I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 276

Chapter 276: Seeking Guardianship of Priestesses and Elves Now!

 

The sudden appearance of a massive palace engulfing the entire stage not only shocked the audience below, but even I, on the stage, couldn’t help but feel a sense of fantasy.

 

Was this even real?

The palace, predominantly in shades of grass green and dark green, gives off a feeling of ancientness, as if covered with moss from ages past. Its overall architectural style resembles that of ancient Persia — semi-circular with many empty arches around.

 

Most astonishingly, beneath this palace, right where I stand on the stage, large patches of green grass have sprouted. At a glance, it looks as if a great sorcerer from a fantasy movie has magically created a “domain.” Standing at the center of this palace, I feel like the mistress of the domain, the kingdom’s little princess.

 

“Oh my! It’s so beautiful!”

“Wait… let me grab my phone to take pictures!”

“What kind of technology is this? This company is amazing. I need to record this.”

 

After a brief moment of astonishment, the audience below the stage began to take out their phones, aiming their cameras at me on stage. Meanwhile, the speakers above us started playing a melodious tune — the PV music of the Dendro Archon Nahida from the game.

 

“Nuo’er, follow my lead later, or improvise if you want. Let’s stretch the show with two acts for about ten minutes.”

 

At the same time, I noticed Yin Xiamo, dressed as Lumine, turning off her microphone and addressing me.

 

“Huh?”

I was a bit at a loss. “Improvise? What exactly do you mean?”

 

Xiao Mo wasn’t very familiar with modern technology, and I was well aware that what we were facing now was definitely more like “magic” than “holographic projection” to her. But to the majority of the audience below, it might just be “holographic projection.”

 

Xiao Mo cleverly “threw a ball” into the air first, as if using it as a signal to kick things off, and then a bunch of “projectors” above the stage lit up. Not only the palaces around us but even those “projectors” that seemed to be projecting holographic images onto the stage were fake.

 

Xiao Mo simply simulated the holographic projection from our side of the Earth based on her understanding. Even if people around took in the entire stage, they wouldn’t think it was magic. No matter how “magical” Xiao Mo did things inside, people outside would still think it was fake, just a projection.

 

The only thing that worried me was… Xiao Mo had always given me the impression of being a lightning mage, or a martial artist who used thunder attributes and wielded a long scythe. She rarely showed me this supposedly elven “life element” magic. I didn’t know to what extent she could perform it.

 

“We’re about to start!”

 

While I was still stunned by the surroundings, Xiao Mo had already lifted me up from behind.

 

“Nahida looks so silly and cute!”

“Why is she spacing out so much? Hahaha…”

“Lumine is so strong, just grabbed the Dendro Archon like catching a kitten!”

 

The sudden appearance of the “Pure Virtue Palace” made the audience below completely forget about being “stood up” just now. They began to discuss Xiao Mo and me on stage, and the sound of “click click click” from taking photos echoed continuously.

 

“These two look so familiar, aren’t they from that… the maid cafe called ‘Shangjing Cat Maid Café’? I saw an introduction on Tongmeng’s website. Even though she’s wearing a wig, that cute face seems one of a kind worldwide.”

“Now that you mention it, there is indeed a maid named Nuo’er in that cafe. She cosplayed as the Dendro Archon before, and the GIFs of her went viral in the group.”

“Yeah, you mention GIFs, and it all comes back to me. She danced in this outfit at the cafe before. Who would have thought it was this company providing the technology?”

“So, this is really holographic projection technology? That’s so awesome, isn’t it?”

 

Amidst the clamor, the ground ahead, originally covered with grass, suddenly slowly revealed a grass-green magical swing. The swing was supported by two shining magical vines, with a square board that seemed just big enough for a child to sit on.

 

“Can it really do this?”

“Don’t tell me this swing is functional!”

“Is it fake? I think I see ropes, translucent ropes? Oh damn, how did I miss that just now?”

 

Seemingly to fulfill the crowd’s fantasy that “the swing was pre-tied,” Xiao Mo, while conjuring it with magic, added two thin ropes in a place not covered by the top palace.

 

“Ding—”

 

As the music gradually became clearer, Xiao Mo behind me directly placed me on the swing, then grabbed it and pulled back, then swung forward—

 

“Nuo’er, do that hopscotch dance again, just like you did at the café.”

 

When the swing was pulled to its highest point, I heard Xiao Mo behind me saying this in my ear.

 

“Huh?”

 

I hadn’t prepared at all, and there was a sudden chilly sensation under my skirt. Then, following inertia, the swing launched me out, and in that moment of flight, it turned into twinkling stardust and disappeared.

 

Was this even possible?

 

In mid-air, I swiftly stabilized my posture. The clothes, modified by the elves, seemed to emanate a kind of ethereal, pure energy, instinctively guiding me to gracefully arc through the air like a bird, then elegantly land.

 

“No way! It can actually be sat on? Is this some kind of magic?”

 

“What’s the principle behind that swing?”

 

“I can already predict that there will be a ton of ‘reconstruction videos’ popping up online in a few days. This effect is almost magical!”

