Clockwork Bride

Page 144

Although Angela could understand most of Hayden's explanation, she simply couldn't grasp the underlying principles. It was like how she couldn't understand why so many people enjoyed watching others play games.

To be honest, Hayden really didn't know how to answer this question. It's a question of modernity, which can't be explained in a few words, and besides, Hayden himself wasn't exactly a thinker on social issues.

"Perhaps this is the same principle as dream chips."

So this was the only answer Hayden could give her.

"It's the same as paying money to buy the right to dream, except that buying this dream is legal."

Dreams are a reflection of reality. Conversely, it is precisely because reality is so terrible that people want to spend money to buy dreams.

The situation in dreams will also be reflected in reality.

The goddess Mikkuri once told Hayden that "Magical Girl Pazuzu" is a modern arcane art built upon the principles of idol magic. Without a large number of fans observing the energy based on their subjective awareness of reality, the magic will inevitably fail. The collective frenzy of the fans, their shared participation in the atmosphere of the performance, and the process of developing the illness—all of these are part of the magical ritual.

The ancient Greeks called this magic the "Mystic Ritual of Dionysus." Hayden only had a superficial understanding of the principles, not the details. However, the arcane version used by the Smoke Mirror Company was clearly based on the same principles, a new creation made with modern technology. How the old rituals were actually performed is no longer really important.

The real problem is that the core step of this ritual is... the caster must die once first.

To be resurrected, one must first die. To glimpse and comprehend the mysteries of death, one must place oneself in death. This has been the case in myths and legends since ancient times.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that the goddess Mikkuri cloned her own brain, installed a chip that replicated her personality, and then ate her own brain marrow—using this method to comprehend the mysteries of her own death. This is the truly unconventional and astonishing cheating method.

Normally, such rituals require the practitioner to die once. Odin, the chairman of the Wotan Corporation, hung himself from the World Tree for nine days, impaling himself with a spear, in order to comprehend the mysteries of runes. Primitive shamans, in order to enter a trance-like state and allow gods or spirits to descend upon their bodies, would sometimes dance intensely without sleep, while others would severely injure their own bodies. Many religions practice fasting asceticism, forcing the body and mind to the brink of death by depriving them of nutrition and sleep. Japanese ascetics would climb treacherous mountains day and night to force themselves into a trance-like state. Ancient Greek priestesses would deliberately inhale toxic gases from volcanic eruptions to obtain divine pronouncements—these are essentially the same basic principle, only the methods differ.

The ritual of dying and then being resurrected is believed to offer a glimpse into the mystery of death and grant power. Such rituals have existed since ancient times.

As for whether the main character of the ceremony can survive and come back to life... well, that depends on the specific procedures.

Hayden knew that the capitalists and their team behind the scenes were probably already prepared for failure. Even if they failed this time, they would still get experimental data and could do better next time.

Therefore, Hayden was actually having a bigger headache than they were.

To this end, he even went to see Professor Albion and the Dark Witch Abigail, ritual experts who were particularly familiar with ancient mythology, to ask if they had any ways to make the situation safer. These old sorcerers each had their own methods and offered Hayden some good suggestions—however, no matter what they did, it was essentially like a parent watching their son enter the examination hall, with very limited effectiveness.

So, what about Pania herself, the person involved?

She recently started acting like a social media troll whenever she enters her "Pazuzu" form, so she's probably not lacking in confidence... or at least she seems to be.

According to the schedule set by Goddess Mickett, the live stream next Sunday will be here soon.

Ms. Ai Ke and the behind-the-scenes team at Qiqimiti Entertainment had promoted the new show, "Magical Girl Pazuzu," extensively beforehand. The scheduled start time for the live stream was 8:00 PM, but by 7:50 PM, millions of viewers were already in their seats in the StarNet live stream room, eagerly anticipating the broadcast.

"Let me go over the entire live stream process one last time."

Ms. Echo reiterated this before Pania lay down in the control room.

"First, we go in and give an opening speech to the audience, chat for a few minutes, and then begin the dismemberment ritual. The pre-tuned arcane program will throw the astral body of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] from the upper space of the Star Network into the lower Sea of ​​Unconsciousness."

True death is an immense mystery, still unsolved. No one knows what death truly looks like. Even large corporations can only simulate their own "artificial underworld," using various tentative and simplified methods to study and contemplate death, rather than finding a real underworld and actually entering it to research it.

