Hearing this, Black Herta visibly sighed in relief, her previously tense shoulders relaxing.
She stretched lazily, somewhat annoyed, and complained, "I didn't expect to show my hand so quickly... I had originally planned to hide in the dark and play a round of 'Werewolf' with them to see who could maintain their disguise until the end. But..."
She shook her head, her tone slightly self-mocking. "It still comes down to brute force."
She wanted to make a big move, but she had slightly overestimated herself.
Although the process deviated somewhat from her expectations, the outcome was ultimately good.
Feeling the presence of those thirteen individuals within her, a calculating gleam flashed in her eyes: "In that case, the plan to use the Flame-Chasers to 'persuade' the Golden Descendants can be put on the agenda."
"Logically feasible, but there is a critical issue that needs addressing: Worldview Adaptability."
The System reminded her in a timely manner.
"Worldview adaptability?" Black Herta paused. "What does that mean?"
"Simply put, it refers to the 'Path' system. The power of the Flame-Chasers originates from the 'Honkai' system, whereas the power of the Golden Descendants, even within this simulated space, tends to align with the 'Path' system of the Star Rail Universe. If they confront each other in their native state, the Flame-Chasers might be at a disadvantage on a fundamental rule level."
Black Herta frowned. "Path power... Does that mean the Flame-Chasers also need to become Pathstriders?"
She quickly thought, "The key to becoming a Pathstrider is whether one's will can attract the gaze of the corresponding Aeon... Given the strength of the Flame-Chasers' individual wills, this shouldn't be difficult."
"Theoretically, yes. But practical operation presents obstacles."
The System analyzed, "Scheme one: Summon the Flame-Chasers to the external universe and await the Aeons' gaze. This scheme carries extremely high risk. Since the Flame-Chasers are currently deeply bound to you, they are also under the protection of That Great One. This action might break the protection and expose us. Furthermore, under That Great One's 'attention,' the probability of other Aeons casting their gaze will be greatly interfered with. More importantly, large-scale Path resonance is highly likely to attract the attention of Polka Kakumu."
Black Herta sighed. The System's analysis was always so sharp, blocking off the seemingly simplest routes.
"What about the other scheme? The 'Path Simulation' you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes. We can draw upon the method used to simulate the Golden Descendants' power, and construct highly compatible 'Pseudo-Paths' for the Flame-Chasers within the System Space. This would grant them equivalent status on a rule level when fighting the Golden Descendants, without needing to attract the attention of a real Aeon."
Black Herta thought about it. This was indeed a safer method. "How long will the Path Simulation take?"
"The time varies per person, depending on the individual Flame-Chaser's compatibility with the simulated Path. Preliminary adaptation is expected to be completed within a few hours, but achieving perfect simulation and maximum effectiveness may require days or even weeks of debugging."
"Alright..."
Black Herta waved her hand helplessly. Although it was a bit troublesome, this was the most viable Path right now. "Then start it up. Prioritize adaptation for the core combatants."
"Command confirmed. 'Path Simulation' program initiating. Screening suitable Path schemes for the thirteen individual Flame-Chasers... The first round of results is expected to be generated after 3 System Hours."
Black Herta watched the flickering data streams in the System Space and felt a wave of boredom.
After fully delegating the subsequent work to the System, she decided to take a temporary break. Before leaving, she instructed, "System, remember to contact those 'residents' in the Paradise. At least make sure they understand the current situation. Don't let them still think this is some sort of Dragon Quest drama."
"Instruction received. Generating interaction protocol. It is expected to explain the current 'cooperative' relationship in a manner they can understand."
The System responded meticulously.
Black Herta nodded, her figure vanishing into the data streams. The next moment, she appeared inside the lounge car, which was furnished like a retro living room.
The car was quiet. Only Cyrene sat alone on the sofa by the window, quietly reading a Star-Interspace Plant Atlas.
The soft overhead light spilled onto her pink short hair, making her look especially gentle.
Hearing the movement, she looked up. Seeing it was Black Herta, she immediately closed the book and stood up somewhat nervously. "Madam Herta... you're back."
"Mm."
Black Herta replied, walked over to the main sofa, and sat down. Her posture seemed casual, yet still carried a hint of detachment.
She actually didn't quite know how to start such a casual conversation, as she was more accustomed to giving orders or plotting strategies.
Cyrene stood still, also feeling nervous, unconsciously gripping the pages of the book in her hands.
After a brief silence, Black Herta cleared her throat and found a topic. "How have things been recently? I mean, the others."
She tried to make her tone sound like a casual inquiry.
Seeing Black Herta initiate the conversation, Cyrene relaxed slightly and reported softly, "Everyone is fine... Dr. Anaxa has been researching how to communicate with the other imprisoned Golden Descendants recently, but... the progress isn't going well. He went to see Ms. Aglaea, and ended up getting scolded again..."
Hearing this, a faint curve briefly touched the corner of Black Herta's mouth before quickly disappearing.
"He is quite dedicated."
Black Herta offered a simple evaluation, then her tone carried a hint of promise. "Don't worry, you won't have to wait much longer. Soon, they will all achieve true freedom."
This sentence made Cyrene's azure eyes brighten. She nodded softly, "Mm, I believe you."
Next, Cyrene mentioned Ms. Baiheng's situation on the Xianzhou Luofu: "Ms. Baiheng seems to have... run into some trouble. She appears to have been targeted by the former Sword Master named Jingliu, who shows up every time she sets up her stall, which is causing her great distress."
"Jingliu..."
Black Herta pondered. Through the mark on Baiheng, she could vaguely perceive some blurry images, but they were mostly irrelevant noise from the marketplace and... well, a lot of Baiheng's own internal, frantic complaining.
"Too much useless data is mixed in with what was acquired... However, the history of the High-Cloud Quintet is indeed an inextricable mess."
She was thoughtful but did not delve deeper.
Then, her thoughts turned to Long Night Moon.
"Long Night Moon's contact with March 7th must be going smoothly... I estimate that the two 'Elders' aboard the Astral Express have already noticed the presence of this 'uninvited guest.'"
A gleam of successful calculation flashed in Black Herta's eyes. "However, that is exactly the effect I wanted."
After reviewing everything in her mind, Black Herta felt that all the plans were currently on track, and her tense nerves relaxed for a rare moment.
She relaxed her body and leaned into the soft sofa, her gaze falling upon Cyrene, who was still standing quietly nearby.
(Perhaps... I could use this opportunity to close the distance between us? Being purely business all the time is rather boring.)
A thought, tinged with mischief, quietly surfaced.
"Cyrene," Black Herta suddenly spoke.
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