Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 58

"As expected! Bai Yi's singing today was absolutely amazing, right?!" In the quiet night of the Jinghe District, the student council members stepped out of an upscale Western-style restaurant.

As soon as they exited, You'an Lina twirled around excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

She and Aishili had already changed out of their cosplay outfits and removed their makeup.

But compared to Aishili—who looked completely drained—You'an Lina was still bursting with energy.

She held up her phone, which was still playing a video of Bai Yi’s performance, recorded by someone else and posted on a short video app.

As they walked, she tapped her chin thoughtfully and turned her head with a suspicious look.

"Say, who do you think that Fan A Bai Yi mentioned really is?"

Behind her, Yaqiao Mu adjusted the backpack on his shoulder. He finally looked more lively after dinner.

Yan Huan blinked but remained silent.

Yinggong Tong glanced sideways at Yan Huan and smiled slightly, replying with curiosity,

"Yeah, who could it be?"

"..."

And then Aishili—

—delivered a swift chop to You'an Lina’s head, extinguishing the spark of gossip in her eyes.

"Ouch~ Aishili!"

Aishili then grabbed You'an Lina by the collar, turned with their cosplay outfit bag in hand, and looked toward Yan Huan and the others.

"Alright, Fan A or Fan B, who cares. I’ve called a rideshare. Lina and I will head back first. You guys—"

Aishili and You'an Lina lived together in the Beihai District.

Hearing this, Yinggong Tong smiled and said,

"I live nearby, so I’ll just walk home. The President will probably head back to the southern district with Yaqiao, right?"

Yaqiao Mu nodded stiffly and turned to leave.

But Yan Huan grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in place.

Yaqiao looked at him blankly, only to see Yan Huan smile slightly and say,

"Let’s walk Yinggong home first, then head back. Even if it’s nearby, it still takes over ten minutes."

The soulless Yaqiao nodded pitifully, as if saying, 'Whatever Yan Huan says, I’ll do.'

Yinggong Tong looked at Yan Huan, blinked, and covered her mouth with a small smile.

"Then I’ll leave it to you both."

Soon after, the rideshare Aishili and You'an Lina had ordered arrived.

"President, Yinggong, Yaqiao, see you all tomorrow!"

"Goodbye."

After seeing off Aishili and Lina, the remaining three student council members strolled through a quiet path in Jinghe District.

Yinggong Tong held her parasol in reverse, letting the night wind brush against her cheeks.

Yaqiao Mu fiddled with his phone, then suddenly stopped and said,

"Ah, the nationwide search for Fan A made it onto the trending list."

Both Yinggong Tong and Yan Huan turned toward him, just in time to see him swipe across the screen and continue,

"But a lot of people think Fan A doesn’t even exist—just a marketing stunt. Bai Yi's been on so many variety shows and never mentioned anyone, and suddenly this today..."

"That may be the case," Yan Huan replied with a nod.

Yinggong Tong remained silent, playing the part of a refined young lady.

As they continued walking, Yaqiao Mu came across more new content.

"What’s this... A backstage crew member said she saw the so-called 'Fan A' in person—he went in and out of Bai Yi’s dressing room. But since photos weren’t allowed backstage, there’s no proof."

"According to her, he was wearing a Tibetan plaid shirt and cargo pants."

(*) Tibetan plaid refers to a specific colorful checkered pattern common in Tibetan clothing.

Yaqiao Mu blinked and looked up at Yan Huan, who was walking ahead.

He glanced at Yan Huan’s outfit, then re-read the description. His expression shifted.

"Wait a second, President, isn’t that exactly what you’re wearing?!"

Yan Huan turned around with a helpless look, glanced at his clothes, and said,

"Lots of guys wear this kind of outfit. I just got it on sale—it's pretty common."

"That’s true. I even have something similar," Yaqiao Mu nodded.

He clicked his tongue, glanced at his phone, and said,

"Everyone’s saying Fan A is Bai Yi’s long-time secret boyfriend. If it were you, President, I’d say it’s pretty plausible."

Yan Huan didn’t respond, but Yinggong Tong, who had been walking ahead, turned her head and asked coolly,

"Why would you say that?"

Yaqiao Mu chuckled. Since she asked, he answered,

"Well, Vice President, look—Bai Yi is attractive, but the President is on another level. He almost became a child star, and during our student council elections, he charmed all the rich girls. Compared to him, Bai Yi doesn’t have many male fans here."

