Two days had passed since Bianka boarded the IPC's pirate ship.
For these two days, the IPC starship had been sailing toward Pier Point.
At this moment, through the window of her room, she could already vaguely see the ruins that had once been burned clean by heavenly fire. The IPC headquarters was now being rebuilt there.
One had to admit, the IPC's construction efficiency was truly astonishing. It had only been a few days, and they were already so close to finishing reconstruction.
"They really are in a hurry," Bianka muttered softly.
But thinking about it, Qlipoth was on the verge of falling into Sloth. How could the IPC not be anxious?
In the past, when Qlipoth had still been laying mortar in peace, the IPC could naturally work slowly and carefully.
But now, the Aeon they believed in was almost having problems. If they did not hurry up and rebuild headquarters, then when the time came, they would not even have a place to hold meetings. Would that not be even more embarrassing?
Bianka withdrew her gaze and turned to sit back down on the soft, comfortable bed.
To be honest, the IPC's treatment of her was far better than she had imagined.
Although this room was not particularly large, it had been arranged with considerable care.
Her daily meals were also carefully prepared. The flavors were light but nutritious, clearly taking into account her newly revived and physically weak condition.
Most importantly, aside from being unable to leave this starskiff, her range of activity was almost unrestricted.
Also, during these past few days, Taravan had not come to see her again.
That Emanator of Preservation seemed very busy. Ever since he had "invited" her aboard at Carwash Planet, he had never appeared again.
In his place was a very kind-looking middle-aged woman who called herself the IPC's special affairs officer and was specifically responsible for taking care of Bianka's daily needs.
"Miss Bianka, your lunch is ready," the officer's voice came from outside the door.
It seemed it was already lunchtime.
Unexpectedly, even though they had already reached Pier Point, she still had the chance to eat lunch aboard the starskiff.
It seemed the IPC's handover still needed some time.
"Just leave it by the door," Bianka replied casually.
"Very well."
After a faint sound, the footsteps gradually faded away.
For now, Bianka was not in a hurry to eat.
After all, according to the news from her other personas, the Astral Express seemed to be making moves again.
This was information from Kiana. Apparently, the Astral Express had already found Herta and wanted to seek Kiana and Cecilia's help.
As for Cecilia, she was still considered missing.
Because of this, Herta had apparently said many more harsh things about Cecilia.
Sigh. After hearing Herta complain about Cecilia so many times, Bianka realized she seemed to have gotten used to it.
But there was no helping it.
Among all her personas, Cecilia was the freest and had the most time. In line with the principle that the capable should do more work, naturally, she had to be kept busier.
However, Herta also seemed extremely displeased with the IPC's behavior. She had immediately agreed to the Astral Express's request and was now heading toward Pier Point.
It seemed that even if Qlipoth's situation was resolved, the IPC would still be very lively afterward.
Bianka drew back her thoughts and shook her head.
Whatever. She could deal with all these messy issues after reaching IPC headquarters. For now, she should eat first.
She stood up, moved her somewhat stiff neck, and walked toward the door.
Click. The door lock turned softly.
However, just as Bianka was about to bend down and pick up the meal tray outside her door, her movements abruptly froze.
Because right now, outside her door, there was a person standing there.
It was a wildly dressed man.
He wore a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, and half of his face was covered by a metal mask, revealing only the lower half of his face and a pair of sharp eyes.
He wore a heavily worn leather jacket, a revolver sat at his waist, and his feet were in leather boots with spurs.
His entire person looked like the kind of cowboy who had walked straight out of an old Western film.
Uh, wasn't this Boothill? Why was he here?
Clearly, Bianka knew this Galaxy Ranger.
There was no helping it. After all, in Currency Wars, he was the Break-team king second only to Sister Sand. It would be difficult for Bianka not to know him.
But why would he appear here at a time like this?
Bianka blinked, then still asked according to her character setting,
"…Who are you?"
Hearing this, Boothill did not answer immediately.
He merely tilted his head slightly, looked Bianka up and down, then curved the corner of his mouth.
"You're Bianka?"
Bianka deliberately took half a step back and put on a wary expression.