Unless you're truly dead. That's a different story. If someone is truly and completely dead, there's currently no way to resurrect them and pull them out.

"After entering the Sea of ​​the Unconscious, your astral body will be attacked by various monsters symbolizing death manifested in the surrounding environment. As long as you defeat them all, it is equivalent to defeating the pseudo-underworld in the Sea of ​​the Unconscious, and you can disintegrate your body to resurrect your true spirit."

"Don't forget, the death monsters that manifest in the Sea of ​​the Unconscious are actually all sorts of inner demons. Overcoming death, as the name suggests, is a path that requires overcoming many obstacles. The Sea of ​​the Unconscious is a virtual underworld, but you still have to slay the illusory inner demons in order to allow your true spirit to be resurrected. It is definitely not a simple and ordinary process, but rather a struggle for life to overcome death."

These procedures had certainly been explained to Panya before. After all, Ms. Eko and the others didn't want Panya's experiment to fail. That would be too much trouble and a waste of money!

"Okay, okay! Don't worry!"

Pania, however, was full of confidence and showed no fear whatsoever, or at least did not appear to be. Lately, Angela had been feeding her Secret Fire food daily, and even in the material world, she was becoming increasingly energetic, just like [Magical Girl Pazuzu]. Her recent behavior in the material world was also becoming more and more like her appearance during the live stream—radiant and spirited, almost as if the ideal image from her dreams was gradually permeating her being.

"I am determined to ascend to godhood and roam freely from now on! How could I possibly hesitate in a place like this!"

She spoke with such confidence as she lay down in the sealed operating chamber and connected to the internet.

[Sorry for the wait, everyone! It's time for v!]

[You all probably saw my livestream a while back where I helped my fans slay disease and drought demons, right? Doing the same thing over and over gets boring, so today I'm going to take it a step further!]

Today, I will even defeat death in the deepest hell! Yes, right before your very eyes!

As she entered the live stream, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] greeted the audience with great enthusiasm.

Hayden looked out and couldn't help but feel that the completely sealed control cabin looked like a white coffin, which was really ominous... No, perhaps quite the opposite?

Perhaps it was because this imagery was needed that Qiqimiti Entertainment specially prepared this coffin-like operating pod for Pania.

To die and be reborn, to die and be reborn—one must first die to be reborn. How easy is it to deal with death?

But the gate to the unconscious sea at the bottom of the astral plane had already been opened in the live broadcast space. [Magical Girl Pazuzu] stepped into it without hesitation.

As soon as she stepped out and entered the door, [Pazuzu] immediately felt as if she had stepped into a dark abyss. A dizzying sensation almost made her dizzy. Then, the starlight fluctuated, rising and falling, as if a million bees were buzzing in her ears.

Fortunately, she had eaten a lot of the secret fire food, and she came to her senses within three seconds. She opened her eyes as if she had just woken up from a dream, and lightly landed on the ground. She saw an unbelievable scene.

Cold and darkness lingered around her, as if she were slowly sinking into the dark depths of the sea. In the lifeless waters, only a few specks of starlight scattered around her.

This is the lowest level of the astral plane, the basic structure beneath the star web, the sea of ​​humanity's collective unconscious, theoretically the closest place to death—because no one has ever seen the true face of death, and at least no one can come back to explain it.

However, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] didn't seem afraid of this place at all. While joking and laughing with the viewers watching the live stream, she leisurely flapped her wings and flew around on the surface of the Sea of ​​Unconsciousness.

Suddenly, a new figure appeared on the empty sea. It was a floating skeleton, its skeletal hands gripping a huge, curved scythe—ah, it was a skull-shaped "Grim Reaper"!

【Huh! That's all?】

Death, wielding its massive scythe, lunged at the magical girl, instantly sending a chilling wind through the air. But she scoffed, raising her hand and throwing a punch—Bang!

With a deafening roar, a chilling aura erupted, instantly shattering the "Grim Reaper" into pieces. The icy winds and cold energy dissipated, unable to even touch the magical girl's astral form!

【Ohhhhhh! 】

Pazuzu is amazing!

This scene is truly amazing.

[This is the first time I've seen the StarNet's structural layers in a live stream!]

The audience, meanwhile, was busy enjoying this unique performance and spectacle in the history of virtual streamers.

