Note: My hands and brain are cooking up this story...
***
๐ฟ๐๐ฃ๐!
"Ah, welcome!"
A convenience store employee smiled warmly as the glass door slid open automatically, welcoming the small figure who'd just stepped inside. The cold air from the AC swept across her tired face after hours of standing, serving customers.
The employee's eyes narrowed with curiosity.
Among the usual customers buying daily necessities, the strange masked child in a hoodie stood out noticeably.
The mask's minimalist designโplain white with thin carvings around the eyesโmade anyone who saw it feel slightly uneasy.
The child picked up a shopping basket and moved silently toward the staple foods section.
Their movements were efficient and precise, as if they already knew exactly where every item was located.
It didn't take long before they returned to the checkout counter with a basket full of high-quality food ingredients.
"...How much?"
The voice was soft yet cold, barely audible from behind the mask.
"50,000 credits," the employee answered while finishing scanning the last item.
The masked child nodded briefly and held out their sophisticated phone.
The blue light of the credit scanner blinked before emitting a confirmation tone.
A transfer notification appeared on the register's digital screen.
The employee's eyes widened as she accidentally caught sight of the credit amount in the child's account.
[๐ณ๐ด,๐ญ๐ด๐ต,๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ฌ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐]
'S-seventy-eight billion credits...'
The employee stood stunned.
That amount was enough to buy an entire small city along with all its buildings.
Her fingers trembled, wanting to ask who this child before her really was, but when she lifted her head, the masked figure had already vanished as if swallowed by darkness.
Only the sound of the door's chime confirmed she wasn't hallucinating.
***
Drizzle danced across the city's asphalt streets, creating a thin fog that blurred the boundaries between the towering skyscrapers.
The gray sky seemed to mourn something lost.
The masked child walked slowly beneath the increasingly heavy rain.
They pulled their black hoodie in deeper, hiding hair too distinctive for ordinary eyes.
Water streamed down the white mask, creating the illusion that the mask itself was weeping.
Their steps halted at an intersection.
Before them, a large crowd had gathered in front of the giant screen mounted on the wall of the city's tallest building.
Dozens of people stood still beneath colorful umbrellas, their eyes fixed on the flickering news broadcast.
Normally, people would rush home in the rain, seeking warmth in the embrace of their families.
But the extraordinary events of late had shifted their priorities. Curiosity had overcome logic.
And just as they'd suspected...
[๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ก๐! ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ-๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ญ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ. ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ญ-๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐!]
The screen switched at high speed.
[๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ช๐ฆ: ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐! ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐๐-๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ!]
The image shifted again, this time showing drone footage from above.
A giant crater where a dense, thousand-year-old forest once stood.
Scorched earth, melted trees, and dimensional cracks still glowing purple.
[๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐! ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ! ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ฆ+ ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ด๐๐ป, ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐!]
The camera zoomed in on a photo of a beautiful woman with long purple hair flowing elegantly.
A purple kimono with electric accents wrapped around her slender body. Her deep violet eyes radiated an aura of absolute authority.
In her hand, she gripped a shimmering katana sword wreathed in purple energy.
[๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ! ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐ข ๐๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ก'๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฆ!]
The crowd erupted into panicked whispers. Several pulled out their smartphones, capturing photos of the screen with trembling hands.
"Ten billion? Is she some kind of terrorist?"
"Idiot! Didn't you see yesterday's news? She fought a goddess!"
"I heard she split Mount Artax in a single strike."
"Impossible! Even a Rank SS Hunter couldn't do that so easily!"
"But didn't she save a city last week? Why is she suddenly a fugitive?"
Those voices mingled with the pouring rain.
The masked child merely watched in silence, rainwater continuing to stream down their mask.
In their eyes, none of this was surprising.
Of course the World Organization could identify Raiden Ei as the primary culprit.
After all, the dimensional crack was a distinctive trace left by Musou no Hitotachi, Raiden Ei's ultimate sword technique capable of cutting through space and time.
The ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, an alliance of the world's most powerful organizations, clearly had a complete database of all combat techniques. They would surely recognize this unique attack pattern instantly.
Of course... at first they'd been skeptical.
How could a Rank SS+ Hunter possibly fight evenly against a goddess whose power far exceeded Rank SSS? It was like an ant fighting a mountain.
But after in-depth analysis, they'd been forced to acknowledge that Raiden Shogun was indeed the culprit.
Speculation circulated that Raiden possessed dozens of hidden Talents. Some of them powerful enough to allow her to fight one-on-one with a goddess.
Not entirely wrong.
Raiden Ei did indeed have a hidden form capable of multiplying her power exponentially.