"Don't be nervous." Boothill seemed to notice Bianka's caution and raised one hand in a calming gesture.
"My name's Boothill. I'm a Galaxy Ranger."
At this, Bianka made no comment.
"A Galaxy Ranger? Then why are you here?"
Boothill grinned.
"As a Galaxy Ranger, I'm naturally here to uphold justice. What else would I be doing?"
Bianka: "…"
Uphold justice?
Was this guy serious?
"I know you probably don't believe me." Boothill shrugged and walked past Bianka on his own, striding openly into the room.
"But you can ask around. I, Boothill, have roamed the galaxy for this many years, and when I say something, I mean it. If I say I'm upholding justice, then I'm upholding justice. No counterfeits mixed in."
Bianka looked at the figure who had already swaggered into her room, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
This guy really did not treat himself as an outsider.
She took a deep breath, closed the door, and turned around to look at the cowboy, who had already sat down on the sofa.
Boothill continued explaining, "I heard the IPC's been doing some shady business lately, so I came over to take a look."
"Shady business?" Bianka raised an eyebrow.
Could the IPC's secrecy really be this poor?
Boothill's gaze fell on Bianka, and he narrowed his eyes meaningfully.
"I've got some personal grudges with the IPC. That grudge's been around for a long time. I never had a chance to settle it before, but now…"
The corner of his mouth curved into a cold smile.
"I heard IPC headquarters just got torn down, the Amber Lord's gone wrong, and all those Emanators are running around with their pants on fire, without a single person able to take charge."
"If I, Boothill, don't come take advantage of such a once-in-a-lifetime chance, I'd be letting myself down."
"But, well, the moment I got here, I noticed something wrong with this starskiff."
"With security on this scale, judging from my experience, those IPC dogs must've randomly arrested someone again!"
"And I, Boothill, naturally can't stand by and watch those IPC dogs do evil!"
After listening, Bianka did not know what to say for a while.
So what he meant was that he had a grudge against the IPC, and now that the IPC was weakened, he planned to take revenge?
Then, on his way to take revenge, he conveniently decided to rescue her?
Hiss. Although she was quite happy that Young Master Boothill could be this kind-hearted, there were Emanators on this starskiff right now.
She wondered whether Boothill would regret not bringing backup after learning that piece of information.
"You don't need to feel like you owe me." Boothill seemed to misunderstand Bianka's thoughts and waved his hand.
"I'm just saving you in passing. Since I was coming to make trouble for the IPC anyway, saving one more or one less makes no difference to me."
"Besides…"
He looked Bianka up and down. His gaze lingered briefly on her exquisite face.
"If a girl like you falls into the hands of those IPC dogs, who knows how they'll treat you?"
"I, Boothill, might not be some good person, but I still have a bit of conscience. I can't stand seeing them bully a weak girl like this."
Uh, all right. Since he believed that, Bianka did not know how to explain.
However, there was one question Bianka still decided to ask.
"So… what personal grudge do you have with the IPC?"
She was genuinely somewhat curious.
Bianka did know about Boothill's feud with the IPC.
But was Oswaldo not already dead?
Hearing this, the smile on Boothill's face faded slightly.
He was silent for a moment.
"Ever heard of Oswaldo Schneider?"
After thinking for a moment, Bianka still shook her head.
Boothill did not seem surprised. He simply continued on his own.
"Makes sense. A young girl your age wouldn't know that old thing. That's normal."
He paused, pulled the revolver from his waist, and played with it in his hand.
"Oswaldo Schneider. Former head of the IPC's Marketing Development Department."
"When that old thing was in office, he did plenty of wicked things. Under the banner of developing markets, who knows how many civilizations he destroyed, and who knows how many families he ruined."
"And I, Boothill… was one of the victims."
Bianka said nothing and merely listened quietly.
"Unfortunately, that old thing is already dead."
"I chased him for revenge for most of my life, and he died just like that in front of the whole galaxy."
Bianka looked at Boothill's expression, feeling somewhat complicated.
Speaking of which, she was the one who had killed Oswaldo.