Yinggong Tong simply smiled and said,

"Maybe that’s because our school's mostly girls."

"Eh, not exactly, Vice President~"

Yaqiao Mu had clearly recovered. After half a day of being uplifted by Yan Huan's therapy talk, he had bounced back from Aijo Shijo’s morning verbal beat-down.

(*) Aijo Shijo could be a teacher or authority figure known for harsh critiques.

"You've got to consider compatibility. Judging only by the President’s side isn’t fair."

"As for Bai Yi, even though we don’t know her well, she left a great impression—very genuine and friendly."

'Genuine'—

Yinggong Tong smiled, but it felt like a knife to the heart.

Clueless, Yaqiao Mu continued,

"She’s about the same height as the President. And judging from her performance today, she probably works out—she’s healthy and full of energy."

Height, fitness, vitality—

*Chah-chah-chah!*

Three more emotional stabs.

"Most importantly, there are too many rich girls at our school. Marrying into a wealthy family is tough, and the President wouldn’t want to be submissive. But Bai Yi’s background is more ordinary. Besides, her mom used to ask about the President a lot—seems like she approves."

Family background—

The corners of Yinggong Tong’s lips twitched, as if bleeding imaginary blood.

Yaqiao Mu, still basking in his logic, turned to look at her—only to see her smile turning terrifying.

Veins surfaced on her forehead as she calmly asked, like a demon,

"Is that so?"

Eh?

Why does that smile look just like Teacher Aijo Shijo’s from this morning...

So similar?

*Hiss!!*

Seeing her smile, Yaqiao Mu turned pale in an instant.

His body trembled like a leaf as he quickly hid behind Yan Huan—only to get gently thumped on the forehead.

Yan Huan turned around and looked at him helplessly.

"Told you to stop playing so many galgames. Your brain’s fried—you see everything through that lens."

(*) Galgame: A genre of Japanese video game focused on romantic interactions, often with multiple female characters.

"I was wrong, President."

He originally meant to say that to Yinggong Tong, but now he didn’t even dare to look at her—afraid he might die on the spot from that terrifyingly familiar smile.

While chatting, they arrived at a large Western-style house surrounded by a high wall.

Security guards stood at the entrance. Yaqiao Mu didn’t dare approach, so Yan Huan walked Yinggong Tong to the door.

"No matter how many times I see it, your house still amazes me, Yinggong."

Yan Huan looked up at the grand mansion, half-hidden by shadows on the lawn, and smiled in awe.

Beside him, Yinggong Tong stood dazed for a moment, seemingly recalling what Yaqiao had said earlier.

Bai Yi and the President—

That radiant girl on stage... maybe she really is a better match for him, just like Yaqiao said?

'He was just being honest. I just didn’t want to hear it.'

With that thought, Yinggong Tong’s eyes dimmed.

After all her efforts today, there had been no progress at all.

She was certain the 'friend' the President went to meet earlier was most likely Bai Yi. And Fan A—

Now, the only thing Yinggong Tong could cling to was the normal look in Yan Huan’s eyes when he said, "You see everything through that lens."

'The President doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for Bai Yi.'

'At least, not yet.'

"If your future partner came from a wealthy family, would that make you feel pressured, President?"

Even though it was meant to be comforting, she still couldn’t bear it. So she asked, pretending it was just casual curiosity.

“Mm, probably would.”

Yinggong Tong's pupils contracted slightly, but Yan Huan, standing beside her, simply looked away from the grand Western-style house and said,

“After all, when there's a gap in strength and status, even if you're together, the future will always hold more hardships.”

“I see.”

Yinggong Tong nodded slightly and pressed her lips together, just about to bid Yan Huan farewell and head home.

But Yan Huan spoke again beside her,

“So, if you truly like someone, you have to work harder—to fight for a position where you can stand as equals.”

“That way, I think it becomes something you can be proud of—both for her and for yourself.”

Just as Yinggong Tong was about to leave, her steps faltered. Her pupils contracted again as she turned to look back at Yan Huan.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but her throat felt as dry as a desert.

She seemed to want to say,

‘I’ll wait for you, President.’

But just as she struggled to speak, a female voice suddenly rang out behind her:

“Miss, you're back.”

“Eh?!”

Yinggong Tong turned and saw Nara, dressed in a formal suit, stepping out from behind the fence.

“Thank you, Yan Huan, for escorting the young lady home.”

Yan Huan had seen Nara once before at Yinggong Tong’s house, but she hadn’t been in formal attire then. Now, she looked a bit unfamiliar.

