Clockwork Bride

Page 155

Ms. Eck probably knew Hayden wanted to ask this. So she quickly did some calculations and soon answered with a smile:

"About ten years should be enough."

? ? ? ? ?

This was a truly unexpected answer from Hayden!

"Ten years!? Why do we have to wait so long!?"

He usually tries to be polite in front of the people from the smoke mirror company, but this time he really couldn't hold back.

“Because [Magical Girl Pazuzu] is already a semi-abandoned project,” Ms. Eko frankly admitted. “Although our boss has a good relationship with you and hasn’t withdrawn his investment or staff… he hasn’t increased his investment to the point where he can challenge real death. Besides, after the first ritual failed, the number of fans of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] has decreased significantly, and the revenue has declined.”

"We can't help the boss do business at a loss."

Although Ms. Echo said it in a joking manner, Hayden couldn't laugh.

"Ten years is too long."

He just told Pania yesterday that it was almost done, and it's not funny if it takes ten years.

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

Ms. Aiko nodded readily: "Recently, whether it's our boss's other new projects or the Mitra Group, they've all started to flood the market with new-generation idols, all vying for the faith resources in the virtual idol market. Plus, the faith that [Magical Girl Pazuzu] can get right now isn't quite enough, so ten years is already an optimistic estimate."

As she spoke, she projected the information onto Hayden's screen: "Look, for example, this is a new generation of virtual streamer idol recently launched by the Mitra Group. They are similar to [Magical Girl Pazuzu], and their advertising and marketing costs and efficiency are much higher than ours, making it easy for them to steal away fans."

Hayden sighed and could only lean closer to take a look. However, what he saw shocked him greatly, even horrified him.

Because the name of the virtual streamer idol recently launched by the Mitra Group is—

【The Celestial Maiden of Freedom - Mara】!

170: Your name?

The Mitra Group's newly launched virtual streamer idol is named [Free Goddess - Mara]!

【The Celestial Maiden of Freedom - Mara】!

What the hell is this?! ...

When Hayden saw this, he almost coughed up blood. In some ways, he was even more surprised than when he first saw [Magical Girl Pazuzu].

When Hayden first saw "Magical Girl Pazuzu," he knew nothing about it. The surprise of the ignorant is, at best, just a bewildered confusion.

Now Hayden knows a lot. The more he knows, the more surprised he becomes when he discovers things that shouldn't have happened.

So Hayden didn't even bother to hide it anymore, quickly pulling over the image projected by Ms. Eckel to examine it closely.

In short, the figure standing in that scene is like the embodiment of the ideal man.

Virtual idols are generally very beautiful because their appearance is artificially designed. This [Free Goddess of the Sea - Mara] is especially noteworthy, as it clearly represents a significant investment of money and possesses a gentle and approachable beauty.

She was about 1.7 meters tall, with long, glossy black hair that reached her back. She wore a red and white shrine maiden's robe. The robe didn't reveal much skin, with bright red hakama extending to her ankles. She stood gracefully, her posture both reserved and dignified, even exuding an air of chastity and asceticism. It was a gentle, elegant, and dignified demeanor that could evoke a man's protective instincts.

However, at the same time, this virtual character also has a pair of large, well-shaped breasts that can be clearly seen even through clothing, which evoke a strong sense of maternal instinct.

In short, this is not designed to be popular with women, but rather a carefully crafted character design and mannerisms specifically created to attract men.

If a man relaxes his guard even slightly, he'll likely be lured into a deep pit from which he'll never escape!

Besides, we all know what kind of women Hayden likes. Even Angela's body lacks a bit of alluring charm compared to this suit. After all, Angela's body was designed by Hayden with the core concept of a "bride," not a seductive enchantress.

Moreover, at the very end, this virtual idol costume comes with a very special attribute—she actually has snow-white fox ears and three fluffy snow-white fox tails behind her!

【Free Goddess Bo Xun】, it turns out she's actually a fox demon virtual idol whose costume alone is quite erotic!

Even though she was just a virtual image seen on a phone projection screen, Hayden could almost feel the overwhelming alluring hormones emanating from her; she was actually terrifying!

"Tsk, tsk."

