"What do you mean the disaster is coming sooner?" Little Herta asked, startled by the Prophet's words. The Prophet, assuming she didn't understand the nature of the impending catastrophe, began to explain, "My ability allows me to foresee the future, and in my visions..."
"I know all that. Get to the point," Little Herta interrupted.
"..." The Prophet was momentarily taken aback before continuing, "The disaster that was originally predicted to occur in three years has inexplicably been accelerated to just one."
Dimensional Rifts, like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are natural disasters that theoretically shouldn't be able to be accelerated. Unless... someone actively did something to cause their premature appearance.
And it seemed clear that the "someone" who had taken such action might very well be Herta herself.
After completing her research projects on the Herta Puppet, the Sword of Promised Victory, and the Prophet's Healing Potion, her next research focus would undoubtedly be on Dimensional Rifts.
Whether driven by her original goal of returning home, a desire to unravel the mysteries of the rifts, or even the hope of finding a way to save the world, studying Dimensional Rifts was inevitable.
It seemed that researching the Dimensional Rift might actually accelerate the impending disaster. Even so, Herta had no intention of abandoning her research.
If she stopped, she might live for another three years. If she continued, her lifespan would be reduced to one year, but there was a chance of finding a solution. Faced with such a choice, Herta didn't know what others would do, but she was certain of her own decision.
Herta glanced at the System:
Beautiful Girl Masquerade System at your service
Host: Mu Heng
Current Identities: Robin, Firefly, Sparkle, Elysia, Lingsha, Herta
Current Objectives: Songstress (Completed), Iron Cavalry (Completed), Elation (Completed), True Self (Completed), Healer (Completed), Genius (2.05%)
Her current System Mission was "Genius," and it was no exaggeration to say that this was the most challenging of all her Identities. After nearly a month, she had only managed to complete about two percent.
The fate of a genius was to overcome one insurmountable problem after another, and this System Mission was no different. The greatest challenge currently facing Herta was undoubtedly the Dimensional Rift.
This meant that until she resolved this crisis, she wouldn't be able to draw new Identities from the System or gain additional support.
In short, they had one year to find a way out of their predicament, relying solely on their current abilities.
Little Herta rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. The room fell silent until a soft "grumble" drew the attention of both Little Herta and Elysia.
The Prophet, her cheeks flushed slightly, murmured, "I think I'm a little hungry... Elysia, do you... do you have anything to eat?"
It's worth noting that Elysia's unusual quietness during this time stemmed from the earlier discussion about the difficulty of writing with both hands. With two versions of herself pondering the same problem, Elysia's mental resources and focus had inevitably become concentrated on Little Herta's side.
In other words, Elysia had completely zoned out and started slacking off. The Prophet's request snapped her back to reality, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! What would you like to eat?"
The Prophet blinked in surprise. "Can I... can I choose?"
In the end, Elysia conjured up a jianbing guozi, a popular street food from the Dragon Nation. The Prophet eagerly took the treat and began devouring it with small, swift bites.
She took bite after bite, her cheeks puffing out slightly like a little hamster, making her look inexplicably adorable.
Previously, the Prophet had always maintained the aloof demeanor of a detached mystic, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs. In truth, her detachment stemmed from the debilitating side effects of her Ability. Her body had long been drained of vitality, sustained solely by the energy of this flower field.
Like a hospital patient sustained by intravenous fluids, she hadn't needed to eat or drink. Now, this might be her first proper meal in years.
"Goo...good!" the Prophet mumbled indistinctly.
"Take your time. Here's some water," Elysia said, handing her another bottle, worried she might choke.
Ten minutes later, the Prophet finally finished eating and drinking. After taking the last sip of water, she turned toward Little Herta. Gripping the edge of the coffin, she braced herself... then began to tremble violently.
"What are you trying to do?" Little Herta raised an eyebrow.
"I... I wanted to stand up and bow," the Prophet said, her voice confused. "But... I don't think I can stand anymore."
After a quick examination, Little Herta declared, "Hmm, not a major issue. The potion still has some flaws. It healed you, but not completely—just paralyzed from the waist down."
Compared to death, paralysis seemed like a minor inconvenience. Unable to stand, the Prophet lowered her head and pleaded, "Madam Herta, though I don't know your origins, I beg you... will you help this world?"
While the Prophet couldn't foresee Herta's future, she could perceive her present. She knew Herta's true form resided in Great Britain and knew her name.
Though uncertain of Herta's exact power, the mere fact that Herta had revived her, coupled with the Prophet's inability to glimpse her future, convinced her that this woman might be the greatest variable in the face of impending disaster.
To this, Little Herta replied without hesitation, "Sure."
"Whatever you require, I'll do my b— huh?" The Prophet blinked in stunned disbelief, completely unprepared for such a straightforward agreement.
Just as the Prophet was about to elaborate, Herta Puppet No. 017 suddenly announced, "Madam Herta has gone offline. Please wait before continuing."
The Prophet blinked in confusion. "What?"
The perspective shifts back to Herta Herself. She reclines in her chair, her black-stockinged legs crossed and propped up on the table, twirling a pen in her hand.
While researching Dimensional Rifts remained an unavoidable hurdle, knowing that the very act of researching them might accelerate disaster, she was reconsidering her priorities. Before delving deeper into that project, she decided to focus on acquiring resources to enhance her combat capabilities.