Sorry for the dey! I was quite busy night before st, so I couldn't get the chapter out at the normal time.

  Mid Afternoon - Early Summer : Rid, Virginia | East Coast Uates

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  *Pat* *Pat* *Pat* *Puff* Stepping up onto a lowered staircase covered in plush red carpet, I walked up into the airship without much dey, skimming Michael's system panel while nibbling on a bagel.

  I was deep in thought, trying my best to e up with ideas on how to take advantage of my deal with Michael. -I should have asked him for pensation for killing The Warden, actually...-

  But even if it did, it wouldn't arrive until I received the 'Data Link' request from Michael. -Speaking of which, it should notify me when that es, right?- *Woop* L Michael's Panel, I finally closed my system before looking up and immediately finding a young man dressed in a suit, bowing to me just ihe airship.

  "Wele aboard, Miss!" He seemed oddly cheery, especially sidering the situation outside. "Would you like me to guide you to your room?"

  -Guide me to my room?- "I wasn't aware I had one."

  He immediately straightened his posture as he fidently looked me in the eyes. "You are Miss Lestir, correct?"

  -Oh...- All it took was him saying my name for everything to click. -Michael must have given him a quest...- "I am, my apologies. Please lead the way." Motioning him forward, he immediately whipped around and began guiding me down the hall with a pep in his step.

  He was only een acc to his system panel, and while level 0 was marked as awakened, meanierally awakened just then. -Michael must have awakened him just to give him a quest.-

  But it's not like I minded.

  As we tinued down the short hallway, we eventually came into a huge ballroom, half filled with tables, and half filled with rge, areas floored with tile, uhe rest of the carpeted room. -Are those supposed to be pces to dance?- "What's this area for?"

  The young man hastily turned around with a hop. "This room is the guild dining aing area. Currently, it's reserved by the Sparrows Guild, and is typically where they would spend most of their time during the flight. Sihe entire room is a skyroom, when we are in the air, the walls will actually disappear and make it look like you aren't even in the ship. It's really cool." He paused as he looked up at the t ceiling with a breath of awe. "I'd reend you to e in and check it out whe in the air, but with the evacuations, it will likely be quite crowded."

  -Hm...- Looking at the wall o the entrance ahead of us, it was indeed clear it wasn't a normal wall, it was almost like there was something yered over it, but pared to the illusion magic I saw at the mana monit facility, it seemed digital. -How fasating... Are the walls covered in holograms?- I tilted my head slightly as I looked up toward the ceiling as well. -I wonder what he means by the walls disappearing though...-

  "As for the other side, these tile areas are actually small arenas. Usually, it's surrounded by so many barriers that it's hard to see in, but it lets people practice magic or teiques while they fly. If you wish to use it before others board, you are more than wele to."

  "Hoho," I let out a little chuckle as I lowered my gaze ba and we finally reached the other side of the room, entering ane hallway. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I'd blow a hole through the side of the ship if I used it for its intended purpose."

  Quickly realizing I wasn't joking, he tensed up before straightening his posture. "I-I see... In any case, if there are any additional aodations you would like, please just ask. You are our most valuable guest."

  Gently nodding, we quickly tinued down the hall, idly speaking as if I was receiving a tour before passing through several argantuan rooms, from a theater to a tavern, and going up a few flights of stairs to e up te, polished wood double door, lined with a marble doorframe, and beled with a gold pte: 'Suite 1A'

  -How gaudy...-

  "This will be your room. It's a first-css VIP suite, I hope it is suffit." The young man bowed deeply, with his head falling below his waist. "Please treat yourself during the flight. If you need help with anything inside, please speak to one of the robots, or call a maid. They will be on standby."

