Each summon required a waiting period, but Elysia remained unhurried. She went about her usual routine, brushing her teeth, washing her face, styling her hair into an adorable updo, and changing into a casual outfit brimming with youthful energy before heading to work at the White Tower.
Though she spent most of her time there slacking off, her mere presence in the Territory was enough to maintain its stability. As long as others could see her, everything remained remarkably steady.
In reality, despite Baldy Burke's constant busyness managing two Territories, the combined workload of Elysia's and Scholar's Territories was still less than that of the single Territory after the Martyr's death.
And so, Elysia leaned back on a sofa in the White Tower's ground-floor lobby, playing on her phone in plain view. Though her eyes were fixed on the screen, her attention was entirely focused on the Chat Group.
Shu Cat: "Family, this is huge!"
Red Cape Hero: "What happened? Did you find your instant noodles didn't have the seasoning packet?"
Shu Cat: "That's terrifying too, but that's not the point! The Chat Group can be upgraded!"
Red Cape Hero: "?"
Invincible Bro: "?"
Peace Dove: "?"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "?"
Shu Cat: "Stop with the question marks! I'm trying to upgrade it now. Maybe we'll get a new Group Member soon."
Peace Dove: "Wait, your Chat Group can really be upgraded?"
Invincible Bro: "Wait, your Super Ability can really be upgraded?"
Red Cape Hero: "Huh? I almost forgot this group was Shu Cat's Super Ability."
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "A new Group Member?! I can't wait! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Shu Cat: "It's generating, it's generating! Calm down, the progress bar is at eighty percent."
About three or four minutes later, a notification suddenly appeared in the Chat Group: 'Unnamed' has joined the chat. At the same moment, Elysia distinctly felt a brand-new perspective emerge. In other words, her new Identity had been successfully generated.
The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a charred, withered, crooked tree. It wasn't just one; as she looked around, she saw countless similar blackened giants, as if the entire area had been ravaged by fire.
Where am I? she wondered. Is this still the Dragon Nation?
And could that new group member be...?
Just as she had that thought, the group member named "Unnamed" suddenly changed their name to "Daoist Wuwei" and sent a message:
Daoist Wuwei: "What is this place?"
Well, looks like it's not just me.
With that settled, Mu Heng finally focused on herself. Looking down at her hands, she saw small, crimson-red hands. In that instant, she recognized her current identity: Lingsha, a playable character from the game Honkai Star Rail, specifically an Abundance-type healer.
Her system interface now displayed:
Beautiful Girl Masquerade System at your service
Host: Mu Heng
Current Identities: Robin, Firefly, Sparkle, Elysia, Lingsha
Current Objectives: Songstress (Completed), Iron Cavalry (Completed), Elation (Completed), True Self (Completed), Healer (0%)
"So, I kept saying I didn't have a healing character, no healer, and then the very next pull... I actually got one?" As she pondered this, another thought struck her.
Robin was a Halovian, Firefly was an android, Sparkle's exact race was unclear but she was the closest to human, Elysia was a Herrscher, and now there was Lingsha, a Vidyadhara Clan member—essentially a Dragonborn or Dragon Lady.
Good grief, is this some kind of species compendium? Not a single race repeats, huh?
While she was lost in thought, an utterly astonished voice suddenly came from beside her: "Lingsha?!"
She turned to see another person standing there: an unremarkable young man with messy, oily short hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in days.
However, that wasn't the main point. What truly mattered was the utterly bewildered expression on the man's face and the words he had just spoken. How did he know her name, "Lingsha"?
If he recognized her, it was highly likely he was familiar with the game Honkai: Star Rail and the character Lingsha. Seeing the "real person" in front of him must have been quite a shock.
Could this guy be a fellow transmigrator?
The thought flashed through her mind. Revealing her true identity was out of the question. Lingsha swiftly immersed herself in her current persona, crossing her arms with one hand and resting her chin on the other, feigning confusion. "How do you know my name? Have we met before?"
Having gone through this process four times already—as Robin, Firefly, Sparkle, and Elysia—she had become remarkably adept at adapting to new bodies and identities.
Faced with Lingsha's question, the transmigrator grew flustered. He stammered, "Uh... well, you're the esteemed Cauldron Master of the Alchemy Commission. Everyone on Luofu knows you!"
The explanation seemed flawless, but after a moment of contemplation, Lingsha's expression turned suspicious. "What are you talking about? I'm no Cauldron Master of Luofu, just an ordinary physician traveling with my master."
The Transmigrator froze. "Huh?"
Though startled, he didn't doubt Lingsha's words. Instead, his heart sank as the realization struck him: Oh no, this is Lingsha before the plot even starts!
"Uh... well... that's..." The Transmigrator panicked, sweating profusely. Unable to meet Lingsha's gaze, he glanced around nervously before blurting out a clumsy diversion. "So, Miss Lingsha, do you... happen to know where we are?"
Seeing his distress, Lingsha didn't press further and simply shook her head.
She genuinely had no idea where they were, or even if they were still in the main world.
Good news: she was finally no longer an outsider!
Bad news: because this damn place wasn't even Earth.
Just then, footsteps approached. A group of figures materialized around them—humanoid beings with pointed cat ears, armed with bows and spears.