Acheron turned back to look at the pill Jaina handed her, pausing for a moment.
"…Alright."
"Just remember, it's a bit bitter, but the effect is excellent."
Jaina gave a quick reminder. After all, Acheron gave off a similar vibe to Raiden Ei—she was worried this one might also spit it out because of the taste.
"Got it."
Acheron nodded and turned away, heading toward the guest rooms.
[Bronya: Huh… Miss Acheron's room number is 302, right? Why is she going that way?]
[Black Swan: Heh, it seems Miss Acheron is not so simple.]
[Seele: Heading straight toward Sunday's room… is she going to kill him?]
[Valerius: Is it possible she just got lost?]
[Keqing: You think everyone is like you?!]
[Valerius: Why don't you ask her?]
[Acheron: Uh… I… I just have something to do over there.]
After hesitating for a long time, Acheron still refused to admit she had no sense of direction.
[Firefly: Seems unlikely.]
[Herta: The place isn't even big. There are only two paths. No one could get lost here, right?]
[Valerius: I could! Proud.jpg]
[Seele: And you're proud of that?]
[Bronya: Well… in Valerius's case, it's true.]
Covering her face, Bronya didn't know how he could say that so confidently. But thinking about how he got lost almost every time he took her out, she couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
Inside the space, after wandering around for quite a while without finding her room, Acheron was confused.
Where exactly was 302?
The black mist around her grew thicker, already starting to seep out of her body.
She turned around and headed back to the front desk.
[Jing Yuan: Is it possible Miss Jaina dies because Acheron can't find her room?]
[Aventurine: That would be way too tragic.]
[Topaz: If that actually happens, it'd be hilarious.]
[Acheron: ...…]
Back at the front desk, Acheron slammed the keycard onto the counter. "Where is 302?"
"That way. Take the elevator to the third floor—second room."
Jaina had already noticed Acheron going the wrong way earlier, but she didn't dare point it out. Who knew what this black-mist-covered woman might do if provoked?
"…Oh."
The black mist around Acheron eased slightly as she headed toward the elevator.
With Jaina's directions, she finally found her room this time.
Without lingering, she entered and walked straight to the dream pool.
As if remembering something, she took out the pill Jaina had given her and put it into her mouth.
"…So bitter!"
Her brows furrowed, but she still swallowed it.
As the pill dissolved, Acheron's body suddenly trembled. The black mist surged out of her, dispersing into the air.
"I… this is…"
Recalling everything that had happened earlier, her eyes widened in shock.
"I was infected!"
She stood up immediately, threw open the door, and rushed back toward the front desk.
[Welt: It seems the pill is indeed effective.]
[March 7th: Mr. Yang, stop admiring it already! There's only one pill left, and I can already see a future where I can't recover!]
[Stelle: Such a good item, and she didn't give it to me.]
[Sunday: Miss Jaina was too conservative. The first three pills should've been distributed—one for her, one for me, and one for Robin. With us protecting her in Penacony, clearing the game would've been effortless.]
[Herta: Please. You'd be the first to attack.]
[Zhu Yuan: I agree. It shouldn't be given to Mr. Sunday.]
[Seth: By the way… who exactly is this Jaina? She seems pretty sharp.]
[Qingyi: Much smarter than you, at least.]
[Zhu Yuan: Well… she… she is…]
[Valerius: She's a member of the Mountain Lion Gang.]
[Seth: What?! She's from the Mountain Lion Gang?! That means she's a criminal!]
[Seth: Eliminate her! Eliminate her! Eliminate her!]
No way. This person had to be eliminated. He had already thought Jaina didn't seem like a good person—turns out she was actually part of a criminal organization. No question about it—he had to curse her out.
[Qingyi: ...…]
[Zhu Yuan: Mr. Valerius, please stop. And Seth, be quiet.]
[Seth: Chief Zhu Yuan, why are you siding with her?]
[Zhu Yuan: Jaina is a special consultant for our Public Security Bureau. Very few people know her identity. Don't spread it.]
[Seth: Oh… I see. Got it.]
Seth let out a sigh of relief. Of course Zhu Yuan wouldn't associate with criminals—so she was undercover. That made sense.
In the lobby, seeing Acheron rushing back in a hurry, a faint smile appeared on Jaina's lips.
Looks like the pill worked.
When Acheron reached the front desk, the way she looked at Jaina had completely changed.
"May I ask… do you have any more of that item you gave me?"
"No." Jaina shook her head and explained, "I only had two. I already used one myself earlier."
"I see…"
A hint of disappointment appeared on Acheron's face. Something that effective was naturally rare.
"Don't worry," Jaina continued, "I've already established contact with the outside. In a week, they'll arrive with the antidote. Everything will be resolved then."
"I understand." Hope returned to Acheron's eyes. "May I ask… who developed such a thing?"
"…Uh… Ms. Ruan Mei."
Who knew what kind of experts existed in their world? Jaina could only make something up. She remembered Ruan Mei reviving Tingyun before—that seemed impressive enough—so she used her name.
Sure enough, upon hearing Ruan Mei's name, Acheron nodded. That checked out.
"Oh, right." Seeing that Acheron was convinced, Jaina pushed further. "The Xianzhou Alliance will also arrive in a week, led by Jing Yuan and Feixiao. As long as I'm here, they will come."
"But if I die and the signal disappears, they'll consider the mission failed and won't come."
She gave Acheron a meaningful look.
The message was clear—I'm important. You need to protect me.
"In that case, I will ensure your safety during this period."
Acheron nodded. Anyone who dared harm her would be cut down immediately.
"Thank you."
Jaina smiled slightly. She finally had protection.
Of course, she knew Acheron was only a temporary asset. The moment violence occurred, she would be expelled.
So how and when to use Acheron would require careful planning.
But for now, Acheron could still be useful.
Jaina immediately pulled her closer and whispered instructions into her ear.
"Find the wondrous items… and the stowaway? Understood."
Acheron nodded. Entering the dream to retrieve items and possibly rescue the stowaway—simple enough. She could handle it.
Without hesitation, she turned and headed back toward her room.
"Miss Acheron, 302 is this way."
Seeing her take the wrong path again, Jaina helplessly reminded her.
Deep down, she couldn't help but worry.
…Is she really reliable?
How does someone even make it to Penacony with this level of directionlessness?
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