"Shh!"
Ryuga quickly covered Herta's mouth, pressing his index finger to his lips in a hushing gesture.
"Huh? What scheme are you cooking up now?"
Herta narrowed her eyes, a hint of amusement playing across her delicate face.
"Ahem~ It's mainly caution. I'm guarding against 'Irontomb' right now."
Ryuga coughed lightly and scratched the back of his head.
Irontomb was second only to Phantaliya among the Lord Ravagers.
Ryuga's external appearance had already been altered using the "Shifter Gash."
A freshly obtained artifact that could truly be called a 'conceptual divine tool.'
『Shifter』: Can easily mislead surveillance. For instance, the appearance captured differs completely from what Herta sees right now.
His current "human" form isn't the Zilean image—he's simply implanted false logic into surveillance systems.
"Hah? How did you manage to provoke that thing? If it comes, the entire space station will be paralyzed by its power."
"What exactly did you do after you disappeared?"
Herta arched an eyebrow, her gaze sharp as she stared at Ryuga.
This little thief's courage is truly outrageous, isn't it?
Fresh out of the gate and already daring enough to tweak Irontomb's whiskers?
"It's mainly to conceal my original appearance... Ahem, it's complicated to explain in a sentence or two. It probably won't scan the entire universe searching for my information, but you know, just to be safe."
Ryuga smiled.
The Great Inventor appeared on Amphoreus, but Zilean did not.
"Wait, your power?"
Herta narrowed her eyes and gave him a once-over.
"As expected of the world-renowned beauty, naturally gifted, graceful Lady Herta—you spotted it immediately?"
Ryuga grinned and gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, alright, stop copying the 'Praise Puppet.' You're terrible at it."
Herta waved dismissively, turning her face aside.
Though her words were disdainful, her tone couldn't hide her satisfaction.
"Well then, it's about time I gave you a good beating."
Herta suddenly smirked coldly, a glint of menace flashing in her eyes as her small hand gripped a massive hammer nearly as tall as herself.
"Oh, NO!"
Ryuga's expression changed and he turned to run.
"You dare run?"
Herta let out a wicked laugh. With a flick of her wrist, she swung the frost-covered giant hammer, leaping up as the hammer's shadow crashed down like a mountain collapsing.
BOOM!
Ice crystals shattered, cold energy spread everywhere, and the entire bedroom instantly transformed into a polar ice cave.
Thick frost layers formed on the walls.
The floor cracked, cold mist churned.
Ryuga's feet slid, constantly dodging left and right, weaving through the dense hammer strikes, but ultimately he was half a beat too 'slow.'
BANG!
One hammer grazed his shoulder, instantly freezing the corner of his clothes which shattered into ice fragments that scattered.
"Herta! Keep going, and I'll start fighting back!"
"Heh, little thief, you dare fight back?"
Hammer strikes poured down like an ice storm. Ryuga dodged, rolled, and moved flexibly.
Unfortunately, he was still forced into a corner.
Moments later, Ryuga's clothes were tattered and torn.
Meanwhile, Herta was pinned in his arms, subjected to the Ansai Waist-Drum technique—that'll teach you to be so cocky.
It's worth mentioning that when Herta logs in, the puppet's sensory feedback synchronizes.
After a good while, their playful scuffle stopped.
Herta huffed, her eyes softening somewhat.
"Well, speak up. What did you come to find me for this time?"
"Are you going to deal with Irontomb?"
"Wait while I prepare."
Without waiting for Ryuga's explanation, she summoned virtual screens and quickly operated them, calling for Screwllum and Ruan Mei.
"By the way, what name are you using now?"
Herta turned her head to ask.
"Uh, change the underlying code to 'Zilean.'"
Ryuga was somewhat touched.
The two of them gradually developed more of a 'quarrelsome lovers' dynamic.
A state of friendship crossed, romance not yet fully developed.
Dealing with a Lord Ravager? Herta immediately called for backup without a second thought.
Ryuga didn't stop her—he was planning to contact those two anyway.
He saw that the virtual screen added 'Herta-level permissions,' and simultaneously changed the underlying code, replacing 'Ryuga' with 'Zilean.'
Soon, the virtual screen lit up.
Ruan Mei sipping tea and Screwllum reading a book appeared on screen.
"Search: Underlying logic has been altered."
"Query: Herta, why is this?"
Truly an old programmer—Screwllum, who handles the underlying logic programming in the Simulated Universe, detected it the moment he connected.
"You should let Ryuga answer that."
Herta stepped aside.
Because the 'underlying logic' was changed, transmissions automatically corrected to 'Zilean.'
"Hey, Ruan Mei."
Ryuga waved. Hmm, after some time away, he still found her a bit airheaded.
Then he briefly explained, and Screwllum and Ruan Mei finally understood.
Ruan Mei pondered: "Irontomb, you say?"
Dealing with Irontomb—Screwllum was professionally suited for this.
She, well, wasn't incapable of fighting.
"Ahem~"
"Herta misunderstood my meaning. Irontomb must be dealt with, but that's for the future. Today, I'm mainly here to introduce you three to several genius students."
With that, Ryuga pulled a sticker from his pocket.
The 'Anywhere Door' sticker was casually placed on the wall.
Ryuga raised his hand, his knuckles gently knocking three times on the door.
Click.
A soft sound came, and the Anywhere Door's entrance slowly opened.
Under Herta, Ruan Mei, and Screwllum's somewhat surprised gazes, young women filed out in a queue.
Mei, Mobius, Sakura, Cyan, Cinnabar, Klein, along with Blanca holding Griseo, and Rin—the young women stood in a row.
The atmosphere became somewhat delicate.
Screwllum: "..."
Ruan Mei: "..."
Herta: "(☆ω☆)"
(It's a Curio.)
However, she quickly reacted. Students?
Herta gave an arrogant eye-roll: "You really know how to make work for me, don't you?"
Looking at Ryuga, three parts helpless, seven parts exasperated.
Mei: What is this gibberish they're saying?
Can't understand at all.
(Haven't gotten the injection yet.)
The young woman bit her lower lip, took a deep breath to muster courage, holding her unpublished quantum mechanics thesis in both hands, respectfully presenting it forward.
"Instructor, please provide guidance."
"Oh?"
Herta took it and scanned through once. Her originally calm pupils slightly contracted.
Her fingertips paused on a certain page's formula derivation.
After a moment, Herta looked up.
"How old are you?"
"???"
Ryuga: "Age."
"17."
Herta was silent for several seconds, then smiled: "You should know that for the great Lady Herta, 'genius' is merely the starting point. This entrance gift is acceptable. You can stay at the space station for now."
Ryuga explained.
Mei suddenly understood and quickly bowed in salute.
Ruan Mei and Screwllum were quite surprised.
Someone Herta would accept must have real capability.
Their gazes shifted, showing some interest in the other young women as well.
To be continued…
You guys really need to donate me your power stones so the fic will get some attention and fame yk.