Chapter 692: NO．61：A Day Off Alone Together

NO．61：A Day Off Alone Together

The crystal-clear, enormous space, the data projections as vast as smoke and sea, and the deep interactive design that shifts scenes at any moment according to the viewer.

This is the Cosmic Archives of the Light Nation's Federation Office.

Although it sounds cool, it is quite unfriendly to outsiders.

The most direct manifestation is the constantly jumping text on those screens—that is the script used by the Light Nation.

And the charts and numbers decorated and dotted with that text raise the comprehension threshold even further.

Although high‑tech products pursue simplification and strive for a 'foolproof' operation threshold, the professional parts are inherently difficult to make truly user‑friendly.

This is precisely why the Cosmic Archives requires a records manager to guide visitors each time they arrive.

No matter what data is retrieved, Feilisi does the work; this is not to eliminate any security risk, but simply because if he doesn't operate it, no one else can figure it out.

Even the most basic—language switching—requires visitors to ponder for a long time; of course, if they truly have that patience and can persist to find the civilized language calibration switch, the rest becomes much easier.

For most visitors who only look at data without bothering to operate or adjust anything, the main barrier of this operating system lies in the language.

Once the language problem is solved, even a 17‑year‑old human high‑school girl can operate it a bit.

Just like Xin Tiao Qian right now, she can even issue commands to let the data‑constructed monsters' bodies and boundaries appear, and then have lifelike data float beside each monster, making the surroundings momentarily resemble a strange zoo.

"If you want to go to the monster zoo, there will be another chance later."

"Huh? Xiao She finally finished his work?"

With a light, bouncing step, the girl lingered before the image of a sturdy‑looking reptilian monster, watching its clumsy, stiff crawl across the wasteland; lost in thought, she heard that distant remark and instinctively turned to look toward the youth striding straight through the countless images.

The youth nodded: "Among the partners of the Light Nation's office will be a place for Lindun's firm, which will also mean that the firm's future clients may include Ultra Warriors."

"Isn't that already surpassing many peers? Xiao She, you should smile more happily~" Qian smiled.

Since arriving here, her face has constantly worn a smile—light and cheerful—as if she had truly fulfilled an old friend's expectation of her; it's hard to imagine she also bears a high‑value 'dark energy' frequency.

Just thinking back to when he finished registration and was about to leave, Philiss Ultraman asked him how he viewed the human girl accompanying him—that solemn, serious expression inevitably made him burst into laughter.

Just a girl who happens to love monsters a lot—his response let her not have to be so on guard.

"Benefits and risks are always relative; I asked Philiss Ultraman to delay the public announcement of this cooperation by two months, so that only after two months will the firm's name appear on the Light Nation's office list of friendly units."

"Is Xiao She worried about public feedback?"

"Not everyone pays attention to the Light Nation's office data updates, but if just a few people notice and spread the word, it can easily be packaged as news."

The youth said, glancing at the surrounding active 'monsters,' then turned back: "By then it won't be hard to imagine how many doubts and desperate‑for‑help commissions will arise when it's made public."

"Even affecting Suzi‑chan and them?"

"Exactly, that's why we're here." Aomo gave a helpless smile.

In Heaven Gate City, Qian has certainly seen more outrageous news; here people sometimes set lovers ablaze with fire in the street, provoking police raids, and attacks motivated by grudges against related persons are considered relatively orderly.

Compared to herself, she still feels those three horse girls are more dangerous.

After all, they were destined from the start to become public figures, and destined to draw Xiao She's extra attention.

In one respect, she actually does have some dissatisfaction.

After all, Xiao She devotes all her energy there, always pretending to be fine just to give those girls a sense of calm, yet they are not satisfied and instead want to add more trouble for Xiao She.

It's not that she can't understand why those three girls are trying to reach this side; rather, Qian herself should be fully aware—aware of the allure monsters possess, and even more aware of how Xiao She attracts 'abnormal' beings.

But how to put it……

Watching Xiao She pour far more care and tolerance into those people than she does here inevitably creates a certain gap.

And yet those people reject that care and tolerance, insisting on stepping into this territory—you horse girls should just focus on training for races!

Trampling on others' feelings without a second thought—otherwise Xiao She wouldn't favor you so much.

