After reviewing the rewards, 'Saber' quickly shifted her focus to her new body, meticulously sensing the intricacies of this 'Servant Vessel.'
There was no Holy Grail, no Master, and no Command Spells.
The entire Grail System was nonexistent, yet the Servant persisted.
The system maintaining her existence was now directly linked to Bai Ming's soul, drawing mana straight from the power of Paths.
It was, if anything, incredibly convenient.
Ruan Mei was the first to see 'Saber' in her new form.
She had been deep in thought regarding the Propagation Emanator research when a tuft of blonde hair caught her eye in the periphery of the lab. She looked up instinctively.
Her level gaze met squarely with that iconic ahoge, forcing Ruan Mei to lower her eyes slightly to take in the heroic features of the newcomer. Before Ruan Mei could utter a word, the other spoke first.
"...Your eyes just now made it feel like you were calling me short."
"Heh~"
Ruan Mei let out a soft chuckle, offering no denial. "This persona certainly looks a bit small, though your presence is as formidable as ever. So, what is the identity this time?"
"A King from a certain civilization and a battle-hardened knight. That is her history, but in this body's current state, she is a Heroic Spirit brought from history into reality."
"A Heroic Spirit?"
Ruan Mei studied her closely. She understood the term, but for it to be emphasized this way suggested there was something unique about this mode of existence.
"To put it simply, it's a method where the soul is anchored and fixed, and then mana is used to manifest a body, allowing that soul to act freely."
"Sounds interesting. Could your true self manifest using this 'Heroic Spirit' method as well?"
Ruan Mei immediately grasped the most vital implication: whether Bai Ming, who had never possessed a body of her own, could finally stand before them in her true form instead of borrowing someone else's appearance.
"I was thinking the same thing—if I can fully demystify the technology."
'Saber' nodded, then looked at Ruan Mei with a hint of triumph in her voice.
"Furthermore, the energy maintaining this body's existence uses my power of Paths. So, I finally have the vessel needed to solve Entropy Loss Syndrome using Elation."
Ruan Mei smiled thinly. Though unvoiced, there was a quiet competitive streak in their research.
"Finding a vessel just means you can move the experiment forward. It's too early to tell who will finish first."
"Hmph~ I'll definitely be the one to wrap it up first."
'Saber' placed her hands on her hips with a confident huff, but then, as if remembering something, her expression turned subtle.
"Ugh, I almost forgot. I might actually have to go find trouble with Celenova..."
"Is this about that new Lord Ravager?"
"Yeah. According to the Xianzhou's intel, for some reason, the new Lord Ravager is staying by Celenova's side for now. They're currently fighting the Abundance, and those new Legions... they say they're crawling right out of their brains."
"How very bold of them," Ruan Mei said, her gaze turning slightly dangerous.
Having their own research hijacked and used in such a way was hardly a pleasant thought.
On the other hand, there was a twisted sense of accomplishment in knowing an Aeon had taken notice of their work and forged an Emanator specifically from it.
"Regardless, Celenova hates my guts right now. I can't just sit back and watch her grow stronger. This body happens to be the combat type, so it's a good time to go poke around and see what she's up to."
Though she had 'toyed' with Celenova quite ruthlessly—and in many ways, 'Saber' actually took a liking to her—she knew it was entirely one-sided.
Celenova likely wanted to swallow her alive.
"Heh." Ruan Mei shook her head with a faint smile, offering no further comment. She had heard 'Saber' recount how she dealt with Celenova.
To put it mildly... it was quite excessive.
Even now, with their good relationship, if 'Saber' suddenly decided to tie her up for a photoshoot in a maid outfit and send the pictures out, even Ruan Mei would be genuinely angry.
Given that Celenova was an enemy, the grudge was undoubtedly massive.
"In case, shouldn't you hurry? Even if the Xianzhou Alliance hasn't sent word yet, the sooner you head over, the better."
