Chapter 57: The Awakening of Thoughts Drowning
The power of wishes could perhaps be dubbed a miracle.
And boy, is it versatile!
Of course, the B-rank psychic Wish Princess can’t exactly claim omnipotence yet.
More like pseudo-omnipotence, really.
Night Lan wasn’t even sure how far her abilities stretched.
Even if she was way more formidable than before, she doubted she’d become completely invincible.
Unless she transformed back into a Star Eclipse.
Such a reversal of power could bring about havoc enough to obliterate everything.
The Leader decided to drop further inquiries for now.
After all, a little Leader like her really shouldn’t be privy to all the juicy details.
An Extraordinary Star Holder had to maintain a veil of mystery to pull off unexpected surprises.
Though Night Lan was already shining brightly, she needed to have the strength to fend off trouble.
Right now, she was the Night Watchers’ last line of defense, and there was absolutely no room for any danger to come her way.
Pretty much every Night Watcher would stake their lives just to protect her.
As for whether she needed protection… well, that was up for debate.
The Leader shifted gears and asked about another matter.
“I remember there are a few other groupings of Star Eclipses; are you going to deal with those?”
“Um, yes, that was already agreed upon.”
Making deals with Star Eclipses…
Now that’s not exactly something your average Night Watcher should be doing.
If it were any other Night Watcher pulling this stunt, they’d likely end up writing a detailed report explaining their actions.
They might even face a psychological check-up, just to ensure their minds weren’t tainted by the Star Eclipses.
But Night Lan was an Extraordinary Star Holder, and with the Leader’s blessing, it was all good.
Plus, she just pulled off a mind-blowing stunt that left the Night Watchers reeling, so the number of dissenters was probably in the single digits.
“I’m really envious that you can communicate harmoniously with the Star Eclipses. The average Night Watcher can’t even withstand their pollution, let alone chat with them.”
Not to mention the sheer raw power of the Star Eclipse embodiments; as long as they didn’t actively attack, fights could generally be avoided.
But the catch? Star Eclipse pollution was passive.
As long as it existed, it would take effect, and it could cause a lot of harm to normal humans.
So far, the Night Watchers hadn’t developed effective technology to resist it.
It was one of those mind-fogging messes that contaminated the psyche and then seeped into other aspects of life, creating a truly bewildering dynamic.
Ultimately, they had to rely on the unique qualities of Star Holders to resist for a while, but eventually, the effects would wear them down.
And that’s part of why communication was so tricky.
Another reason? The general mental state of Star Eclipses tended to be a bit… off the charts, making them difficult to handle.
It seemed only a special case like Night Lan could negotiate with them.
Resistance to pollution magic, observant mental prowess, heartfelt kindness…
Not every Night Watcher had those traits in spades.
The Leader pressed on, “So when are you planning to make your next move?”
Night Lan pondered for a moment.
“Hmm… I pushed too hard this time, and my star is still in cooldown mode. I don’t have absolute confidence.”
“Cooldown” might not be entirely accurate, though.
Anyway, Night Lan could still manage to fulfill some minor wishes; conjuring a bottle of cola should be within her reach, probably.
As for whether she’d end up snoozing on the spot after that… well, she’d rather not say.
The Leader nodded gently and suggested, “You definitely should take a break then. Let’s wait until you’re back to full strength before you act.”
“Um, that’s the plan too.”
At that moment, a thought struck Night Lan. “By the way, Leader, do you have info on another Star Eclipse embodiment? The one for ‘Thoughts Drowning.’”
Before taking action, she wanted to know as much as possible.
Yet, during her previous search, she hadn’t come across much info on “Thoughts Drowning.”
Just a simple sentence recorded, as if the information was under lock and key, limiting even the Night Watchers.
“Wait, the one you’re going to help is her?” The Leader looked surprised.
As the Leader of Pinghaishi, she naturally had access to more information.
“The pollution from her Star Eclipse is exceptionally peculiar, so the information has to be restricted. Even Night Watchers can easily fall prey to it.”
“Wow… that sounds terrifying, but I don’t have to worry about it, so can you show me?”
The Leader stared at her for a moment and then nodded.
“I’ll sort the information and send it to you later. Just go back and wait.”
“Oh, then I’ll take my leave for now.”
“Off you go.”
Night Lan turned and left, returning to Zero Meow and her cozy little hideaway.
A few little lolis were happily chattering away.
Star Sheng seemed to have smoothly blended into the group.
Thanks to White Fish and the others’ care, they were all understanding little ones.
Night Lan greeted White Fish and the others, plopped down on her bed, and began to sift through the data sent by the Leader.
This was the intel on the emergence of the “Thoughts Drowning” Star Eclipse embodiment.
Initially, this Star Eclipse embodiment appeared at some event.
It seemed to be a comic convention or something alike.
Her activity level was low; she just hung around in silent corners, acting as transparent as air, like a little stray animal.
Under normal circumstances, Star Eclipses couldn’t be observed by ordinary people.
The silhouette of “Thoughts Drowning” shouldn’t have attracted anyone’s attention.
Yet, among the swarm of attendees was a civilian Star Holder.
He happened to be a photography enthusiast who loved capturing beautiful and adorable things.
And he just so happened to spot “Thoughts Drowning” huddled in the corner, thought she was cute, and couldn’t resist snapping a picture, which he later posted online.
Due to that civilian Star Holder’s impressive photography skills, the “Thoughts Drowning” embodiment looked incredibly adorable, and just looking at the photo could evoke instant affection.
The power of first impressions is surprisingly potent, and that was the starting point of this Star Eclipse event.
It didn’t take long for the Night Watchers to catch wind of it.
After all, quite a few young Night Watchers love surfing the internet.
When they stumbled upon the photos of “Thoughts Drowning,” they quickly reacted negatively.
Because they could feel something was eating away at them.
Thus, the Night Watchers sprang into action.
Nearby Night Watchers hurried to the scene to disperse the crowd, planning to handle this Star Eclipse incident.
The “Thoughts Drowning” embodiment didn’t flee; she remained still, looking harmless and without any apparent danger.
Subsequently, the Night Watchers aimed to approach and make contact.
Not every Star Eclipse warranted elimination by the Night Watchers.
As long as it was confirmed that the Star Eclipse embodiment wouldn’t cause chaos, they might take a more lenient approach.
However, an unexpected incident unfolded.
The Night Watchers closing in were suddenly overwhelmed by intense Star Eclipse pollution, losing all their emotional faculties, with even their own stars suffering significant repercussions, falling into a state of Star Eclipse transformation.
Thankfully, that particular Night Watcher managed to retreat just in time, narrowly avoiding a dangerous situation.
Later, the Night Watchers discovered that even the circulating images online could trigger Star Eclipse pollution.
As soon as anyone felt a tendency to like her, the pollution could kick in rapidly.
It was like a strange virus lurking everywhere.
In response, the Night Watchers could only employ technology to urgently delete the photos circulating on the internet.
They even tracked down the civilian Star Holder who had taken the pictures, insisting he delete the original for a good self-reflection.
That was the preliminary stabilizing move.
But the potential danger posed by “Thoughts Drowning” was enormous.
After serious discussion, the Night Watchers reluctantly decided on a merciful extermination.
And that was how this incident concluded.
