Kafka gently raised her hand, stopping Silver Wolf's likely follow-up complaints.
Her gaze never left Baiheng. It wasn't sharp, but it carried a penetrating power that made Baiheng feel as though she had been seen through completely, inside and out, causing her to subtly tense up.
"It's fine,"
Kafka's voice was languid and pleasant. She took a step forward, and at some point, a tightly sealed metal box appeared in her hand. Dark energy patterns flowed across its surface, isolating the massive and dangerous energy fluctuations contained within.
"The item is here."
Instead of handing it over immediately, she looked at Baiheng and, with a tone of casual conversation, smiled and probed word by word:
"Miss Bai, this is what Madam Herta requested. Please verify it."
The three words "Miss Bai" were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring ripples in Baiheng's heart!
(How did she know?! Did the Lady tell them?)
An internal alarm blared, and astonishment instantly surged through her.
But she kept Black Herta's instructions in mind and, relying on years of warrior instinct, forcibly suppressed any outward display of emotion.
The hand wearing a black glove curled slightly—the only subtle reaction she betrayed.
She remained silent, merely extending her hand to take the box, her movement steady and without the slightest tremor.
However, that almost imperceptible pause and the curling of her fingers did not escape Kafka's notice.
In the depths of Kafka's rose-red eyes, a flash of understanding appeared, like the key piece of a puzzle being solved.
She did not press further or show any abnormality, simply handing the sealed box to Baiheng obediently, as if the probing remark had been made in passing.
(As expected... the reaction was wrong. Hearing such a sudden address, is she a similar existence? A clone? Or... something else? Interesting.)
Kafka's mind raced, yet her expression remained calm and unconcerned.
Baiheng took the box. It felt heavy in her hands, and she could sense the terrifying, forcibly restrained power contained within.
Following the method instructed by the System beforehand, she quickly ran her fingertip across a sensor area on the box. A faint purplish-black data stream flashed and vanished, completing the initial verification.
"It is correct."
She finally spoke, her voice muffled by the eye mask, carrying a deliberate, low coolness that lacked her usual vivacity.
With the transaction complete, the purplish-red teleportation gate silently opened behind Baiheng once more.
"The transaction is complete. Farewell."
She stated concisely, took a step back, and her figure vanished into the swirling data stream, disappearing as abruptly as she had arrived.
The space returned to silence once more.
"Hmph, acting all mysterious."
Silver Wolf pouted, put away her light screen, and looked at Kafka. "Hey, Kafka, why did you call her 'Miss Bai' just now? Do you know her?"
Kafka shook her head gently, her gaze still fixed on the spot where Baiheng had disappeared, looking thoughtful.
She simply sighed softly, raised her hand to smooth her wind-blown hair, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"No, I don't."
She said softly, then changed the subject, her tone becoming subtle. "It's just... thank goodness Blade isn't here."
Hearing this, Silver Wolf was even more confused. She chewed up the candy in her mouth, looking utterly bewildered. "Huh? What does this have to do with Blade?"
Perspective shift.
The metal box Baiheng brought back was now suspended before Madam Herta. The confining runes on its surface were rapidly peeling away, like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.
Inside the box, the Stellaron, known as the "Cancer of All Worlds," finally revealed its true form—a luminous core of terrifying energy that constantly collapsed and expanded. The mere fluctuations naturally emitted by it were enough to slightly warp the surrounding space.
The dangerous yet beautiful light was clearly reflected in Madam Herta's purplish-black eyes.
A genuine curve of pleasure lifted the corner of her usually expressionless lips.
With it, many plans could be accelerated.
Without the slightest hesitation, her other slender hand, clad in a black lace glove, gently covered it.
In an instant, purplish-red data streams surged from her fingertips like living tentacles, wrapping the restless Stellaron layer by layer, like threads weaving fate.
The violent energy inside the Stellaron attempted to resist, emitting a low hum, but under the precise corruption supported by the System and imbued with the authority of Rupert III, the resistance was quickly dissolved, and it became docile and controllable.
The entire process took only a few breaths. When the purplish-red data stream retracted, the Stellaron had transformed into a stable energy core with starlight pulsing at its center, quietly suspended, like a perfect work of art.
Black Herta's gaze turned to Jack, who had been standing silently nearby like an exquisite doll.
She slowly stepped forward, stopping in front of Jack.
Jack's golden eyes still lacked highlights, merely "gazing" instinctively at her creator.
"It is time for you to become 'complete'."
Black Herta whispered, as if reciting a spell.
She gently pressed the hand holding the now-tamed Stellaron onto the area of Jack's heart.
"Buzz—!"
A stream of light several times stronger than before suddenly erupted, completely engulfing Jack!
Countless purplish-red data codes and dark-golden Stellaron energy surged wildly into Jack's body like rushing rivers.
Her body trembled slightly, her gray hair whipped wildly without wind, and her clothes billowed.
The data structure composing her body began a complete optimization and reconstruction under the impact and supplement of the Stellaron's massive energy.
The radiance lasted for about five seconds before receding like a tide, fully drawn into Jack's body.
Jack slowly opened her eyes.
They were still the same golden eyes, but now, instead of total emptiness and dullness, they held a hint of reserved brilliance, like starlight.
She looked down at her hands, then raised her head to Madam Herta, who was close by, bowed slightly, and spoke in a clear, steady tone tinged with respect:
"Lady. Thank you for your gift."
Black Herta raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
(Oh? Not only was the power supplemented, but the logic core and language module were also optimized? It seems the Stellaron's value is slightly higher than expected.)
"Wow..."
Baiheng, who was hiding at the lab entrance, peeking out with only half her head and a pair of snow-white fox ears visible, couldn't help but let out a low gasp, her eyes wide.
(Jack... she seems different! Her speech is even smoother! Is this the power of the Stellaron?)
Black Herta was in a good mood, feeling that this momentum, having just gained powerful assistance, should be capitalized upon.
"Perfect," she said, turning with an elegant sweep of her skirt. "System, prepare. We will now go meet that punching Scholar—Anaxa."
[Ding! Command received. Calibrating passage to the Data Confinement Vault...]
[Notification: Lady, the data collection unit for characters related to Jarilo-VI Belobog has been running continuously. Basic personality models, combat styles, and ability trait data have been collected and parsed, reaching the standard for invocation.]
A dozen names were subsequently listed on the light screen:
Gepard, Bronya, Seele, Clara, Sampo, Pela, Lynx, Serval, Natasha, Hook, Luka... Black Herta scanned the list and raised an eyebrow again.
(The efficiency is good. But...)
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