Chapter 138: Vacation
She wouldn’t exhaust herself to the point of vomiting blood, only to find herself in a coma while researching the portal. Yet the first thing she did upon waking up from that coma was to continue her research.
To be honest, Luo Shuangyue’s behavior was so much like that of the Magical Girls from the Magic Department that it made her seem more like a Magical Girl than they were, embodying an image of a selfless sage.
If it weren’t for everyone knowing she belonged to the organization Polar Night and that her salary came from them, people might have really thought that Luo Shuangyue was the next carefully cultivated successor of the Magic Department.
Hand in hand, they walked into the portal, and Luo Shuangyue discovered that the distance between the mother planet and the lunar base had been shortened to about five meters; they could reach the other side in just a few steps.
“It still doesn’t seem quite right,” she muttered softly.
Then her head was gently tapped by Xia Mo.
“We agreed that you would rest well these days and not think about anything else.”
“I can’t help it.”
In just a few words, the two had already exited the bizarre passage and returned to the mother planet.
The other exit of the portal was secured at the outskirts of the Magic Department, where a substantial gathering of machines was systematically feeding vast amounts of materials into the portal.
“Those boxes seem to contain the source magical power and remains of magical beasts?” Luo Shuangyue observed as a few large boxes emerged from the portal, speaking to herself with curiosity.
The materials of these boxes were quite different from ordinary ones, and Luo Shuangyue could sense the power belonging to the Magical Girls through them.
It was easy to guess what these boxes contained; the lunar base was currently lacking in everything except for various items related to magical beasts.
Every attack allowed the Magical Girls to obtain plenty of valuable items from the invading magical beasts, and due to the sheer quantity and size, many times they could only take the source magical power, leaving the remains behind to evaporate on their own.
A large accumulation of magical beast remains in one place could easily turn that area into a hatching ground for magical beasts, but the Magical Girls simply had no spare time to deal with that magical energy.
The attacking cosmic beasts were already numerous enough; they had no magical power left to purify those breeding grounds.
“Better to let those places hatch the magical beasts and then eradicate them directly, that’s what the seniors say,” Xia Mo said, raising her hands in a gesture of resignation, mimicking the tone of the senior leading their team.
When magical beasts are born, they absorb the magical energy within the breeding ground to enhance their own power; from another perspective, this could also be seen as a way of purifying that polluted place, right?
On the mother planet, the Magical Girls couldn’t afford to adopt such a laissez-faire approach, as these things left unchecked could threaten the safety of ordinary people at any moment.
But in the starry sky, things become different; you can let them hatch, but if they don’t produce royal-class magical beasts, then they are of no use.
And the breeding grounds created from magical beast corpses could only hatch beasts of the same rank as those that died before; it was impossible to produce royal-class magical beasts.
“The number of transformed people at headquarters is also increasing…” Luo Shuangyue glanced at the scene around her and saw many transformed young women in uniforms.
They were using powers that were entirely unhuman to move various items, each one resembling a superhero.
With the assistance of these humanoid mechanical beings, everything here appeared extraordinarily quick and orderly.
But thinking about how these beautiful girls had all once been rigorously trained warriors, Luo Shuangyue wanted to retort.
She originally thought she was the only pitiful person in this world who needed to adapt to a change in identity; now, she suddenly realized her uniqueness seemed to blend into the crowd.
When you are the only person in the world with a female body and a male heart, you feel confused and lost.
Yet when you look around and find everyone this way, Luo Shuangyue felt like she wasn’t as tangled anymore.
“There are many people similar to you here,” Xia Mo said, shooting a quiet glance at Luo Shuangyue.
These past few days, she had also heard some rumors and understood the situation of the transformed individuals working hard in front of them.
Cough, putting everything aside, Monise’s transformation surgery was indeed very successful, not only in terms of safety but also in the appearance of the transformed individuals.
Just look at those previous transformed people; each of them looked like fierce, inhuman monsters. Didn’t they appear to be seen as bad guys at first glance?