 

Seeing that the swing could indeed be sat on, the audience below involuntarily showed expressions of astonishment. However, at this moment, I had no interest in paying attention to their reactions. As I landed, I swiftly turned around, struck a pose facing the people below—

 

Hopping squares, one-two, then turning, one, then turning again, blinking, being cute.

 

Behind me, Xiao Mo also cooperated well by “adding special effects” in front of me.

 

The grass-green squares, the spreading vines, the twinkling stars…

 

I never expected that the “Dendro Archon’s basic attack move” that I casually practiced before would come in handy at this moment.

 

At this moment, there was only one thought in my mind: improvisation, to stall the audience below for twenty minutes.

 

Similar situations had occurred frequently for me since graduating from college, whether in job hunting or during work.

 

This belonged to the realm of “adaptability to unexpected situations,” a challenge everyone encounters in life.

 

Some may have encountered similar situations in school, like accidentally damaging public property and facing the school authorities, or as singers, dancers, performing unexpectedly on stage during events like New Year’s Eve.

 

This requires us to have strong adaptability on the spot, how to explain, how to save the situation.

 

I’ll always remember my senior year of college when I read a bunch of “interview coping strategies” and “interview tips.” One of the questions was asked like this, “If during the interview, the main examiner asks you, as a mature company, why should we hire you, a fresh graduate with no experience, when we have so many experienced applicants?”

The “best answer” given in the book was, “Although I’m a fresh graduate with no work experience, I’m still young and eager to learn. Also, hiring me would cost less than hiring experienced professionals. I believe I have many advantages.”

 

When I went for interviews, some companies actually asked this question, and I roughly answered like that. The main examiner laughed on the spot, saying, “It seems we’d be more comfortable hiring someone experienced. I’m sorry, I don’t see any advantages in hiring you.”

 

Then, because I hadn’t come across this “rejected response” in the book, I was at a loss for words and was eliminated on the spot.

 

But this experience led me to think about similar situations. I immediately started thinking and searching online for answers — how to respond when a company asks about the advantages of hiring you over someone with experience.

 

The impression society has always given me is like this: survival of the fittest, only the fittest survive.

 

As they say, “Without pushing yourself, you’ll never know your potential.” With Xiao Mo’s gaze upon me, I realized this and instantly entered “emergency mode.”

 

Helping Xiongxiong’s company stabilize the situation, open up the market, and ensure the smooth running of this “product launch event” is my current task. If I can’t achieve it, their company’s reputation will be affected, and there will be problems for Jiang Wei, who collaborates with Xiongxiong and the graphics card factory behind him, as well as potential issues for Tongmeng.net, which collaborates with Jialan Company, and the underground electronic esports at the cafe.

 

Most importantly, Xiongxiong promised me that if I can manage this, he’ll help solve Xiao Mo’s painting problem. So no matter what, I can’t lose my composure.

 

Nuo’er, you can do this.

Believe in yourself, believe in Xiao Mo behind you.

 

Taking a deep breath discreetly on the stage, I began to improvise according to the rhythm of the music—

 

Hopping squares, waving hands, mimicking heavy blows, and then pretending to play with the surrounding small animals.

 

Beside me, Yin Xiamo conjured up a mushroom beneath herself, sat on it, and cooperated with me to create various attack effects and little animal mushrooms with magic.

 

For a moment, the vast stage was filled with translucent mushrooms and animal friends, vivid and lifelike, as if bringing the whole of nature onto the stage.

 

Believe in Xiao Mo.

 

Feeling the rhythm of the music overhead, I followed its beat, pretending to be lifted up by the surrounding animals, then leaned down as if being supported by them—

 

The next moment, an invisible force lifted me up, and the translucent animal friends around me came under me one by one, and then suddenly threw me into the sky!

 

“Lalalalala…”

 

As the music reached its climax, Xiao Mo also gathered a dazzling array of lights at this moment, enveloping me in the air.

 

The surrounding translucent “palaces” instantly became incredibly bright, flooding the entire comic expo with grass-green light and patterns.

 

“What’s going on?”

“Is this music about the Dendro Archon? Are they having an event over there?”

“This is too exaggerated, isn’t it? How did they pull this off?”

“Before, at the League of Legends venue, they even conjured up a dragon for you. With a few projectors here, they can definitely create a promotional PV. Let’s go, let’s check it out.”

 

The exquisite “holographic projection” attracted a large crowd again. The crowd surrounded the stage in layers, even though I was “floating” in mid-air, it was still densely packed.

 

“Lalalalala…”

 

Different from the PV released by the game officials, perhaps to achieve a more “user-friendly” effect, Xiao Mo did not arrange for those flying fish and big mushrooms to lift me up. Instead, she actively jumped under me and caught me as I rapidly descended.

 

I have to say, the safety shorts that come with the Dendro Archon’s cosplay outfit are a great invention. Otherwise, being tossed up and floating in mid-air in front of so many people, I wouldn’t know how many times I’d have exposed myself.

 

Moreover, I never expected that Xiao Mo, who was originally just sitting at the edge of the stage, would suddenly rush up and embrace me.

