Chapter 133

Chapter 133: “Fanatic Devotee” Tara.

As Xia’er walked toward the room, she tore open the envelope in her hand and glanced at its contents.

The content in Aivana’s letter was almost identical to what her simulated self had summarized. The only difference was that the real self hadn’t woken up a maid at two in the morning to send letters about corpses, tailors, or the setbacks encountered in Aivana’s replication ritual.

Thus, this letter from Aivana mostly focused on inquiring about Xia’er’s recent conditions and why Adelle had visited with a medical kit.

The difference between simulation and reality was that the information channels obtained within the simulation were not necessary to reacquire in real life, giving Xia’er more operational space.

She opened the system interface and rummaged through the items brought out from the last simulation.

Besides a prison introduction letter, Xia’er was surprised to find an emblem of Aivana’s house, both costing 1 Mortality Point.

Why wasn’t this written in the notebook? What exactly did the simulated self do to get Aivana’s family emblem?

Xia’er didn’t dwell on this issue for long; if it wasn’t noted in the simulation, it must not be significant. There was no need to waste time over it.

She didn’t rush to exchange the recommendation letter or the family emblem either. These things could always be exchanged later when needed.

In the simulation, Xia’er had asked Aivana for intelligence without considering the possibility of exposure, so she dared to ask any question and offer anything.

In reality, Xia’er wouldn’t directly approach Aivana asking how to break through the first rank or whether to provide some cultists for her advancement. It would be obvious to anyone that Xia’er had connections with those cultists. If it aroused Aivana’s curiosity, she might trace back after counter-washing Gemma’s brain.

Given Aivana’s energy and meticulousness, Xia’er wouldn’t be surprised if she traced it back to Tara, thereby exposing herself as well since her next plan involved contacting Tara.

The simplest method now was to let Aivana “discover” the cultist Gemma on her own and use her to complete the replication ritual. Then, Tara could send a confidential letter directing Gemma to visit Aivana’s home with Xia’er’s “Other Realm Page,” under the pretext of visiting Obold.

Though Xia’er’s “Other Realm Page” was already tattered, Nia would definitely sense something unusual due to her sensitivity to Other Realm energies.

Moreover, as Gemma was merely a second-rank high priest of the cult, Tara didn’t have to expose her identity. She could just issue orders as the bishop, leaving Gemma clueless about which bishop gave the command. Even if Gemma was counter-brainwashed, there would be no risk of exposing Tara.

Thus, unlike in the simulation, Xia’er, the Arrival Sect, and Aivana were thoroughly separated in reality. No one but Xia’er could deduce her existence from another party, allowing her to remain independent from any faction.

Of course, the core point of this plan was that Tara, as the intermediary, must be absolutely loyal to Xia’er—a loyalty Xia’er had verified multiple times in simulations.

Even in simulations where Tara went insane, she only became more extreme in her faith in Xia’er herself, being an absolute fanatic who adhered to the principle of “Mother Goddess Xia’er.”

Even if Xia’er declared on the spot that the Arrival Sect was fake and she was the truth, Tara would likely lead her followers in rebellion, splitting off from the Arrival Sect to form a Xia’er Sect.

Soon, Xia’er wrote a simple reply to Aivana, mentioning only her improved mental state and inquiries about the tailor. Finally, Xia’er handed the sealed letter to the maid living opposite her.

At the same time, Xia’er sent the maids back to Aivana, no longer needing them to deliver messages or protect her here. In reality, fewer eyes around her were better.

After sending the letter and dismissing the maids, Xia’er returned to her room, contemplating her next steps.

Tara would only arrive in Borough City at dawn tomorrow, but there was one thing Xia’er couldn’t fully control—Amy.

To ensure Tara’s absolute loyalty, Xia’er had to first “prove” her identity as the “Mother Goddess.” And to “prove” this, she would need to utilize the divine servant sealed on Amy’s back.