Soon, more and more illusory inner demons surged forth from the sea of ​​unconsciousness. There were demons and monsters, ferocious beasts, and even alluring witches—all different monsters from various myths and legends, representing "death," and they all pounced on [Magical Girl Pazuzu]. But she was so powerful, so confident, so radiant, that she wasn't afraid at all, and she met them all head-on with punches and kicks.

Actually, this isn't so bad. After all, these inner demons and monsters aren't real; they're illusions. If we try to hide from them because of their illusory terror, we'll only be misled by them.

As viewers watched Pazuzu unleash her power in the artificial underworld of the Star Web structure, they grew increasingly excited. This attention and enthusiasm would all become part of the resurrection ritual.

【What can inner demons and illusions do to me!】

Amidst all the attention and relentless victories, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] smiled with her head held high. No inner demon or monster could withstand a single punch from her. After all, this astral suit was indeed designed and crafted to be incredibly powerful.

Suddenly, a new shadow rose from the surface of the Sea of ​​Unconsciousness. It was a figure wearing a black cloak, so wide and billowing that it was impossible to tell whether the person inside was male or female. Above the cloak was a wide-brimmed black hat; beneath the hat, black mist gathered, obscuring what appeared to be a human face.

[I've already killed all those skeletons, Grim Reapers, Yakshas, ​​demons, Cerberus, and the like. So what about you, Mr. Hat?]

The magical girl didn't take it seriously and threw a punch as usual.

The black mist vanished instantly, no longer obscuring her vision. She saw the face beneath the mist and recognized who it was.

In just a moment, the overwhelming shock and fear froze Panya's mind.

158: Death is the best entertainment

The dark mist dissipated, revealing the enemy's figure and face.

The tall figure, when standing upright, was at least a head taller than the average man. His limbs were pale and long, showing little muscle, yet giving the impression of terrifying strength.

It has lion-like hands and sharp claws, and feet like a bird of prey. It has two pairs of twisted black wings on its back, and a huge scorpion tail, exuding a menacing dark and evil aura.

Yes, you read that right. These are all familiar-looking things. Lion claws, eagle feet, black wings, scorpion tail... these are all forms that Hayden displayed when it fought Pazuzu's final form a few months ago.

Although Pania had never met the real Pazuzu, she had seen all the materials the company had given her, so of course she would recognize her.

However, this gesture instantly plunged her into immense shock and fear.

Because that body did not have Pazuzu's lion head.

It doesn't even have the head of [Magical Girl Pazuzu].

Instead, it had the head of Pania.

It was a head exactly like Pania's in reality, in the material world. However, at the same time, the head was clearly a corpse, with the shape and color of a dead person, gray and slimy, as if it had been soaking in water for a long time, dripping water.

No matter where it is, such a scene would be considered a broadcasting accident—not because of the corpse, since nobody cares if you're broadcasting a corpse on the StarNet these days, but because of the person in question.

Although twisted and deformed like a corpse, this is still the true form of Pania from [Magical Girl Pazuzu]. Whether or not to reveal the true form inside the virtual YouTuber's avatar to the audience is a matter that requires company discussion and decision; it can't be done suddenly.

The behind-the-scenes operations team, like Ms. Eko, doesn't really care whether Pania's identity will be exposed to the audience, but if this causes trouble and the boss, Goddess Micket, holds them accountable, these operations teams will all be held responsible.

So at that very moment, the nameless lich operator A immediately reached out to cut off the live stream, not wanting the viewers to continue watching—

[Don't stop, keep the live stream going!]

But a voice fell like lightning, blocking their way.

Who said that? Was it their boss, the goddess Mickett?

no

The viewers won't realize this is my true form; they'll only see it as a new illusion born from my inner demons. Cutting off the live stream will only expose me!

The one who stopped them from cutting off the live stream was, of course, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] herself!

[Inner demons aren't real, they're just illusions. If you're afraid because of these illusions, you'll only be misled by them. I'm going to shatter this illusion of inner demons right now!]

She spoke to the staff through an internal communication channel inaudible to the audience, then the astral form pointed at the horrific corpse (she certainly didn't dare punch it directly anymore). A fierce wind began to howl, and the astral winds churned and rippled, immediately blasting towards the corpse as if a powder keg had exploded there!

