20demayo Chapter 42 Cinderella
Chapter 42 Cinderella
The Main God Space, Day Ten.
In the exclusive training ground where time flows at a hundred times the normal speed, the concept of time is stretched and distorted. One day outside is equivalent to a hundred days inside. For the Central Continent Team, which has just undergone a transformative strengthening process, the intensity and severity of these hundred days of training far surpasses even some low-intensity horror movie worlds.
Chu Xuan preset the training ground into an extremely complex composite environment mode, seamlessly switching between jungles, urban ruins, ice fields, deserts, deep seas, and even low-gravity asteroid belts, simulating any possible combat scenario. The types of virtual enemies range from zombies and aliens to high-tech mechs, elemental life forms, and even spirits with simple rule-based abilities, appearing in endless succession, their strength precisely controlled at the critical point of life and death.
The core of the collaboration revolves around the "spiritual matrix" newly constructed by Wang Lin.
In the initial stages, chaos reigned. Establishing the matrix required all team members to voluntarily open parts of their mental defenses, accepting Wang Lin's mental imprint as "nodes." This posed a significant psychological challenge, especially for those accustomed to self-protection, particularly Zhan Lan and the assassin Zhao Yingkong. During their first attempt at team-wide connection, Zero's instinctive resistance to being "perceived" caused instability and information flow disruption, nearly resulting in Li Shuaixi and Ba Wang, who were practicing a coordinated attack, clashing with each other. Zhao Yingkong's stealth was almost impossible to conceal under the matrix's "shared vision," causing her extreme discomfort and even prompting her to consider leaving the connection.
"Resistance stems from distrust or fear of the unknown." Wang Lin's voice was calm yet carried an undeniable power during the first group debriefing. "But the Matrix isn't surveillance; it's an extension. It's about making my eyes your eyes, and your perceptions the team's perceptions. Zero, you don't need to expose your killing intent or aiming line; you only need to share environmental data and threat locations. Sakura, your stealth advantage won't disappear. The Matrix can help you mark the enemy's blind spots and even create false mental signals to mislead them. Trust this connection as you trust the knife in your hand."
He no longer relied solely on verbal persuasion, but instead used the Matrix to briefly share a sense of "empathy" with each team member—a fragment from the world of Ju-on, where he guided the will of the group to resonate and fight against Kayako with the paper of the contract; from Final Destination, where he felt the shared desire for "life" among the group as they faced death; and from Legend of the Condor Heroes, where they felt a close bond of mutual reliance and indispensability when facing Imhotep.
Emotional resonance is more powerful than any logic. Conflicting emotions quietly dissolve in empathy.
The subsequent adjustments went smoothly. Chu Xuan became the "tactical core processor" of the matrix. Wang Lin, after initial screening and synchronization of the massive information stream captured by the matrix from all team members and environmental scans, directed it all to Chu Xuan's A-level enhanced "quantum brain." Chu Xuan, like a supercomputer, instantly processed the massive amounts of data, constructed dynamic tactical models, deduced optimal solutions, and then instantly distributed clear, concise, and sometimes even millisecond- and angle-precise action instructions to the consciousness of every relevant team member through the matrix.
Zheng Zha's assault trajectory, Zero's sniping timing, Overlord's firepower coverage, Li Shuaixi and Zhao Yingkong's flanking positions, Ming Yanwei's elemental arrow landing points, Zhan Lan's mental barrier deployment timing and range... everything was incorporated into a vast and precise tactical system. Team combat had evolved from the previous "perfect coordination" to a terrifying level of near-synchronous thinking.
Wang Lin himself was also frantically squeezing out his newly acquired power. His [Mental Lash] skill, initially only able to condense a blurry phantom, had been honed to the point where it could simultaneously split into several solid, steel-cable-like whip shadows, accompanied by intense mental shocks, precisely striking the mental nodes or energy hubs of virtual enemies. The release range, intensity, and duration of [Energy Imprisonment Field] had steadily improved under a hundred days of arduous training and the subtle enhancement of the "Tear of the Sun" gem, and were now effectively able to interfere with the stable release of energy skills below Rank B.
Most importantly, he explored the nascent form of the "Light of the Mind" and applied the "Energy Absorption and Transformation of the Body." That faint yet essential golden-white light, like a spiritual sun, constantly nurtured and purified his spiritual power, giving him an extremely vague and primal understanding of the rules related to "contract," "connection," and "balance." He attempted to add more complex "rules" to the spiritual matrix—for example, temporarily sharing "usage rights" to a certain skill (requiring the other party's consent), or constructing a small-scale, temporary "energy equilibrium field" to weaken attacks of specific attributes. Most of these attempts failed or had weak effects, but each failure deepened his understanding of his own power.
