A piercing buzzing sound, like countless red-hot steel needles, stabbed fiercely into Leticia's eardrums.
The entire world was shaking violently and erratically.
The shock of just exiting the Subspace caused this spaceship, which was already on the verge of disintegration, to let out one final, unbearable groan.
The metal frame twisted, emitting a bone-chilling screech.
On the console, all the warning lights flashed like mad, casting a blood-red glow that signaled the imminent collapse of the ship's structure.
Leticia firmly strapped herself into the Commander's seat, still tightly cradling the unconscious Terrania in her arms.
She could feel the young girl's body trembling unconsciously from the violent turbulence; on that pale little face, her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were enduring great pain.
An emotion mixed with pity and fury welled up from the bottom of her heart once again.
She subconsciously tightened her arms, using her own body as the sturdiest buffer, shielding the fragile form in her arms from all the impact, not letting a single ounce of it reach her.
Just one second before this broken ship named "genesis" was about to fall completely apart.
All the shaking came to an abrupt halt.
All the alarms instantly fell silent.
An absolute silence, as if time itself had frozen, descended.
Inside the bridge, the flashing red emergency lights slowly extinguished, replaced by a soft, pink-purple illumination tinged with a divine radiance, casting the entire space like a temple.
The heavy smell of rust and burnt material in the air was being rapidly replaced by a fresh, sweet-smelling fragrance.
Leticia was stunned.
She looked down and saw that Terrania's brows in her arms had smoothed out, and her breathing had become steady and long, as if she were immersed in an incredibly peaceful dream.
What happened?
Just then.
That cold, emotionless synthesized electronic voice once again resonated directly in the deepest part of her consciousness.
"Novice tutorial mission [Survival in Desperate Straits] has been completed."
"Mission rating: Perfect."
"Calculating rewards..."
"Congratulations, Host, you have received the Novice Gift Pack."
The next second, Leticia's consciousness was gently pulled by an irresistible, soft force.
The bridge in front of her vanished instantly.
She found herself in a pure, boundless white space.
There was no up, down, left, or right here; no passage of time, only an eternal, pure white.
"Welcome to the genesis system, Host."
The voice came from all directions, grand and indifferent.
"This system aims to correct cosmic errors, make up for the regrets of heroes, and rewrite the finality of despair into a poem of genesis."
Leticia's heart skipped a beat.
Correct cosmic errors?
Make up for the regrets of heroes?
What an arrogant declaration.
But she did not speak, only listening quietly, her brain operating at an unprecedented speed, analyzing the massive amount of information contained behind every word.
"Novice Gift Pack has been opened, please claim it, Host."
As the prompt fell, two soft orbs of light slowly emerged in front of Leticia.
One was huge, presenting a metallic silver-gray.
The other was slightly smaller, composed of four distinct colors intertwined—pink-purple, crimson, sky blue, and emerald green.
"Reward 1: Exclusive vehicle [genesis]."
As the system's voice sounded, the silver-gray orb of light expanded abruptly, transforming into an incredibly precise, three-dimensional structural diagram of a spaceship.
"The original custom Gothic warship's hull structure was on the verge of collapse due to attacks and Subspace engine overload."
"The system has consumed initial energy to repair, reorganize, and upgrade the ship."
"Now obtained:"
"1. [Self-Healing Hull]: Can slowly absorb cosmic radiation and self-repair minor damage."
"2. [Sanctuary Force Field]: Passively generates a weak psychic barrier to isolate Subspace whispers and Chaos corruption."
"3. [Miracle Engine]: Energy efficiency increased by 300%, Subspace travel stability increased by 500%."
Leticia looked at the reborn spaceship slowly rotating on the structural diagram, its smooth and graceful lines, and the brand-new engine full of power; even with the mindset of someone who had lived two lifetimes, she couldn't help but feel a parched throat.
This was no longer just a simple repair.
This was turning stones into gold!
"Reward 2: Initial Authority [Pure Version · Power of the Four Gods]."
The other four-colored orb of light also unfolded accordingly.
The four-colored radiance transformed into four arcane runes, slowly rotating around Leticia.
