A Surge in Power; Kal'tsit: Where Did My Doctor Go?! / What? Talulah Has Actually Developed a Feminine Charm?

"Doctor Kal'tsit, did something happen?"

Amiya, who happened to be passing by and was now even smaller and younger-looking than she had been at the start of the original story, saw Kal'tsit hurrying along and asked.

"Yes. There are some matters I need to verify personally, so I'll be leaving Rhodes Island for a while."

Kal'tsit nodded at Amiya.

"Is that so... Should we dispatch some Operators to protect you?"

"No, I'll go alone. If my premonition is correct, then the situation in Ursus is likely far from simple. I'll also be attending the coronation ceremony of Ursus's new emperor."

"I understand, Doctor Kal'tsit."

After giving her final instructions, Kal'tsit gradually walked away and vanished into Rhodes Island.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

After leaving Chernobyl, considering Doctor's physical condition and wanting to take care of the frail white-haired girl who had only recently awakened from cryogenic sleep, An Xiu deliberately refrained from using the Shadow Troopers for rapid travel on the way back. Instead, he returned to Holy Steed Castle at a normal pace over several days.

The moment he returned to Holy Steed Castle, An Xiu led Doctor straight to the palace to find Talulah.

Inside the palace, Talulah had just finished handling a batch of government affairs when she learned that An Xiu had returned and wished to see her. She immediately had An Xiu and Doctor brought over.

"Talulah, this is a highly capable person I specifically recruited. You can call her Doctor. I want her to serve as the Imperial Prime Minister of Ursus and assist you in governing this country."

The moment he saw Talulah, An Xiu got straight to the point.

If anyone else had dared to speak to an emperor like that, their entire clan would probably already have been buried. Appointing high-ranking officials was one of an emperor's most fundamental rights, and no emperor would tolerate a subordinate encroaching upon that authority. Much less someone like An Xiu, casually dragging in a person and demanding that Talulah grant her the position of Imperial Prime Minister.

Yet Talulah merely nodded, then drafted an appointment letter on the spot.

Imperial Prime Minister and the title of Duke—she arranged everything in one go.

Such an arrangement might not have worked in another country. Rashly appointing someone with no foundation to a high position, especially by granting them authority second only to the emperor's, could easily have caused turmoil in the court and dissatisfied many powerful figures and nobles.

But in the current Ursus, even though Talulah had not yet officially ascended the throne, appointing anyone was truly no more than a word from her and a written appointment.

After all, look at the state Ursus was in now. The nobles who dared oppose Talulah had already been slaughtered by the Wendigo Legion days ago. The Dukes commanding the Group Armies had also been sent off by a smooth little combo from the Shadow Troopers and the Inner Guard, while their Group Armies had been absorbed in advance by Talulah's people.

In other words, every armed force in Ursus, whether the Group Armies or the Inner Guard, was now in Talulah's hands alone. Even if someone with ulterior motives wanted to step forward and cause trouble, seeing this situation would make them obediently lie back down. Ursus had officially entered its era of most centralized power, and the empire's upper ranks had become entirely Talulah's personal domain.

As for the ordinary people at the bottom of the empire? The corpses of the nobles executed during this period had been specially dragged out for public display, while designated officials gave detailed accounts of their crimes before the common people. Watching those once-lofty noble lords being executed in groups had thoroughly delighted the bloodthirsty masses. As a result, even before Talulah had formally taken the throne or enacted any policies, she had already gained extremely high support among the public.

Not to mention the improved crop seeds and all kinds of other aid Mobius would provide later. It was foreseeable that Ursus would remain as it was now, with no second voice ever emerging.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Mobius in a while. I wonder whether she has come up with anything new since returning to the One Punch World."

After settling Doctor in, An Xiu silently pondered this, then decided to return to the One Punch World and take a look.

One-Punch Man World, research base.

A tube of liquid that continuously emitted a warm glow like sunlight sat in a vial before An Xiu.

An Xiu stared at the vial in silence for a moment before looking up at Mobius across from him.

"This is the Kryptonian Factor you extracted, cultivated, and modified from the Kryptonian Blood we obtained before, the one that can be used for Flame Chaser Surgery?"

Mobius, seated opposite him, nodded.

"That's right. I was planning to finish a few more experiments before informing you, Master, but since you happened to come here yourself, there's no time to waste. Let's begin the surgery now."

Kryptonian Factor Surgery: Massive Power Boost—Kal'tsit: Where Did My Doctor Go?!

Kryptonians were an exceptionally powerful race with immense potential from DC's comic-book universe.

Even if you did not know what a Kryptonian was, you certainly knew that muscular man in a skintight suit with underwear worn outside his pants and an S-shaped symbol on his chest—Superman, one of the most famous IP icons in the world from An Xiu's previous life.

Superman's race was Kryptonian. Of course, that did not mean every Kryptonian was Superman, but the potential and upper limits of the Kryptonian Bloodline were indeed extremely high. That was why An Xiu had instructed Mobius to make the Kryptonian Blood he had purchased their primary research target.

