left by Mond to get to Nangong Island, which opened once every seven days for thirty minutes each time.

Once Farosa had left, Xu Yang pulled up a chair close by.

"Qianqian, let’s see if we can make use of this to accomplish something," he said.

"Hold on," Du Qianqian pivoted, only able to see part of her new body as the cat was much smaller than her true form.

She climbed onto the table, feeling as if she had reached the tabletop, but the cat shape conjured by the Magic Illusion still hovered in mid-air.

"The physiognomy of the Magic Illusion doesn’t match the physical collision volume of the original body," Xu Yang observed carefully, "I can’t see you now."

"In turn, I seem to have become like a spirit," Du Qianqian found it amusing.

The magic shell took the shape of a small cat at Du Qianqian’s feet, the point of contact, and the rest of her body turned completely invisible. Thus, it was best for Du Qianqian to shapeshift into something exactly matching her original size, too large or too small would be inconvenient.

She picked up the satellite phone, and visually, it looked as if a small cat was levitating the phone from a meter away—a bizarre effect akin to telekinesis.

"So, you can’t perform delicate tasks in that state," Xu Yang pondered.

Before Du Qianqian could respond, she suddenly reverted to her human form, looking somewhat distressed.

When she became Mack, her magic power had an additional drain, probably because the target was a genuine Ancient Mystic, just maintaining the form required an extra toll.

Xu Yang poured a cup of coffee for Du Qianqian to recover her magic power before proceeding. She reclined on the office sofa, kicked off her shoes, and joined Xu Yang in watching the latest news.

Two trends were topping social media.

#WithoutKyotoInfinityThereIsNoGachaGames#

#HowCanADumbFoxRunACompanyWell?#

The related articles all supported Kyoto Infinity. He checked the comments below, which were mostly positive, and learned that many people were preparing to donate to Kyoto Infinity to help it overcome its difficulties upon hearing about its plight.

Kyoto Infinity’s PR department had done a good job, Xu Yang thought to himself. They had successfully revitalized the international discourse and it was thanks to Kyoto Infinity’s vast cultural influence that it had garnered so much support over time. If Kyoto Infinity went bankrupt, the global anime and gaming industries could be set back 20 years—nobody wanted to see that happen.

"Kyoto Infinity has become a regular major company," Du Qianqian said.

"Which means the Northern Archipelago has returned to an era of chaotic growth among companies," Xu Yang said, "After the split, the other major but silenced companies will also rise up, standing parallel to Kyoto Infinity, achieving a multi-stronghold pattern, and of course, Xisheng’s influence and control can’t be missed."

"Does that benefit us?"

"Without their monopoly and tyranny over the whole industry in the Northern Archipelago, it’s easier for us to operate," Xu Yang thought, "In the past, Kyoto Infinity could use its military to monopolize and intimidate everyone, not anymore. We’re back to an era where companies compete to provide quality services, somewhat similar to the early concept of the Corporate Alliance."

"What did they do then?"

"They dissolved the organizational form of ’nation-states’ and declared that laws, prisons, and armies should be supplied by specialized corporations, and that lawyers and courts could be produced just like any other labor product."

"So being rich really is great."

"But it’s too unfair for those without money. Due to this form of distribution, assets and high-quality services increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few." Xu Yang showed Du Qianqian the satellite phone, "Those who are attacking us have intricate ties with Xisheng, and it goes without saying, Xisheng must have paid them a lot of money."

Curled up on the couch, Du Qianqian watched Xu Yang with a serious demeanor, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.

How wonderful.

To watch her own purchased Kyoto Infinity collapse from the combined efforts and end a century of control over the Northern Archipelago, falling out of the ranks of the giant corporations.

Finally, she wouldn’t have to worry about being captured by Kyoto Infinity and could start to enjoy the life of a normal person. Du Qianqian couldn’t take her eyes off Xu Yang, filled with great admiration. Under his influence, everything had changed, and even Farosa began to take care of children, becoming as kind as a miracle.

To live safely like ordinary people, to find one’s own happy life... Du Qianqian thought to herself. Such an opportunity was once out of reach but now lay practically before her.

Therefore, she couldn’t let it slip through her fingers; she had to protect this hard-earned tranquil environment.

"Is this what we’re using next?" Du Qianqian asked, sitting on the table, "What should I say?"

"We need to think deeply," said Xu Yang, "the discrepancy in intelligence is very clear. This phone doesn’t store data, so we have no idea what Xisheng and Mack talked about before. Thus, we need to draw out some basic logic first, such as who Mack is really working for and what the objective is."

"I see," nodded Du Qianqian, "it’s about understanding the origins."

"Right, the core of this communication is to maintain the disguise, create an image, and convince the other side that you are the real Mack. This will be conducive to our subsequent work."

He and Du Qianqian planned together, devising hundreds of lines of dialogue to cover any possible scenario that might arise.

Du Qianqian also committed to memory hundreds of possible situations that could occur.

"I’m ready," she said, "right now, I can maintain the transformation for about 3 minutes."

"This phone uses Xisheng’s satellite communication service. Once connected, we can’t make excuses about bad signals," Xu Yang noted. "Make good use of this opportunity to figure out who Mack is working for and what he is supposed to do."

Du Qianqian calmed herself, believing she was one of the most talented witches, having faced more storms and understanding everything.

She silently recited Mack’s real name, transforming once more into his visage, and stepped onto the table.

She was Mack, a creature fond of playing tricks, duping mortals. Du Qianqian kept reinforcing this concept, strengthening her sense of empathy.

Then she pressed the communication button, initiating contact with the only name on the list.

Yanagawa Fumihiko sat in a pitch-dark chamber, his mind as still as water, with his katana and wakizashi placed before him. Several advanced ocular drones whirled around his body, constantly scanning and checking his highly modified physique, comparing every part with the data in Xisheng’s database, looking for opportunities for further upgrades.

He was Lady Honma Noriko’s personal blade, and he could not allow her to fall victim to assassination. Too many sudden incidents occurred in this world, and Yanagawa Fumihiko could not afford to be complacent.

The incoming call from Mack was routed directly into the information module embedded in Yanagawa Fumihiko’s head, and he connected mentally.

"Greetings, honorable Mack," Yanagawa Fumihiko greeted.

His voice was electronic, easy to distinguish. Xu Yang was listening in and immediately understood it was Yanagawa Fumihiko. He covertly cued Du Qianqian, who intuitively understood and began to follow the predetermined script.

"I am now in Shijin Mansion. Do you know what this means?" Du Qianqian said with a tone of disdain.

"Of course. You have arrived at the heart of the New World Mechanism, by the side of the Ancient Witch. Is this the ’feast’ you mentioned? Are you planning to kill her?"

"You understand a part, but not the whole. Food can be other than food. Killing can be entirely different from killing. Even the actions taken can be different from the actions themselves."

"Your wise words fill me with admiration," he replied.

"You still remember that ’thing’ I told you about, right?"

"Of course, I haven’t forgotten. You said you would help ensure Lady Honma Noriko’s safety, making sure she encounters no danger during the ritual. I am very grateful for this."

"Right, you have to outwit your opponents with intelligence. I will return at the right time. In the meantime, make sure you have ’that thing’ ready."

"Yes," Yanagawa Fumihiko immediately ordered premium, expensive cat food. As soon as Mack returned to Shangjing, he would provide it conscientiously to avoid angering the Mystic.