Hexi's confused "???" seemed to echo in the air, but Artoria was in no mood to explain in detail. All her senses and attention were submerged by a surge of ecstasy, warmth, and a noisy "presence" from the depths of her consciousness.
The System... it really was back.
It wasn't an auditory hallucination or a mental delusion on the brink of her limit. It was that electronic voice, familiar to her very bones—always a bit lazy, occasionally sharp-tongued, yet always supporting her at critical moments. It was the "family member" who had accompanied her through countless Worlds, witnessing her most glorious and most wretched, most happy and most desperate moments.
Yes, family. Aside from Minerva, the System was the existence that had stayed with her the longest. It was a guide, a partner, a witness, and... her most solid anchor in the endless journey, second only to her lover. Even if it was unreliable most of the time, even if it was always clamoring about insufficient energy, even if it had "scammed" her in the end by using up its last reserves... it had never truly left, never given up. During the time the System was dormant, Artoria realized more deeply that this noisy electronic voice had long since become an indispensable part of her life.
The string that had been taut for a "thousand years" was suddenly plucked by this abrupt, noisy "return of a family member." It didn't break, but it let out a hum, carrying a near-exhausted limpness and an irrepressible warm current surging from the depths of her soul.
A thousand years... Even with the time adjustment of the Serenitea Pot, the ocean of knowledge, the endless deductions, the agony of hovering between despair and hope time and again, and the heart-wrenching longing and self-reproach while facing Minerva's sleeping face day after day... these were all real weights pressing down on her soul. She had turned herself into a precision machine, studying frantically, thinking frantically, and frantically calculating that slim hope. Her emotions, her fragility, and her fears were all suppressed deep within her heart, tightly wrapped in a cold shell forged of reason and will. Because she knew she couldn't collapse, couldn't stop, and couldn't slacken even for a moment. She was Minerva's only hope; she was the sinner who had personally brought her out of that World but failed to protect her, and even more... she was the one who promised to take her home and give her a future.
A thousand years of loneliness and heavy pressure had long since tempered the girl who would once panic and hesitate into the present existence—one with calm eyes and steady conduct, capable of talking freely before the King of Angels and planning a thousand-year blueprint to save her loved one. Her temperament was more restrained yet deeper. A thousand years had not only given her knowledge but also a tenacity akin to Bedrock, a terrifying composure that allowed her to calmly find a way out even in desperate situations. Only she knew how much fatigue and weight, untold to outsiders, lay buried beneath this tenacity and composure.
And now, the System was back. It returned with its forever-unchanging goofy tone, with a boastful "I've struck it rich, come praise me" attitude, and with that simplest word, "family," which made her heart tremble violently.
The fatigue accumulated over a thousand years and the heartstrings taut for a millennium seemed to find a corner where she could temporarily unload some of the burden. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, she wanted to give this unreliable fellow a good scolding, and even more... she wanted to hug it, like hugging a long-lost relative.
"Teacher..." Artoria's voice was still a bit dry, but compared to the trance from earlier, it held a hint of indescribable, complex emotion. She looked at Hexi and struggled to organize her words. "I'm sorry for the interruption. It's... a family member of mine. They fell into a deep sleep before due to... some reasons, and just woke up. They... brought some... unexpected news. Regarding... energy and resources."
Hexi's brow smoothed slightly. The doubt in her eyes hadn't completely dissipated, but her displeasure at being interrupted had diminished. She could feel the massive fluctuation in Artoria's emotions; it wasn't a pretense but a genuine, powerful emotional shock. Symbiotic intelligence? A contracted partner? Considering the various peculiarities of Artoria's body, it wasn't hard to understand. It was just... waking up at this specific time and bringing "unexpected news"?
"Energy and resources?" Hexi caught the keywords, her gaze sweeping over the mountain of rare materials piled around. "We aren't lacking conventional resources right now. What you need is stable, controllable, and highly compatible special energy for your plan, as well as..."