She needed to devise a way to keep Amy unaware while making the “divine servant” sealed on her back bow down to her.

However, neither Amy nor Tara knew about these events that had occurred multiple times in the simulation, giving Xia’er ample room to maneuver.

Xia’er truly didn’t want to use the Tempter ability to manipulate her friend, so as long as she could keep it hidden from Amy, she’d try her best to keep it that way.

But this matter wouldn’t happen immediately. In the simulation, Amy only came with Tara to find her at noon the next day, which gave her plenty of time to think about handling it.

Currently, more pressing was the matter of clothing.

The thief in the police station wouldn’t escape; she could always use the recommendation letter or the family emblem to retrieve her whenever needed. But the matter of clothing couldn’t be delayed. Finding the right materials and accessories was difficult, and waiting too long might miss the opportunity.

Fortunately, the simulated self had meticulously attached the tailor’s hand-drawn design sketches in the notebook, so she already remembered all the dimensions of the clothes. There was no need to expend energy and time discussing details with the tailor as the simulated self had done.

Xia’er opened the system store and directly accessed [Basic Disciplines].

As expected, despite the simulated Xia’er failing to complete the “Physician’s” replication ritual until the real Xia’er entered the simulation, [Medicine] still made it into the basic disciplines.

During the previous simulation, Xia’er had drawn many pictures and even attempted to sketch scenes from the Other Realm for the real Xia’er to see. Thus, after leaving the simulation, Xia’er’s [Basic Disciplines] included two new disciplines: [Drawing].

Without hesitation, Xia’er spent 6 Mortality Points to upgrade both [Drawing] and [Tailoring] to Level 2.

[Drawing] was a foundational discipline potentially useful for the role of Blood Painter and a skill that allowed Xia’er to convey information more accurately through images—far better than text plus abstract drawings if she ever needed to find someone.

[Tailoring], on the other hand, significantly enhanced the abilities of the Inspector and helped Xia’er replicate the design sketches she had seen in the notebook during the last simulation.

After four flashes…

Your Mortality Points have decreased from 180 to 174, and two new Skill descriptions appeared before her.

[“Painting Lv.2: Significantly enhances your innate talent for painting, making it easier to learn various painting techniques. With a bit of effort, you can become an excellent painting master”]

[“Sewing Lv.2: Significantly enhances your innate talent for sewing, making it easier to learn various sewing techniques. With a bit of effort, you can become an excellent sewing master”]

These skills would likely reveal special abilities like “Photographic Memory” in Linguistics when they reach Lv.3, but Xia’er didn’t activate them directly.

Because Lv.2 was already sufficient; raising both skills to Lv.3 would cost another 6 Mortality Points.

Although Xia’er currently had plenty of Mortality Points, she couldn’t afford to waste them. Since the previous Simulation lacked income sources, reality now required strict budgeting.

Xia’er took out a flat sheet of Letter paper and scribbled a little on the adjacent Notebook to test the feel. Once satisfied, she began drawing on the Letter paper with a dip pen.

At this point, Xia’er still had zero foundation in painting or sewing, but thanks to her newfound heightened talents, combined with her exceptional control over muscle movements, a rough outline of a garment soon started taking shape under her pen.

She didn’t hold back with her strokes, pressing hard enough that the nib nearly pierced through the paper. Despite using simple geometric shapes, the design looked far more aesthetically pleasing than her previous abstract sketches.

In less than 15 minutes, a clean front-and-back design sketch of clothing appeared on the Letter paper in front of Xia’er. After checking for any errors in detail, she retrieved another sheet of Letter paper, waiting until the ink dried slightly on the first one before covering it with the new sheet.

The thin Letter paper revealed a faint projection of the original image beneath, much like applying a mask layer.

Though she had never studied art, these small tricks came naturally to Xia’er, flashing into her mind effortlessly.

Next, Xia’er picked up a Pencil and began tracing over the projected image onto the new sheet, refining details as she went along—this time spending a full half hour.

This was the fastest way to improve her drawing skills within a short period.

Using the underlying mask and her memory of the original design, Xia’er replicated the draft almost perfectly at a 1:1 scale onto the new sheet.

After putting down her pen, Xia’er examined the finished work with satisfaction. She was no longer considered a terrible artist. Though her style leaned heavily towards technical precision without much soul or technique, it was clear enough for others to understand what she had drawn.

Folding the Letter neatly and placing it inside a fresh envelope, Xia’er headed toward the home of the old Tailor she’d seen in the Simulation.

She didn’t need to wait for Aivana’s reply; mentioning tailoring in the letter to Aivana was mainly to ensure that the Tailor could seek help from Aivana if materials for embellishments were lacking. It was a small reward for helping Aivana find “materials” for the Replication Ritual.

With the envelope and some cash in Su Pounds, Xia’er stepped outside and flagged down a Carriage, instructing the Coachman to drive her to the old Tailor’s house near the Gemstone Factory.

It must be said, the Simulated Self was truly extravagant… thinking about how customizing a single outfit costs as much as a house in An Su made Xia’er feel a pang of regret.

Of course, the Simulated Self didn’t need to worry about money, so spending everything freely wasn’t an issue as long as the results were satisfactory. But in reality, Xia’er could bargain. Even Royal-level Formal Wear shouldn’t exceed 150 pounds, so her target price range was between 50-150 pounds.

Upon knocking on the old Tailor’s door, Xia’er introduced herself as being referred by Aivana and handed over the design draft.

The moment the old Tailor saw the design, her eyes lit up immediately. Many rare designs caught the attention of someone who had spent most of her life in tailoring.

Learning that Xia’er herself had drawn the design, the old Tailor’s face initially showed surprise, followed by a faint sigh.

She could clearly see the strong artistic and design talent in the young woman before her, but alas… the girl was most likely a noblewoman.

Most noblewomen she encountered were only interested in knitting at best, and expecting them to learn tailoring was practically impossible.

Her sigh was simply lamenting such talent wasted on someone who didn’t need it.

“Your painting talent is truly remarkable, Miss,” the old Tailor said admiringly. “You should continue improving in painting; perhaps you’ll become a great artist.”

“Thank you,” Xia’er smiled and shook her head. “If I fail my law exams, maybe I’ll consider retaking them with painting as my backup plan.”

Finally, Xia’er offered 100 pounds for the old Tailor to customize the dress. After a brief hesitation, possibly out of interest in building a connection with Xia’er, the old Tailor agreed but stipulated three months for completion.

This detail was also noted in the Notebook, so Xia’er knew how to handle it.

Just increase the payment.

When Xia’er raised the price to 150 pounds, the old Tailor finally consented to complete the gown within six days, provided Aivana helped source the rare accessories needed for customization.

After paying a deposit of 50 pounds, Xia’er left the old Tailor’s house.

The Simulated Self had splurged 600 Su Pounds on this gown, while Xia’er managed to get it done for just 150 Su Pounds—it felt like a great deal.

Through the old Tailor, Xia’er learned some widely known facts about Aivana. The largest Jewelry Factory in the Gemstone District belonged to Aivana, along with several mines near Borough City—gold mines, gem mines, coal mines—all sorts available.

Truly, a family with abundant resources.

After settling matters with the Tailor, Xia’er returned home and found Aivana’s reply.

As expected, Aivana mentioned the Tailor’s address in her reply, exactly matching the records in the Notebook from the Simulation.

It was now 3 PM, leaving some time until Tara arrived in Borough City at midnight.

There would likely be two Dooms in between, one at 6:30 PM—probably the meeting point of Obold and Lucy during the evening banquet. This Doom would likely require a save-point transformation to avoid, and preparations needed to be made in advance.

Several hours later, at midnight, would be Xia’er’s first real-life encounter with Tara.

Time was ample, giving her plenty of room to plan… and time has always been on Xia’er’s side.