And so, to better find a breakthrough, 'Saber' had specifically consulted Gopher Wood about this, inquiring about abilities related to the same Path.
Though, if she really couldn't find any leads, her only option was to use the fully charged Celenova character card and start researching on her own.
Using an Emanator card for something like this might be a bit of a waste.
But if it could solve the troublesome combination of Celenova plus the Eighth Lord Ravager, then that little problem wasn't unacceptable.
However, before that, she decided to give it her all one last time.
So, to avoid using her character card, 'Saber' started dragging Celenova off to do all sorts of odd things every day.
Trying to provoke Celenova, hoping to piss her off enough to make her destroy this body herself.
Like... putting her in a tight, high-slit nun's outfit, just like she'd mentioned before.
At first, Celenova was naturally furious, even wanting to rush over and fight to the death, but for one, she couldn't beat those two now, and for another, she had to endure it to gather more intel.
And so, gradually, without even realizing it, Celenova herself slowly came to accept this new reality.
As time went on, even the wary atmosphere between Celenova and them had softened considerably.
'Saber' even thought about using Celenova's image to film some cringey, meme-worthy videos, but unfortunately, Celenova held her ground, never letting her get her way.
--+--
One day, on a whim, 'Saber' dressed Celenova in a set of clothes belonging to Ganyu from that neighboring world, Teyvat.
The texture of the clothes, made by the Space Station's top-tier equipment, was absolutely top-tier.
It's just that Celenova's figure was way too... aggressive, making the outfit look exceptionally... improper on her.
Compared to her initial resistance and embarrassment, now Celenova had even gone so far as to dye her hair light blue, using a bit of her own power.
Cooperating with 'Saber' on some photography that definitely wasn't for public consumption.
Through their time together, as her sense of shame and bottom line were gradually worn down, Celenova had realized something.
That 'Saber' talked a big game, but actually didn't dare do anything truly out of line.
Even with their photo interactions, anything remotely intimate or suggestive, she'd just archive them herself, never intending to post them.
And so, out of some kind of rebellious spirit, after shedding her shame, Celenova even started teasing 'Saber' right back.
Like wearing those alluring clothes and deliberately leaning in close, posing for the camera from up close, or intentionally saying ambiguous things, just to enjoy watching 'Saber' squirm, wanting to act but having to hold back.
That woman, Acheron, was always watching her like a hawk, though.
It was a pity that Acheron stared too intently, as if she'd strike at the slightest suspicious move from Celenova, which made Celenova suppress that impulse.
After the photoshoot ended, 'Saber' suddenly looked at Celenova and asked:
"So, why are you still sticking around here? It's not like you're actually planning on being my maid, are you?"
"Heh~ Are you still asking that kind of question now?"
Celenova sat beside her, crossing her legs and propping her head on her hand as she looked at 'Saber':
"Just like you want to study me, I naturally want to dig up all your intel too. Besides, don't you like it~?"
Celenova lifted her lower leg, dangling it in front of 'Saber'.
The still-unchanged clothes, paired with the skintight black bodysuit, held a different kind of charm compared to Celenova's own attire.
"Is that so? Then you might be disappointed. Even if you stay here, the most you'll get is a glimpse of my real appearance."
'Saber' snorted softly, looking at Celenova with a smile.
It didn't really matter if Celenova saw her like that.
After all, she probably wouldn't be walking around in that form often.
Using someone else's character card not only let her experience their abilities, but it also didn't consume her own lifespan while she was roleplaying as them.
On the flip side, the longer Celenova stayed here, the higher the chance she'd have of developing a countermeasure against Celenova's clones.
"Whether it matters or not is my own business. The thing is, you're the one who captured me, and you're also the one who keeps urging me to destroy this body. Makes me think maybe it's better not to die."
Celenova didn't know what the other was plotting, but since this was what she wanted, Celenova wouldn't do it.
Just go against your enemy.
Anyway, if she really wanted this body dead, she would have done it by now.
Keeping her here with nothing to do only meant that this woman had some other scheme brewing in the shadows.
"Suit yourself. But since you've been so cooperative lately, I'll give you a little spoiler: I brought you here to study your cloning ability."