"I know, Teacher." Artoria nodded, quickly calming the stormy waves in her heart while her consciousness impatiently connected with the System. "Please give me a moment; I need to communicate the specific situation with it. This might... affect our final operational plan."
Hexi glanced at her, then at the floating complex structural blueprint, and finally nodded slightly. "Ten minutes. Don't be distracted for too long; your state is the key to success." After saying that, she turned toward the laboratory's control console and began checking some preset parameters, leaving the space to Artoria for the time being.
Artoria immediately sank most of her consciousness into her inner landscape, or rather, into the special space connected to the System.
"System!" she called out in her mind, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.
[Little Hua Ling!] The System's voice rang out immediately, still excited but with a hint of cautiousness that had been covered by ecstasy earlier. [That... did I... come back at a bad time? I feel like you're performing a super complex and dangerously energetic operation... I... I was too excited just now and didn't pay attention to the setting...] The System's voice lowered, sounding guilty and sheepish in hindsight.
It scanned the surrounding environment, sensed the massive and complex Dark Plane configuration, and "saw" the fatigue and heaviness that had settled in the depths of Artoria's soul over a thousand years—almost becoming physical—as well as her focused state, like walking on the edge of a cliff. Its own shouting just now...
"You..." Artoria wanted to say something, but found her throat a bit constricted. She couldn't utter a single word of reproach. This fellow, the moment it thought it "had money," its first thought was "I can help you," "we're rich," and "family." Beneath its seemingly unreliable and noisy way of returning was a heart unreservedly oriented toward her.
"It's good that you're back." In the end, a thousand words condensed into this one gentle sentence. It carried relief, warmth, and a sense of a burden being lifted. With it there, the pressure of a thousand years of fighting alone seemed to lighten by several degrees.
[Waaaah, Little Hua Ling, you're so nice!] The System's electronic voice actually took on a bit of a sob. [I... I'm late! How much time has passed? You look... so tired...] It sensed the aura of Artoria's soul, which had settled over a long time, and its sense of guilt grew even stronger. When she needed support the most, during her hardest times, it wasn't there.
"It's not late, it's just right." Artoria shook her head gently in her mind, a very faint, genuine smile even appearing at the corners of her mouth. "On my end, I already have a plan to solve Minerva's problem. Although it's difficult and dangerous, at least... there's a clear direction and path. I haven't spent these thousand years in vain."
Her tone was calm and firm, carrying a steadiness after experiencing the vicissitudes of life, yet strangely, it hadn't worn away her original persistence. "Teacher Hexi has given me immense help; the knowledge of the Angels has opened the doors to a new World for me. We've already designed the plan, and we're only one step away. You've come back at the perfect time. Perhaps... your 'windfall' can give our final chance of success one more point of certainty."
[Really?! That's great!] The System was instantly invigorated again, but then it thought of something. [Wait, you said a thousand years?! Only... let me calculate... ten years have passed outside?! My god, you... during this time...] It couldn't imagine how she had survived in a foreign land, surrounded by gods, learning that profound knowledge step by step and reaching this point all by herself without it there to joke around and share the pressure. That tenacity made even the System feel heartache and admiration.
"It's all in the past." Artoria brushed it off briefly, not wanting to dwell on her hardships; it was meaningless. She turned the topic back to the main point. "Tell me about your situation. That 'windfall'—what exactly is it? Is it safe? And that 'little gift'?"
[Safe! Absolutely safe! The prize money was sent through the official (relatively) 'All-Heavens Lottery Payout Channel,' and all taxes have been deducted! 10 million points of Standard Universal Energy—extremely high purity and wide applicability. Whether it's for charging the Serenitea Pot, strengthening yourself, or driving any energy equipment, it'll work! It's much stronger than the off-brand energy we used to scrape by with!] The System immediately reported like it was presenting a treasure. [As for that little gift...]