But ironically... she hadn't even used that form in that battle.
Raiden Ei... in her base form alone, had managed to bring down a goddess in direct combat.
Never underestimate an Electro Archon who'd endured wars against gods and goddesses for thousands of years.
'I wonder when I'll get to unleash her full power?'
As that thought crossed their mind, something stirred within, a new notification suddenly appearing.
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ!]
That familiar system voice echoed in their head, making the corner of their mouth lift slightly behind the mask.
'Finally... found.'
Pulling their black hoodie tighter, they walked away from the crowd.
Their shadowy figure slowly merged with the city's darkness, soaked by rain, leaving behind nothing more than a whisper in the wind.
***
The evening breeze slipped through the window of a luxury apartment on the top floor of a skyscraper.
The golden light of the setting sun illuminated the figure of a child sitting cross-legged on an expensive carpet, their mask lying beside them.
Over the past few weeks, Lux's activity had focused almost entirely on advancing their Template progress.
The main focus was Artemisia Bell Ashcroft, the last Template that hadn't yet reached completion.
The Takamiya Mayuri and Raiden Ei/Shogun Templates had long since reached the maximum value of 100% since they'd allocated millions of their Achievement Points toward forced acceleration.
A drastic decision they'd never imagined making before.
It was true.
For the first time, Lux had used the Achievement Points they'd painstakingly gathered.
Previously, Raiden Ei's progress had stalled at 91%, while Takamiya Mayuri remained stagnant at 79%.
They'd hit a deadlock in advancing that progress, and time was running increasingly short.
To create the perfect climax in the Takamiya Mayuri and Shou scenario, several variables needed to be eliminated.
The most significant variable was the presence of the Goddess of Life, the protective deity with special concern for Mayuri.
If that goddess had intervened in the battle against Mammon... Mayuri's victory would have been far too easy and lacking in drama.
But that wasn't what Lux wanted.
From the start, the reason they'd willingly sustained grave injuries was purely to harvest Achievement Points from Shou.
Because of that, they had to prevent the Goddess of Life from intervening.
Peaceful negotiation was clearly impossible given the goddess's affection for Mayuri.
Facing both at once carried too great a risk, even for someone of their caliber.
As for asking the Shadow Order for help?
That thought had never even crossed their mind.
The organization's involvement would only complicate the situation.
But unexpectedly, they'd found a way to use Achievement Points to drastically boost Template progress.
Thanks to that method, they'd successfully brought Raiden Ei/Shogun to 100%, allowing them to manifest the real Raiden Ei.
Of course, "real" here referred only to a perfect physical vessel housing two empty souls without memories.
The Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun who now existed appeared like living dolls with hollow, vacant stares.
Lux remained cautious, remembering the system's warning about potential problems when summoning original characters.
But unexpectedly... Raiden Ei's power hadn't diminished in the slightest, remaining just as formidable as before.
They'd split their consciousness into two parts: one to control the Raiden Ei sent to face the Goddess of Life, and the other... to maintain the Lux persona (in Mayuri's form).
As a final step, they'd boosted Takamiya Mayuri's progress until it reached 100%.
And just as with Raiden Ei... the System had also offered two options upon reaching 90%: summon the perfect Takamiya Mayuri character, or draw a new random template with guaranteed quality.
Of course, Lux had chosen the second option.
The experience of wielding high-power Templates had made them addicted; they wanted only the best and the strongest.
When progress reached 100%, the real Takamiya Mayuri manifested in a... unusual condition.
Though Lux had made certain Mayuri had no memories whatsoever, the girl still displayed unexplainable emotional residue.
Sometimes, the girl's body moved on its own without mental command from Lux, a phenomenon that had never occurred before.
Lux didn't fully understand this anomaly, but as long as Mayuri didn't rebel against their control, they decided to ignore it.
And this was the reward they'd received...
...
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ'๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ! +๐ญ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐! '๐ช๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต' ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐! +๐ฑ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ใ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ/๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ด๐๐ปใ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ! +๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ใ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ/๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ด๐๐ป'๐ใ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐! +๐ฑ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฃ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐! ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐'๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ผ๐! +๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ! +๐ญ๐ฑ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐! ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ: ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ! ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฑ! ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ: ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ผ ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐!]
A status window appeared before them, floating transparent with a pale blue glow:
...
โฆ [๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ] โฆ
- [๐๐๐ฆ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ] -
- [๐๐ข๐๐ซ: ๐ (๐๐ข๐)] -
- [๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐: ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ, ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐+]
- [๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ซ (๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐๐), ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐๐๐ง๐ค ???)]
