Sylvia stared at the massive dragon pinned to the ground by those strange, grasping hands.
The greatsword in her grasp twisted, its sharp blade descending with a whoosh of blazing flame!
The fire reduced the monster's body to charred cinders; the keen edge shredded the tough crystalline structures into fragments.
Under Sylvia's sword, the ferocious beast stood no chance, dissolving into ash that scattered in the air.
And those gigantic hands that had restrained the monster slowly withdrew, retreating back to who-knows-where.
Sylvia recalled her greatsword but kept her armored form activated.
She looked at the now-empty ground.
She felt a subtle sense of feeling toward Black Swan's methods of dealing with enemies.
Even in the game, she'd thought they were a bit… well, something.
But seeing it in reality? Black Swan's attack style was more than a little unsettling.
Less 'mysterious' and more an atmosphere of 'fear of the unknown.'
"Hehe~ Impressive, dear. You're even more decisive than I imagined."
Black Swan had drifted close without Sylvia noticing, hovering mid-air as she brought her lovely face nearer.
Unable to glimpse Sylvia's memories, Black Swan's understanding of her came solely from others' intelligence.
While she knew Sylvia was adept in combat, this was her first time witnessing the specific style firsthand.
"Your method of attack, on the other hand, looks quite mysterious," Sylvia said, tilting her head to regard Black Swan. Those gentle eyes were hard to read, difficult to pin down with any specific emotion.
"It's nothing remarkable. Compared to that, I find your sword far more impressive."
Black Swan watched Sylvia with evident interest.
In that earlier strike, she had sensed the power of three distinct Paths.
It wasn't unheard of for Pathstriders to walk multiple Paths.
But for someone like Sylvia to simultaneously cultivate the power of three Paths to such a level of strength… that was far from ordinary.
"What a pity. If not for other matters requiring my attention, I would have quietly followed you those past few days."
Beneath her casual tone, Black Swan's words carried a slight weight that Sylvia felt.
To speak of stalking so openly… that was a bit weird.
"I'd really prefer it if you didn't follow me secretly."
"Hehe~"
Faced with Sylvia's complaint, Black Swan covered her mouth with a light, amused laugh, looking quite pleased.
The two advanced through the hall where space seemed inverted and chaotic, relying mainly on Black Swan to guide the way.
Reality, after all, wasn't a game with pre-mapped routes.
Where to go depended entirely on Black Swan's abilities.
Along the way, Sylvia and Black Swan encountered scattered Memory Zone Memes.
These monsters, formed from accumulated fragments of subconscious within the Memory Zone, yielded only chaotic, nonsensical information even when Sylvia tried to probe them.
Practically useless.
Twisting and turning through the path, finally, Sylvia and Black Swan stopped before a door.
"Passing through this door will take us back to the Reverie Hotel."
"I thought there might be more surprises. The process was smoother than I expected."
Sylvia mused.
The door embedded in the corner remained ornate and grand.
Scattered Memory Bubbles floated nearby, more fragmented and disordered than those on Herta Space Station.
Black Swan stood elegantly beside Sylvia, gesturing for her to pass through the door and return.
Sylvia wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, she turned to look at Black Swan:
"I haven't thanked you yet. For being willing to help me leave here without question."
"You're welcome. It was a mere trifle. If you insist on thanking me… then after we're out, invite me for a dance when you have the chance."
"Hmm… if you don't mind."
Sylvia nodded, accepting Black Swan's invitation.
At the mention of dancing, Sylvia's expression shifted subtly.
Having seen that animated short, her feelings on the matter were a bit… complicated.
Speaking of which, would Black Swan still be interested in Acheron?
Lately, it feels like her interest in me is greater.
Probably because Acheron hasn't arrived yet.
Turning these thoughts over, Sylvia blinked at Black Swan, then pushed open the grand door before her with both hands.
--+--
Eyes opening again.
It was a normal room in the Reverie Hotel.
Sylvia was about to get up when she felt something in her right hand.
Looking down, a red-and-white mask lay in her palm, having appeared there who-knows-when.
"..."
Sylvia stared at the mask in silence for a moment, then after some thought, tossed it aside.
She emerged from the Dreampool.
Leaning back on the sofa, Sylvia rested for a bit.
Just as she took out her phone intending to play for a while, a call from Asta came through.
"Asta? What's she calling me for…"
Sylvia scratched her head and answered.
Immediately, Asta's holographic projection appeared before her.
"Hi, long time no see, Sylvia! How have you been lately?"
"Long time no see, Station Head Asta. You look as spirited as ever. How's the space station's recovery work going?"
Sylvia sat on the sofa, observing Asta's posture—still as elegant and beautiful as ever.
Not a trace of fatigue showed.
And she was managing such a massive space station.
"Hehe, thanks to you, the station's reconstruction is going smoothly. Come visit when you have time!"
"I'll stop by when I get the chance. Speaking of which, it's been a while since I tested the Simulated Universe. Madam Herta hasn't notified me at all—not sure if it's been updated yet."
Sylvia brought up the Simulated Universe. She hadn't been there recently, though Stelle had found time to test it once.
She'd even met Screwllum and witnessed Silver Wolf's… 'crushing defeat.'
A shame Sylvia missed such an interesting event.
"I'm not clear on that front. Madam Herta handles that project herself."
Asta scratched her head, offering an apologetic smile.
"But I'm getting off-topic. Actually, the reason I contacted you is that someone from the Interastral Peace Corporation has been asking for your contact information."
The sudden shift to serious business caught Sylvia off guard.
Why would the IPC be inquiring about her?
"The Interastral Peace Corporation? Who? Do you know what it's about?"
Faced with Sylvia's inquiry, Asta shook her head apologetically:
"I only know the person is from the Strategic Investment Department. Not sure if you've heard of it."
"…I've heard a bit. A Preservation Emanator codenamed Diamond, right? And his subordinates, the Stonehearts."
"Mhm, though that phrasing is a bit odd. Strictly speaking, it's the Strategic Investment Department they lead."
Asta corrected Sylvia's linguistic slip.
But the meaning got across, so Sylvia nodded.
"So, who's investigating me?"
"I made a few inquiries. It's likely Topaz, one of the Stonehearts. I've heard the Strategic Investment Department can be quite… persistent. Be careful lately, okay?"
Topaz?
Sylvia couldn't help but scratch her head.
What does she want with me? Shouldn't she be preparing to collect debts on Jarilo-VI right now?
--+--
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.