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The fourth entity was left behind; only a single name remained missing from the list.
Advancing through the sulfur-scented, hot corridor, Robert's mind was no different from a battlefield. That intense interaction with Lavi, bordering on drug addiction, had consumed his body and will. The Fire Spirit's satiated purrs, Shara's tragic whispers, Eleni's momentary awakening, and Aselia's clingy, childlike affection... They all rang inside his head as distinct voices, separate needs. Although only hours had passed, he felt as if he had spent months, perhaps years, in this pink and red hell. Time possessed a different texture here; it flowed brutally fast, yet stretched into eternity during every moment of interaction.
The door that appeared at the end of the crimson tunnel was distinct from the others; it was neither pink nor red. From its surface, hewn from smooth, polished, dark amethyst stone, leaked static energy resembling a storm trapped within. The stifling heat of the air had vanished, replaced by an electrically charged, cool atmosphere mixed with ozone and a distant scent of lavender.
The absence of an 'X' mark on it was proof that the fifth and final female was inside. He placed his hand on the cool, vibrating stone. The gate slid open to the side with a silent hum.
His breath was taken away the moment he stepped across the threshold.
This was a massive domed chamber, completely disconnected from Eleni's mechanical field or Shara's semi-natural, semi-industrial den. The ceiling was so high that it was lost in the depths of a purple twilight. The walls were built of the same polished amethyst stone, and silvery, complex geometric patterns roamed across them, constantly moving like the pathways of a circuit board. The air was sharp and ice-cold.
But the dominant element of the space rose directly ahead.
At the far end of the room, atop a stepped platform made of polished black obsidian, stood a throne. The seat, carved from a massive, uncut piece of crystal, was the deepest, darkest shade of purple, and a faint light leaked from within it, matching the silvery patterns in the room.
The silhouette sitting on the throne was the embodiment of absolute authority and arrogance in every manner and stance; a queen. She sat with her legs crossed, turned sideways as if to display her long limbs. Her outfit resembled a nightmarish combination of armor and a ball gown. The breastplate, pauldrons, and gauntlets of the dark bronze segmented armor that hugged her body like a second skin possessed sharp, almost cruel lines. However, this metallic structure transformed into a heavy, dark purple velvet skirt from her hips down, spreading across the steps.
Her harsh, aristocratic facial features were complemented by full, damson-colored lips curled in a cynical smile. Her eyes, lazily scanning the surroundings, held a darkness that rivaled the depths of the throne's crystal. The faint lines at the corners of her eyes whispered that she loved to laugh, but that this joy was usually fed by the suffering of others. Her bright, metallic silver hair, cascading over her shoulders, was gathered in a complex braided bun at the nape of her neck.
The woman's entire presence left an impression of "iron." It wasn't just her muscular build visible beneath the armor; her aura resembled an unbendable, cold metal.
Pausing for a moment at the entrance, Robert immediately sensed how different the energy he faced was from the others. It was unlike Berilda's artificial warmth, Eleni's mechanical awakening, Aselia's innocence, or Lavi's wild desire. The power before him was pure, controlling, and mocking. His instincts screamed that this would be the toughest test in the Tower.
His footsteps echoing in the massive silence, he walked toward the throne.
When he arrived in front of the platform, the Queen slowly lifted her silvery head. Her deep purple eyes scanned Robert with a contemptuous slowness, as if inspecting an insect.
"Hello," said Robert; his voice came out louder than he expected, so as not to be lost in this vast void.
The woman's lips twisted into a cold smile. Her voice sounded fuller than the deepest note of a cello, as sharp as a diamond rubbing against velvet. "So, the system has finally sent the last, little, tainted rat it could scrape from the corridors into my lair."
Robert frowned at the insult. "I am Robert. And I am not a rat."
"Ah, but you are," Semira replied, lazily running her hand along the armrest of the throne. "You just... smell a bit more interesting than the others, Robert." She tilted her head slightly, pretending to sniff. "There is the crackle of fire on you, the bitterness of sand, that sweet purity of stardust, and... yes... the salt of a mechanical tear. What a busy rat you've been."
The man froze, realizing the woman knew, or even felt, all his interactions with the others.
"I am Queen Semira," she said, shifting her crossed legs. The metal of her armored boots made a thudding sound against the stone. "And this is my 'little box.' Tell me, little rat, why do you disturb the queen's peace with your dirty feet?"
DING!
[+50 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: ???/???)]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 1 / 10]
[New Actions Unlocked: Comprehensive Chat (Challenge)]
Knowing he had to play along, Robert's fatigue gave way to a cold and stubborn anger. "I see," he said in a tone as distant as Semira's, "The Council has reserved someone whose ego is larger than the room itself for the final test."
Pausing for a moment at the unexpected retort, Semira then let out a boisterous laugh that shook the dome of the room. "Hahaha! Brave! A very brave rat! I like it!"
Maintaining his stance, Robert continued: "I didn't come here to play games, Queen. I have a mission. I need to reach Level 7 with the fifth female. And apparently, that happens to be you."
Cutting her laughter like a knife, Semira's face instantly took on an expression as hard as iron. "Level 7? Just... like that? Did you think you would come to me and perform those little, pathetic tricks you did with the others? That you would kiss me, lick me, or... grope me?"
Realizing once again that she knew everything, Robert swallowed. "I will do whatever is necessary."
Semira slowly rose from her throne. She was almost as tall as Karnah, but unlike her warm, muscular build, Semira resembled a slender, hard, metallic statue. As she descended the steps, every movement of her armor emitted a silent hiss. "So boring, little rat," she said, beginning to circle Robert. "This Tower is not a 'Palace of Pleasure.' This is the 'Border of Sanity and Madness.' And I... I am that very border."
Watching her movements carefully, Robert asked: "What do you mean?"
Standing right behind him, the woman's breath was on his neck; cold and smelling of lavender. "The others you met were just 'levels.' Simple programs designed to test your basic desires, echoes, broken toys..."
"Eleni... Shara... they felt real," Robert objected.
"Reality!" hissed Semira, stepping in front of him again. Her face was only inches from Robert's, and a cold fire burned within those deep purple eyes. "Reality is whatever I allow it to be, Robert. I am not a prisoner of this Tower, I am the Administrator of the level. I am the one who watches the other 539 rats lose their minds, scream, and beg."
Slowly grasping the truth, the young man said, "So... you aren't an AI."
"I am the only one who came to this Tower like you but succeeded," Semira replied proudly. "I passed the test. My reward was this kingdom, this immortal iron body. I am the will of the Council. I am the gatekeeper of this pink hell."
