Elsewhere.
The Stellaron Hunters' residence.
Firefly gazed at the five small packets of Oak Cake Rolls delivered through the portal, her curiosity quietly stirring.
What could these cake rolls possibly taste like?
Sylvia had mentioned the flavor was… odd, which naturally made one want to try it even more.
With that thought, Firefly temporarily deactivated the SAM armor, allowing her true form to be exposed to the outside world, if only briefly.
Though being outside the medical pod meant her Entropy-Loss symptoms would gradually worsen over time, a few moments to eat a small pastry was something she could spare.
Firefly let out a soft chuckle and tore open the packaging.
She picked up the Oak Cake Roll—no recognizable brand in sight—and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm… so tough. Can this even be called cake?"
With the first bite, the strangely flavored cake roll quickly filled her mouth.
Even Firefly knew how normal food—and normal cake—ought to feel and taste.
Clearly, this Oak Cake Roll was anything but normal.
The flavor really was bizarre.
But still…
"Huh, it's surprisingly… not bad? And it feels like it'd be quite filling."
Covering her stuffed little mouth with one hand, Firefly glanced down at the packaging and realized it didn't even list the ingredients properly.
Totally sketchy, no labels at all.
Could this be some local tourist specialty Sylvia picked up somewhere?
As she savored the peculiar cake roll, Firefly's mind wandered, imagining its possible origins.
The roll itself wasn't large, and Firefly hadn't planned to stay outside the armor for long anyway.
So after eating only half, she summoned the SAM suit back around herself.
The armor sealed shut.
Self-check and body scan programs automatically initiated, completing the startup diagnostics.
But the very next second, SAM voiced a prompt that left Firefly stunned:
"Scan complete. Vital signs normal. Entropy-loss Syndrome reduced by 95%. Unknown substance and energy residuals detected in stomach and oral cavity. Requesting sampling for analysis."
"…What?!"
Firefly stared disbelievingly at the system report, her breathing growing abruptly rapid.
She took several deep, steadying breaths, willing her voice to remain calm, then selected the option to proceed with sampling.
Yet the analysis took far longer than she'd expected.
Roughly one system hour later, the machine finally delivered its findings.
"Source of energy and substance: unknown. Preliminary assessment indicates efficacy in suppressing Entropy-Loss Syndrome, with considerable duration of effect. No side effects detected at this time."
"Conclusion: May serve as a targeted treatment for Entropy-Loss Syndrome, suitable for daily activity. Pharmacology unclear; mass production not recommended at this stage."
SAM's database contained no records of any similar substance, leaving it categorized simply as "unknown."
But within the sample taken from Firefly's mouth, hidden inside the Oak Cake Roll, lay a detection of some deeply inert energy.
Combined with the physical material, this energy had suppressed over ninety percent of Firefly's Entropy-Loss symptoms.
The progression of her condition was now drastically slowed.
Even if she removed the armor now, the rate at which Firefly gradually "lost entropy" would nearly grind to a halt.
Based on the calculations, maintaining the armored therapeutic state for just four hours each day would allow Firefly to live outside the suit for at least a full month—without worsening her Entropy-Loss.
Of course, this was only a preliminary estimate.
Over time, the numbers would likely fluctuate; the efficacy might diminish, rebound effects could occur after discontinuation, or consumption might accelerate with physical activity…
But regardless.
This result still brought hot tears welling in Firefly's eyes.
Entropy-Loss Syndrome.
To Firefly, it had been a relentless nightmare, shackling her to life almost entirely inside the mech, dependent on it for survival and treatment.
Removing the armor meant the condition would begin slowly consuming her body.
The suit could suppress the symptoms, but it also nearly erased any chance for Firefly to stand in the world on her own.
Only during certain infiltration missions would she briefly shed the armor and face the world as Firefly.
And now…
Because of a simple cake roll Sylvia had so casually sent over…
She had gained the freedom to walk freely in the world as "Firefly."
Firefly stared blankly at the test results for a long moment.
Then, suddenly snapping back to herself, she quickly opened her chat window with Sylvia.
[Firefly: Sylvia, where… where did you get these cake rolls?]
[Firefly: Do you know what they do?]
--+--
Meanwhile, aboard the Xianzhou—
Sylvia was drenched in a light sheen of sweat, her thin sleepwear clinging to her skin. With each heavy, panting breath, her chest rose and fell visibly, outlining a figure that was undeniably alluring in its disheveled state.
Completely drained, her face flushed, Sylvia shot a reproachful glare at Acheron, who hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Hah… hah… you went way too hard!! You weren't like this last time."
Acheron picked up her phone, glanced at it, then—unbothered by Sylvia's drenched state—reached over and ruffled her hair.
"You lasted a full system hour. Your progress is remarkable. Today's limit was far beyond the last session."
The power of her Path hadn't changed significantly, yet Sylvia could now withstand a far greater erosion from the Nihility.
Given the current state, the power of Permanence would likely advance considerably in a short time.
Acheron could only attribute it to the ritual with Silver Wolf having been unusually effective.
It also gave Acheron a rough understanding of Sylvia's peculiar method of growing stronger.
Strange and utterly inexplicable as it was, the pattern seemed clear: after performing rituals with different people, Sylvia not only gained unique abilities but also enhanced her own physical and spiritual foundations.
Though she'd known this before, witnessing Sylvia's rapid progress still made Acheron marvel inwardly—Sylvia's talent really felt like cheating.
"…A little warning would've been nice. You nearly scared me senseless."
Sylvia weakly lifted a hand and patted Acheron's arm a few times.
But it was obvious she had no strength left at all.
Acheron had silently intensified the session, catching Sylvia completely off guard and leaving her thoroughly worn out.
Even though her Path of Permanence had clearly grown stronger, Sylvia couldn't help grumbling a little.
Acheron glanced at the damp marks on her arm, then at Sylvia's faintly smiling face, realizing she'd done it on purpose.
So Acheron reached out, scooped Sylvia up, and cradled her in a princess carry.
"Wah—what are you doing?!"
"Taking you to wash up. You're sticky."
"…You're the one who made me this way! And now you complain?!"
Sylvia went completely limp against Acheron, capable of nothing more than verbal defiance, utterly powerless to resist whatever Acheron did next.
Though she'd seen it before, Acheron still found it amusing—Sylvia, totally spent in every way except that stubborn mouth of hers.
--+--
T/N: 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.