 

“Nahida, I’ve come to pick you up.”

 

With one hand holding me, to my puzzled expression, Xiao Mo opened the microphone, allowing all the onlookers to hear her voice.

 

“Happy birthday!”

 

As her words fell, a plethora of flowers suddenly emerged, decorating the entire stage as if it were a dreamlike amusement park from a fairy tale.

 

The previous small animals and mushrooms all walked towards us, applauding us.

 

The music ended at this point.

 

The palace in the sky disappeared, and the surrounding flowers, grass, and animal friends faded away in a burst of light.

 

The stage returned to its previous appearance.

 

Carrying me like a princess, she placed me in the middle of the stage, gently lowering me down. Xiao Mo picked up the microphone again.

 

“Thank you all for your support.”

 

After saying that, she pulled me and bowed to the audience below, who were already too stunned to speak.

 

“……”

 

*Clap clap clap clap…*

 

After a brief moment of daze, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue, led by who-knows-who.

 

“Th-this is magic, right? It must be magic!”

“I don’t know, although it’s different from the original PV, it looks amazing too. In the end, the traveler came to rescue the Dendro Archon, I can accept this ending too!”

“Is holographic projection technology already this advanced? Am I behind the times?”

“They just said it’s based on the technology from this Jialan Company. Now I’m really looking forward to what else this company will come up with later. It seems like coming to this comic expo today wasn’t in vain.”

 

After bowing, as expected, the audience below erupted into lively discussions again.

 

Since becoming a little girl, my hearing has always been sharp. Now, in elf mode, my hearing has been greatly enhanced. So even though these people’s conversations are hundreds of meters away, I can hear them clearly.

 

Indeed, everyone was very shocked by Xiao Mo’s “character demonstration” created with magic. But it seemed that very few people thought about the aspect of “we are not ordinary people.” Saying “it’s like magic” was just an exaggerated way of expressing it.

 

Thinking about it, it’s also due to the Earth’s cognitive inertia that no one could possibly think of “magic.” If I hadn’t met Xiao Mo, if I had seen a similar “character demonstration” at the expo, my first reaction would probably be, “Wow, this expo spent so much money on this kind of technology,” then I would discuss with my friends how such effects are achieved, and after a few months, I might forget about it.

 

Moreover, I was actually very surprised that Xiao Mo could improvise to this level.

 

Xiao Mo doesn’t know much about Earth’s technology and hasn’t seen any videos related to the “Dendro Archon Nahida.” She came to the stage purely because I promised Xiongxiong to “help in an emergency.” But she can effortlessly host this “live performance” with me without any preparation, and we cooperate seamlessly.

 

Quietly, I tilted my head and glanced at Xiao Mo beside me.

 

Xiao Mo… she probably has a similar past, right?

 

When I was very young, the first time I spoke on stage was because the teacher took me there to introduce myself. At that time, my heart was racing, and I had no idea what to say.

 

Later, I went on stage again for some group recitations, choirs, group dances, and finally, after graduating from school and working as a waitress, I faced difficult customers, introduced products as a salesperson, and so on.

 

Even with these past experiences, I didn’t feel much at ease running onto the stage at this moment. In contrast, Xiao Mo appeared completely accustomed to it throughout. In front of so many spectators, she even gave me a reassuring look, saying silently, “It’s okay, you can do it.”

 

For some reason, seeing Xiao Mo’s eyes, my nervousness suddenly eased a lot.

 

Thank you…

 

“The Dendro Archon looks so cute when she tilts her head!”

“Who has the contact information of this girl? Is she a professional cosplayer? How come I haven’t seen her before?”

“So adorable! Did you capture that moment just now? The way she looked at Lumine, so silly, so innocent… Oh, I’m dying, how can someone be this cute?”

“She hasn’t rehearsed for long, it feels like she was brought in to save the day, but her expression and movements just now, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, poor thing.”

 

However, just because of my subconscious action of “tilting my head to look at Xiao Mo”, it once again triggered the astonished exclamations of the onlookers below.

 

In an instant, the sound of cameras clicking incessantly echoed, various praises and teasing voices made me unsure whether to be angry or to laugh.

 

Who’s silly? You’re the silly one! I just… It wasn’t subconscious, I was just amazed that Xiao Mo could pull off something like this!

 

“Before the CEO of Jialan Company brings back the prototype, let’s enjoy the final performance, brought to you by this little one next to me, a solo performance. The song will be themed around Elvish language – ‘Abandoned Prison’!”

 

Taking advantage of the audience’s attention being focused on me, Xiao Mo smoothly delivered this speech into the microphone. Then, she bowed slightly and turned off the microphone.

 

With a “ding” sound, reminiscent of a system notification, the previously vanished “palace” once again enveloped the entire stage.

 

“I will transmit the grammar of the Elvish language into your mind using a dream-like state. The lyrics will also appear in front of you. Nuo’er, you just need to sing along with the melody, it’s very simple.”

 

As she left, Xiao Mo whispered to me, “You are now in elf form. Just relax and perform normally. By the end, everyone in the audience will become your fans and followers.”

 

“……”

 

……