"Then why are you here? Why are you part of my mission?"
That provocative smile appeared on her face again. "Because you are different, Robert. You are a 'Dream Bender.' The others played by the Tower's rules. You, however, are trying to rewrite the rules, to 'awaken' their souls. The system doesn't like that. But I... I like it very much."
"So... you're testing me?"
"No, little rat," said Semira. "I want to taste you. I want to see how strong your mind is, how close to madness it is. You want Level 7? Then you will have to earn it. Not by talking. By playing."
Following her final words, a notification echoed in Robert's mind.
DING!
[+1500 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 2 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Border of Sanity and Madness (Special Test)]
Robert looked at the new lock in the interface with surprise. Rather than a simple list of actions like the previous ones, this was a game selection screen. "Mirror Labyrinth," "Texture of Time," "The Drowning Room," and at the very bottom... "Dark Light."
Seeing Robert looking at the menu, Queen Semira laughed. Her cold laughter echoed off the purple walls of the room. "If you want to reach me, Robert... first you must navigate the labyrinths of my mind. Choose one. Choose... your madness."
To Robert, who hesitated for a moment, they all seemed like traps. However, "Dark Light" sounded the most familiar, the option closest to his own Dream Bender nature. Light and darkness... This was his playground.
Focusing mentally on the "Dark Light" option, he confirmed it.
Following his choice, the smile on Queen Semira's face evolved into a savage grin. "A brave decision... and the deadliest."
Immediately after, the world dissolved.
The walls of the purple crystal throne room began to flow and melt like a watercolor painting. The ceiling opened up like a starless sky. Only an absolute, bottomless, all-consuming darkness remained. When the polished obsidian floor beneath him slipped away, Robert felt his stomach lurch as he fell into the void.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing, but on nothing. He was surrounded by pitch-black, tangible darkness. There were no walls, no ceiling, no floor; only an infinite, black void.
Within this nothingness, far away, hazy red dots were glowing. At irregular intervals, they pulsed faintly like dim stars at the other end of the universe.
Just then, Queen Semira's voice echoed not from a single direction, but from everywhere; from inside his mind and from the non-existent walls. "If you want to reach me, Traveler... you must overcome these obstacles."
Obstacles? Robert looked around; the only thing he could see was emptiness.
DING!
[Added to Inventory: Grappling Hook (x1)]
He quickly snapped his fingers to open the interface. He selected the shiny, metallic hook icon that appeared in his inventory. Like the crystal flower he had given Aselia earlier, this tool instantly materialized in his hand. It wasn't a simple hook; it was a high-tech mechanism with a hilt that fit his hand perfectly and three sharp claws at the tip.
Then the terrible warning appeared. An urgent notification flashing red on the interface:
[WARNING: 'BORDER OF SANITY AND MADNESS' TEST ACTIVE!]
[RULE: Falling into the void during this test will cause your Main Player Level (Level 2) to drop to 1 AND all relationship progress with Queen Semira to RESET!]
[This is a non-lethal but CRITICAL failure.]
Robert's blood ran cold. Dropping a level would take him back to the very beginning. Resetting the relationship with Semira could make the mission impossible. He had no time.
He slowly looked at the black void. Then, he focused on those pale red dots in the distance. Perhaps the hook locked onto those targets.
He raised the tool in his hand, aiming at the nearest red dot that seemed hundreds of meters away. His heart was beating as if to puncture his rib cage. This was different from Lavi's fake fireball or Eleni's reset. It was real, and the cost of failure was too high.
Taking a deep breath, "Alright Queen," he whispered into the void. "Let's play your game."
He pulled the trigger.
In the middle of absolute, bottomless darkness, Robert was alone with the cold metallic "Grappling Hook" that had just appeared in his hand. There was no surface around him to hold onto. Only an infinite nothingness and in the depths of that nothingness, pale, red, pulsing dots winking from the other end of the universe...
"If you fall... Main Player Level drops to 1... Relationship RESETS."
The ruthless warning echoed in his mind like a bell. It didn't resemble Lavi's harmless fire game; it literally meant the erasure of all his progress in this pink hell, those manipulative hours, Eleni's awakening, Aselia's trust, Shara's tragedy... everything. Failure was a worse option than death; it meant starting everything all over again.
His heart fluttered like a panicked bird trapped in his rib cage. He gripped the metal hilt tightly with his sweating palm. "Alright Queen," he said, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. "Let's play your game."
Squinting, he focused on that red dot, glowing faintly like a target board, nearest but still seemingly hundreds of meters away. He gathered all his will; remembering the sleepless nights in his lab at Oakhaven, the impossible equations, and those moments of focus.
He pressed the trigger.
With a hissing sound, the three metal claws at its tip opened and the tool shot forward from his arm. The thin, silvery, glittering metal cable it left behind extended silently into the pitch darkness. The mechanism traveled in a straight line for a while, as if it would go on forever. Then, Robert's hand was violently jerked by the sudden stop of the tool.
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking crystal created a strange echo in the void. The hook had locked onto the target.
In the next moment, his feet were cut from the invisible ground. The mechanism pulled him forward with massive force. Gritting his teeth to keep from screaming, the man's body was flung like a rag doll into the darkness toward the red dot. Having completely lost his balance, he was spinning in the air like a bullet. Instinctively, he threw his other hand onto the hilt, hanging on with both hands. He felt his arms stretch as if they were about to be torn from their sockets.
The air—or whatever that current in the void was—roared in his ears like a storm. The red dot grew rapidly, turning from light into a solid object. It was a small, circular platform made of the same purple crystal as in the throne room, and he was about to crash into it.
At the last moment, he pulled his legs in and slammed onto the hard crystal floor on his chest. His breath was knocked out, his ribs ached, but he was alive. He hadn't fallen. Quickly clinging to the slippery surface, he pulled himself onto the platform.
For a few seconds, he lay there with his face pressed against the cold surface of the crystal, breathing rapidly. He had succeeded. He had taken the first step.
DING!
[+500 Player Experience Points Gained!]
This was the highest score he had received from a single action so far. The Queen was generous but also ruthless.
When he gathered himself and stood up, he noticed the landscape around him had changed.
The absolute, uniform darkness was gone. The moment he arrived on the platform, as if a switch had been flipped, new structures appeared within the void. With a low, humming sound, narrow paths of purple crystal, vertical walls, and labyrinth-like passages began to rise out of the nothingness. The other red dots in the distance were now placed at key points of this newly formed impossible architecture.
