Tao Yao opened her eyes, a mysterious smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
She gently sat up, stretching as if she had just completed something delightful.
The voice of the system fairy Xiao Xiao echoed in her mind:
[Master, I'm a bit confused...]
[Why did you specifically let Hiyakura have such a dream? What significance does this have?]
Tao Yao let out a light laugh, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes:
"Fool! What we need to do now is to show off in front of the players and create some mystery."
"What I did is akin to disguising myself as Hiyakura's second personality. Right now, it's about getting closer to Hiyakura. Then, when the time comes, I can pull the players' attention with this identity."
[Oh!]
The system fairy Xiao Xiao suddenly understood.
[I get it! Why didn't I think of that! Although it's a disguised identity, it can still gain popularity points! And get corresponding divine power.]
[And when the players discover that Hiyakura's second personality is you, you being Hiyakura's second personality will probably cause another explosion of attention!]
[Master, you are really clever.]
Tao Yao nodded in satisfaction, just about to say something when a voice from outside the door interrupted her:
"Tao Yao, breakfast is ready. Please come and eat."
Tao Yao stood up, adjusted her clothes, and walked out of the room.
In the restaurant, Shiro had already set up a sumptuous breakfast.
Tao Yao sat down and was about to invite Shiro to join her for a meal when she noticed Shiro's expression suddenly become vigilant.
Shiro's gaze sharpened, staring into a shadowy corner of the restaurant, coldly saying:
"Who? Show yourself!"
From the shadows, a figure slowly emerged.
It was a tall, elegant woman.
She had long black hair cascading like a waterfall, skin as white as snow, and deep-set eyes that resembled stars in the night sky.
She wore a long black dress.
The hem was embroidered with dark red rose patterns, giving off a mysterious and dangerous aura.
The woman smiled slightly, her voice as smooth as silk: "I'm sorry to interrupt your meal."
Shiro's expression grew even more cautious, her body leaning slightly forward, ready to act at any moment:
"Archdeacon Black Rose, what are you doing here?"
The woman named Black Rose elegantly walked to the table and sat down without invitation: "Don't be so nervous, dear maid. I'm just here to visit an old friend, I mean no harm."
Just then, the voice of the system fairy Xiao Xiao anxiously rang in Tao Yao's mind:
[Master! This guy is an archdemon apostle like you! According to the previous timeline, you will be killed by the protagonist and then enter the instance for players to farm... this is definitely related to her! Be careful, Master!]
Tao Yao remained unfazed, her gaze slowly scanning Black Rose.
She could sense that this woman emitted a similar aura to herself, dangerous yet enticing.
"Oh? Visiting me?"
Tao Yao chuckled lightly, "Why?"
Black Rose gracefully crossed her legs, lightly stroking her left arm, her eyes carrying a playful glimmer: "I heard you activated a new fairy seed and nurtured a new fairy vessel?"
It was not hard to hear that the fairy vessel Black Rose referred to was Hiyakura.
"So what? That seems to have nothing to do with you."
Tao Yao smiled slightly, her eyes betraying a hint of disdain.
Black Rose, upon hearing this, curved her lips into a wicked smile, her gaze becoming deeper and more enticing.
"Why wouldn't it be related? I can help!"
Her tone grew low, carrying an alluring charm, "I'll help you... train her!"
"Are you afraid I won't train her properly?" Tao Yao's expression remained calm as she smiled, "Don't worry, I will train her well; you needn't concern yourself with this matter."
The smile on Black Rose's face didn't fade; instead, it became more teasing. She said softly:
"Then you must take it seriously."
"After all... whether the master can rely on the vessel to gain a new life, it all depends on you."
She stood up and elegantly left the restaurant.
Shiro watched Black Rose depart, then turned to Tao Yao, hesitantly wanting to speak.
"Tao Yao..."
Tao Yao waved her hand, interrupting her words, "Alright, let's try your cooking first."
The atmosphere at the dining table gradually eased, and Shiro lowered her head, agreeing softly, and began to serve Tao Yao.
Tao Yao picked up her chopsticks, lightly grabbed a piece of vegetable, tasted it, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
[Master, according to the original storyline, Black Rose has discovered Hiyakura's potential.]
