Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Stelle stood on the elevator, gazing at the massive, devastated chamber before her. The scene was chaotic, littered with puddles of unidentified liquid and shattered fragments of unknown devices. The constant electrical hum filled her ears, plunging her into deep thought.
"What a huge room... I never knew the Space Station had such a vast, empty space..." she murmured, her uneasy premonition growing stronger with each passing moment.
Ding-dong~
With a chime, the elevator reached its destination.
"Hmm..."
Despite the elevator's arrival, Stelle remained rooted to the spot, hesitating to take a single step forward.
Huff...
Realizing that standing still wouldn't solve anything, Stelle took a deep breath and slowly approached the center of the massive circular chamber, where a pile of unidentified liquid and broken machinery lay scattered.
Whatever her foreboding premonition might be, she reminded herself, with Sister Lumina here on the Space Station, everything would surely be alright.
With Sister Lumina here, I can unleash a hundred times my usual strength!
That's what Stelle thought to herself.
What Stelle didn't realize was that at that moment, Ruan Mei and Lumina were observing her through a window from a high-platform observation post as she slowly approached the center.
"I've sealed off this entire area," Lumina said gently to Ruan Mei, her expression alight with anticipation. "No matter how much commotion she makes, nothing outside this zone will be affected."
"Mm, thank you," Ruan Mei replied with a slight nod, silently noting Lumina's favor in her heart.
Whether this experiment succeeds or fails, it will be of immense value to me...
Therefore, whatever "reward" Lumina ultimately requests, Ruan Mei will agree to it.
Lumina's reputation is universally renowned, so Ruan Mei wasn't worried she'd make any unreasonable demands...
Lumina: Eehee~?
"The Swarm King has appeared," Ruan Mei announced, her expression suddenly turning serious as a massive aura erupted from the giant disk.
She focused intently on Stelle displayed on the disk, her slender fingers moving swiftly, as if recording experimental data.
Seeing this, Lumina didn't continue speaking. She watched Stelle on the field, still clueless about what awaited her, and a mischievous smile crept across Lumina's face.
Hmm... this is the perfect opportunity to test the power boost the ring grants Stelle... Lumina mused inwardly.
Speaking of which, that girl Stelle is such an airhead. I bet she'll completely forget about the ring that grants her temporary Emanator-level power in the heat of battle...
The more Lumina pondered this, the more convinced she became of this possibility.
Oh well, I'll just quietly step in to protect her...
This is how it shall be, Lumina thought to herself.
Although Stelle was merely a lab rat in this experiment, she was, after all, an irresistibly cute and beautiful girl.
Naturally, Lumina couldn't bear to let such a precious creature suffer even a scratch.
"You—I'll call you Little Swarm for now—give it your all! Use every trick in your arsenal!"
"But you absolutely cannot harm a single hair on her head. If you do, I'll crush your skull on the spot. Understand?"
With this thought, Lumina's gaze fell upon the Simulated Swarm King, poised to deliver a devastating Emanator-level shock to the child before her.
Simulated Swarm King: ???
Upon hearing its creator's contradictory instructions, the Simulated Swarm King froze mid-action.
Use my full power, but don't harm a single hair? Isn't that asking the impossible... no, asking the impossible of a bug?
The young Swarm King, barely a few hours old, immediately sank into deep contemplation upon receiving its client's absurd demand.
Forget it. I'll just scare her first.
That's what the Simulated Swarm King decided.