This was inside Queen Semira's mind. A labyrinth built upon a cold, complex, geometric, and bottomless void.
He saw the next red dot. There was a chasm of at least a hundred meters in between, and no other way appeared. He raised the hook again and aimed. He fired. CLANG!
He let himself into the void again. This time he was more prepared. Using the pulling force, he swung like a pendulum, jumping from platform to platform. Every successful jump, every risky maneuver caused hundreds of experience points to flow in the interface.
+500 XP... +600 XP...
The process had turned into a dangerous dance rather than a progression. He threw the hook at a wall, pulled himself up, then bounced off the wall to a narrow ledge opposite. He had no luxury of making mistakes. With every move, he tried not to look at the infinite, dark void beneath him; that depth was calling him, hypnotizing him.
After several minutes of intense climbing and swinging, after overcoming a particularly difficult obstacle requiring two jumps, he heard that familiar, satisfying sound.
DING! DING!
[+2000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 3 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Queen's Crown (Special Action)]
Another level up. "Queen's Crown". What was this? He wanted to open the interface and look, but at that exact moment, the crystal platform he landed on began to vibrate with a warning sound. It was cracking!
There was no time. He looked at the next red dot. This time the target was different; it was at the top of a massive, vertical wall. He threw the hook, the metal claws embedded in the crystal, and he began to pull himself up.
As he climbed, he heard the Queen's mocking voice again. "You're fast, little rat. But are you fast enough?"
Robert didn't understand what she was talking about. Until he saw a massive, block-shaped piece of the wall surface he was climbing begin to slide outward with a groan. A giant piston was emerging from the vertical wall as if pushed by an invisible hand!
He swung to the side in horror. The piston crushed the spot where he had just been. But this wasn't a single one. The wall had turned into a living death trap. Rising and falling, sliding left and right, giant crystal blocks had started moving to crush him and fling him into the bottomless void.
This was a rhythm game. He waited for a block to retract, threw his hook into that gap, pulled himself. Then he memorized the movement of the adjacent block, unhooked just as it retracted, and threw it to the next one. Sweat was filling his eyes. His arms ached as if they would break from constantly hanging.
Finally, he reached the top of the piston wall. He threw himself onto a narrow platform. He could only catch his breath for a few seconds. The next stage of the test stood before him.
This was a wide, open area. No platforms. No walls. There was only a ledge with a red dot—the destination—on it, about three hundred meters away on the opposite side. The gap between the two platforms... was different. It wasn't neutral like in the pink corridors. The air rippled and hummed slightly as if over an invisible heat source. This was that "magnetic-like" field.
Semira's voice echoed again. "Be careful, little rat. Some voids are hungrier than others. They can pull not just your body, but your soul."
He raised the hook, aimed at the red dot opposite, and fired. As the hook passed through the rippling field, he saw the silvery cable it left behind suddenly bend by an invisible force. The cable stretched like a bow. When the hook hit the target, it started pulling Robert.
However, this wasn't a straight pull. The magnetic field was diverting Robert from his course, dragging him sideways toward that open, bottomless void. He screamed. He clung to the cable with his arms, but his body was caught in the invisible current like a leaf. He was going to fall. He was going to be reset.
In panic, he did the only thing that came to mind. He didn't let go of the hook, but pressed the trigger again, hoping the device had a second firing mode. And... it worked! A second hook shot out from the side of the hilt. With desperate hope, he aimed at another red dot inside that diverting field—a smaller one he hadn't noticed until then.
CLANG! The second hook also locked onto the target.
Now he was connected to two different cables. One pulling him left, toward the void; the other right, toward a safe ledge. His body was painfully stretched between these two opposing forces. Robert used this tension. Just like a slingshot... He released the mechanism of the hook on the left, the one pulling him into the void.
Freed from the tension, his body was catapulted with massive "G" force toward the point of the hook on the right. Like a slingshot stone. He was so fast that when he hit the opposite platform, he slid on the crystal surface and nearly fell off the other side. At the last moment, his fingers grabbed the edge of the platform.
DING! DING! DING!
[+4000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 4 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Conspiracy Chain (Special Test)]
Breathless, Robert pulled himself onto the platform. His vision was darkening, but he had succeeded; he had crossed the magnetic void.
And ahead, he saw the end of the labyrinth.
Floating alone in the middle of the dark void was a perfect pyramid made of massive, smooth purple crystal. A calm, soft, inviting light leaked from its surface.
Raising his hook one last time with arms trembling from exhaustion, he aimed at the top of the pyramid and fired.
The final journey was calm. Neither magnetic fields nor pistons; just a soft pull toward the safe haven. The moment he set foot on the wide platform at the base of the pyramid, all the lights of the chaotic labyrinth behind him went out. The humming in his ear ceased, replaced by a deep, meditative hum radiating from the pyramid.
This was a safe zone.
Leaning his back against the cool, smooth surface of the pyramid, Robert let himself slide to the ground. He closed his eyes. His arms, cramped from gripping the metal hilt, had gone numb. His body trembled with adrenaline and fear, but he was alive. And he had reached Level 4.
He sat for a few minutes just breathing, listening to the soothing hum. Then, wearily snapping his fingers, he opened the interface. He had time; it was time to decipher the meaning of the new locks.
[Queen's Crown (Special Action - Level 3)]
Description: The act of entering Queen Semira's mental space and temporarily questioning her 'coronation' (leadership). This initiates a battle of wills with her. Winning grants massive experience points and permanent 'Respect' points. Losing brings a penalty of 'Humiliation' and a permanent drop in relationship level.
The young man swallowed when he read the definition. "This... this is madness," he whispered. "A battle of wills with her? Not yet. Definitely not now."
Then he focused on the second lock.
[Conspiracy Chain (Special Test - Level 4)]
Description: A series of dialogue and puzzle-based tests designed to uncover the 'conspiracies' in Queen Semira's past. Success is the key to gaining her trust and revealing some of the Tower's deepest secrets. Failure creates a permanent state of 'Distrust' and damages the relationship irreparably.
Robert stared at the screen. The Tower didn't just expect him to be a lover or a player; it wanted him to be an acrobat, a warrior, a psychologist, and a conspirator. And this was only the fifth woman.
He looked at the top of the pyramid. At the peak, the next red dot was pulsing and shining like a lighthouse. The rest period was over. The test... continued.
Forcing his muscles aching from fatigue, he stood up. He looked at the smooth, sloping surface of the pyramid. Climbing to the top seemed impossible, but that light at the peak had to be the end of the madness.
