Vill-V: The Visitor You're Fond Of? I Wonder Who It Could Be / Herrscher of Sentience: Right, Right-Pick It Just Like That

But this time, Flame Willow found herself in a bit of a dilemma.

She was still quite familiar with dealing with these minor enemy floors, but if she chose nodes like Unexpected Encounter, it meant she might run into emergency operations.

It was not that she could not defeat elite enemies. But if she encountered one she was not suited to handle and failed to finish it within five minutes, the trial would immediately fail due to the time limit.

After giving it some thought, Flame Willow decided to play it safe.

"Forget it, forget it. This is the final trial that decides whether I get to see Elysia. I should take it slow and fight more minor enemy floors."

Having made up her mind, Flame Willow headed straight for the portal representing a combat node.

"Vill-V, I'm coming in~"

In the Elysian Realm, Elysia stood outside the Spiral Workshop, knocking on the door as she called out.

Perhaps the door had recognized her voice. Just as Elysia raised her hand to knock again, the doors of the Spiral Workshop opened automatically.

Elysia had come to the Spiral Workshop plenty of times when she had nothing to do, so she easily found Vill-V deep inside the workshop.

"Elysia, you're here." Vill-V glanced up, then lowered her head again and fiddled with an operation screen in her hands.

"Hmm? So it's the Conductor~"

Elysia recognized at a glance which personality was currently in control of Vill-V, so she sat nearby and waited for the Conductor to finish her work.

After a while, Vill-V set the screen aside with a troubled expression and sighed.

"Yes, it's me. The Expert went back to rest after completing her task. The current situation is better suited for a versatile personality like mine to make decisions, so I came out."

"So what exactly is it? Something that needs all of you to work together?" Elysia asked curiously.

"It is still too early to draw conclusions, so let me keep it a secret until we have results. For now, let's settle what you asked me to do before. What did you come to the Expert for?"

"Hmm... the backdoor of the Second Divine Key?"

Vill-V pondered for a moment, then shook her head somewhat helplessly.

"I know what backdoors the Second Divine Key has, but for the specific design and method of operation, I will still need to ask the Expert later."

"After all, according to you, the Second Divine Key is currently in the hands of Su from the Current Civilization. He has probably already patched the more obvious backdoors. As for the more complicated ones, if you want to use them, the Expert will need to make some simple 'trigger devices.'"

"So, Elysia, have you made another visitor friend from the Current Civilization? You actually came specifically to ask me for these things."

"A visitor... I suppose so." Elysia said guiltily.

Perhaps because most of her attention was focused on watching the screen, Vill-V did not notice the unusual look on Elysia's face. She merely nodded. "I see. I've been shut away for so long that I didn't realize a new visitor had arrived in the Elysian Realm."

"I'll tell the Expert later. Once it's made, I'll give it to you."

"But..." Vill-V's gaze fell on the unfinished storybook by Elysia's hand.

"Is this gift for her too?"

"Yes, but there are still some parts that haven't been filled in. And I'll also need your help with some of the little components inside~"

"That's a small matter. I can make it for you right away." Vill-V waved a hand. "Still, this is rather rare. You actually chose a gift like this. For those previous visitors, you always gave them a crystal flower as a memento."

"So, do you really like this visitor?"

"Of course." Elysia nodded firmly. "Little Xia Ling is a very good child. I like her very much."

"This visitor is actually that important to you..." Having known Elysia for so long, Vill-V naturally understood the weight of those words.

"Then remember to introduce her to me when you get the chance. I'm rather curious what kind of person could earn such high praise from you."

Meanwhile, Flame Willow had fought her way to the seventh floor, where the cat's shop appeared for the first time.

However, for some reason, the cat's shop had not refreshed any artifacts this time. Instead, there was a pile of strange stones that seemed completely powerless, several crystal flowers, some miscellaneous everyday items, and even a door.

Flame Willow wore the expression of an old man staring at a phone on the subway.

"No, System, adding contract modifiers to the monsters was one thing, but why did you take away my shop too... How am I supposed to fight like this? I'm skipping it."

"Oh, right. The System can't hear me right now. Then I won't skip it yet."

"As for these things...?" Flame Willow picked up a crystal flower from the cat's stall, and wisps of flame began to burn in her hand.

