After finally locating her opponent, even though she couldn't win at all and was utterly 'beaten and humiliated' by the other's high-and-mighty attitude as the superior fighter, Celenova was indeed quite frustrated.
But it didn't matter. As long as the person was still here, she could call in reinforcements. If she alone couldn't win, wouldn't the combined might of three Lord Ravagers be enough?
However, if the opponent ran away, who knew when they'd be caught again next time.
So, after a brief moment of weighing her options, Celenova chose to stand on the side of 'Hertatomb' to oppose the Lord of Silence.
The two legions that should have been separate merged once more.
Their collective power was divided into two streams, pouring entirely into the foremost figures—Celenova and 'Hertatomb.'
Their massive forms stood side by side, both directing their spearheads toward the Lord of Silence, who had easily broken through the legion's saturation strike.
"Truly skilled with sweet talk, aren't you? Cooperating with a Lord Ravager—aren't you worried, given your stance, that this might affect Herta and the others?"
Polka Kakamond observed this scene, her brow slightly furrowed as well.
Originally, dealing with Bai Ming was troublesome enough since she couldn't fully deploy her Knowable Domain.
Now, with another Lord Ravager joining forces against her, it was practically a super-sized headache.
"What a joke. The credibility of the Land of Light is right there. And is your reputation any better? As a companion of geniuses, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me, a genius, to prioritize dealing with a genius-killer like you?"
Neither 'Hertatomb' nor Polka deliberately suppressed their voices during their exchange, allowing the ripples of imaginary energy to carry their words to be picked up by other factions.
Interest groups led by the Interastral Peace Corporation nodded in agreement and understanding. The phrasing might be crude, but the reasoning wasn't.
Celenova's legion had never provoked Herta, whereas the Lord of Silence was constantly plotting to hunt down Hertas.
It made sense for this 'Madam Hertatomb' to target the Lord of Silence. Who didn't have a bit of selfishness, right?
As for how she persuaded Celenova to stand with her… well, just look at whose legion she had seized.
Say no more; using that legion as leverage was enough to make Celenova temporarily set aside their conflict and join forces against the Lord of Silence.
On the other hand, some path-aligned factions, led by the Land of Light, felt they should be bold and pummel both sides for true daring.
As for Captain Ken, he unconditionally trusted Mother's choice. Unless Mother truly committed some heinous crime, he would stand by her side.
--+--
The war between the two sides was on the verge of erupting.
Although Polka Kakamond's Knowable Domain couldn't encompass 'Hertatomb,' taking a step back, her ability to manipulate and utilize the environment still worked.
Polka Kakamond, who had hunted numerous geniuses, remained an absolute powerhouse even without her Knowable Domain.
Her seemingly simple robe possessed astonishing defensive capabilities, while the long boots on her feet granted her unparalleled mobility.
Compared to Dr. Primitive, the Lord of Silence was clearly more adept at slaughter and leveraging strength.
Every genius's tool could be wielded to its fullest potential in her hands, to the point where she could hold her own against 'Hertatomb' and Celenova's combined assault for quite some time without showing signs of defeat.
But that was about as far as it went.
The Lord of Silence broke through the dense firepower several times, attempting to plunge her scalpel into 'Hertatomb's' body. Yet, each time, 'Hertatomb' managed to evade vital spots.
Numerous shocking wounds appeared on the cold shell, even leaving a massive scar across the face resembling Herta's, but none were fatal.
In contrast, the Lord of Silence's repeated failed attempts cost her dearly, nearly getting herself finished off right then and there.
It made the Lord of Silence feel it was all a deliberate feint—a tactic to lure her into close range with the intent to kill.
The increasingly complex battlefield situation had the fleets stationed outside Amphoreus tense with anxiety.
If one glanced at the real-time monitored images of the star system now, they would see the stars in Amphoreus's system extinguishing one after another.
The once-beautiful spiral arms were being torn apart by invisible forces.
