Chương 81: Yuexi's Intelligence

The night breeze carried the distinctive rust and dust of the abandoned factory, ruffling the tips of Xingshuang's pink hair. She quietly gazed at the magical girl before her, who called herself Yuexi, her mind racing.

This was the first time she had truly encountered a magical girl other than Gin-snow and Ruri after a battle.

Does this fact mean that her previous deductions about the "disappearance of magical girls" were just unfounded worries, and that she was simply unlucky and had not encountered them?

No, Xing Shuang frowned slightly and immediately rejected the idea.

The infiltration from the void that she just dealt with was a small-scale infiltration with such weak energy fluctuations that even the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs couldn't detect it.

Therefore, the magical girl codenamed Yuexi could not possibly have come to provide assistance after receiving a distress signal from the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs. Her appearance here is more like a... coincidence.

Coincidence is often the key to uncovering the truth.

This is a rare opportunity, a perfect chance to learn from other magical girls and verify what I already know.

Xing Shuang composed herself and gave a shy yet curious smile befitting a "newcomer": "My name is Xing Shuang."

"Star Frost..." A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Yuexi's amber eyes.

She repeated the code name, looking thoughtful, as if it had triggered some memories.

But she quickly regained her gentle smile and didn't delve into the matter, only asking curiously, "Did you choose this code name yourself?"

Xing Shuang's heart stirred slightly as she keenly noticed the other person's sudden change in expression. This reaction... it seemed that the code name "Xing Shuang" held a special meaning for her.

But now is not the time to explore this.

Xingshuang blinked and shook her head slightly: "I guess it's my... contracted spirit's name for me." She attributed everything to a non-existent contracted spirit, which was the safest explanation at the moment.

"I see." Yuexi nodded gently, not dwelling on the matter any further.

She then turned her gaze to the wand in Starfrost's hand, her tone filled with admiration: "The magical fluctuations contained in that attack just now were quite strong. Are you at the Crescent Moon level like me?"

"No, senior, you flatter me." Xing Shuang shook her head, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

"I haven't mastered my own unique technique yet, so I should only be considered Stardust level."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I've only been a magical girl for less than two weeks; I'm still a newbie."

This answer brought a flicker of surprise to Yuexi's eyes again, but more than that, it brought joy and relief.

To have such a strong magical foundation in less than two weeks as a magical girl is truly a gift.

"To have such power at the Stardust level, Xing Shuang, you are truly a promising newcomer," Yue tide exclaimed sincerely, her gaze towards Xing Shuang filled with expectation.

"You're too kind, senior." Xing Shuang smiled modestly, then revealed an expression eager to learn more.

"To be honest, there are still many things I don't understand. This is the first time I've met a more senior person like you, and I hope I can learn some things about magical girls from you, is that alright?"

"Of course, no problem." Yuexi readily agreed. As a senior, it was her duty to guide the junior. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

"What do you want to know?"

Xing Shuang nodded inwardly. After so much buildup, it was finally time to get to the point.

She organized her thoughts and asked her first crucial question: "Senior, how many Crescent Moon-level magical girls like yourself are there in Jiangchuan City?"

This question directly relates to her assessment of the city's defensive capabilities.

Upon hearing this, Yuexi pondered for a moment before replying, "If you include me, there should currently be four Crescent Moon-level magical girls active in Jiangchuan City."

Four... Xing Shuang silently noted the number in her mind; it was fewer than she had expected.

However, if they were all active, it would be impossible for Liuli and Yinxue to face the Corrosion-level Void Beasts alone several times.

"Then... what about the Rainbow Light level seniors?" she continued to ask, as this question involved higher-level combat power and was also key information she wanted to confirm.

Yuexi shook her head, a hint of regret on her face: "There aren't any Rainbow Light level seniors residing in Jiangchuan City right now."

Seeing the confusion in Xing Shuang's eyes, she explained, "Rainbow-level magical girls are extremely powerful. Possessing magical armor means they have mastered a portion of the power of 'laws,' but correspondingly, their numbers are also very small."

"Such seniors are not usually stationed in a particular city, but rather act as 'patrolmen,' traveling between different city areas to provide support."

"They are like mobile fortresses, responsible for dealing with the most troublesome and dangerous Void infiltrations, and helping the local magical girls fight against the invincible Void Beasts."

"Of course, there are a few Rainbow Light level seniors who choose to stay in their familiar cities, but such cases are very rare. At least in Jiangchuan City, there are no such cases at present."

Yuexi's tone was filled with admiration and respect for the Rainbow Light-level magical girl: "After all, the counterpart to the Rainbow Light-level senior is the Lord-level Void Beast."

"And once a Void Beast of that level triggers the infiltration of the Void Realm, its scale and destructive power far exceed imagination, and it may even destroy the entire city in a short period of time."

"Although the frequency of such virtual beasts appearing is extremely low, each occurrence is of great importance. Therefore, from a strategic point of view, it is not the wisest choice to keep precious Rainbow Light-level power stationed in a specific place for a long time, waiting for that extremely low probability crisis to occur."

"I see." Xing Shuang nodded slightly, while quickly analyzing the information in her mind and verifying it with the known intelligence.

"Patrolmen" and "Lord-level Void Beasts"... These are all new pieces of information. She quickly recalled that Director Roland had mentioned the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' assistance mechanism. Would these "Patrolmen" also be mobilized through a similar mechanism?

There were also Lord-level Void Beasts. Before this, her understanding of this level of Void Beast was limited to just one title.

She had just learned firsthand from Yuexi about their destructive power—they could destroy an entire city in a short time, and their threat level was self-evident.

Since rainbow-level magical girls can possess magical armor and wield some of the power of "laws," would lord-level void beasts possess similar abilities?

Jiangchuan City doesn't have any Rainbow Light-level magical girls residing there. So, if a Lord-level Void Beast appears here, and she hasn't yet mastered her own unique spell... will she be able to fight against it?

Suppressing her worries, Xing Shuang continued to steer the conversation towards the most crucial point of doubt: "Senior, you said there are four Crescent Moon level beings, so... besides you, where are the other three seniors now?"

The moment Xing Shuang asked the question, she immediately noticed that Yue tide's smile faltered slightly, and a hint of undisguised heaviness and... helplessness flashed in her bright amber eyes.

Yuexi sighed softly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, her voice much lower than before, carrying a complex meaning:

"Star Frost, you really do... know about 'that matter,' don't you?"