Celenova couldn't sense anything wrong with Bai Ming, so in the end she could only accept that rather irresponsible guess.
"You've got a point."
On the surface, Celenova nodded. In her heart, though, she wasn't buying it.
Better to get out of here as soon as possible. No need to stumble into some bizarre crisis.
But…
She'd need the element of surprise.
If Bai Ming caught her mid-escape, that would be bad. Very bad.
Bai Ming, of course, had no idea what was going through Celenova's head.
If she knew Celenova had been frightened enough by something so trivial to consider destroying her own clone, she probably wouldn't have pinned the blame on Aha.
For now, blissfully unaware, Bai Ming was secretly pleased with herself for having slipped through unscathed.
And to celebrate her brand-new body—
She was going to feast!
When she'd used character cards before, it wasn't as if she couldn't taste anything. But there had always been a faint layer of separation, like eating through a veil. It had never felt fully satisfying.
Now that she finally had a body of her own, everything was fresh.
She fully intended to indulge herself for a few days before worrying about anything else.
"Oh, right—Acheron, how's your sense of taste now?"
"It's alright. I can make out a bit of flavor. Want me to join you?"
What Acheron could taste was still faint—extremely faint. But compared to before, it was a significant improvement, and personally, compared to the food itself, she found it more interesting to do things alongside Bai Ming, who was still basking in the novelty of her new body.
Just as Bai Ming was about to find somewhere to grab something delicious—
Celenova, who had long been poised to flee, finally seized her chance.
Without warning, flames erupted from her body.
They burned fiercely, thick with the aura of Destruction, intent on annihilating everything about this clone.
The move caught both of them off guard.
At first, Bai Ming thought Celenova was making a move against her, only to realize she was destroying the clone to make her escape.
"Haha~ Bai Ming, we'll meet again."
Bathed in fire, Celenova looked at her.
The overflowing flames of Destruction were suppressed by Bai Ming before they could even spread beyond the corridor.
Celenova didn't care. She hadn't expected to burn anything down, she only meant to use the self-destructive flames to block Bai Ming's memory-invading abilities.
But Bai Ming did nothing.
She simply watched her, a faint smile curving her lips.
"You really couldn't hold back, could you?"
Celenova's smile faltered. She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've been dying to study how your clones work."
As she spoke, Bai Ming lifted her hand. Her fingers, wrapped in silk gloves, tapped lightly. The raging flames were swiftly suppressed.
Even the aura of Destruction was forcibly compressed into a tiny space to minimize interference with the monitoring devices.
"You're right, Celenova. We'll definitely meet again."
Her voice echoed softly down the corridor, but Celenova gave no reply.
The roaring fire, deprived of fuel, guttered out and vanished into the air.
Where she had stood, only a few faint embers remained—quickly swept away by the air purification system.
The clone was utterly destroyed.
It seemed Celenova hadn't even intended to leave behind ashes for Bai Ming to examine, but such a thorough retreat instead provided Bai Ming with a wealth of valuable data.
The clone had burned—but her consciousness had escaped.
No matter what method she'd used, there had to be some trace. Some path.
Acheron watched Bai Ming, who seemed utterly unconcerned about Celenova's escape, and asked curiously, "You let her go on purpose, didn't you? Why?"
She had a feeling Bai Ming could've interfered somehow, but for some reason, she hadn't.
Bai Ming smiled into Acheron's eyes.
"On one hand, I needed the data. On the other hand… keeping her here wouldn't stop her other clones from causing trouble. It would just tie you down to this place long-term. Not worth it."
"I wouldn't mind staying a while longer."
Acheron said it simply.
Bai Ming lifted a finger and shook it in front of her.
"You might not mind. But I can't let the rare time you get outside be spent babysitting something like this."
"Heh. I'm happy."
Acheron laughed softly.
She was glad for Bai Ming's concern, though she had no intention of wandering the outside world for long.
She took her responsibilities seriously.
Of course, if Bai Ming insisted she stay and play, she would indulge her, but knowing Bai Ming, she wouldn't push like that.
Besides, there was that small memory-constructed world Bai Ming had made for her.
Even at the edge of Nihility, she would not be alone.
Coincidentally, the commotion from Celenova's self-immolation had drawn the attention of Herta's puppets.
Herta hadn't planned to bother.
But the puppet reports mentioned the flames carried an intense aura of Destruction.
Given that a captured Celenova was currently on the station, Herta grew concerned something might have gone wrong and took a look at the footage sent back.
One glance—
And she nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Wait a second… Since when could Bai Ming walk around outside with that face?? Are you sure this footage is from reality and not the Simulated Universe?"
Her question was quickly answered by AI Herta.
"The footage originates from the Simulated Universe Space Station. Madam Bai Ming entered a certain module not long ago and emerged in this form. I cannot access the records of what occurred."
"You can't access them? Ha. Then Bai Ming must've deliberately locked you out."
Herta let out a sharp laugh.
AI Herta's authority level on the Simulated Universe Space Station was that of a station master. Aside from logging directly into the Simulated Universe itself, she could view almost anything.
Unless someone with higher authority deliberately blocked her.
And there were only four people with that level of clearance.
So Bai Ming had intentionally kept her in the dark.
The thought instantly soured Herta's mood.
"Oh, really? Something this important and you keep it from me? Just you wait."
Muttering to herself, she linked up with the puppet nearest to the scene and started toward Bai Ming's location.
--+--
On the other side—
After hearing Acheron say she planned to return, Bai Ming thought it over and ultimately didn't try to stop her.
