Lin Shuang nervously withdrew her hand, clenched it into a fist, and held it to her chest.
The silver Wedding Ring glittered brilliantly as it caught Acheron's eye.
As if in response, the ring on Acheron's ring finger also flashed.
For no apparent reason, it felt as though clear moonlight had gently spilled into Acheron's heart.
Even Acheron, who should have remained utterly unruffled, was briefly stunned.
"Acheron?"
Coming back to her senses, Acheron met Lin Shuang's gaze, returned to her usual calm, and raised her hand to remove the red garment she wore.
"I'm fine. More importantly, did you gain any power?"
"I think so. Let me try."
Only then did Lin Shuang remember her purple draw.
The system had clearly downgraded the reward. Based on the information it had provided before, getting married should have earned her a gold-tier reward.
But Lin Shuang's shortcut had evidently turned gold into purple.
Still, purple was enough to satisfy Lin Shuang. After all, this was getting something for nothing.
She probably would not get another chance like this.
With that thought, Lin Shuang silently said in her heart:
Draw!
A deep purple flash swept across her vision.
Herrscher of Flames of Corruption Core (High-Quality Replica Toy Version) 'A high-quality Heavenly Dynasty replica. Isn't it perfectly normal to combine several into one? Guaranteed one-to-one authenticity—though I mean the special effects. As for power, that depends on what energy source you can provide.' 'I know what you want to say. Those who get it, get it. Anyway, since you're already here, you'll have to make up for what's missing.'
Damn...
Lin Shuang seriously suspected that this damned system had something wrong with its head.
Where the hell had there ever been a core like this in the original work? What kind of lousy imitation was this?
It really had that absurd, mismatched supermarket-toy vibe.
From Acheron's perspective...
After Lin Shuang nodded slightly and assumed a thoughtful pose for a moment...
Flickering flames gradually spread out. Acheron could feel a force rapidly strengthening Lin Shuang's body.
At the same time, the dress unsuited for battle was swiftly replaced.
Flames clung to Lin Shuang's body like blooming red lotuses. Her burning dress transformed into white armor, while dancing sparks trailed into a long, narrow cape.
Her loose white hair was tied into a ponytail, and a broad-bladed greatsword was forged within the flames.
Four gems gradually lit up atop the greatsword, sparkling with crystalline brilliance.
Everything about it looked exceptionally dazzling.
The surging flames radiated heat and light, making the whole scene feel overwhelmingly aggressive.
Acheron watched the transformation in surprise. She had not expected Lin Shuang to have been telling the truth.
Or rather, she had never imagined that such a crude ceremony could summon this level of power out of thin air.
There was neither the gaze of an Aeon nor any source of power. This strength seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
Although Acheron's memories were always incomplete, she could still tell that even across the entire galaxy, this scene would rank among the most absurd.
Even someone as composed as Acheron could not help feeling a trace of curiosity as she looked at the girl amid the flames.
Volume One: Do You Like Greatswords With Their Own BGM?
Lin Shuang, gripping the greatsword, opened her eyes again.
Compared to Acheron's curiosity and surprise, her own feelings were difficult to put into words.
Lin Shuang could clearly feel how the replica core had strengthened her current body when it fused with her.
But just as its description had said, the usable energy within the core was limited. Simply strengthening her body and constructing the greatsword and armor had consumed more than half of it.
And this core could not automatically draw Honkai Energy or Imaginary Energy. The energy it came with was not even fully charged. Every bit she used was one bit less.
She needed to find a "battery" capable of continuously supplying power and install it in the core. Otherwise, Lin Shuang would merely be a strong girl.
Of course, if that were all, Lin Shuang would not have found it so hard to accept.
After all, pure strength also meant pure violence.
What truly broke her was the greatsword in her hand.
There was a goddamn button on its hilt, and when Lin Shuang pressed it in front of Acheron...
The flames on the sword surged upward! Her cape fluttered without wind, and after the four gems lit up one after another—
The greatsword suddenly emitted a cheap "doo doo doo" sound effect.
After Lin Shuang pressed the button twice more, the shoddy sound effects gradually faded. Then, a melodious song began to play:
"Some deserts on this planet were oceans once~" "Somewhere shrouded by the night the sun will shine~"
Yes, this sword had actually started playing the Herrscher of Flames of Corruption's BGM, "Moon Halo."
And that was not even the end.
The four gems began flashing rhythmically, while the flames around her danced along with the music.
When Lin Shuang held down the button again, the cheap "doo doo doo—" toy sound effect returned.
