Although the younger girl in front of her seed to make a lot of sense, Alanna would never admit she was inferior to anyone. She pulled herself together and tried to exude a certain 'ntor-like' aura.
"Zi Jin is quite farsighted, unlike other peers who only know how to have fun or study." Adding the word 'little' might give her a psychological edge, as if she were an older sister comnting on a younger sibling.
Then, Alanna glanced at the darkened sky outside and stood up.
"It's getting late; let's go have dinner first and then introduce Zi Jin to the current situation."
Alanna grabbed a short jacket from the head of the bed, wore it along with a hat and sunglasses, and then led Tilan downstairs to et the others.
"Good evening, Miss." Suoga had already finished repairing the motorcycle and was now changed into clean clothes.
"Where's Gen?" Alanna scanned the area and asked.
"He said he went out to buy so food."
"Tell him to buy more then. It's not like I'm short on money on my card anyway, and besides, we should celebrate the new mber joining us."
"Got it." Suoga noticed that Alanna was in much better spirits than yesterday, and he felt upbeat as well.
"Alright then, you carry on. I'll take Zi Jin for a walk in the yard."
"OK~" Suoga readily agreed.
Alanna gestured for Tilan to follow her and led her to the open space inside the abandoned warehouse.
By now, it was past 7 PM; the sky had just turned dark. In the distance, the tall buildings were lit by various lights, and hardly any stars could be seen in the sky.
The two walked for a while before Alanna finally spoke.
"Honestly, I was surprised and a bit doubtful when I heard about a new mber joining yesterday, especially given the unique circumstances we're in right now."
"I used to believe in friends, in the mories we built together, in the trust between us forming beautiful circles, everyone lending a hand to write the song of a new era."
"But unfortunately, I was betrayed."
"No matter how much I try to rationalize that everyone has their struggles and reasons, my heart still aches. I don't want to trust anyone anymore; I don't want to experience this kind of thing again."
"You're different from the other mbers. I rarely see such calm and clear thinking in people your age; the vast majority simply live by their feelings."
"Even though the 'Z' group's guiding principles include resistance, most people don't care, or they just pay it lip service."
"You're one of the few who question things, think deeply, yet don't outright dismiss ."
"That struck hard and made realize so of my shortcomings from the past."
"Turns out, I'm still not quite qualified enough." She sighed.
"There's no such thing as being qualified or not." Tilan shook her head.
"Like you said, everyone has their own strengths. When people co together to form a circle, they complent each other's weaknesses."
"Modern society works the sa way. Division of labor allows people to focus on their specialties and still live, rather than being like primordial humans who had to handle every task personally."
"True, but I've co to realize that I might be better suited to being a simple pop star rather than soone who genuinely touches the brutal realities of change." Alanna stopped walking.
"For , I used to live a carefree life. Even though I didn't have the talent of a songstress, I was still happy—because of singing, I gained the love of many people and didn't have to worry about money."
"By chance, my companions and I discovered the Connector's ability. Together, we slowly experinted with its initial uses and were thrilled to cautiously promote it, gradually recruiting mbers."
"Because I was a celebrity in the spotlight, I easily took on the role of leader and organized many activities."
"Over ti, I imrsed myself in that role."
"That's right—role-playing. I'm not the kind of warrior who truly dares to drive world reform, soone who burns the world with blood and fire. I simply liked the unique identity, the thrill of establishing a group and being surrounded by people."
"Before, I couldn't distinguish the difference, but listening to all that you said this afternoon made gradually realize that if I continue on the path outlined by my program, I will inevitably encounter things I don't truly desire."
"Whew, maybe I should thank that Mystic Organization; they took over the ss I created. If the Court of Judgnt cos knocking, I can at least say I've already been abandoned."
"Is Alanna thinking of giving up?" Tilan looked up at the older girl walking ahead.
"Giving up? A little bit." She no longer exuded the radiant confidence she had when standing on stage.
"What about you, Zi Jin? Would you like to give it a try—taking my position—if you're interested?"
"I'm just a newly joined mber, or perhaps an outsider still." The girl shook her head, not knowing any of the scattered mbers across various places.
"No one is born knowing how to do anything. Even great individuals grow step by step. Alanna, since you've been able to inspire people and bring them together in the past, I believe you can overco difficulties and reunite everyone."
"We don't need to talk about lofty goals like changing the world—just bringing everyone back together, ensuring they aren't exploited by other organizational forces, fulfilling promises, and preventing people who joined the 'Z' group from going astray."
"This, I believe, is sothing Alanna can achieve."
"Well said, though I'm still lacking a bit of confidence." Alanna turned around, her eyes gleaming slightly, a mix of tears and the faint embers of rekindled resolve.
"If Zi Jin could serve as my right hand and assist , perhaps I could find the courage again." She smiled.
Compared to the incomplete trio, the black-haired, purple-eyed girl in front of her seed far more reliable.
"Huh? ?" Tilan hadn't expected the topic to suddenly shift to herself.
"Don't you think we're quite alike? Both of us have black hair, can sing, and have purplish-toned eyes." Alanna gazed at the girl.
"I don't rember ever ntioning that I could sing." Tilan was taken aback.
"You can—it's like how adults who walk a lot can tell if crawling children will eventually walk. From the way you speak, your voice's tone and clarity, it's clear you have so skill in this area."
"I'm a renowned singer, after all; I've got an eye for these things." Alanna was confident and assured.
"Accomplishing the goal of reconciliation won't be easy, so could you lend a hand for now, Zi Jin?" She extended her palm.
If it was just this, Tilan felt it wouldn't be too much of a problem. She placed her hand on Alanna's, and when the two shook hands, a peculiar sensation instantly connected them. It felt as though their consciousnesses temporarily resonated, sharing countless emotions simultaneously.
From Alanna's perspective, Tilan suddenly saw herself as she appeared—her own reflection under the night sky.
Looking at herself in this way, Tilan realized she did appear sowhat 'young,' whether it be in charm or physique, hardly different from a few years ago.
What's this? Alanna was equally shocked, even though she had used similar Connection abilities with many people before. Never had it been as vivid as today, as if viewing the world through a magnifying glass.
The flow of the wind, the distant nightscape, the subtle Aijieka particles floating in the air, the circulation of Magic Power within, countless scattered thoughts—all seed as if they had entered a higher dinsion of life, and the entire world beca far more 'real.'
There was only one explanation—that the girl before her held an unimaginable strength far beyond her grasp. This wasn't just Sequence 5; her own Sequence 6 abilities could not reach such levels.
The Conscious Resonance ended within seconds, and the two returned to normal.
"So that's how Connector's abilities work, huh." Tilan blinked, beginning to understand the chanism behind it.
It seed like consciousness entered the Aijieka Sea, engaging in brief exchanges, akin to two computers connecting and remotely sharing control.
This was an incredibly dangerous ability. Overuse could lead to a tendency for personal identity to be assimilated, ultimately forming a vast collective consciousness where individual bodies would serve rely as components.
Clearly, their current thod of using it was still crude and superficial. At the very least, there needed to be chanisms for self-isolation to prevent anyone from being casually influenced or assimilated. Just one ti was enough for the ever-perceptive Tilan to identify nurous issues.
It seed there was much to be done in the future; while Connector wasn't the solution Tilan had initially envisioned, it still held significant value for reference.
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