Chapter 138

“A light kiss.”

Sharl moved slowly towards the factory door, leaning against it. Under the dim sunlight, she looked at her right hand.

In her somewhat scattered vision, the skin on her right hand was already cracked, with dark red tentacles emerging from the wounds and waving around her hand. Blood dripped from her fingertips onto the ground one drop at a time.

Sharl used her left hand to wipe the blood off her right hand with a handkerchief, but it didn’t work. In her left hand’s perception, there was no change in her right hand; the palm remained dry without any wet blood.

These two sensations were unreasonable.

She had indeed torn out the raven’s eye with her bare hands in the Other Realm; it was impossible for her not to have any blood on her hands. But the blood couldn’t keep flowing like this—after so much time, it should have dried up.

At this moment, the low roars of monsters in the Other Realm echoed in her mind, as if they were muttering. She was grateful she couldn’t understand their meaning.

Sharl slowly took out the “Echo of Silver White Time Binder” from her pocket.

The pocket watch no longer had its initial simple elegance; instead, it began to show exquisite patterns.

When she opened the silver cover, the pocket watch no longer felt stiff… it seemed to have been refurbished instantly.

However, what caught Sharl’s attention most was the gear in the center of the dial.

It covered the hour, minute, and second hands, but its rotation frequency did not match theirs.

This gear was clearly not part of the pocket watch’s mechanism, but rather a decorative component independent of the watch.

After hesitating for a moment, Sharl placed her hand on the gear.

Even if it was just a decoration, it should have some unique ability…

The instant Sharl placed her hand on the pocket watch, a familiar system panel appeared in front of her.

[“Silver White Time Binder (Damaged)”] : Exclusive Sealed Object, Bound, Capable of gaining more abilities as the Sealed Object is repaired.

[Current Abilities: [Time Echo Lv.2]]

[Time Echo Lv.2: Records the host’s individual time at this moment. After 15 seconds or when life is threatened, the host returns to the recorded time and removes all negative statuses]

[Side Effects: Within 45 minutes after use, the host’s individual space-time will be disrupted, causing the host’s state to jump between different save points]

[[Overload Gear Lv.1]]

[Overload Overload: Rotate the gear to enter the [Overload] state for designated skills, items, or Sealed Objects, allowing them to perform beyond their limits and ignore side effects, lasting for 1 minute]

[Side Effects: Items, Sealed Objects, or skills amplified by [Overload] will enter a [72-hour Overload Damage] state, making them irreparable]

Overload Overload?

Beyond Limits?

And could affect any skill, item, or Sealed Object?

Anything that fits these three concepts can be amplified by me?

Just reading the description, Sharl realized the power of this gear.

Its strength lies in its concept.

The gear places no restrictions on anything that can be overloaded, meaning anything could be used with it.

But it’s unclear how “possession” is determined.

If only items obtained through the system store count as possessed, then Sharl’s usable items would be greatly limited.

To ignore the types of items, skills, or Sealed Objects and overload them without limit… If the item or Sealed Object I possess is already high-level, overloading it would push it beyond its limits.

Most importantly, during that one minute, the side effects of those items, Sealed Objects, and skills would be ignored.

If paired with powerful Sealed Objects or skills, Sharl would have a minute of unrestrained, frenzied offensive time.

Considered a strong card… Whether there are other uses remains to be seen.

Was it with this overload that the raven summoned meteors…

A sudden sharp pain in her head made Sharl pause her reflection.

Just as Sharl was about to look at the system time to calm herself, she heard urgent footsteps.

“Sharl?”

Hearing that familiar voice, Sharl, who was leaning against the door, immediately relaxed. As soon as she relaxed, she fell unconscious.

Before losing consciousness, Sharl felt a soft embrace.

…

So hot…

In her unconscious state, Sharl felt a heavy, stuffy heat throughout her body. This sensation made her increasingly dizzy and gave her a splitting headache, making her wish to smash her own skull for complete relief.

After some unknown amount of time, when Sharl’s brain felt a cool sensation, her agitated emotions gradually subsided.

