But very quickly, Bronya understood what the other party was referring to.
When she saw what she might look like just a few years into the future, she was indeed shocked.
Luo Mo began calling out the character models.
Even though seeing the girls from that other world appear here looked undeniably strange, with the system in place—and Otto's cross-world "Pearls of Unity" already laid down in advance—perhaps all of this wasn't so hard to understand after all?
"Kiana, Mei, Bronya… hurry over! There's an extremely important task here! Just as serious as the last time your headmistress turned into a Herrscher!"
Luo Mo called out with an urgent expression.
Over the phone, Kiana's voice rang out loud and carefree.
"Ahhh—this again? No worries! Even if the headmistress turns into that Herrscher-thing again, we'll still snap her out of it!"
She said it with full confidence and power.
After all—it's just a Herrscher. Who hasn't been one at some point?
"Kiana——!!!"
Theresa, who was squatting beside the phone, ground her teeth in frustration.
She was extremely displeased with Kiana badmouthing her like that.
"Waaahh, Boss! How come as soon as I stepped out the door, I saw a black hole? Is that… normal?"
Kiana's surprised voice continued from the phone, followed by a hand pulling her away before they could hear more.
Luo Mo's hand slipped—
Mainly because the Theresa beside him was getting a little worked up.
That said, with two amusingly identical Theresas in the same room, they were actually having a great time chatting.
Whether it was about how to eat bitter melon, light-hearted swearing about the people around them, or discussions on the latest issue of the Homu manga—they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Interestingly, one Theresa kept questioning the other, especially since her understanding of the current situation had changed so drastically.
Whether it was Luna, Kongming, Cecilia, Kallen…
And most importantly, the close relationship with Luo Mo—
All of it felt hazy and surreal to her.
Still…
"So he's the person I finally chose, huh? Hmm…"
Even as the newly appointed Overseer, she couldn't help but have thoughts like this.
Even though she and this person called Luo Mo argued constantly, their close familiarity was still apparent at a glance.
...
Now, even though she still had many doubts about Cecilia—and missed her deeply—the original Theresa chose to leave this precious time to OG Kiana.
She only returned briefly to inform the others about what was happening on this side.
Though many were skeptical at first, Theresa's actions served as a kind of confirmation, drawing in many curious onlookers to enter the anomaly.
Bronya, Seele, Susana, Durandal, Rita, Fu Hua and the others—
They had essentially gathered the full lineup.
Each one of them had different motivations, but all were willing to see the wonders of this strange new world.
Among them, Fu Hua came along due to a certain intuition in her heart.
Speaking of which, the Herrscher of Sentience had been gone for quite a long time now…
As for the rest, well—everything naturally fell on the shoulders of Einstein and her partner.
"Damn it! We want to go too! You guys… make sure to save us a copy of the last chapter when you get back!"
That was Tesla's angry protest—
Shouted while she was caught by Einstein just as she was trying to sneak away.
At least Einstein still maintained some rationality.
But when it came to Otto and this whole "created world" of his…
If it was that man, she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was some hidden scheme behind it all.
---
As for this side—
At least Kiana and the others received a warm welcome and enthusiastic hospitality.
Everyone had already heard of their heroic stories.
Simply put, it felt like they had stepped right out of a video game.
And in fact…
Kiana and the others were quite shocked by that point themselves.
"What… Auntie, are you saying that everything from our world is being completely mirrored in this game world?"
OG Kiana's expression was confused.
She had let go of Cecilia's hand, but her body still subconsciously leaned toward her.
Was this… the scent of a mother?
Warmth, comfort, and peace—
The kind that gently loosens the long-standing fatigue in one's heart and mind.
Kiana felt so relaxed that she suddenly had the urge to fall asleep...
If only she could rest in that person's arms, that would be perfect.
Faced with a string of shocking and extraordinary truths—
And with the scenes she had just experienced now replaying vividly on screen—
She had no choice but to accept that this surreal event… was real.
But still...
"I'm the protagonist of this story... am I?"
She murmured softly to herself.
Yet she didn't think this was a particularly "good" story at all.
That so-called happiness—
It had already vanished the moment Teacher Himeko died, and Mei walked away.
---
"Uh... I'm not your aunt. I mean—not really. How do I even explain this?
Yeah, this is just… weird," Theresa said while poking her own forehead, lost in thought.
"Oh? So obsessed with being the Overseer?
Then how about you come over to my world and try it for yourself?"
Original Theresa shot her counterpart a teasing glance, clearly unconvinced she'd enjoy it.
After all, no one understood her better than herself.
And what she missed most...
Was still being the headmaster of St. Freya.
If she had a wish to return to the past,
It would likely be because she just couldn't let go of those lovable idiots.
"No thanks!!"
Theresa frantically shook her head, instantly regretting what she'd just said.
No way was she giving up her position that easily.
On the screen—
It was a replay of the city of Nagazora.
"Her ideals could save the world, but they couldn't save herself."
"Kiana, you can definitely become a hero. The world is waiting for you to be one."
The pain and emotional struggle Mei went through—
That heart-wrenching moment Kiana had never seen with her own eyes—
Now played vividly before her.
It made her understand Mei's feelings back then…
And at the same time, it made her heart ache deeply.
"Spicy curry, sinner's elegy... Mei...
If it hadn't been for me, she wouldn't have joined World Serpent."
Kiana's mood dropped, but she quickly perked back up.
The light in her eyes never dimmed.
She made up her mind: she would no longer hesitate to move forward—
No matter what the reason was.
