Magical Girl Fan Bingbing

The hall fell silent.

Jiang Ran stood in front of the painting, looking up at the black snake shadow that occupied most of the canvas, her gaze somewhat lost in thought.

……

More than 20 years ago, the Supreme World of Warcraft snake crossed over to this world.

The mere spatial tremors caused by crossing the boundary turned a nearby town of one million people into hell. The exact number of casualties remains unknown; official reports state hundreds of thousands, but those who actually participated in the post-war cleanup know that there were virtually no survivors in that city.

This is the first and only recorded instance of a supreme-level monster invasion to date.

Even the classification of the "Supreme" level originated from the World Serpent.

The terrifying, suffocating pressure far exceeded all the monster levels recorded by the Demon Alliance at the time. The Demon Alliance held an emergency meeting to discuss the matter and finally added a brand new Supreme level on top of the existing Shining level.

After the World Serpent crossed realms, it became virtually unstoppable, leaving devastation in its wake. The Magic Alliance ultimately decided to dispatch five Shining-level magical girls to intercept it, and Jiang Ran was one of them.

The battlefield is now the North Sea front.

However, back then, Beihai was still a piece of land.

A rich land with an area of ​​over a thousand square kilometers and a population of ten million.

The aftershocks of the battle sank entire areas of land below sea level. A tsunami tens of meters high struck major coastal cities overnight, forcing authorities to mobilize all available resources to urgently evacuate nearly 100 million coastal residents. Official figures on the economic losses have not yet been released.

The battle ended in a Pyrrhic victory for the Demon Alliance, but at a high cost.

Of the four magical girls who accompanied Jiang Ran into battle, two perished on the spot; the other was seriously injured and had to retire early after the battle, and never appeared in the public eye again.

As for Jiang Ran, she seemed to be in slightly better condition; at least she had come off the battlefield. At the time, the Demon Alliance also told the outside world that Cang Xing Shi was only slightly injured.

But only Jiang Ran herself knew how tricky the actual situation was.

The World Serpent's final self-destruction didn't kill her, but it left behind something more troublesome than death: the curse from the World Serpent manifested as purple snake patterns biting at her heart, constantly devouring her life force and magic.

At that time, the Demon Alliance already believed that she wouldn't live much longer.

And then.

The massive casualties resulting from this Pyrrhic victory amplified the existing divisions within the Demon Alliance. Reformers, conservatives, radicals… all sorts of voices emerged, causing the already immature Demon Alliance to split into several factions under internal and external pressure.

As for the final outcome of the struggle, there's no need to elaborate further.

During that chaotic period, Jiang Ran chose to retire completely, concealing his identity as Cang Xing Shi and returning to a peaceful life.

The only thing that surprised her was how tenacious her vitality was, surviving for more than twenty years despite the Purple Serpent's sustainable exploitation.

……

"senior?"

The red spider lily called out softly.

Jiang Ran then came to her senses.

Her right hand was already gently pressed against her left chest at some point, and through the loose white T-shirt, her fingertips could clearly feel the purple snake pattern on her chest slightly warm.

To others, this battle might be a heroic epic worthy of being sung and remembered, but to Jiang Ran, it was just a sad past that she did not want to recall.

The true heroes have long since fallen asleep on the battlefield.

The other shore flower had been observing Jiang Ran's expression. She believed that any older generation who had experienced the era of the Demon Alliance would never show such indifference to this battle.

But why did the Disaster Master just watch? Did she betray him too?

After a long while, Jiang Ran finally looked away. "Not bad."

That was her entire assessment of the painting.

The red spider lily's lips moved, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Jiang Ran didn't give her time to react, pointing to the five tiny figures shrouded in golden light in the painting, "You seem to admire them a lot?"

Upon being asked this question, the expression on the other shore flower became complicated. She lowered her head, and a distant memory surfaced in her light golden pupils.

"I was just a child back then."

"When the World Serpent crossed over, I was hiding in a shelter near the battlefield. There was nothing I could do but hug my toys and listen to the earth-shattering sounds coming from above me in the basement."

Jiang Ran listened quietly, a faint smile appearing on her face. "If they knew that the people they saved back then still remember them so well, they would probably be very happy."

"Is that enough?" The spider lily shook her head. "What I need to remember is not only this kindness, but also their will. Even if the whole world forgets them, I will never forget!"

After saying that, the other shore flower once again extended her hands to Jiang Ran: "Senior Disaster Master, I would like to invite you to join me in working together for this lofty ideal."

"Whatever your conditions, I'm willing to do anything I can!"

Silence fell over the hall once again.

Jiang Ran stood there, looking at the outstretched hands in front of her, and remained silent for a long time.

Then, Jiang Ran slowly raised her right hand.

The other shore flower's pupils suddenly lit up, and its entire face blossomed with a look of wild joy.

The next second, Jiang Ran gently placed her hand on the outstretched hands of the spider lily, and then... pushed them back.

The ecstasy on the face of the red spider lily lingered for less than half a second before freezing.

"I can feel your determination." Jiang Ran politely declined her offer, "However... I am someone whose days are numbered, and I'm afraid I cannot accompany you to accomplish such a grand undertaking."

The outstretched hands of the red spider lily froze in mid-air for a few seconds before slowly retracting.

She lowered her head, clenched her hands tightly, and her knuckles turned slightly white.

Finally, she took a deep breath, looked up, and forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now."

Her voice was much softer than before, carrying an unconcealable sense of dejection.

Looking at her, Jiang Ran sighed inwardly, "Although I can't join you, some cooperation is still possible."

Jiang Ran spoke up, smoothly steer the conversation in the direction she really wanted to discuss.

The eyes of the red spider lily, which had dimmed, brightened a little again. "Please speak, senior."

"I'm more interested in access to the Magic Network."

"Your operation to kill the tentacle monster in Tianhai was even faster than the on-duty magical girls of the Public Security Bureau. If I'm not mistaken, you've obtained access to the Magic Network?"

After hearing this, the expression on the other side of the river flower's face was subtle for a moment.

"As expected of a senior, you saw through it at a glance. The magic network is difficult for outsiders to access, but we do have connections."

"However, this thing involves a very high level; it is one of the most core strategic resources of the Demonic Cultivation Society."

"So I can't just give you the permissions like this."

The tone of the other shore flower became a little more tactful, but the meaning was very clear: "Although I respect you very much, senior, I still have to be responsible for the entire organization."

Jiang Ran nodded, indicating that she understood.

She didn't expect the demonic cultivators to bow down to her and obediently reveal their trump cards after coming all this way.

All Jiang Ran needed to know was that the Magic Network did indeed have vulnerabilities. Whether it was an inside job or an external intrusion, it wasn't a difficult thing for Jiang Ran.