Just as Star was about to press send, a voice rang out from behind her.
"What are you...?"
Those three words nearly scared the soul out of Star. She quickly, with lightning speed, deleted what she had just typed.
"Ahem... nothing."
"(ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)" Herta pursed her lips, watching Star with a flat expression.
"Alright, I know you have an opinion of me. This time, indeed, it was unexpected." Herta wasn't some unreasonable person, so she had merely "taught" the Black Shadow from earlier a lesson.
Yes, just taught it a lesson.
"Are you okay? How does your head feel?" Herta walked to the bedside and asked.
"Don't tell me you fried your brain. My experiments on you aren't finished yet." Herta crossed her arms, looking outwardly composed.
The girl didn't answer, but curiously observed the puppet-like joint structure on Herta's body.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Possessed?" Herta felt the aura of the person opposite her was completely different.
The girl shook her head, smiling faintly with a sense of relief.
"Looks like... you want to ask her some questions." Her eyes held a smile as she gently closed them, then slowly lay back down.
"Huh? What do you mean? What questions?" Herta was bewildered. Why did this person sometimes spout such inexplicable things?
"Why is she lying down again?" Just as Herta was about to pull the girl up, the pink-haired girl opened her eyes again.
"Theresia?" Star looked at her with concern.
How strange, how strange.
Tian An had been stabbed by that Black Shadow again in the dream.
Then Miss Theresia actually came to the rescue! So she instantly realized it was a dream.
How could Miss Theresia really appear here? Hehehe... hehehe... Huh?
Just as Tian An was celebrating her survival after the ordeal, she caught a glimpse of the two people standing beside her, staring at Tian An with intense gazes.
Right... wasn't I in the Simulated Universe?
Tian An pinched the palm of her right hand, as if the pain from the penetration still lingered.
Star immediately reached out and touched Tian An's forehead, carefully checking her temperature.
"Not even a fever."
"I'm fine." Tian An quickly sat up. She looked around and found they were no longer in Herta's office.
Could I have fainted from the pain while testing the Simulated Universe?
Tian An quietly patted herself down. Thankfully, nothing was missing.
"Are you really okay?"
"Mm."
"I don't believe you." Star switched back to her sassy mode. "Theresia, you should rest properly. I'll help you demand compensation from Herta."
Star wore an expression that clearly said, "Plan successful."
"Hey, I'm right here! Like I said, you'll get your compensation, every single bit of it," Herta said with her hands on her hips.
"I have no problem with you resting, but you need to answer some questions first, or look at something."
"Is it about that Black Shadow?" Star quickly asked. That Black Shadow had been pretty tough earlier, it took a solid hit from her bat and still managed to throw her back.
"Yes," Herta shifted her gaze to Tian An.
"The true appearance of that Black Shadow is the one you saw on that hospital bed earlier," Herta took out her phone and showed Tian An the photo she had just taken of the Black Shadow.
"I saw you looked off when you first saw that face. And you didn't answer me. What, do you two know each other?"
Herta was very curious. What kind of situation would make the Black Shadow pursue Tian An even into a virtual universe to kill her?
Although physical damage received in the Simulated Universe couldn't be transmitted to the real world, this kind of invasive and manipulative attack could cause serious psychological harm.
That thing probably really wants her brain dead so it can possess her, huh.
"Let me see, let me see," Star also leaned in, tilting her head to look at the phone.
"Isn't this that person March 7th talked about, the one the Express crew pulled out?" Star recognized the face at a glance. While comforting the station staff earlier, March 7th had told her about it and even secretly showed her a photo.
They had said at the time that the body was a complete empty shell.
"And then it drilled into Theresia's body later," Star explained for Tian An.
"Is that so?" Herta looked at Tian An, who nodded to confirm.
Poor thing. I'm insulting myself.
"The attack in the Support Zone earlier was probably also caused by this Black Shadow," Tian An added.
"Then what about that noise you heard?" Star asked.
"The sound was different... it shouldn't be the same person, right...?" Tian An wasn't entirely sure either. After all, with things like this, who could say for sure?
"I'll go call March 7th and the others to come quickly," Star quickly got up and ran towards the door with the phone.
"Interesting, truly interesting. It seems 'someone' is living inside your body," Herta looked like she wanted to dissect Tian An for research, making Tian An's hairs stand on end.
"Would you like to meet her?" Herta extended an invitation. She shook her phone. In the photo on the screen, the person whose face was visible was entangled by countless threads, giving off a look of pure malevolence.
"She won't run away again, will she?" Tian An voiced her concern.
"You're actually worried about my ability? Let me put it this way, if she can run, I'll resign from my seat in the Genius Society," Herta was supremely confident in her containment capabilities. The room holding her contained several Ionization Cannons, 12 DNA Tracking Devices, and other equipment.
If all else fails, I can always dismantle a Star Destroyer and install its parts.
Is this containment or an extinction event, hey?!
"Then... shall we go?" Tian An shuffled towards the side of the bed, looking for her shoes.
"You're not going to rest for a bit? My time is very abundant right now. As I said, as long as I'm interested, any amount of time is fine," Herta said.
Mainly afraid the readers, those venerable masters, can't wait... (not)
You deserve a punishment!
"No need. I feel perfectly fine right now," Tian An felt like her body had a persistent heater supplying energy. The feeling of weakness she had upon waking was slowly disappearing.
"Alright then. In that case, I need to tell you something else," Herta said.
Before Tian An could react, Herta continued speaking.
"After you meet her, I want you to test the Simulated Universe again," Herta stared intently into Tian An's eyes.
She felt there was a slight difference compared to when they first met, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"I..."
"Simulated Universe again? I disagree!" Star, somehow, had already run back to the bedside, holding shoes out to Tian An.
"Like I said, it was just an accident. A normal Simulated Universe is very 'safe'," Herta said excitedly.
"That won't do. I need to negotiate more compensation for Theresia," Star blocked Tian An's attempt to speak with her gaze.
"Double the compensation," Herta said without batting an eye, for she truly had the capability.
"Uh... ahem, I think the Simulated Universe can accurately reflect our various physical data, don't you agree, Theresia?" Star completely changed her tune, speaking with her chin held high.
"Uh... oh... yes."
"Oh my, weren't you just saying you disagreed? You folded just for a little more compensation," Herta watched Star like she was observing a comedy show.
"Isn't there an old saying on the Azure Star, 'A gentleman does not eat food given in contempt'?" Herta quoted.
"Then I say there's another old saying on the Azure Star." Star retorted.
"What is it?" Herta asked.
"He who understands the times is a hero." Star finished triumphantly.
"..."