I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 408

Chapter 408: Xiao Mo is the Greatest Danger When There’s No Danger

 

Because I had been recording events all along the way, I didn’t specifically rush out of the castle to see the outside world. So strictly speaking, I’m not very clear about the exact route from the lizardmen island “Maha” to Xiao Mo’s “Empire.”

 

The reason why it’s called an “Empire” is because Xiao Mo once explained that this country built for me is a kingdom where “the queen’s word is everything,” with absolute centralized power.

 

While there are various laws and systems here, “Queen Diwu” can override any legal system. There’s no rotation of emperors, nor succession of power, for hundreds of years, it has been Xiao Mo alone managing under the authority of Queen Diwu.

 

It’s said that this approach has surprisingly good results. After all, Xiao Mo herself is a demigod who has lived for thousands of years, fought countless wars, and witnessed the rise and fall of numerous countries.

 

She knows how to govern a burgeoning nation, and highly centralized power allows Xiao Mo to act freely, thereby achieving the stable development of the country.

 

Currently, this country has not experienced any wars for hundreds of years, nor has it expanded externally. It is internally stable, with the common people living and working in peace and contentment, in a relatively “peaceful” period.

 

That being said, I’ve always had a bit of a poor sense of direction. If it’s a day without the sun, I can easily lose my way.

 

I mean not being able to find direction, in the premise of having a map. Vaguely remembering when I got lost in the medicinal botanical garden as a child, I had a map of Shenzhen City in my hand. It took me nearly half an hour to confirm my position on the map, and then several hours to figure out the direction, finally freeing myself from there.

 

At that time, maps were tangible paper maps. If you bought one on the street, it would cost around three yuan each, unlike mobile maps. Even with a map back then, you had to first confirm your position on the map and where you wanted to go, otherwise it was all in vain.

 

Back then, I still got lost for hours even with a map, which clearly shows that without any tools, I was actually directionally challenged.

 

Later, technology advanced. Even if you were directionally challenged, as long as you had a smartphone with a map app downloaded, following the guidance usually wouldn’t lead to major mistakes. If worse came to worst, you could ask for directions once you got to a nearby location.

 

Undoubtedly, my smartphone map navigation is useless in this otherworld.

 

In other words, even if I’m restless and run out of the castle everywhere when the little devil controls the Mobius Circle to fly, I might not remember the way.

 

Moreover, the “Mobius Circle” summoned by the little devil are very large, with a scale comparable to that of a small school.

 

If she can maintain the operation of the magic array throughout the journey and even build a small flying community inside, there is a long way from the castle to the edge of the magic array, and the wind is strong. Therefore, I gave up the idea of going out.

 

I only remember that after “Mobius Circle” ascended from the lizard people’s island, we headed northwest for about four hours and arrived at Xiao Mo’s “Empire”. Then we descended and landed directly in front of the “Imperial Palace” in the center of the Empire.

 

Moreover, after leaving the lizard people’s island, the sky outside seemed much more normal. It wasn’t various shades of purple, blue, and black anymore. Instead, it turned into a mix of blue, pink, and white, like the colors of cotton candy…

 

Can you imagine? Overhead, a sapphire-like sky with occasional drifting clouds of pink and white, with pale sunlight peeking through these clouds, casting a soft yellow-pink hue over the entire land. Through these clouds, you could faintly see two or three moons in the sky… What a beautiful scene it was.

 

The world’s color palette on the lizard people’s island was cool-toned, but outside was warmer, and in a pastel shade, giving off a burst of girlishness.

 

It was under such a sky that I descended from the air, and then Xiao Mo hugged me in her arms. One moment, she was sternly telling her subordinates, “You may withdraw now, I have some private matters to discuss with Queen Diwu.” The next moment, she was like an out-of-control child, hugging me tightly with great force.

 

It felt like holding a little bunny that could jump away at any moment.

 

Moreover, the “Imperial Palace” located in the center of Xiao Mo’s “Empire” was somewhat different from the splendid and magnificent buildings I remembered.

 

Its entrance is a long corridor that stretches all the way to the magnificent buildings ahead.

 

There are no glittering surfaces, no large chunks of diamonds or gemstones, and no particularly grand gates. It’s simply a very large corridor entrance, styled in a fantastical manner.

 

The height of the corridor is estimated to be between ten to twenty meters. There are many stone columns on both sides, each carved with elaborate patterns. Periodically, a column appears, and the corridor floor seems to be made of very expensive jade stone.