“It’s nothing. Just what I should do.”

“Would you like to come in for a bit? I’m sure the young lady would be very happy to have you.”

Yan Huan looked at Nara, then at Yinggong Tong, who was quietly clutching the hem of her dress.

Then, he smiled and shook his head.

“Maybe next time. If there’s a chance, I’ll definitely come.”

“Alright~ Or you could invite the young lady to visit your place.”

“Nara!!”

Before Nara could finish her sentence, Yinggong Tong, her face darkening, tried to push her back behind the fence.

But in truth, Yinggong Tong wasn’t strong enough to move Nara. Still, seeing her young lady’s flushed face, Nara could only pretend she was being slowly pushed back into the estate.

“Then, see you next time, Yan Huan boy~” she said with a meaningful wink while being pushed away.

*...*

Watching Yinggong Tong push Nara toward the estate entrance and disappear, Yan Huan gave a helpless smile and was about to turn and leave when he heard her voice again.

“President.”

When he turned back, Yinggong Tong was leaning halfway out of the estate entrance.

She gave a small smile and handed him a comic sheet.

Yan Huan glanced at it and saw cartoon versions of all the student council members.

It was drawn by the artist they had met earlier—Miyake Huhu.

(*) Miyake Huhu is likely a fictional artist character in the story.

“Thanks, I almost forgot about this.”

“I knew it.”

Yinggong Tong covered her mouth with a smile, then said,

“Thanks for walking me home, President. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Yinggong.”

She nodded and walked back into the estate.

The estate gate closed behind her, and faint, indistinct voices could be heard from inside.

Yan Huan turned around, comic sheet in hand, and walked back to where Yaqiao Mu was squatting on the ground holding his head.

“Let’s go. Shall we take the subway back to the southern district?”

“President.”

“What now?”

“I'm starting to think that when Teacher Shijo scolded me earlier, I might've been possessed by a ghost. Just now, Vice President Yinggong had that same expression. Don’t tell me... the ghost’s still hanging around me...”

*...*

Near midnight on Sunday, in a south-facing public rental apartment in the southern district.

After finishing his shower and drying his hair, Yan Huan collapsed onto the bed, stretching out his body in exhaustion.

He yawned and muttered,

“The Drowsiness debuff from Friday is gone, but now I feel even sleepier than when I had it.”

(*) "Debuff" is a gaming term meaning a negative status effect.

A black cat appeared out of nowhere on Yan Huan’s back, curiously observing his tired expression.

Then, it gently pressed its soft paw pads on his back.

“But today’s already Sunday, meow. You’ll soon unlock next week’s rewards, meow!”

“Oh, right.”

Hearing that finally perked Yan Huan up a little.

He rolled over, and Meow-chan, as if weightless, leapt into the air and landed softly on his abs.

Looking into Meow-chan’s big, glistening eyes, Yan Huan suddenly asked,

“Did Bai Yi drop any modifier fragments today at the convention?”

Meow-chan shook her head and replied,

“After she finished singing and you went out to find the manager, we circled around the backstage and stage area again, but I didn’t find anything, meow.”

“Hmm... she’s already fulfilled her wish to sing, yet she showed no signs of wanting to stop using the modifier. That means the fragment from Sis Tong’s pub probably wasn’t dropped by Bai Yi.”

“I think so too, meow.”

“Then could it be the fifth modifier’s owner? But aside from Sis Tong and Sis Rong, were there any other women connected to me who visited that rundown place?”

“Meow?”

It seemed Meow-chan didn’t know either.

Yan Huan still wanted to think it over, but after such a long day, his brain was barely functioning.

So he gave up and lay flat, looking at Meow-chan.

“Forget it. Either way, with a modifier fragment this big, I should at least be able to evolve my modifier a bit. Come on, Meow-chan, let me see.”

“Meow~”

The nearby clock ticked toward midnight. As the time shifted into Monday, Meow-chan opened her mouth and swallowed the phantom, scale-shaped fragment.

*Ding ding ding~*

Rays of light with a rich pink hue streaked from the snake scale, gradually transforming into dazzling gold before Meow-chan’s eyes.

She opened her mouth and swallowed all the golden light. Afterward, her fur looked a bit smoother and silkier.

*Gulu gulu~*

Her cheeks puffed up slightly, and she spat out a stream of golden light.

The stream slowly expanded in front of Yan Huan’s eyes, eventually forming several lines of phantom text.

