Meanwhile, Danheng, who was standing nearby, slightly furrowed his brow.
He rapidly searched the information in his knowledge base regarding Herta, but found no explicit record of her having an older sister.
(Ms. Herta was born on Planet Azure, a member of the Genius Society. Most of her past records focus on her research achievements. Family relations... are questionable.)
But seeing Xing's confident demeanor, even providing "physical evidence" (the doll and the black card), and March 7th's completely moved state, he temporarily suppressed his doubts.
(Perhaps... it's a private family matter that hasn't been recorded?)
"It seems after we return to the Astral Express, we'll have to visit the Space Station again."
March 7th wiped away non-existent tears, speaking with an air of resolve.
Xing nodded, clutching the doll and the Flame Lance in her hand. Although the memory of the previous major battle was still fuzzy, this new mission—"helping the Herta sisters reconcile"—gave her unexpected motivation.
[Distant High-rise · Rooftop]
On the high-rise rooftop, far from the clamor of the plaza, the cold wind howled.
Madam Herta stood facing the wind, her gray-white long hair and purple-black skirt rustling loudly.
She looked through an invisible observation interface at the scene below—March 7th fussing over Xing on the street, and Xing looking confused but successfully passing the deception—and nodded slightly.
"It looks relatively normal."
Her cold voice dissipated in the wind. "There was no issue with identity exposure."
Behind her, Jack stood quietly, her golden eyes calm and undisturbed like an ancient well.
Standing beside her was another young woman.
She had facial features and a hairstyle extremely similar to March 7th, but her eyes were a quenched, crimson crystal red, deep and carrying a hint of malice.
The style of her dress was also similar to March 7th's, but the main colors were deep black and dark red, accented only by a few touches of icy white.
In her hand, she held a long-handled umbrella, also in black and red tones, with edges decorated with strange patterns, as if she were elegantly holding shadow and ill omen.
Her entire being exuded a mysterious and dangerous aura, completely opposite to March 7th's lively and cheerful disposition.
This was precisely the new existence shaped by Black Herta using data collected from March 7th, combined with certain unknown factors—Long Night Moon.
Long Night Moon tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes gazing at Black Herta, a smile curling her lips that was entirely different from March 7th's radiance:
"My duty, Madam."
Her voice was low and slightly magnetic, like a midnight whisper.
Black Herta turned around, her purple-black eyes resting on Long Night Moon. She was currently quite satisfied with this "creation" who possessed independent consciousness and considerable ability.
"You have done well."
Black Herta gave a faint compliment.
Whether it was accurately knocking out Xing earlier or the subsequent handling of traces, it demonstrated her extremely high execution efficiency and stealth capabilities.
Long Night Moon bowed slightly, the edge of her umbrella tilted, partially obscuring her face, revealing only that meaningful smile: "It is my honor to share your burden."
Black Herta said no more, her gaze once again cast toward the distance.
The stage in Belobog has temporarily closed, but her journey is far from over.
With a new "actor" joining, the next "act", will surely be even more... spectacular.
She gently stroked the miniature model of the Creation Engine in her hand, sensing the ancient power and faith contained within it.
"Prepare yourselves,"
she said to Jack and Long Night Moon behind her, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable resolve, "It's time to meet... that Scholar."
[Herta Space Station]
The system puppet was walking along the mirror-like corridor, taking steps that matched its petite stature, following the preset patrol route.
Her core processor simultaneously handled monitoring data streams from all areas of the Space Station, ensuring that everything was under the control of "Ms. Herta"—at least on the surface.
At the entrance to a circular hall connecting the Master Control Zone and the living quarters, she unexpectedly encountered Asta, who was walking quickly.
"Ms. Herta!"
Upon seeing her, Asta immediately stopped. Her pink eyes slightly lit up, as if she had found something to rely on, but that brightness quickly dimmed, replaced by a trace of restraint.
She bowed respectfully, her voice less cheerful and more cautious than usual.
The system puppet stopped, slightly raised its chin, and looked at Asta with a perfectly imitated Herta-style indifferent gaze: "Mm. Patrol."
The voice was crisp but lacked warmth, entirely different from the intimate tone used when Black Herta had been impersonating her earlier.
Asta's heart sank.
(Sure enough... she's back to her old self...)
Ever since that day in the office, when she experienced the unprecedented initiative and closeness from "Ms. Herta," a stone had been cast into her heart's lake, and the ripples had yet to subside.
She greedily missed that brief, almost dizzying tenderness. Consequently, when "Herta" returned to her usual coldness, the immense sense of loss left her distracted these past few days, often zoning out even during work.
"Is the Space Station... operating normally?"
The system puppet asked the routine question according to its programming, its tone as flat as if checking instrument readings.
"Ah, ye—yes! Everything is normal!"
Asta quickly replied, unconsciously wringing the corner of her clothes. "All departments are running well, with no abnormal reports."
She tried hard to make her voice sound as competent as usual, but her slightly lowered eyelids and a trace of trembling could not escape the system puppet's sensor, which was equipped with an ultra-high-definition emotional analysis module.
[Target: Asta]
[Physiological indicators: Heart rate increased by 12%, respiratory rate slightly disordered, cortisol level slightly elevated.]
[Micro-expression analysis: Corner of mouth droop magnitude 0.3 standard units, eye contact avoidance rate increased by 25%. Clear signals of disappointment, frustration, and potential emotional need detected.]
[Related event traceback: Highly correlated with the last non-standard interaction with the primary entity in the office. Conclusion: Target is in a state of maladjustment due to reduced emotional attention.]
Cold data flowed rapidly through the system core, instantly completing a precise judgment of Asta's condition.
The system puppet's purple eyes quietly observed Asta, the gaze seeming to linger longer than usual.
Asta felt flustered under this gaze, subconsciously wanting to look away, yet unwilling to give up this rare moment of being "watched," even if the attention was meaningless.
Just then, the system puppet performed an action that completely exceeded Asta's expectations and deviated from standard logical protocols.
She took a small step forward, and then... extended her slightly petite arms and gently embraced Asta.
Asta's body instantly froze, her mind blank.
She could smell the familiar scent of "Ms. Herta" and feel the slight warmth emanating from the small body.
The hug wasn't warm, and was even a bit clumsy, but its symbolic meaning was nothing short of a psychological tsunami for Asta at that moment.
Then, she heard "Ms. Herta's" cold voice ring out close to her ear. The tone was still flat, but the speaking speed seemed slightly slower, carrying a hint of reassurance.
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