This change was also reflected in her expression. The tightness in her brows gradually eased.

Aivana, kneeling on the ground, had beads of sweat on her forehead. Her lips trembled incessantly, her face pale as if she had experienced something terrifying.

At this moment, Sharl was lying in front of Aivana, her head resting on Aivana’s soft thigh, her eyes tightly closed.

About ten minutes later, Sharl’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes, seeing Aivana, whose hands were placed on her forehead and whose expression was abnormal.

Compared to before, the swelling and dizziness in Sharl’s brain had diminished significantly, and even the volume of her muttering had noticeably decreased.

Sharl slowly raised her hand, grasped Aivana’s slender wrist, and gently removed her hand from her forehead.

“Psychologist” wasn’t a suitable path for combat. Aivana’s physical strength couldn’t compare to Sharl’s. Although there was some resistance, Aivana’s hand was eventually moved away by Sharl.

The healing process was interrupted. Aivana suddenly opened her eyes, looking around nervously. Seeing no mist or monsters, she took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Aivana lowered her head, meeting Sharl’s weak gaze.

“Sharl…”

Aivana was about to say something when Sharl interrupted her.

“It’s fine now…”

Sharl forced a smile and said.

“It’s over.”

After Sharl let go, Aivana, unsure where to place her hands, hesitated for a moment before placing them on Sharl’s shoulders.

“How do you feel now?”

Aivana hadn’t fully processed Sharl’s words yet and was still worried about Sharl’s condition.

Even without touching Sharl’s forehead, just placing her hand on Sharl’s shoulder and bringing her thumb close to Sharl’s cheek, Aivana could feel the heat radiating from Sharl’s body.

“It’s okay… just a bit dizzy.”

Sharl shook her head, but this simple action made her feel intense dizziness, almost making her feel nauseous.

Seeing Sharl’s struggle, Aivana gently supported Sharl’s neck with one hand and changed positions, using her right hand to support Sharl’s neck and her left hand to pass through Sharl’s legs, ready to pick her up.

Hmm?

As Aivana prepared to lift Sharl in a princess carry, she froze slightly as she stood up.

Although Sharl’s body was light, Aivana couldn’t lift her directly…

Aivana didn’t know how to properly carry someone lying down. Holding them face-to-face seemed awkward… she didn’t know what to do.

However, this brief moment allowed Sharl to calm her dizziness.

She pushed herself up with her hands, trying to stand.

Seeing this, Aivana hurriedly supported Sharl’s shoulders, helping her stand up gradually.

“Sharl, hold on, the carriage will be here soon,” Aivana whispered.

Carriage?

Sharl’s confused mind imagined the bumpy ride in a carriage… sitting in one now might really kill her.

“No carriage…”

Sharl spoke slowly, “Can you help me home?”

Home?

Where?

Her home? Or the house she rented on Gem Avenue? Neither place was within reach for the current Sharl.

But there was one place she could still manage to walk to.

“South Stone Street?”

Aivana asked tentatively.

“Mm…”

Sharl nodded slightly.

“Alright, hold on a little longer.”

Aivana supported Sharl and slowly moved towards the factory entrance.

At this time, there were almost no pedestrians on the street except for delivery carts and running children.

The streets still emitted an indescribable sour smell, but Aivana showed no disgust, carefully observing the road and avoiding puddles, pedestrians, and carriages.

The journey, which usually took six or seven minutes, took nearly twenty minutes. Eventually, they stopped in front of the 144th door of the Clock Tower Lane District.

Sharl reached into her pocket, fumbled for a moment, and pulled out a key, inserting it into the lock and opening the door.

Upon opening the door, there was no expected cloud of dust. Everything inside the house was spotless, as if someone had been regularly cleaning it.

After supporting Sharl to sit on the sofa, Aivana went back to close the door and headed toward the kitchen, searching for a kettle but found none.

Some of the kitchen utensils and kettles had been taken away, leaving behind furniture that the landlord had originally left.

Finally, Aivana rummaged through the cabinets and drawers and found a wooden bucket and a water ladle that seemed unused. She filled the ladle with tap water and walked to the living room, handing it to Sharl.

“Sharl, drink some water.”

Aivana handed it to her but quickly withdrew her hand. “Sorry, I’ll wash it…”

The clear water in the ladle turned red and murky after a few shakes, accompanied by an indescribable metallic taste.

Is this blood…?

Aivana scrubbed the ladle in the kitchen, but despite her efforts, the water remained murky, though slightly lighter in color.

Aivana, who had never done household chores before, was nearly frantic.

When she finally filled a ladle with clear water and brought it to the living room, she found Sharl curled up on the cracked leather sofa, already asleep.

About thirty minutes later, Nia, who returned to the factory but didn’t find anyone, found this place. After Aivana explained some things to her, Nia went out again.

Following Aivana’s instructions, Nia first went to the jewelry district clinic and called Adelle over, then returned to the unfinished factory to clean up the bodies inside.

Adelle, upon arriving at Sharl’s home, conducted a routine examination.

There were still no physical issues detected. Sharl’s symptoms were caused by mental exhaustion. After recording all of Sharl’s current symptoms, Adelle hurried back to the clinic laboratory to prepare new medicine.

Throughout this process, Aivana stayed by Sharl’s side, monitoring her mental condition.

Now, Sharl was naturally sleeping and recovering. As long as there were no worsening symptoms, Aivana wouldn’t interfere.

Mental healing isn’t something that can be achieved overnight. If it were that simple, there wouldn’t be so many insane Extraordinary Persons.

At this moment, in her dream, Sharl was experiencing a clear and vivid dream.

In the dream, Sharl was standing in a vast, mist-filled room, stepping on creaking wooden floors.

No matter where she walked, there seemed to be no end to the mist. She wandered endlessly in this seemingly infinite space, her mind becoming increasingly anxious.

She started running, sprinting with all her might, but all she saw was mist—endless mist.

Until Sharl was about to exhaust herself, she stepped on a piece of floorboard, causing it to break, and she fell into the endless darkness beneath it.

At that moment, Sharl abruptly opened her eyes, greeted by warm candlelight.

She looked down and noticed that a soft, warm blanket had somehow covered her.

Just as she raised her right hand to rub her eyes, she was startled by the sight of a dark red tentacle reaching toward her, reminding her of her current vision problem.

“The situation is still contaminated, and the damage to my spirit on my right hand remains.”

Compared to when it first started, the dizziness in my mind had subsided significantly.

Mainly, my brain no longer felt overloaded, and her body temperature had returned to normal levels.

Aside from the hallucinations in front of her eyes and the constant roaring of monsters in her mind, Xia’er’s mental state had greatly improved.

She propped herself up with her right hand on the sofa and gently rubbed her forehead with her left.

In the simulation, she had never been unconscious for so long… and there was no mention of this fever-like state either. This could basically be attributed to absorbing the “uniqueness” gear.

After all, the difference between reality and the simulation lies only in whether or not the “uniqueness” is truly obtained.

“System, are those pieces of knowledge sealed within my mind?”

Xia’er asked the system mentally.

[Surely I can’t waste my memory ^^]

Great… The knowledge stored in my mind requires a fee to access.

[Just enjoy it, at least you won’t be manipulated by others anymore]

No longer worried about being controlled… would the situation like when the quill controlled her body in the simulation not happen again?

This was good news for Xia’er.

She followed the warm candlelight to look around. The fire in the fireplace burned behind the fire screen, providing warmth to the house.

Several bottles of expensive wine, a silver teapot, and a few cups were placed on the table. Clearly, these were not her own things. One bottle of wine was half-empty.

Looking to her left, Xia’er saw a familiar figure sitting on a single-seater sofa, sleeping with her head tilted.

Her glasses were still on her nose, and her black hair fell down her fair cheeks. She looked anything but comfortable.

The sensation of thirst made Xia’er pick up the teapot. She opened the lid and confirmed that it contained plain black tea instead of wine. She poured herself a cup and drank it in one go.

The smooth tea flowed down Xia’er’s throat, making her feel revitalized.

After pouring another cup of tea and finishing it, Xia’er turned her attention back to Aivana.

Had Aivana stayed by her side while she slept?

Even in summer, the temperature in Borough City at night was only slightly above ten degrees, which was far from warm. Sleeping in the living room like this was uncomfortable and could lead to a cold.

Xia’er stood up, stretched a bit, and after confirming that she felt decent, she walked to Aivana and gently picked her up.

Aivana was surprisingly light for Xia’er. Xia’er easily carried her in a princess carry and slowly ascended the stairs.

Pushing open her bedroom door with her back, Xia’er laid Aivana on her bed, unfolded the blanket beside it, and covered Aivana with it.

Removing Aivana’s glasses and placing them on the table, Xia’er lit the candle on the table.

As Xia’er finished lighting the candle and prepared to leave, Aivana, lying on the bed, slightly squinted her eyes.

In fact, she had woken up when Xia’er lifted her, but hadn’t spoken until now. When Xia’er was about to leave, Aivana opened her eyes and whispered:

“Xia’er…”

Hearing the voice, Xia’er turned around and saw Aivana half-sitting up, looking at her with concern in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Xia’er asked.

“Where are you going?” Aivana asked.

Now, Xia’er often gave the impression that whenever she went out, it was to do something dangerous.

“Nowhere,” Xia’er shook her head. She originally just wanted to get something to eat downstairs. After not eating for almost a whole day, she still felt hungry.

“Then rest well,” Aivana said, pulling back the covers and patting the hard mattress.

For some reason, Aivana, despite maintaining a neutral expression, seemed to be acting like a spoiled child both in tone and action.

Without her glasses, Aivana’s gaze seemed somewhat distant. Xia’er remembered the half-empty bottle of wine downstairs.

Thinking back, she did smell a faint scent of alcohol on Aivana when carrying her upstairs.

“Were you drunk?” Xia’er sat on the bed and asked curiously.

“No,” Aivana shook her head, lying back down and looking at the ceiling. “I was just thirsty.”

Xia’er understood; among nobles, it wasn’t uncommon to drink wine and tea instead of water. They rarely drank ordinary water.

In most noble households, water was considered unclean, whereas wine was better and even “disinfectant.”

Of course, Xia’er always boiled water to drink, but she noticed that except for her and her sister, no one else had this habit.

However, this was the first time Xia’er saw Aivana a little tipsy… at least she seemed more expressive.

“How do you feel now?” Aivana asked, turning her face towards Xia’er.

Lying on Xia’er’s bed, though the mattress was hard and the blanket felt rough, Xia’er’s scent seemed to envelop her.

Aivana’s cheeks had a slight flush, perhaps due to the scent or the wine.

“Much better,” Xia’er sincerely said. “Thank you, Aivana.”

If not for Aivana helping her with the contamination, she wouldn’t have recovered so quickly. Xia’er was genuinely grateful.

Seeing Xia’er’s response, Aivana nodded slightly and closed her eyes slowly.

Since childhood, Aivana understood that if she wanted something, she had to strive for it.

The affluent life provided Aivana with ample room for trial and error, shaping her into a calm and confident person.

Most importantly, such a life gave her a rare quality—she wasn’t afraid to make mistakes because she had the means to cover them.

Contrastingly, Xia’er was the opposite.

With a steady and calm personality, Xia’er was too afraid of making mistakes because any mistake would mean losing everything.

Therefore, most things Xia’er dealt with alone, even distancing herself from close ones during danger, to avoid any mishaps affecting those around her.

In their interactions, Aivana also noticed this trait.

Especially Xia’er’s tendency to remain on the periphery, which made Aivana worry.

What if something happened and Xia’er disappeared without a trace?

To prevent such a scenario, Aivana felt she must do something.

“Xia’er,” Aivana sat up again, extending her hand towards Xia’er.

“Hmm?” Xia’er looked at Aivana’s left hand in confusion.

