As Herta's words fell, Kiana-chan, who had been intently studying how soon Cecilia could wake up, immediately grew restless.
They say trouble knocks when you least expect it. Lynelle had just been "nuked" by Otto, and now it was her turn to get "exposed"?
But Kiana-chan didn't try to stop Herta from continuing her explanation.
After all, the other party might not have uncovered that much—and if she jumped in to interfere now, wouldn't that be like admitting guilt without being accused?
What the customer service rep didn't realize, though, was that even without Herta's introduction, Lynelle had already begun to suspect her identity.
In fact, she'd even verified it. Now, Lynelle was secretly looking forward to the comedy of watching her and Cecilia eventually meet.
"Ahem, as for the specifics… well, as you've told me before, a Herrscher's authority mostly comes from that so-called Cocoon—or you could say, it's like a shadow of the Finality, right?"
"So, by that logic, your Herrscher core—especially one personally modified by that God of Honkai—must have some kind of connection to the Cocoon, correct?"
"Wait, are you saying…?"
Lynelle suddenly understood what Herta was getting at.
"Exactly. Never mind how far you are from the world in your dreams, or whether the wildly different flow of time between dimensions might cause your Herrscher core's signal to break up…"
Herta spread her hands. "I found no such connection in your core at all. To be more precise, this core isn't linked to the Cocoon like you described—instead, it's deeply tied to your system."
"If we compare the bond between a Herrscher core and the Cocoon to a thread, then the thread in your case is most likely connected to your system."
"Ooh~ I see now…"
Lynelle let out a meaningful murmur, silently eyeing the flustered customer service rep on her system interface.
"So, Herta, did you find anything else?"
"Theoretically, yes. But I don't know what it is."
Herta shook her head. "You have to understand, any research involving an Emanator's power must be approached with extreme caution. The research cycle alone often spans Amber Eras—let alone the kind of power inside you, which clearly already has an owner."
"So, my investigation into your system ends right here. If I put more effort into digging deeper, whether the one who gave you that system would be displeased is one thing… but long before I could produce any results, you'd probably grow strong enough to uncover the truth yourself."
"Simply put—it's not worth the effort."
Though Herta's words didn't move Lynelle much, to Kiana-chan, they sounded like a heavenly melody.
These local factions were just so polite—they actually knew when to stop!
"But, returning to your core itself… honestly, it's pretty busted too."
"Really, that busted?"
Lynelle turned her attention back to the matter at hand. "I remember there are plenty of similar abilities out there in the cosmos, right? Like the Paths of Remembrance and Harmony—they can pull off a lot of comparable feats…"
"No, no, no. Not the same at all."
Herta waved her hands dismissively. "Similar manifestations don't mean identical essences. Or, to put it less precisely—even with comparable effects, your ability's priority level is far higher than others of its type."
"For example, didn't you say the Herrscher of Corruption is, in a way, also a mental perception type?"
"Mhm."
Lynelle nodded. "Pretty much anything a mental perception type can do, Corruption can do too. They're in the same category."
"Then let's use the Harmony Path—a similar type—as an example."
Herta pointed to her own head. "In terms of breadth of ability, after absorbing Order, the Harmony Path's mental-domain applications definitely outnumber the Corruption authority's, right?"
"But when it comes to the Emanator level, I can guarantee that no Emanator of Harmony could ever control or alter my perception without me noticing."
"Your Corruption authority is different, though. Based on my test results so far, a Herrscher's output scales entirely with its user's upper limit. If your power reaches Emanator level, your Corruption authority will also possess Emanator-level authority. And dealing with that kind of power… could actually be even trickier."
"Because it's harder to detect?"
"No, what I mean is… you might as well rename yourself Rupert III."
"Uh, well…"
"Ahem, just kidding. I know you're not about to start another Second Mechanical Emperor's War. But the fact remains—the ceiling of your ability is terrifying."
Herta shrugged. "And that's not just me talking. Earlier, I sampled your power, turned it into a virus, and disguised it as an email to Screwllum… Oh, you know him, right?"
"Yes, yes, I know him. He's a good guy."
Lynelle said, "So, how did Screwllum react?"
"His security protocols were triggered by your corruption virus. It didn't harm him at all, but it gave him quite a scare."
A mischievous, triumphant grin spread across Herta's face.
"He just emailed me back saying he's very interested in you. If he weren't tied up with urgent business right now, he'd probably already be on a starship heading to the station to see you."
"Also, he said you should protect yourself, and if you run into any trouble, you can contact him anytime."
Here, Herta's tone suddenly shifted. "But my personal suggestion is still…"
"I understand."
Lynelle immediately put on an obedient face. "I'll come seek help from the ever-capable Madam Herta first! Loyalty!"
"Smooth-talker."
Herta gently poked Lynelle's cheek. "That's all I have to say. Most of the research details would go over your head anyway. Do you have any other questions?"
"Hmm… nothing comes to mind right now, I guess."
Having absorbed so much information today, Lynelle felt her head spinning a little.
"We'll talk later, then. If you need anything, just grab any little Herta you see around."
Herta waved a hand. "Alright, go enjoy yourself. I've got some business to take care of—I'll be back in about a day. When I return, I'll introduce you to a few people. The organizations they belong to roam all over the universe—seems like a good fit for your abilities. See if you like them. If they seem alright, I'd suggest you consider joining."
"Okay~"
From Herta's description, Lynelle had a rough idea which faction she meant. Still, she couldn't help asking curiously, "So, what are you going off to do now, Herta?"
"Heading back to The Blue to repair my ship!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.