And the transformed individuals that Monise had worked on now looked like super beautiful girls, hardly different from the Magical Girls before transformation.
Just in terms of publicity, Monise’s technical strength was maxed out.
It could even be promoted as cosmetic surgery.
“Cough, don’t say that, I’m starting to feel a little funny inside,” Luo Shuangyue muttered, hugging her arms and curling in a bit.
“Ha, shouldn’t you be happy? After all, now there are countless people who share common topics with you,” Xia Mo couldn’t help but giggle, then pinched Luo Shuangyue’s palm while whispering in her ear, “I heard there’s going to be an exchange meeting tomorrow specifically to address psychological issues for these transformed individuals. Do you want to sneak in and take a look?”
Luo Shuangyue was taken aback, and then displayed an expression of disbelief.
How do you know this, Xia Mo?
Also, aren’t we the two Magical Girls unsuitable for sneaking into such places?
“Don’t look at me, the seniors sent me all the activities that were applied for here at headquarters over the past three days, letting me find interesting ones to take you along to play,” Xia Mo shrugged, indicating just how much the seniors at the headquarters cared for Luo Shuangyue, pampering her as if she were their own daughter.
“And there will be Magical Girls who specialize in psychological counseling at the meeting as well. There’s no high threshold for participation; as long as you want to go, you can.”
Xia Mo thought Luo Shuangyue would probably like this exchange meeting; after all, where else could they find people who have had similar experiences to Luo Shuangyue?
…Well, it couldn’t be said that way; the Magic Department seemed to want to widely implement this transformation surgery, so in the future, there should be more and more people who can share things in common with Luo Shuangyue.
“However, I’m still a bit worried about the differences between transformed people and ordinary people. Really allowing this technology to spread, won’t there be problems?”
Smack!
A hand lightly landed again on Luo Shuangyue’s head, interrupting her idle thoughts.
“Don’t think about these things. For the next few days, you are only allowed to think about happy things; if you can’t do that, then just think of me. Do you understand?” Xia Mo glared at Luo Shuangyue, angrily ordering her.
“I can’t even think about random things…” Luo Shuangyue cried, at a loss; she really wasn’t considering it that far ahead, and her earlier mutterings were merely casual brainstorming.
If everyone turned into transformed people, wouldn’t the mother planet directly become a country of daughters?
Could transformed individuals give birth to normal offspring? Could those offspring become Magical Girls?
These are all worth pondering questions!
“Xia Mo, think about it; the transformed individuals Monise is creating now are all girls. Moreover, judging by the way things are going, future transformation technologies will also continue to follow this path. Then, won’t the entire world eventually only consist of girls?”
Luo Shuangyue spread her arms wide, gesturing dramatically.
A world full of girls!
“So what?” Xia Mo asked, confused by what the issue was.
In fact, after the appearance of magical beasts and Magical Girls, the gender ratio in the world has gradually begun to become imbalanced.
From an almost even birth ratio in the beginning to a current imbalance of roughly one boy to two girls.
This world was already slowly turning in the direction of becoming a country of daughters.
“Magical power favors girls more; if you want to survive in this present world, there aren’t many choices,” Xia Mo said helplessly, spreading her hands as she spoke.
Magical Girls are only born among girls, and currently, the most powerful combat force humans possess is the Magical Girls.
So having more girls is better than having more boys; after all, boys cannot become Magical Girls, while girls can.
As for the issue of offspring, that’s not much of a problem; the gender ratio hasn’t yet become too imbalanced, and by the time it does become a problem, I suspect the Magic Department will have found solutions.
“Trust in the power of magic!”
“Will there really be someone researching such magic?” Luo Shuangyue expressed some doubt.
“Of course, there will be. Perhaps in places we don’t know about, this kind of magic has already begun to be tested secretly?”
“That seems highly unlikely…”
…
Achoo!
Cecilia suddenly sneezed.
“Was that on purpose?” Before Cecilia could sneeze again, Monise swiftly raised the documents in her hand to shield herself from the splattering droplets.
