"Sometimes I feel like I've completely lost my sense of shame."
Getting more powerful cards should have been a good thing, but Jiang You couldn't bring himself to be happy. Bullying NPCs was boring, and these cards were useless against other players.
"If you enjoy challenging yourself, you don't have to use them," Bubble remarked. She found players to be a troublesome bunch—they loved to win but hated winning too easily.
"Nah, I'll pass."
Jiang You refused. How could he not use a wheelchair once he got one? It was like how those who once fiercely resisted the "pearl meta" inevitably ended up embracing it.
"But isn't this thing still just a card? Will it actually work?"
"The servants you summon are also just cards, aren't they?"
"Actually, you can materialize any relatively concrete concept," Bubble explained. "For example, you can use the Trap Card [Chains of Heaven] as a physical weapon. Of course, abstract concepts can also be materialized, but your human mind wouldn't be able to comprehend them."
"Wait, can you understand non-human thinking?"
Jiang You thought to himself, Bubble, you act pretty human yourself. The dev team is human too, so how could they possibly understand non-human thought? He decided to assume this function had its limits.
Following Bubble's suggestion, Jiang You tried it out. A seal-like object with a deeply unsettling pattern appeared in his hand. Upon closer inspection, the pattern seemed to shift constantly, representing formless Chaos.
"So this beginner's tutorial has a second phase? It actually works! I'm invincible now!"
"Even without this function, there's nothing in this world that can threaten you anymore."
Even if Jiang You had never discovered the truth, this would still hold true. Beings of a lower tier couldn't harm him, and those powerful enough understood the significance of his existence. Unless they had a death wish, none would dare to harm his physical body.
"After all, you are the greatest existence."
"Could you lay off the praise for a bit?"
With the soles of his shoes worn through, Jiang You's toes were now awkwardly digging into the ground in embarrassment.
"Can this thing save Fuyuki?"
"All you need to do is tap this on Tru'nembra's forehead. The creatures driven mad by her song will return to normal." It sounded simple, an easy solution to the crisis, but unfortunately, Bubble's explanation didn't end there.
"However..."
"However what?"
Jiang You knew it. Cthulhu-esque things were never this benevolent.
"Theoretically, this device 'steals' her followers. In practice, it transfers Tru'nembra's influence to you. If you activate your passive ability, they'll likely fall under an even stronger influence. For instance, they might transform into a new species or something."
Azathoth doesn't actually have any followers, only the Ghast Worms as fanatical worshippers (who count, in a sense). So, Bubble couldn't be sure what humans would transform into.
"Why do I get the feeling this whole setup is actually using Fuyuki's ordinary people to seal me?"
Jiang You wondered if the dev team thought his power was growing too fast and were trying to nerf him. What would happen if he shamelessly chose to ignore the fate of these ordinary people?
"Naturally, we won't let these ordinary people affect you, Lord Jiang You."
Even without mind-reading, Jiang You's expression revealed a great deal. Bubble didn't particularly care about the lives of ordinary people, but she had to consider Jiang You's feelings.
"Ordinary humans can't directly withstand your presence, but we can use an indirect method. Perhaps you could find a few proxies?"
"Proxies?"
"Yes, proxies. Of course, we can also use a term you're more familiar with—miko."
Bubble fixed her gaze on Prisma Illya. "Miko of the Outer God."
"Huh?"
Bubble's intense stare made Prisma Illya's skin crawl. "Miko? Me?"
"You are the most suitable candidate. A native of this world, possessing magical aptitude far superior to ordinary humans, and most importantly—still a virgin."
"Wh-wh-what are you saying?!"
The blunt words made Prisma Illya blush crimson.
"A miko serving a god must, of course, maintain her purity."
In truth, we Cthulhu Mythos deities have no such rules, Bubble thought. But saying this will please Jiang You. At his core, that guy is no different from any other human male. Just add a few prerequisites, and 'Azathoth' will be delighted. Why not indulge him?
"I ask you," Bubble continued aloud, "are you willing to offer everything you have to a god to protect this city?"
"Wait a minute! How did things suddenly escalate to this?"
Prisma Illya struggled to process the situation. The plot was spiraling out of control far too quickly. She had only known Jiang You for about a week—how had they already reached this point?
"It's fine if you're not willing, you know."
For Bubble, it was a case of "might as well give it a shot."
"Actually, on a cosmic scale, becoming one of Azathoth's followers is a tremendous blessing," she explained. "The human body is weak and fragile, incapable of even traversing the universe on its own. The planet Earth is utterly insignificant on the cosmic stage. Shedding this mortal shell to embrace the cosmos is the true path of evolution—though you humans might find that hard to accept."
"I..."
As Bubble spoke, she used the Library's projections to display the potential transformations for humans who became followers of Azathoth—now Jiang You. In short, they would morph into grotesque creatures far beyond the bounds of human aesthetics.
"...After they change into that," Prisma Illya asked, her voice trembling, "are they still themselves?"
In truth, Prisma Illya had already made up her mind. Having grown up in a normal family, she couldn't stand by and do nothing in a situation like this.
"That delves into philosophy," Bubble replied. "When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, do you still consider it the same creature?"
To a butterfly, a caterpillar is just a feeding, fertilized egg. During pupation, its body structure is completely reorganized. You could argue it's the same being or a different one entirely, depending on your perspective.
"I understand..."
Prisma Illya glared fiercely at Jiang You. "I'll become your miko, you despicable bastard!"
"Wait, hold on a second!"
Jiang You, bewildered by the sudden scolding, hadn't even managed to say a word before he suddenly had a miko.
"How am I despicable?!"
"Because, fundamentally, you're the one who caused all this," Bubble interjected, adding that she had merely given things a little push. As his Avatar, she was simply helping Jiang You fulfill his wish: not to let a single Illya get away.