"It was Sparkle! Lady Sparkle will take responsibility for this series of incidents." Chen Li's expression was dead serious, his gaze solemn, yet the words coming out of his mouth were incomprehensible.
[Wake up, Sparkle is still in her 1v1 octagon battle with the Aeon of Elation and hasn't conceded yet. You can't push all the blame onto her right now.]
Ah, so that's how it was?
"Sparkle? Who's that? Speaking of which, this is the first time I've seen your true face, Mr. Curio Forger," Asta tilted her head.
"You can look, but don't spread my image around," Chen Li said.
"Understood."
"Don't listen to his nonsense. In any case, Asta, forget everything you just saw," Lady Herta, sitting on the sofa and sipping her tea with elegant composure, said slowly.
"Of course, Lady Herta. May I ask what important matter brings you to the space station in person this time?" Asta asked, a little nervous. Even with her family's immense wealth, Asta still seemed so ordinary in the face of Lady Herta's achievements.
"Don't be nervous, Asta, you're doing a great job. I'm just here to..."
"To appoint a crown prince," Little Herta (Unique Herta) suddenly interjected.
"A crown prince?" Asta was taken aback.
"That's right. Remember me. I am now the crown prince of the Herta Space Station. The Herta puppet with a machine spirit, acknowledged by Lady Herta, who possesses reason, and is distinct from Lady Herta herself," Little Herta explained.
"Eh?"
"Of course, I'm still a Herta puppet, just a little special, so matters like managing the space station are still up to you, Asta. I just wanted you to know the subtle difference between me and Lady Herta," Little Herta continued.
"Lady Herta..." Asta, completely baffled by the situation, turned to Lady Herta for help. Could this be a prank by those damn Masked Fools?
"Listen to her. The title is rather interesting," Big Herta nodded with elegant and calm composure.
Little Herta was installed with the personality mapping module created by Big Herta. The reason she was so different from an ordinary Herta puppet was mainly due to the slight influence of the machine spirit. A machine spirit didn't necessarily cause a puppet to rebel; it just gave them the ability to make judgments. While this wasn't necessarily a good thing, Big Herta didn't mind. As long as the personality mapping module was still functioning normally, Big Herta was looking forward to seeing what else Little Herta could do.
"Understood, Lady Herta. I'll go and make the announcement," Asta nodded.
"No need for an announcement. It's enough that you alone know," Little Herta said, shaking her head.
"Understood... Lady Little Herta," Asta said, scratching her head as she came up with the new title.
"Asta, you may continue with your work."
"Yes. Goodbye, Lady Herta. Goodbye, Mr. Curio Forger. Goodbye, Lady Ruan Mei. Goodbye, Lady Little Herta." Asta gave a slight bow and left the room.
"Alright, little one, what do you want this 'crown prince' title for?" After Asta left, Big Herta asked Little Herta with great interest.
"How can there be a crown prince for only fifty seconds! Chen Li, join me in overthrowing Big Herta!" Little Herta suddenly raised her arm and cheered.
"Thinking of usurping the throne after just fifty seconds?" Chen Li flicked her on the forehead, helping her clear her head.
"Just kidding. Everyone knows Big Herta's fish-sinking beauty and sharp intellect, but my uniqueness shouldn't go unnoticed either," Little Herta stated her reason.
"Makes sense."
"Since everyone is here, I'll get back in the trash can. Once the confinement time is up, Chen Li, you can send me back," Big Herta said.
"No problem, but I have to warn you. Even without the confinement power, if you sit directly on the trash can, you might have trouble getting out. But if you squat down into it, you should be able to get out normally."
"Magic can solve anything," Big Herta said, dismissing Chen Li's warning.
...
"Chen Li, Ruan Mei, help me up."
"...Big Herta, are you trying to be funny?"
"How was I supposed to know this trash can automatically blocks all attacks? It even forbids me from using magic!"
"Because we were worried someone might try to attack the trash can if they couldn't escape its confinement. So it has an anti-magic property," Chen Li said helplessly.
"It's all your fault, Chen Li, your props always have these weird attributes. Speaking of which... why do I feel so unlucky after using the Elation's Die? Your die doesn't have some side effect where anyone other than you who uses it ends up doing something irrational afterwards, does it?" Big Herta asked, a little uncertain.
"Oh, it might not be the die's problem. It might be my problem."
"Your problem? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. You should be heading back, Lady Herta."
"Although your attempt to change the subject was terrible, I really should be going," Big Herta nodded. After getting up and giving Little Herta a sharp flick on the forehead, she vanished from the spot, taking the golden trash can with her.
Big Herta's joyous misfortune was likely because she had used up all the Elation points on Chen Li's Elation's Die. Chen Li didn't mind explaining the problem to Herta, but the logic was complex.
The passive effect of Chen Li's transmigrator talent was to balance the risks he took with the rewards he received. The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish! But today, he had encountered a "world-ending crisis," yet the one who benefited was Little Herta; Chen Li's own gains were not enough. And because Big Herta had used up all the Elation points, Chen Li was now in dire need of more to ensure he wouldn't be screwed over by the die the next time he used it. Thus, he desperately needed to watch a show.
