Banshee, That's So Helpless

There was a reason Song Mo chose these three Materials as scripts.

First of all, the limited Materials provided by the system all carried very distinct regional mythological styles.

For instance, Japan's Jorogumo, Thailand's Krasue, and Ireland's Banshee.

These legends had already been circulating in their respective countries or local regions for many years.

However, Song Mo didn't plan to hastily write a script just to farm Screenwriter Points.

First was the Jersey Devil. She didn't have a deep understanding of this Material's background, so trying to write a script for it might result in a creation failure.

Then there was Tokyo's Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. Although there was a twenty-four-hour countdown, a Night Parade was not as simple as just a hundred different kinds of ghosts.

The scenes and characters that needed to be constructed for this script were obviously far more numerous.

With a limited time for the script, biting off more than she could chew would only lead to trouble.

She was better off choosing three Materials with mature basic settings, high recognition, and lower difficulty to first establish the framework for overseas Instances.

—Just like in China, where she had started with rural ghost stories like The Cat-Faced Old Lady.

Overseas Instances also had to start with entry-level supernatural legends to give the players over there an adjustment period.

Song Mo quickly made her decision.

After all, she wasn't a nuclear-powered donkey. Trying to devour all the time-limited scripts at once would likely result in the final products not being exciting enough.

...

The steam from the hotpot had not yet fully dissipated. A'zhu floated in the kitchen cleaning the dishes, while the Mouse Servant slept on the floor with its legs crossed.

Above Song Mo's line of sight, the ink-wash text began to flow.

At this instant, the two fierce ghosts simultaneously transformed into black mist, clinging to the ceiling to hide, while the Mouse Servant rolled over and scrambled under the bed.

Even the chirping of the birds outside the window seemed to come to a halt.

“The name ‘Banshee’—or Bean Sídhe—originally comes from Irish Gaelic, translating literally to ‘woman of the fairy mound,’” Song Mo muttered to herself. “In Celtic mythology, the race possessing shapeshifting abilities and mastering magic is referred to as ‘fairies.’

They can foresee the future, control the weather, and live among humans. They can bestow blessings upon humans, but they can also bring down disasters. Of course, some theologians believe that the Banshee was likely just a barn owl, a large bird that humans imagined to be a death-bringing spirit.”

These settings were all things that actually existed in her previous life.

She just didn't know if such legends existed on this planet.

...

【Creation in progress—】

【Supernatural Creature No. 005: Banshee】

【Creature Traits: Fairy; charming, free-spirited; lures humans; feeds on death energy】

【Core Essence:

Harbinger of Death: Never actively kills; only foretells impending death with her wails. The death energy radiating from a dying human will attract the Banshee to come and feast.

Shapeshifting...】

Song Mo paused here. She recalled that in Irish legend, the Banshee possessed three classic incarnations.

“Then let's have the three incarnations correspond to different levels of death.”

【2. Shapeshifting: The Banshee possesses three human forms:

A beautiful young girl with golden hair and blue eyes, who foretells that someone in the house will die peacefully of old age; a solemn-faced middle-aged woman, who foretells that the deceased will die of an accidental death; and a disheveled, ugly old crone with webbed frog-like feet and a single nostril, who will wander and wail outside the house of someone about to meet a tragic, violent death.】

Song Mo's fingertips moved slightly, and the text flowed smoothly along with her train of thought:

“Since she is a fairy and modeled after a barn owl, she should have a strong physical body.”

Within the ink-wash text, a massive barn owl gradually took shape, its body lines sleek and its muscles powerful.

“Fairies do not care about the beauty or ugliness of human forms, so her true form should also possess a human female's torso and head, with her face preferably retaining bird-like features.”

“She should have razor-sharp claws.”

“Her cry should be shrill and eerie, striking terror into hearts. She is the messenger of death, the fear of the unknown.”

“She should possess massive wings that can reach a span of three meters... no, four meters. Her lower limbs should be strong, bird-like legs.”

“She flies silently, and when angered, she will tear apart anyone who dares to disrupt her feeding...”

“She should have a sense of good and evil, and possess intelligence.”

...

One by one, the settings were compiled.