- [๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐:
โข ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข/๐๐ก๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง (๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐%)
โข ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข (๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐%)
โข ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ญ (๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐%)]
- [๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐,๐๐๐,๐๐๐]
...
Seeing the neatly organized information, Lux nodded.
Particularly the Achievement Points total, which had reached a staggering number...
They'd sacrificed over 200,000,000 Achievement Points to forcibly boost Raiden Ei/Shogun and Takamiya Mayuri's progress.
Fortunately, that consumption had quickly paid off.
Not only had the amount been recovered, it had multiplied after they'd showcased a small fraction of Raiden Ei/Shogun's power to the world.
With enough Achievement Points to purchase hundreds of top-tier Talents, Lux had actually already achieved their original goal, eliminating the Divine Ice Emperor's side effect.
But...
'Perhaps staying like this isn't such a bad thing.'
Lux shifted their gaze to the list of Talents they recognized, then moved on to another panel.
It sounded ironic, but after experiencing the influence of using the Takamiya Mayuri Template, Lux had actually come to dislike the sensation of being swept up in emotion and losing control.
They preferred remaining clear-headed and cold. Because of that, they'd decided to maintain their current state.
Instead... they began exploring Talents that might prove useful for their advancement.
As expected, there were tens of thousands of unique Talents with various classifications and uses.
With the Achievement Points they possessed, they could even purchase the highest-ranked Talents, Rank SSS, except...
For some reason, everything felt rather ordinary.
Their expression remained devoid of emotion.
There were many Talents focused on lethal attacks, but ever since acquiring Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the ability to see death points on any existence, every other offensive Talent felt pointless.
What about defensive and endurance Talents? That thought had almost never crossed their mind.
One of the fundamental aspects of Divine Ice Emperor was the ability to adapt.
Any attack, as long as Lux was given sufficient time to adapt, would eventually become ineffective. Of course, the adaptation wasn't absolute.
After all, it remained a Rank SSS Talent that could be countered by a Talent of equal or higher rank.
For example, Musou no Hitotachi belonging to Raiden Ei/Shogun, or Angel Kerubiel belonging to Takamiya Mayuri.
The adaptation wasn't fully effective against two powers that transcended such limits.
'So what should I use these Points for?'
Buying weapons? Lux didn't particularly need them.
With Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, even the most fragile wooden twig could become a lethal weapon capable of killing any existence.
Besides, as someone who'd once wielded Musou Isshin, their personal weapon standards had become extraordinarily high.
Unfortunately, not a single available weapon met their expectations.
This was enough to extinguish whatever curiosity Lux had left. Perhaps they'd use those Points in some future emergency.
For instance... to boost the progress of a new character Template.
Speaking of Templates...
With the guaranteed Templates from the Takamiya Mayuri and Artemisia Bell Ashcroft options, plus the system's rewards, Lux now had five additional random character Templates.
And if each Template possessed quality equal to Raiden Ei/Shogun and Takamiya Mayuri...
"..."
For a moment, Lux fell silent.
Wasn't this rather terrifying?
Imagine, a dozen entities as powerful as Raiden and Mayuri joining forces and deciding to dominate the world... Lux was certain even the gods and goddesses would struggle to oppose them.
Of course, that was mere speculation.
Overall, the combat strength of the beings in this world remained formidable.
Even with ten Raiden Eis and Mayuris, global domination would still be nearly impossible.
Furthermore, there were still beings, entities even Mystic Eyes of Death Perception couldn't kill, still "on vacation" out there somewhere...
Besides, five additional characters were rather troublesome. There was no way they could keep constantly switching forms into various characters.
Well... if they grew too lazy to act, they could always just use Achievement Points. Nothing too difficult about that.
Just as that thought crossed their mind...
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ!]
[๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ...]
[๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ!]
"..."
Silence blanketed the room.
The number on their status panel, which had previously exceeded 600 million points, suddenly plummeted below 200 million...
If Lux still possessed full emotion, they might have cursed loudly.
But unfortunately, or fortunately, they were incapable of feeling anger.
The child merely pressed their throbbing temples in exhaustion.
Though this sudden update was unexpected, perhaps... it wasn't necessarily a bad development.
They simply hoped there was something newer and... interesting behind that half-billion-point sacrifice.
***
Steam drifted from a gently hissing pan, partially obscuring Lux's view.
But even behind that thin veil, their eyes could still catch two captivating figures not far from them.
The first, a woman with long purple hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her slightly open purple kimono revealed porcelain skin contrasting against silk fabric patterned with sakura blossoms and lightning bolts adorning her attire.
