The eerie laughter echoed like broken music through an endless void, twisting the air into red static. Blood-colored lines spiraled outward, dragging Jiang Mo into suffocating darkness.
Then, silence.
He blacked out completely.
When Jiang Mo awakened, the world was no longer what it had been.
Gone were the silver-white floors and glowing holograms of the Genius Society's lounge in Madam Herta's research wing. Instead, a bright blue sky spread wide above him, with streaks of sunlight slipping through a ceiling of translucent panels that resembled clouds. Beneath him stretched cobblestone paths, lush parks, and flowering trees swaying in a gentle breeze. The clean scent of oxygenated air lingered, too perfect to be real.
He blinked.
Something was wrong. And yet, oddly familiar.
Suddenly, a rush of unfamiliar memories surged through his mind like a floodgate opening all at once. For a moment, it was disorienting, memories that weren't his, yet somehow were. A translucent holographic screen materialized in front of him, flickering briefly before stabilizing:
[Your name is Jiang Mo. You were born into an academic family on Azure Star.][Perhaps due to your lineage, you've been called a prodigy.][Your talents led you to success in the field of imaginary-energy research.][Today, you've received an invitation from another scholarly household to tutor their daughter, "Herta."][She has dismissed multiple previous tutors. They believe only a genius can teach a genius.][Faced with this prestigious, well-paid offer, do you:]Accept.Decline.
Jiang Mo rubbed his temple, half-wincing.
"Well. This simulation's off to a dramatic start. Bloodlines, genius recruitment, and now tutoring Madam Herta as a child?" He exhaled. "Aha, you really went all out this time."
Suddenly, the top half of the screen ripped open like paper being torn apart. Jagged lines spread across the air, revealing a cascade of red-and-white masked pop-ups. They danced erratically, displaying lines of manic text with glitchy laughter echoing between them:
[Of course, my dear little "toy." Let's make this one unforgettable!][I'll be your guide now, not that dull, silent Fu Li.][Try turning that genius who defied time itself into your "toy." Let's see if you can twist her rational mind into beautiful chaos.][I'll even help. Entertain Aha, and you'll be rewarded.][But if you disappoint me… HAHAHA! Imagine watching your perfect experiment vanish, erased before your eyes!]
The pop-ups melted away, replaced by a crimson holo-screen marked with a distorted, glowing "Joyful" fate sigil pulsing like a heartbeat:
[Title Unlocked: "Genius? Commoner? No no no, you're neither."][Effect: Your influence becomes extreme. Make her love you, or hate you. There's no in-between.][Now go. Aha wants to see brilliance spiral into madness.]
Jiang Mo closed his eyes briefly and sighed before selecting Accept.
"Great. No real choice here anyway." He glanced at the simulated sun. "If Madam Herta ever finds out I saw her like this, I'll blame everything on you, Aha."
The estate appeared shortly after, a towering manor of marble and steel, surrounded by meticulously sculpted gardens. The architecture reflected intellectual opulence. It was beautiful but intimidating, lined with sharp angles, crystalline panels, and etched formulas decorating the stone.
"This is one serious academic estate," Jiang Mo muttered, hands in his coat pockets.
He made his way up the path, intending to ring the bell, but paused.
A small figure caught his eye.
On a swing under the shade of a silverleaf tree, a young girl sat reading. Her black beret sat tilted neatly atop her head. She wore an elegant black coat adorned with white lace and floral embroidery. Her brown hair fell in orderly waves down her back. Every motion she made was precise, controlled. Even the swing barely moved.
She wasn't playing.
She wasn't daydreaming.
She was dissecting dense, theoretical knowledge, her eyes never straying from the thick tome in her lap.
No, she didn't feel like a child.
As if sensing his gaze, she looked up.
Her calm, amethyst-colored eyes met his, evaluating him in silence. She closed the book, marking her page without glancing down.
"I'm Herta," she said flatly. "You're here to tutor me? Look me up on your device, confirm my achievements, then leave. There's no need to waste time, yours or mine."
Jiang Mo stood in stunned silence, then slowly chuckled.
"Still sharp-tongued," he murmured. "Even back then…"
But of course. Genius wasn't bound by age. It manifested in behavior, in sharp logic, in isolation. She wasn't like other kids, and never had been.
He was about to speak when another pop-up exploded into view:
[Looking at the precious, unreadable girl in front of you, choose:]
[1. Take a mental snapshot. This reference will help when constructing the fully-functional Madam Herta android later.]
[2. This is the perfect opportunity to improve the youthful version of her favorite "keepsake." Better now than later.]
[3. A little kid in black stockings? No black stockings! Give them to me!]
He sighed through his teeth.
"Yep. Simulation or not, this is going to be a long day."
And with that, Jiang Mo walked toward Herta, aware that the game had already begun.