 

I’m not sure what kind of jade it is, but at a glance, it appears to be a whole piece, pale white in color, without any traces of cutting.

 

Inside, there are many water-like patterns resembling lake waters, reflecting the light blue and light pink sky. The “water” inside the crystal stones seems to flow gently, as if it were the sacred water of life, adding to the luxurious entrance of the entire palace.

 

In addition to the tall stone columns and large jade decorations, there are also two statues of angels at the entrance of the “Imperial Palace”.

 

One on the left and one on the right, the angel on the left has black wings, resembling a fallen angel, while the angel on the right has white wings with a halo above its head, exuding a sacred aura.

 

On the left side of the entrance, there is a low wall made up of walls resembling black roses, while on the right side, there is a vine wall resembling white roses. At first glance, one cannot help but marvel at the elegance and romance of the people who originally designed it.

 

“Alright, alright, I’m back safe and sound.”

 

Seeing that Xiao Mo continued to hold onto me for nearly half a minute without any intention of letting go, I comforted her softly.

 

“You prepared so much for me. Even if the teleportation went wrong, I could survive with them… Besides, I am already a very powerful entity myself, immune to most toxins and negative magic. My recovery abilities are strong, and I have various escape skills. Just this set of clothes on me is enough to resist most advanced mages. Plus, I have that jade pendant you gave me—though I’m still not sure what it’s for.”

 

“I thought you were sent into the void…”

 

Xiao Mo tightened her embrace on me even more, “I’ve been blaming myself, why did I let you use forbidden spells right after learning magic? I wonder if I should have waited a few hundred years, until you grew up and fully adapted to magic, before bringing you back to avoid such accidents. I…”

 

“This doesn’t sound like the usual you.”

 

I interrupted Xiao Mo, “Mature, stable, always very reliable and reassuring in whatever you do—that’s the image of Yin Xiamo that has always been in my heart.”

 

“But this time, I… made a mistake.”

 

Xiao Mo’s tone seemed a bit subdued as she spoke, “If something had really happened to you, then I… I…”

 

“People make mistakes all the time, right? Even back on Earth, Xiao Mo, you often made mistakes too, didn’t you? Besides, as you yourself said, magic in this otherworld hasn’t been thoroughly researched for millions of years. Moreover, we used forbidden spells this time. Making an occasional mistake doesn’t mean it’s your fault, Xiao Mo.”

 

I comforted her, “Xiao Mo should have noticed, right? On my author account for Honeydew, my signature has always been… ‘I’ve come all this way through failure’.”

 

Yes, I’ve come all this way through failure.

 

Writing books, I’ve failed countless times.

 

One book didn’t get subscribed after it went live, another one had its beginning scrapped by the editor, one got dropped halfway through hundreds of chapters, and just as one was signed, the editor notified me that it would be best to cut and start over… This is almost the path that most authors have to take.

 

Not everyone is gifted in writing books. Generally speaking, there are only two kinds of people who can earn money by writing books: those with talent and those who, even though they are mediocre themselves, can accept failure and persist in it.

 

“But…”

 

Xiao Mo in my arms still seemed unwilling to forgive herself, “I can’t allow myself to make any mistakes with you, Nuo’er.”

 

“Xiao Mo, you care too much about me. Occasionally, you need to be a bit willful, set down your burden a little. Momo is Momo, an independent person, not an item living for my sake.”

 

As I patted her shoulder and continued to reassure her, “Alright, alright, look, I’ve come back. Isn’t this your home ground? Why act like a child? If you keep this up, your image in my heart might just crumble.”

 

“……”

 

Upon hearing my words, Xiao Mo stiffened for a moment, then let go of me, wiping her eyes. “Sorry, I lost my composure for a moment.”

 

“Can’t you use divine power here?” I curiously surveyed the surroundings. “I feel like this version of Xiao Mo here seems more real.”

 

Behind me was a very large garden, lush green grass and blossoming flowers. It was clearly tended to daily, with flowers thriving in many separate flower beds, along with pavilions for resting, small ponds for enjoyment, and beautiful arch bridges, among other features.

 

Clearly, the entrance to the temple or palace was right in the center of this large garden.

 

However, the pavilions and arch bridges here did not resemble any architectural style I knew from Earth, and I didn’t recognize most of the plants and flowers either.

