Chapter 940: The Pufferfish Slipped Away
Sound also has its form.
When the slender heels tapped on the floor, the "tak" and "tak" sounds were as light and elongated as willow leaves. The tall and slender arches of the feet seemed to turn the shoes into musical instruments, making people hold their breath and listen intently. When the delicate tapping stopped, everyone seemed to forget about time and stared at the person without blinking.
In the shadow cast by the wide-brimmed hat, the red lips curled slightly.
No one understood better than Magus how to turn time into charm. The once tight skin, the fine lines at the corners of the eyes... all hints of age suddenly disappeared when she looked up— several strands of golden curls slid down from her gray-blue eyes, as if the wide-brimmed hat couldn't conceal the halo emanating from her every move, finally revealing a glimpse of it.
Black Whiskers glanced at her, then at Bohemia trapped in the claws, and let out a disappointed sigh. Bohemia was immediately infuriated by this sigh, but when she glanced at the person opposite her, she couldn't utter a single word.
"It's really different," said the redhead. He seemed reluctant to take his gaze off Magus and trembled as he spoke, "This, this is the..."
"Tell me something I don't know," Black Whiskers said with a stern face.
Magus chuckled softly in a low voice. She lightly tapped her lips with her fingertips, as if pondering, and said, "Then let me tell you something you don't know. Your Higher Consciousness will be severely damaged today, and you may never be able to enter the Astral Plane again. It's a bit regrettable, isn't it?"
Bohemia noticed that her speech sounded slightly strange. It was as if she had been anesthetized, her lips and teeth not quite cooperating, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time and had become somewhat inarticulate.
"Arca."
The two of them didn't look much better, but they were far from being frightened. Black Whiskers stared at Magus, clearly prepared for a confrontation. "Get someone!"
They hadn't thought about calling for help when dealing with Bohemia, which made her quite unhappy.
The young man with red hair took two steps back and raised his hand under the cover of the translucent crab. Several flickering lights appeared on his fingertips one after another. However, before those points of light could burst into the air, Magus elegantly clapped her hands lightly.
No one could say exactly what happened in that instant, but one thing was certain—Magus didn't even need to use the "conditional attachment." The points of light vanished with a "pop," and just as the young man with red hair was about to let out a half roar, he was abruptly interrupted by the sudden undulation in his own chest. They didn't have a physical form in the Astral Plane; they were merely forms condensed by Higher Consciousness. At this moment, the chest seemed to ripple like waves, and in the blink of an eye, a hole appeared in the chest.
Despite Black Whiskers' shocked expression, he was already prepared. His exclamation of "Arca, get someone!" seemed entirely aimed at diverting Magus's attention. As soon as he spoke, he swiftly threw out several points of light along with the young man with red hair. He happened to catch the moment when Magus extinguished the lights, and instantly, several points of starlight rushed towards the depths of the corridor.
While stirring up a posthuman Higher Consciousness form that was unstable, Magus was still able to pay attention to what he was doing. One after another, those points of light were quickly extinguished midway. However, only the last point vanished like lightning from everyone's sight, beyond her reach even.
"Using a comrade as a guinea pig, huh?" Magus sighed, the traces of youthful decline blending with the charm blooming with age on her face like a double exposure. "Even though you're still young, can't you live with a little dignity?"
The red-haired person named Arca, struggling and terrified, had a complexion that had turned as intense as his hair. As he desperately resisted Magus's power and tried to gather his Higher Consciousness once again, Bohemia also fell from the crab's claws. She had never been so grateful to have Black Whiskers standing in front of her—he silently took a few steps back until Octo's hand gently touched her shoulder.
"The third one on the left," a hoarse but inexplicably captivating voice whispered lowly against her.
Bohemia instantly understood and quickly glanced at Magus.
The woman who always seemed to be enveloped in a dream-like halo never appeared
rushed. The two opponents who had been blocking her path were now both preoccupied—one had become self-absorbed, while the other wisely chose not to attack and instead layered himself with protection, awaiting reinforcements.
Bohemia cautiously shook her head.
It wasn't the right time now, even though Magus didn't spare them a single glance as if she had forgotten about their existence. But Bohemia was certain that if they made a move, their fate would likely be the same as that of the red-haired young man.
Lin Sanjiu was such a bastard. She clearly knew what kind of person Magus was, yet she deceived her and sent her such a bullshit message. She remembered that Lin Sanjiu mentioned something about Magus needing help, and as long as she followed through, there was hope to restore the conditional attachment. She really wanted that woman to see if Magus was truly such an easygoing and reasonable person.
"When the reinforcements arrive," Bohemia wrapped her voice in Higher Consciousness and sent it in Octo's direction behind her.
"Your shallow understanding of Higher Consciousness surprises me."
As Magus uttered those words, Bohemia's heart skipped a beat. She hastily looked up and realized that the remark seemed to be directed at Black Whiskers.
"No matter who your master is, having you little ones surround me shows how naive he is," Magus said, seemingly in no rush to take action, merely enjoying the sight of the red-haired young man silently rolling and struggling on the ground. "It's really unfortunate. The more you long for some peace and quiet, the more people come to bother you. Oh, Bohemia, hello there."
It was as if she had just noticed Bohemia's presence.
Bohemia swallowed hard, her face pale, and nodded.
"You've gained weight," Magus keenly remarked without holding back. "When you wear
loose clothes, you should pay more attention to your figure." How annoying!
But Bohemia didn't dare say it directly. Just as she opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond, Octo suddenly let out a low exclamation from behind her. Instinctively, she lifted her eyes and caught sight of a sudden glow of starlight in the depths of the corridor.
Magus let out a slight snort through her nose and turned her head slightly, propping her hat. Octo immediately seized the opportunity and whispered to Bohemia, "Let's go!" She had been preparing for this moment, almost transforming into starlight the instant the sound rang out. Two stars simultaneously plunged into the third protruding wall on the left.