Turning off the water, she scrubbed her body with a towel before picking up the bathrobe nearby and draping it over her shoulders. Once the belt was tied, Cipher finally opened her eyes and murmured to herself.
"A bath really makes things feel a lot better, but while I was actually washing... it was a bit... uncomfortable..."
Cipher tugged at her robe and retreated to her room as if she were fleeing from something. Upon entering, she noticed several unopened packages of clothes and a hairdryer already laid out on her bed. She stepped forward to sift through the garments, discovering that they even included women's underwear.
Her face flushed once more at the sight. However, given what she had already been through, she adapted quickly. She tore open the packaging and pulled on the undergarments.
After dressing, she felt a wave of exhaustion. She set the hairdryer aside and collapsed onto the bed. Even though her tail, ears, and hair were still damp, she ignored them for the moment, letting her mind wander into a maze of scattered thoughts.
'The Backcurrent Alliance was driven off for now, and the system update was a success. But why did things go wrong on Luo Lin's side?'
'It has only been three days since I arrived here. One disaster after another... when will it ever end?'
Cipher felt a prickle of irritability. She couldn't think of a better solution than to wait for Luo Lin and the others to wake up so she could ask them exactly what happened. Ultimately, her raw power was still lacking. Even if she was a Demigod, she was essentially just a character with an "overpowered kit" and nothing more.
'Sigh... I wonder what I'll get if I actually pull a gold? I've only done thirty pulls so far. I'm at least forty away from the pity...'
Cipher let out a silent sigh, though it was unclear whether she was frustrated by the forty-pull gap or simply harboring a deep-seated hatred for the cursed pity mechanics of the gacha system.
'Let's focus on making money first. I'll use the funds for pulls, and once I hit a gold, I'll see what to do next.'
'I should go ask Xiao Ran about the Stellar Jades—wait, the Credits. Although I only have about 1.3 million left...'
With that thought, Cipher bolted upright and headed toward the living room. She had a clear goal for the short term; now, she just needed to execute it.
Upon entering the living room, Cipher immediately spotted Lu Zhaoran sitting there, buried in a book.
"Big Sis, you're dressed."
"Yeah... all done."
"By the way, Xiao Ran, what was with that sudden three-million transfer to my account? Did you move your entire life savings over?"
Lu Zhaoran looked up to greet her, and Cipher responded instinctively before bringing up the matter of the Credits. Lu Zhaoran didn't seem surprised by the question. She nodded and replied:
"When I was facing off against the Backcurrent Alliance at the warehouse, I felt a lingering aura of death. I suspected you were in danger out there."
"I was pinned down by the people in the warehouse and couldn't get out. But then I remembered you saying that the more Credits you have, the stronger you become. So, I transferred all my Credits to your terminal."
"So that was it..."
Cipher realized the truth, finally understanding why Lu Zhaoran had sent the money.
"And those two? Did they sell?"
"They did. The buyer was very straightforward. They didn't even blink before handing over two million."
"Two... two million! And they paid without hesitating?!"
At the mention of that figure, Cipher's eyes practically turned into the shape of gold coins. To pull from the gacha, she needed to earn massive amounts of money. How to earn it and where to find it had been her primary concerns.
Now, she thought she knew exactly where to go.
"Uh... Sister Cipher? Are you okay?"
Seeing Cipher standing frozen to the spot, Lu Zhaoran asked hesitantly, unsure of what was happening.
"I'm fantastic!" Cipher snapped out of her trance and answered with visible excitement.
"Because I just thought of a brilliant way to get rich!"
With that, Cipher spun around and marched toward the study. Just as she stepped inside, she remembered she hadn't returned the money yet. She poked her head back out and shouted to the bewildered Lu Zhaoran:
"Xiao Ran! I still have a use for those Credits you transferred, so I'll return a portion for now and treat the rest as a loan. I'll pay you back in full once I've made my fortune!"
She tapped her terminal to transfer 300,000 back, leaving herself with the one million required to acquire the "Amphoreus Butterfly" ability. Then, she opened the secret passage and headed down into the basement.
Reaching the basement, Cipher walked straight to where Shen Yan was located.
"Hey, Boss Shen, wake up."
She shook the sleeping man, but he didn't budge.
"Is Xiao Ran's drug still in effect? I guess I'll have to ask her how to snap him out of it," Cipher muttered, frowning at the unresponsive man.
She returned to the living room and explained the situation to Lu Zhaoran.
"I can wake him, but I injected three or four vials to make sure he stayed under. Even with the antidote, it would probably take over an hour for him to wake up."
"An hour?"
Cipher wasn't satisfied with that answer. There was a saying: if you aren't proactive about making money, there's something wrong with your head. The thought of waiting over an hour to start her get-rich-quick scheme was agonizing.
But if even the creator of the drug couldn't wake him quickly, she could only... wait, there was another way.
'Can I tell a lie about being able to wake him instantly, then spend money to have the system turn that lie into reality?'
At this thought, Cipher hurried back to the basement. She looked at the unconscious Shen Yan and whispered a lie:
"I have the power to make this man wake up instantly."
5,000 Credits consumed. The lie has become reality. The effect will expire after the target is awakened or after ten minutes have passed.
The moment the text appeared, Cipher felt a strange, surging power gather in her palm.
"It worked!"
Feeling the power in her hand, Cipher beamed with joy. She looked at the slumbering Shen Yan, then back at her palm, and was suddenly struck by a doubt.
"Wait, how exactly am I supposed to wake him with this?"