"Warning: The power of the Four Chaos Gods in this universe is filled with irreversible side effects such as corruption, depravity, and sacrifice."
"What this system provides is the [Pure Version] of power, which has had all negative effects removed and returned to its conceptual origin."
"Please rest assured, Host."
The pink-purple rune flew to Leticia first, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.
"[Divine Charm]: Derived from Slaanesh."
"Pure Effect: The Host's very existence is the ultimate definition of 'beauty' and 'pleasure'. Your every smile and frown will become the faith of believers, and your every word and action will become the supreme glory pursued by mortals."
"Note: This power is not mind control, but absolute allure based on soul attraction."
Leticia remembered the Chaos Space Marine who crawled at her feet, praying fervently.
So, it wasn't temporary mind control.
It was... permanent defection.
Immediately after, the crimson rune flew over, carrying a sharp Battle Intent capable of severing stars.
"[Battle Intent]: Derived from Khorne."
"Pure Effect: The Host can convert her own will of 'protection' or 'combat' into pure combat power, bestowing it upon friendly units. The stronger the will, the greater the combat power boost."
"Note: This power only boosts courage and technique, and will not induce bloodlust or frenzy."
The sky-blue rune radiated light of wisdom and transformation.
"[Intellect]: Derived from Chaos God Tzeentch."
"Pure Effect: The Host will gain extraordinary insight and learning ability, capable of quickly analyzing unknown technology, seeing through the lies of others, and deducing changes in the battle situation."
"Note: This power pursues truth and knowledge, not conspiracy and trickery."
Finally, there was the emerald green rune full of Vitality.
"[Vitality]: Derived from Nurgle."
"Pure Effect: The Host possesses the authority to control life and withering, can purify all plagues and corruption, stimulate the most tenacious Vitality, and bring about rebirth and prosperity."
"Note: This power represents cycles and rebirth, not rot and despair."
The four runes represented four distinct, yet terrifyingly powerful, authorities.
They slowly rotated, finally turning into four streams of light that merged into Leticia's body.
At that moment, Leticia felt as if her soul had been expanded countless times.
She could clearly perceive that these four powers were like four docile dragons, dormant in the depths of her soul, ready to obey her command at any time.
She even had a realization.
As long as she was willing, she could switch her temperament at any time.
She could be the peerless goddess for whom all living beings would fall.
She could also be the peerless War Commander for whom legions would fight to the death.
She could be the wise prophet who understands all things.
She could also be the bountiful mother goddess who bestows life.
This was... the "Goddess's" legacy.
Leticia slowly clenched her fists.
In those flawless hands, it was as if she held the power to overturn the entire universe.
She was not intoxicated by this power; deep in those pitch-black eyes, a light that belonged to her, even more profound than the power of [Intellect], lit up instead.
"What exactly is your purpose?"
She finally spoke, her voice cold and clear, yet carrying an unquestionable calmness.
"Correcting errors, making up for regrets... this is too vague. Tell me, what do you need me to do?"
The white space fell into a brief silence.
It seemed surprised by Leticia's calmness and acuity.
A moment later, the system's voice sounded again.
"This system has no mandatory missions."
"The system will provide the Host with key 'historical nodes' in cosmic history that are full of regrets and tragedies, as 'plot dungeons' that can be entered."
"The Host can choose for herself whether to enter the dungeons and how to change the destiny within them."
"Every successful 'correction' will earn rewards."
"Every rescue of those 'lingering regrets' will strengthen your power."
Leticia's pupils contracted slightly.
Change history?
"Novice tutorial has ended."
"Searching for the most suitable initial dungeon based on the Host's current situation..."
"Search complete."
The pure white space began to recede like a tide, and the scene of the bridge became clear again.
The soft pink-purple halo illuminated the brand-new command room, and outside the window was the quiet and deep sea of stars.
Everything seemed so peaceful.
But the next second, a blood-red prompt box, filled with an aura of sorrow and despair, popped up abruptly in front of Leticia.
On it was a shocking line of text, as if written in blood.
"Detected a key historical node where the Host can obtain power and save lingering regrets..."
"First plot dungeon unlocked—"
"[Horus Heresy: The Lament of Isstvan III]"
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