When she saw Aivana’s left hand reaching towards her right, Xia’er’s pupils dilated. When Aivana’s fingers touched hers, Xia’er instinctively pulled her hand back.

In Xia’er’s vision, the hand that touched Aivana’s hand had a terrifying red tendril writhing from a crack in the back, contrasting sharply with Aivana’s clean left hand.

Xia’er’s hand only retracted slightly, but Aivana reached forward faster, placing her hand on Xia’er’s hand.

“Aivana…” Xia’er looked at Aivana’s eyes, confused about her intentions.

“I can see it, Xia’er,” Aivana said, holding Xia’er’s wrist and lifting her right hand slowly.

She placed Xia’er’s palm against her face and looked into Xia’er’s eyes.

“After healing your spirit, what you can see, I can see too.”

Aivana’s dark purple pupils stared intently at Xia’er’s eyes, saying earnestly, “Do you think I’m afraid?”

Xia’er looked at Aivana’s eyes, feeling the warmth of Aivana’s cheek with her right hand. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat.

Aivana…

In both reality and simulation, Aivana’s unwavering support had fostered great trust in Xia’er. But Xia’er feared that her problems might affect Aivana.

But Aivana didn’t seem to think so.

Within seconds, Xia’er reassessed her feelings.

Previously, she had been somewhat closed off, unable to be honest with anyone, even her sister.

Was this really the way to protect those around her?

This question now lingered in Xia’er’s mind.

This method might hurt those who genuinely cared for her…

Xia’er understood Aivana’s special feelings for her, but she avoided dealing with emotions.

Before, she could use the excuse of unresolved crises to convince herself.

But now, she had to confront her feelings directly.

Just as Aivana was about to let go of Xia’er’s hand in disappointment, Xia’er looked up and met Aivana’s gaze, slowly saying:

“Can you swear that you’ll never be afraid of me, no matter what I become?”

“Even if I become another form, even if I become a monster…”

The other form referred to the transformation through save files, a power Xia’er knew she couldn’t hide.

The other form naturally referred to the pollution from the Other Realm.

Xia’er didn’t know how long her human body could last with continuous contact with the Other Realm or absorption of “uniqueness.” But she knew that as she accumulated more “uniqueness,” she would gradually deviate from being human.

Xia’er’s question was serious, but it made Aivana pause for a moment.

Forever?

Why did it suddenly escalate to forever?

But seeing Xia’er’s earnest, sincere eyes, Aivana took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

From the moment she first saw the red-haired girl in the police station, a seed had quietly sprouted in Aivana’s heart.

And when the red-haired girl named Xia’er tore at her collar and bit her neck, Aivana knew she would never forget her.

So, in response to Xia’er’s question, Aivana had only one answer.

“I promise.”

The flickering candlelight cast their shadows on the curtains, and Aivana gazed into Xia’er’s beautiful dark red eyes, unable to look away.

For some reason, Aivana leaned forward slightly, perhaps testing or accidentally.

But this small test caused the weak red-haired girl to instinctively lean back, though soon she also leaned forward, her long hair sliding down to her front, gently swaying.

The girls slowly moved closer to each other, but neither knew what they were doing or why. Only when their noses touched and they could feel each other’s breaths did Aivana finally snap out of it.

What am I doing…

Aivana’s face flushed with embarrassment. She realized the distance was too close and leaned back slightly—only to hesitate at the last moment.

But Aivana’s slight resistance didn’t stop the beautiful red-haired girl, who flipped over and climbed onto the bed, closing in on Aivana.

“Eh…!”

The sudden closeness made Aivana fall back onto the bed, emitting a soft, unexpected sound.

This position was similar to the one in the bathroom earlier.

Aivana’s heart raced. Instinctively, she wanted to close her eyes, but she feared Xia’er might interpret it as rejection. So, she kept her eyes half-closed, watching the beautiful face draw closer.

The girls’ lips touched lightly.

For a moment, all sounds—whispers, wind, breathing—vanished in Aivana’s mind. It felt as if a steam train had run through her head, opening its valve right above her.

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