Should she say, "No need to thank me"?
"So… you came to IPC headquarters to vent your anger on his subordinates?" Bianka asked tentatively.
Boothill shook his head.
"I might not be a good person, but I'm not that tasteless either."
"Although that old thing Oswaldo is dead, the claws and teeth he left behind are still around."
"Also…"
His eyes became even sharper.
"I heard that on the second day after Oswaldo died, the IPC let someone take over his position."
Bianka froze.
"That's right. The second day," Boothill's tone lowered.
"The person who took over Oswaldo's position is called Wen Liang."
"Current head of the Marketing Development Department, Wen Liang."
"Oswaldo had only been dead for one day, and the IPC put him in power. What does that mean? It means this guy named Wen Liang must've been Oswaldo's most capable lapdog."
At this point, Boothill spun the revolver in his hand and slapped it heavily onto the table.
"What kind of good bird could the person that old thing trusted most possibly be?"
"After working under Oswaldo for so many years, his hands must be stained with no small amount of blood too."
"Oswaldo is dead, so I can't get revenge on him. But those dogs under him are still around. Can I let them go?"
Bianka: ?????
Bro, why are you cursing at me? I'm an upright citizen!
If you really wanted to pursue the matter, I was the one who helped you kill Oswaldo.
And now not only are you not thanking me, you are coming to trouble me too?
Is there no justice? No law?
"So…"
Bianka looked at Boothill and asked uncertainly,
"You're planning to go to IPC headquarters and cause trouble for that Wen Liang?"
"That's right." Boothill nodded, completely undisguised about his goal.
"I've looked into it. Now that the Amber Lord's gone wrong, the IPC's higher-ups are all busy putting out fires, and they've got no time to care about anything else."
"Plus, IPC headquarters was just demolished and is still being rebuilt. Security definitely isn't as strong as usual."
"Going to settle accounts with that Wen Liang right now is the best timing."
"Saving you on the way is killing two birds with one stone."
Bianka was silent for a moment.
"Mr. Boothill, have you ever considered a possibility?"
"What possibility?"
"That Director Wen Liang may not be what you imagine?"
Boothill raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that Bianka would say such a thing.
"You know him?"
"I don't." Bianka honestly shook her head. "I just…"
"Just what?"
"I just think that if the IPC appointed someone to replace Oswaldo, perhaps they had their own considerations."
"And you said he rose to power the second day after Oswaldo died. That could indeed mean he was Oswaldo's trusted subordinate."
"But thinking about it the other way, if Oswaldo really did so many terrible things, did the IPC really have no awareness of it at all?"
"The fact that they could place Wen Liang in power on the second day at least shows that, at the time, the IPC approved of Wen Liang."
After thinking for a moment, Bianka decided to defend herself a little.
There was no helping it. Boothill directly called her Oswaldo's lapdog. Was that not going too far?
After hearing her out, Boothill was silent for a long time.
Then he suddenly laughed.
"Little girl, you're too naive."
"The IPC people all look righteous on the surface, but do they do any fewer dirty things behind the scenes?"
"What do they care about? Not justice, not fairness. Profit."
"As long as Wen Liang can bring them profit, even if his hands are stained with blood, the IPC will turn a blind eye."
"Or even…"
Boothill's eyes became colder.
"Maybe precisely because his hands are stained with blood, the IPC values him more."
"After all, how could someone with clean hands survive in a place like the Marketing Development Department?"
Bianka: "…"
Damn it. Her defense was broken. Someone was slandering her. Who would speak up for her?
"Forget it. No more talking about that."
Boothill waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to continue this topic.
"In any case, I'm here today to save you."
"And while I'm at it, I'll see if I can find that guy named Wen Liang and settle things with him properly."
"Do you have anything to bring? If not, we'll—"
"Wait."
Bianka interrupted him.
"What is it?"
"You're just going to take me away directly? Did you not notice there are Emanators stationed on this starskiff?"
Boothill's smile stiffened slightly.
What the fork? There were Emanators on this starskiff?
Clearly, Boothill did not know about the Emanators. He had assumed Bianka was just some poor person captured by the IPC.
