Chapter 18: Changing Image
“What do you need a mask for?”
“Because if I go out, it’s a bit embarrassing to have people stare at my face…” Night Star answered shyly.
Mostly, she was just worried about being recognized.
Though Night Star had a pretty small social circle, there was Night Lan, who looked almost identical to her, serving as a mascot for the Night Watchers.
If Night Lan’s social life went down the drain because of Night Star, it would be a complete disaster.
“Is that so?”
The Fraudster shook his head.
“That’s a flaw. Performers shouldn’t have this kind of personality; it can affect the performance quality. If you freeze on stage, you’ll just end up being an incompetent performer.”
“Um…”
Hearing such serious words from the Fraudster, Night Star felt a bit guilty.
“But,” the Fraudster continued, “you don’t need to worry. Your role is that of an audience performer, a supporter of the performers on stage. You don’t need to stand on the stage yourself or carry the burden of a performer; just support those who shine on stage.”
With that, the Fraudster extended his hand in front of Night Star, and a strange power began to take effect.
Star Eclipses effect —【Concept Replacement】.
In the realm of all existing consciousness, Night Star’s visage was replaced by a platinum mask, complete with a hint of starlit aura.
Night Star touched her soft cheeks.
“Is this good enough?”
At that moment, a Gentleman walked over.
From his expression, it seemed like he had overheard their conversation.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but I believe I just heard an audience performer talk about concealing her identity.”
“Uh-huh.” Night Star nodded eagerly.
“Then let’s add this,” the Gentleman said as he took off his top hat and gently placed it on Night Star’s head.
Immediately, Night Star’s aura changed; her original presence was completely concealed.
Seeing this, Lianhua joined in the fun, handing over something.
“Night Star, how about changing your hairstyle too?”
“Change my hairstyle?”
Night Star looked at the adorable hair tie in Lianhua’s palm and reached out to take it.
Then, she pulled her hair back and tied it into a single ponytail with the hair tie Lianhua provided.
Night Star had tried this hairstyle before.
After all, she wanted to present her cutest side, and back then, she had asked Night Lan to be her mirror on how fitting that hairstyle was for her.
Results seemed to vary, though; no matter the hairstyle, each had its own unique charm.
So, Night Star decided to stick with her long, straight hair.
“Um~”
Night Star twirled around, looking at Lianhua and the others, and asked, “How do I look now?”
Lianhua nodded excitedly, flashing an adorable grin.
“Awesome!”
The Group Leader also shared his thoughts.
“That’s a great style! Audience Performer, if you stood on stage, you would definitely be the most captivating presence there.”
Hearing their compliments made Night Star bashfully scratch her head.
“Hehe~ Thank you for the praise.”
At that moment, even if Night Star wasn’t technically a Star Eclipse, and didn’t quite fit in with the theater troupe, she was utterly immersed in the troupe vibe thanks to all those starlit elements surrounding her.
If the Night Watchers were to judge, they’d undoubtedly think Night Star was a member of the Tragic Shadow Theater!
With that, everything was ready.
The Group Leader stood at the front and gave the command.
“Let’s go.”
All members of the Rising Sun Theater sprang into action!
…
On the entertainment street.
This area was buzzing with the joyous energy of the crowd, filled with games, art, dining, technology, multimedia, you name it—it’s the prime consumer district of the entire city.
If anyone overloaded with stress wanted to chill and blow off some steam, this would definitely be the place of choice.
And it was just a few hundred meters from Wan Yu Square.
Switching perspectives.
Three lolis were strolling side by side on the street, namely Night Lan, White Fish, and Zero Meow.
They had been shopping here for almost an entire morning.
“Um, Meow~ Night Lan, is there anything you want to buy?” Zero Meow asked.
Night Lan tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then shook her head. “Nope.”
Zero Meow then asked the nearby White Fish, “What about you, White Fish?”
“Nothing either.”
“What?! Meow… We’re out here having fun and not buying anything would be such a waste! It’s not like we don’t have money.”
“Well… I really don’t want anything special, though.” Night Lan reassured, feeling quite pleased in her heart.
By the way, the pocket money White Paint gave her was almost too much to spend.
If it was just for snacks, it could probably last her several lifetimes.
So, she could use it for something she actually wanted.
But the problem was, she didn’t want anything at the moment.
Aside from regular meals, Night Lan really didn’t have any extravagant material desires. Her consumer cravings were ridiculously low.
Basically, she was a hopeless little couch potato who wouldn’t spend a dime.
Speaking of which,
The casual stroll with Night Lan and the two lolis balanced perfectly with the tense energy of Night Star and the Rising Sun Theater!
It was simply perfect!
Looks like shopping to unwind is quite important; at least it’s better than staying holed up at home or hanging around the Night Watcher Base.
Strolling with good friends helped alleviate the stress that Night Star transmitted to her, so Zero Meow’s suggestion was a huge help!
“Really nothing you want to buy…?”
Zero Meow pondered, suddenly recalling something.
“How about we get some works from famous game industry artists? Heard there are a lot of decent, ahem, mature illustrations out there~”
“Wait, what?! There’s a place here that sells that kind of stuff?”
To be honest, Night Lan was intrigued by what Zero Meow just said.
In a way, Night Lan was like a loli queen who often researched various “xp” activities with Night Star when they were home alone.
Stuff like actions and outfits.
This requires referencing some ready-made works, of course.
Actually, Night Lan didn’t really want to see other artist’s illustrations; she just wanted to get some references.
After all, she was one enticing loli herself and could totally admire her own cuteness.
Now, she had no idea how long it had been; she needed to update her “xp”!
Just then, White Fish chimed in.
“But… we shouldn’t be able to go into those kinds of places, right?”
White Fish was pretty astute; after a long time scrolling the internet and gaining some enlightening lessons from Zero Meow, she naturally knew what they were chatting about.
Even in this era, there were still realms that minors couldn’t touch, one of them being the ‘adult’ content.
And it was pretty clear that Night Lan, White Fish, and Zero Meow didn’t look like adults at all. They would probably be stopped by the staff at the door.
To this, Zero Meow grinned mysteriously.
“Eh-heh~ I have my ways! I have plenty of channels to get those, so no need to worry, Meow.”
“Ugh~” Night Lan gasped, shocked.
Oh boy! This cat’s clearly been around the block before!
No matter what, it seems you can’t underestimate any cute little loli~
Just then, Night Lan’s expression suddenly became peculiar.
“Huh?”
Wait.
Why does the route the Rising Sun Theater is taking feel so familiar?
