"Go for it! You can do it, darling!"
"You're the best, darling!"
"..."
The players in the bullet screen were frantically flooding it, all of them longtime members of the Old Peach Network. And at this very moment, the Apprentice Priestess Mana, who was being supported wholeheartedly by countless playful folks, was grasping her little magic staff, her big eyes unblinking, focused intently on...
...a pot in the kitchen.
The pot seemed to contain some extremely delicious soup.
But according to Mana, it's not just an ordinary soup; it's a mystical stew with added magic spice, which not only tastes exceedingly delicious but also has tremendous nourishing effects.
Upon hearing that there was soup available today, Mana had long been craving it, but since her mentor forbade her from having any, she had to devise her own plan.
Just one sip, just secretly take one sip!
Using space magic from the corner opposite the kitchen window to stealthily move the pot over, take a sip, and then discreetly move it back. No one would find out!
I truly am a little genius!
If those old pioneers of the Black Magic line were still around and knew that the top-notch Black Magic they had passed down, capable of rewriting rules and twisting space, was being used by a cheeky junior sister to steal food, they might just rise from their graves in anger.
The few playful folks around Youyu were joining in on the fun too, though they weren't really interested in the soup; they were simply there to support the Dark Magician Girl.
Especially Brother Liang and Brother Jie, who seemed even more excited than the person involved, almost eager to beat gongs and drums to cheer Mana on. But before long, Mana puffed up her cheeks and turned around, putting a slender finger to her lips in a "shush" gesture.
"Keep it down," she whispered, "or we'll get caught!"
"Oh, oh," they instantly fell silent and obedient.
After brewing her plan for a while, Mana felt it was about time, chanted a spell, formed a Dharma seal, and with a "heya," magic power surged from the magic staff, locking onto a certain space in the kitchen.
Half a second later, a bewildered cook instantly appeared before them.
"Oops, wrong target!" Mana broke out in a sweat.
The original intention was just to bring over the pot of soup, but instead of the soup, she brought over the cook...
The playful folks behind were laughing hysterically.
Indeed, relying on object selection isn't foolproof. Can you believe there are mistakes even in selecting objects?
Realizing that the situation might be exposed, Mana quickly considered casting some Stunning Spell to knock the cook out, but she couldn't remember the spell for it at all. She waved her little hand, hastily conjuring a thick tome of magical literature and buried her head in flipping through it rapidly.
The players, seeing the massive book in her hands, exchanged puzzled glances.
This book... isn't that the "Magic Formula"?
Magic Formula, Equip Magic, can only equip "Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl," increasing the equipped monster's attack power by 700.
But alas, her speed in referencing the book was still a tad slow, and the bewildered cook quickly noticed her, tentatively asking in a soft voice, "Priestess?"
"Oh no! Don't say that, you didn't see me!"
In a quick-witted move, Mana decided not to search for any spells, opting instead to swing her little magic staff down upon the cook's forehead instead.
Physical Fainting Technique!
The cook's vision went black, and with a plop, he fell backward.
It's over, it's over, I've been seen, surely the mentor will punish me again.
Although the girl had a bit of a thick nerve and was playful every day, she was still very afraid of her mentor's reprimands.
Mana, flustered and at a loss, quickly started flipping through the book again.
"What are you searching for?" Miss Yue Hua asked curiously.
Hasn't the person already fainted? What spell are you looking for now?
Could it be some spell to destroy evidence of the crime?
"I remember there's a memory erasure spell in the book... Ah! Got it!"
Mana's eyes brightened, and pointing her magic staff at the unconscious cook, she began chanting the spell.
However, it was obvious that she hadn't actually learned this spell, or even if she had, she certainly hadn't mastered it well. Her recitation was stammering and not smooth, sometimes mispronouncing syllables and having to repeat them, sounding much like a grade-schooler learning English...
The light on her magic staff flickered, a transparent and complex magic array flashed by, and the spell was quickly finalized.
"Is that... it?" Cola Sprite asked.
"Yes," Mana puffed out her chest proudly, "Don't be fooled by my appearance; my Black Magic is pretty powerful! Now he should forget all about us!"
"But... won't he forget more than he should?" Miss Yue Hua asked.
"Eh?" Mana paused, covering her mouth, "Uh... shouldn't... probably, I guess..."
The players: "..."
Suddenly, a wave of sympathy for this innocent cook washed over them...
Yet the playful folks in the bullet screen only got more excited.
"Has my darling been growing up eating cuteness? Too adorable!"
"Gentlemen, draw your swords!"
"..."
After such a setback, Mana didn't dare to continue with her sneaky eating plans and sullenly left. But thinking of the delicious flavor of that stew, she still felt dissatisfied, soon coming up with a new idea.
Hmph, if I can't have it, I'll make it myself!
"That soup is so delicious, I'll make it for you!" Mana announced to her new friends.
The playful folks immediately got excited.
Especially Brother Liang and Brother Jie, who almost sounded out in excitement, swearing that they'd eat anything she made!
Mana was very pleased to hear this.
She really liked these new friends, because usually, she couldn't find so many buddies to mess around with her.
Her mentor, ever since becoming a Priest, was always stern and humorless. The Prince, whom she adored, was now the Pharaoh, rarely seen. The other Apprentice Priests in the Royal Palace were all overly cautious and prudent, with no one daring to mess around like her (perhaps also because no one had her strong backing)...
"Alright! First, we need to go steal some ingredients!"
So, in the end, it's still about stealing...
The playful folks, already fearless by nature, didn't mind in the least. They happily followed after the priestess, ready to sneak into the supply room for ingredients.
But halfway there, at a corner, Mana suddenly stopped.
The players also stopped abruptly, curiously poking their heads out to follow her gaze.
"Mentor!?!"
"Youyu!?"
The mischievous squad quickly realized that standing face-to-face not far ahead in the open space were Mana's mentor, the Priest Mahad, and Youyu.
Mana's little heart immediately began to pound.
What is Mentor doing here? Could it be he found out I went to steal a taste?
Oh no, I'm going to get harshly punished by Mentor again...
However, Mahad was seen raising his arm, deploying the dueling disc on the back of his hand. A beam of golden light shot into the sky, and five tablets soon slammed onto the ground.
The group instantly understood.
The Priest is about to duel with Youyu?