He raised the hook again and aimed at the highest point.
He pressed the trigger. CLANG!
The claws locked onto the crystal at the peak. Robert let himself into the void one last time.
This was the longest pull. He soared through the air from the base of the pyramid toward its peak. As he accelerated, the dark void around him began to change and melt again.
The purple crystal walls returned, the black obsidian floor appeared. The architecture of the room rapidly reformed around Robert. He found himself flying at massive speed toward the magnificent throne room he had first entered.
And right in front of him, Queen Semira sat on her throne.
But he knew this was an illusion. The image was flickering. The Queen was looking at him and laughing her cold, mocking laugh. Just as Robert was about to crash into that cynical smile, that arrogant face...
CRASH!
The image shattered like a mirror into thousands of purple crystal fragments.
He passed through the shattering illusion and fell hard onto that final red dot, which should have been the top of the pyramid but had now turned into the circular platform right in front of the throne.
He fell to his knees. The hook slipped from his hand and vanished into pixels the moment it hit the ground.
The dark labyrinth, the bottomless void, the roaring pistons... they were all gone. He was back in that silent, purple, magnificent throne room.
Breathless, he lifted his head.
Queen Semira was sitting on her throne, exactly as he had left her. Legs crossed, the cynical smile settled on her face. It was as if she hadn't moved at all.
"What is it, little rat?" she said in her deep, cello tone. "Did flying around in the void make you dizzy? Your jumpsuit looks a bit sweaty in the little labyrinths of my mind."
Robert's legs were still trembling as he slowly stood up. "It was just a game," he said, trying to hide the fatigue in his voice. "Your little, sadistic game."
Semira laughed slowly, almost languidly. "Ah, but what a game! Admit it, the moment you barely escaped the piston wall... Your ingenious slingshot move in the magnetic field... The moments you said 'almost'... You felt death. That fear... It was real, wasn't it?"
He didn't answer, he just stared.
DING! DING!
[+1500 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 5 / 10]
"Level 5," said Robert to himself. Halfway there.
He wanted to sit and rest; he sought the peaceful moment at the base of the pyramid. However, there was no serenity in the Queen's presence. Only mocking gazes and an invisible, provocative pressure existed.
He glanced at the interface in his mind. The mission timer was ticking mercilessly: 45 hours remained.
He had to get this woman to Level 7; only two levels remained.
He took a deep breath, pushing his fatigue and fear beneath an iron mask. "I am ready for the next test."
Semira's smile widened. "So soon, little rat? I like... your enthusiasm." She leaned forward on her throne. "Or perhaps... you are afraid of me. Of the 'Conspiracy Chain' test. You lack the courage to enter the dark corners of my mind, to see what betrayals, what conspiracies I hide there."
"Whatever is next, open it," Robert said, his voice steely with determination.
"Very well," Semira replied, enjoying his resilience. "Since you are so brave... Since you survived my labyrinths... Then... let's try 'The Texture of Time'. Let's see if your perceptions are as sharp as your brute force."
The Queen placed her hand on the armrest of her throne. Robert saw the "Border of Sanity and Madness" menu reopen in his mind's interface and watched as Semira selected a new game.
And the world dissolved for a second time.
This time, the magnificent purple room didn't melt into darkness. It shattered into thousands of pieces as if viewed through a prism; colors blended together, and then... everything was cloaked in a blinding, smooth, infinite whiteness.
Robert found himself in a place similar to the room where he met Aselia, but much larger and feeling much more... wrong. The floor, ceiling, walls... all were made of a slightly warped, transparent, crystal-like material. Wherever he looked, he saw thousands, tens of thousands of distorted, elongated, corrupted copies of his own reflection. It was as if he were in an infinite hall of mirrors. The sound of every step he took returned to him from thousands of different directions, delayed, like a chorus of whispers.
He looked around uneasily; there seemed to be no exit.
DING!
[Grappling Hook Removed from Inventory.]
[Added to Inventory: Sensing Stone (x1)]
Snapping his fingers, he summoned the new object. A round stone made of smooth, cold, black obsidian that fit perfectly in his palm appeared. It had a single feature: A thin, needle-like, glimmering purple crystal protrusion extended from its exact center like a spearhead. It was like a compass.
Taking the stone in his hand, he began to move it around.
The Queen's voice echoed inside his head, this time coming from thousands of reflections simultaneously. "Do not trust what you see, little rat. In this labyrinth, your eyes lie to you. The true path... can only be felt."
Focusing on the stone, Robert noticed the crystal spearhead vibrating slightly. He turned left; the vibration decreased. He turned right; it increased. The object was guiding him straight toward the crystal wall in front of him, which appeared solid.
He advanced hesitantly. The wall looked solid; his reflection was approaching him. Just as he was about to collide, he extended the stone in front of him.
The moment the spearhead touched the wall that appeared solid, a miracle occurred. The surface rippled like water. Slight purple refractions of color, invisible to Robert's naked eye, appeared around the stone. And from the tip into his mind, an instantaneous flash of the image behind the wall was reflected: A different corridor.
"An illusion," he whispered. He reached his hand out to the wall. Instead of hitting a hard surface, his hand sank into a dense, cold, jelly-like sensation, like Shara's slide. His stomach turned, but he pushed himself forward.
When his whole body passed through the cold, dense illusion wall, he found himself in a new corridor, again surrounded by thousands of his reflections.
"Let's speed things up a bit, little rat!" said Semira's mocking voice.
Robert heard a creaking, heavy sound coming from behind him. He turned. The wall he had just passed through was no longer an illusion; it had solidified. And it was starting to move slowly toward him with crushing force!
In horror, he turned the other way. This was a labyrinth, but also a moving trap. He raised the Sensing Stone in front of him. "Come on, come on, show me the way!" he shouted. The tip of the stone locked onto a wall on the left. He started running, jumped quickly at that wall, and threw himself into the cold jelly.
He fell into a new room. This place was larger. The floor was also crystal, but the stone indicated a pitch-black, bottomless void beneath most of the floor.
Semira's voice was heard again. "Watch your steps, Robert. In this labyrinth, a single wrong step is enough for that reset you fear so much."
He pointed the stone at the ground like a flashlight. The purple light illuminated a solid path, only half a meter wide, winding across the crystal floor. The rest of the path was merely a thin, fragile illusion.
He swallowed. Like a tightrope walker, placing one foot in front of the other, he began to move along the invisible, narrow path. The bottomless void beneath him called to him; sweat trickled down his temples.