But now, this poor person had been personally captured by Emanators?
"Emanators? Which Emanators?" Boothill's smile stiffened.
Bianka looked at his reaction and felt slightly like laughing.
So this guy had not done any homework at all before coming.
"Both of the IPC's Emanators are here," Bianka answered truthfully.
"Taravan and Diamond."
Sure enough, after hearing Bianka's answer, Boothill also became a little nervous.
"You're saying… both Emanators of Preservation are on this broken ship?"
Bianka nodded.
Then came silence.
A long silence.
Boothill sat on the sofa, seemingly trying hard to digest this suffocating piece of news.
He had originally thought that since IPC headquarters had been demolished and the Amber Lord had gone wrong, those Emanators would definitely all be running around handling major issues, with no time to care about one small starskiff.
And the result?
Both Emanators were here.
And they were on the ship beneath his feet.
Motherfudger. If he had known, he should have brought some backup!
"What's wrong, Mr. Boothill?" Bianka tilted her head and asked with feigned innocence.
Boothill abruptly raised his head.
"You think I, Boothill, would be scared?"
He slapped his revolver onto the table.
"Forget two Emanators. Even if the Amber Lord came personally, I, Boothill, wouldn't even flinch!"
The moment his voice fell—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Boothill's entire body jumped up from the sofa like he had been electrocuted.
He instinctively grabbed the revolver on the table, aiming the muzzle at the door.
Bianka looked at Boothill's utterly tense appearance and could not help sighing softly.
"Mr. Boothill."
"Would you like to… hide first?"
Boothill froze.
"Hide? Hide where?"
Bianka's gaze swept across the room and finally landed beneath the large bed.
Boothill followed her gaze, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"You want me… to crawl under the bed?"
"What else?" Bianka spread her hands. "Do you have a better option right now?"
"I came here to save you…" Boothill tried to protest.
He was a dignified Galaxy Ranger. How could he hide under a bed?
At the very least, it should be somewhere like a wardrobe!
Unfortunately, the wardrobe in this room did not look like it could hide a person.
"You can't save me right now," Bianka interrupted him, her tone carrying a trace of helplessness.
"Two Emanators are on this ship. You can't really fight them head-on, can you? If you don't hide now, and Taravan comes to find me later, you won't be able to leave."
Boothill opened his mouth, only to realize he could not refute her.
He was not brainless.
Although he claimed he was not afraid of Emanators, he knew better than anyone in his heart.
With his current strength, dealing with the IPC's elite troops was more than enough. But facing true Emanators… that was not a contest on the same level at all.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang again. Bianka was already walking toward the door.
"Dammit!"
Boothill gritted his teeth. His tall body, in an extremely unwilling posture, quickly crawled under the bed.
Bianka watched that pair of leather boots disappear beneath the bed frame, and the corner of her mouth curved slightly.
Then she reached out and opened the door.
"…Topaz? Why is it you?"
Bianka froze.
Originally, she had thought Taravan had come to find her.
But instead, it was Topaz?
"Miss Bianka." Topaz nodded slightly. "We meet again."
Bianka blinked, not knowing how to react for a moment.
During these two days, she had indeed met Topaz once.
But the problem was, they were not familiar at all. Why would Topaz appear here?
"Miss Topaz."
Bianka followed her character setting and showed a puzzled expression.
"Did you come to see me for something?"
Topaz did not continue explaining. She simply stood there and quietly looked at Bianka.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Topaz was the first to speak.
Bianka thought for a moment, then still stepped aside from the doorway.
"Please come in."
Topaz entered the room, her gaze silently sweeping over the surroundings.
Then the two sat down on the sofa.
The room fell into a brief silence.
"Miss Topaz," Bianka was the first to break the silence.
"Did you come to see me for something?"
Topaz did not answer immediately.
She lowered her head and looked at the revolver Boothill had forgotten to take with him on the coffee table, falling silent for a moment.
Mm. Even Bianka fell silent.
Fortunately, Topaz did not seem to care about it.
Then she raised her head and looked directly into Bianka's eyes.