Just to be on the safe side, Hayden opened the channel of the goddess Mara again to see what she was broadcasting and how she was performing.

First of all, [Free and Easy Celestial Maiden - Mara] has only been around for a month. However, thanks to the significant amount of money Mitra Group's virtual idol entertainment company spent on her marketing and promotion, she has already amassed a million followers in just one month. As for what she streams, Hayden quickly glanced at the clips and was somewhat surprised to find that she's the type who does basically everything. She can sing and stream games, but her main streaming content is surprisingly casual talk and late-night radio.

Moreover, the content of this "Celestial Maiden Mara's Miscellaneous Talks" is mostly popular science about Southeast Asian and Japanese festivals, customs, and myths, and also includes some folk and local style content.

In other words, she's practically the same kind of character as the current "Magical Girl Pazuzu"!

Although [Magical Girl Pazuzu] popularizes ancient mythology and magic from Mesopotamia, while [Free Goddess Bojun] focuses on Southeast Asian and Japanese mythology, and although the former is a cute and arrogant loli and the latter is a tall and alluring older sister, they can still be considered the same type of streamer overall.

And both of them happen to have animal ears!

No wonder Ms. Eckel specifically cited this person as an example of market competition to show Hayden!

"...Speaking of which, why does [Bo Xun]'s virtual idol have fox ears and a tail?"

Now, all Hayden can do is complain and sigh.

This is truly a double whammy. Not only is the fierce market competition making Hayden's desired ritual of achieving godhood through corpse dissolution extremely difficult, but the name "Bo Xun" has also been snatched up by the Mithra Group! Damn it!

Of all the dead gods and demons in the world, why did they choose this one at this particular time?!

"Perhaps it's because the owner of [Liberty Goddess Mara] is Dakini, the deputy design director of the Mithra Group?"

At this moment, Ms. Eko explained with a smile, "Mr. Hayden, you should also know, right? Dajini Tian is the fox god of the Mithra Group. You should have dealt with her before."

Did Hayden and Dajini have any dealings? Yes, they did, literally. Everyone probably remembers the time Karen was attacked by demons at her plantation in the countryside, and Hayden even transformed into the land god White Wolf to fight a strange female ninja. Afterwards, the Peacock King told Hayden and Karen that the demons and the female ninja were actually sent by the elephant-headed god, Great Sage Joyful Deity, and the East Asian fox god, Dajini.

Dakini, literally translated as "Dakini," is revered as a fox deity, especially in modern Japan. However, she is actually a very ancient deity; Hayden himself doesn't even know whether she is an ancient Earth deity or an extraterrestrial deity who descended from the heavens.

The highest levels of the Mitra Information Group, namely the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, are all humans who became new gods four hundred years ago. The Myō-ō, who control the core military forces within the group, are also purely new gods, with the exception of the Peacock King.

As for the remaining "Heavens" level, many of them were Old Gods who had surrendered to the Mithra Group. However, the Mithra Group's internal mythological information was largely under their intelligence control. Hayden wasn't quite sure what kind of god Dajini was, or what kind of divinity and power he possessed. He only guessed that Dajini was definitely not a real fox, but rather probably an Old God who controlled foxes.

It's not surprising that a god who commands foxes would have virtual idols with fox ears. The only problem is... why do they have to involve [Marsh] in this?!

Hayden originally intended to use the name of the deceased ancient god, Mara, to help Alastor rebuild his divine body. As we all know, Alastor had previously led a group of scoundrels to form a hacker organization rebelling against the corporation, operating under the name of Mara. In other words, Alastor and the name Mara resonated with each other, sharing a connection.

Not to mention those brats still working in the "Retribution Military Employment Agency Commune," who are all worshippers of Alastor and members of the [Bojun] organization!

In other words, if used properly, Hayden could easily use the name "Mar" and the worship of those little devils as the main elements, along with various other resources, to resurrect Alastor as the god of "Mar"!

Unfortunately, the name "Bo Xun" was taken by a virtual idol from the Mithra Group.

This is how to do?

[Magical Girl Pazuzu] needs resources, [Bo Xun] needs a name. What should be done?

After careful consideration, Hayden actually came up with a strange idea within minutes.

"Ms. Echo."

He turned to the skeleton lady beside him and asked,

"Could you help me discuss a collaboration project with [Liberty Goddess Mara]'s company?"

The correct answer is, of course, yes. But Ms. Aiko still had to ask first, "What kind of collaborative projects do you want to discuss with them?"

Hayden shrugged: "Of course we should have Magical Girl Pazuzu and Free Goddess Bojun collaborate."

These words even made the skeleton widen its eyes: "Huh?"

Is this really good?

--------------------------

Despite some reservations, Ms. Eike made arrangements the next day.

【Free Goddess Bo Xun】's company is an entertainment subsidiary of the Mitra Group. Ms. Aiko, as the director of Qiqimiti Entertainment, went to talk to them and quickly finalized the deal—basically, Hayden (as the producer) would first take Panya to talk to them before deciding whether to actually do a crossover program. Even if they did, the specific plans would need to be discussed gradually.

Overall, Hayden's plan was quite shrewd: a collaboration program between virtual idol streamers, and since they were virtual streamers from two different companies, the two virtual streamers had to meet in real life first.

If this collaboration actually happens, the popularity of [Magical Girl Pazuzu] will likely increase even further. Even if it doesn't, Hayden can still find the person behind [Liberator: Mara]! What kind of behavior is this? This is the most unconventional way to unpack a virtual YouTuber!

However, Hayden has never been one to follow rules, so there's no problem. Once he finds the person behind "Mahaprajna," Hayden will be free to do all sorts of unconventional things, and might even be able to bring back the name "Mahaprajna."

What? You're asking if doing this kind of thing will cause Dakini to come after Hayden?

In fact, Ms. Eko was also worried about this. After all, she knew that Dakini and Peacock King were at odds. The reason why the elephant and the fox formed a strange alliance and joined forces to cause trouble for Karen was not because they had a good relationship, but because they both had a grudge against Peacock King.

There are a great many old gods who dislike Peacock King.

But Hayden thought about it and still felt there shouldn't be any major problems. He'd been getting to know the Capital Gods' character better and better lately. These gods hadn't dared to actually do anything to the Peacock King's daughter before, only daring to send demons to attack her raw material camps, which actually showed that Dakini and Huanxi were quite cowardly. Hayden was now using the "Peacock King's son-in-law" label to deal with them; did they really dare to tear him apart?

Aren't you afraid that Peacock King will really come knocking on your door to settle scores?

Although Hayden knew that the Peacock King would not actually stand up for him (after all, Hayden was not really the Peacock King's son-in-law), the other gods did not know that!

Furthermore, these capitalist deities with divine titles and positions, how vast are the scale of their businesses? How many people and wealth flow through their hands every second, requiring their management? Would Dakini really be so concerned about the affairs of [Svabhava Mara], so eager to cause trouble for the Peacock King through Hayden, thus wasting her normal time and work efficiency?

Don't forget, the gods of capital are always playing an eternal battle royale game!

Hayden is now incredibly close to being a god of capital, yet he isn't, making it the perfect time for him to find loopholes and take advantage of this game.

Therefore, after Ms. Eko made prior arrangements, Hayden immediately took only Pania and Angela to the entertainment company controlled by Dajini Tian!

Poor Panya, she had no idea that Hayden was leading her into a dangerous situation. But it was precisely because she was completely unaware that Hayden was able to remain calm and speak normally with her. Fortunately, the supervisor on the other end was also very pragmatic, or in other words, easy to talk to, and quickly reached some valuable conclusions with Haitang.

You mean Tujini Tian? She's not even at this company anymore!

That being said, after discussing some basic terms for collaboration, the entertainment company's manager still said to Hayden, "For some of her work-related matters, our boss leaves the final decision to [Celestial Maiden Mara] herself. You still need to talk to her personally first."

This surprised Hayden somewhat: "Leave it to the person behind the virtual idol to decide? Your boss is being so kind."

“Just a few,” the manager said with a smile. “The person behind [Celestial Maiden Mara] is a bit special. You’ll find out after you talk to her. Our boss gives her some autonomy.”

It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Even so, Hayden rallied his spirits, prepared himself, and waited with curiosity to see who this person bearing the name "Marsh" really was.

Then, the moment the door to the meeting room opened, neither of them expected to see the other there.

"Hello. I am the person behind the [Free and Easy Celestial Maiden]. You can just call me Momiji... Huh?"

The person who entered the reception room appeared to be a girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old, with her long black hair tied back in a single ponytail. Her figure seemed underdeveloped, appearing somewhat slender, the complete opposite of the [Celestial Maiden Mara] costume. However, that wasn't the point. Expecting the costume to be exactly like the person inside would be insane.

What truly surprised Hayden was the girl's voice.

At the same time, the girl gasped for breath and turned deathly pale the moment she saw Hayden.

The last time Hayden saw her, the girl did not show her face and was wearing a mask.

The last time she saw Hayden, he had transformed into a giant white wolf beast god.

But both recognized each other immediately. Hayden was alright, just taken aback; the girl, however, was clearly terrified.

Because she was clearly the female ninja who attacked Karen's plantation camp last time, almost defeated Hayden, and was nearly killed by him in his beast form!

171: Female Ninja Momiji

Five minutes later, Hayden and Ms. Momiji, the person behind "Free Goddess of the Sea," found a café downstairs from the entertainment company and booked a luxurious private room. They sat at opposite ends of a wide, long table. The walls of the room were lined with cushioned sofas and chairs, and soft curtains were hung everywhere.

What? Weren't you guys discussing collaborative projects in the office just five minutes ago? How come you're outside the office now, having coffee in a private room?

What kind of coffee is this? Doesn't the creator of Mara's Coffees care?!

Actually, there's really not much to manage.

Traditional idols can't be alone with members of the opposite sex casually, let alone in a private room at a coffee shop. If fans found out, it would definitely cause problems. An idol who relies on female fans for their livelihood has a basic obligation to maintain their public image; otherwise, the fans will get angry and things will explode.

We fans are your bread and butter, the ones who pay you to support you in the charts! You are my spiritual lover! Since you make your living from this, you naturally can't date! If your idol is found to be having an affair with the older, more established celebrity, then he must bow down, apologize, and get out of the entertainment industry.

This is a consumer's right!

Unfortunately, capitalists have never liked this kind of power. The fans were furious, and it also caused trouble for the companies behind the idols.

What's more troublesome is that traditional live idols have mouths and legs. Companies can't be the only channel for their voices. If things aren't managed properly, these idols might say things the company doesn't want, or go to parties, clubs, or yachts and do things nobody wants to see. Afterwards, if the company tries to repair the idol's image, it will create chaos, and buying out the media to suppress the news is a huge waste of the company's money.

But times have changed, technology has advanced, and things are much simpler now. The "idol" in virtual YouTuber idols is just the avatar that bounces around online, and fans are consuming that virtual image. What does it have to do with the people of Guanzhong?

Although streamers occasionally make inadvertent slips of the tongue during their broadcasts, causing dissatisfaction or even anger among fans, they are still much easier to control than a live, breathing physical idol. When the persona is not broadcasting, the company doesn't even need to manage them much.

The person behind 【自在天女·波旬】, Ms. Momiji, and Mr. Hayden, a thirty-year-old man, are having coffee outside. Is there something wrong? No!

Moreover, this Miss Kureha clearly holds a special position under Dakini. It's extremely strange that a capitalist deity like Dakini would allow the person behind a virtual idol to wield some final decision-making power; it couldn't be stranger.

Tengu ninja, fox, Dakini, Mara... there are obviously many relationships between these elements that Hayden is unaware of.

The situation now appears to be more complex than Hayden anticipated. If he truly wants to resurrect Alastor using the name "Bo Xun," he will likely have to find a breakthrough through the Tengu Ninja Momiji.

Meanwhile, Miss Hongye stared intently at the coffee in front of her, the atmosphere tense. The aura emanating from her was like that of a dog wary of a stranger, tail tucked between its legs and ears pricked up.

Unfortunately, she didn't actually have dog ears and a tail.

Since that's the case, Hayden could only start by saying something: "I never expected that the person behind Mitra Group's latest virtual idol, [Free Goddess Bo Xun], would actually be a Tengu Ninja."