What Magical Girl Pazuzu can do in the Astral Plane, she can also do in the Material Plane. If such power were to strike Hayden in the Material Plane, even he wouldn't dare face its full force!

With just one move, the terrifying corpse was blown to pieces! Then, silence fell over the surroundings, and not a sound could be heard.

【That's it? 】

This time, even more surprised than the crew and the audience was probably [Magical Girl Pazuzu] herself. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but also chuckled to herself: [I thought this was at least an elite monster, if not a boss, but it turned out to be so simple!]

Before she could finish speaking, she heard a cold laugh behind her. An incredibly chilling shiver ran down her spine. And it wasn't just her imagination.

A sticky, white hand grabbed [Magical Girl Pazuzu]'s shoulder from behind and began to slowly drag her into the sea below.

That's really a bit scary.

Even though [Magical Girl Pazuzu] has been having a recurring bout of overconfidence lately, this sudden combination of psychological and physiological fear almost terrified her.

At the same time, the surface of the Sea of ​​Unconsciousness beneath her feet was no longer smooth as a mirror, but began to churn violently. Everywhere, white heads and hands emerged from the dark water. They all had Pania's face, half-melted, dripping with water, and all had sunken, lifeless eyes. And they all stretched out their lion-like claws towards [Magical Girl Pazuzu], trying to pull her into the sea.

This is more than just a little scary.

【Magical Girl Pazuzu】immediately resisted, fighting back fiercely. A scorching southern wind surged from her wings, blowing towards the corpses, intending to burn them like a scorching storm. The first lion's paw that had gripped her shoulder indeed released its hold, and she fell back into the water with a splash. But more corpses crawled out of the sea. They reeked of damp, rotting flesh, their withered hands reaching for her, their empty eyes staring at her, each sunken face a distorted version of Pazuzu's, all bearing expressions of despair and resentment.

Such a sight, seen suddenly, how many people wouldn't be afraid?

[Get out of my way, all you delusions and illusions!]

However, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] wasn't afraid, or at least she didn't seem afraid. A blast of hot air exploded from her body like a bomb, instantly obliterating fifteen or sixteen corpses around her. But more and more corpses kept pressing towards her, continuing to reach out withered claws. Those hands, those countless claws as cold and bloodless as death, gripped her feet, legs, and tail, squeezing them tightly.

These claws were wet and soft to the touch, but no matter how hard the Magical Girl Pazuzu resisted, they showed no mercy, slowly but without hesitation dragging her down into the Sea of ​​the Unconscious—no, into a place lower and deeper than the Astral Plane.

There were countless corpses, countless hands, and something more terrifying than fear itself.

Now, not only Hayden and the operations team, but even the viewers watching the live stream are starting to feel something is wrong.

[Did I make a mistake during the business trip?]

[It doesn't feel as fun as usual when playing]

This performance was kind of disgusting.

So far, the audience has only this level of doubt, along with an instinctive, almost supernatural sense of fear, which makes them unable to stop chattering in the bullet comments and comment sections.

The operations team, however, had already sensed something more, and even panicked: "Wait, this isn't a demonic possession... this can't be a demonic possession at all!?"

Inner demons are often the most mysterious things, and it's not surprising that they can take any form—that's certainly true. Because an inner demon is oneself, and oneself is an inner demon. So when the operations team first saw these corpses with Panya's faces, they all thought they were just Panya's own inner demons, only more powerful ones.

But this chilling, nauseating, overwhelming, and agonizing fear is not just a simple inner demon. The lich operators watched the data and energy fluctuations constantly displayed on the screen, becoming increasingly confused yet also increasingly alarmed.

Meanwhile, countless corpses of Pania herself had dragged her into the sea. She didn't give up or despair, continuing to struggle and resist. However, the situation worsened. No matter how much she struggled, the claws tearing at and grabbing at [Magical Girl Pazuzu] only multiplied.

Even more terrifying, those claws were gradually tearing off the "fur" off her body.

The costume design for 【Magical Girl Pazuzu】 features no "clothes"; the only thing covering her skin is lion-like fur. Watching the corpses gradually tear off her fur, some viewers began to realize that things weren't looking good.

[Will Pazuzu's clothes be torn off by the hands of those corpses?]

【Huh? A live stream where she's naked?】

[Live stream of zombie rap and kemonomimi?]