 

There are even “decorative mushrooms” here, as I’ve seen many mushroom gardens with huge mushroom caps in pink, light blue, and even the same colors as the mushroom houses in Ouyang Xue’s favorite game, Maplestory.

 

Beyond this small garden, there appears to be a building that resembles a “national parliament” often seen in RPG games. Further back, you can faintly see some smoke and vendors, likely the area where commoners live.

 

“Yes, most of my power, fixed as the concept of a god, remains on Earth. My strength here is not what it was hundreds of years ago,” Xiao Mo confirmed my thoughts. “Vivi and the others might vaguely sense it, but given their personalities, they probably won’t think too much about it.”

 

“So that’s why you made me the queen of this country from the start, instead of ruling it yourself?” I asked, “Are you planning for me to become the new leader here?”

 

“That’s something for thousands or even tens of thousands of years in the future,” Xiao Mo didn’t deny it.

 

“But let’s not talk about that now. Did you get hurt in the Land of Exile? How are you feeling?”

 

“No, I took good care of myself.”

 

I lifted the hem of my Lolita dress and spun around in front of Xiao Mo.

 

“The lizards there gave me lots of fruits. There was one that looked like a coconut. You poke it with a spear to drink the juice inside, which tasted like sweet honeydew melon juice. And there was another fruit that looked like a strawberry, white and soft, with an amazing taste, even better than strawberries!”

 

Speaking of strawberries, I remember the first time I met Xiao Mo. I had specifically bought some expensive strawberries from the supermarket, but she didn’t come that evening, leaving me to eat dinner alone. Hmph, Xiao Mo had quite a temper back then.

 

“Oh, and the lizard people’s village chief gave me some roast meat. I don’t remember if it was wolf or rabbit, but it was pretty good. They only used salt, but it would have been even better with some cumin!”

 

“Pfft…” Xiao Mo laughed as I casually recounted my experiences. “Aren’t you afraid they might poison the food?”

 

“First of all, even you didn’t know I would suddenly teleport to that place, so the lizard people definitely wouldn’t know. They couldn’t have known my identity to prepare some powerful poison specifically for me. If they wanted to poison me, it would have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, like being motivated by my appearance or something. But Nida, who brought me to the village, is a girl, unless those lizard people have a habit of eating humans.”

 

I said seriously, “Most importantly, Xiao Mo, you told me before that my body can resist most toxins. I trust you.”

 

“You silly thing, you can indeed resist most toxins, but ‘most’ doesn’t mean ‘all’,” Xiao Mo laughed.

 

“You are a forbidden spell yourself. If someone skilled in forbidden spells targeted you, being careless could still be dangerous.”

 

“Are those lizard people experts in using forbidden spells?”

 

“Definitely not.” Xiao Mo shrugged.

 

“Most lizard people don’t know magic. Even if they do, there has never been a case of a lizard person using forbidden spells in history. The best they’ve had is a novice mage.”

 

“Exactly, I’m not a child. I can tell if something is poisoned!” I put my hands on my hips.

 

“You make it sound like I’m some kid who would eat candy off the ground.”

 

“Aren’t you exactly the kind of little girl who would pick up candy from the ground?”

 

Xiao Mo seemed much more relaxed now.

 

“Not bad, you’re not as foolish as I thought.”

 

“Of course.” I said proudly.

“My brain is quite smart, all thanks to someone creating this body with forbidden spells…”

 

“By the way, why didn’t you use the magatama I gave you?”

 

“There was no emergency.” I blinked.

“You told me to use it only in urgent situations. I wasn’t in any life-threatening danger, nor was I teleported to a particularly harsh environment.”

 

“Was being suddenly teleported to an island not an emergency situation?”

 

“Was it really an emergency?”

 

“Wasn’t it?”

 

Xiao Mo reached out, took off my beret, and then patted the little tuft of hair sticking up.

 

“Nuo’er, you’ve always lived in a bustling city. Suddenly… being teleported to a vast forest with wild beasts all around, weren’t you scared?”

 

“No, I wasn’t scared.” I shook my head.

 

“Compared to the beasts in the forest, I find someone’s gaze after I take a bath each day much scarier.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Absolutely!” I puffed up my cheeks. “Like last time, even though I begged for mercy, you kept bullying me! Even if we’re both girls, you can’t keep doing that!”

 

Xiao Mo squinted her eyes playfully. “Doing what?”

 

“Hmph, I won’t fall for your tricks again.”

 

I walked past her, looking at the angel statues at the entrance of the corridor, and took a deep breath.