Then she glared, questioning her sternly.
How could a Blooming Level Magical Girl sneeze without reason? This must have been Cecilia’s intention to annoy her!
Moreover, the question she had called her in for was quite absurd: what does it mean for transformed people to still count as humans? Do they even have the physiological functions that humans should have?
“There must be someone speaking ill of me behind my back.” Cecilia pulled out a tissue from nearby and wiped the corner of her mouth, her expression remaining calm. “I’ve been quite unpopular recently.”
No matter how the slots for transformed people were allocated, all parties had opinions. Those with simpler thoughts would harshly criticize her, the deputy minister in charge of practical matters.
Her position was like that; dealing with numerous tasks but gaining little benefit. It was no wonder that those guys had initially hesitated and finally decided on her as the scapegoat through rock-paper-scissors.
“So, the questions you asked me…”
“Just the literal meaning. I want to know if transformed people are still considered human and if they are still the same species as humans,” Cecilia asked, crossing her hands and resting her chin on her knuckles, looking completely serious.
“I can’t give you an answer just like that. I can only tell you that the previous transformed people were more like magical beasts, while the current ones resemble weakened versions of Magical Girls.” Monise shrugged; she had just developed this technology, so how could she answer such questions?
From her perspective, as long as transformed individuals recognize themselves as human and aren’t influenced by magical energy that affects their consciousness, they could be considered perfect transformed individuals; as for other questions, she hadn’t thought deeply about them.
Transformed individuals are warriors who fight on the battlefield against magical beasts, not housewives staying at home.
“Magical Girls are humans too; they can have children.”
“Are you asking if transformed people can have children with humans?” Monise finally understood the meaning behind Cecilia’s inquiries but still couldn’t grasp her reasons for asking.
With a great enemy approaching, why was she contemplating such abstract matters?
“Can’t you be serious for once?”
“This is a very serious question!” Cecilia slammed her hand on the table. “According to estimates from the Magic Department, the entire world will face an imbalance in gender ratio in the not-so-distant future. What should we do then?”
If transformed individuals lack those physiological functions, then the transformations would essentially be exhausting humanity’s future potential.
To put it bluntly, humanity was already balancing on a tightrope; the fertility rate had already been declining year by year.
“Well, if you ask me, I don’t know either. All I can tell you is that theoretically, the current transformed individuals possess all the capabilities of humans; they are man-made, weakened versions of Magical Girls, not the previous man-made magical beasts.”
Monise retorted equally sharply, stating firmly that merely discussing this issue was futile; in order to know the answer, experiments would need to be conducted.
“Find a few willing transformed individuals and let them give it a try; you could get results in a few months.”
“But that would hardly be enough; actually, I have a project I’ve been conducting secretly that might change the current situation.” Finally, Cecilia reached the endpoint of her unofficial investigation and expressed her true intention in coming to find Monise.
She wanted Monise, an experienced Magical Girl in terms of transformed individuals, to join the Magic Department’s secret research currently underway.
Monise was not just a Blooming Level Magical Girl; she was also an intelligent technical expert who thoroughly understood the human body. With her joining, the Magic Department’s secret research would undoubtedly progress rapidly.
“Oh?” Monise’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she leaned back, eager to listen.
What kind of secret plan could be so important that Cecilia spoke of it in such a mysterious manner?
“We are trying to create magic, a magic that can produce love crystals between Magical Girls,” Cecilia said, her face slightly reddening, as if she knew this would sound a bit embarrassing.
“You guys actually have time to research this?” Monise was shocked. Was the Magic Department so rich in resources they had nothing better to spend their time on than this meaningless endeavor?
“This is crucial research for the future of humanity, far more important than your so-called transformed individuals!”
Cecilia’s expression was serious; this time she honestly believed her research was more important than what Monise was working on.
The offspring of Magical Girls had a high probability of becoming Magical Girls themselves, and the descendants of two Magical Girls would surely have an extremely high probability of becoming Magical Girls, wouldn’t they?