Just as he reached the middle of the bridge, the tip of the stone suddenly vibrated. The path in front of him split into three. Three different, invisible bridges...
"Time to choose, rat," whispered Semira. "Which path leads to reality, which to madness? Trust your perceptions. But remember... your perceptions are also under my control."
Robert raised the stone. He looked at all three paths one by one. The spearhead shone the same way on all of them. This was a trap; direction was not the answer.
Desperately, he did the only thing that came to mind. He used the stone not as a compass, but as a lens. Bringing his eye close to the round black obsidian part, he looked at the paths.
The first two paths looked blurry and unstable when viewed through the stone. But the third path... when he looked at that path, he saw an instantaneous image in the lens. Just like Shara's 'Soul Tentacle'... It was a desert with hot sand, golden pyramids, and closed red eyelids; Shara's memory.
"This can't be," he whispered. Then he looked at the second path. Aselia's colorful skirt, her honey-yellow hair...
And he looked at the first path. Berilda's flawless, red-haired smile...
Semira was using his memories, his emotions. She was trying to pull him toward memories that felt "real." It was a trap. They were all traps.
He looked around in horror. Which was the real path? If they were all traps... Then there was no path.
Semira's laughter exploded in his mind. "You understand, don't you, little rat? There is no exit. There is only the labyrinth. There is only madness. Let yourself go. Fall..."
"No," said Robert through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes. He dropped the stone, forgot the hook. He locked his mind onto that white room, the Bending Machine at the Academy, the absolute focus Kefius had taught him. He was a Dream Bender. He created reality himself.
"If there is no path," he snarled. "Then I will create my own."
He focused on the invisible platform beneath his feet. In his mind, he imagined that floor extending toward the exit on the opposite side. He bent it.
The crystal floor groaned beneath his feet. When he opened his eyes, he saw that narrow purple-lit path extending inch by inch toward the opposite platform under his will.
Semira's laughter cut off abruptly.
Robert took a step. The floor was solid under his will. Slowly, he walked on the path he created over the bottomless void.
The moment he set foot on the opposite platform...
DING! DING! DING! DING!
The interface went crazy; notifications covered the screen.
[+5000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: WILL OF THE DREAM BENDER!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 6 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: From Hate to Lust (Special Interaction)]
And that wasn't enough...
[+5000 Player Experience Points Gained!]
[Relationship Level with Queen Semira Increased: 7 / 10]
[New Lock Opened: Whip of Sovereignty (Special Equipment Schematic)]
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED! Progress: 5/5!]
Two levels at once, in a single move. He had broken the game by violating the system's rules and writing his own law.
The crystal labyrinth around him shattered into thousands of pieces, turning to dust.
Robert found himself standing once again in that purple throne room, in front of Queen Semira. The Sensing Stone slipped from his hand, turning into pixels and vanishing.
The Queen was still on her throne, but she was no longer smiling. The mocking expression had disappeared, replaced by a dangerous mixture Robert had never seen in anyone before: Shock, anger, and most importantly... desire. Her deep purple eyes were no longer looking at him like a rat, but like an equal, even... a threat.
"You..." she hissed; her voice was no longer in that controlled cello tone, but filled with unsuppressed fury. "You... what did you do? You bent... my mind. You broke... my game."
Breathless but standing tall, the young man spoke clearly. "I completed the mission. Level 7. Before 45 hours. 5 females. Now... get me out of here."
With a very slow movement, Semira rose from her throne. Her iron-hard body trembled with suppressed energy. "Ah, no, little rat," she whispered in a muffled and dangerous tone. "You may have completed the mission. But the Queen's game... is just beginning."
Robert remembered the newly unlocked abilities. "From Hate to Lust"... "Whip of Sovereignty"... Getting out of this Tower was going to be much more complicated than he thought.
He stood panting on his knees on the floor of the purple throne room. He had just bent the system in the impossible labyrinth of Queen Semira's mind, using only his will. The obsidian floor beneath his feet was still solid, the purple crystal walls around him still glowed with that ominous light. But for Robert, everything had changed. The pressure created by the overwhelming arrogance in the room's atmosphere had given way to an electrically charged, metallic silence hanging in the air after the collision of two equal powers.
Just then, in the middle of the silence, the interface in his mind exploded with notifications like a victory anthem.
DING! DING! DING!
[MAIN QUEST COMPLETED!]
[OBJECTIVE: Reach Relationship Level 7 with 5 Female Entities. (5/5 Completed!)]
[CONGRATULATIONS! PLAYER LEVEL INCREASED TO 3!]
[ADDING MAIN QUEST REWARDS...]
[+10000 Credits Added.]
[+10000 Basic Steel Ingots Added.]
[+5000 Basic Wood Added.]
[+1000 Basic Cloth Added.]
[Starter Equipment Set Added (Inventory - Production Tab)]
[NEW MAIN QUEST: YOUR OWN HOME!]
Objective: Add 5 new rooms to your personal base (Room) using the 'Build' menu.
Sub-Objective 1: Build the 'Functional Crafting Table' (Can Only Be Built in Base).
Reward: +5000 Player Experience Points, Intermediate Production Schematics, 'Traveler' Title.
Duration: None.
Robert forgot his fatigue as he looked at the massive list of resources flowing before his eyes and the description of the new mission. Steel... Gold... Credits... These weren't just numbers. They were the materials needed for Shara's "Crystal Eye." The credits with which he could buy the 'Phoenix Talisman' needed for Lavi's "Flame Line." And most importantly, the foundations of the "home" he promised Aselia.
After finishing his review, he lifted his head and looked at the Queen sitting on her throne.
Semira's face resembled the sky before a storm. The mocking smile was completely wiped away. Her deep purple eyes were no longer examining Robert as a "rat," but as a dangerous anomaly she couldn't make sense of. Her mind being bent, her game being broken, was perhaps a situation this Tower Administrator had encountered for the first time in her thousands of years of existence. Beneath her iron-hard appearance, Robert could see that thin crack in her aura: Anger, astonishment, and... yes, that suppressed dark desire. He had broken not just her mind, but her ego as well.
"You completed the mission, little rat," hissed Semira; her voice no longer held the velvet cello tone, but was filled with a sharper, more controlled fury. "But the Queen's game... is just beginning."
Robert smiled wearily. "I like the rules of the game. Especially after learning how to bend them."