 

“By the way, why did you send those big sisters this time instead of coming to find me yourself?”

 

“If I went directly, they would definitely think it was something really significant, and the commotion would be much bigger,” Xiao Mo sighed. “Sometimes, Vivi and the others are overly loyal and misinterpret my intentions.”

 

“So how did you explain it to them this time?”

 

“I just said that the newly born Queen Diwu was learning forbidden teleportation magic and accidentally teleported to the Land of Exile. Considering the pirates there, anyone available could go and pick her up.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

“That’s it. Didn’t you feel their enthusiasm?”

 

Xiao Mo followed up. “Although I took care of this body during your years on Earth, they occasionally snuck in to see you a few times. But back then, you were always asleep in the crystal. They might have felt a bit regretful. I had announced your awakening before, but mentioned that you needed some time to adjust. Their anticipation was high, so hearing that Queen Diwu had returned, they couldn’t contain themselves.”

 

“I felt it.”

I recalled the skeleton girl Vivi’s unreserved hug when I arrived. “They… are all your subordinates, right?”

 

“They are your subordinates too. Your commands are everything to them, even taking priority over mine.”

 

Xiao Mo calmly said, “Moreover, their loyalty is unquestionable. They belong to the type that would follow you into battle against the world without hesitation if you ordered it.”

 

“I’m not so cruel as to declare war on the world…”

 

I could guess that these people were probably Xiao Mo’s close comrades from when she was conquering the land… well, sisters in arms.

 

“I have one last question.”

 

At the entrance of the palace, I took out the magatama from the pocket of my dress and turned to Xiao Mo.

 

“Yesterday in the lizardman village, I didn’t encounter any danger, so I didn’t get to use this. What does it do?”

 

Xiao Mo looked at the magatama and gave a somewhat strange smile. “Do you want to try it?”

 

I felt a bit puzzled. “Here?”

 

“Yes, it’s a type of magic tool, but the conditions for its use are a bit stringent. It takes a long time to make, and you need to actively inject magic into it and then confirm it.”

 

Xiao Mo’s trademark smile appeared on her face. “If you’re really curious, you can try it here.”

 

“I… I feel like this might not be very reliable,” I instinctively held the magatama to my chest. “If I inject magic into it, will it turn me into a succubus?”

 

“While I would love for that to be the effect, unfortunately, the succubus form is something only you can awaken on your own. I can’t help you with that.”

 

Xiao Mo leaned in closer, speaking in a seductive tone, “Give it a try. Although it’s a consumable item, the materials to make it aren’t particularly rare. I’ll make another one when I have time. If you use it now, you’ll gain experience and know when to use it next time.”

 

“I still find it suspicious.”

 

Her sly expression made me instinctively take a step back.

 

“Is it really a tool to use in emergency situations?”

 

“Of course, I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this. In any crisis, like if you were transported to the void or a place full of deadly beasts, it could save your life.” Xiao Mo said earnestly.

 

“Even if you’re in a situation like staying overnight in a lizardman village, it could help you escape safely.”

 

“Is it really that amazing?”

 

I skeptically looked at Xiao Mo, then at the magatama in my hand. “Can’t you just tell me what it does?”

 

“If I told you, you’d probably be less likely to use it now,” Xiao Mo said with a knowing look. “So, if you’re truly curious about it, you can use it here. But if you ask me, I’m not going to tell you.”

 

So cunning!

 

This feeling of “Xiao Mo must be up to something” yet also “if Xiao Mo tells me to use it in danger, she surely wouldn’t harm me” is so contradictory! Is there any tool that can protect you in dangerous times but becomes dangerous itself when used in safe conditions? Does such a tool even exist?

 

“Alright, I’ll… give it a try.”

 

Seeing Xiao Mo’s resolute expression and knowing she wouldn’t reveal its effect unless I used the magatama here, I took a deep breath and raised the magatama to my chest, beginning to inject my magic into it as Xiao Mo had taught me.

 

A big sturgeon, a big sturgeon…

 

For a big sturgeon, the magic rune should be this one.

 

I focused on the red magatama in my pale hand, converting the vague concept of “big sturgeon” into a magic rune and inputting it into the magatama. In this world, there’s no exact word for “big sturgeon” and no specific magic rune to express that concept, but since Xiao Mo had said that any ordinary rune would have an effect, I didn’t worry about the specifics. I simply simulated the concept of a “giant sturgeon,” converted it into a rune, and forced it into the magatama.

