Chapter Seventy-Three: The Sensation of Surpassing the Speed of Light

The white bodysuit was slightly different, with the wings on the back's propulsion device now transformed into double wings. The ports on her hands and feet had also strangely become dual thrusters. Even her figure had matured considerably, no longer resembling either Zhuan Xiaoyuan or Zhuan Xiaosi as they were before. She looked like a more grown-up version of Zhuan Xiaoyuan, with hints of Zhuan Xiaosi’s features mixed in. The most obvious change was at her chest.

Both Zhuan Xiaoyuan and Zhuan Xiaosi had been nearly flat-chested, but after merging, their size unexpectedly increased quite a bit. Was this the legendary “two negatives make a positive”?

“So this is our fusion? I can truly sense the powerful energy. This should count as a success, right?” Looking at her own hands, the newly born Zhuan Xiaoyuan could clearly feel the peculiar energy coursing through her body, a blend of the energy from the Mecha Maiden world and her own divine power. At the same time, her mind was suddenly flooded with knowledge and memories that had never belonged to her.

“Should I call this a success, or a failure?” A familiar voice came from her lips—it was unmistakably Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice.

“Huh, Xiaosi, you’re still here! That’s wonderful.” Hearing Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice, the first thing Zhuan Xiaoyuan noticed wasn’t that both of them could simultaneously control the lips and speak in different voices, but rather the joy that welled up at Zhuan Xiaosi’s presence.

“Yes, it seems the fusion isn’t complete; my consciousness data still exists separately. But the physical data has merged perfectly. Truly unexpected—I never thought you were from another world, Xiaoyuan.” Thanks to the merging of memories, Zhuan Xiaoyuan had gained Zhuan Xiaosi’s knowledge, and Zhuan Xiaosi had likewise glimpsed Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s memories. Whether due to the influence of Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s memories or some other reason, Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice was no longer emotionless as before, but began to reveal a warmth that approached that of an ordinary person.

“Ah, you already know? Sorry, I kept it from you all this time.” Despite being surprised by the change in Zhuan Xiaosi’s tone, Zhuan Xiaoyuan felt guilty that her secret had been discovered.

“It’s fine, and such things aren’t easily shared anyway. Enough chit-chat, let’s experience even greater speed now.” Though her tone had changed, showing signs of personal emotion, Zhuan Xiaosi’s pursuit of extreme speed was undiminished—if anything, it had grown even more determined thanks to Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s memories.

“Yes, I believe with our current state, we’ll definitely succeed.” The space around them grew more turbulent; it seemed the demons were starting to exert their power. Zhuan Xiaoyuan and her counterpart had no more time for idle talk—they had to hurry and accomplish their objective.

“Let’s begin.” Zhuan Xiaosi didn’t affirm Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s words, but anticipation shone through for what was to come.

“Activate…” Zhuan Xiaoyuan expertly controlled her body, and the propulsion device on her back suddenly ignited without warning. In an instant, her speed reached the former limits of Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s abilities.

With Zhuan Xiaosi’s knowledge and memories now part of her, Zhuan Xiaoyuan remained unflustered by her new body. Though there was a hint of unfamiliarity, it hardly hindered her. The sudden acceleration didn’t affect her state at all—she adapted to the speed with ease.

“I’m going to accelerate now.” Maintaining this velocity, she circled the Möbius ring once, fully acclimatized to her new body. Zhuan Xiaoyuan whispered in her mind.

“Go ahead.” Zhuan Xiaosi’s response echoed in her thoughts. A reassuring smile appeared on Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s face as she pushed her speed even higher. The force behind her increased rapidly, and the dual thrusters at her hands and feet roared to life. Within seconds, Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s speed far surpassed her previous limits.

“Do you feel it? The limit of the Möbius ring…” As Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s speed doubled, Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice sounded in her mind. At the same time, Zhuan Xiaoyuan sensed difficulty in accelerating further—not from her own limits, but from resistance in the space itself. This meant she had already reached the Möbius ring’s threshold.

“Yes, I feel it clearly. Xiaosi, I’m going to push the speed all the way up!” Near-light speed made Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s heart race. She wasn’t sure if this was Zhuan Xiaosi’s obsession with speed, or her own passion for exhilarating flight. But it didn’t matter—now was the time to fully enjoy the thrill of breaking the light barrier.

“Yes, ultimate speed, faster-than-light travel. My dream—where does the extremity of speed lie? At this velocity, I feel as though I see even greater speed, a farther destination.” Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice was suffused with a dreamy tone, the feeling of realizing her dream, the sense of seeing new worlds and new goals after achieving her objective. It was the emotion of newfound hope for the future. In this moment, Zhuan Xiaosi finally freed herself from the chains of her own emotions.

“We… are breaking out~~~” Suddenly, she poured all her remaining energy into a single burst. In an instant, Zhuan Xiaoyuan’s speed breached the speed of light—no, it surpassed even that. A flash of white light streaked by… and finally, they vanished from the forever looping world of the Möbius ring.

“This… is the center of the world…” When Zhuan Xiaoyuan and Zhuan Xiaosi came back to themselves from the experience of faster-than-light travel, what appeared before them was a small altar floating in a pure white space.

This little altar radiated a sense of technology, as though it embodied the laws of science fiction, making one feel a faint pressure. At the altar’s center, a pure white, transparent crystal hovered quietly. That must be their objective—the World Crystal.

“Look over there.” As Zhuan Xiaoyuan was examining the World Crystal altar, Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice sounded.

Zhuan Xiaoyuan turned to the direction indicated by Zhuan Xiaosi’s thoughts. In the once empty space, cracks were now floating—like the fractures that appear when clear glass is struck. It seemed as though a touch would shatter them completely.

“That’s… a spatial rift. So this is what the central mainframe meant—the method the demons use. Brutal, isn’t it?” Seeing the rifted space, Zhuan Xiaoyuan recalled the legends of the demons, said to have appeared in her world through sudden spatial fissures.

“Xiaoyuan, let’s hurry over there. They’re about to succeed.” Zhuan Xiaosi’s voice was tinged with urgency. As she spoke, a deep reverberation shook the space, and the cracks widened further.