[Master’s expression doesn’t look good. Is it because using me wasn’t comfortable enough? As a maid, I feel useless and guilty for not providing an enjoyable experience, said 86, looking dejectedly disheartened]
After emerging from Nova’s ‘prison’, Renji took off the Dream Terminal, and Number 86 reverted to her original form.
Hearing the maid’s first words in her familiar manner of speaking, and her earnest statement, Renji was now absolutely certain that this was indeed the real Number 86.
Renji currently sought information about Suthia, as the dark-skinned elf had mentioned, with the Dream being the best route for this purpose.
But before that.
Renji was determined to first clear up many doubts and eliminate any hidden dangers.
Starting with the issue of the maid’s “Dream Terminal” being “infiltrated” and “tampered with.”
“86, how do you feel physically now?”
[Master, I feel good. Oh, that’s not right. It seems like there are some foreign data inside me Number 86 said, puzzledly touching her abdomen, wondering if she had been infused with something by her master in the Dream]
Renji: “…”
‘Well, if everyone were to reveal their inner thoughts, perhaps the maids would still be considered better off’
Combining the maid’s response, Renji also opened Number 86’s panel. Everything seemed normal, except for one thing.
Renji quickly noticed that Number 86’s level had unexpectedly reached level 40.
He remembered this clearly because he had agreed to “start anew” in the second playthrough. Therefore, except for the nun and the dragoness, he treated the other three ‘Danger’ rank contractors equally. Whether it was Eileen, 86, or Ashe, Renji had leveled them all up to 35 equally.
So, 86 being at level 40 was quite conspicuous. This sudden increase of five levels must be the “foreign data” 86 mentioned.
Regarding this, Renji wasn’t particularly pleased. Even though these extra five levels could save him a significant amount of Miasma Crystals, he was more concerned about the origin and purpose of this abnormal data.
After some thought, Renji quickly asked again: “86, can you retain your consciousness while I am in the ‘Dream’?”
[Yes, I can. If Master requires, I can activate the surveillance mode to assist from the side, but this will increase consumption and shorten the ‘Dream’ time, explained Number 86 earnestly]
“So, you didn’t retain your consciousness during the recent Dream?”
[Yes, I used the longer standby automatic mode Number 86’s heart skipped a beat, afraid that her small desire to be more durable and last longer in front of her master would be discovered, she said with a guilty conscience]
Renji, looking resigned, realized the issue at hand. Essentially, the maid had turned off the energy-consuming “firewall” to extend her operating time.
Afterward, Renji shared part of his experience in the Dream with the maid, focusing on the dream within a dream and the entity that replaced the maid, 85, or rather, the “Empty Armor”
[A hacker broke into my terminal?, 86 exclaimed?in disbelief]
[My processing chip is a copy from Mother ‘Zero’, and with external technology, even in ‘automatic mode’, I would definitely sense an intrusion! But Since Number 86 was extremely confident in my abilities, I had enabled automatic mode. But now, due to my pride and arrogance, I had almost put my master in danger. 86 filled with deep regret and anger, muttered to herself in self-reflection]
Regarding the maid’s confusion and shock, Renji reminded her, “But what if the other party is of the same origin as you?”
[The same origin? Does master mean that the hacker is also a copy of Mother ‘Zero’, like 86?, 86 exclaimed as if struck by lightning.]
[If it’s one of the other ‘sisters’, they could indeed sneak in unnoticed while Number 86 is distracted admitted Number 86 reluctantly after analysis]
After receiving the maid’s affirmative response, Renji nodded, further confirming the identity of the “Empty Armor.”
Having learned from this setback and understanding the enemy better, Renji immediately instructed the maid:
“86, unless I specifically alter it, from now on, always run the Dream Terminal in surveillance mode. That way, even your ‘sisters’ shouldn’t be able to hack in easily, right?”
[Instruction received. ‘Super Surveillance Mode’ has been successfully set as the default start-up option for the Dream Terminal]
[Rest assured, master. Unless Mother ‘Zero’ herself takes action, those sisters stand no chance of getting close to master under my ‘Super Surveillance Mode’! Number 86, although internally wailing about her reduced duration, was immediately filled with fighting spirit at the thought of other ‘bad sisters’ trying to approach her master through her, Number 86 stated with a sense of competitive spirit.] 𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Renji then asked the maid in detail about the Dream Terminal, such as whether it could be used again that day. The answer was affirmative. Unlike high-consumption Miasma products like Nova’s Red Lotus Wings, which can only be used once a day, the maid’s Dream Terminal could be used many times in a day.
After eliminating the hidden dangers with the Dream Terminal, Renji reactivated the Miasma Touch on the maid, and the familiar silver-grey semicircular terminal appeared again. Taking a deep breath, Renji reattached it and plunged back into the Dream.
His vision immediately darkened, and a sinking feeling enveloped him. But as this was his second experience, Renji quickly adapted.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky had darkened, the city hall was engulfed in a massive fire, and he was in his bedroom. The door in front of him was broken open, and across in the firelight stood Suthia, wielding a giant scythe and grinning as she approached him.
However, this time, everything seemed to be paused.
[On alert. Master, can you hear me?] The voice of the maid echoed in his mind, using a concise version of speech, prioritizing tone and mood, appropriate for serious situations, as Renji had taught her.
“Yes, I can hear you.”
[*Taking a deep breath*. Rest assured, Master, I am constantly monitoring the Dream. Currently, there are no anomalies, and as per your instructions, I have preserved your last Dream for your editing and use]
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Renji then approached Suthia, who was ‘paused’, and analyzed her movements and every word she had spoken by rewinding and playing in slow motion.
Soon, Renji caught a few mocking words from Suthia to Nova, previously unheard due to distance, but now clear in the playback.
Suthia: “Then, I’ll go and do those things with My Lord, the things you sent in the Video you sent, wearing your horns, of course.”
The most intriguing part was naturally the line, “wearing your horns, of course.”
‘Cough!’
‘No, it’s “the Video you sent”!’
‘That’s it!’
‘This was the missing link he had been oblivious to!’
‘But’
‘Wait a second.’
‘Video!?’
Renji suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Just then, possibly because he was continuously investigating Suthia, the maid’s voice echoed again in his mind.
[Sharing concerns. Master, if you want more information about Lady Suthia, I think it would be better for you to enter directly into the goddess’s dream]
“Enter Suthia’s dream?”
[*Nodding*. Yes, the Dream can simulate the future based on key information and also reconstruct the past. You can enter the dreams of any character in the Dream to obtain more information related to them.]
Then.
Renji gritted his teeth, thinking that since it had already happened, he might as well see what Suthia had actually experienced at the time, so he could better respond in the future.
Thus, following a nod to the maid, under 86’s guidance, his vision blurred again, and he continued to sink, using the keyword “the Video you sent” to enter Suthia’s dream.
When the surroundings became clear again, he was no longer in the city hall of the sealed city but found himself in the underground Confession Room of a grand cathedral. Renji saw Suthia, bathed in holy light, devoutly praying.
‘Everything seems… normal so far?’
But as the dream progressed, a message appeared above the nun’s head, making Renji, observing from a god-like perspective, anxious. This must be it!
He saw Suthia then, with a face full of joy and anticipation, opening a magical crystal ball.
And the next scene.
“Master, maybe, maybe we should stop, I’m scared If sister Suthia…!”
“Nova, are you intentionally bringing up Suthia at this moment? Don’t tell me you find it exciting?”
“No, no, I’m not… I just.”
“Just what? If you keep being so stubborn, I might just stop~”
Listening to the familiar dialogue in the video.
Renji, from a god-like perspective.
Renji: “…”
Unfortunately, Renji’s silence at the moment couldn’t stop the voices in the image.
After a series of dragon moan, the tamed red dragon, now submissive to the ‘dragon knight’, even began to take the initiative.
The Vanguard profession is always the most competitive and ranking-conscious, and Nova was no exception. It was evident that she always wanted to be the strongest and the first in any battlefield.
“Master… I… compared to Sister Suthia, who is more…”
“Of course, it’s you!”
The ‘dragon knight’ in the image didn’t wait for the sentence to finish before answering, immediately.
After all, such an easy question, especially in such a ‘special situation’, naturally meant praising whoever you were with at the time.
‘Right?’
𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