The three arrived at the old residential area.
The scene before them was almost identical to when Li Huayu had left earlier.
Workers gathered in small groups, vendors called out, and children ran about.
The roasted sweet potato vendor was still in the same spot, turning the potatoes on the stove.
The group of older children who had been fighting over toys were still huddled together, repeating a loop of grabbing, shoving, and nearly coming to blows.
The little girl sitting on the discarded bricks, humming a tune, continued her tuneless melody while drawing the same circles.
If it were a first-time visit, everything would seem perfectly normal.
Only the group of young women smoking nearby, with a small pile of cigarette butts accumulated on the ground, proved that something was wrong.
When Chen stepped forward to ask a man crouching by the roadside about the Xinlong Electronics Factory Dormitory, he looked up with a smile.
“Oh, Xinlong? Go straight, cross that empty lot up ahead, and it’s behind the third building on the right. Those four-story buildings are all their dorms.”
These people seemed capable of normal communication, but as long as no one initiated a conversation with them, they remained immersed in their repetitive behavioral patterns.
Li Huayu was somewhat startled and carefully tugged at Luo Tianyou’s sleeve.
She told Luo Tianyou everything she had discovered.
Luo Tianyou nodded gently.
As soon as she arrived, she could feel an unsettling aura that made the magic throughout her body feel very uncomfortable.
Furthermore, Chen showed no signs of being affected, so why had the driver been influenced and controlled in such a short amount of time?
She had the communicator given to her by Sister Xiaoyuan, so she could try to see exactly what was happening here.
Chen originally intended to say goodbye to Luo Tianyou and Li Huayu, but Luo Tianyou mentioned that since Chen’s daughter wanted to be a magical girl, it might be better to let her take a look; perhaps she could offer some advice.
Consequently, they all stayed together.
This made Chen exceptionally expectant, as the advice of an active magical girl was incredibly valuable.
Soon, they reached their destination.
A cluster of four-story buildings appeared before them.
Vines climbed the side walls, and a sign hung by the entrance that read “Xinlong Electronics Factory Dormitory.”
A smile appeared on Chen’s face as she took out her phone.
“I’ll call my daughter and have her come down.”
The call was connected quickly.
“Hello? Xiaoyu, Mom is here. I’m right downstairs at your dorm… You’re still packing in the room? Didn’t we agree you’d wait downstairs? …Oh, too many things… Fine, fine, Mom will come up to help you. Which floor and room number? …302? Okay, Mom’s coming up now.”
Hanging up the phone, Chen smiled at Luo Tianyou and Li Huayu.
“This child says she hasn’t finished packing yet and wants me to go up and help. It’s room 302. I’m sorry to trouble you both with this trip. Why don’t you wait for me downstairs? I’ll go up, help her bring the things down, and then we’ll leave.”
Luo Tianyou pondered for a moment before saying, “Chen, we’ll go up with you. With more people, the packing will go faster.”
“Then how can I trouble you further…”
Chen waved her hands repeatedly.
“It’s no trouble. Let’s go.”
The interior of the dormitory building had poor lighting and was quite dim.
It was a twenty-year-old building, and the regulations and notices posted on the walls had long since faded.
They followed the stairs up to the third floor.
The corridor was long, lined with closed doors on both sides.
It was very quiet, as if no one else was in their rooms.
Finding room 302, Chen knocked on the door.
“Xiaoyu? Mom is here.”
A young girl’s clear voice responded from inside, “Coming, coming!”
Then came the sound of footsteps and the unlocking of the door.
The door opened.
A girl with a ponytail, a delicate face, and wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans stood behind the door with a smile.
“Mom! You got here so fast!”
She looked completely normal, her eyes were clear, and her movements were natural—only her face was perhaps a bit too flushed.
“This is the magical girl Luo Tianyou, and this is Li Huayu, who is about your age. They accompanied me here,” Chen introduced.
“Thank you,” Chen Xiaoyu greeted them politely without much further expression, stepping aside to let them in.
“I’m almost done packing, it’s just that there’s quite a lot…”
The three entered the room.
It was a standard four-person dormitory with two sets of bunk beds.
Currently, only Chen Xiaoyu’s luggage was spread out on the lower bunk and the desk.
