I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 277
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- Chapter 277 - The Dawn Here is Quiet and Still
Chapter 277: The Dawn Here is Quiet and Still
In my elven form, my “perception” of the entire world was much clearer than when I was human. I chose the word “clear” because in the language of “humans,” it seemed that only these two words combined could barely express such a feeling.
In my human form, as a girl, besides the obvious physical differences from males, my senses were relatively more sensitive and acute compared to males, but overall, my body and mind were quite similar.
However, after entering elven form, the whole world seems to me like it has directly transformed into an elegant poem. All the worries and sorrows vanish completely. It’s as if all the passersby and electronic devices around me have turned into mountains and streams, snow and dew.
At this moment, I finally understand the core difference between elven mode and human mode. That is… dreams. It’s like the difference between dreams and reality, between the infinite and the infinitesimal.
Moreover, I don’t know if it’s because of wearing that set of specially made elven clothes, but after Xiao Mo performed a stage play with various life magics, I, who was initially a bit reserved, quickly adapted to this soft and light world. At Xiao Mo’s gesture, I took the microphone she handed over and turned it on.
*Ding ling ling—*
In the beautiful light green world, the music slowly starts to play.
I don’t know what magic Xiao Mo used, but several lines of floating text appeared before my eyes. It wasn’t any language I recognized, but in this state, it felt… very familiar.
“My dear, I know this may be an ending for the world.”
Bathed in the music that flowed from all directions, I gazed at the elegant words before me and softly spoke.
“For thousands of years, we’ve exchanged unchanging steps.”
“Now, on this beautiful earth, all that remains is gold – golden hems, a golden harp, golden sunlight…”
A melodious voice emanated from my throat. Unlike my usual soft and sweet loli tone that I could easily slip into, when singing, my voice felt more “girlish,” as if imbued with a certain comforting aura.
It was like the sunlight streaming through dense forests after a war, gently warming the wounds of a wounded kitten, offering solace and hope. There was some sadness, yet it brimmed with vitality, incredibly soothing to listen to.
Beautiful language, beautiful vocal tones, beautiful melody.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but in this state, I really saw deep forests and sunlight, ruins and cats. Just like the title of this song — “Beneath the Ruins.”
I saw war, I saw forests stained red with blood, I saw lakes dyed red by raging fires. It’s as if I’ve come to the edge of a forest ablaze, kneeling beside injured little animals, cradling them one by one in my arms.
“What… What song is this… It’s so soothing…”
“I’ve never heard this language before, which country is it from?”
“It feels like being purified, my goodness, did they hire such a professional singer…”
While I might have found my own singing somewhat “heartwarming,” the passersby below seemed to be instantly overwhelmed. Almost the moment my singing started, I saw at least half of the people who were supposed to be pulled over by their companions, busy playing on their phones, lifting their heads. Even people far, far away, who had shown no interest in the “stage play” just now, turned their gaze towards us, their faces displaying surprise.
“Quiet, just listen to the song, it’s really beautiful.”
“The voice of this little girl is too perfect, is this what humans can produce? It felt like it was crafted by the heavens themselves. I feel……”
“Tch man, STFU! Just listen to the song.”
“……”
From childhood to adulthood, I have never sung a song publicly like this, alone, except in choir. Most people in this world have experienced various school events during their student days, and there is usually a solo performance or similar program at these events. For the performer, it’s a significant challenge, testing not only your singing skills but also requiring strong mental resilience.
Back when I was in middle school, my desk mate volunteered for a solo performance at the school’s New Year’s Eve event. Her childhood dream was to be a singer. I still remember the song she signed up to perform was a solo folk song called “Jianjian Yao.”
On the day of the event, my desk mate stood on the stage in a very cute dress, proud as a little princess under the shimmering starlight. I clapped so much my hands were numb.
At that time, I also fantasized about whether I could one day stand on my own stage like that. Then, this thought was squashed by my relatively ordinary self — I probably didn’t have the courage for it.
I never expected that my childhood dream would be realized in this way today.
Childhood Dreams (Tongmeng) is indeed Childhood Dreams. [1]
That’s probably what it means.
“The song of the fading world, praising our journey ahead.”
“Please grant us light, beautiful and pure eternal guardians…”
Following my instincts, I gently grasped the microphone and bravely walked forward, facing the large audience around me.