Her eyes, deep purple gradually shifting to electric blue at the edges, radiated a beauty like a rare gem found only at the bottom of the deepest ocean.
But that beauty was trapped within an expression as cold as ice.
Raiden Ei, the Shogun, sat with perfect posture like a living porcelain statue.
Her slender hand lifted a teacup with movements trained over centuries.
No tremor, no hesitation. Only eternal grace that made anyone feel an invisible distance between them.
Not far from her, a second figure drew attention in a different way.
A young blond girl with a ponytail swaying gently in the wind.
Her large, clear pink eyes seemed to gaze far into the distance, as if seeing things invisible to ordinary eyes.
Takamiya Mayuri, wrapped in her clean white uniform, sat on the balcony with her legs swinging gently, creating a rhythm only she understood.
Her golden earrings shimmered in the sunlight, shifting from gold to red, then blue, as if reflecting the ceaseless passage of time.
Her expression was calm and peaceful, like a small cloud momentarily covering the sun.
Amid the chaotically swirling clouds in the sky, the sight of these two figures created an almost implausible contrast, calm amid chaos, beauty amid uncertainty.
Raiden Ei and Takamiya Mayuri.
After Lux had successfully summoned both into this world, it didn't mean they couldn't still use both Templates.
It was just... what for?
The originals were already before them, breathing and living in their own way.
The spatula in their hand moved automatically, flipping the meat slices that had begun releasing a tempting aroma. Their skilled fingers worked while their mind wandered.
"I have to admit," they murmured to themselves, "both of them really are extraordinary up close."
Having just one of them alone would already be an immeasurable blessing.
Having both? That was something others wouldn't even dare dream of.
Add Artemisia to that...
If this was the definition of paradise for a man, then they'd created their own personal heaven.
Speaking of Artemisia, the girl had been doing her own work.
Successfully accumulating millions of points as one of the Rank S Hunters, an achievement that had etched her name in Hunter Association history as one of the fastest in rank advancement.
Not only elite guilds were scrambling to recruit her, but several kingdoms had shown interest in her too, or more precisely... in the technology she used.
In this still-developing world, the CR-Unit Artemisia wore was like a miracle arriving from a far-distant future.
Of course, just in case, Lux had constructed a background for Artemisia.
A village girl who'd become a victim of kidnapping and inhumane experimentation.
Her body, injected with foreign materials and metals, altered part of her bodily functions, granting her control over technology as her unique Talent, which also enabled her to kill the scientist who'd made her a test subject.
That tragic story successfully suppressed excessive suspicion and interest in her CR-Unit.
Because once something was classified as a 'Talent', it became nearly impossible to research or replicate.
And with the Truth Orbs' assistance, the CR-Unit had truly become part of Artemisia with a Rank A classification.
Though initially intending to make Artemisia an Irregular Hunter, the decision to place the girl as intelligence within the Hunter Association proved shrewd.
With her gentle personality and captivating appearance, Artemisia was the perfect spy.
Besides, no one suspected a beautiful, friendly secretary everyone adored.
'And her latest information...'
Lux's eyes narrowed slightly.
Artemisia had discovered one of the Sons of Destiny.
Unlike Shou, who had a system as his cheat, Lux didn't yet know what golden finger this new target possessed.
From Artemisia's report, it was likely a type of Son of Destiny aided by an ancient spirit...
But that wasn't a major issue.
Even with the assistance of a spirit however powerful, Artemisia as she now stood was more than enough to finish them off.
Even Shou, protected by 'fate' as he was, wouldn't stand a chance against her in his current state.
Speaking of Shou, where was that young man now?
Lux didn't know exactly, but one thing was clear, that Son of Destiny was still alive.
There was a special plan in store for him... a psychological game that would drive Shou to the edge of sanity before finally being finished off.
"Young Master?"
A familiar gentle voice pulled Lux from their reverie.
They turned and found a figure already familiar standing at the kitchen doorway.
Bright blond hair tied neatly in a perfectly curved ponytail. Her glowing white face looked fresh despite a long journey.
A gentle smile was etched on her lips, creating a small, barely visible dimple. Her clear blue eyes radiated warmth, at least, that's what appeared on the surface.
Artemisia Bell Ashcroft stood gracefully in a black blazer and short skirt, her upright posture displaying the discipline of an elite soldier.
Her high heels made no sound as she stepped inside.
"Artemisia," Lux said briefly, before returning their focus to the cooking.
They didn't need to pay excessive attention to the original characters.
After all, though they moved like humans, breathed like humans, and perhaps even possessed emotions like humans... they remained puppets.
Yes... perhaps...