Little White Lotus's face instantly turned pale, her eyes wide open as if she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her.
Her lips trembled slightly, and a choked sob escaped from her throat.
Her expression twisted as if she were about to cry, yet she held back the tears that threatened to spill over.
She slowly approached the pile of shattered fragments that flickered with a faint light, her trembling hands wanting to pick them up but afraid to touch them, fearing it would cause more damage.
Her breaths became rapid, her chest heaving violently, as if she had just experienced a tremendous blow.
Little White Lotus's reaction made the atmosphere in the room even heavier.
Everyone else held their breath, not daring to disturb this heartbreaking scene.
Hiyakura's face also turned exceptionally grim.
Her gaze was fixed on the pile of fragments, a surge of intense unease and fear rising in her heart.
If the memory crystal was truly completely destroyed, would she ever see Tao Yao again?
That Tao Yao, who provided her warmth and understanding in both reality and the virtual world...
Wasn't she about to disappear once again before her eyes?
Hiyakura felt her throat tighten, her heart racing.
She struggled to suppress her inner emotions, forcing herself to remain calm.
However, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving behind a few red marks.
Finally, Hiyakura summoned her courage and asked with a trembling voice:
"Little Principal, can this be fixed?!"
Little White Lotus snapped back to reality at Hiyakura's question.
Sweat had already beaded on her forehead, and she looked utterly exhausted.
She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound less desperate:
"It's not easy, but I'll do my best..."
Upon hearing this response, Hiyakura felt her heart sink completely.
She knew Little White Lotus too well; if even Little White Lotus said "it's not easy" and used vague terms like "I'll do my best," it meant the situation was really dire.
Hiyakura's heart was instantly drowned in despair.
She thought about how she might never see Tao Yao again, that girl who brought her warmth and hope, that friend who stayed by her side during difficult times in the virtual world.
Just thinking about it sent Hiyakura's emotions spiraling out of control again.
The temperature around them began to rise slowly but noticeably.
The air grew sultry, as if invisible flames were burning.
The metallic objects in the room started to feel warm, and small cracks appeared on glassware.
The leaves of the plants began to curl, as if they were about to wither under the scorching summer heat.
Little White Lotus noticed these changes and said anxiously:
"Please, Hiyakura, don't panic."
"As far as I know, there are many fragments of the memory crystal, and this is just one piece. We can find the others later."
"And can you give me a bit more faith?! What if I really do fix it?"
Although Hiyakura was already able to control most of her powers, when her emotions lost control, it still caused small-scale destruction.
While these damages were nothing to Manju Academy, surrounded by so many delicate instruments, if anything were to break because of it, Little White Lotus would surely be heartbroken.
So, her top priority now was to calm Hiyakura's emotions.
Hearing Little White Lotus's words, Hiyakura tried to stabilize her mood.
She took a few deep breaths, feeling the temperature around her gradually decrease.
She looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and said to Little White Lotus: "If there's any news, make sure to tell me right away."
Little White Lotus breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly:
"Okay! I promise."
...
Meanwhile, while the main cast was troubled by the crystallization turning into fragments,
On the other side, Tao Yao had also exited the virtual world within the crystal fragments.
Before long, the system fairy Xiao Xiao also popped up.
She floated beside Tao Yao, her face full of excitement.
"Master, master, how was it? Was our acting good?"
However, she received no response from Tao Yao for a while.
Seeing Tao Yao standing there slightly dazed, Xiao Xiao immediately felt confused.
"Master, what's wrong with you?"
Xiao Xiao gently poked Tao Yao.
Only then did Tao Yao come back to her senses. She looked at Xiao Xiao, her expression slightly puzzled:
"Xiao Xiao, about the original form of Little Snow Fox, what exactly was that creation you mentioned? Why did I feel so sad just now?"
At this moment, Tao Yao's heart was filled with confusion and doubt.
She actually felt sadness at that moment.
She had always been confident in her emotional control.
But this experience in the virtual world had made her feel something unprecedented.