"Miss Bianka, I am here to save you."
Bianka froze, clearly not expecting such a straightforward answer.
"…Save me?"
What, were you also going to defect and become a witch?
"Yes." Topaz confirmed again.
"Miss Bianka, please come with me. I will take you away from this starskiff, away from IPC headquarters, as far away as possible."
Bianka was silent for a moment, her mind spinning rapidly.
To be honest, she and Topaz were indeed very familiar, but that was Wen Liang and Topaz.
As Bianka, she and Topaz had only met once.
Thus, the two of them could be said to have no connection at all.
If that was the case, why would Topaz choose to help her?
"Miss Topaz."
Bianka decided to ask again.
"Why do you want to help me?"
Topaz did not avoid the question.
"Because I do not agree with what the IPC is doing now."
"You do not agree?" Bianka pressed. "What part of what the IPC is doing do you not agree with?"
Topaz took a deep breath. After a moment, she slowly spoke.
"Miss Bianka, have you heard about the Amber Lord's current condition?"
Bianka nodded, but said nothing.
Topaz continued, "During the battle at Pier Point, after the Witch of Nihility, Kallen Kaslana, committed suicide, part of the Nihility on her body was absorbed by the Amber Lord."
"And now, that power of Nihility is corroding the Amber Lord's Path of Preservation."
Bianka listened quietly, her face showing little expression.
Although she had long since learned all this from Cecilia, she still needed to act as if this was her first time hearing it.
"So… what does the IPC want me to do?"
Topaz bit her lip, a trace of reluctance flashing in her eyes.
"The IPC's higher-ups believe that since Miss Bianka was reborn from Kallen's shell, your body should be able to endure that Nihility."
"They want to transfer the Nihility from the Amber Lord's body into yours."
Bianka's pupils contracted slightly.
"Use me as a container?"
Topaz did not answer, but her silence already explained everything.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Bianka knew very well what the essence of this body was.
It was Kallen's true body, the shell shed by Qlipoth.
A container that had once carried Nihility.
The IPC wanted her to take up that role again and bear that pain in Qlipoth's place.
Mm. As expected of the IPC. Truly sinister.
Although she had already guessed this information long ago, now that she had heard it directly, it was still somewhat hard to keep a straight face.
"Miss Bianka."
Topaz's voice sounded again.
Topaz was silent as her right hand slowly reached into her coat.
When she pulled her hand out again, there was already a crystal-clear topaz in her palm.
That gemstone should once have been dazzling. Bianka remembered that Topaz had once taken this Cornerstone and showed it off in front of Wen Liang.
But now, that topaz no longer had any luster.
In its place was a layer of dead gray.
That was the color of Nihility.
It seemed this Cornerstone of Preservation had also suffered.
"…When did this start?" Bianka asked softly.
Topaz lowered her head and looked at the dim Cornerstone in her palm, remaining silent for several seconds.
"From the day the Amber Lord absorbed the Nihility."
She turned the Cornerstone over so Bianka could see it more clearly.
"The Cornerstones of the Ten Stonehearts originate from the Amber Lord. Our power is also closely tied to the Amber Lord."
"When the Amber Lord is strong, our Cornerstones shine brilliantly. When the Amber Lord weakens, our Cornerstones dim along with Him."
"And now…"
Her voice paused slightly.
"The Amber Lord is being corroded by Nihility, and our Cornerstones have… been stained with the same color."
Bianka said nothing. She merely looked quietly at the gray topaz.
Topaz withdrew the Cornerstone and put it back into her coat.
"At first, it was only me. I thought it was a coincidence, that it was my own problem. But later, I discovered it was not only me."
"Opal, Dragon Crystal, Jade… among the Ten Stonehearts, four people's Cornerstones have already shown the same change."
"And by today…"
Her voice became even softer.
"I am afraid it is no longer only four."
The atmosphere in the room became even heavier.
Bianka lowered her eyes, seemingly thinking about something.
A moment later, she raised her head, her gaze falling on Topaz's face as she carefully examined her.
"It is not just that, is it, Miss Topaz?"
Topaz froze.
"What?"