The ink shifted, and a phantom of the Banshee appeared in mid-air. Her face retained the heart-shaped facial disc of a barn owl, her eyes were large and pitch-black, her fingertips bore sharp black talons, and her lower limbs were robust and bird-like.

She kept her eyes closed, remaining a lifeless object.

Song Mo's inspiration surged as she continued to depict this beautiful creation:

【3. Abilities:

Death Foresight: Can perceive the probability of death for all living organisms within her range, pinpointing the dying individual with absolute precision, and automatically appearing outside their door to wail. The crying can only be heard by the targeted individual and their blood relatives.

Psychic Shock: In her attack state with a human head and bird body, the Banshee's sharp wails can inflict mental damage. Mild cases suffer from dizziness and tinnitus, while severe cases lose consciousness or even suffer cardiac arrest.

Shapeshifting Flight: Can freely switch between her three human forms and her barn owl form. Physical attacks are ineffective against her; only silver weapons and holy water can cause damage.

Illusion: Can create illusions of the deceased to provide hospice care.

Reproduction: The Banshee will carry away females on the verge of death, incubating them in graveyards to hatch into new Banshees.】

“And of course, the most important part: absolute, one hundred percent loyalty to the Creator, never to betray. This bloodline trait will be passed down through the bloodline to every newborn Banshee.”

...

【Creation in progress.】

【Creation successful! This creation consumed a total of 500 Screenwriter Points. Current remaining Screenwriter Points: 4,300.】

The moment Song Mo finished speaking, the text describing the Banshee began to expand rapidly.

The phantom floating in the air was compressed and reshaped.

Finally, the massive, beautiful Banshee opened her eyes. Within her avian pupils, an expression of immense ecstasy and childlike devotion welled up:

She reached out, extending her sharp talons toward Song Mo, her colossal form betraying a look of a newborn seeking a warm embrace from its creator.

Just like a newborn baby.

Song Mo reached out, attempting to soothe this newly born intelligent creature.

In the next second, the text dissolved like foam, and the Banshee's figure gradually faded into transparency.

【Limited Material “Banshee” has been deployed to the limited location: The border between Ireland and Wales.】

...

“???????”

The "come here, good child, let Mommy hug you" smile was still plastered on Song Mo's face when, in the next second, her expression cracked inch by inch:

“So that's what ‘limited’ meant, ahhhhh?!”

“You dog system, give me back my hard-earned Screenwriter Points! Give me back my child!”

“She was sent off to work right after she was born! She's just a little baby, you have no heart!!!”

If the text system could speak, it would surely retort loudly and roll its eyes:

You call this intelligent creature—who stands three meters tall, has a four-meter wingspan, can tear a tiger apart with her claws, kill a human with her wails, and fly as fast as a falcon—a... weak baby?

Then she is indeed very weak and helpless.

Oh, I meant the Irish.

...

Not long after Song Mo decided to give up on the other script Materials.

On the other side of the ocean, the sun was shining brightly over the North American continent.

A gradually forming dark shadow quietly appeared on the rooftop of a building in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

It was a beautiful, clear day.

The scenery along the Bathgate River was in full splendor, with the leaves of the sweetgum trees gradually turning a golden red.

Long, low wooden fences stretched along the riverbank. On the river's surface, which shimmered with golden light, swans paddled lazily.

The walking path was bustling with activity.

A young street performer with curly brown hair was playing the clarinet with his eyes closed.

Not far away, a Japanese tour group of elderly tourists was passing by. Six or seven older women wearing floral jackets held Instax cameras, their chattering Japanese drifting through the air:

“Wow, so cute! Let's take a good picture and send it to my daughter.”

Leaning against the fence was a pair of French painters, a couple capturing the river scenery. From time to time, the woman threw a few pieces of bread to feed the swans.

...

“Why does this scenery look exactly like my hometown's county seat?”

Fei Meng, a Chinese exchange student carrying a Canon mirrorless camera, pressed the shutter while facing the river.

She was a new exchange student in the media department at Philadelphia University, who had taken a bus to New Jersey over the weekend for a photoshoot.

The shutter clicked repeatedly, and then Fei Meng suddenly let out a soft gasp of surprise.

“What on earth is that... an eagle?”