[System Space - Lower Platform]
Cyrene sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, a copy of *A Guide to the Star Seas: From Aeons to Curios* spread open on her lap.
The descriptions on the pages—The Hunt's Starfall Arrows, the mechanical grandeur of Nous of Erudition, and the terrifying accounts of the Antimatter Legion and the Annihilation Gang—made the little village girl from Ailimeixie feel dizzy and fascinated, filling her with an indescribable curiosity and a hint of fear toward the vast and dangerous Star Sea outside.
Just as she was reading the records about Fuli of Remembrance and drifting off slightly, the space in front of her suddenly fluctuated, and a clear projection screen silently unfolded, instantly capturing her full attention.
"Huh?"
The scene displayed on the light screen stunned her.
It was a peculiar circular venue, surrounded by glowing trees and topped by a brilliant starry sky.
And what was happening in the venue was, surprisingly, an intense battle!
She immediately spotted Madam Herta seated in the high audience stand, maintaining her mysterious and elegant demeanor.
In the arena, the one nimbly moving around with a light bow was none other than Baiheng!
As for the other girl with gray hair and golden eyes, who was wielding a baseball bat and clashing fiercely with the enemy, Cyrene didn't recognize her.
Their opponent was... "A-Anaxa?!" Cyrene's azure eyes widened instantly, and she covered her mouth with her small hand.
In the image, the rational, green-haired Scholar she remembered was currently displaying astonishing and terrifying combat power!
His movements were lightning fast, carrying sharp whistles that tore through the air between his punches and kicks. This expressionless yet lethal fighting style formed a stark contrast with the image Cyrene held of him.
(What Miss Baiheng said before... it was actually true! Anaxa... is he really that strong?!)
She recalled how skeptical she had been when Baiheng described the Rising Dragon Fist; now, seeing it with her own eyes, she was left with only deep shock.
(And Miss Baiheng is amazing too! Every arrow is so accurate! That gray-haired Miss is also incredibly strong, able to block Professor Anaxa's punches head-on!)
Her mind was completely captivated by the battle, her emotions fluctuating with the changing situation in the arena.
When she saw Jack send Anaxa flying with a heavy blow, causing his health bar to plummet, Cyrene felt a pang of distress, even though she knew this was part of the "persuasion" intended to save him.
Professor Anaxa looked... so pained.
Afterward, a scene that made her even more anxious appeared—Anaxa, whose health bar had been depleted, actually staggered to his feet, walking silently and stubbornly toward Black Herta step by step.
Cyrene unconsciously gripped the corner of her clothes, her breathing softening. (What is he trying to do?)
And then... came that earth-shattering scene.
"Magic Skill!"
Accompanied by that muffled yet excited shout, Teacher Anaxa's upper garment... burst!
It instantly transformed into blue and white butterflies fluttering across the sky!
What was revealed beneath the clothes was a set of extremely bulging, full muscles that would make any bodybuilder feel ashamed of themselves (Oh~ Philosophy~ Yeah~)!
Cyrene: "!!!"
Her azure eyes were wide and round, her small mouth agape in an "O" shape. She was completely petrified, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
(This... this... is this what he should look like?!)
The massive amount of information clashed violently with her innocent understanding, causing her brain to nearly crash.
Especially when a piece of the burst fabric stuck itself onto the projection screen with a *splat*, as if alive, and then slowly slid down in a mocking manner, the expression on Cyrene's face could no longer be described as "odd." It was a mix of hilarity and a philosophical contemplation of "What in the world is happening?"
(Why... why is it like this?)
This scene, which could only be described as mental pollution, became the sole scream in Cyrene's heart at that moment.
[Ringwood Proving Ground · Audience Stand]
Madam Herta frowned slightly, her purplish-black eyes fixed on the struggling battle below.
Jack and Baiheng had given their all. The fusion of Belobog's traits granted them extreme resilience and coordination, but against Anaxa's "Muscle Magic"—which relied purely on brute force to overcome skill, with defense and attack soaring to abnormal levels—they could only hold on, unable to achieve a decisive victory.
A stalemate meant failure for her, who needed to "persuade" the opponent.
She could feel that Anaxa's current state was extremely unique; a depleted health bar was not the end. The key was the chaotic obsession supporting his actions.
Just then, a line of cheerful text, twinkling with colorful, dazzling black light, bounced into the corner of her vision:
[Hehe, Muscle Shirt-Burst! Philosophical Transformation! A passionate clash between Chaos and Order! Being able to witness a battle between such powerhouses, dying now would be worth the price of admission! —Aha]
Black Herta's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
This Aeon of Elation always sent "cheers" at the most speechless moments.
She gently shook her head, no longer hesitating.
Continuing would only consume the power of Jack and Baiheng and provide more entertainment for Aha, serving no other purpose.
Anaxa's "lock" required a different key to open.
"Forget it." Her cold, clear voice echoed in the venue, carrying an undeniable resolution.
Immediately, she elegantly raised her hand and snapped her fingers cleanly.
There was no earth-shattering commotion. In an instant, the entire "Ringwood" Proving Ground, along with the three people fiercely battling within it, suddenly dissipated as if they were a pencil drawing being erased.
[Astral Express · Hidden Cabin]
Light and shadow flowed, and space stabilized.
The next moment, Madam Herta was already seated on her familiar sofa, as if she had never left.
The system puppet stood quietly attending nearby.
In the center of the cabin, a flash of light occurred, and Jack and Baiheng appeared, slightly staggering.
Baiheng was panting heavily, her fox ears drooping. She was clearly exhausted, and the lingering shock had not yet faded from her face.
Although Jack's expression remained calm, the hand gripping the baseball bat trembled slightly, showing that her expenditure was also immense.
Outside the window, the frozen planetary silhouette of Jarilo-VI remained visible. The Astral Express was moored on a stable track, as if the thrilling, dramatically shifting battle that had just occurred was merely a shared hallucination.
Madam Herta picked up a steaming drink that had appeared unnoticed, took a small sip, and gazed out the window at the boundless star sea, her purplish-black eyes deep and inscrutable.
This "persuasion" had failed, but it was not without gain.
At the very least, she had seen Anaxa's deeper state and realized that certain "approvals" might require a more roundabout approach.
As for how to deal with a shirt-bursting muscle Scholar, she might need to re-evaluate the tactics in her database.
This was truly... too inelegant.
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