Within the universe of the inner world.
Pastel was flitting around the solar system.
Sun friend, Mercury friend!
Comfort me after I got scolded by Lord Demon!
As if in response to her heart, a black sun ominously flickered with flames that could consume one’s spirit.
Waaah!
As her body was engulfed in flames and her mind went blank, Pastel flailed about and fled.
Except Sun friend!
This friend seems way too much for me to handle!
Moreover, is the sun even a proper friend in the first place?
Is that not my soul?
Menacing Sun = Pastel’s soul
Eeeng.
Eeiiing?
Pastel, unable to handle the reality, made a whining sound, spun her body around, and then changed her mind.
How difficult it must be for Mercury friend who has to spend time alone with a sun that’s hard to approach!
We must make a Venus friend quickly!
Looking around, the essences she had consumed were flying about in the form of rocky fragments. There were quite a lot—more than the last time when she attempted to create Venus but failed due to insufficient gravity, mixed with the rocks obtained from the sect member and the monster she captured this time.
Pastel crossed her arms and carefully recalled the real solar system.
Isn’t Venus bigger than Mercury…?
She examined the rock fragments. It seemed like if she gathered them all, she might be able to form something roughly the size of Venus.
Since this is the inner world, wouldn’t it be acceptable as long as it feels right?
She placed her fingertips on her temples.
Miss Pastel, would you acknowledge this size as Venus?
Wow.
If you ask such a thing…
So much contemplation, so much deliberation.
She furrowed her brows and began a serious train of thought.
Countless meticulous calculations and cold judgments followed.
Piiyong~!
And the conclusion came in a flash!
Pastel stood with a bright face, raising her arm high.
I acknowledge!
An authority that leaves no room for doubt.
Acknowledged.
Oh yeah, it’s acknowledged!
The delighted Pastel reached toward the rock fragments.
Venus friend, I’ll make you appear in no time!
She gathered the rock fragments and amassed them outside Mercury’s orbit.
Huhhaaaap!
Concentrating her mind, the fragments collided and clumped together, forming a rocky planet. It grew larger than Mercury and formed a strong gravitational pull.
At some point, the completed Venus shone in gold. A brilliant light like a gold nugget, shining alone even though it wasn’t a star.
Waaah!
It’s dazzling~!
Pastel squinted her eyes against the brightness and winced in pain.
It feels like something that would leave tooth marks if I bit it—pure gold!
Even though the real Venus has an atmosphere and geology so it shouldn’t be solid gold, but somehow this feels right!
Venus should indeed be gold!
Of course, that’s because it’s Venus (金星), right!
A golden hue worthy of approval by a pure inner world.
You truly are Venus!
Acknowledged!
Acknowledged, acknowledged!
Pastel vigorously affirmed with both arms flailing.
And then she approached Venus in a trance-like state.
Ho-ek, gold.
She spread her arms wide and embraced it. It was too big for her to actually hold, so it felt more like she was sticking herself against it.
Slap.
Venus friend.
Should I bite you?
Of course, I’m not doubting if you’re pure gold! I didn’t even entertain the thought that you might be just gold-plated—not even a bit!
Just…
Pastel thought of an excuse and then laughed.
I just want to bite you!
She opened her mouth wide like a squirrel diving into a watermelon much larger than itself and immediately sank her teeth in.
Foomp.
When she pulled back, faint tooth marks appeared.
Ho-eck, it’s pure gold.
Are you maybe 24K?
I fell in love at first sight! Let’s get married!
Pastel professed her love and tightly embraced the golden block pretending to be Venus.
We’ll be together forever!
Suddenly, Mercury passed nearby, orbiting around the Sun. It had a lonely aura.
It felt like the sort of atmosphere where someone feeling left out from the friends’ group would go to the restroom alone and eat lunch.
Ah!
Pastel flinched.
Sorry, Mercury friend.
There was quite a disparity in treatment…
After hesitating for a bit, she detached herself from Venus. She rubbed the tooth marks on Venus back to normal and backed away.
She slyly checked Mercury’s expression, then looked at Venus with an austere face, crossing her arms with a decisive gaze.
Venus!
It’s very regrettable to say this so soon after your birth, but the solar system family functions on a balance of interests. You’ll need to prove your value to be accepted as a family member. We have to earn our own keep.
Then Pastel sneaked closer to Venus and whispered.
But this is a secret…
I like you.
Regardless of what you do or what you’re capable of, I like you.
Even if the mysteries of the Milky Way disappear and the wonders of the universe vanish, you will remain mysterious and wondrous to me.
So, Gold friend…
Pastel stopped mid-sentence, realizing she’d made a slip of the tongue and her eyes widened.
Oh no!
I mixed up the names!
With so many friends, I got confused!
Is this the fate of being popular?!
Is this the inevitability of being popular…?!
Sorry, Venus friend! It wasn’t like I was thinking of you as a lump of gold! You’re a planet! I know that! Please don’t misunderstand!
The deeply embarrassed Pastel quickly distanced herself from Venus, maintaining a stoic face with crossed arms as she stared sternly.
Uhm, anyway, prove your worth!
The solar system family isn’t easy to deal with!
Venus, seemingly not entirely satisfied, hovered around a bit then made a single orbit around the Sun. An orbit formed, embracing Mercury’s, and the Venusian orbit was created.
A new order in the solar system was established. The structure had two circles encircling the point called the Sun.
Order created harmony, shaking the consciousness.
Waaah!
An awakening!
An awakening…!
Pastel initially gaped in amazement but then stopped and slowly placed her hands at the sides of her head.