"You're right. I really should get a move on!"
'Saber' nodded seriously and immediately dove into her research. However, she pivoted her focus, shifting from the Swarm and the Iron Cavalry to studying herself.
Since the Servant's maintenance protocols were bound to her, it provided a wealth of convenience for her research.
The tricky part was the entirely new, alien energy system.
To this world, it was truly unique. Fortunately, the composition of a Saint Graph wasn't overly complex—at least, not for a genius. It wasn't a headache-inducing task to decode.
After a day's work, 'Saber' finally mapped out the logic of the Servant system within herself and designed a corresponding version for the Saint Graph of Paths.
Ultimately, without a complete Holy Grail System to bind it, the concept of a 'Class' was something she could ignore, tossing balance aside as long as the foundation remained stable.
To adapt to local conditions, she replaced 'Classes' with tendencies toward different Paths.
It no longer required converting Path power into mana for fuel. Instead, the Saint Graph could directly draw upon Path power or Imaginary Energy to sustain its physical manifestation.
As a test, 'Saber' used her own body as a blueprint to duplicate several foundations, modifying them into versions reflecting the Paths of Elation, Destruction, Remembrance, Harmony, and Enigmata.
As entities condensed purely from energy, this Saint Graph system—surprisingly enough—allowed Path power to be physically manifested.
These foundations, shaped like chess pieces based on the Path symbols in 'Saber's' memory, were already in a usable state.
Of course, for what 'Saber' intended to do, this was merely a good start. It provided a vessel for the power of Elation to be used on Reveria. But that wasn't enough.
Reveria didn't walk the Path of Elation; she couldn't actively control its power to resist Entropy Loss Syndrome. 'Saber' would have to pre-configure the effects of Elation before giving it to her.
In other words, she had to solve one primary issue: making the power of Elation effective specifically against Entropy Loss Syndrome.
It was only now that 'Saber's' envisioned plan was truly getting on track.
"Sigh, what a long way around. If I'd just pulled a Bailu or General Xuanquan character card, this would have been settled in minutes."
'Saber' sighed softly at the workbench.
If she could use the power of Permanence, it probably wouldn't require much fine-tuning. Letting that power merge with the flesh would naturally suppress the effects of Entropy Loss.
But Elation couldn't just be shoved in. To that end, 'Saber' obtained a batch of newly cloned bugs from Ruan Mei and experimented on them one by one using the Saint Graphs.
No matter how she adjusted it, something felt off.
It wasn't that there was no effect, but the results were lackluster. It was as if... when facing such bland individuals, the power of Elation simply couldn't get motivated.
It was quite bizarre. Her intuition told her that if she wanted to make progress, she couldn't keep experimenting on cloned insects.
The adjustments to the Saint Graph had to be done directly on the target—meaning Reveria would have to fuse with it to yield the data she needed.
Meanwhile, Ruan Mei had hit a bottleneck of her own.
Emanators were difficult to study, especially their Path-related abilities. Trying to unlock the secrets of an Emanator with only a few fragments was not a task for the short term.
Fortunately, Ruan Mei wasn't the type to lose sight of the bigger picture while researching.
Though both their individual projects were stalled, the ultimate goal was still to understand the Iron Cavalry's Entropy Loss Syndrome.
Seeing that no breakthrough was imminent, Ruan Mei decided to help 'Saber' complete her plan first.
Besides, Ruan Mei had other data to consider.
"Currently, I believe your Saint Graph plan is more viable. I'm also a bit curious—if I were to prepare a Saint Graph for you, just how far would we need to go?"
"You're actually willing to trust my intuition? Even I'm a bit skeptical." Because it involved Elation, 'Saber' half-suspected Aha might be playing a prank.
"It's not just trust. Considering the nature of the Path of Elation, perhaps it truly does require a more unique individual to stimulate a reaction from that power."