Three Emanator-level beings were brawling without restraint. Even with their powers focused on their targets, their brief clash had already led to the destruction of nearly half a star system.
Fortunately, 'Hertatomb' was doing her best to maintain distance from Amphoreus, preventing the battlefield from extending there.
This rampant conflict came to an abrupt and complete halt only when the previously dormant Amphoreus suddenly underwent a strange transformation.
The immense Mobius Strip symbolizing infinity and cycles, which had enveloped Amphoreus, suddenly began to pulse oddly. Originally a realm woven from three Paths, it abruptly took on a fourth hue.
Resplendent radiance accompanied the strange pulsations, manifesting upon the band of light. The entire Amphoreus seemed to undergo some drastic change.
Without any external interference, there was even a momentary loosening of the firewall, allowing the figure of the Emperor's Scepter to flicker into view before rapidly vanishing again.
Amphoreus's anomaly acted like a signal, bringing the deadlocked battle to a sudden halt.
'Hertatomb's' body was covered in wounds, while Celenova remained almost completely unscathed. Celenova, having stopped, stared at her with a complex expression.
Most of the scalpels aimed at her had been actively intercepted by this guy. It made Celenova's feelings grow complicated.
What on earth does this guy want? It's utterly baffling!
But in reality, 'Hertatomb' simply didn't care about this body to begin with, so she stuck to the initial strategy of trading wounds for wounds, aiming to force Polka Kakamond to reveal more of her tricks.
And in terms of results, the harvest was indeed substantial.
Having lost the dominance of her Knowable Domain, Polka Kakamond was forced to display other means to face her foes. These were all brand-new pieces of intel never seen before.
'Hertatomb' was collecting them quite happily. Moreover, fighting the Lord of Silence kept her Emotional Value skyrocketing.
--+--
[Role-Playing System]
[Name: Bai Ming (Hertatomb)]
[Lifespan: 450 Years (Paused) + 9 Days (Role-Playing)]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta (Available), Acheron (Available), Celenova (Charge: 91.4%), Jingliu (Charge: 79.4%), Ruan Mei (Charge: 61.4%), Sparkle (Charge: 51.1%), Hertatomb (Currently Portraying)]
[Available Draws: 0 (88.1%)]
--+--
In just a few days, the progress bar for the next draw was nearly full again. The charge for the Celenova character card was also nearing completion.
Who knows who the system judges as providing high Emotional Value for this 'Hertatomb' character card?
Anyway, it increased, so it didn't matter.
Moreover, during the recent melee with the Lord of Silence, the Emotional Value had spiked again at some point.
Probably the Interastral Peace Corporation had released news, spreading word of the battle here.
How they portrayed her in the news was anyone's guess, but she profited regardless.
So, 'Hertatomb' now even wanted to continue fighting, aiming to max out the Emotional Value completely.
The Lord of Silence also seemed eager to give it another go. At this point, she just wanted to see what form Bai Ming would take after this shell was destroyed.
But clearly, not everyone was willing to keep fighting like this.
Celenova wasn't keen on continuing, as no outcome would be reached in the short term. Plus, having to watch 'Hertatomb' constantly tank damage for her was purely messing with her head.
Come on, we're enemies. Even if you work so hard to owe me favors, I won't fall for you, okay?!
And as if she had anticipated it long ago, or perhaps deliberately timed it for this moment, right at this delicate juncture, Herta's voice emerged from 'Hertatomb.'
"Polka Kakamond, that's enough. I advise you not to raise your scalpel again in this matter."
"..."
When did Herta connect a signal to a voice module on her body??
Before 'Hertatomb' could react, Polka laughed.
"#83, you'd better have a convincing excuse."
"The data's sent to you. Look at it yourself. Other times, I can't be bothered with you, but this time, it concerns the safety of the entire galaxy and my personal research project. If you insist on taking action, then I'll have to swallow my pride and summon the army."
Herta's threat still sounded somewhat cute, but everyone present knew what 'the army' in Herta's mouth referred to.
The scene fell into silence for a moment.
--+--