If there really was a way to allow Magical Girls to bear offspring, then humanity’s future would have real hope, right?
“But it’s astonishing that such a naive and innocent group of people would propose this kind of research.”
Monise didn’t deny the significance of this research. If the project yielded results, its impact on humanity could be just as significant as her research on transformed individuals.
What surprised her was that this matter was being promoted by the Magic Department, a group of individuals who would abandon everything for appearances; how could they secretly engage in such work?
“The Magical Girls have demands, and we naturally ought to meet those, right?” Cecilia replied calmly.
There are plenty of Magical Girls who develop super friendship, and of course, these Magical Girls will want to share a love crystal with their soulmates, so progressing with this research isn’t difficult at all.
It’s even simple to find volunteers willing to collaborate on the study.
“So what do you think?”
“Heh, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my research on transformed individuals, an extra project is just fine.”
…
“Ah?!”
Letting out an adorable surprised sound, Luo Shuangyue instinctively covered her not-so-well-developed chest when she noticed Xia Mo pushing the door open and entering while she was taking a shower, casting a mixed expression of embarrassment and confusion.
Why did she push the door open while she was showering?!
Could it be that she was taking too long in the shower, and Xia Mo couldn’t wait anymore?
But after calculating the time, Luo Shuangyue realized it had only been a few minutes since she entered, and she hadn’t even completed the first few steps of her shower routine. No matter how anxious Xia Mo was, it was impossible for her to be in such a hurry.
Looking at the towel already wrapped around Xia Mo, Luo Shuangyue felt that Xia Mo probably had other ideas in mind.
She wasn’t trying to avoid Luo Shuangyue finishing her shower; her target was none other than Luo Shuangyue herself.
“What’s wrong? Am I not welcome?” Xia Mo tilted her head, revealing a naughty smile. “We haven’t had a moment like this for a long, long time.”
Ever since they took off into the sky, their daily interactions had been reduced to sharing a bed every night.
And sleeping in the same bed didn’t mean much; Luo Shuangyue didn’t have any intention of taking advantage of Xia Mo while she was asleep.
Though they slept in the same blanket, their relationship hadn’t developed much, and compared to the present situation where they were almost openly honest, this current scenario felt far more overwhelming.
As Xia Mo casually loosened the towel wrapped around her body, that sense of overwhelmingness reached its peak.
Luo Shuangyue’s face turned crimson as she glared at Xia Mo, wanting to look away, but even after doing so, her gaze couldn’t help but drift back to Xia Mo, as if there was a magnet on Xia Mo drawing her eyes in, like iron to metal.
“Don’t be so shy; we are lovers, after all. Just look openly; it’s your privilege,” Xia Mo said, stepping closer to Luo Shuangyue as they bathed in the warm curtain of water together.
Luo Shuangyue’s face grew even redder, realizing how flushed she must be.
At this close distance, she could clearly smell Xia Mo’s light fragrance and coupled with the somewhat titillating scene before her, Luo Shuangyue felt like she had turned into a butterfly caught in a spider’s web, helplessly ensnared by Xia Mo’s trap.
From any angle, Xia Mo appeared simply perfect, perfect enough that she didn’t want to share her with anyone else.
“Shuangyue, these days you can rest well. Tell me, shouldn’t we do something?” Xia Mo winked at Luo Shuangyue, her eyes seemingly carrying a hint of seduction.
“You’re making it hard for me to resist.” Luo Shuangyue lowered her head, her breathing becoming gradually heavier.
If Xia Mo kept this up, she would truly turn into a demon!
But that was exactly Xia Mo’s intention; she had come here to catch Luo Shuangyue in her bath time, and it couldn’t just be about teasing her, could it?
So, “If you can’t resist, then don’t.”
That one sentence completely shattered Luo Shuangyue’s rational defenses. Since Xia Mo had put it that way, wasn’t it alright to do a little something?