There were indeed many clothes, books, and small items.
The dorm also contained items belonging to other girls; she didn’t live alone, and they all seemed to be young women given the many cosmetics present, but no one else was there.
Soon, the packing was nearly finished, filling the large woven bags Chen had brought.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Chen Xiaoyu put on her backpack, looking somewhat impatient.
Luo Tianyou took another look at Chen Xiaoyu.
She vaguely felt something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
As they walked back along the corridor and passed a public restroom near the stairwell, a muffled, intermittent sobbing suddenly came from inside, sounding like someone was trying their best to hold back tears.
The sound was exceptionally eerie in the silent, dim corridor.
Chen and Chen Xiaoyu stopped in their tracks, their faces showing looks of uncertainty and alarm.
The sobbing sounded again, clearer this time, making one’s skin crawl.
Chen was frightened now, clutching Chen Xiaoyu’s hand, at a loss for what to do.
Li Huayu’s heart immediately raced. She had to do something!
She had to check the situation! Otherwise, Tianyou would definitely take the initiative…
“Stay back a bit. I’ll go take a look.”
Luo Tianyou stopped Li Huayu.
Li Huayu opened her mouth, wanting to say “I’ll go with you,” but meeting Luo Tianyou’s gaze, she swallowed her words.
Tianyou was a magical girl and knew better than her how to deal with unknown dangers.
If she rushed in, she might just cause trouble.
“Tianyou, be careful,” Li Huayu could only whisper.
Luo Tianyou nodded and entered the restroom.
She didn’t push any doors open immediately but listened carefully.
It was the innermost stall.
The sobbing continued intermittently, but there seemed to be no other movement inside.
Walking to that stall door, she raised her hand and knocked on the panel, keeping her voice as steady as possible.
“Is someone in there? Do you need help?”
The sobbing stopped abruptly.
After a few seconds of deathly silence, the stall door was slowly pulled open from the inside.
Appearing before Luo Tianyou was the person she least wanted to see at this moment.
Yuexia Liuli.
Standing at the door, weeping.
“Yuexia Liuli, what kind of trick are you trying to play now?”
Luo Tianyou’s voice was cold.
She wanted to turn around and leave, but she forced herself to stay.
Yuexia Liuli was a bad dog, but not a stupid one.
Appearing in this way at this time couldn’t just be for amusement.
There had to be something important she needed to say.
Yuexia Liuli didn’t answer immediately.
Her finger traced a Moonlight Rune in the air, which rapidly expanded into a miniature barrier that enveloped them both, blocking sound and prying eyes.
“Luo Tianyou, listen to me. From the moment you stepped into this neighborhood, your senses were deceived. This environment is shrouded in a Cognitive Distortion Barrier. It has tampered with your vision, hearing, and even some of your common sense, making you treat the abnormal as normal and ignore danger. I haven’t fully analyzed the principles yet, but it is certainly related to the remnants of Kyriel and some form of more ancient and evil Ritual Magic.”
Fake?
Luo Tianyou was startled.
Her mind finally realized what had felt off about Chen Xiaoyu’s room—the mirrors! There were no mirrors!
How could a dormitory full of young women have no mirrors?
The desks were piled with cosmetics, yet even in Chen Xiaoyu’s luggage, there wasn’t a single mirror!
“I intentionally faked the crying to lure you in alone because I couldn’t act or speak the truth directly outside. This barrier is extremely sensitive. Once there is any behavior or speech that doesn’t fit the disguise, it might immediately trigger a defense mechanism, causing an uncontrollable catastrophe. I could only use a method that fit the scene to create an opportunity for a private conversation.”
Yuexia Liuli’s golden eyes looked at Luo Tianyou as she spoke softly.
“Secondly, I came to apologize. Regarding what happened before, whether it was a loss of control or not, it was my fault. I hurt you. I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me immediately, but I will prove it through my actions.”
Luo Tianyou remained silent for a few seconds.
“There is one more thing, Luo Tianyou. You must take Li Huayu and leave immediately. She has been deeply infected. The longer she stays here, the faster she will be assimilated and eroded. She might not last an hour before her spirit is completely swallowed, becoming a part of this place, never to be saved again.”
“When that happens, Li Huayu will die.”