Awakening…
I have no clue.
Eeiiing.
It happened when I made Mercury too, so there should be changes if I awaken through meditation, but shouldn’t there normally be some sort of awakening if I’m gaining power?
It doesn’t feel like the proper method of cultivation to just gain strength without an awakening.
Lord Demon is right, something’s off.
This isn’t cultivation but…
She tilted her head and looked around. The vast, empty space of the universe had the ominous black sun glaring.
But then again, since I am the sun, it feels weird that just by having planets orbiting me in circles I would gain an awakening.
Pastel began folding her fingers one by one.
Mercury-Venus-Earth-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune.
Mercury, Venus, and Earth?
Earth?
Just hearing the name makes my heart race.
Earth friend!
With you, I feel like I can do anything!
She hastily looked for the remaining rock fragments.
All used up.
Guh.
Don’t worry!
Earth couldn’t possibly be satisfied with just rock fragments anyway. A pure rock fragment-made Earth isn’t really Earth!
Earth must certainly have life, isn’t that right?
Life.
Living beings.
How do I create life?
Mm.
Life, life.
The union of male and female…
Mosaic Beam~!
Eh?
In an instant, Pastel snapped out of what would’ve been an adult-rated fantasy. Her face burning red, she lifted her upper body from the bed.
Eeeeah.
Her eyes spun around.
Steam rising from her face.
Sitting beside her bed, the demon who had been watching her, spoke up.
“How was it?”
Pastel jumped.
Caught by the guardian right after having a dirty fantasy.
Eeeeeeaaaah!
“I didn’t have any fantasy at all!”
Frantically moving about.
Fretting.
The demon looked perplexed.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Don’t ask!”
It was a fierce and resolute cry.
Dominated by her momentum, the demon was dumbfounded.
“I see.”
—
“Is something different?”
Pastel’s voice hung in the air as the demon, holding her under the armpits, carefully estimated her weight.
“Hmm, you haven’t become lighter this time like last time.”
“Hey.”
Disappointment.
“Don’t be too disappointed. The fact that your body weight isn’t becoming lighter isn’t necessarily good. Although you’re not just getting lighter as the physical laws are distorting, being disconnected from the world isn’t a positive phenomenon either.”
Eeeeng.
“Venus friend might be kicked out of the solar system like this. Just like Pluto.”
Huh.
The poor Pluto friend.
Or, should it be referred to as some alphanumeric now?
The poor alphanumeric Pluto friend.
“I can’t make sense of your talk about your personal world.”
The red eyes pondered.
“Tell me about your inner world. If you feel like there’s been a clear change, there probably has been one. Let’s deduce what exactly it is.”
“Yes.”
Pastel nodded.
The demon was watching her, signaling her to continue.
A silence followed.
Mm.
“Could you put me down first, Lord Demon?”
Still dangling in the air, Pastel swung her legs.
“Should I talk like this?”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
Her feet touched the ground.
Pastel cleared her throat.
“The process of Venus friend’s birth involved some incredibly amazing things that Lord Demon couldn’t even imagine. The heavens were cleaved, life was created, and all existence resonated.”
“Hoo.”
The demon listened with interest.
“Did you like the story from the temple?”
Eh?
It’s a lie.
She checked his reaction.
“Actually, it’s a lie. But let me simplify it for better understanding.”
Hem.
She cleared her throat again and waved her arms.
“Venus friend was actually gold!”
Pastel feigned a very surprised expression.
“So, I decided to marry her! Only to later find out she was a planet, not gold!”
She acted out expressions of shock.
“Sorry, Venus friend! Let’s just call off the wedding!”
“Hoo.”
The demon was impressed.
“You’ve really simplified it a lot. I can’t understand a thing.”
Hooek.
Pastel waved her hands vigorously.
“So, listen, it’s like this—Venus friend isn’t gold originally, but she became gold! Why? Because I said so! Venus is gold! Acknowledged!”
“Hmm.”
The demon rubbed his chin as he thought deeply.
Eeeh?
“Does it mean anything? Is there some great reason behind gold?”
“Gold is just a reflection of simple desire. Exactly that.”
Eeek.
Embarrassed.
“Instead, it’s better for us to check your physical condition thoroughly. Let’s go. Throw a punch.”
Following the demon’s words, Pastel performed each action. She attacked the trees of the Skywhale with punches and kicks, assessing her strength, and slashed falling leaves, checking her reflexes.
Noticing a difference only when using the magic stone knife for complex maneuvers.
“Hoo, your willpower has strengthened.”
The knife hovered without any gestures.
Eeeying.
Pastel blankly stared at the magic stone knife hovering around by just her thought.
The knife circled her body.
“Since you now have a free hand, it’ll act as a variable against semi-knights. No matter how strong the opponent, everyone has two arms and one life.”
Pastel assumed a stance, imagining an opponent, then swung her sword forward.
They exchanged several sword strikes in a regular fashion, then she moved her willpower. The knife immediately flew forward, striking the hard-fighting imaginary opponent.
Poomk!
Yik!
Thud.
“That’s how you use it. It’s infuriating enough for those on the receiving end.”
Ee.
Pastel felt a complex mix of emotions.
This is awfully unsportsmanlike…
She glanced at the knife.
The silver blade gleamed.
“Should I put poison on it while we’re at it?”
Would totally fit.
“Young Craft.”
Eeek.
Isn’t that a bit…?
Pastel fidgeted, fearing punishment.
The demon spoke calmly.
“You’ve thought well.”
A satisfied tone.
“I’ll teach you poison-making.”
Wow.
“Yes, Master!”
…
…