It felt almost like a haze, and Luo Shuangyue realized her lips had come into contact with something warm and soft. Somewhere along the way, the distance between her and Xia Mo had shrunk to nearly zero.
This sensation was sweeter and more unforgettable than any before.
Luo Shuangyue slightly lost her senses; when she regained her awareness, she found herself sitting in the bathtub, sharing a bath with Xia Mo.
Glancing down at her reflection in the water, Luo Shuangyue saw a cute little face as red as a ripened apple, even her silver-white eyes were tinged with a soft blush.
Sitting opposite her, Xia Mo’s face was also flushed, but to a lesser degree; after all, she was the one who had initiated the provocation, so she knew what to expect from how things would develop.
To be more precise, what Luo Shuangyue had done was probably what Xia Mo had eagerly hoped she would do.
Although Luo Shuangyue had been the one to take the initiative just now, fundamentally speaking, it was still Xia Mo who was in control of the situation, leading Luo Shuangyue step by step into the trap of beauty.
Yes, it was Xia Mo who had been seducing me; it definitely wasn’t me losing my sense of judgment!
“Shuangyue, I didn’t expect you to be quite skilled; have you been practicing secretly?”
Xia Mo’s delicate white toes gently scratched against Luo Shuangyue’s curled-up calves, reigniting the flickering flames of passion that had just cooled in Luo Shuangyue’s heart.
No! I must stay calm; I can’t be entranced! Luo Shuangyue hurriedly reminded herself internally.
What she just did was already quite excessive; if Xia Mo successfully seduced her again, wouldn’t that mean she truly became a lustful demon?!
I, Luo Shuangyue, am not such a person, so I must endure!
“But are you satisfied this way, Shuangyue? Don’t you want to try some new things, some naughty things only couples can do?” Xia Mo extended both her hands, placing her thumbs together. “I know you aren’t quite ready for deeper steps, but isn’t this level something we’re already used to?”
…
Ah! I’ve been seduced again!
When Luo Shuangyue woke up from the big bed the next day, her head felt like it would explode.
Too much had happened yesterday! God knows where Xia Mo came up with so many fiery methods. Each little tease left Luo Shuangyue with no capacity to resist.
In the end, Luo Shuangyue had even entered sage mode, while Xia Mo continued switching up the ways to seduce her.
Looking down at the red marks near her shoulder blade, Luo Shuangyue cupped her head, releasing a melodramatic wail.
She had been completely overwhelmed by Xia Mo!
While she had also left several marks on Xia Mo, it was… clear that she had been toyed with.
“Ha… it’s been a while since I had such a good dream.” It seemed Luo Shuangyue’s movements had awakened Xia Mo, who rubbed her eyes and sighed softly.
That sound swept across Luo Shuangyue’s heart like a feather, causing her to reminisce about the events of the previous night.
Wow, is she still trying to seduce me?!
How shameless of you, Xia Mo!
“Mm…” Sitting up from the bed, Xia Mo, wearing a black translucent nightgown, stretched herself, showcasing her youthful figure in that moment.
Luo Shuangyue seriously suspected that Xia Mo had specially prepared this dress for yesterday; she had never seen Xia Mo wear something like this before.
Yesterday was the first time she had seen Xia Mo in such attire!
Although the texture felt nice, Luo Shuangyue still sensed that this nightgown was just a bit too… capable of making one blush.
“Why are you still looking at me? Want to continue last night’s little battle? I can accompany you,” Xia Mo said, noticing the intense gaze directed at her from beside her, chuckling mischievously.
“No, I have things to do today,” Luo Shuangyue quickly turned, wanting to get off the bed to wash up.
If she stayed here any longer, she would inevitably fall into Xia Mo’s trap again.
But Xia Mo wouldn’t let her adorable little prey escape that easily. Before Luo Shuangyue could stand up, she reached out and pulled Luo Shuangyue into her arms, pressing her chest against Luo Shuangyue’s back.
“The exchange meeting starts at ten and doesn’t end until this evening; it’s only eight now. We have plenty of time,” Xia Mo’s fingers gently traced circles on Luo Shuangyue’s chest, making her blush deepen even further.