But Bianka did not answer.
She suddenly reached out and grabbed Topaz's wrist.
Topaz, however, froze in place as if something had pinned her there.
Her expression changed dramatically.
Then Topaz instinctively wanted to pull free, but Bianka held her a little tighter.
"Don't move."
Topaz's movements stiffened.
Then she saw Bianka's gaze fall on her arm.
On the arm hidden beneath her sleeve, an extremely faint black line was slowly spreading.
That black line was very pale. If one were not deliberately looking, one would not even notice it.
But now, under the force transmitted through Bianka's fingertips, that black line seemed to be stimulated by something and twitched slightly.
Topaz's face completely changed.
Bianka said nothing. She merely released Topaz's wrist.
"Is this why you are so anxious?"
"It seems it is not only the Amber Lord, and not only the Cornerstones. Even you yourselves are being corroded by Nihility."
This was not speculation.
Because even Taravan, the Emanator of Preservation who had always appeared calm and unhurried before her, carried the same aura on his body.
It was just that Bianka had not had the opportunity to confirm it before.
And now, through Topaz, she finally confirmed it.
Nihility had not only infected Qlipoth.
Those Emanators closely connected to Qlipoth were also suffering corrosion.
Topaz was silent for a long time. Then she slowly nodded.
"Lord Taravan and Lord Diamond… their situation is even more severe than ours."
"Because they are Emanators directly connected to the Amber Lord, the Amber Lord's changes appear on them first."
"Miss Bianka, do you know why the IPC must bring you back?"
"On the surface, it is for the Amber Lord."
"But in truth…"
Her gaze fell on Bianka's face.
"It is also for ourselves."
"If this continues, even if the Amber Lord can hold on, we cannot."
"The Cornerstones will completely dim, and our power will be fully lost."
"In the end…"
She did not continue.
But her meaning was already very clear.
Bianka was silent.
Then she did something Topaz had never expected.
She bit open her own finger.
Blood welled from her fingertip, dripping down drop by drop.
Topaz froze.
"What are you…"
Bianka did not answer. She merely extended her finger to Topaz's lips.
"Suck."
"…What?"
"Suck a little of my blood."
Topaz widened her eyes and looked at Bianka in disbelief, as if she had never imagined things would develop this way.
"Trust me," Bianka continued.
Hearing this, even Topaz herself did not know what she was thinking.
But she still opened her mouth.
Then the taste of blood spread between her lips and teeth.
It was a very peculiar taste.
It was not sweet, and even carried a faint trace of iron, but mixed within it was something extremely alluring.
And the instant Topaz swallowed that mouthful of blood, some string inside her suddenly loosened.
The black threads entrenched in her blood vessels began to wither as if they had encountered their natural predator.
And that suffocating feeling that had followed her like a shadow for several days actually receded somewhat in that moment.
Topaz abruptly raised her head, her eyes wide.
"…What is this?"
Bianka withdrew her finger and gently wiped away the remaining blood with a tissue.
"It seems my blood really does work."
To be honest, before this, Bianka had not known her blood had this property either.
But this persona's body had come from Kallen, and Kallen's original body had also been designed to suppress Nihility, so Bianka decided to try it.
It seemed the experiment had succeeded.
However, even though Bianka herself was calm, Topaz knew what this seemingly insignificant matter meant.
If Bianka's blood could suppress Nihility—
Then the IPC had gained yet another reason to bring her back at all costs.
Moreover, it was an extremely dangerous reason, one that could condemn her beyond redemption.
"Miss Bianka."
Topaz suddenly grabbed Bianka's hand.
"Listen to me. Do not tell anyone about what happened today."
Bianka looked at her and said nothing.
"Do you understand what I mean?" Topaz's gaze locked tightly onto Bianka's eyes.
"Your blood… If the IPC learns your blood has this kind of effect, do you know what will happen?"
Of course Bianka knew.
She would go from being a container to a blood bag.
A tool that could be drained at any time, exploited, and squeezed dry of every last bit of value.
Moreover, given how desperate the IPC had become, they might not even care whether she lived or died.
Was that not perfect?
