Chapter 65: The little pink chicken did not give up the chase!
Aphrosia eyed the sticker with disdain. The Q-version goblin winked and flipped her off (with only three fingers). Taking a deep breath, she slapped it onto the pulsing pink heart on her calf with a smack!
Zzzzt—!
A violent reaction erupted, like cold water hitting hot oil. Pink magic waves clashed with chaotic sparks from the goblin sticker, creating ear-piercing noise and garish light pollution. Aphrosia felt a sharp sting and itch on her leg.
Seconds later, the light and noise faded.
The metallic phoenix head and pink heart were now covered by a massive, sparking goblin face, its smug grin and raised “middle finger” smothering the heart. The chaotic sparks scrambled the sweet magic signal, leaving only a “bad reception, full of nonsense” vibe.
“Done!” Jason clapped his tiny thigh. “Perfect cover! Boss’s work is top-tier! That pink freak’s tracking signal is now as vague as finding a needle in a forest!”
Aphrosia stared at the obnoxious goblin face on her leg, emotions mixed. It was hideously striking, but… effective? The locked-on feeling had lessened significantly.
“Safe… for now?” she asked uncertainly.
“Just physical interference! She’ll switch tactics once she notices the signal’s fuzzy. Per Boss’s Troublemaker Behavior Prediction Algorithm V3.14, her next move is likely…”
Before he finished—
Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~ Master, pick up the comms scroll! A cute pink fairy’s calling~ ♥
A saccharine, reverb-heavy cartoon loli voice blasted through the lab, coming from a massive wall screen. The display, previously showing a goofy white-haired loli, warped into a spinning pink heart icon, flashing with hearts and falling rose petals.
“Here it comes!” Jason clutched his ears in pain. “Mental pollution attack! Boss calls it ‘Pink Phone Bombardment’! Ultimate move: it rings until you answer, volume growing exponentially until your mind breaks!”
The maddening ringtone was brain-melting, growing louder and sweeter, the lab trembling in pink soundwaves.
Blazewing rolled on the floor, covering her ears. “Aaaah! It’s worse than a fire dragon’s roar!”
Mistfeather frowned, her blue eyes full of resistance.
Aphrosia’s temples throbbed, her sanity evaporating under the pink noise. She tried to shut it off, but…
“Insufficient clearance! High-priority external comms request! Only Boss or a ‘Star Key’ core holder can force-disconnect!” Squeak frantically tapped the screen, to no avail.
“Star Key core?” Aphrosia’s gaze snapped to the silver fragment on the workbench, resonating with her twin blades.
As if sensing her focus and the crisis, the blades hummed intensely. Their blue glow surged, wrapping the fragment in living light bands.
Hum—!
The fragment erupted in brilliant, soft silver-blue light, dimming the lab as if it absorbed all energy. The pink phone icon and ringtone choked, stuttering and distorting.
“Detected: Star Key fragment (secondary) active resonance!”
“Detected: High-compatibility mental guidance!”
“Temporary core protocol initiated! Top defense command: Silence!”
“Authorization: Temporary visitor, Aphrosia (mental compatibility: 92.8%)”
The cold synthetic voice carried a hint of “finally free” relief.
The screen went dark, wiping away pink effects, icons, and petals like an invisible hand. A sleek, techy blue dialog box appeared.
[Comms Request Source: Unknown (disguised)]
[Type: High-priority harassment call]
[Action: Executed top-level block (Silent Black Hole Mode)]
[Additional: Reverse-injected mental pollution—Boss’s Exclusive: Infinite Loop Pink Bunny Carrot-Pulling.avi]
The screen flickered, and the dialog vanished.
The world… was quiet.
“It… worked?” Aphrosia panted, ears still ringing.
“Badass!” Jason danced on the sofa. “Temp core access! 92.8% compatibility! Girl, what’s your deal with Boss? Long-lost daughter? No, Boss is an elf, you’re half-elf… maybe…”
His eyes gleamed with gossip.
Aphrosia ignored him, fixated on the Star Key fragment. Its glow faded, but the blue link to her blades grew clearer, like an energy channel. A gentle, vast intent—tinged with cosmic mystery, faint affection, and protection—flowed through it.
It felt… odd. Her heart trembled.
Her mind was a mess. Today’s events were too coincidental: scoring Frostwind Touch (likely a setup or the goblin merchant was clueless—his demeanor leaned toward the latter), being chased by Pink Chicken, stumbling into a strange tunnel, her blades resonating with the fragment, and an absurdly high mental compatibility.
Then there’s Ifrora. Why so obsessive? Her behavior was unlike before, like she was desperate to uncover something. Was she provoked? By what?
Did she know Flo was Aphrosia?
Aphrosia figured she was full of holes. Her personality—Flo and Aphrosia’s were nearly identical, but thankfully, she rarely interacted with Ifrora as Aphrosia.
Then the birds—Blazewing and Mistfeather (Blazewing: I’m the big sister! Why name Mistfeather first?! I’m tired of saying this!). Why follow Aphrosia instead of the “missing” Flo? And how did Ifrora’s tracking mark shift from Flo to a random girl? It made no sense.
Ifrora’s reaction suggested uncertainty but strong suspicion, likely waiting to confront her. Aphrosia couldn’t hide in this lab forever. Stepping out meant…
She felt a storm coming…