The System's voice became somewhat mysterious and smug. [It's a local specialty from the World where the winning Host is from, called 'innate creation source qi.' They say it's a wisp of primordial life-force left over from the creation of the heavens and earth. Although there's only a sliver, the quality is terrifyingly high! That Bigshot System said it's a bonus for the lucky viewers, to share in the joy of its Host becoming an Emperor. I've checked it; there's no problem. It's pure and gentle, containing extremely strong 'nurturing,' 'repairing,' and 'creation' properties. It's almost like it was specifically made for...] It paused and didn't finish, but the meaning was obvious: this thing might have an unexpected miraculous effect on Minerva's current state.
Artoria's heart leaped. innate creation source qi? Primordial life-force from the creation of the World? This... this sounded like its level and nature might even be more compatible than any material Teacher Hexi provided! If used properly...
But she forcibly suppressed the surge of excitement and hope. The more critical the moment, the more she needed to remain calm.
"System," she took a deep breath and said solemnly in her mind, "this energy, and this 'Primordial Qi,' were obtained through your... er, 'luck.' It's your own 'little vault.' I can't use it."
[Ah? Why?!] The System grew anxious. [What's mine is yours! Aren't we one? If it weren't for my energy running dry back then, Minerva wouldn't have... I'm responsible too! Now that I have the ability, of course I have to bring it out!] The System's voice was full of urgency and confusion, as well as deep self-reproach.
"No, listen to me." Artoria's voice was gentle yet firm. "Minerva's matter is my responsibility; it's because I failed to protect her. You've already done enough for me, for us. This thousand... no, these ten years, I really wasn't used to not having you around being noisy, and I... missed you."
She paused and continued, "Your return is the greatest support for me. This energy is something you worked hard to... um, 'earn.' Keep it as our future reserve or use it to upgrade yourself. On my end, I already have the resources and support provided by Teacher Hexi, and the plan is feasible. Moreover..."
Artoria's consciousness swept over the mountain of materials shimmering with various colors, her voice carrying a confidence and steadiness that had settled over a thousand years. "In these thousand years, I haven't just been learning. I've also been creating, trying to fuse knowledge from different Worlds. I have a clearer understanding of the path I'm going to take and how to save Minerva. Your energy and 'Primordial Qi' are valuable aids, surprises, and extra guarantees, but they aren't indispensable. Believe me, System, I'm no longer the Artoria who needs to rely entirely on external forces."
Her tone softened, carrying an unquestionable persistence. "So, keep your 'little vault' safe. Just being able to hear you're back, to hear your voice again, to know you're still 'alive and kicking' and can still clamor so... energetically, I'm already... very, very happy. This is more important than any energy or any treasure."
In the depths of her consciousness, there was silence. The System's electronic voice vanished, replaced only by a warm fluctuation, as if even the data stream was trembling slightly.
After several seconds, the System's voice rang out again. Gone was the previous excitement and goofiness, replaced by a muffled, nasal tone of being deeply moved. [...Stupid Host. Big dummy.] it muttered softly. [...Then... then let's agree on this: I'll keep this energy and Primordial Qi for now. But if you need it on your end, you must tell me immediately! No carrying it all on your own! Also...] Its voice regained a bit of vitality. [That little gift, I think it fits Minerva's current state perfectly! When you start the operation, I absolutely must use it! You're not allowed to refuse this! Otherwise... otherwise, I'll play 'Good Luck Coming' on loop in your head ten thousand times!]
Artoria: "..." She could almost picture an electronic light ball with its hands on its hips, threatening her in a huff. That familiar, amusing sense of warmth completely dissipated the last sliver of coldness brought by a thousand years of loneliness.
The corners of her mouth finally curled into a genuine and relaxed arc. The heaviness that had settled in her eyes over a thousand years seemed to be quietly melted in one corner by this sudden, noisy warmth.
"Alright, as you wish," she said softly, with a rare hint of pampering and indulgence. "Now, be quiet for a moment and let me explain the situation to Teacher Hexi. Then... together, we'll bring Minerva 'home'."
"Family" had returned. Her weary soul felt as if it had been injected with a shot of adrenaline. The road ahead was still treacherous, but at least she was no longer walking alone in the darkness.
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