His energy absorption physique played a significant role in various extreme training environments. In simulated radiation zones, he could convert some of the radiation into a small amount of mental energy replenishment; in elemental attack storms, he could absorb the dissipated elemental energy and quickly restore his stamina. This gave his "fragile" support character a qualitative leap in sustained combat ability.
Chu Xuan's research on the Necronomicon and the Sunbook of Gold also made initial, yet chilling, progress. Using the [Eye of Truth] and knowledge of [High-Dimensional Energy Runes], he successfully "saw" the complex, galaxy-like internal structures of the two scriptures, containing contradictory yet subtly symbiotic rules. The Sunbook of Gold possessed a warm, orderly power, full of the direction of "creation" and "purification"; the Necronomicon, on the other hand, was cold, chaotic, and symbolized "end" and "domination." He confirmed Wang Lin's conjecture: the "Tear of the Sun" gem could indeed act as a "buffer" and "balancer" between the two, and might even be a fragment of a "universal key." He designed a rudimentary sealing device centered on the "Tear of the Sun," successfully reducing the ever-present deathly erosion emanating from the Necronomicon by 70%, allowing for safe short-term contact and research, but it was still far from safe for use.
A hundred days of arduous practice pass in the blink of an eye.
When the divine notification sounded again, the entire Central Continent team had just finished a high-intensity, multi-rule simulated battle. The virtual enemy was a complex legion combining technology, magic, and curses, but under the unified command of the mental matrix, it was methodically divided, disintegrated, and annihilated by the Central Continent team. Each person carried the fatigue left by training, but their eyes were sharp, their auras were focused, and an invisible, seamless understanding flowed between them.
[Enter the pillar of light within thirty seconds. Target locked. Cinderella (Dark Fairy Tale Twisted Version), teleportation initiation...]
"Cinderella? A twisted version of a dark fairy tale?" Zhan Lan was taken aback. This mission world seemed...not so "mainstream"?
Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, and behind the lenses, a data stream flashed through countless deductions about the original Cinderella fairy tale, various dark adaptations, and the possible drastic changes by the main god: "Fairy tale worlds usually appear beautiful on the surface, but conceal extreme distortion and malice within. The 'dark and distorted version' means that the warm core of the original fairy tale will be completely overturned, replaced by curses, betrayal, bloodshed, and rule-based horror. Note that these worlds often have extremely strong 'storytelling' and 'ritualistic' rules, and their behavioral logic may be completely different from common sense. Upon entering, the primary task is to analyze the world's underlying 'rules,' identify the plot distortion points, and locate the source of the threat. Wang Lin, keep the mental matrix operating with minimal concealment throughout, collecting environmental information and rule disturbances. Everyone, be vigilant against the 'beautiful appearance,' as it may be the most deadly trap."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, quickly checked their equipment, and stepped into the pillar of light.
This time, the teleportation felt different. There was no dizzying sensation of space tearing apart as before; instead, it felt like sinking into a bizarre, overly vibrant, and viscous dream. The air was filled with a nauseatingly sweet candy scent, the smell of stale wood, and a faint, almost imperceptible... smell of blood and rust.
When his vision cleared, Wang Lin found himself and his teammates standing on an eerily clean, cobblestone street in a small town. The houses on either side were brightly colored, like children's building blocks, with roofs in candy-like red, blue, and yellow. The windows were gleaming, and the windowsills were adorned with overly saturated, blooming flowers. The sun shone brightly, and the sky was an unreal, clear azure.
But it was too quiet. There were no birdsong, no insect chirping, no wind, and not even the distant bustle of the market. Only their own breathing and heartbeats sounded particularly jarring in this excessively bright and vivid silence.
The streets weren't deserted. A few townspeople strolled by. They wore clean but old-fashioned clothes, their faces bearing identical, standard smiles, their steps unhurried, like wind-up dolls. When their gaze swept over the Central Continent Team, their smiles remained unchanged, their eyes vacant, as if they saw only the roadside stones or trees.
"Welcome to Sweet Dream Town, guests from afar." A gentle, kind voice, yet with an inhumanly standard rhythm, rang out.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a middle-aged gentleman in a well-tailored tuxedo, with his hair neatly combed and a mustache, who had appeared at the street corner at some point. He was bowing slightly to them, and his smile was the same as that of the other townspeople. He wore an exquisite silver badge on his chest, engraved with a grinning crescent moon face.
"I am Lucas, the mayor of Sweet Dream Town. By order of the Fairy Godmother, I am here to welcome the distinguished guests attending His Highness the Prince's grand ball." Mayor Lucas's voice carried an exaggerated enthusiasm, almost theatrical. "Please follow me; the most comfortable rooms have been prepared for you. The ball will be held in the castle in three days. At that time, His Highness will personally choose his bride, the lucky girl who will wear the crystal shoes."
