Swish—
Before Lelith could react, her combat headdress had vanished, and she found herself directly confronting Kei.
A portal shimmering with golden sparks passed her physical form.
Kei didn't let her continue with the free fall. Instead, he gave her a taste of a small but shocking [Graveyard Healer] treatment.
With the aid of the Labyrinthian Circuit and its computing of the optimal algorithm, the supplementary effect of [Graveyard Healer] had achieved intensity levels far exceeding any sentient lifeform's tolerance threshold.
With no method to terminate sensory input or block neural feedback, not merely Lelith, even an entity like Yvraine would be screaming for help in minutes.
"Let's go. Find a place to rest."
Kei stepped forward. A golden, spark-filled magic portal appeared once again.
On the other side of the portal was a massive hotel.
"Arcane manipulation truly demonstrates convenience." Jain Zar stepped through the portal, glancing at the pedestrians walking the streets early in the morning, none of whom seemed to notice anything strange. She kept checking and comparing the latest data recorded in the Black Library.
The Library had completed analysis of arcane energy structure and operational principles behind several basic incantations.
She no longer maintained her previous ignorance.
This category of imperceptible technique clearly represented confusion-type enchantment from elementary arcane practice.
"Each has their strengths." Kei's internal Labyrinthian Circuit directly interfaced with Terra's data networks.
Identity registration, credit authorization, financial access activation, monetary transfers, accommodation confirmation... All of it was completed before he even stepped through the hotel's front doors, without drawing the slightest attention.
He received his room card at the front desk, and politely declined assistance from the hotel staff.
Then, with Jain Zar and Kyganil in tow, he arrived at the penthouse suite on the top floor.
The suite took up the entire top level of the hotel.
Bedroom, living room, study, conference room, training area, reception room, rooftop garden... everything was included.
After entering, he let Jain Zar and Kyganil pick their own rooms. With a casual wave of his hand, he released Lelith, who looked completely broken.
As a major character, her influence on the world line was significant. Altering her fate would yield no small reward.
Thud—
She hit the carpet and didn't even bother to move.
Her elaborate facial ornamentation was smeared, her countenance wore an expression of absolute despair, as if termination would constitute relief. Any observer would conclude she had completely abandoned existence.
"Hey, quit faking. It was just two minutes of minor stimulation. Was it really that bad?" Kei browsed the wine cabinet for a while. He picked out a bottle of wine with decent reviews based on data analysis.
Turning to look at her, still lying there motionless.
"I experienced impact equivalent to ten thousand wall collisions within two minutes. You call that minor stimulation? Who represents the true malevolent entity, myself or you?" Even her insults were weak and lifeless. She seemed utterly defeated.
But Kei knew, it was all just an act.
The moment she emerged from the spatial transfer magic, she had already sent a psychic pulse to her Venom-class transport.
Telling her subordinates not to act rashly, to contact Cegorach to retrieve her, and at the same time, transmitting all the intel she had gathered.
The arcane energy masked the faint, encrypted psychic pulse.
Jain Zar and Kyganil might not have noticed. But such a trick couldn't escape Kei's perception. After all, back when he roamed the Naruto world, he used similar methods often to conceal his own actions.
Jain Zar finished touring the massive suite. She and Kyganil sat by the window in elegant chairs, watching the rising sun. Hearing Lelith's words, she looked at Kei pouring wine with a bemused expression.
That technique... was truly malevolent.
"Want a drink?" He turned to look at Jain Zar and Kyganil.
"Acceptable." As soon as Jain Zar replied, two glasses of wine were already placed on the small table in front of her and Kyganil.
"Do you think falling into Cegorach's hands would be better than ending up in mine?" Kei took a light sip of the wine, grimaced in dissatisfaction, and disdainfully transferred the wine bottle to Jain Zar's table. He then grabbed two bottles of amasec from the wine cabinet. Though wine looked elegant, no matter how many times he tried it, he just couldn't enjoy the taste.
"...I despise entities like you most!" Lelith instantly realized what he meant. Her little stunt earlier had been exposed. Yet the reason he hadn't stopped her, either her actions aligned with his intentions, or he simply didn't care about Cegorach.
A flurry of thoughts flashed through her mind. Giving up the act, she stood up from the floor.
She walked to the wine cabinet, picked up the fourth glass of wine that Kei had poured earlier, and turned toward the bathroom.
Escape? Impossible!
However, if he anticipated reducing her to some trembling captive, pleading for mercy like others, he could dismiss such expectations!
She was the Drukhari Queen, she lived freely and without restraint. Not even termination could intimidate her, much less "minor" torment.
Lelith turned and directed fierce glare toward Kei.
As she activated her anti-surveillance field and began removing her combat armor, she declared, "I'm still useful to that manipulative aberration Cegorach. Until he gets what he wants from his great game, he won't dispose of me. But you... heh~"
"You've got a point." Kei nodded.
Cegorach was plotting to overturn Yvraine's so-called survival path and plunge the galaxy into the Age of Endings. To him, Lelith was indeed an irreplaceable piece. Whether out of ancient connection or strategic interests, he wouldn't harm Lelith, on the contrary, he'd likely support her return to power.
"But seriously, what purpose exists in agreeing with me? I already provided you the opening! State your requirements!"
Lelith's voice came again, frustrated and a little unhinged. Typically, if someone expressed all that, shouldn't he articulate his objectives directly?
He wasn't terminating her. He wasn't releasing her.
If he were after her body, he didn't even react when she sealed the entire bathroom with psychic energy.
If it was about stealing Drukhari tech, they were way past that point.
So what the void did he want?
What was his objective?
She couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing all this just because... he found her amusing.
"To change your fate, is that a good enough reason?"
"It's about destiny? That cosmic puppeteer nonsense again? You've reached that level of power?"
"Our development paths differ, but in terms of raw comparison, I'm a little stronger than him." Kei took his amasec and sat on the sofa.
Lelith clearly had a deeper understanding of "fate" than Jain Zar. The first thing she thought of was the Great Game, the force beyond even dimensional aperture calculations.
"What's my fate supposed to be?"
She was visibly intrigued now.
As one of Cegorach's favored pawns, she had once participated in his schemes too.
She just hadn't expected, this upstart would actually claim he was stronger than the Laughing God.
"To stabilize a warp rift, to protect the ones you want to protect, you dive in, and get consumed along with it," Kei said this nonsense with a serious expression.
Jain Zar and Kyganil turned to him, surprised.
Stabilize a warp rift? Protect someone?
Who?
Lelith?!
"When you're fabricating tales, could you at least try to make them believable? I want to pretend I believe you, but I don't even know how to start!"