She carefully got out of bed, making sure not to disturb her still-sleeping sister.
Shiho quietly left the room, gently closing the door, and went alone into the living room.
The slight chill in the air made her feel unexpectedly refreshed.
"Lord, has he gone out?"
She looked up at the clock. It was already past nine.
"…I woke up too late."
In just three more hours it would be noon, and honestly, she felt today's wake-up time was far too late.
Normally, she would go to bed around two or three in the morning and wake up by seven.
But Shiho also knew why she and her sister had slept in so late today, and why her sister still hadn't woken up yet.
She sat down on the sofa and, for the first time, completely let go of her ladylike composure.
"This kind of relaxed feeling… it's really nice."
There was no research weighing on her, nor the fear of Gin pointing a gun at her.
"In the future, I can research what I truly like."
But with her current power, she knew she would need to set up her own laboratory and even cultivate the necessary experimental materials herself.
The Planter's abilities were truly versatile. They could transform soil, purify pests and diseases, and create the conditions for life. Truly a chosen path for cultivation.
"Once safety is guaranteed, I can establish a laboratory."
Even without Ren's detailed explanation, Shiho understood that her new power required deeper familiarity before she could pursue greater strength.
Which meant she had to use it more often.
And then there was the matter of continuing research on APTX.
Shiho thought for a moment, then slightly shook her head.
The medicinal ingredients for that drug were far too precious. Some couldn't be bought with money at all. Not to mention, those rare materials would not only attract attention from the Organization, but also from the police.
"Click."
The sound of the front door opening interrupted her thoughts.
Shiho immediately stood up and walked quickly to the entrance.
She saw Ren walk in, wearing a thick coat and carrying several bags in his hands.
Shiho hurried forward to take them.
"Let me help."
The bags looked heavy, yet once she held them, they felt surprisingly light. She glanced at her hands in disbelief.
"Did I… get stronger?"
"Yes. Much stronger."
"If a Planter can't even lift a hoe, how could they cultivate? Each Sequence corresponds to a different profession, and naturally they specialize in different areas. Your main pathway is the Planter, so with that power, your physical strength also improves."
Shiho then realized that beyond extraordinary spirituality, her body had also been enhanced.
"What about Sister…"
"Different pathways enhance different aspects at each node. Your sister is a Secrets Suppliant of Sequence 9. At this stage, she has stronger spirituality than you and is far more skilled at ritual magic, which is something you lack."
Shiho nodded slightly.
This was her first time hearing such information, but it made sense.
Different Sequences naturally led to different powers and specialties. Otherwise, there would be no need for such divisions.
She carried the two bags easily into the kitchen.
Sure enough, they were filled with various ingredients.
Shiho began sorting them, placing items neatly into the refrigerator, which had more than enough space.
Her eyes soon landed on a stack of instant noodles.
Ah, so the Lord likes instant noodles too. Could it be that he isn't good at cooking?
Shiho wasn't particularly skilled herself. At most, she could slice some sausage and vegetables into instant noodles, maybe fry a couple of eggs.
Thinking this, she leaned out from the kitchen bar counter.
"Lord, I'll prepare breakfast today…"
"Hmm. If you can handle it, I'll leave it to you. That works out well, I need some time to prepare a few things."
Shiho's sharp eyes noticed the two small boxes in Ren's hands. They looked like jewelry cases, the kind meant for earrings.
So, creating artifacts required a physical vessel.
She knew those artifacts were intended for her and her sister.
Not wanting to disturb him, she turned back to the kitchen and began adding nutritional elements to the otherwise unhealthy instant noodles.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Ren began preparing extraordinary artifacts for the Miyano sisters.
What he needed to craft this time was actually very simple: a cognitive impairment effect targeting ordinary people and extraordinary beings below Sequence 8.
Anyone who looked at the sisters would not perceive them as Shiho and her sister. Instead, a layer of misdirection would cover their identities.
This meant there was no need to alter their physical appearances with artifacts. A simpler method was enough. By filtering perception at the cognitive level, no one would recognize them.
But then there were fingerprints and DNA.
Those two were troublesome. In the world of Lord of the Mysteries, such things didn't exist. But in modern times, this technology was everywhere.
Oh, right. Wouldn't it be better to just conceal fingerprints and DNA altogether?
The concealment authority of the River of Eternal Darkness could block even the gaze of True Gods. Compared to that, modern science was nothing.
So, conceal all key information to prevent detection, then use cognitive impairment to stop recognition by appearance.
This method was more complicated than simply making fake faces, but unlike fake faces that could fail, this method had no flaws.
After deciding on the solution, Ren immediately began creating the cognitive impairment earrings.
And this step, compared to the rest, was much simpler.
(To be continued.)
***
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