The voice of the system fairy Xiao Xiao once again rang in Tao Yao's mind, tinged with a hint of anxiety.
[She has stirred up the conflict between you and Hiyakura, planning an evil sacrificial ritual in Qingyang City under your name, and during this ritual, you lost control.]
Xiao Xiao's tone became slightly tense.
[You became an unstable evil fairy. In the end, Hiyakura used her fairy power to deal with you.]
[And in this game world's setting, after Hiyakura integrates the fairy seed, she has a characteristic. The more she uses fairy power, the more unstable she becomes, gravitating closer to becoming a true fairy.]
[Of course, this is also Black Rose's deeper scheme, as well as the subsequent storyline, but by that time, you will no longer exist...]
Tao Yao put down her chopsticks, frowning slightly as she pondered Xiao Xiao's words.
[Master, you must be careful; Black Rose is definitely not a simple character. Her purpose will not just be to stimulate Hiyakura's power.]
Tao Yao gently stroked her forehead, thinking for a moment, she slowly said:
"You're saying that using my sacrifice to exchange for Hiyakura's growth could potentially bring a massive wave of popularity?"
[Master! You can't really be thinking that, can you? That's too dangerous!]
Xiao Xiao's voice was filled with deep worry and unease.
[Once you lose control, what will the players think?]
Tao Yao's gaze gradually became determined, a cold smile creeping at the corner of her mouth, "Sometimes, sacrifice is also a strategy. What we must do is not only win the players' affection but also control the entire situation."
A plan, bold and dangerous, slowly formed in her mind.
...
Unknowingly, "Fairy Journey" had already been released for a week.
During this time, players were excited and had nearly explored all the contents of the game's 1.0 version.
The content of "Fairy Journey" 1.0 mainly focused on Liuguang City, a bustling city full of mystery and danger, with the main storyline revolving around solving the beast problem in Liuguang City.
While the storyline was decent, the gameplay was diverse, along with exquisite character illustrations and modeling, earning unanimous praise from players.
"Although the storyline is average, the gameplay is really good, especially the character modeling, it's simply top-notch!"
Players were sharing their thoughts and reviews on forums and social media.
On this day, the well-known game streamer Sakura Fubuki started her live stream as usual.
She prepared to farm all the unlocked chests and hidden quests in Liuguang City and its vicinity.
Just as she was fully focused on the game, she suddenly saw an announcement about a new PV released by the game official.
["Fairy Journey" 1.1 Preview PV: "Shadow of Darkness"]
Sakura Fubuki's eyes lit up at the news, filled with excitement and curiosity.
Just a week after the launch, the official released a new PV, which thrilled her.
She eagerly clicked to open the video.
The PV gradually unfolded with a gloomy background music, and Black Rose's figure gradually appeared.
Her silhouette emerged from the shadows, her long black hair and deep-set eyes exuding a sense of mystery and danger.
Next, the scene switched to Tao Yao, with the two standing face to face, a tense atmosphere spreading between them.
"I heard you activated a new fairy seed and nurtured a new fairy vessel?"
Black Rose's voice was low and captivating.
"So what? That seems to have nothing to do with you."
Tao Yao smiled slightly, her eyes betraying a hint of disdain.
In the video, Black Rose's smile turned even more malevolent as her tone grew lower, "How could it not be related? I can help! Help you... train her!"
This scene made Sakura Fubuki and the audience in front of the screen fill the chat with question marks, expressing confusion and surprise.
Then, in the video, Tao Yao maintained her calm demeanor, gently shaking her head, and said with a smile: "I'll train her well; you needn't concern yourself with this matter."
"That you must take seriously. After all... whether the master can rely on the vessel to gain a new life, it all depends on you."
Black Rose said softly and then elegantly turned to leave.
Moreover, at the end of the PV, there was a specially dark shot of Tao Yao, her gaze deep and filled with coldness, as if plotting something.
This scene caused the audience to flood the screen with comments.
"Training is an act of theater!"
"Wait, does this bad woman want to train my wife?"
"Damn, you have a path to death!"