Furthermore, since Little Herta originally belonged to Big Herta, and it was Big Herta who had used up all of Chen Li's Elation points, the one whose show was being watched now became Big Herta.
Although Herta was a genius, the Vortex of Fate, his transmigrator passive, came with a built-in intelligence reduction aura for others. Otherwise, it couldn't explain why he always ran into those classic brain-dead villain characters in the past. This was a case of "even divine powers are no match for fate."
Chen Li's rightful gains hadn't disappeared; they had just taken a detour and returned to him in a different form. It could be fun, it could be a farce, or it could be...
[A mechanism monster! Even more insidious than a machine spirit!]
"Wait, the machine spirit is insidious?"
"Speaking of which, I haven't suffered any random disasters or had trouble come looking for me recently. I'm starting to feel a bit out of sorts," Chen Li said, glancing at the Restraint Bracelet on his left wrist.
The Restraint Bracelet could restrain his abilities, and when the situation was in his favor, it would allow the restrained abilities to exert an even stronger effect. Chen Li wasn't a masochist; he was just thinking that since he hadn't been suddenly teleported somewhere to face a major crisis for so long, it might mean a "big one" was waiting for him.
Greater risk meant greater reward. Plus, with so many friends with whom he shared deep bonds, as well as a resurrection-type Curio, Chen Li didn't know how he could possibly lose. How big could the risk possibly be? Right now, even if he were face-to-face with the Silent Lord, Chen Li was confident he could make her lose her composure five times within three minutes!
Even if he encountered an Aeon, he wouldn't panic. Although he was "a bit" lacking in the attack department without a god-slaying Curio, as long as he had friendship and bonds, Chen Li feared no one in terms of defense! If he couldn't win, he could still run. Fortunes can change in just three days!
"Once I save up some money, I'll upgrade this Restraint Bracelet to a 1-Star Curio. It would be best if it could make my transmigrator passive all reward and no risk," Chen Li said, looking at his remaining balance of 91 Crystals and thinking it was a good idea. Was it too much for him to want to get something for nothing? No, not at all. It was only human nature.
"Herta has reported that she's safe," Ruan Mei said, glancing at a message from Herta on her Friends Circle terminal before turning to Chen Li and Little Herta.
"Why didn't she report to me?" Chen Li was confused.
"Yeah, yeah, why didn't she report to me?" Little Herta was equally confused.
"Perhaps... because she's shy?" Ruan Mei smiled. She couldn't very well say that if she had reported her safety to them, the two of them would have surely found a way to make her safety unsafe, could she? The two of you should have some self-awareness!
"It seems Big Herta doesn't like us very much. Let's go find Haruhi Suzumiya to play with," Chen Li said, turning to Little Herta.
"Play what?" Little Herta looked at him.
"Play with Haruhi Suzumiya. Isn't wish-fulfillment fun?"
"..." by Little Herta. My guardian, Chen Li, has the makings of a Masked Fool! Are you even listening to the words coming out of your mouth?
"If you're not going, then I'm going."
"I never said I wasn't going! Let's go, let's go! Ruan Mei, are you coming? Haruhi Suzumiya is a lot of fun," Little Herta didn't forget to invite Ruan Mei.
"No, thank you. I should get back to watching ads," Ruan Mei shook her head.
"Alright then. Chen Li, wait... wait, where did Chen Li go? Ruan Mei, did you see him?" Little Herta turned her head only to find Chen Li had vanished, leaving her visibly stunned.
"I saw him. The moment he stepped past the sensor door, he vanished instantly."
"I knew it! He must have teleported near Haruhi Suzumiya to play with her first! Damn that Masked Fool! Chen Li, right now, you are despicable!"
...
"..."
Chen Li, who had just been called despicable by Little Herta, looked up blankly at the black sun in the sky, then blankly at the two people beside him.
Under the dark sky, a drizzling black rain fell, but the raindrops were all blocked by his Friends Circle. This meant that the rain was also considered an "attack."
The land upon which he stood was like a battlefield from an ancient era. Countless withered branches seemed to transform into hands reaching for the sky, as if trying to touch the black sun suspended high above.
A purple-haired young woman holding a longsword taller than herself, and a man wearing a straw hat and cloak, were the only normal humanoid beings Chen Li could see.
The reason he said "normal humanoid beings" was because out on the surface of the distant sea, there were countless hazy, smoke-like shadows of hands, one after another, reaching up from the sea towards the sky.
Chen Li didn't recognize the man in the straw hat and cloak, but he recognized the purple-haired young woman beside him.
A Galaxy Ranger... no, or rather, an Emanator of Nihility—Acheron!
"Where the hell did this bring me? Is this still the Herta Space Station?" Chen Li scratched his head.
"This is the other side of [Nihility]. Strange traveler, this is not a place you should have come," Acheron, holding a red umbrella in the black rain, said to the stranger who had suddenly intruded.
"I know this trope! 'Leave now and no one gets hurt, otherwise we all die!' Right?" Chen Li's eyes lit up.
"???"
---o---