Snapping his fingers, he opened the interface again. He looked at those special actions he gained at Level 6 and Level 7. He had time. The mission was over, the ruthless 45-hour counter had stopped. Only... understanding this Queen remained.
[From Hate to Lust (Special Interaction - Level 6)]
Description: The nature of the relationship with Queen Semira walks on the fine line between hatred and desire. This ability allows you to push the Queen's personal boundaries. It allows for all kinds of physical access, including aggressive, to all clothed points (armor, fabric) and unclothed inner thigh, leg, and foot areas. (Other intimate areas require Level 9+).
[Whip of Sovereignty (Special Equipment Schematic - Level 7)]
Description: Copies a piece of Queen Semira's will. When activated, creates a painful illusion of Semira and allows this illusion to be used as a psychic 'Whip of Sovereignty' in different areas. (Requires 'Semira's Tear' for crafting).
He felt something shift inside him as he read the descriptions. "From Hate to Lust"... "Inner Thigh"... The Tower was literally mocking him. But at the same time, it was giving him exactly what he wanted.
And in that moment, he realized this Queen was just like the others. Maybe stronger, maybe more arrogant, maybe an "Administrator." But at the end of the day, she too was part of the system, a program. She wasn't real.
The blue awakening in Eleni's eyes, the painful whisper from Shara's soul... They had felt real. But Semira... Semira was just a very well-designed, sadistic "boss" (end-game monster).
He remembered her mocking laughs, the piston walls she pushed him into, the bottomless void he almost fell into beneath, her calling him "little rat." The fear and respect inside him gave way to a cold, icy anger. He could play mental games like "Conspiracy Chain" and "Queen's Crown" later. But first... he wanted to show this arrogant AI personally what the "From Hate to Lust" ability meant.
He entered the 'Friends' menu from the interface in his mind. He clicked on the empty fifth and final slot. Queen Semira's cold, silver-haired profile picture was added to the bottom of the list. The mission was complete.
"What are you doing, rat?" asked Semira, watching Robert stand silently and play with the invisible menu in his mind. "Are you... adding me to that little, pathetic list of yours? Next to your other broken toys?"
Robert closed the interface. His eyes locked onto the Queen sitting in her arrogant position on the throne. He looked at the purple velvet skirt visible beneath her armor, at her metallic, armored-booted leg exposed because her legs were crossed.
"Your outfit... is nice," he said in a low and dangerous voice.
The mocking smile reappeared on Semira's face. "Is it? Which one did you like, little rat?" she said, shifting her crossed legs. The purple velvet skirt lifted even more with this movement. "This cold, hard metal?" She struck her breastplate with her gauntlet; a thudding sound echoed in the room. "Or this soft, warm velvet beneath it? Or perhaps... what is hidden beneath both?"
The young man slowly took a step toward her. "I'm just wondering, Queen. Beneath all this metal and fabric... is there anything left that can still feel?"
"To learn that," whispered Semira in a provocative tone. "First you would need to pass that armor. And your soft, fleshy fingers... cannot even scratch my iron will."
"Maybe I won't use my fingers."
And from his mind, he activated the 'From Hate to Lust' ability.
DING!
A silent, personal confirmation sound was heard. Robert didn't hesitate for even a moment. He lunged forward like a tiger.
But he lunged not for the Queen's face or chest, but for her knees, toward the base of the throne. The mocking smile froze on Semira's face. Without giving the woman a chance to react, he buried his face in the heavy purple velvet skirt hanging down from the throne.
He grabbed the fabric with his hands. Its texture was cold, permeated with the cool ozone scent of the room. But Robert didn't stop. He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the thick velvet. He began to tug, growling.
"What... What are you doing, creature!" shouted Semira in shock.
Robert didn't hear her. He began to kiss, lick, and suck the fabric he was tugging between his teeth. beneath the metallic, cold taste, he tried to catch the faint lavender scent of the Queen's skin. He was taking out all his ambition, the fear he experienced in the labyrinth, on this piece of fabric.
Under the savage attack, the skirt had begun to crumple. Semira, not knowing what to do in the face of this unexpected, humiliating move, had no such scenario in her protocols. The man was attacking her pride, her queenship.
"You want to play rough, rat?" she hissed; her voice trembling with rage. Suddenly, she moved with her iron will. She broke her crossed-legged posture with a harsh movement. She lowered her top leg and lifted her bottom limb, bending her knee, with massive force.
The dark purple velvet skirt lifted with this movement. She trapped Robert's head firmly under her leg, against her inner thigh. She pressed the fabric down along with her leg, squeezing the man's head. "Then... suffocate in the Queen's wrath."
Robert suddenly found himself in a warm, dark trap. His face was completely buried in Semira's hard, muscular inner thigh and the velvet skirt covering it. He couldn't breathe, but he didn't care. The 'From Hate to Lust' ability was active. This was his playground.
He held onto the strong leg pressing on his head with his hands and continued to suck. He could feel the iron-hard muscle beneath the fabric.
Semira, feeling that he was still continuing, held her breath in shock. This rat... wasn't stopping!
Robert's teeth were straining the thick velvet. RRRIIIPP! One of the skirt's seams burst with a sharp tearing sound. Through the tear, that small gap, he reached the skin itself.
This wasn't like Amara's crystal skin or Shara's slippery scales. It was cold, smooth, but equally alive. He stuck his tongue to that spot and began to suck.
DING!
[+20 Player Experience Points Gained!]
Points had started to flow. With the unexpected, intense contact, the Queen convulsed with her whole body. A creaking sound rose from her armored gauntlets squeezing the obsidian armrests of the throne. "You..." she whispered in a muffled and tense voice. "You little, disgusting... parasite..."
Robert wanted to lift his head, but the Queen's leg was pressing his head down like a hydraulic press. He changed strategy. Pulling his face from the bare leg, he moved forward toward the Queen's torso. He buried his head in her midriff, at the point where the cold metallic armor began. He tried to grasp her waist with his hands, squeezing the hard metal; as if wanting to feel the body beneath... He kissed the joints of the armor, tasted the cold metal.
Then, he noticed the leg with which the Queen had trapped him. The limb was still there, pressing on his neck. He grabbed the leg with all his might and stood up.
But he didn't let go of the leg.
Semira, losing her balance as Robert stood up, was pulled forward from the throne with a scream. The man held her standing, but the armored leg was still on his shoulder.
"Let go!" shouted the Queen.
"Not yet," said Robert. He buried his head completely under the skirt, into the dark void.