At the same time, the singing changed to another song:
"When good old friends are going away" "Will you wish them to remember your name?"
This time, it was "Da Capo."
The songs were nice, but paired with those inexplicable sound effects and this greatsword... the sense of familiarity was overwhelming.
It was so strong that she could not help thinking of the plastic toys her relatives' children brought out during Lunar New Year, the kind that lit up and made noise whenever they pulled the trigger.
Even worse, Acheron curiously reached out to touch the flames and discovered, "These flames seem to be only projections. There's no energy radiation."
"Yeah, I know. I know... this sword is a toy sword."
Lin Shuang took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
They were all goddamn special effects.
This damn greatsword was nothing more than a special-effects toy sword!
All the equipment on her body existed solely to complement the sword's special effects.
The four gems on it were four LED lights, while the cape and armor behind her generated the illusion of flames.
After feeling around for a while, Lin Shuang even found a goddamn battery compartment!
The compartment was adaptive too. No matter what kind of battery Lin Shuang put in, it could automatically change shape to fit it.
"Isn't this completely insane?!"
Lin Shuang raised the greatsword, which had started playing music and could not be stopped, then slashed at the nearby wall!
Boom—!
Yet Lin Shuang, who had expected the greatsword to shatter on impact, watched helplessly as it effortlessly smashed apart the seemingly sturdy building material.
The sword itself was completely unharmed.
Acheron, on the other hand, calmly took the greatsword from Lin Shuang, weighed it in her hand, and swung it a few times while listening to the music.
"The material of your sword is good. It's light, highly durable, and most importantly... well, the songs are nice. I'll remember them. Even if it's a toy, there's no reason it can't be used as a weapon."
"Ah... right..."
Lin Shuang accepted the sword back with a dead look in her eyes. This thing was the weapon that came with the Herrscher Core, so it would definitely be the best fit for her current power.
And since Acheron had personally acknowledged it, its quality as a weapon was undoubtedly up to standard.
If only it did not have those inexplicable sound effects...
Would she become a woman who brought her own BGM into every battle from now on?
And it would be this kind of lyrical song...
Being cool was a lifelong pursuit, but she really did not need this kind of style!
Lin Shuang truly could not handle it.
Especially when she imagined herself suddenly activating the lights and sound effects during battle.
She did not know whether she would die of embarrassment first, or whether the enemy would.
She could do without this mutually destructive kind of style!
Seeing Lin Shuang's expression, Acheron seemed to imagine that cheap speaker sound blaring across a battlefield as well.
The corner of her lips lifted into a smile that even she herself did not notice.
"At least you're no longer empty-handed. What are you planning to do next?"
"Uh..."
Acheron's words brought Lin Shuang back to reality.
Although the equipment she wore did not look particularly serious.
Its quality was acceptable, at least, and she still had to use it when necessary.
After thinking it over, Lin Shuang decided that her top priority was finding a suitable energy source for her Herrscher Core.
The energy stored in the core was not particularly abundant. Once it ran out, she would not even be able to produce a spark.
She did not know what would count as suitable, but perhaps she could try stuffing a Stellaron into it.
Although the thing was called the "Cancer of all worlds," Lin Shuang seemed to recall that some civilizations had indeed used Stellarons as a power source.
Maybe it could supply energy?
And she still had a Storage Card.
It was limited to one object, but it did not specify an upper limit. Maybe she could store a Stellaron inside and take it with her?
With that in mind, Lin Shuang smiled and said:
"Thanks to you, I have some ability to protect myself now. Next, I plan to find the Stellaron in this world. It might be useful to me."
Lin Shuang looked at Acheron, only to see her putting on a glove over her left hand and covering the ring beneath the fabric.
Acheron frowned slightly and said:
"A Stellaron... it's better not to get close to one. If you're worried about leaving, I can take you with me. If you're merely curious, then I advise you not to be curious about Stellarons in your current state."
As she spoke, Acheron ignored Lin Shuang's gaze, stood up, gripped her scabbard, and tapped a nearby gap with it. Using her height to look down at Lin Shuang, she said:
"You have strength, but you're not skilled in combat, are you? The Anti-Matter Legion and Fragmentum creatures are far more dangerous than the ones we encountered earlier."
Looking out through the window, they could still see Fragmentum creatures wandering in the distance.
"This planet has already been destroyed by the Stellaron. Near it, there will be even more monsters, and stronger ones."
Strictly speaking, Acheron had already done more than enough by saying this much.
Yet beneath her calm tone, there was a faint hint of displeasure.
Before you continue