In a cave somewhere, a shadowy figure gradually took shape, eventually becoming solid. That figure was, of course, Katsuhisa.
The first thing Katsuhisa did after regaining his footing was to cough up a mouthful of blood.
There were also fragments of internal organs mixed in with it.
Escaping in this way was naturally not as easy as he had imagined. The price he had to pay was acceptable. But it was only acceptable.
Katsuhisa lay on the ground, clutching his chest, feeling the pain of each breath as if a knife were being thrust into his lungs. His face finally betrayed his agony.
"You look pretty rough, Katsuhisa."
A woman's voice echoed through the cave.
Katsuhisa didn't seem surprised to hear the voice; instead, he laughed sarcastically, "So you're finally willing to show yourself?"
The sound of high heels clicking on the ground echoed as the woman in the black dress appeared beside Katsuhisa, accompanied by Ms. Psychic. Her eyes were filled with pity and sorrow, as if she truly regretted Katsuhisa's failure.
Katsuhisa stared intently at the woman before him, his eyes filled with intoxication, love, and... hatred.
"It seems like this is our first meeting..." Katsuhisa chuckled self-deprecatingly before saying.
The woman in the black dress wore an expression of pity on her face. She knelt down beside Katsuhisa and whispered, "That's right, this is indeed our first meeting, though it doesn't seem like the best timing for it."
Katsuhisa didn't care about timing now. If he had any strength left, he would have killed this woman who had toyed with him for over a century.
But now, he was a severely injured, broken man, unable to stir up any waves. One could say that he was no different from a piece of meat on a chopping board.
The woman in black caressed his face, using her delicate fingers to wipe away the blood from the corner of his mouth without any disgust.
But her face bore a smile.
As if she had seen something amusing.
"Isn't it laughable? The person you spent over a hundred years cultivating is nothing but a worthless fool in the eyes of another."
Katsuhisa said with a mocking tone.
But the woman in the black dress shook her head.
She used the bloodstains on her hands to draw a small turtle on Katsuhisa's face and smiled, "I don't feel disappointed or amused. You don't need to belittle yourself. Though I don't know the history of this world, I believe you are still a rare genius in this world. I have no doubt about my judgment."
"Losing to Rope was due to both your reasons and mine, but ultimately, neither of us could change that outcome. Your defeat was inevitable the moment Rope appeared."
The woman in the black dress surveyed the well-equipped living quarters, which had a certain domestic charm, and nodded approvingly. Whether she was nodding in approval of Katsuhisa's caution or his taste, it was unclear.
"The people and forces behind Rope are far beyond my reach, so losing to him is only natural."
The woman in the black dress poured herself a glass of water, took a sip, but furrowed her brow. It seemed she was dissatisfied with the taste of the water before her.
In reality, it's just a cup of water. What flavor could it possibly have?
She was simply dissatisfied with the helplessness she had felt earlier.
[Even if it's the company, so what? Climbing the ranks under the company's pressure—isn't that how I prove my strength and value?]
The woman in the black dress's expression fluctuated between light and dark. She seemed to be thinking about something, but didn't know what to do.
[Only by demonstrating sufficient value can one survive in this void. I've had enough of being a tool that others can discard at any moment.]
[As long as I defeat this prodigy, I will no longer be an insignificant nobody discarded like an old shoe. I, Meredith Diara, must become a strong person. Only then can I keep the people I want to protect by my side.]
Thinking of this, the woman in black, Meredith, unconsciously tightened her grip on the water cup. Fortunately, she managed to maintain her composure.
She took out a black pill from her spatial ring, dropped it into the water cup, and silently handed the cup to Ms. Psychic beside her.
"Make him drink it. You two wait here. I'll go prepare the initial plan."
After speaking, she vanished from the spot.
"She has such poor self-control..."
Ms. Psychic murmured faintly.
Meanwhile, Katsuhisa on the ground wore a mocking smile.
"Even if her cunning is shallow, it's not something we can mock."
They had already witnessed the power of this outsider. There was no strength to resist. Katsuhisa had been guided by her to become what he was now. No matter what happened, Katsuhisa could never truly escape Meredith's grasp. It was something that had been destined from the very beginning.
And Katsuhisa had no intention of resisting.
If he truly intended to turn against Meredith, he would have simply defected to the enemy.
He was unaware that due to different actions taken at another point in time, he had already been sentenced to death by Rope.
Ms. Psychic looked at the man before her, her eyes betraying a contemplative expression.
There seemed to be something about this man that could be exploited. Although this man was Meredith's puppet, that didn't mean he couldn't be used to stir up trouble.
But exactly how to stir up trouble still needed careful consideration.
Ms. Psychic thought this as she continued her actions, forcing the entire cup of water into Katsuhisa's mouth. Katsuhisa, like parched land, greedily swallowed every drop of water.
Meanwhile, in the dark cave, the flickering, pale-white light of the magical array flared brightly once more.
Meredith knelt on the ground, head bowed, waiting respectfully for everything to settle.
Moments later, the swirling white light calmed down, still bright, but no longer chaotic, as if it had seen its master.
"My lord."
Meredith noticed all this out of the corner of her eye and spoke even more respectfully.
"Is there something wrong, Meredith? If I recall correctly, it hasn't even been half a day since you last contacted me."
A voice emerged, indistinguishable in terms of gender, age, or any other identifying information. Alongside it appeared a ethereal form, crafted from white light.
"Yes, sir, but I did receive new information during this half-day period."
Meredith was respectful but showed no signs of fear. The person she was facing was someone who could easily crush her, but now they were in an employer-employee relationship. This boss wasn't the kind of ruthless, disreputable figure with no moral boundaries, so they could have a proper discussion—mainly about the terms.
As the saying goes, "A gentleman can be deceived by proper means," and this was no exception.
If this were truly the kind of tycoon rumored to kill without batting an eye, someone who would destroy an entire planet on a whim to vent frustration, Meredith likely wouldn't even consider negotiating terms.
However, such a tycoon simply doesn't exist. On a civilized planet, casually destroying a world would invite retribution from many quarters. No tycoon, regardless of their reputation, would want to invite such trouble upon themselves.
Being kind is certainly a good thing, but often, your kindness can become a weakness that others exploit.
"Oh. What's the news?"
The overlord was clearly interested in something that had disrupted his day twice. Of course, if the news wasn't to his liking, he'd be equally interested in what happened next.
Meredith didn't hold back. She was well aware that terms could be negotiated, but fundamentally, she had little leverage. Being able to secure some of the rights she deserved was already quite good.
"Rope has the Azure Flute. I didn't notice it earlier, but when he was attacked, the Azure Flute did step in to protect its master once."
Meredith's words caused the surrounding light to flicker again. Clearly, this simple statement was not so simple; it even caused a significant psychological reaction in this powerful figure.
Everyone has a certain threshold for what they can accept. No matter one's status, when faced with certain situations, one will inevitably lose control.
However, such behavior was only temporary.
Moments later, he regained his composure.
" You did well, Meredith. I know you've always been wary of me. But I never intended to harm you."
"Yes, sir. I understand your kindness."
Watching Meredith's respectful demeanor, the white figure nodded: "When you return to the void, I will give you what you desire."
"I am not like the others. The promises I make, I will fulfill."
"Thank you, sir."
Meredith's voice was filled with gratitude and thanks. It was as if she wanted to prostrate herself before him in gratitude.
But in reality, Meredith wasn't stupid. The white apparition's claim that he had no ill will toward her was likely true. However, his statement that he had no intention of harming her was probably a last-minute decision made after she had told him the news.
"Now that we've confirmed his whereabouts, proceed with the original plan. The gains and losses of this world are irrelevant. Force him out."
Meredith looked up at the white apparition.
"But my lord, what if he refuses to come out? I don't possess the power to destroy this world as the company's savior."
She spoke earnestly yet helplessly. Because this wasn't haggling; it was the bare truth. The company's saviors were all exceptional individuals.
Some are born to rule, while others are born to serve.
If she had once wondered why a group of people wasting their time in a secondary world were so highly regarded by others, then now, having truly witnessed the savior, she understood why the company was beginning to dominate among forces of equal standing.
If every savior progressed at the same rate as Rope, then other factions would likely be out of the game within a century.
Of course, she also knew that saviors like Rope were undoubtedly few and far between.
But here she was, facing off against one of those few. How was she supposed to handle that?
The white phantom was also stunned, momentarily unsure how to respond. Because such difficulties are a reality. Meredith is certainly no weakling or failure. But there are gaps between geniuses.
If failures come in all shapes and sizes, then geniuses also vary greatly.
Someone like Rope might be considered one of the top geniuses in the void.
But Meredith could only be considered a genius.
After a long pause, He spoke: "Then let's proceed with the original plan. However, if we encounter a situation we can't handle, have the other person activate the stone."
"You can't bring him out, but I can."
He spoke with a resolute tone.
Meredith didn't say anything else. Everyone was well aware of the consequences of such an action. More importantly, it might not even yield any benefits.
Many were anticipating his decision.
What followed was a feast. Everyone who wished to participate could indulge in this rare opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous meal.
"I hope you will still be cautious. I will do my best to avoid the worst-case scenario."
Meredith looked at the apparition with a serious expression.
She was no longer the unattainable figure she had been in front of Katsuhisa, nor the seductive one she had been in front of Rope.
Now, she was more like a competent subordinate, willing to do her best to alleviate her superior's concerns.
Everyone has many masks. Some masks are meant to deceive, while others are meant to conceal. Every mask is worn to secure the greatest benefit for oneself.
"Then so be it. Go ahead and prepare. I will handle the outcome in the end."
The white apparition spoke thus.
Meredith replied earnestly, "Yes, sir."
After speaking, she was about to rise and leave.
"Meredith."
The white apparition spoke again.
Meredith turned to look at it.
"Thank you."
"Your servant is humbled."
After speaking, the white light faded completely. The entire cave once again plunged into darkness.
Meredith took a deep breath, her lips curving into a brilliant smile.
"Haha, now you're in too, sir."
After speaking, Meredith vanished within the cave. The cave, which had once been filled with terrifying power, returned to its former calm.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Rope remained unaware of the complex web of grudges and conflicts underlying all this, or how many people were scheming to advance their own interests within it.