Inside was dark, warm, and filled with the scent of lavender. He was no longer limited to a single leg; both her legs were there. He began to lick, bite, and smear with his saliva the smooth, cold skin left and right. He explored every inch from her kneecaps to her forbidden inner thighs.
In the face of the all-out attack, Semira's body began to tremble. Her iron will was melting against this primal, animalistic contact. A sound she had never made before spilled from her mouth; a suppressed, short sigh full of pleasure. "Stop... Please..."
When he finished his work, Robert emerged from under the skirt. His face was sweaty and determined like a victorious warrior. The Queen stood holding onto her throne, off-balance on one foot, with her leg still thrown over his shoulder. Her eyes shone with a dangerous mixture of anger and shame.
He looked at her and smiled.
Then he made one more move. He pulled her toward himself and, in her moment of weakness, jumped onto the throne, into the Queen's lap.
Semira froze at this final audacity. Robert was now in her lap. Plunging his hands into her silvery hair, he messed up her bun and began to kiss her.
This wasn't a kiss, it was revenge. It was the revenge of the "Dark Light" labyrinth, the piston walls, the bottomless void. He pressed his lips against hers, crushing the dark purple lipstick. He used his teeth, bit her lower lip, tasted the metallic warm taste of blood. His tongue invaded that arrogant mouth.
Queen Semira, that iron-willed Administrator, the killer of 539 rats, was completely conquered on her own throne by her own toy in that moment. Deep in her mind, she felt hatred slowly turning into a terrifying lust.
When he ended the savage, vengeful kiss, his lips slowly separated from Queen Semira's. Only the sound of their ragged, rapid breathing and the scent of lavender mixed with a strange, metallic taste of blood remained in the air. Robert was still sitting in the Queen's lap, on her iron-hard, armored body. His eyes were locked on the arrogant face he had just conquered.
Semira's face was like an artist's most chaotic work. Her flawless dark purple lipstick was completely smeared by the aggressive kiss, onto the corners of her own lips and around Robert's mouth. Her silvery hair had escaped its noble bun, falling onto her sweaty forehead and Robert's shoulders. And those deep purple eyes... were the most terrifying, complex landscape Robert had ever seen in his life.
A pure, unsuppressed flame of hatred burned within them. It was a rage that wanted to throw Robert into the bottomless void, to tear him apart. Her fingers inside the armored gauntlets were squeezing the obsidian armrests of the throne so hard that the crystal cracked under her nails. She wanted to kill him.
But she couldn't.
The sudden, double-level jump Robert gained with 'Dream Bender's Will' had broken something in the system's core codes. Level 7... This was a critical threshold in the protocols of the "Palace of Pleasure." Queen Semira's "Administrator" programming still hated Robert; but her "Partner" programming was now fighting with the irresistible 'loyalty' protocols brought by Level 7. The pure hatred in her eyes was now blurred by a nauseating desire she couldn't make sense of, didn't want. While her body tensed to push him away, the system commanded the same muscles to "touch him."
"You..." she hissed in a muffled and tense voice. "You... little, disgusting... parasite... Get... off me..."
But the iron authority in her voice was gone. It no longer sounded like a queen's command, but like the snarl of a trapped animal.
Robert saw this internal war of hers. He watched how the arrogant, untouchable queen struggled under the shackles of her own system. This gave him greater satisfaction than four hours of lovemaking. Slowly, almost lazily, he got up from her lap.
When his feet touched the black obsidian floor again, he wiped the purple lipstick smeared on the corner of his lip with the back of his hand, as if declaring his victory. He wasn't even looking at the Queen; this was absolute humiliation. He snapped his fingers and opened the interface in his mind.
His eyes wandered over the massive reward list he had just earned. The Main Quest was complete. Player Level had risen to 3. And most importantly... [NEW MAIN QUEST: YOUR OWN HOME!].
He focused on the 'Base Construction' tab from his mind.
The Queen's throne room suddenly began to dissolve around him. The purple crystal walls, that high ceiling, and the arrogant throne darkened, separating into pixels like a computer program closing. Robert found himself for a moment in an absolute, black void like in the first 'Dark Light' test.
However, this time the environment wasn't hostile, but calm. A massive, three-dimensional, holographic map appeared in front of him. It wasn't a blueprint of the Tower; it was an empty, neutral, and gray area divided into grids. It was a private 'pocket universe' allocated to him within the "Palace of Pleasure."
[PLEASE SELECT YOUR BASE CONSTRUCTION AREA]
Robert examined the map. Most zones were locked, but in the center, there was a clean, flat plateau called the 'Starting Area.' He marked it from his mind.
"Base Construction Area Active," said the familiar synthetic voice. "Establishing First Room... Initializing."
The black void gave way to light. Blinking his eyes, the young man stepped onto solid ground, balancing his body shaken by the sensation of teleportation.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the Queen's purple hell.
He was in a large, square, empty room of about fifty square meters. Walls, ceiling, and floor; neither pink, nor red, nor purple. It was made of a smooth, matte, light gray, neutral material. There was no furniture, no doors, no windows. Only... a void full of potential. A soft, white beam mimicking daylight filtered from the center of the ceiling. The air was clean and odorless. This was his 'home,' the blank canvas on which he would build his dreams.
[FIRST ROOM ESTABLISHED: MAIN HALL]
[NEW NOTIFICATION: PLEASE SET THE LOCATIONS OF THE 5 ROOMS YOU WILL PLACE]
A three-dimensional plan of the space appeared in front of Robert. Potential door points marked as 'Room Entrance' existed on all four sides of the Main Hall. Opening the 'Build' menu, he checked the "Starter Room" option; he placed them on all four sides of the main hall (north, south, east, west) and a fifth one as an adjacent room to the hall.
He gave the "Confirm" command from his mind.
Construction began.
This wasn't a process taking weeks like on Earth; it resembled the creation of the Bending Machine at the Academy, but on a much larger and fundamental scale.
First, thin, laser-like lights appeared on the selected empty walls. They cut the frames of the doors with millimeter precision. Then, gray building material resembling dense, liquid metal gushed from those gaps. The matter solidified in seconds in the air, weaving the walls, floors, and ceilings of the new rooms as Robert planned. A high-frequency hum and the fresh smell of ozone and metal emitted by the newly constructed material dominated the environment.
In less than ten seconds, everything was done. The Main Hall now opened into four new corridors, and at the end of these passages waited four new, empty rooms. The fifth section stood like a storage room adjacent to the hall. His base was ready.
Just then, a new notification dropped:
[CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE!]