This was a pursuit Acheron had clung to for who knew how many years.
No matter how close they were, she couldn't just say, "Forget your responsibilities, come hang out with me."
That would be like telling Herta, "Don't do research for a few days—come to an amusement park with me."
If Herta didn't kick you into orbit, she'd already be in a good mood.
"Then… until next time?"
"Mm. Until next time."
Acheron smiled, nodded, and left the station alone.
Bai Ming watched as she became a streak of light, disappearing into the distance beyond Amphoreus.
If she could figure out Celenova's cloning ability—
Maybe she could leave a clone inside that memory world, to keep Acheron company at the edge of Nihility.
Bai Ming worried about the endless road Acheron had chosen, but she could only rely on the system's power to hold back the erosion of Nihility. She couldn't solve Acheron's problem for her.
So in the end, all she could do was stay by her side as much as possible.
So she wouldn't have to guard that silent, lifeless world alone.
Just as Bai Ming was lost in thought—
A distinctly unamused voice yanked her back.
"Hey. Earth to you. Miss her that much? Then chase after her. What are you standing here for?"
"…Herta? You're here."
Turning around, Bai Ming smiled at Herta, who stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at her.
Herta didn't smile back. She raised a finger and poked Bai Ming square in the cheek.
"If someone hadn't brought a Lord Ravager onto the station and nearly set it on fire, I might never have noticed you quietly went and made yourself a body. Pretty capable, aren't you? Even locked AI Herta out of the monitoring systems."
Faced with Herta's aggressive posture, Bai Ming simply gave her a look that said she'd expected this.
"I wanted to surprise you. Didn't expect Celenova to stir up trouble. You found out the moment I finished."
"Oh really? And I'm supposed to believe you did it for my sake?"
Herta questioned her aloud, but inwardly, she really was happy for Bai Ming.
Like Ruan Mei, she knew Bai Ming's situation.
Seeing her appear this time not by borrowing an identity, but truly in her own body, shaped by her own hands—
As a friend, she was glad.
As a friend, however, being kept in the dark about something this big?
That irritated her.
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
Looking at Bai Ming's foolish grin—now finally wearing her own face, her own body—
Old ideas Herta had shelved because of "identity issues" began sprouting wildly in her mind like weeds.
At last, she wouldn't have to worry that it was someone else's body. No need to hold back.
Her fingers itched.
So—
Without giving Bai Ming any time to react—
Phase Flame burst from the puppet's fingertips, instantly engulfing Bai Ming and removing her from the Simulated Universe Space Station.
Staring at the now-empty platform, Herta addressed the air.
"AI, send me a report on what Bai Ming was working on earlier. Continue the project. If there are issues, come directly to me."
"Got it~"
After hearing AI Herta's reply, Herta nodded in satisfaction and severed the connection with the puppet.
The once lively platform fell completely silent.
--+--
Elsewhere—
Just as she'd expected, Bai Ming landed in Herta City.
Before her sat Madam Herta at a tea table, enjoying afternoon tea.
Herta lifted her gaze and gave Bai Ming a look.
She said nothing, but Bai Ming understood perfectly.
So she walked over to the table. Just as she was about to sit—
A puppet reached out and stopped her.
Right in front of Bai Ming, it moved her chair to Madam Herta's side, poured her a cup of red tea, and only then gestured politely for her to sit.
"…"
Bai Ming glanced at the puppet, then at the silent Madam Herta.
She wanted to complain.
In the end, she obediently took the seat beside her.
It wasn't as though they had never been close before, but for some reason, sitting pressed right against Madam Herta this time felt… different.
A sleeve carrying Herta's scent slipped over the armrest and settled across Bai Ming's knees.
Ink-dark fabric draped over the pristine white of her dress—strikingly bold.
Bai Ming instinctively chalked it up to the difference between a character card and her real body.
Even so, the silence between them felt just a touch awkward. A touch intimate.
After taking a sip of tea, Bai Ming decided to break it.
"So—what do you think of this body? I'm pretty satisfied. Want to guess what method I used to pull it off?"
Truth be told, Bai Ming wasn't good at socializing.
Alone with Madam Herta, she couldn't think of any relaxed, personal topic for small talk.
So after much deliberation, she fell back on what she knew best—research.
"Heh…"
Madam Herta stared into her teacup, her reflection wavering in the amber surface, and let out a soft laugh.
When she'd dragged Bai Ming here, she'd imagined all sorts of things.
Grabbing her and spanking her hard.
Hanging her up and giving her a proper beating.
Telling her just how much she'd held back before.
Now demanding Bai Ming stand straight and take her punishment.
But once she'd actually brought her over—
Looking at that face, faintly similar to her own—
All of that suddenly felt… dull.
Not that Bai Ming herself was dull.
More that her mood had abruptly settled.
Of course, revenge would still come.
There was just no need to rush it.
So she'd had the puppet move the chair right beside her, and watching Bai Ming sit there obediently without protest—
Herta found her mood improving considerably.
Yes, it was a large table. Yes, sitting this close was a bit strange.
So what?
There was no one else here.
And Herta wouldn't deny that she liked Bai Ming. Showing a little possessiveness was only natural.
Oh… and Noa was around.
But Noa wasn't human. THEY were an Aeon. It didn't count.
"Go on, then. Tell me what inspiration you used to make this happen. Consider it the topic of today's afternoon tea."
Herta didn't bother checking the Simulated Universe Space Station's experiment logs.
She wasn't even sure she'd find anything.
Besides, hearing Bai Ming tell it herself sounded far more interesting.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL