Deep in the alley, the smell of damp mold mixed with the pungent lingering scent of some cheap cleaner.
Cipher looked down at Lin Ran and Su Xiaowei, who were unconscious once again with foam hanging from the corners of their mouths. She lightly rubbed her chin, and her cat tail swayed thoughtfully behind her.
"Tsk..." A light click of the tongue escaped her lips, carrying a sense of sudden realization mixed with a subtle, playful 'as I thought.' "So it was a live broadcast... they play wild enough."
She had originally thought Apex Entertainment would act like those shrewd businessmen: first secretly recording her performance, then meticulously editing it with shocking sound effects and provocative narration to make a huge profit as a paid program.
She hadn't expected the other party to be so bold as to go with a real-time livestream, letting others watch her dismantle their property online. The risk factor was practically off the charts.
"And to think I wanted Bartholos to drag out the people behind the scenes to recover the unedited footage in advance..." A cunning arc curled at the corner of Cipher's mouth, and her blue cat pupils flashed with shrewd light in the dim environment. "Now it seems I've saved some trouble. The audience is happy, and my infamy spreads faster and wider. It's a win-win."
After the brief friendly exchange just now, the amount of information gathered was immense.
Besides confirming the crazy operation of the livestream, more importantly, they had indicated that they already knew her superpower—Copy.
"I really didn't guess wrong; they had special means to view the situation at the time through that man."
As for the specific details of how they achieved it? Cipher shook her head, tossing that bit of curiosity to the back of her mind.
She couldn't be bothered to ask, as it was a bit of a waste of time. Right now, she just wanted to leave this trash-scented alley as soon as possible.
"Let's go, Bartholos. Job's done!" She waved toward the shadows, her voice light.
"You got it, Big Sister!" A purple light flashed, and Bartholos transformed back into a coin, landing steadily in her palm.
Cipher didn't spare another look at the two unlucky souls on the ground. She turned and blended nimbly into the multicolored neon lights at the mouth of the alley, leaving behind only dead silence and two unconscious figures.
Inside a room in the Cathedral of the Third District.
Hysilens and Cerydra were currently sitting face-to-face. Between them sat a blue-tinted wooden chess board where the black and white armies were in a heated clash; the game had entered the endgame phase.
Hysilens was playing white, her brow slightly furrowed as her fingertip hovered indecisively above a White Knight. Cerydra played black, her expression as calm as water.
Clack.
With a light sound, Cerydra's Black Rook pushed decisively to the back rank, settling firmly.
This move subtly exploited the emptiness of Hysilens's kingside, forming a deadly coordination with the black Bishop lurking on the flank.
Once Cerydra placed this piece, Hysilens first pinched her Knight, then stopped in mid-air.
Her gaze swept across the board rapidly.
Soon, her eyes landed on her White King, which was now exposed on the line of attack.
Seeing this, she first froze slightly. After a moment of silence, she gently placed the undecided Knight back in its original position. Her shoulders slumped imperceptibly, and she let out a sigh.
"Imperator, I lost again."
Cerydra merely shook her head slightly, her gaze still lingering on the chessboard at the end of the game, responding calmly:
"You aren't particularly familiar with chess to begin with. Your strategy of using a gambit to seize the initiative at the start was good, and your tenacity during the mid-game entanglement was impressive. It is quite good to be able to play against me to this stage."
As she spoke, she began to return the scattered pieces to their places one by one.
Before she could finish putting them away, Hysilens, sitting to the side, suddenly frowned. She stood up immediately and looked out the window.
In the next moment, a lively voice drifted in from outside.
"Hi! Imperator, Hysilens, how have you two been lately?"
"Little Catfish?"
Hearing this voice, Hysilens froze for a moment before her expression turned calm, and she sat back down.
Then, a violet-black figure slid nimbly through the gap in the window, landing soundlessly on the thick carpet indoors.
That figure was precisely Cipher, who had just teleported back from the fifth zone.
As soon as she entered the room, she gave a massive stretch to loosen her muscles. Then, without any ceremony, she occupied the only comfortable-looking soft chair in the room, sinking into it. She propped up her head with her hand, looking smilingly at Cerydra, who was still tidying the chess pieces.
"Dux Celeripes," Cerydra finally looked up, her deep eyes gazing calmly at Cipher, her voice carrying its usual majesty. "To what do we owe this visit?"
She made no extra movements, but her invisible aura seemed to make the room's temperature drop a few degrees.
Cipher gave an exaggerated sigh, her cat tail brushing against the back of the chair with a faint rustling sound. "Mm, Cerydra, you're still so serious. Can't I just come to see you even if there's nothing wrong?" As she spoke, she looked around the overly quiet room, her tone taking on a hint of loneliness. "After all, of the Chrysos Heirs still in this godforsaken place, you two are the only ones left besides me."
"Only... the two of us left..." Hysilens murmured, repeating the words. A complex emotion flashed in her clear blue eyes, like a reminiscence or a heavy confirmation.
She subconsciously looked toward Cerydra as if she were her only anchor, her voice as light as a prayer:
"...It's fine, as long as Imperator is here..."
Cipher keenly caught the fleeting vulnerability and dependence in Hysilens's eyes. Her blue cat pupils narrowed imperceptibly before she resumed her cynical smile. She spoke up decisively, her crisp voice cutting through the thoughts Hysilens was about to sink into:
"Alright, we can talk about the sentimental stuff later. However—" She drawled, leaning her body forward slightly as her gaze swept between Cerydra and Hysilens with a look of seriousness. "I really do have a matter, and for this matter, I absolutely need your help."
Hysilens immediately collected her thoughts, looking at Cipher with an inquiring gaze.
Cerydra stopped the movement of returning the final piece and likewise focused her gaze on Cipher.
"Speak, Dux Celeripes," Cerydra's voice remained steady. "What is it?"