She had already infiltrated enemy territory. She had never planned to go back in good condition.
If she did not bleed a little here, how was she supposed to go back and farm guilt and affection?
Bianka continued, "Miss Topaz."
"Mm?"
"Do you think if you drink a little more, the effect will be better?"
Topaz froze.
Before she could react to what Bianka meant, she saw Bianka's other hand already press over her own palm.
Then, with a hiss—
That hand, which should have been beautiful to behold—
Now had a horrifying wound running across the center of its palm.
Blood surged from that wound, dripping down along her wrist and staining Bianka's sleeve red.
Topaz froze completely, as if something had immobilized her in place.
"What are you doing?!"
Bianka did not answer.
She merely raised that bloodied hand and once again extended it to Topaz's lips.
"Suck."
"..."
This time, however, Topaz did not move.
"Do you know what you are doing?"
"I know." Bianka nodded, her tone still calm.
"I am helping you."
"Helping me?" Topaz's voice trembled slightly.
"You cut your hand open like this just to help me?"
However, faced with Topaz's question, Bianka froze.
Uh… Why was Topaz suddenly overreacting?
She was not some ordinary person. Losing a bit of blood would not kill her.
"Did I not say it? If you drink more, the effect may be better."
Topaz took a deep breath and closed her eyes, seemingly trying to suppress something.
After a moment, she opened her eyes again, and her gaze had regained clarity.
"Miss Bianka, I cannot do this."
"Why?"
"Because this is your blood, your body. I have no right—"
"I have the right," Bianka interrupted her. "This is my body and my blood. How I use it is my business."
"You need it now, so take it."
She paused, and her voice grew softer.
"And… didn't you come to save me?"
"Consider it my thanks."
Topaz froze.
She looked at Bianka's face, which had begun to turn pale from blood loss, and for some reason, she suddenly felt her throat tighten.
"You… really are a strange person."
"Maybe." Bianka smiled. "So, are you going to drink or not?"
Topaz was silent for a long time.
Then she lowered her head, and her lips covered the wound.
Finally, after swallowing the last mouthful of blood, Topaz opened her eyes.
She subconsciously raised her hand and looked at the palm that had originally begun to be corroded gray.
At this moment, all that gray had completely vanished.
Not only that.
She could feel that her body had fully recovered.
The feeling of her power draining away, and the terror of being corroded by Nihility, had all disappeared.
Topaz abruptly raised her head and looked at Bianka, her face full of joy.
"I… I'm cured?"
Then she froze.
Because Topaz saw that Bianka's face, which had already been somewhat pale, was now completely bloodless.
Bianka's body swayed slightly.
Then she collapsed to the side.
Ultra Instinct: 30,000 points
Description: Disguise skill. Allows the user to adjust their own condition at any time, making enemies mistake a low-HP state for full HP.
Hmph. That was right. Bianka was pretending.
While Topaz had still been drinking her blood earlier, Bianka had already browsed the shop and bought this skill.
Pretending low HP was full HP?
How boring.
It should be used to pretend she was fragile and trick people instead!
Sure enough, Bianka's move terrified Topaz.
"Bianka!"
Topaz cried out and hurriedly reached out to catch Bianka's falling body.
She held Bianka in her arms, her gaze frantically sweeping over that bloodless face.
Topaz instinctively wanted to find something to stop Bianka's bleeding, only to realize she had brought nothing.
In the end, she could only tear off part of her own sleeve and clumsily wrap it around Bianka's palm, trying to stop the blood still flowing out.
"I'm fine," Bianka said honestly.
"Who are you trying to fool?! You call this fine?"
Clearly, Topaz did not believe her.
So Bianka stopped speaking and merely tugged lightly at the corners of her mouth, revealing a reassuring smile.
But when that smile fell into Topaz's eyes, it only made her feel even worse.
"It's because of me… isn't it?"
"It's because I drank your blood that you became like this."
Although she did not understand why Bianka's HP bar had suddenly been emptied after just losing this bit of blood, who could say for certain when it came to Paths?
Bianka naturally would not answer.
She neither admitted nor denied it.
