"After a night of research, I've summarized this pattern!"
The next morning, Lin Muyao stood in front of a whiteboard and said to everyone present.
As the number one fox-attracting Monster in the Hyacinth Squad, Lin Muyao held the title of channel moderator in Xin Yuehu's live stream, and she was well-versed in everything that happened in the live stream.
Although Li Kexin found this matter quite subtle, since it could gather crucial intelligence, she found it unsurprising.
Anyway, the three members of Rong City's Hyacinth Squad were all heavyweights, so it wasn't strange for a broad-minded Magic Girl enthusiast like Lin Muyao to appear.
Hmm, broad-minded.
"Look at this."
Lin Muyao pressed the remote control in her hand, and the whiteboard projected a topographic map of Hong Kong City, lighting up a total of twelve red dots.
"I carefully cross-referenced the map, and Xin Yuehu's videos featured these twelve attractions. If you add the Inari Memorial Hall, they form this pattern across Hong Kong City."
Everyone looked at the thirteen light dots on the map and fell into contemplation.
"...Even if you say that, we can't tell what this pattern means," Nan Xiaofeng replied honestly.
"Yes, does it hide some special information?" Ye Yuxia, sitting nearby, interjected.
As the two representatives of the Maisui Squad, Ye Yuxia and Li Kexin attended this morning's strategy meeting, intending to hear how the Hyacinth Squad planned to confront Xin Yuehu.
However, the pattern Lin Muyao presented at the start left everyone baffled and utterly confused.
The next person to speak was Hua Ling.
The girl pushed up the thick glasses on her nose, and the lenses reflected a white light, making her instantly transform into Commander Ikari.
"Since we can't interpret this pattern for now, why don't we go to the locations and investigate? Perhaps we can deduce more clues."
"Exactly, Hua Ling and I share the same view. What do you all think?"
Lin Muyao confidently patted her chest and said to everyone,
"As long as we split up, pretend to be tourists, and conduct our investigation, won't we perfectly avoid causing public panic?"
"That's a good idea, I agree."
A girl wrapped in bandages, sitting on the other side, spoke up, raising her unbandaged hand in agreement.
This was the true form of Magic Girl Hai Lan Shi, whose real name was Shi Xiaolan.
Having been ambushed by Cheshire Rabbit and hit by a breath attack from the Volcano Monster, she was currently receiving treatment from the Hero Association and her teammates, which was why she looked this way.
"Then, let's get moving!"
Nan Xiaofeng stood up from her chair, turned, and said to her companions behind her, full of confidence.
"This time, we must stop Xin Yuehu!"
...
【Easter Egg Mission: Inari Harvest】
【Additional Condition: Obtain Inari's fox mask, 1/1, Completed】
【Additional Reward: Unlock Xin Yue Magic Wand new form】
Xin Yuehu sat on a rooftop somewhere in Hong Kong City, toying with the fox mask in her hand.
It was a mask with a strong neighboring country's aesthetic; its material couldn't be felt by hand, but it was probably some kind of wood... or hardened leather.
"I wonder why Ben Hu has to collect this kind of thing..."
Su Tianqing murmured to herself, her fingers stroking the surface of the fox mask. The delicate tactile sensation from her fingertips brought a sense of calm.
Adding to that, there were no signs of fading or degradation after so many years, and the meticulous brushstrokes of each line made one marvel at the effort Inari put into making it.
White base, red smears, gold outlines, exquisite and delicate, as if one could see the scene of that Magic Girl fiercely battling while wearing it more than ten years ago.
All of this was solidified within the fox mask. It witnessed Inari's entire journey from birth to retirement, revered as a treasure, yet now it lay quietly in her hand...
Could it be that wearing the mask would unlock Ben Hu's new form?
Su Tianqing tried placing it in front of her face and gently putting it on.
The mask was a bit large, but it barely covered her face. Her vision through the eyeholes wasn't too restricted, allowing her to clearly see everything in front of her.
But there was no new form as imagined, nor any unexpected magical wonders; it was just an ordinary mask, nothing more.
Su Tianqing honestly took off the mask, held it in her hand and fiddled with it for a while, quickly losing interest.
Hey, secret codex, Ben Hu went to great lengths to get this thing, so tell me how to unlock the new form! Does the new form require other items to unlock?
There was no answer, nor any new quest chain, only the quest reward quietly resting on the page.
Golden Fox summoned the Xin Yue Magic Wand in her hand.
But before she could check the wand's status, a mission that popped up on the secret codex immediately caught her attention:
【Mission Update】
【Mission: Inari Form】
【Collect exhibits from the Inari Memorial Hall, 0/13】
【Reward: Unleash the true potential of the Inari Mask】
Hmm?
Confess honestly! secret codex, did you specifically arrange this mission because you saw Ben Hu's big movie filming plan?!
The secret codex didn't answer, and Golden Fox's ears drooped in anger, causing her familiar to angrily kick the secret codex twice.
Yet, even with the Inari Mask's potential unreleased, she could still discern subtle changes in the Xin Yue Magic Wand:
Her magic power was greatly enhanced, the number of Monsters summoned daily increased from 3 to 5, and one new ability quietly appeared among the wand's inherent abilities:
【Monster Recycle: Recycle summoned Monsters or Magic Girls, temporarily gaining corresponding abilities】
New skill!
From a literal understanding, does this mean Ben Hu can gain combat power for her main body by recycling Monsters?
This would finally make up for Ben Hu's biggest shortcoming, which was her main body's almost zero combat power, no longer relying entirely on her Monster and Magic Girl army or Catcat Rabbitrabbit as a shield!
Never mind, Ben Hu was planning a series of grand heists in Hong Kong City anyway, so letting things happen naturally wasn't bad at all.
"But, if I just let Catcat go and steal the exhibits, that would be completely uninteresting."
"...It's time to begin! Fox Fox's Werewolf game plan!"
Su Tianqing cast the secret codex out of her mind and casually hung the Inari Mask on her forehead.
You must wear a mask before committing a crime! This is a classic trope in cop movies! Even a Fox Fox robber is no exception!
Speaking of cop movies, flashy magic isn't proper; if unscientific things like magic appear during filming, it completely loses the cop movie feel.
Guns! Shootouts! And car chases and furniture store battles! That's a cop blockbuster! That's what Ben Hu wants to see!
"...The Hyacinth Squad has also started investigations across Hong Kong City."
After gathering relevant information from the Observer's familiar, Su Tianqing displayed the Hong Kong City map on the magic light screen in front of her, pointing out several light dots scattered throughout the city.
The Hyacinth Squad began their investigation from the southwest, the Maisui Squad from the east, and the local Hailanshi Team from north to south, heading straight for the various attractions she had specifically showcased in her video yesterday.
It seems they are quite clever, knowing not to spread out too much but also not to clump together. However, if they continue to use magic without restraint... that would disrupt the fundamental logic of a cop blockbuster.
"Since that's the case, tonight I'll show them a thing or two, and explain the rules to them as well."
Su Tianqing murmured to herself, waving her wand to dismiss the city map in front of her and opening a magic communication.
"Catcat, Rabbitrabbit, take Little Gray Wolf to the place we agreed upon yesterday."
"The Hong Kong City Heist begins today!"