Qian's dissatisfaction stems from this; although the parties involved don't care about it and even think their proactive expression is a good thing, it made him understand the principle—'blocking is not as good as guiding; rather than constantly hiding as if one could protect everything, it's better to let them all become strong'—a truth that, if applied to protagonists of other works, might still be hard to grasp in the end.

But Qian still feels dissatisfied.

She understands Suzi's, Chazuo's, and Bourbon's choices, imagining that if she herself were kept in the dark about so much she would be unhappy and want to uncover something—at least, if it concerns monsters, she would definitely be interested.

But!

But……

But the things I lack, the things I somewhat desire, that others discard like trash… I suppose I'd still feel a bit angry, right?

I can totally be angry, right?

But she didn't directly criticize those three, who were actually close friends before school started and still chatted online often after; on the contrary, when Suzi's side needed to investigate the negative energy values around Renlong, she voluntarily offered her own data as reference.

This isn't some conspiracy, after all—everyone's friendship hasn't truly broken.

Qian actually realizes her dissatisfaction stems solely from herself; Xiao She has no dissatisfaction either, and in fact felt more relaxed because of those three's remarks, while those three themselves lack self‑awareness—perhaps there is also……

Just thinking about the personalities of those few short‑term roommates, especially Chazuo and Bourbon, Qian cannot help but admit they are pure‑hearted good kids, more inclined than she is to think of others.

They might have also apologized to Xiao She, but I don't know.

I just never asked…… should I have?

It makes me seem like a petty girl…… thinking like that—she used to always do as she pleased and never have such worries; the girl named Xin Tiao Qian truly has gained the friends she values.

She has also begun to experience the usual difficulties of maintaining friendship.

"Gavadon/Gabadun…… a 2D monster; before it appeared, I never imagined those flat pictures could have their own ecology……"

"……"

While Qian was zoning out, Aomo's gaze, which had been wandering the surroundings, retracted to before her, fixing on the fish‑shaped, milky‑yellow monster she had initially looked at, marveling at the creature that had been materialized from the children's drawings on concrete pipes under the combined effect of special cosmic rays and sunlight.

This made Qian a bit slow to also lift her eyes and look, without immediately speaking.

This monster has two versions, because the children drew it twice.

Version A is simple yet cute; version B is heavy and ugly—clearly driven by the children's ideas while drawing—and what Qian's command restored here is the 30‑meter‑tall short‑legged fish of version A, possessing a posture that is cute yet still bizarre.

"The first thing after materialization is to sleep; does that also mean that while it was a drawing on the concrete pipe it still felt the world's turmoil, making it especially tired…… or is it that its creator unconsciously revealed their worries?"

"……"

That brown gaze turned toward her, as if posing a question; the lofty, downward view also cast a shadow, yet it made her wine‑red eyes faintly glow.

She suddenly burst into laughter, trembling like blossoms: "…haha, where do all these possibilities come from? I think it just likes to sleep."

"Indeed, Xi and Suzi are always sleeping in," Aomo said solemnly, bowing slightly in apology, "I misjudged that child—the truth is actually this simple."

"Eh? Did Xiao She take my answer as the only answer?"

Compared to the earlier teasing remark, Xi, who had already sensed something, cared more about the latter part.

After all, it's a guess made by the person who owns the Gatton hug pillow; its evidential weight will always be clearer than that of an outsider trying to see flowers in the mist.

"Eh? The person involved, huh~" the girl gave a smile devoid of warmth—she had once dealt with a red‑haired boy in the same offhand way, even feeling like pushing up his clear‑pale‑yellow glasses.

But she forgot that she hadn't worn those glasses today; wearing them would actually slightly cover up her carefully done makeup.

So her finger naturally pushed at air, but then, two seconds later, it met the subtle frame of the glasses.

Those were the glasses Aomo had hung on her—his own plain lenses he'd gotten used to wearing when going out to meet strangers.

"Although the frames are a bit big, but as a temporary substitute they should be fine—what do you think, Miss Xintiao?"

"I think I should try wearing them to see how they work on other monsters!"

"They'd better give face, or they'll make Miss Xi angry."

"Heh heh, for Xiao She's sake I'll let them off early."

After all, that too is a kind of care and tolerance.