?Stop crying, your smile suits you better.?
?It’s not your fault.?
?If one day I’m no longer here, promise me, you’ll live on well.?
In the midst of my own singing, I seemed to have entered a fantastical realm, where before my eyes unfolded scenes like a revolving lantern.
The sky of a different world, snow-capped mountains, forests, the vast sea.
The young Momo from childhood, her head being patted, shyly moved aside.
The hungry little Momo, drawn by the aroma of roasted food, awkwardly approached the bonfire.
Xiao Mo, no bigger than a small dinosaur, holding a long spear in the forest, swaying left and right because of her light weight.
The warrior clad in armor, draped in a cloak, sitting atop a mountain peak gazing at the moon, his golden cloak fluttering in the night breeze.
At this moment, completely immersed in “memories,” I no longer felt the nervousness I had before stepping onto the stage. The sound emanating from my mouth had transformed into a purer substance akin to “energy.”
?Are you an idiot? You can’t eat this raw!?
?In terms of life, there’s nothing much left for me to teach you, except cooking.?
?Momo, you’ve learned even the thunder-elemental prohibition spell but still can’t cook? I’ve said it before, once you learn to cook, there’s nothing more I can teach you, even if it’s just simply cooking rice properly.?
“Between those corners, we met.”
“Can I journey with you to the distant homeland?”
“Will there be an end on the other side of time and space?”
On the stage, scenes of memories floated before my eyes like shattered fragments, one after another.
Below, the audience grew more and more, increasing…
The music echoing through the headphones and the entire venue clearly wasn’t produced by any instrument in this world. Like the magical wonders children steadfastly believe in, this music carried everyone who heard it to the clouds, to the Eden garden enveloped in happiness and warmth.
More than half of the passersby who were originally holding up their phones to record slowly lowered their hands.
The bustling venue gradually quieted down.
Halfway through the song, a magical scene unfolded.
The gazes directed towards the stage were no longer filled with disdain or impatience, and the expressions on people’s faces were no longer ones of gloom and anxiety, but instead, they were filled with a sense of release, as if they had been healed by divine light.
The high-pressure society, the high-pressure environment, the high-pressure hearts suddenly disappeared.
Many people unconsciously extended their hands, keeping rhythm with the music.
“What’s going on?”
In a daze, I seemed to hear the conversation between Xiongxiong and a few others behind me.
“We brought back the prototype and equipment. What’s happening on stage? Where did you get this kind of projector?”
“I don’t know. My friend… Nuo’er’s singing is really good. I heard her sing nursery rhymes at the turtle breeder’s house just now. Her voice seems to have a magical power, I almost couldn’t recover from it.”
“Is your friend a professional singer?”
“No, she’s a novelist.”
“What did you say?”
“A novelist…”
“……”
The me on stage, seeing the suddenly quiet venue, lowered my voice slightly—
“The dawn here is so quiet, starting from my hometown.”
“And ends in fields irrigated by starlight…”
“……”
This song, which I had never heard before, never sung before, and didn’t even know the lyrics to, or understand the language it was in, was sung by me on stage, following the melody in my heart.
Apart from a slight nervousness at the beginning, for the next few minutes, I basically sang according to the most primitive music in the depths of my body.
In the song, I seemed to see some of Xiao Mo’s past and also glimpses of the history of the elven race.
War, peace, destruction, reconstruction, life, death.
Ruins, homeland, nature, hell, hatred, great love.
Finally, as the massive holographic projection conjured by Xiao Mo’s magic disappeared into tiny specks of stars, the music echoing in the venue gradually came to a halt.
“The red dawn flows from beneath the apple tree, the blazing sun’s fire stings like a bee’s sting in people’s hearts.”
“Lalala, lalalala…”
After reciting the last line of the lyrics and humming a short melody, my voice also gradually faded away.
“……”
Afterward, there was a long period of silence. Some of the audience members bowed their heads, some wiped away tears discreetly, and some seemed unwilling to snap out of a certain fantasy. For nearly half a minute, not a single person made a sound.
Not understanding what had happened, I quickly bowed to the crowd below, turned off the microphone, and then hurried over to Xiao Mo’s side.
“What… What happened?” I asked.
I gestured with my eyes towards the people below.
