The Strange Newborn

"Hmm? You're going, Teacher? President Fina has no interest?" Chen Miemie wasn't too surprised; he had always figured it would be one of the two.

"We had a contest, and I lost," Dawn said, a hint of reluctance on her face.

"Oh, that's normal. After all... wait, you lost? You, a [Mystery] Rank 6, lost to her, a [Mystery] Rank 5?!"

"A contest isn't necessarily a fight. We competed in something else."

"Competed in what? Hurry up and tell me, what other hidden trump card does that Rubik's Cube head have?" Chen Miemie quickly leaned in, looking like an incredibly curious baby.

Dawn pushed his head away. "Why are you so curious?"

Chen Miemie spoke with righteous conviction, "Of course I need to figure out this kind of critical intel. What if she pulls the same trick the next time I challenge her for the club president position?"

Dawn shut her mouth, not wanting to deal with Chen Miemie.

Kassan started laughing. "Those two, they competed to see who could last longer under Vice President Leng Ruxue's barrage of cold jokes. Whoever laughed first lost."

Chen Miemie was shocked: to think there was such a method in the [Court of the Silver Moon]. He had a low boiling point for laughter; what would he do if he encountered this? To think the Rubik's Cube head could endure so much that even the aloof Teacher Dawn was no match for her. If he went, wouldn't he just be serving himself up on a silver platter?

Suddenly, Chen Miemie realized something. "Wait, that's not right. Fina won, but you're going to run for president, Teacher. The loser has to go?"

"Yes, I really don't want to go. It's better to be free of responsibilities, just staying up in the sky and enjoying the breeze. Who wants to deal with all those messy affairs?

Fina doesn't want to either. She doesn't even want to be the club president. She just waits around all day for you to grow up quickly and challenge her."

"Why doesn't she want to? Isn't she doing a pretty good job right now?"

"Fina's Rubik's Cube rules affect the groups she manages. This isn't what she wants; in fact, she's quite distressed about it and doesn't want to influence others."

"Then can't she just step down?"

"It's complicated to explain. Simply put, you can knock her down, but she can't abdicate on her own."

"According to that, if she becomes the president, wouldn't all the mystics in the city be restricted by her rules?"

"Correct."

"Then why would she even run? Who would let her get into power!"

Kassan pouted her lips. "So you see, from the very beginning, Dawn was the only option. But she's a tsundere and insisted on having a contest just to go through the motions."

"Kassan!" Dawn glared over coldly.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. By the way, Chen Miemie, why didn't you make a fuss about running for president this time? That's not like you."

Chen Miemie immediately waved his hand proudly. "My ambitions encompass the entire continent. A minor position like the Big Three is nothing more than a stepping stone to meet me in the future."

"Heh, sure enough, it's the Chen Miemie we know. You guys keep chatting, I'm going to cook." Kassan left the living room.

As soon as Kassan left.

Dawn put on a solemn expression. "Is there an instruction from Him?"

'Him' referred to The King in Yellow.

Chen Miemie nodded. "The organization has decided to take down Sixiang City."

Dawn froze.

Just like the Big Three, after the entire process of repairing the seal ended, she thought the new race wasn't planning to make a move on Sixiang City anymore.

She hesitated before asking, "In what form will it be 'taken down'?"

"Don't worry, there's no plan to drive humans out. Currently, we're going for a behind-the-scenes manipulation approach.

In the future, Sixiang City will still be managed by the Council of Three, but it will be a Council of Three belonging to the organization.

If you become the president, Teacher, it's equivalent to helping the organization manage this city."

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. "Then in this city from now on...?"

"The anomalies of the new race will live freely here, just like the witches. The difference is that the witches are guests, while we are the masters."

Dawn seemed to already envision the scenario in the near future—

Behind the Council of Three would be [Eternal as the Moon]. New laws would be introduced, new winds of public opinion would blow, and the upper ruling class would undergo a major reshuffle. The general public wouldn't feel much change, except that some relatively harmless anomalous friends would appear in their lives.

"We?" Dawn immediately caught the keyword. "Chen Miemie, I feel like you're still a human."

Chen Miemie shrugged. "Hard to say. Teacher, you also know that I'm immortal at night. You can simply understand it as: by day I am human, by night I am an anomaly."

"Do you need my help with the other two positions?"

"Not for now."

Chen Miemie sat in Dawn's house for a long time, chatted a lot, and scrounged a dinner before leaving.

After Chen Miemie left.

While clearing the dishes, Kassan casually said, "So, Chen Miemie is the person from 'over there' who gave you your opportunity?"

Dawn knew she couldn't hide it, so she nodded.

Kassan didn't ask further, but instead started laughing.

"Although I don't know who they are, I genuinely like this guy Chen Miemie. From the looks of it, 'over there' can't be all that bad."

Dawn moved her lips but ultimately didn't say anything, just giving a soft "Mhm."

Chen Miemie left Dawn's house right on time.

As soon as the moon came out, he immediately left.

Tonight was the night of the Eternal Moon.

He had important things to do.

The priority wasn't to grind for materials to rank up, but to fish someone out.

Chen Miemie didn't even go downstairs from Dawn's apartment building; he teleported directly home from the hallway using origami.

After returning home, he went to another room that was usually unoccupied.

"I hope there's still time."

He fell back onto the [Embracer of Slumber].

Soon, he sank completely into the mattress, entering a deep sleep.

The next moment, he returned to the true body of the Eternal Moon.

The gaze of the Eternal Moon shone upon the World of a Hundred Cities.

Starting from the surroundings of Sixiang City, it gradually scanned outwards.

Across countless mountains and rivers, above cities, and within wondrous secret realms, Chen Miemie continuously patrolled.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

'Found it!'

In a bizarre forest.

There was a small clearing.

A humanoid creature, wearing an orange vest and a purple suit.

Its hair was dry and messy, its back hunched, and its head bowed deeply.

It stood there motionless for a long time, occasionally letting out sudden, maniacal laughter.

Only when it laughed maniacally would it raise its head and reveal its face.

No, rather than a face, it was more like a mask repeatedly stamped with greasepaint. The base color was an inhuman, deathly pale, like cold light shining on plaster, or a thick layer of rotting, peeling wall paint.

The mouth on this mask was born to laugh maniacally, swallowing all possibilities of any other expression.

The corners of its mouth, split open towards its ears, were two plump, bright red, unhealing scars.

This was a newborn anomaly. Its name was Joker.