"Heh, and have you actually discovered anything?"
Celenova's expression didn't flicker; she simply looked at 'Saber' with a mocking smile.
She didn't believe for a second that this person, who spent every day dragging her into idle nonsense, could actually unravel the secrets of her clones.
'Saber' didn't boast. She merely offered a small smile and said, "Not yet, but soon. Perhaps the next time we clash, you won't have the chance to run away."
Though the data wasn't immediately intuitive, the constant analysis over these past few days had indeed yielded some results.
However, these gains weren't yet enough for 'Saber' to develop an effective countermeasure.
Ideally, she needed to collect data on the moment Celenova self-destructed a clone. If she had that, 'Saber' would be much more confident.
"Hmph, mere bluster," Celenova sneered, her tone sharpening.
Though she didn't show it on the surface, a sense of urgency was taking root in Celenova's heart.
After all, this woman was rubbing shoulders with several Geniuses.
Ordinary scholars would be one thing, but the person she was in daily contact with was a member of the Genius Society. Who knew if they might actually produce some terrifying result?
'Saber' simply stuck to the truth. Whether Celenova grew anxious or stayed calm didn't matter—it was a win either way.
Meanwhile, the Saint Graph specially crafted by Ruan Mei was finally complete.
Because it was intended for 'Saber', Ruan Mei had spent quite a bit of effort carving and refining it, which was why it had taken so long to finish. Originally, Ruan Mei had planned for 'Saber' to test it out at her own laboratory.
However, she hadn't expected 'Saber' to go out for a stroll and bring back a captive Lord Ravager.
With Celenova in tow, it was no longer convenient for 'Saber' to visit Ruan Mei's place. Consequently, Ruan Mei had Rappa take the Saint Graph and make a special trip to the Space Station.
Two days passed.
Rappa arrived at the Space Station by shuttle.
The pink-haired girl wore her hair long and was dressed in a gown styled after the Xianzhou—the difference between her current look and the "Ninja Rappa" of memory was staggering.
It remained to be seen if this version of Rappa would still join the Galaxy Rangers.
"Madam Bai Ming, I've brought your item."
Rappa took out a box and handed it over. Inside lay a milky-white, ordinary-looking chess piece that emitted a faint, pulsing glow.
In the beginning, Ruan Mei had considered adding multiple Paths to it, much like the previous Elation Saint Graph.
However, under normal circumstances, combining multiple Paths was incredibly difficult to stabilize.
Furthermore, while Reveria used the Elation Saint Graph because she needed the power of Elation, 'Saber' didn't need extra power to fill her own void.
For her, the most critical issue was how to successfully establish a link between the Saint Graph and her soul.
After all, creating a physical body was never the difficult part—not for Herta, and certainly not for Ruan Mei.
The true challenge lay in making Bai Ming's soul and body compatible, or even fusing them into a single entity.
Even the Light of Nexus that Bai Ming had manifested herself had only recently begun to show a higher efficiency of fusion after all this time.
This was largely thanks to the incredibly high adaptability of the Giants of Light, a race capable of merging with almost any species.
Long ago—roughly several centuries back when they first studied Bai Ming—Ruan Mei and Herta had realized something: Bai Ming's "existence" in this world appeared very thin.
It wasn't the kind of fading associated with Nihility, nor was there a problem with the existence itself.
Rather, it was like a drop of oil mixed into water; though it had joined the liquid, it could never truly blend.
While they didn't understand why, it helped them comprehend why the Light of Nexus had struggled to merge with Bai Ming.
As for why the Saint Graph system had given Ruan Mei the confidence to attempt a body now, there were two reasons.
First, as the fusion with the Light increased and more data was gathered, Ruan Mei realized that the boundary between Bai Ming's soul and this world was actually blurring.
This meant her connection to this world was deepening, and her "presence" in the physical realm was becoming stronger.
Second, the identity 'Saber' was currently using came with its own built-in circuit system that could link to her soul.
By borrowing the logic of this system and combining it with the conclusions drawn from observing Bai Ming, Ruan Mei finally had the foundation to build this piece.
As for the System's Character Cards themselves... the difficulty of those was on a completely different level compared to Saint Graphs.
