"That's enough for now, I'm going to make lunch. Boss Cipher, you can find a room to rest in first."
Claire stood up and walked out of the study after saying this.
However, Cipher had no intention of resting. After Claire left, she turned around and silently muttered "Gacha."
Then, the familiar mechanical voice appeared in Cipher's mind.
[You currently have 2560 stellar jade. Would you like to pull?]
"Pull! A ten-pull first!"
[1600 stellar jade has been consumed. Drawing...]
"Last time I didn't get a gold. I wonder if I can get one this time!"
Cipher stared at the text with anticipation.
But the purple glowing text once again shattered Cipher's illusion, letting her know that the pity system was a very difficult existence to shake.
[Congratulations, you have obtained: A box of packaged dried fish x1 (blue), a box of nougat crisp balls x3 (blue), a box of su le da x5 (blue), a wisp of aura x1 (purple).]
"Sigh, it's one thing not to get a gold, but I didn't expect there to be only one purple. Is it because my luck ran out after getting seven golds in a ten-pull and then transmigrating as Cipher?"
Sighing, Cipher muttered to herself with some disappointment.
Then she looked at the name of this unique purple item.
"a wisp of aura? Whose aura?"
Cipher looked at the glass bottle containing the purple gas and muttered to herself with some confusion.
Focusing her thoughts on the item, the item description quickly popped up.
[a wisp of aura (Purple)]
[This is a wisp of aura taken from a certain Reclusive Princess. After special treatment by a mysterious power, it has now been sealed inside this glass bottle. The user can control the aura within.]
[Effect: Allows a living being to return to the embrace of the River Styx. (No effect on the host)]
"Reclusive Princess? So this wisp of aura was taken from Castorice?"
"Does this effect mean... it can instantly kill someone?"
Cipher subconsciously raised the small bottle, looking at it from left to right under the light.
However, the purple gas in the bottle did not change at all.
"It says I won't be affected by the aura inside, and I can control it... So should I open it and see?"
Thinking of this, Cipher's curiosity could no longer be contained. She carefully opened the lid of the glass bottle.
And then—nothing happened. The wisp of aura still floated obediently in the bottle, just like a certain homebody Reclusive Princess.
Seeing this, Cipher felt a little disappointed. She had been hoping this item would bring her some other surprises.
"There's no feeling at all. Does this thing have no other use besides killing someone?"
"Bang!"
However, just as Cipher finished speaking, the study door was suddenly pushed open with great force, then slammed against the wall, making a loud sound.
Cipher was startled by the sudden loud noise, her fur bristling. She then sprang up, instantly flying onto the bookshelf.
"Meow! What are you doing! Not only do you make no sound when walking, but why do you open the door with such force!!!"
Looking at Claire, who had suddenly appeared at the doorway, Cipher shouted at her with some annoyance and embarrassment.
She was annoyed because Claire had startled her without a sound, and embarrassed because she had actually been startled. She was a demigod! She had just wiped out such a large group of people not long ago.
However, Claire ignored her and looked around with a solemn expression.
After observing the study, Claire finally looked in Cipher's direction.
"Sorry, it was my fault to suddenly scare you, but did you feel an extremely terrifying aura of death appear here?"
"An extremely terrifying aura of death...?"
Cipher shook her head blankly. What terrifying aura of death? She hadn't felt anything at all.
Seeing Cipher shake her head, Claire's expression became even more solemn, and she was still muttering to herself:
"Impossible... Such an obvious aura of death, why did it disappear as soon as I arrived? It couldn't have been an illusion..."
Wait, aura of death? Isn't Castorice a demigod of death? So was Claire talking about Castorice's aura just now?
Listening to Claire's mumbling below, Cipher, who was still sprawled on the bookshelf, her brain that had been somewhat blank from the fright, gradually began to return to normal.
Seeing Claire about to walk out of the room, Cipher quickly called out to her.
"Wait, I probably understand what that aura you mentioned is all about."
"What is it about?"
Claire instantly turned around and looked up at Cipher.
Cipher jumped down from the bookshelf, then once again took out the [a wisp of aura] that she had subconsciously put back into her system inventory because she was startled.
"This is..."
Looking at the glass bottle containing the purple unknown gas, Claire doubtfully pinched her chin.
"This might be that aura of death you mentioned."
Saying that, Cipher once again opened the lid of the glass bottle. (It automatically closed when put into the system inventory.)
"!"
The moment the lid was opened, Claire's eyes instantly widened, and then her face showed a look of terror.
The next moment, Cipher saw Claire teleport outside the study.
"Boss! Close it! Close it!!!"
Seeing Claire's extreme reaction, Cipher also quickly closed the bottle.
Only after the lid was closed did Claire let out a huge sigh of relief.
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, then leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
"Almost... I almost thought I was going to reunite with my master..."
Is it because it has no effect on the host that I didn't feel anything? But... is the power of this wisp of aura from the Reclusive Princess really that great?
Cipher looked at the bottle in her hand, then at Claire, who seemed to be scared to death, and thought speculatively.
"Um... are you alright?"
After hesitating for a moment, she put the bottle back into her system inventory and then walked forward to ask.
"I'm fine... But Boss, what exactly was in that bottle just now...?"
After she had mostly recovered, Claire asked Cipher with lingering fear.
"This..." Cipher hesitated, wondering whether to mention Castorice, but Castorice wasn't in this world.
However, she suddenly remembered that the system said she could pull characters. What would it be like if she pulled Castorice then?
"I can only remember that it's a wisp of aura from a friend of mine. As for where my friend is now, I can't recall."
"It's Boss Cipher's friend...?" Claire's eyes showed reverence. "Just a wisp of aura is so terrifying. I can't imagine how strong this boss's true power is..."