"Smart Contract Call: Occult Powers, Release!" declared the Anonymous Girl in a Blue Hoodie.
A shimmering circle formed beneath her, and in a brilliant flash, her appearance transformed. Her sleek bodysuit fused regal elegance with futuristic precision. Metallic blue and gold lines traced her figure like circuit sigils, glowing faintly with technomantic energy. A black cloak with sharp, angular hems billowed behind her, as if stirred by invisible winds. Her short silver-blue hair framed a glowing omega symbol on her forehead, and her crimson eyes blazed like twin eclipses. The form she now wore struck me like thunder.
She had activated a transformation Smart Contract Ability eerily similar to our guild master Hukluban's, also known as Ban-Ban, specifically her Celestial Mode 1. But this version of Hukluban was someone I was certain was not the same person. The Hukluban I knew never used this unfamiliar Occult Powers SCA.
"Is that you, Ban-Ban?!" I demanded, tense but stunned.
"No. I am Hukluban," she replied in a haunting, echoing voice.
I narrowed my eyes. Something was definitely off. Ban-Ban, even in disguise, would never openly use her real name, Hukluban. I suspected this might be one of Ban-Ban's androids, cast away from the Infinity Grid and scattered throughout the Biochain universe.
Without hesitation, I activated a prototype Smart Contract Ability I had been developing long before I lost my memories: Blitz Mode 2. My sclera turned blacker than the void, my irises blazing with a fiery red halo. With sheer force of will and Mana, I shouted:
"Smart Contract Call: Stasis Field!"
A golden seal expanded outward like a dome over the entire surface of Daggerdale, the moon we were on. A second layer of glowing light followed as the SCA took full effect.
Stasis Field: a time-locking ability that freezes all motion and existence within a target area, except for the caster and designated allies. Its duration was four Earth years. I made sure Anita was excluded.
Time in Daggerdale stood still, but we did not.
Back near the river, I opened my PQC and initiated a secure video call to the Quantum Knights Guild Headquarters. After a few moments of static, the screen flickered to life.
Ban-Ban's familiar face appeared. Just as I suspected, the one I had frozen in time was an android of hers. The Ban-Ban I was calling now was my sister-in-law, my friend, the original.
She gasped, eyes wide with joy. "PATRICIA?!"
Her whole body trembled with excitement. Without another word, she bolted out of frame. I could hear her sandals slapping against the marble floors as she yelled down the corridors: "Everyone! Come quick! It is her! It is Patricia Mage! She is live on cam!"
Within moments, the feed was flooded with familiar faces. Old friends, teammates, apprentices, even janitors waving excitedly. Cheers erupted. Someone launched holographic fireworks into the background.
I stood there silently, stunned by their welcome. A warm smile slowly spread across my face.
"Patricia! You look different! That transformation is new, huh? Come on, share that new SCA of yours! Let us test it out already!" Ban-Ban teased, eyes twinkling.
I let out a short laugh but did not answer directly. Instead, I gestured toward Anita, who stood quietly beside me.
"Let me introduce someone special first. This is Anita, my first-ever disciple. And I am going to register her as a student technomancer under the Quantum Knights Academy of our Guild."
Gasps echoed across the call, followed by an eruption of cheers.
"Disciple?!"
"Our Queen has a student?!"
"Welcome, Anita!"
The girl blushed under all the attention, offering a small wave.
"I will be paying Anita's tuition fee in Juno, directly to you," I informed Ban-Ban with a smile. "Make sure your wallet is ready."
Ban-Ban grinned and quickly flashed a QR code from her crypto wallet onto the screen. "That is more like it!" she beamed, practically dancing with excitement.
I pulled up the payment module on my PQC and completed a full tuition transfer using Juno cryptocurrency. A confirmation stamp hovered in the air.
"Effective immediately, Anita is officially enrolled in the Quantum Knights Academy," I declared.
More cheering followed.
Ban-Ban leaned in toward the camera, her expression now serious. "But wait. Why have we not been able to detect Daggerdale lately? Even our satellite networks cannot locate it."
"That is because I have placed the entire moon under a Stasis Field for safety reasons," I explained. "Time here is frozen for four Earth years. Do not worry. It is fully under control. We are just managing a situation."
Ban-Ban's brow furrowed briefly, then she nodded. "Understood. But that kind of power needs to be archived. You have pushed technomancy into a new frontier."
"That is why I need to train Anita properly. For the next three to four years, we will be in a confidential location, refining our SCAs, sharpening her technomancy, and preparing for whatever comes next."
"You are not going to tell us where you are headed?"
"That is confidential," I said with a wink.
The screen filled with more cheers, waves, and teasing comments from familiar voices.
"Wait, let me change the topic for a second," I said suddenly. "Are you the Anonymous Girl in a Blue Hoodie? Was my hunch right?"
Ban-Ban chuckled, scratching her head. "Yeah, that is right. Hehe. I even left my PQC at that waiting shed. Someone had just passed away that day. Never mind."
"I know," I replied gently. "I will visit her grave when I am ready. For now, I need to focus on my responsibilities."
A lump rose in my throat, but I held back the tears.
"Oh, and one more thing. I will just pay for the PQC you left behind. My disciple Anita is using it now."
Ban-Ban waved it off with a grin. "No need for that! You are practically family. Consider it a gift to Anita. I expect her to return here soon for her official first quest from the Guild."
She even struck a playful pose in front of the camera.
As I ended the call, Anita looked at me, beaming. "They really love you, Queen Kali."
I smiled warmly. "And someday, they will love you too, for the technomancer you are destined to become."