To Ruan Mei, if the other believed Elation could curb Entropy Loss, then following that path was the logical move.
"But before that..."
Ruan Mei picked up another Saint Graph piece—the one bearing the mark of Harmony.
She held the translucent chess piece up, observing it closely.
To manifest Path power through such a specific structure... she had read the analysis report, and while it wasn't overly complex for a genius, the architecture and philosophy were quite novel.
"I think I'll try fusing this Saint Graph with my own body to see the effect."
"Uh... sure? Do you want a different Path?" 'Saber' was intimately familiar with the structure; there was no inherent danger in the fusion. She was just curious why Ruan Mei was interested.
"No need. I just want to feel it for a moment."
As she spoke, Ruan Mei pressed the piece against her chest.
The mark of Harmony instinctively released the power of Tuning, attempting to merge with her body and consciousness. The foundation sank in along with the rhythm.
Ruan Mei clearly felt a surge of power within her. As for energy consumption, it linked directly to her body.
The connection was clever—it could draw from Imaginary Energy or even sustain itself through high-energy food.
It was as if it were designed specifically for those who couldn't normally touch the Paths.
"The power isn't overwhelming, but I feel there's room for growth?" The power of Tuning was a sensation Ruan Mei had never experienced.
Curious, she reached out and tapped 'Saber's' chest.
Using the Tuning, she linked their thoughts together.
'Saber' nodded, then shook her head. "There is room for growth, but there's still a ceiling. This thing... it was originally just a useful trial tool. It shouldn't be used as a primary weapon."
If the output relied solely on the Saint Graph converting Imaginary Energy, the ceiling wasn't very high.
To reach a level that would impress a genius, the entire framework would need a massive overhaul.
The beauty of the Saint Graph, however, was its high compatibility—it didn't interfere with one's own combat methods.
Ruan Mei nodded. For now, it was a fine temporary fix for Bai Ming's body, but the low ceiling meant it wasn't a long-term match for her. It was, however, more than enough for the young girl, Reveria.
After all, the bulk of an Iron Cavalry's strength came from technology; the Path-related portion was meager, so this wouldn't hurt.
"It's sufficient for the Iron Cavalry girl. Her combat power doesn't rely on the Propagation anyway. My only concern is that this won't stop her from contacting the Propagation in the future. I wonder if that will cause issues."
"I honestly don't know. We'll just have to see." 'Saber' shook her head.
They hadn't even started yet; it was too early to worry about the future. For all they knew, the foundation might not even suppress the Entropy Loss.
As they spoke, Reveria, having received the notice, came rushing in. She was slightly out of breath, her face flushed, but she froze the moment she entered.
Her savior had changed her face yet again.
She was beautiful this time, too, if a bit on the shorter side.
Had Madam Ruan Mei not been standing right there, she might not have recognized her. 'Saber' was used to this reaction by now. She waved Reveria over.
"I called you here because the experiment has reached the human trial stage. Next, to verify the effects, I might have to have you cast out from the Swarm again. So, get into your armor first."
Reveria didn't ask questions. She pulled out her summoner and donned the armor she hadn't worn in days.
Then, 'Saber' commanded her Swarm King to abandon Reveria, forcing her back into the 'stray' state.
"Ugh... Madam Bai Ming, I can feel the Entropy Loss coming back."
"Alright. Now, take this piece and imagine it merging into your body."
She placed the Elation Saint Graph in the girl's palm. Quickly, even through the armor, the piece seeped in, becoming one with her. A peculiar power surged in her chest.
For some reason, the bespectacled girl suddenly felt like laughing. She felt an urge to pick up that broken camera lens. It wasn't because she was happy, nor was it a strange whim.
Rather, a voice told her that in the face of the Entropy Loss Syndrome that was stealing her very existence, it was better to laugh.
To laugh, to be merry, to feel the world—only then could she feel the meaning of her own existence.
And to her, the world seen through a lens was so much more interesting.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL