Madam Herta faced the floating panel, her slender fingers lightly tracing the names of the Golden Descendants that shimmered with faint light.
Her gaze finally settled on the name "Cyrene."
"She'll do."
Black Herta murmured to herself, her tone carrying the weight of a considered decision, "Based on what I knew in my 'previous life,' Cyrene is gentle, understanding, and relatively easy to communicate with. Let's start with the easy ones and accumulate some experience points first."
She remembered Cyrene as the dazzling and charming girl, much like Elysia. In her impression, such characters were usually reasonable.
With a light tap of her finger, following her choice, a dark portal silently materialized in the pure white space not far away.
The door frame was composed of twisted black matter, with fine purple energy fragments constantly escaping from the edges. Inside the door was a deep, downward-spiraling darkness, forming a stark contrast with the pure white exterior.
Black Herta adjusted the brim of her wide witchs hat, ensuring her posture remained elegant, before taking a step and walking straight toward the door.
Her long boots echoed clearly as they stepped on the invisible floor.
Baiheng was still immersed in the shame of the "Master" appellation, and seeing Black Herta suddenly conjure such a bizarre-looking door and prepare to enter, she immediately panicked.
She looked around the empty, pure white space, and a nameless sense of loneliness and fear welled up in her heart.
"Wait, wait a moment!"
Baiheng called out softly, quickly standing up and jogging after her, "Black... Master! Where are you going? C-can I follow?"
She ultimately couldn't avoid using that address, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Black Herta did not stop, merely throwing back a casual remark: "Stay close, and don't touch anything."
This was considered tacit approval.
Baiheng felt as if she had received a great pardon, and quickly followed closely behind Black Herta, examining the door with curiosity and nervousness.
As she crossed the threshold, she couldn't help but shiver; the temperatures inside and outside the door seemed completely different.
Behind the door was a wide, winding stone staircase, spiraling down into the abyss.
The stairs were made of some kind of cold black stone, and the walls on either side had no lighting, only a faint, gloomy glow from an unknown source that barely outlined the steps.
The air was filled with the scent of old dust, mixed with a metallic smell similar to rust.
The entire space felt eerie and oppressive.
Black Herta frowned slightly; this environment was far removed from the "friendly discussion" venue she had anticipated.
The aesthetic of the Iron Tomb, or rather, the default setting of this "Summoning Antechamber," was truly appalling.
She steadied her mind and walked down the stairs step by step.
Baiheng followed closely, her white fox ears perked up in vigilance, her pair of azure eyes nervously darting around. Her hands unconsciously gripped a corner of Black Herta's skirt, as if to gain some sense of security.
The staircase finally reached its end, leading to a small, relatively flat platform.
The edge of the platform was blocked by thick railings made of dense black energy matter, looking like prison bars.
Black Herta walked up to the railings, mentally rehearsing her opening lines: 'Well, first I must state that I harbor no ill will, I just want to have a chat and discuss my views on world peace... After all, I am Lawful Good... former Boss?'
While thinking, she casually cast her gaze toward the more open space below the railings.
Then, all the calmness on her face and all her internal calculations instantly froze.
In the center of the open space below, a delicate figure was tightly bound by countless thick black chains, suspended in mid-air.
It was a young girl; her pink, shoulder-length hair hung limply, stained with dark red blood.
Her eyes were tightly shut, long lashes casting shadows on her bloodless, pale face. Dried bloodstains and grime were also visible on her delicate features.
The light purple dress she wore, which should have been light and beautiful, was now tattered. One could faintly make out the exquisite patterns that were once on the dress, but they were mostly obscured by tears and dirt.
On her exposed skin, one could see the bluish-purple bruises left by the tight chains.
She looked like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb, close to death and so fragile that she might dissipate at any moment.
Black Herta froze completely, her mind blank.
Cyrene?
Little Cyrene?
The girl who always wore a gentle smile in the game, like a flower just beginning to bloom?
How could she... look like this?!
This was worlds apart from the image in her memory and the meeting scene she had anticipated!
This wasn't a "friendly discussion"; this was clearly a "prison visit," and a torture scene version at that!
"Wuh..."
Baiheng, who was following behind, also saw the scene below and couldn't help but cover her mouth, letting out a short gasp of surprise.
Her azure eyes were filled with shock and distress. She instinctively took half a step back, and when she looked at Black Herta's back again, her gaze became extremely complex, mixed with fear and doubt.
What kind of being was this "Master" who had saved her, yet possessed such a terrifying "Domain"?
This cruel sight before her caused the slight trust she had just built up to begin to waver.
Baiheng's gasp and suddenly changing gaze pricked Black Herta like a needle, snapping her out of her profound shock.
"System!" she nearly shouted internally. "What is going on?! Explain!"
[Replying, Madam. This is the materialized status of target unit "Cyrene" within the current database. This status is automatically generated by the Iron Tomb's underlying defense mechanism—the "Counter-Insubordination Measures." Any high-authority individual marked as a "potential threat" or "unsubdued" will have their information projection restrained and suppressed to varying degrees, ensuring the security of the Database Core.]
"Counter-Insubordination Measures? Restraint and suppression?"
Black Herta felt her blood pressure soaring. "Do I look like I'm about to attack her?! Immediately! Right now! Put her down!"
[Warning: Insufficient Authority. Your current Core Restoration Progress is 24%, which has not reached the minimum threshold (30%) required to override the Iron Tomb's Individual Restraint Protocol. Release command cannot be executed.]
Black Herta's expression completely darkened, and the surrounding air seemed to grow colder due to her displeasure.
"Insufficient authority? So, I can only stand here and watch her hang like this?"
[Theoretically, yes. Alternatively, you may choose to increase your Restoration Progress.]
Black Herta took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She glanced once more at the delicate figure wrapped in chains below. Her fists clenched involuntarily at her sides, the black lace gloves slightly distorting from the force.
"Tell me the fastest way to gain Restoration Progress right now."
Her voice was low, carrying a suppressed anger and helplessness.
The System panel flashed cheerfully, as if it had been waiting for this very sentence.
[Ding! Strong demand detected. Triggering special "Aha" Quest—"The Self-Cultivation of a Villain"!]
[Quest Description: Choose any restrained Chrysos Heir and initiate a first dialogue with them in a manner befitting a "Villain." Please note that your words, tone, and posture must meet the "Villain" standard, which will be judged by the System in real-time.]
[Quest Reward: Instantly gain 4% Core Restoration Progress upon completion!]
Black Herta looked at the word "Villain" on the panel, and her vision darkened again.
Villain?!
She had just managed to turn over a new leaf (at least superficially) and become an elegant, mysterious Deliverer (fake), yet this broken System and Aha were forcing her to be a villain?!
And she had to play the role of someone kicking a person while they were down, right in front of Cyrene, this girl who clearly suffered countless hardships?!
She truly wanted to turn around and leave immediately; this job was impossible!
But... her gaze swept once more over Cyrene's pale, haggard face and the cold, heavy chains.
4% Restoration Progress... If she completed this quest, plus her previous accumulation, she would reach 28%, just a step away from the 30% authority threshold... "Fine!"
The word was practically squeezed out from between Black Herta's teeth.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her purplish-black eyes, though still lacking high points of light, held a trace of determination and... resignation.
She lightly snapped her fingers.
Baiheng, who was still fiercely debating Black Herta's intentions internally, felt her vision blur. The surrounding eerie scene was instantly replaced by boundless pure white—she had been teleported back to the System Main Space without warning.
"...Huh?" Baiheng stood blankly in the empty white world, her mind still catching up.