"..."
Topaz bit her lip tightly.
"We only met for the first time. You do not owe me anything. You did not need to go this far for me."
At this, Bianka merely shook her head gently.
"You said you came to save me."
"So it's only right… that I help you too."
Topaz looked at Bianka's weak yet stubborn appearance and, for a moment, could not say anything.
She suddenly felt that the girl before her was completely different from what she had imagined.
Ding-dong.
However, the doorbell rang at that moment.
Topaz's body abruptly stiffened.
"Miss Bianka."
Taravan's voice came from outside the door, gentle but businesslike.
"We have arrived at Pier Point. Please prepare to disembark with me."
The air in the room instantly froze.
Topaz's face turned ashen.
She instinctively looked toward Bianka, and Bianka opened her eyes at that moment too.
Their gazes met in the air.
Taravan was still outside the door, and Topaz was inside Bianka's room.
If Taravan came in now and saw Topaz here, that in itself would actually be nothing.
After all, Topaz was one of the Ten Stonehearts. Her appearance aboard an IPC headquarters-bound starskiff was perfectly normal.
The problem was…
The traces of Nihility on Topaz had disappeared.
And Taravan, as an Emanator, would definitely be able to sense that change.
At that point, he would definitely question the reason.
And once he asked, he would definitely learn that Bianka's blood had the ability to suppress Nihility.
When that happened… what would Bianka become?
Topaz did not dare keep thinking.
And she had no time to think.
Because under her gaze, Bianka slowly sat up from her arms.
Then Bianka tilted her head slightly toward the door.
The meaning of that gesture was obvious.
I will open the door. You hide.
Topaz froze for an instant, then her gaze involuntarily fell beneath the large bed.
At this, Bianka was stunned.
Hm? Wait. There seemed to have been someone there just now.
But at this moment, Topaz could not care about that anymore.
She gritted her teeth and quickly crawled under.
Uh, all right. As long as you people were happy.
Afterward, Bianka did not think too much about it and went to open the door for Taravan.
The lock turned, and the door slowly opened.
"Miss Bianka, welcome to—"
Taravan did not finish his sentence, because he saw Bianka's face.
That pale, completely bloodless face.
Taravan: ?????
Young lady, what happened to you? How did you suddenly become low HP?
For a moment, Taravan could not understand what had happened.
The IPC had not mistreated her, had they? How had she suddenly gotten into trouble?
"Miss Bianka, what… happened to you?"
Bianka raised her head.
"Cough, cough. I'm fine."
"I'm just… a little airsick."
Taravan was just about to say something, but his expression suddenly froze.
Not because of Bianka's pale face.
But because of a gaze.
A gaze cast from the deepest part of Pier Point, from the far end of that Preservation subspace, from within the body of that amber giant.
Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, had sensed Bianka's arrival and turned His attention here.
Then, Qlipoth saw the low-HP Bianka.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 230)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 355
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Completed)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Completed)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed)
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 265
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 377
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.)
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 170
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 135
Supernatural Multiverse 210
My Harem Is Indescribable 120
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 120
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 130
Still playing traditional Honk 105
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120
What Should I Do After Switchi 85
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Transmigrated as Sukuna 165
Checking In in Demon Slayer 105
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 120
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 115
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 105
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 115
Why did they assign me to Uma 100
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 110
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 160
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 75
The Uma Musume Who Became 80
I'm Definitely Not the King of 160
After Maxing Out Every Class 170
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 150
I, the Elden Sword Saint 80
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 115
No One Knows Pokémon Better 75
From Trilobites to Titans 70
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 130
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 150
An Anime Heroine Darkened 70
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 100
Honkai: The Fire Devil 145
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume3/15
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 120
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 100
At age 8, she co-starred with 80
Honkai: Schicksal Media 105
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 85
Chainsaw Man, but I'm Aatrox 75
Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60
Morgan Shirou's Journey in Dan 43
DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 95
Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried! 63
Detective Conan: My Whole 65
Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 92
In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53
Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 65
Honkai: I Really Never Intended to Start a Harem! 33
Becoming a Warrior of Light 27