[Modifier Level Change: 2→3]

[Reward Pool Level upgraded to 3. You will now randomly unlock more powerful rewards.]

[Modifier Evolution Count +1, Random Attribute Fragment +1]

[Based on your chosen evolution path "Demon Contract," please select your preferred route from the following two evolution options.]

(*) "Demon Contract" is likely a specialized ability or modifier theme in this fictional setting.

Yan Huan rubbed his chin and turned to the calm Meow-chan sitting next to him.

“Meow-chan, didn’t you say this fragment was way bigger than the one Ye Shiyu dropped? But it still only leveled up once?”

“Yan Huan, as the modifier’s level increases, it takes more fragments to evolve again, meow.”

“I see.”

Yan Huan didn’t dwell on it and decided to check the attribute fragment first.

[Stamina Fragment – Slightly increases your physical stamina]

[Charge less, obey more, be good~]

[Charm Fragment – Slightly increases your appeal to others of the same kind]

[What awaits your handsome face is either a rose or a steel wool ball.]

[Intelligence Fragment – Slightly increases your intelligence]

[Once you’re old, no one will buy health supplements from you.]

Yan Huan paused for a moment, then selected the third option: Intelligence Fragment.

As before, the fragment turned into golden light and flowed into his body, though he didn’t feel much different.

Just a little bit.

Now it was time to choose the next evolution path.

[Evolution Path One: Light and Dark Contract]

[Weekly reward choices will include: one reward from a pool two levels lower, and one from a pool two levels higher. Choosing the lower-level reward grants a permanent buff; choosing the higher-level reward grants a permanent curse.]

[Evolution Path Two: Demon Gamble]

[The reward selection rules remain the same. However, before starting the selection, you must roll two additional dice. The first roll will grant you 1 to 6 powerful curses lasting one week. The second roll will grant you 1 to 6 rewards, matched to your current reward pool level.]

Yan Huan stared at the second path, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

'This is some serious gambling dog behavior.'

'It's basically got "seeking fortune amid danger" written all over it.'

The key point was that the dice rolls weren't optional—they were mandatory.

And to make matters worse, "powerful curses" sounded even more intense than last week's drowsiness.

*Hiss...*

After thinking it over for a moment, Yan Huan finally turned off the gambling BGM(*) and selected "Light and Dark Contract."

(*) BGM: Background music, often used in games and anime to create atmosphere.

*Bzzz bzzz bzzz!*

As Yan Huan made his new choice, a surge of golden light burst forth once again. Eventually, three golden orbs of varying sizes emerged from Meow-chan's body.

From left to right, the orbs increased in size. The smallest emitted a pure white halo, while the largest was completely shrouded in ominous black.

[Skill: Flexible Finger Technique. Just as the name implies.]

[Reward Level: 1]

[Description: From now on, your fingers will be exceptionally useful.]

[Buff: Your reproduction-related abilities will be directly doubled.]

Seeing the first reward appear, Yan Huan couldn't hold back. With a dark expression, he wrapped an arm around Meow-chan and said,

"What the hell is this? This is supposed to be a buff? Can you at least explain what a buff even means?"

"I already told you, meow! These are all random! It’s got nothing to do with me, meow!!"

With no other choice, he turned his attention to the remaining two rewards.

[Ability: Demon Chef. Your learning speed for any dish is doubled, and the food you make will taste better—but it will randomly apply a minor three-day curse to anyone who eats it.]

[Reward Level: 3]

[Description: I'm the man who will become the king of the dark culinary world.]

"..."

Yan Huan narrowed his eyes and looked toward the final orb, which was seeping black mist.

With a hint of unease, he reached out and tapped his finger on the black orb.

Instantly, streams of black mist surged out, forming the longest skill description Yan Huan had ever seen.

[Form: Naturalist.]

[Reward Level: 5]

[Effect 1 – Athletic Aesthetics: The efficiency of your physical training—exercise, fitness, etc.—is doubled.]

[Effect 2 – Physique Aesthetics: As you train, your body will gain a significant boost in charm.]

[Effect 3 – Naked Strength: Depending on how much clothing you're not wearing, your physical attributes will be enhanced by 25% to 100%.]

[Description: Strip off that armor!!! And strip more!!]

[Curse: The pain caused by damaged muscle fibers will be doubled.]

Gazing at this level five reward cloaked in black mist, the previously drowsy and sluggish Yan Huan suddenly sat upright. His eyes widened as he carefully read through the lengthy description.

(End of Chapter)