And now, after nearly two months of research, Mobius had finally produced results that satisfied An Xiu.

The modified Kryptonian Factor before them was the product of Mobius studying every Kryptonian ability, preserving its advantages while removing its flaws.

It retained the Kryptonians' formidable physical abilities and their capacity to continuously grow stronger simply by basking in sunlight, while minimizing the defects that could weaken them in specific environments. This ensured that Flame Chaser Surgery would not leave An Xiu with any weaknesses.

Although achieving this meant that the modified Kryptonian Factor would provide somewhat less of a boost to An Xiu's strength, he was still very satisfied.

After all, with the system, he did not need to worry too much about improving his strength in the future. Avoiding any weaknesses was far more important than gaining more power.

Half an hour later, inside the laboratory.

"Next, I'll begin injecting the Kryptonian Factor. The entire procedure will take roughly six hours, so please endure it as best you can."

Lying on the operating table, An Xiu watched as Mobius operated the machinery beside him and slowly injected the factor into his body.

At once, An Xiu felt a warm current coursing through his body, while a new power gradually emerged within him.

Time passed swiftly. Under Mobius's exquisite technique, the surgery was not painful at all. Instead, it gave An Xiu a feeling of comfort.

Finally, six hours later, a powerful aura erupted inside the laboratory.

Boom!!!

A figure crashed through the laboratory and even the roof of the research base as though the surrounding structures did not exist. In the blink of an eye, he had flown several thousand meters into the sky, spreading his arms toward the sun above.

"This feeling..."

Feeling the explosive power surging through his body, An Xiu clenched his fist in midair. Thick bolts of azure lightning flashed across his skin, and in an instant, he appeared more than a hundred kilometers away, throwing a punch at the mountain range below.

Rumble—!!!

With a single blow, the mountains were shattered by that unstoppable force. A ruin over a thousand meters wide and tens of thousands of meters long tore through the entire range, forcibly rewriting all the terrain in its path.

The clouds in the sky were scattered by the force of his punch. Under the sunlight, the energy An Xiu had just expended instantly recovered, while his overall strength continued to rise at a slow but steady pace.

"With my current strength, it'll probably be difficult to determine exactly what level I'm at through this method without causing too much destruction. And evaluating combat power through strength alone isn't accurate. It would be best to have an actual fight."

"In that case..."

An Xiu opened the system interface, brought up the shop, and selected the search option.

Mirror World Price: 3000 points

Looking at the skill before him, An Xiu did not hesitate and directly clicked purchase.

The Mirror World was a special magic mastered by the Ancient One and her disciples in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As its name implied, it allowed the user to temporarily unfold a Mirror World perfectly replicated from reality. There were no living beings within it, and no matter how much destruction was caused, reality would remain unaffected. One could fight freely within it without restraint.

A moment later, after sensing the new knowledge in his mind and confirming that he had acquired the corresponding skill, An Xiu used the traversal function again and returned to the Arknights World.

Then, An Xiu directly summoned Jibril, opened the Mirror World, and ordered her to engage him in a fierce battle.

Several hours later, the exhausted An Xiu dismissed the Mirror World with Jibril supporting him.

It was confirmed. After undergoing Flame Chaser Surgery with the modified Kryptonian Factor, his current strength was roughly somewhere between continental and Surface-level.

Although he was not Jibril's match, Jibril would also need to put in considerable effort to defeat him. Still, since he had not won, his strength had not truly reached Surface-level yet. At the very least, he would need to bask in the sun for several more months before reaching the point where he could match or even defeat Jibril.

Honestly, An Xiu was already very satisfied with such an improvement. After all, the only real expenditure had been the 2,500 points he had spent on the Kryptonian Blood. The other things, such as manifesting Mobius and the Holy Grail, did not count as true expenses, since they could be used repeatedly.

"Take me back to my room in Holy Steed Castle. I'm exhausted after today. I need a good rest."

"With pleasure. Also, might Master require me, Jibril, Master's most loyal slave, to warm his bed tonight?"

"I'm too tired after that fight. Another day."

Feeling Jibril's perfect, curvaceous body pressed tightly against his, especially the full, astonishing softness at her chest, An Xiu forcibly suppressed the fire in his heart and spoke.

What a joke. In his exhausted state, Jibril had just beaten him to his knees in battle. Was he supposed to go back and be beaten to his knees by Jibril in bed as well? That would be the ultimate humiliation.

He would endure for a few months first, or find a bright sunny day for an open-air battle. Then he would show Jibril what a master's dignity truly meant.

Chernobyl, ruins of the abandoned laboratory.

After more than a day of travel, Kal'tsit finally rushed here at top speed.

The cracked, moss-covered walls and dust-covered ground all looked so familiar, except for the Stone Coffin in the distance, which had been destroyed and completely scrapped.

Staring at the now-empty Stone Coffin, Kal'tsit's pupils trembled as an overwhelming chill swept from the top of her head through her entire body.

Where was Doctor?

Where was my huge Doctor?!!