A prince? A ball? Glass slippers? A fairy godmother?
The classic fairy tale elements are all there, but combined with the eerie environment and the mayor's inhuman behavior, a chill runs down everyone's spine.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mayor." Chu Xuan stepped forward, his expression calm, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity, "I wonder if there are any... rules or requirements for attending the ball?"
"Rules?" Mayor Lucas's smile widened, revealing excessively white teeth. "Of course, distinguished guest. In Sweet Dream Town, the most important rule is—to always smile, to be kind, and to abide by all the beautiful principles set by the Fairy Godmother. Don't go out alone at night, don't go near the forest, don't ask about things you shouldn't know, especially..." His gaze seemed to intentionally or unintentionally sweep over the female members of the group (Zhan Lan, Zhao Yingkong, Ming Yanwei, and Evelyn, who was brought "temporarily"), "Don't have unwarranted fantasies about things that don't belong to you. You've all heard the story of Cinderella, haven't you? Heh, that's just... a less-than-successful example."
He paused, then added in a softer, yet more chilling tone, "Also, the Fairy Godmother prefers obedient, kind, and... punctual children. Guests who are late or try to avoid the ball will be severely punished. Please remember this."
After saying this, he bowed slightly again, turned around, and walked towards the depths of the town with steps so precise they were down to the centimeter, gesturing for everyone to follow.
"Mental scan blocked. The town is shrouded in a powerful mental field filled with 'sweetness' and 'order,' and my probe cannot penetrate it," Zhan Lan whispered in the mental matrix. Her face was pale, clearly indicating that the field was making her very uncomfortable.
"The environmental energy reading is abnormal. The positive energy concentration of the 'good' attribute is abnormally high, but deep within it is mixed extremely subtle, cold resentment and curse fluctuations." Chu Xuan shared the detector data through the matrix.
"Those townspeople... have no heartbeat, no body temperature, and their life magnetic field is weak and fixed, like puppets," Zero calmly added.
Wang Lin pushed the perception of the mental matrix to its limit and activated his psionic vision. In his "eyes," this seemingly fairytale-like town instantly transformed!
Behind the vibrant colors flowed viscous, pinkish threads of psychic energy, imbued with hypnotic and twisted meaning, like a giant spiderweb enveloping the entire town. The "townspeople" weren't entirely puppets; most of their souls had been extracted, leaving only empty shells forcibly injected with commands of "happiness" and "obedience," like marionettes controlled by those pink psychic threads. Dark red traces of energy, like dried blood, seeped from the cracks in the cobblestones beneath their feet. The seemingly magnificent and dreamlike castle in the distance, under psychic vision, was shrouded in a constantly rotating, dark vortex that devoured the surrounding "good" energy; deep within the vortex, a pair of enormous, cold, and evaluative "eyes" could be vaguely seen.
The forest on the edge of the town, however, exudes an intense, dark aura, thick enough to be impenetrable, filled with wildness, madness, and agonizing howls, fiercely clashing with the town's "beautiful" energy field, forming a clear, wound-like dividing line.
"This town is a giant 'farm' or 'stage'," Wang Lin's voice echoed in the matrix, carrying a suppressed shock. "It uses false beauty and forced 'happiness' to breed and numb the townspeople. The forest is a place of exile for 'impurities' or 'rebels.' The castle... is the core, the location of the 'director' or 'master.' The so-called ball and glass slipper are likely some kind of... selection ritual, or sacrificial ritual. And 'Cinderella' may just be a 'loophole' in this distorted rule, or... a code name for the 'sacrifice.'"
"Our mission is probably not as simple as just attending a ball," Chu Xuan interjected, his eyes flashing with data calculations. "The main god's hint is a 'distorted version of a dark fairy tale.' We must uncover the truth of this twisted world, break or utilize its rules, and survive. The 'rules' the mayor mentioned are the visible restrictions; violating them may trigger punishment. But the real danger may lie hidden within the process of 'obeying the rules.' For example… becoming the prince's chosen 'bride'?"
A chill ran through everyone. To become a bride? In that castle shrouded in a dark vortex?
"First, go to the mayor's residence to gather more information, and at the same time, try to contact the 'anomalies' of this world—for example, the 'Cinderella' mentioned," Wang Lin decided. "Keep the Matrix running covertly with minimal energy consumption, focusing on sensing changes in rules and the source of malice. Don't easily violate the overt rules, but maintain the highest level of vigilance."
The group followed Mayor Lucas as they walked through the streets of this sweet, quiet, and eerie town, as if stepping into a meticulously woven, colorful nightmare.
Behind them, the townspeople, with their standard smiles, continued walking listlessly, casting empty stares at these "outsiders." The dark vortex in the direction of the castle seemed to shift slightly, and the enormous "eyes" appeared to glance in the direction they had left.