"After burning it for this long, other than its color turning gold and looking a little like my flames, it hasn't changed at all... Could this be a crystal flower Elysia condensed herself...?"

"But if that's the case, then isn't this really the cat's shop?"

"I wonder whether the silver coins that dropped along the way are enough to buy this crystal flower... Forget it, I'll leave them all here for now. At worst, I can put it on credit and pay next time I see her."

After slipping the now-discolored crystal flower into her pocket, Flame Willow did not linger and entered the eighth floor directly.

"Ah, familiar Huodou, familiar flames."

The moment she entered the eighth floor, Flame Willow used support without hesitation. After the one-second summoning windup ended, Highmore, Xia Ling, and Huodou appeared on the battlefield almost simultaneously.

"Flame Willow, be careful. This Huodou might not be weak. The same goes for the next two bosses."

The instant she landed, Xia Ling hurriedly passed the information to Flame Willow.

At the same time, Highmore clenched her hand in empty air, and a scythe resembling a fusion of a tail fin and coral appeared in her grasp. She charged directly toward Huodou, apparently intending to buy time for the other two to exchange information.

"I took a look before teleporting. Huodou has at least a dozen modifiers on it."

"Pretty much every common Tier 3 modifier has been stacked onto it."

"Damn, is this still the Elysian Realm? Did this thing toss me into Challenge Contract instead?" Flame Willow said speechlessly.

"That's the situation. Considering at least three or four of those modifiers are related to recovery, Highmore and I suggest using support directly against all three bosses. Whoever gets countered should tank the damage, then we try to kill them quickly. Highmore and I both rely quite a bit on endurance. If the fight drags on, we'll most likely be stalled past five minutes."

"As for the final Herrscher Trial floor..."

"It's fine, I get it. Isn't it just enduring pressure for five minutes? I'm used to that." Flame Willow wore a confident expression.

"As long as an actual Herrscher does not show up, I can hold on for a while against something the System simulated from discarded data."

"Don't worry. We'll win."

"...As long as you're confident. But don't put too much pressure on yourself either. At worst, we revive. It's not like we can't afford it."

Xia Ling nodded, and her figure vanished into thin air.

Flames erupted around Flame Willow's body. The tiny flame at the tip of her tail had become a roaring fireball. She drew a deep breath and swept her gun-shaped staff, sending a scorching wave of fire that forced Huodou several steps away from Highmore.

At the same time, Xia Ling appeared above Huodou. Her crimson scythe blade, its edge extended by Honkai Energy, swept across Huodou's neck and carved out a massive gash.

Then Honkai Energy erupted from the wound. The Honkai Energy Crystals scattered by the blast exploded once more, widening Huodou's injuries.

As the explosions erupted, Xia Ling vanished into thin air. When she appeared again, a girl shrouded in gray-blue mist stood beside her.

Highmore landed lightly from the air. Several tentacles covered in chitinous shells extended from beneath her clothes and pierced Huodou's body, steadying her footing.

Then the scythe that looked inorganic, but was actually formed from Sea Creatures, was driven straight into Chiyou's wound.

By the time Xia Ling took the deployed Highmore away, Chiyou had begun to let out waves of miserable cries. As for the culprit... naturally, it was the Mark of the Sea spreading from its back with a crystalline blue glow.

"Nicely done! A few more rounds should be enough to empty its health bar!"

Flame Willow, who was struggling to block every wave of Chiyou's attacks, immediately felt much less pressure. She even had time to cheer them on.

"What's wrong, Vill-V? Did something go wrong with your experiment?"

Elysia, who had been chatting happily with Vill-V in the Spiral Workshop, finally could not help asking.

After all, Vill-V glanced at that screen every so often and occasionally sighed for no apparent reason. It reminded Elysia of those people from the Previous Civilization who traded stocks—especially the kind who had just seen their entire portfolio turn green.

Elysia had curiously leaned over to take a look as well, but the mass of technical terms and symbols made her head spin.

"No, it's nothing..." Vill-V sighed. "I was only lamenting that my experiment has not been progressing very smoothly."

"So how exactly has it not been going smoothly?" Elysia tilted her head.

"Hmm... let me use an easier analogy." Vill-V thought for a while. "You can think of it as me playing something like a stronghold capture game. So far, I've taken the most important node, but overall, I'm still behind the other side. The territory I can occupy seems to be only around one-third."

