Sylvia's eyes fluttered open, the heavy sword still gripped in her hands.
Compared to Acheron's mix of curiosity and surprise, what Sylvia felt was… complicated, to say the least.
She could tangibly feel the enhancements the imitation core had brought to her body as it integrated with her. But just as the description warned, the usable energy within the core was limited.
Simply reinforcing her body, materializing the greatsword, and forming the armor had already drained more than half of its reserves.
This core couldn't automatically draw upon Honkai or Imaginary Energy. The energy it came pre-loaded with wasn't even at full capacity, and every bit used was gone for good.
She needed to find a sustainable 'battery' to slot into this core. Otherwise, Sylvia was just a girl with above-average strength.
Of course, if that was all, it wouldn't be so hard to swallow. Pure physical power still meant pure, unadulterated force.
What truly made her want to scream was the giant sword in her hand.
There, on the hilt, was a fucking button. And when Sylvia pressed it right in front of Acheron…
Flames roared to life along the blade! Her cape billowed as if caught in a wind, four gems lit up in sequence—
And then the greatsword let out a series of cheap, tinny 'beep-beep-beeps'.
After Sylvia pressed the button twice more, the beeping faded, replaced by the strains of a melodious song:
"Some deserts on this planet were oceans once~"
"Somewhere shrouded by the night the sun will shine~"
Yes. The damn sword had started playing Moon Halo, the very theme of the Herrscher of Flamescion.
But that wasn't the end of it.
The four gems began flashing in rhythm, while the flames swirling around the blade danced along to the music. When Sylvia held the button down again, the cheap, toy-like beeping returned, and the song changed to another:
"When good old friends are going away"
"Will you wish them to remember your name?"
This time, it was Da Capo.
The songs themselves were beautiful. But paired with the inexplicable sound effects and this massive sword…
The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming. Intensely, suffocatingly familiar.
It irresistibly reminded her of those cheap plastic toys kids waved around during New Year's visits—the kind that lit up and made noise the second you pulled a trigger.
What made it even worse was when Acheron, intrigued, reached out and touched the flames.
"These flames seem to be just an illusion? There's no energy radiation."
"Yeah… I know, I know," Sylvia replied, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. "This sword… is a toy sword."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
It was all fucking special effects.
This damn greatsword was literally a special-effects toy sword!
All the gear on her body existed solely to complement the sword's light show. The four gems were just LED lights; the cape and armor projected the fiery illusions. After fumbling around, she'd even found a battery compartment!
A universal battery compartment, no less, that somehow adapted to fit any type of battery she shoved into it.
"This is just insane!"
In a fit of frustration, Sylvia hefted the now uncontrollably musical greatsword and slammed it against a nearby wall.
BOOM—!
She expected the sword to shatter. Instead, she watched, dumbfounded, as the swinging blade effortlessly pulverized the seemingly sturdy construction material, leaving the sword itself completely unscathed.
Acheron, perfectly calm, took the greatsword from Sylvia's hands, gauging its weight. She gave it a few experimental swings, the song still playing.
"The material is quite good," Acheron noted. "Lightweight, high hardness. And the key point is… well, the song is nice. I'll remember it. Even if it's a toy, it can still serve as a weapon."
"Ah… yeah…"
Sylvia took the sword back, her spirit utterly crushed. This thing was the weapon provided by the Herrscher core, so of course it was the most compatible with her current power. And if Acheron herself affirmed it, then its quality as a weapon was undoubtedly sound.
If only it weren't for those absurd sound effects…
Did this mean from now on, every fight would feature her as the woman with her own personal soundtrack? And a sentimental one at that?
Sure, looking cool was a lifelong pursuit, but this kind of flair was absolutely unnecessary!
Sylvia was seriously struggling to keep it together.
Especially when she imagined activating the sound and light show mid-battle. She couldn't tell whether she or her enemy would die of embarrassment first.
This kind of mutually-assured destruction of coolness… she wanted no part of it!
Noticing Sylvia's expression, Acheron seemed to picture the very same scene: Sylvia on the battlefield, accompanied by the tinny blare of cheap speakers. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips, one she herself didn't even notice.
"At least you're not unarmed anymore. What do you plan to do next?"
"Uh…"
Acheron's question pulled her back to reality.
As un-seriously as this whole getup looked, its quality was passable. She had to use what she had.
So, Sylvia thought it over. Her primary goal now was to find a suitable power source for her Herrscher core. The current energy reserves were far from sufficient; once they ran out, she wouldn't even be able to conjure a spark.
She wasn't sure what qualified as 'suitable,' but maybe a Stellaron was worth a try? It was called the 'Cancer of All Worlds,' but she vaguely recalled civilizations that had actually harnessed its power. Perhaps it could serve as a battery?
Besides, she still had that 'Storage Card.' It was limited to one object, but there was no stated upper limit. Maybe she could use it to bag a Stellaron and take it with her?
With that in mind, Sylvia smiled. "Thanks to you, I have some ability to protect myself now. After this, I plan to find this world's Stellaron. It might be useful to me."
She looked at Acheron, only to find the other woman pulling a glove onto her left hand, concealing the ring beneath the fabric.
Acheron's brow furrowed slightly. "The Stellaron… It's better not to get close. If you're worried about leaving, I can take you. If it's just curiosity, I advise you to curb it for now."
Ignoring Sylvia's gaze, Acheron stood up, using her sheathed sword to tap the gap nearby, using her height to look down at Sylvia.
"Right now, you have strength, but no real combat skill, correct? The Antimatter Legion and the Fragmentum creatures are far more dangerous than what we just encountered."
Looking out the window, one could still see Fragmentum monsters prowling in the distance.
"This planet has been destroyed by the Stellaron. Near its location, even stronger and more numerous monsters gather."
Logically, Acheron had already said more than enough. Yet, beneath her calm tone was a faint but unmistakable thread of displeasure.
Sylvia's appearance, the greatsword clutched in her hand… it all stirred a familiar sense of déjà vu in Acheron.
Across the vast universe, this wasn't the first time she'd encountered someone who was alike yet different. But not every such meeting had ended well.
Like this one.
She didn't know why Sylvia seemed intent on throwing her life away, but she didn't want to stand by and watch it happen.
The meaning of their… ritual… wasn't even clear yet. Acheron had no intention of letting this reckless white-haired girl become fodder for the Fragmentum denizens.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.