Logically speaking, the Stone Coffin was a creation of the Pre-Civilization. Without knowing how to activate it, no one or civilization on Terra should have been able to open it, much less destroy it outright like this!

Unless... the person who had taken Doctor was also connected to the Pre-Civilization, or perhaps they were simply one of Doctor's contingencies.

After all, only another creation of the Pre-Civilization could destroy a creation of the Pre-Civilization.

At that moment, despite standing indoors, Kal'tsit felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.

Doctor was gone. Then the things that had happened in Ursus during this time, could they have been...

What? Talulah Actually Has Feminine Charm Now?

Ursus capital, Holy Steed Castle.

Bright sunlight shone from above, dispersing the chill across the land.

On this day, countless people from all across Terra, from every nation and faction, poured into the city. Among them were civilians, merchants, officials, and even Infected.

All kinds of people gathered in one city because they shared the same purpose: to attend the coronation ceremony held here by Talulah, who was about to become the Emperor of Ursus. To some extent, the event would determine Ursus's future.

As more and more people entered, this capital city, already Ursus's most important, grew even livelier. Its streets were packed with people, and crowding had already begun in places.

Countless reporters and members of various factions headed purposefully toward the open area before the palace where they could see the coronation platform, striving to secure the best positions.

The enthronement and coronation ceremony would take place at noon, when the sun reached its highest point. There were still roughly two hours until noon, but even so, those who had arrived early would rather stand here in the crowd and wait than leave. The Reunion members responsible for maintaining order were already run ragged.

Compared to the bustle at the front, the atmosphere behind the scenes was no less restless.

Inside a dressing room deep within the palace, countless maids hurried back and forth. Some carried clothing, while others held the scepter, cosmetics, ornaments, and other items, all striving to ensure Talulah would make her appearance in the most perfect state possible.

Beside them, An Xiu, dressed in formal attire, yawned boredly. Mobius, Jibril, Doctor, FrostNova, and the others stood nearby.

As Ursus's current key figures, An Xiu, Mobius, Doctor, FrostNova, and the others would also need to attend the coronation ceremony later. That was why they were here.

Logically speaking, this should not have been troublesome. Given the current state of Ursus, the coronation ceremony was purely a formality for Talulah. Even without a coronation, Talulah's authority in Ursus would still surpass that of the previous emperor.

After all, even at the peak of his authority, the former Emperor of Ursus, Fyodor, had never held all of the empire's major Group Armies in his hands as Talulah did now. In a true comparison, he had not even measured up to the uncrowned Talulah.

It could be said that this enthronement ceremony held greater symbolic significance than practical significance. Talulah merely needed to change into her Coronation Gown, put on the crown and take up the scepter, then walk onto the coronation platform and give a speech.

However, perhaps because Talulah had never worn such complicated and inconvenient attire before, the dressing process that should have taken only two hours had dragged on for nearly four.

Fortunately, An Xiu and the others had arrived midway through. If they had been present the whole time, it was hard to imagine how torturous the process would have been.

Finally, half an hour before the coronation ceremony officially began, the dressing room doors opened.

Talulah emerged in a solemn yet gorgeous Coronation Gown, holding a scepter. Between the two protruding dragon horns atop her white hair rested a crown symbolizing the emperor's status.

Beneath the gown, her slender, long, straight, powerful legs were smooth and fair. Her delicate jade feet were wrapped in a pair of black high heels with golden soles, with pale, silky insteps exposed above the low openings. As she stepped across the polished palace floor, her heels clicked sharply, and an aura of pride, authority, elegance, and nobility washed over everyone.

After the careful work of the palace's professional female makeup artists and maids, Talulah looked entirely different from usual. At a single glance, she gave off the feeling of an Empress. Professionals truly were professionals.

Not only An Xiu, but even FrostNova, who had followed Talulah before, had probably never seen her like this. The former Talulah had been a valiant female warrior, while the Talulah before them now possessed the temperament of someone who held power in her hands and could decide another person's life or death with a single word.

"Um, does the way I look now seem strange?"

After leaving the dressing room, Talulah came with An Xiu and the others to a quiet room and dismissed the surrounding maids.

Talulah had intended to familiarize herself once more with the speech she would give during the coronation ceremony, but she noticed An Xiu and FrostNova repeatedly looking at her. Already somewhat uncomfortable, she became even more self-conscious.

"There's nothing strange about it. It's just that you're very different from before, Talulah, so we looked a few more times."

"I simply think you look very good now. It feels refreshing."

FrostNova and An Xiu answered in turn.

"Has the change really been that big?"

Adjusting the crown atop her head and straightening it after it had tilted slightly, Talulah looked confused.

In her view, she had merely changed clothes, been forced to learn some royal etiquette, and had to pay constant attention to her posture. How had she become like an entirely different person in FrostNova and An Xiu's eyes?

Looking at the two of them, Talulah became a little curious about what image she had held in their minds before.

An Xiu had plenty to say about that. If the previous Talulah had possessed absolutely no feminine charm and made people see her only as a good brother, then the change in her clothes and temperament had transformed that impression from good brother into, "Brother, you smell so good."