[Wait, wait, wait! Isn't there something off about Lumina's photo?!]
[Himeko and Dr. Ratio's photos were Light Cone illustrations. Does that mean Lumina's and the others' might be too?]
[Oh no, there's a knife! Run!]
[Version 1.6 is already promoting Penacony from Version 2.0. Is it because a VIP will die in Version 1.7, preventing them from going to Penacony, so they're hyping it up early? (Angry)]
[Hold on, Light Cones can be misleading too. What if Lumina's tear streaks are from being moved to tears?]
The live stream audience had been watching the Penacony invited guests promotional video with rapt attention, but Lumina's final photo sent a chill down most viewers' spines, their hopes plummeting to absolute zero.
Still, some refused to believe the photo, dismissing it as "photoshop trickery" as they desperately tried to convince themselves and deceive their own hearts.
-
"Looks like the response is pretty good."
Inside Lumina's private room on the Herta Space Station, Asta had prepared a special room for her.
Lumina lay sprawled on the bed, hugging a pink body pillow. Her long, exquisitely sculpted legs, like flawless jade, swung rhythmically in the air. Her dazzling, flower-like emerald eyes stared intently at her phone screen, her flawless face graced with a faint smile, as if she had just seen something delightful.
"Even though blades evoke sadness, tears, and empathy... But! As the one wielding the blade, I only feel joy."
Watching the official Penacony invitation video, Lumina noted that within just a few minutes, over a thousand comments had already flooded in.
Some comments expressed longing for Penacony, the Land of Dreams, and eagerness for Version 2.0 to be released immediately. Others raved about the new husbandos and waifus, declaring their desperate desire to pull them all with full Eidelons.
Of course, many more were filled with an ominous premonition upon seeing Lumina's Light Cone.
[You seem pretty impatient too. Why not just release Penacony now?]
[No way! We gotta pull Ruan Mei and Lumina first, then get Ratio, and then head to Penacony! (starry-eyed)]
[Panting... Panting... My husband Aventurine, my husband Sunday... Panting... Panting... My wives Robin, Firefly, Acheron! ԅ(♡'♡ԅ)]
[Looks like Duke Inferno still has some charm left...]
[No! No! Please, don't stab Lumina! I'll do anything if you just spare her! (twisted, dark writhing, screaming and crawling)]
[(Stab stab stab) See this blade in my hand? If you dare kill off Lumina, I'll storm your headquarters and stab the Planner myself! (smiling)]
[While pinning the blame on the Planner isn't exactly ethical, I can't explain this strange sense of satisfaction bubbling up inside me.]
Reading these comments, Lumina silently mourned for the Planner for a fleeting 0.1 seconds. But immediately after, she savored the thought of the Planner being buried under an avalanche of online hate after the tragic plot twist...
At this thought, a slightly wicked smile crept across Lumina's face.
[You're acting like a villain right now...]
Noticing the change in Lumina's expression, the System couldn't help but retort.
"A villain?" Lumina chuckled softly, reading the System's message on the screen.
"Yes, I am a villain, a bad woman~"
"So..."
Lumina paused slightly, her voice dripping with allure as she continued, "So... do you like me, this bad woman?"
[ Uh... ] Hearing Lumina's alluring voice, the System was fortunate to be incorporeal, lacking senses of sight and touch, and not physically present beside her...
Otherwise, it might have instantly succumbed to her charm.
"You're really quite boring," Lumina remarked, realizing this and abandoning her attempt to tease the System.
Just as she had suspected, without a physical body or proximity, many of her effects were greatly diminished.
For instance, even though it was a skill with 100% control, because it wasn't physically present and could only communicate through Lumina's phone, that perfect control dwindled to just 10% or even 1%...
If the target were March 7th or Asta, they'd likely be instantly controlled, break into silly giggles, and ultimately enter their own version of paradise...
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
Just as Lumina was thinking this, the doorbell began ringing incessantly throughout the room.
Seeing this, Lumina could easily guess who it was. The Astral Express hadn't arrived at the Space Station yet, leaving only one person who would knock on her door late at night...
Without hesitation, she walked over and opened the door.
"Sister Lumina, you're still awake, right...?"
As soon as the door opened, a pink-haired young girl radiating cuteness stood before Lumina.
Clutching a pale green pillow in her arms, Asta's clean, pretty face was etched with anxiety as she cautiously asked Lumina, who had appeared before her, "Sister Lumina, I... I hope I'm not disturbing your rest?"
She feared her presence might disturb Lumina's rest.
As Lumina had anticipated, the visitor was indeed Asta.
"Not at all! I was just finishing a book. You've come at the perfect time, Asta," Lumina replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement at Asta's adorable nervousness. Seeing the pale green pillow in Asta's arms, Lumina instantly understood her true purpose. To maintain her perfect image in Asta's eyes, Lumina boldly began to spin a tall tale, her eyes wide and innocent.
[[Reading a book (×) Browsing her phone (√)]]
"Hmph?" Lumina completely ignored the System's correction, her gaze fixed on the young girl before her, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
"Phew... That's a relief," Asta sighed in relief, but her anxious expression returned almost instantly. "Um... Sister Lumina... I... I..."
Asta's voice faltered, her cheeks gradually flushing pink. It seemed the question she had come to ask Lumina in the middle of the night was proving difficult to voice.
"Did your bed collapse, Asta?" Lumina smiled gently, noticing Asta's trembling and stammering. Deciding to lend her a hand, she spoke softly, effectively paving the way for Asta's future ambitions to bloom like the grand roads of Rome.
"Mhm! Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!" Asta, no fool, immediately understood that her dear Sister Lumina was offering her a way out... No, wait, a way up!
Her small head bobbed frantically like a chick pecking at grain as she nodded vigorously. Her heart warmed at Lumina's words.
Waaah... Sister Lumina is so kind!
Asta screamed inwardly, completely transforming into a miniature version of Sister Lumina herself.
If Lumina's System were a favorability system, it would undoubtedly display a continuous stream of "[Favorability +∞]" icons popping up above Asta's head.
As for why her favorability rating was +∞? Naturally, it was because Asta's affection for her beloved Sister Lumina was boundless!
"In that case, Asta can sleep in my room," Lumina said.
"The bed is huge; it could easily fit five or six people."
Asta clutched her pillow, and Lumina knew exactly what she wanted. Instead of refusing, Lumina actively invited her in.
"Really?!" Asta exclaimed, her voice bursting with delight.
"Hmm... alright, then."
But in the next moment, Asta realized she had lost her composure. Anxious not to leave a bad impression on her beloved Sister Lumina, she quickly suppressed her joy, feigning a "well, I guess I have no choice" demeanor as she reluctantly agreed to Lumina's offer.
What Asta likely didn't realize was that her current expression nearly made Lumina burst out laughing on the spot.
"Come in, then. Don't just stand in the doorway."
Seeing this, Lumina chose not to call her out directly. Such a cute and silly Asta is quite endearing too, she thought.
Without another word, Lumina stepped aside, allowing Asta to pass through the doorway into the room.
"Mn-hmm!" Asta nodded furiously, like a chick pecking at grain, clutching her white-green pillow as she eagerly entered, her face brimming with curiosity.
Click!
As soon as Asta stepped inside, Lumina gently waved her hand, closing the door behind her...
-
SpyNote- What? They are just sleeping u weirdos. Just Standard Roommate things.