"Noah, Noah!" A sweet, slightly tsundere female voice rang in Noah's mind.
The call was like a clear spring, cutting through layers of fog and breaking Noah out of the heavy memories he had been lost in.
He slowly reopened his eyes, as if returning from the distant past to the present reality.
And… It had only been half a month since he was captured.
"What's wrong, Lucy?" Noah's expression showed fatigue and weakness.
His thoughts were still stuck in those heavy memories, but Lucy's call forced him to come back to focus.
"I called you so many times just now and you didn't respond… I thought you were dead!" Lucy's mischievous voice sounded again, with a hint of displeasure.
Noah sighed helplessly and said, "Then I'm really sorry for still being alive."
"No!!" Lucy suddenly raised her voice and shouted, "Were you even listening to me just now?!"
"If you died… I would disappear from this world too! So you absolutely cannot die!!"
Lucy was a small companion that came with a system Noah accidentally awakened after being imprisoned in the basement.
According to her, she was the system's "container," responsible for managing rewards and granting various bonuses.
Naturally, she considered herself the master's attendant.
However, Noah always treated Lucy with affection. Even though she hadn't provided any tangible help, not even a single beginner's gift pack, Noah still cherished her existence.
In the confined and dark environment, Lucy became his only companion and confidant.
Without her, Noah wasn't sure he could have endured the endless solitude.
Communicating with Lucy became a spiritual solace for him.
"If I die… then you, residing within my body, would disappear too, right?" Noah slowly closed his eyes, speaking to Lucy in their shared consciousness space.
The consciousness space was Lucy's daily habitat. Here, Noah could see her true form—a small, cute little loli with silver hair.
She wore an oversized hoodie, which nearly concealed her entire tiny body. Only her chubby-but-not-overweight little legs were exposed.
"That's right," Lucy nodded solemnly, responding earnestly.
Hearing this, Noah slumped to the ground like a deflated balloon, muttering helplessly, "Then at least give me something to escape this place! Or come up with a plan!"
"I'm just a consciousness… how do you expect me to make a plan~" Lucy sat on a swing in the consciousness space, pouting and swinging her legs.
"Then it's over… I guess I'll just wait to die from over-exertion" Noah smirked, suddenly wanting to tease Lucy.
"I'll go wait in the Yama Hall for you. When you arrive, we could work together to afford an apartment there. I heard houses there are pricey."
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Stop that right now!" Lucy angrily jumped off the swing.
She landed in front of Noah, grabbing his shoulders with her small, soft hands, shaking him repeatedly. "We aren't going to die!"
"Hahaha." Even while being shaken, Noah couldn't help laughing.
His laughter seemed to irritate Lucy even more, and she shook him faster.
Noah felt the world spinning and hurriedly tried to shout, "Stop… stop shaking, I'm going to faint!"
"Hmph!" Lucy let out a cute little huff and released him.
Noah felt dizzy, as if the entire world was spinning around him. He gritted his teeth and decisively withdrew from the consciousness space.
"Remember! You absolutely cannot die!
I hadn't even seen more beautiful sights yet~ so you can't die ahead of me."
Lucy's voice still sounded tsundere and mischievous, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible note of concern underneath.
Noah's awareness gradually returned to the basement reality. The dizziness and extreme mental fatigue made it impossible for him to keep his eyes open.
Just then, a sudden set of footsteps drew his attention. It was unusual, because Tsaritsa never came at this time before.
Noah guessed silently that perhaps Tsaritsa wanted to… torment him again.
Not that it mattered—he had already become numb to it all and no longer cared.
So Noah kept his eyes tightly shut, allowing the thick ropes to leave bright red, shocking marks across his fair skin.
He silently endured the pain, waiting for his impending fate.
As the footsteps drew closer, Noah noticed something unusual.
The steps sounded steady and strong, yet accompanied by a crisp, delicate noise.
This unique sound could only be made by very sharp high heels and was completely different from Tsaritsa's usual footsteps.
(Since he had spent so much boring time in the confinement room, and with his body growing stronger day by day, Noah had become extremely sensitive to these sounds.)
(I would give you a clear level of his power later)
When the door opened, Noah involuntarily opened his eyes… and clearly saw the newcomer.
As expected, it wasn't Tsaritsa—it was the woman he had accidentally bumped into that day: Arlecchino.
Just as Noah was about to speak, Arlecchino cut him off.
"Shh, don't make a sound!" Arlecchino put a finger to her lips, signaling silence, and gestured with her eyes for Noah to stay quiet.
Seeing this, Noah obediently closed his mouth, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Arlecchino carefully approached Noah and lowered her voice. "I'm here to save you. Leave the rest to me."
Her tone was firm, and a glimmer of hope rose in Noah's heart.
Noah nodded slightly, showing that he understood Arlecchino's intention.
The dimness in his eyes gradually began to recover a spark of life.
Seeing Noah cooperating, Arlecchino felt a small sense of relief. She continued in a low voice, "Don't panic. Do exactly as I say… I will definitely get you out of here."
Her slow, deliberate words carried a reassuring power that made Noah feel a sudden sense of calm.