That sense of reluctance and sorrow towards Little Snow Fox.
Although it was just for a moment, it was real enough for her to not ignore it.
Was it the influence of this body?
Or had she really gotten too invested in the role?
With the current information and data too limited, Tao Yao couldn't figure it out or make any guesses.
When Xiao Xiao heard Tao Yao's question, her expression turned somewhat apologetic:
"I'm sorry, Master. Xiao Xiao's memories have definitely been altered in some way. Only if you accumulate enough popularity can Xiao Xiao completely restore..."
After listening, Tao Yao gently nodded: "I understand."
She paused for a moment and then asked:
"Xiao Xiao, have I accumulated enough popularity this time?"
Xiao Xiao, upon hearing this question, instantly became extremely excited:
"Of course! In this new mode, you were practically accompanying the players the whole time, and as they got to know you better, your popularity naturally skyrocketed."
"The investment in this new mode has not only recouped all costs but made a considerable profit. Now, you have nearly 600,000 in popularity value!!"
Tao Yao nodded in satisfaction, then spoke:
"Who are the characters in the next version's card pool?"
Upon hearing Tao Yao's question, Xiao Xiao immediately started to introduce the new version's card pool:
"According to the original trajectory of the game... in the next version's card pool, the five-star character is Laurel, her role is the main damage dealer with very strong attack power."
Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, then continued:
"Apart from Laurel, there are several four-star characters to serve as support. Although they are not new characters, their skill sets are highly compatible with Laurel, so I believe many players will want to pull them to build the perfect team."
After listening to Xiao Xiao's introduction, Tao Yao nodded slightly in understanding. She thoughtfully inquired:
"Hmm... has the player with the fastest progress logged in yet?"
Xiao Xiao showed a vaguely awkward expression upon hearing this question.
"Uh, Master, about that... the player named Hua Yu seems to have some matters to attend to in their world and has not logged in for a day."
"However, even so, no other players can catch up to her progress!"
"Before going offline, Hua Yu had already advanced all the settings for our levels to a remarkably high level. Although other players are working hard, they still need some time to surpass her."
Tao Yao nodded lightly after hearing this, seemingly not surprised by the result.
She pondered for a moment, then said to Xiao Xiao:
"Okay, you should quickly finalize the beast tide for the 100th round. Then at the stage when I appear, take this opportunity to let the players try out my four-star character cards and create a bit of hype for my next version."
"Hype? Why do we need hype?"
Xiao Xiao was momentarily taken aback by this instruction.
Then, as if realizing something, her eyes widened in surprise:
"Wait… Master, are you planning to... enter the card pool? Let the players pull for you?"
Upon hearing Xiao Xiao's reaction, Tao Yao couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Isn't this a normal thing? As an important character in the game, entering the card pool is just a matter of time."
However, Tao Yao didn't stop there; she continued:
"Besides entering the card pool, I also need you to help me give my character cards to the players as gifts."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao was so shocked that she could barely speak.
Her wings abruptly stopped flapping, and she stood frozen in place.
After a while, she stammered out a response.
"Give away? Free... give it away?"
With those words out of Tao Yao's mouth, it felt like a giant stone had been dropped into a calm lake.
For the record, while Tao Yao had previously consumed popularity value, it usually meant giving players some small gifts, like harmless ten pulls.
But now, she was actually going to give away her character cards directly?
This was simply an unprecedented act of generosity!
In the face of Xiao Xiao's astonishment, Tao Yao maintained her calm expression and replied casually:
"Yes, for free."
"What do those players think they deserve?!"
Xiao Xiao couldn't understand it at all.
But Tao Yao replied with a smile:
"I noticed that many players have already begun to complain about this version. To make things better for them, I think they need me."
"After all, this is something that's bound to happen sooner or later, no need to keep dragging it on."
Upon hearing this reply,
Xiao Xiao's once lively wings suddenly drooped.
"I understand..."
Xiao Xiao fell silent for a moment, seemingly struggling to accept this reality.
Then, she couldn't help but start to complain.