“Why aren’t they speaking? Did I sing terribly?”
“Ah… it’s not that bad,” Xiao Mo, dressed as Lumine, looked somewhat embarrassed.
“It’s just… Nuo’er, you quickly mastered this elven mode. Just now, inadvertently, you seemed to have used a small amount of life and purification magic on the people below. They’re a bit… dazed now.”
“Huh?”
I was dumbfounded. “What do you mean?”
“Every elf is a natural singer and bard. Their songs inherently carry a certain magical ability, with the power to heal hearts. They also have a morale-boosting effect on the battlefield. Nuo’er, you sang so well just now that you fully utilized this ability of the elves.”
Xiao Mo looked at the crowd below the stage. “It’s just… it’s a bit too intense.”
“What do you mean by ‘too intense’?”
“In our world, there are also some ‘powerless’ individuals. The effect of the elves’ songs on them is significantly amplified. I think it’s the same here on Earth.”
Xiao Mo lowered her voice to explain, “Nuo’er, you should know a little about the situation here, right? Right now is the highest pressure period during peacetime. People who come to comic conventions are more or less seeking relaxation and stress relief.”
“In other words, everyone has their own worries—being pressured to marry, failing exams, struggling to pay off car loans or mortgages. So, many of the people attending the convention have their own burdens. The moment when the personal effect of the elf on ordinary people is enhanced by the purification effect can give them an exaggerated experience.”
With a shrug, Xiao Mo continued, “Of course, when your singing stops, the huge contrast will make them want to remain immersed in the happiness they just experienced and not return to reality.”
“Ah… is it really that scary?”
I felt a bit embarrassed. “I think I was just following the dream you sent me and singing along with the music…”
“I didn’t send you any dreams,” the girl in front of me said astonishingly.
“All of that you sang just now was all sung by yourself, Nuo’er, after you suddenly grasped the main melody of the elves.”
“Huh?”
This time, I was dumbfounded. “Xiao Mo, did you use any magic on me just now?”
“No, I just used magic to modify those players so they could play songs from our world. But since I’m not familiar with this stuff, it took a bit longer, and I didn’t have time to use my dream ability on Nuo’er.”
Xiao Mo gestured to the phone. “As a result, you sang along with the melody yourself, and… even added the purifying ability of the elven songs.”
“Is… is that so?”
“……”
“Ah… what a pity, it’s over already.”
“Yeah, it was so nice. It feels like the last time I heard such captivating music was over ten years ago.”
While I was talking to Xiao Mo, it seemed like the surrounding passersby were gradually waking up from the “dream” as well. Many of them stretched lazily in place.
“Ah… feels so much better. It was worth coming here.”
“Yeah, it’s like being purified, even better than drinking a big gulp of cola!”
“I’ve recorded the whole song. I’m going to play it on repeat when I get home.”
“By the way, does anyone know who this singer is? How can someone so young sing so well…”
“She’s not a singer, she’s… well, how should I put it? You should go to the Nanqi District and look for the ads there. There’s a maid cafe, and she works there.”
In no time, as these people “woke up,” the bustling atmosphere of the convention gradually returned.
“We need to figure out how to convince Xiongxiong and her parents about the holographic projection thing later.”
Seeing that quite a few people had already gathered behind the stage, Xiao Mo muttered quietly, “Nuo’er, how do you think we should explain this?”
“For now, let’s put that aside…”
I glanced anxiously at the many people below the stage who had already “dispersed” but were lingering, hesitant to leave. I expressed some concern, “Xiao Mo, you said I unintentionally used the power of the elven race on them. Will that have any effect on these people?”
“Effect?”
Xiao Mo turned around. “There will definitely be an effect.”
“Is it okay?”
I asked cautiously. “What kind of effect will it have?”
“The effect of the elven songs on the battlefield is to win hearts and enhance cohesion. If it’s a bard-like figure, it’s to make others happy and then toss coins. In simple terms…”
Intentionally or not, Xiao Mo paused here.
“If the basic affinity between any two people is 0, and regular friends are at 50, then Nuo’er, your song has directly increased their affinity towards you by more than 80.”
“In simple terms, they probably consider themselves your most loyal fans right now.”
“……”
……
TL Note:
(??) Tóng mèng : Childhood Dreams