Since they hadn't found even a shred of a clue regarding how they worked, they were left out of the discussion.
Ultimately, designing a soul-link circuit was a first-time endeavor.
To maximize the compatibility between the Foundation and the soul, Ruan Mei hadn't added any Paths at all, resulting in a Saint Graph of the purest Imaginary element.
Of course, even if theoretical calculations suggested this would serve as a viable body for 'Saber', Ruan Mei wouldn't guarantee a hundred percent success without human trials.
"Madam Bai Ming, please let me be present when you use it. I've mastered the knowledge for this project; if there are any issues during the actual activation, I can help you solve them."
Rappa's tone carried a hint of self-doubt.
Having studied under Ruan Mei, she knew better than anyone how powerful the lady standing before her was.
Plus, Bai Ming had been involved in the development of this project from the start. Rappa felt she shouldn't really be needed.
But there was no helping it. Ruan Mei had called this her "final exam."
If she performed well, it would prove she had passed her basic education phase.
Only after passing would Rappa be allowed by Ruan Mei to wander the universe on her own. For her own sake, Rappa had to grit her teeth and make the offer.
'Saber' naturally had no objections. In her eyes, Rappa had always been quite competent.
Aside from perhaps lacking that spark of "genius creativity," Rappa's intelligence was already top-tier.
Dr. Primitive might have been a villain, but his technical skills were undeniable—his "genetically selected" subjects were no joke.
"Alright, come with me."
After saying that, 'Saber' turned to Acheron and a curious Celenova. "Acheron, could you please keep an eye on her and wait outside for a moment?"
"Leave it to me," Acheron nodded, accepting the task.
Celenova naturally wanted to follow and see what was happening.
She was curious about that chess piece radiating a strange aura, and even more curious about what 'Saber' intended to do with it.
Unfortunately, the other party wouldn't allow it and had even assigned that dangerous woman to watch her. She could only suppress her curiosity and let it go for now.
On the other side, 'Saber' led Rappa into a separate laboratory. Herta's puppets weren't around.
Lately, 'Saber' had been wandering all over the Space Station with Acheron and Celenova, so the puppets had likely grown used to her presence and wouldn't draw Herta's immediate attention.
Picking up the new Saint Graph, 'Saber' prepared to deactivate her roleplay.
Although there were still about ten days left on this character card, she had already thoroughly researched every aspect of Artoria Pendragon as a Servant.
With the Saint Graph she had deconstructed, she could now manually craft a Saber-class vessel that could transform into Artoria at any time.
Aside from not possessing Artoria's actual consciousness, it would be no different from this character card.
Therefore—
--+--
[Roleplay System]
[Name: Bai Ming]
[Lifespan: 1200 years]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta (Available), Acheron (Available), Celenova (Available), Jingliu (Available), Ruan Mei (Available), Sparkle (Available), Hertatomb (Charging: 77.1%), Lord Ravager · Jingliu (Charging: 41.3%), Young Herta (Charging: 26.1%), Cyrene · Fuli (Charging: 4.3%), Robin (Charging: 8.4%), Artoria (Charging: 30.1%)]
[Available Draws: 0 (71.2%)]
--+--
[Reward Settlement: Although you did not meet the true King Arthur, you unexpectedly encountered a Camelot from another world and left behind some strange legends. You have obtained Saber's skill: 'Instinct'.]
--+--
Since she hadn't met the original, the emotion points gathered during this time mostly came from past accumulation, though she had received a relatively large amount from the Honkai: Star Rail Camelot.
In truth, if she had waited out the remaining ten days, she likely could have filled the gacha progress bar.
But since the chance to finally have her own body was right in front of her, Bai Ming was a bit impatient.
The white chess piece was drawn by an invisible force, floating before Bai Ming.
Familiar linking circuits began to spread from the piece, latching onto Bai Ming's soul.
The familiar energy output circuits were successfully constructed.
With an ample supply of power, the chess piece began to release an even more brilliant radiance, rapidly expanding and morphing into a blurred humanoid shape.
Next, she had to set up the circuits she and Ruan Mei had researched together—to allow Bai Ming's soul to enter and perfectly fuse with this Saint Graph.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL