"Alright, stop moving around."
"Mm."
Firefly's hands hung naturally by her sides along with her silver hair. Her delicate figure stood straight as a bamboo stalk, exuding the youthful and beautiful aura of a lovely young girl.
However, the only flaw in this otherwise perfect picture was the faintly glowing cracks on her neck.
At this moment, the cracks were quietly spreading, already faintly encroaching upon the pure, lustrous skin on both sides of her jaw. Like frost eroding jade, they conveyed an indescribable sense of fragility and sorrow.
Silver Wolf expressionlessly put on her colored goggles and activated them. An unknown stream of data covered Firefly's entire body like a fine net.
A blue data screen silently lit up within Silver Wolf's goggles, information cascading down like a waterfall.
Firefly stood quietly in place, her eyes slightly closed, her breathing steady and long.
Her silence was like a deep pool without a single ripple, patiently waiting for Silver Wolf's examination results. It was as if time had stretched in that moment, leaving only the interweaving of data and gaze.
After a moment of silence, Silver Wolf let out a long sigh, releasing a breath of pent-up air. Her slender fingers lightly pushed the goggles up to her forehead.
"How... how is my condition?"
Firefly tried her best to appear calm on the surface, but the barely perceptible tremor in her voice still betrayed her deep yearning for "herself."
Silver Wolf crossed her arms in front of her chest, her gaze sharp as she methodically explained the examination results.
"Given the current situation, I can only perform a rough examination.
"So... there's one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Hearing this, Firefly lowered her head, thought for a moment, and chose to hear the good news first.
After all, aside from the inevitable outcome of Entropy Loss Syndrome, there probably wasn't any worse news for her. So, she decided to hear a piece of good news first.
"Good news: your current physical condition is nothing short of a miracle.
"The damage from Entropy Loss Syndrome to your body is almost negligible, but it's not entirely nonexistent."
"Silver Wolf, please just get to the conclusion."
"The conclusion is, your situation is much better than I expected.
"However, I'll perform several more comprehensive full-body examinations for you afterwards to ensure there are no issues."
Hearing this conclusion, Firefly felt as if a weight had been lifted. The string that had been taut in her heart finally relaxed and settled.
This counted as Firefly's first battle as Sam since arriving in this world.
It couldn't hurt to be extra careful.
After all, in the past, it was impossible for Firefly to go nearly a full month without needing to stay in a recuperation pod for long periods like she could now.
Now, she was relying on her own senses to listen so closely to the breath of life, truly feeling its profound meaning.
However, Firefly didn't overlook the other piece of bad news.
And so, she spoke up with a hint of nervousness.
"Then... what's the bad news?"
Hearing this, Silver Wolf seemed to think of something. She sighed heavily, and a serious look appeared on her face.
Firefly (O∆O): "Is it... very serious?"
Silver Wolf (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ): "Mm."
Witnessing Silver Wolf's serious nod, Firefly's heart sank.
A faint, almost imperceptible flicker of disappointment passed through her eyes, spreading quietly like falling autumn leaves.
Her fair little hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, betraying the unease in her heart.
Haa—
Firefly took a deep breath, slowly calming the ripples in her heart like the tide at dusk.
She closed her eyes slightly, adjusted her mindset, and when she opened them again, her gaze had regained its calmness.
"Go ahead."
"Currently, the impact of Entropy Loss Syndrome on you, Firefly, is minimal, but just in case, I still need to observe you closely in the near future. Once I've confirmed everything thoroughly, I'll decide whether to allow you to resume free activity."
A long while later...
"Th-that's it?"
"Otherwise? That's all there is. What else did you expect?"
"But you... this... wasn't it supposed to be bad news?"
"Hmph, have you forgotten everything already, you jerk!"
"Huh?"
"You clearly promised me just today at work that you'd play games with me this weekend, and now it's all ruined! And now I suddenly have to run around for all these trivial matters. All my gaming time is gone! I specifically came to Canglandu, not to be busy with this and that!"
Firefly: Σ(ﾟ∀ﾉ)ﾉ
Looking at Silver Wolf's expression, like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away, furious and resentful, Firefly's expression instantly froze as she awkwardly averted her gaze.
Because she suddenly remembered that she had indeed accidentally forgotten about this matter.
Just as Firefly was racking her brains, unsure how to reply, Silver Wolf wouldn't let her off so easily.
She shot Firefly a resentful look, a gaze that seemed capable of piercing through her skin. If not for the height difference physically stopping her, she might have pounced right up into the other's face.
Even her breathing carried a hint of reproach.
Silver Wolf (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ): "You didn't really forget, did you?!!"
Firefly Σ(ﾟ∀ﾉ)ﾉ: "...Th-that... of course not!"
At this point, whether Firefly admitted it or not was meaningless.
For the sake of her partner's health, Silver Wolf needed to collect many rare materials during this period.
She planned to build a specially designed recuperation pod for Firefly.
Equipment specifically for Firefly's regular check-ups and illness management.
Unlike before, Firefly wouldn't need to stay inside the recuperation pod for long periods. She would only need regular check-ups.
And it could effectively ensure that even when Silver Wolf wasn't around, Firefly would still have a way to stabilize her condition.
The only requirement was the materials.
Silver Wolf (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ): "If it really comes to it, I'll just have to get some from the System."
As for the finished equipment, if the System was willing to provide it, then Silver Wolf wouldn't have to work so hard.
Clueless about all this, Firefly could only wait gratefully for her partner's results.
Meanwhile...
"Sss..."
Inside the villa at Viewing Tide Residence, the battle-worn blue Magical Girl dragged her nearly exhausted body forward step by step before pushing open the door and entering the living room.
She collapsed heavily onto the sofa, as if trying to throw off all her weariness.
Her blue Magical Girl attire instantly emitted a faint blue glow, scattering into the air like stardust.
As that layer of fantastical blue light faded away like mist, Meng Xingyao finally returned to being an ordinary-looking girl with a pale yet delicate face.
Spiritual energy depleted, body weak, mind exhausted.
One could say she was maxed out on negative statuses.
And the root cause of all this was that damn cat.
Meng Xingyao (ꐦÒ‸Ó): "I clearly told her to slow down, but she still went so fast! Even if there was a reason, she really has no idea how to be gentle with a lady!"
At this moment, Meng Xingyao lay limply on the sofa like a salted fish dried in the sun, too lazy to even move a finger.
The energy that had flooded her body in an instant had surged and receded like a tide, leaving only soreness and weakness throughout.
In a daze, with eyelids heavy as lead, she lay there and slowly slipped into the embrace of sleep.