[PLEASE SELECT THE ENTITIES YOU WISH TO SUMMON TO THE BASE FROM THOSE ADDED TO YOUR LIST AND WITH A RELATIONSHIP LEVEL ABOVE 5]
Robert opened the 'Friends' menu. His list was lined up before him like the spoils of this ruthless game:
Eleni (Level 9)
Aselia (Level 9)
Shara (Level 7)
Lavi (Level 7)
Queen Semira (Level 7)
The mission required Level 5 and above. All were eligible. Without hesitation, he selected all five names and gave the "Summon" command.
And then the chaos began.
The empty, gray Main Hall instantly turned into a battlefield of five different, chaotic energies.
CLANG!
A soft, pale blue column of light appeared on the left. Eleni emerged from it with the familiar smell of gentle rain. With her purple skirt, yellow hair, and eyes still that bright, vivid blue... But she looked scared. "Robert? Where is this? The system... the system pulled me! I wasn't in the corridor..."
JINGLE!
Right next to her, a rainbow vortex exploded. Aselia burst out of it laughing. Her colorful skirt spun around her, her gold bells jingling. "Robert! Wonderful! Did you make a new playroom? This is huge! Perfect for hide-and-seek!"
HISS!
A vortex of sand and heat formed at the other end of the room. With a red-orange light, Shara's massive snake body materialized in a spiral. Her closed eyelids turned toward the direction of the sounds, her voice threatening. "Traveler! What trap is this? Why did you separate me from my sanctuary?"
CRACKLE!
A violent explosion of flame occurred right next to Shara. A dense smell of sulfur and scorching heat covered the room. Lavi appeared with arms spread wide, her fiery hair waving furiously. "COLD! It's too cold here! And... you!" Her eyes locked not on Robert, but on Shara beside her. "You... you are hot too! But him!" Her gaze found Robert. "He is the coldest! Robert! Give me 'freshness'! You promised!"
And finally...
CRAAANG!
With a deafening sound of crushing metal resembling thunder, a dark, oppressive, purple-black shadow column slammed into the exact center of the room. When the smoke cleared, Queen Semira was there. Her iron armor, her arrogant stance... But her face was contorted with absolute rage. She had been pulled from her throne room against her will, humiliated. Her eyes scanned the other "rags" in the room—Eleni, Aselia, Shara, Lavi. Then she saw the only person controlling this chaos, Robert.
"YOU," she roared; her voice no longer that controlled cello tone, but pure, metallic fury. "AUDACIOUS LITTLE PARASITE! HOW DARE YOU... SUMMON ME? HOW DO YOU BRING ME TO THIS... THIS ZOO, AMONG THESE WEAKLINGS?"
The Main Hall instantly turned into a battlefield of five different, conflicting emotions: Eleni's fear, Aselia's joy, Shara's suspicion, Lavi's hunger, and Semira's absolute rage.
Robert stood right in the middle of this storm. For a moment, he regretted creating uncontrollable chaos. But then, the new Leader identity, the Dream Bender will within him, awoke.
He raised his hand.
"SILENCE!" he shouted. His voice was not in his own tone; it was a timbre carrying the deep, slightly resonant echo of bending power. This command caused all the women in the room, even Semira, to fall silent and flinch for a moment.
The young man exhaled. "This is not a trap," he said in a calm but authoritative manner. "This is not a zoo or a playroom either."
He looked into each of their eyes one by one. "This... is our home. The only place inside the Tower that belongs to us, where we are safe. This is our Base."
There was a brief silence. The women looked first at each other, then at the bare gray walls.
"Home?" whispered Eleni, with a light of hope in her blue eyes.
"Safe?" hissed Shara, still suspicious.
"COLD HOME!" pouted Lavi.
"In the same house... with you?" said Semira in a voice full of disgust.
Ignoring their reactions, Robert continued: "The Tower gave me a mission; to build this home. And until the mission is complete, you will stay here with me. Not as my guests." He paused. "As my team."
Then, one by one, he began to show each of them the empty rooms he had prepared for them.
First, he walked to Eleni. "Eleni," he said, pointing to the door in the north. "This is your room. You can design it however you want using the 'Build' menu. You can change its color, 'craft' the furniture you want. You no longer have to walk in those pink corridors." The guide girl, her blue eyes shining with admiration, walked hesitantly toward her room.
Then he turned to Aselia. He picked up the girl who was still clinging to his leg. "And this, little goddess," he said, showing the door in the east. "Is your new playroom. I kept my promise. You can make this place even more beautiful than the 'Stardust Gardens' you lost." Screaming with joy, Aselia planted a wet kiss on Robert's cheek and ran into her room.
He approached Shara. The snake woman still stood raised on her tail defensively. "Shara," he said, showing the door in the south. "You no longer have to stay in that damp, rusty metal and earth den. This place is clean and safe. I'm sure there are options in the 'Build' menu to mimic your sands and sun." It was obvious that Shara, who said nothing, 'saw' Robert from under her closed eyelids. She slowly slid her massive body toward her new sanctuary.
It was Lavi's turn. She was pouting grumpily with her arms crossed. "And this is yours, little fire," he said, pointing to the door in the west. "Don't worry, you can raise the room's temperature as high as the heart of a volcano from the menu. And..." He winked. "...you know when to call me to 'cool' you down." The Fire Spirit, her face instantly brightening with this promise, also ran to her room.
Finally, only Robert and Queen Semira remained in the hall.
The Queen was watching him. It was impossible to guess what she was thinking under the iron mask. Robert pointed to the last, fifth room adjacent to the Main Hall. "And this is yours, my Queen."
Semira looked at the room with contempt. "Are you... putting me on the same level as those rags? Do you deem this gray, windowless box worthy of me?"
Robert slowly approached her and stopped right in front of her. His gaze locked onto the arrogant purple eyes. "This isn't a prison, Semira," he said; there was neither fear nor respect in his voice, only weary determination. "This is the base of the team you are also a part of. Either you get used to it... or..."
"Or what, little rat?" hissed Semira. "Are you threatening to reset me?"
"No. Actually, you have no other choice. Because the system now knows I am as strong as you. And even if you hate me, Level 7 protocols don't give you a chance to resist." He brought his face close to hers. "Settle into your room, Queen. Because tomorrow... we start the 'Conspiracy Chain' test. It's time to learn those dark secrets in your mind."
Queen Semira's eyes flashed with anger at this final audacity. But she couldn't say anything. She just snarled, turned her back, and walked toward the gray, empty room allocated to her with the squeak of her iron armor.