"My master's four-star character cards have strength that is not inferior to five stars!"
"My master is actually giving them away for free; it's really unfair to those annoying players."
Tao Yao looked at Xiao Xiao's dejected expression and couldn't help but smile tenderly.
She reached out her fair hand and gently cradled the little fairy, holding her in her palm.
Xiao Xiao's wings fluttered slightly, appearing somewhat aggrieved.
Tao Yao softly stated:
"Alright, you don't need to be like this. All my gifts will be rewarded in return."
Her voice was gentle yet firm, filled with confidence, "Now we need more popularity, right? To gain popularity, I need to give the players more benefits."
Xiao Xiao looked up, her eyes shining with a gleam of confusion. Tao Yao continued:
"Think about it; if the players can obtain my character cards for free, what will they think? They will see me as generous and approachable. That way, my favorability in their hearts will greatly increase."
Tao Yao spoke with a hint of cunning,
"And when they use my character cards, they will better understand my abilities and characteristics. So, when my five-star version goes live in the next version, and I give it away for free again, that will be the time for my popularity to explode."
Upon hearing this explanation, Xiao Xiao's eyes gradually lit up.
She seemed to understand Tao Yao's intention and excitedly twirled in the air.
Tao Yao watched as Xiao Xiao regained her vitality and continued:
"Xiao Xiao, get ready; besides giving away the characters, we also need to prepare early for the updates in the new mode for the next version."
Xiao Xiao's emotions were easily controlled.
Comforting her was naturally simple.
Before long, Xiao Xiao was fully back on track.
With renewed energy, her little wings flapped again, becoming lively once more.
"Has my master already thought about how to design it?"
Tao Yao smiled slightly and answered affirmatively.
"Of course!"
...
At that same time, while Xiao Xiao and Tao Yao were discussing how to utilize existing popularity value to change and influence the game world of "Fairy Journey" in the next version.
Meanwhile.
In Blue Star, Hua Yu pushed open the door to her house.
Behind her, her younger sister Hua Lei eagerly trotted in, shouting:
"Sis, should I have my own room or stay with you?"
Hua Yu turned around and looked at her sister's cheerful expression, gently responding:
"Let's stay together for now."
Upon hearing this, Hua Lei immediately leaped up in excitement.
"Yay! It's been so long since we lived together."
Her face was filled with a pure smile, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Hua Lei began to look around the room.
Curiously, she examined the neatly arranged books on the bookshelf, lightly brushed her fingers against the desk lamp, and even bounced to test the mattress's resilience.
The whole room seemed like her new world full of novelty, with every corner worth exploring.
Hua Yu watched her sister's lively demeanor and couldn't help but show a doting smile.
She internally rejoiced that her sister's health was getting better, and after a series of check-ups, it was no longer necessary for her to be monitored in the hospital.
For this reason, she deliberately did not log into "Fairy Journey" yesterday, just to pick up her sister from the hospital.
She hoped to improve her sister's mood by changing the environment after taking her out of the hospital.
Just as Hua Yu was lost in thought, the sound of her sister Hua Lei urging her broke her from her reverie: "Sis, what are you waiting for? Come on!"
"Huh?"
Hua Yu was a bit confused, momentarily slow to respond.
Hua Lei hurriedly said: "Fairy Journey, get started! We promised to figure out how to pass the levels together."
Only then did Hua Yu belatedly walk over.
Hua Lei had already brought over a small stool for herself and placed it beside the computer desk, eagerly saying:
"Come on, Sis, sit next to me."
Then, Hua Yu was pushed into her seat by her sister.
She suddenly asked, her tone slightly hesitant: "Do you want to livestream?"
Hua Lei instantly responded without hesitation:
"Absolutely! I've been wanting to take those disgusting comments in your livestream head-on."
"Hehe, hurry up! With my help, you'll definitely succeed!"
Seeing her sister so full of energy,
Hua Yu naturally felt very good too.
So she gently patted her sister's head.
Then, she turned on the gaming equipment.
As the equipment powered on, the familiar game interface gradually appeared before her eyes.