 

“Buzz—”

 

Just as Xiao Mo said, this is a magical artifact, and the moment I injected my magic into it, it responded.

 

Under the beautiful sunlight, the red magatama emitted a faint red-black glow, enveloping my entire hand. Then, a strange feeling surged in my heart.

 

The feeling was subtle: on one hand, my body seemed to resist it, like tasting something sour or bitter, a clear warning not to continue injecting magic into the magatama.

 

But on the other hand, the aura from the magatama was very familiar, just like Xiao Mo’s usual comforting presence, and my intuition told me I could safely proceed with injecting magic—it wouldn’t harm me.

 

These two conflicting sensations and instincts made me hesitate briefly before choosing to trust Xiao Mo.

 

Although Xiao Mo can be unreliable in daily life and loves teasing me, she never jokes about serious matters, especially not my safety. So, in situations like this, I would unconditionally trust her.

 

Therefore, I continued to inject my magic into the magatama until I had fully embedded the entire “giant sturgeon” magic rune into it.

 

“……”

 

After a brief moment of silence, the magatama in my hand emitted a distinct dark red glow again. This halo of light seemed to have a life of its own as it quickly flowed from my hand towards my body, soon enveloping me entirely.

 

The dark red light rapidly penetrated through my clothes and seeped into every inch of my skin. The sudden influx of strange energy made me shudder involuntarily, causing my body, which was standing at the palace entrance, to stiffen abruptly.

 

Huh?

 

At that moment, I realized I couldn’t move.

 

My head drooped slightly, and my hands fell powerlessly to the sides of my skirt.

 

I could clearly feel the energy seeping into my body, slowly taking over every corner like a puppet on strings. Despite being the master of my body, I had no control over it and could only maintain my previous standing posture, quietly awaiting the energy’s full takeover.

 

I still had all the sensations of my body—my open eyes could see the splendid palace in front of me, my legs clad in Lolita tights could feel the soft embrace of the stockings and the skin, the slight friction of my chest against my light underwear with each breath, and the occasional sound of the wind in my ears. I could feel, see, and hear all of these things.

 

My body had no issues at all. It was just that I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t even lift my hands or move my eyeballs.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Before long, the dark red energy transformed from the magatama had completely permeated my body, seemingly merging with me entirely. At the moment the energy dispersed inside me, “I” lifted my head slightly and raised my hands to my chest, as if confirming something. Then, I looked around, my gaze settling on the small form of Xiao Mo in front of me.

 

What was most eerie was that whether it was raising my head, lifting my hands, or looking at Xiao Mo—none of these actions were my own commands to my body. I felt like a bystander, helplessly watching my body move on its own accord, experiencing every sensation it had.

 

“It looks like it was a success!”

 

Xiao Mo said, noticing my questioning gaze directed at her. She chuckled, covering her mouth, “Are you finding it hard to control your body now, Nuo’er?”

 

Yes! So, what exactly was happening here?

 

I tried to speak, but whether it was my vocal cords or my mouth, they defied my command to “speak.” The “me” in front of Xiao Mo just stood there dumbly, without any intention of making a sound.

 

“This is the effect of the tool, inspired by the latest AI technology popular on Earth recently,” Xiao Mo said with her trademark smile.

 

“I extracted part of my memory persona, combat experience, and magical energy to create this magical device, generating an artificial intelligence. You can think of it as creating a duplicate of myself, but this duplicate is merely an aggregation of combat experience and memories, not a real personality.”

 

With a thoughtful expression, Xiao Mo continued, “Well… to put it another way, you could say you’ve been possessed by my duplicate.”

 

Possessed… by a duplicate?

 

The me unable to control my body in front of Xiao Mo was dumbfounded.

 

I seemed to understand the implication now: “Protect you when in danger, and become dangerous when there’s no danger…”

 

“This duplicate possesses my combat experience and some memories. I’ve also infused a large amount of magical power into the magatama. If you use it in a dangerous situation, she will instantly empower you into a formidable forbidden spellcaster. This duplicate knows about the Lizardman Island situation. When you used the magatama back then, she could have immediately guided you back to me.”

 

Xiao Mo leaned closer to me, reaching out to pat my head.

 

“Of course, there’s no danger right now, so she should understand the current situation. However, it may take a long time for the tool’s effect to wear off completely. Until then…”

 

“Little kitty, your body will completely obey me, okay?”

 

“……”

 

……