The nightgown Xia Mo wore was so thin that it could almost transfer body heat, and Luo Shuangyue’s own attire was just as lacy.
The two were essentially wearing a couple’s ensemble of black and white.
So being teased in this manner, how could Luo Shuangyue maintain her sanity?
However, this time she didn’t initiate an attack on Xia Mo; instead, she covered her face, struggling to suppress her urge to flee.
“Xia Mo, please don’t do this…” she protested softly.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like this?” Xia Mo continued to draw circles on the white canvas.
The warmth from her fingertips seeped through the thin material onto Luo Shuangyue’s skin, making her body heat rise even further.
If Xia Mo’s touch were landing on a less significant part, Luo Shuangyue might not have reacted so strongly; but now, Xia Mo was touching one of the most important areas for a girl.
Even though Luo Shuangyue used to be a boy, she now understood which parts were significant and should not be touched by outsiders.
Xia Mo’s fingertips were currently dancing in that forbidden territory, and Luo Shuangyue couldn’t voice any objections.
Because in this world, apart from herself, only Xia Mo had the right to dance upon that ground.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore; we should change clothes now.” Just as Luo Shuangyue’s sanity was about to be shattered by shyness, Xia Mo laughed and released her.
That empty, unresolved feeling left Luo Shuangyue a bit uncomfortable; she actually wished that Xia Mo’s actions would last a bit longer, directly breaking her mental barriers, so she could gather her wits again.
But the current situation was tough; she couldn’t ask Xia Mo to continue teasing her, could she?
That would make her seem shameless.
To this day, Luo Shuangyue still retained some thoughts unique to ‘him’, which left her on the losing end in the emotional skirmishes with Xia Mo.
“Today, you’ll wear a new outfit; are you ready?” Xia Mo cheerfully announced as she got off the bed, then seemingly remembering something, turned to Luo Shuangyue.
“Eh? I already have…”
“A new dress, specially prepared for today just for you.” Xia Mo interrupted Luo Shuangyue, her meaning clear: today she was required to wear the clothes that she had prepared.
No room for negotiation!
Faced with such a demand, Luo Shuangyue felt a bit conflicted but didn’t resist too strongly.
She understood Xia Mo’s character; while this girl might do strange things to her in private, once they were out, she was still very trustworthy.
And she would never let Luo Shuangyue humiliate herself in front of a crowd.
To put it in Xia Mo’s words: “The most adorable side of you can only be seen by me.”
This possessiveness was frustrating but at the same time reassuring.
After taking some time to wash up, using her transformation to erase the embarrassing marks on her body, Luo Shuangyue returned to the bedroom.
At that point, Xia Mo had also pulled out a little black dress designed specifically for Luo Shuangyue. This wasn’t something hastily tailored for her; it was a gift given a while ago that Luo Shuangyue had yet to wear.
“Black, huh? It looks pretty good,” Luo Shuangyue said, a joyful expression on her face as she glanced at the beautiful black dress in Xia Mo’s hands.
She knew that Xia Mo would never allow her to wear anything androgynous when going out, so seeing that the dress was of a more conservative style brought her a sense of satisfaction.
As long as it wasn’t a short skirt, she had no complaints!
“Of course. You must trust my taste,” Xia Mo replied with a hint of pride, then patted the seat beside her, indicating for Luo Shuangyue to sit down.
Since they were going out, this dress was not only stylish but also had minimal hindrance to movement, making it quite convenient. Xia Mo quickly dressed Luo Shuangyue in it.
Then, under Luo Shuangyue’s somewhat helpless gaze, Xia Mo brought the nightgown still warmed by the body of the girl close to her nose and took a light whiff.
“So delicious~”
“Ugh, that’s so creepy!” Luo Shuangyue couldn’t help but hug her arms, feeling like Xia Mo was wandering further down a strange path.
“If you want to smell me, you can come take a whiff too.”
“Who would want to?!”