"One-third?" Elysia paused, then revealed a gentle smile. "It's okay. One-third is already amazing. You've reached this level in just a few months. If you give it some time, I'm sure you'll succeed."

"Yes, Elysia, you're as good at comforting people as ever." Vill-V smiled. "But I'm not that upset, really. I managed to seize the most important node, after all. In a moment, I'll let you watch a good show."

"Oh? So the show you mentioned is related to this too? Then what exactly are you researching?" Elysia hugged one of Vill-V's arms. "My dear Vill-V, tell me. Don't keep teasing my curiosity."

"Hehe, this began a few months ago..."

In just over two minutes, Huodou's body crashed heavily onto the ground of the Elysian Realm and gradually dissolved into points of light.

Though it had been strengthened by modifiers, Xia Ling and the others had not spent their weekly Elysian Realm trials for nothing. Put simply, the moment Huodou twitched its butt, Xia Ling knew what skill it was about to use.

"This enhanced Huodou was really a bit tough to fight. I've decided—I'm giving it a nickname. I'll call it Boundary Huodou!"

"Don't. You really shouldn't name it that. What if a Divine Huodou or Strategist Huodou pops up later?" Xia Ling hurriedly put an end to that blatant flag-raising idea.

"Uh, maybe you two should stop bickering and come look at this."

Highmore's voice suddenly rang out from the distance.

"What is it... Damn, what is this?"

Xia Ling and Flame Willow looked in the direction she was pointing, then both froze.

"Isn't there something wrong with this portal...?"

That was right. Only one portal had risen in the center of the trial grounds, and instead of the node symbols Xia Ling and the others were familiar with, it bore a signet.

A Floating Life signet.

"Something's wrong. This is very wrong." Xia Ling's expression instantly turned serious. "The System said the trial's node logic uses the same framework as a roguelike. A door with a Floating Life signet... should not be here."

"Flame Willow, I think it might be the System..."

Before she could finish, Xia Ling and Highmore's bodies began to break down into golden particles and rapidly dissipate.

"You could at least finish your sentence... Forget it, you don't need to. I'm you too. I know what you wanted to say."

Flame Willow spoke to herself as she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar signet door. "I already felt something was wrong at the cat's shop... System, can you please pull yourself together...?"

So what was our adorable System doing right now?

Sweating buckets.

No, this—this isn't right, is it? Why were the circuits I built discovered? I've been using them for a whole year!

The System's eyes had turned into spirals as she frantically adjusted the positions of every node, preventing control from being snatched away in a moment of carelessness.

This is bad, this is bad. If the host says I'm a cat guest System now, I won't be able to clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River. The host hasn't left the trial yet, so I can't just shut down the Elysian Realm roguelike to disinfect it. What the hell is this thing?!

No, no, I need to calm down. First priority: ensure the host can leave normally. Second priority: make sure the interface between the System and the Elysian Realm is not lost. Third priority: ensure important nodes are not breached...

The System forced herself to calm down and rapidly made adjustments based on the current situation.

Luckily, I was smarter and designed the seventeenth node as the clear objective. The other side must have mistaken the eighteenth node for the important one and seized it immediately when it was exposed...

Whew... The other nodes don't matter. I just need to make sure the three boss-floor nodes are fine...

Meanwhile, because Flame Willow had entered an event node, Xia Ling and Highmore had already returned to the preparation room. Once again, they saw familiar text on the light screen.

Unexpected Encounter

You seem to have arrived within the territory of a certain Herrscher. It is a plain-looking courtyard. Inside, you see a familiar Herrscher—Hua. Naturally, you cannot be unfamiliar with this old acquaintance, but clearly, she does not recognize you.

Hello, Hua. Are you practicing again? (You're right, but she has amnesia. Do it for Sirin—use telecom fraud on her.)

Hello, Hua. I came to spar. (Why would I bully an honest person? Let's fight her fair and square!)

Honey, why did you run off here? (Friendly reminder: Hua only has amnesia. She is not stupid.)

Although the content was ridiculous, the two of them immediately focused their attention on the stage name: Unexpected Encounter.

"Damn, now I can be sure. There is definitely something wrong with this System."