From beginning to end, she had always understood Mei's heart.
And she believed, truly believed, they would meet again in the not-so-distant future.
Right now, that shared belief gave her strength—
And made her look forward to their next meeting even more.
Of course...
That "next meeting" she had in mind definitely wasn't happening now—
BANG—!
The door swung open.
A group from this world walked in,
While Kiana, Mei, and Bronya all turned to face them.
"Wah—!"
Original Kiana yelped, clutching her chest in shock.
"Why is there another me here?! Wait—is this another one of Second Herrscher's tricks?"
Her face was full of confusion as she stared at… another version of herself.
But the stance, the outfit, the presence—
It was all different.
The power she radiated felt like it came from both the void and the fire core.
Kiana was momentarily dazed—
But also excited.
---
"So, Boss, did you summon another game character again?"
"You idiot! No—what do you mean by... huh?"
Original Bronya quickly caught on, frowning as she asked—
But what shocked her more was the person behind that new "Kiana."
A girl dressed in blue and white, with pure white wings...
And that familiar face...
She looked so familiar.
Maybe it was her brain's protective instinct kicking in—
Stopping her from thinking too much too fast.
But then someone spoke from behind her—snapping her out of it:
"Bronya, you've changed a lot...
Isn't that a bit too much? Is this even reasonable?"
If the Bronya from this world already looked somewhat expected,
Her changes weren't extreme—still sporting her usual casual style, maybe just some cat ears added on.
But that Bronya…
She was a whole new level of surprise!
Her powerful aura, the sudden growth in height,
The dramatic shift in temperament and poise—
Original Kiana could hardly believe what she was seeing.
What did she even eat to grow up like that?!
Could she eat that too?
Kiana was envious.
Deeply, terribly envious of this glow-up Bronya had.
"You guys... are you done?
Do you change outfits every single day or what?"
Luo Mo muttered dryly after a moment of silence.
Bronya had indeed matured a lot—
But not this much.
Because of the nature of this world, her growth had surpassed what they expected far earlier than it should have.
Back in their world, the "8-year promise" Bronya had only just taken her first steps toward fulfilling...
Yet here she already looked like she could pin Fu Hua to the ground and grind her into the dirt.
Little Senti checked her opponent's training routine every day—
But it did absolutely nothing.
Guess it's true:
People really can't be measured with the same yardstick.
---
"Haha— Boss, oh—cough, I meant to say...
If you could give Bronya a few more outfits,
She could probably change clothes twice a day!"
The tall, silver-haired game Director shot him a glare.
The pride in her eyes was obvious.
Her game career hadn't exactly been smooth sailing
More like she had just barely gotten started.
At the moment, she was still training under Luo Mo's company.
Luo Mo wasn't worried at all.
He'd seen the design draft of her game.
All he could say was—it was insanely difficult, with a tiny target audience.
"I'm curious..." original Fu Hua said calmly, "That person—also named 'Senti'?
And you... Mr. Luo Mo...
Can you explain this more clearly?"
Even though this whole scenario was unlike anything the Flame-Chaser Immortals had ever seen,
Fu Hua's years of cultivation and self-discipline allowed her to maintain a calm demeanor.
But the name "Senti"—
It reminded her far too easily of the Herrscher of Sentience.
She thought back to her past actions...
Even though she still believed she had no other choice back then—
Time waits for no one.
"That's 'Little Senti.' Or... well, she's probably your world's 'Little Senti' too.
Anyway, she said she got tricked by some old man from the start.
She'd only heard of scams targeting seniors over the phone, But this was her first time seeing a senior committing a phone scam."
Kiana tapped her face, lost in thought.
"..."
Original Fu Hua covered her face with her hand,
Surprisingly at a loss for words.
After a deep sigh, she said helplessly,
"Then I suppose... yes, it really is her."
"Hey, let's be clear—'Little Senti' is our treasured friend!
You're not allowed to just take her away!"
Kiana declared loudly.
She was speaking up for "Little Senti,"
Who had been her in-game best friend for over a year now!
Even if this Fu Hua was the class president—
She wasn't the class president who'd spent all that time with her.
So what was there to be afraid of?
"...Really?
You all got that close to her?"
Original Fu Hua's eyes looked a little conflicted.
She hadn't planned on taking the girl away—
She just didn't want her to cause more complications here.
Was I wrong about this...?
"Come to think of it, the way you all interact with Little Senti is kind of wholesome. Why don't you come listen in on one of our academy's lectures sometime?
They're really fun—and super practical, too...
Well, okay, maybe not that useful anymore since you've all kind of missed the optimal time."
Kiana had started off confident—
But her voice trailed off near the end.
Because they were too late.
Their world…
Had long since passed the point where any of this could be considered a "beginning."
"Lectures?"
Original Kiana chuckled softly, a complicated look in her eyes as she glanced at her "other self."
When she saw how much like her past self this Kiana still was—
Her first reaction was jealousy.
Because that kind of unchanged state… meant something.
It meant:
No one had left her yet.
What a precious wish that was.
For time to remain frozen at the most beautiful moment.
"So, is the one giving the lectures... Himeko-sensei?"
"Yes, and no," Luo Mo answered with a smile.
"The teaching materials were actually written by Elysia, by her own hand."
"Eh—!?"
Fu Hua let out a confused sound.
Had she heard that right?
"Yes.
That legendary romantic from the Previous Era—Elysia—compiled the curriculum.
She's right next door, actually," Luo Mo said casually.
Just one step away from the Five Blessings hall.