  -Maids on standby during an evacuatiohey need all hands on deck, huh...- "I see. Thank you." -I guess sihere's hreat, it doesn't really matter...- Finally tinuing up to the door as the butler left down the hall, I gently open, expeg to get fshed with the blinding light of gold, jewels, and gems, only to have a wave of uedly cool air bst over me

  *Woosh* It was fresh, remi of the air in the mountains, without the st of stone and gold I had associated with wealth for turies. -Woah...- It made my expression lighten in an instant, and as I tinued ihe gleam in my eyes only gre, this room is.. quite ually...-

  Just ihe doors was a small area with walls of old, ly polished wooden bookshelves, and just past it, through an opeangur doorway, was the view of a beautiful lounge, with intricately carved stoatues, and a rge, puffy leather sofa in front of a firepce that exuded the faint smell of trees as if I were standing in a forest.

  Although inally, I had po just focus to find ways to trol my aura during the flight, in a matter of seds, that had begun ging. -Maybe.. I should actually take some time to rex like I wao on the mountain...-

  And as if that wasn't enough, as I walked into the louo look around the rest of the suite, the warm yellow ceiling lights brightened before the ceiling and wall straight ahead of me vanished behind a wave of pixels revealing the airfield, clouds, and sun as if it had suddenly bee one huge window. "Woah..."

  It was an array of ss, seemingly using no magic at all to nearly perfectly dispy the sky outside as if I wasn't encased in a huge metal ship at all. -How fasating... Is it pying the feed from cameras outside?-

  But it was far from that simple. As I tinued deeper into the room, toward the 'window', the view shifted seamlessly to py the illusion that I was truly standing on a baly.

  "Haah..." My sigh was heavy, releasing a bundle of worries that had dohing but build since I returo Earth. -It still doesn't feel real... To think I'm actually back...-

  However, while I stood in front of the window, looking over the adjat runways, a female voice filled the room. "It is quite a beautiful day out, isn't it?"

  Although it souruly human, there was a hint of digital o it, causio slowly turn around, expeg to see a ing robot.

  But my gaze only nded on a rge bck panther sat on the edge of a smaller doorway. -W..What..?-

  Seeing my expression, it quickly lowered its head. "I apologize for the te greeting. My name is Bel, the main caretaker of this suite. It is my pleasure to serve you on this flight." Upon pausing, its gaze shifted back up to me. "If there is anything you would like to ize about me, or the room, you may specify at any time."

  It was a robot, just like with the dog robot I saw in the cafe, but somehow, this o.. se. "What do you mean by ize?"

  It quickly looked upward before the view of the clouds flickered away to a view of the underside of a rai's opy. "You ge the theme of the room, view through the window, sts, or even arra of furniture with just a word." The panther never once pulled its eyes off the ground as it spoke. "If you wish, you even ge my form as well. If you wish for me to look human, elven, or some other creature, all you must do is-"

  "Everything was fine as it was." Quickly cutting her off, the lighting and window returo how it was, and I felt like my brain had short-circuited. -Did I get intoxicated by my mana or something?- I holy felt like I was in some weird dream.

  But.. it certainly wasn't a dream. "As you wish." Finally lifting itself from its bow, it stood up. "Is there anything you would like? Perhaps I could prepare a drink or a warm bath?"

  -Ah.. I guess I could use a bath...- Slowly trying to ease my nerves and learn to take in the new experiences without overanalyzing every detail, my tone and posture rexed. "Prepare a bath as hot as possible, with fix whatever the most popur drink is..."

  It looked at me with its cold, meical eyes for a moment before opening its mouth. "You wish for the water to be boiling?"

  "Yeah, that's fine."

  Gently waving her off, she turned away with a gentle, weightless sway iail. "As you wish. It will be prepared immediately."

  Watg her disappear through the small doorway, my gaze shifted down to my gloves. -I guess.. I should go ahead and take my armor off...-

  Starting with just a single glove to make sure the system wouldn't erase all my armor the moment I unequipped everything, I made my way into the hallway Bel went down before finding my way to a colossal bathroom with a huge bath steaming so much I couldn't see the wall behind it.

  "Your bath and drink are prepared, Miss." She paused as she walked up and handed me a gss of blue and green liquid with a single ice cube in it. "Is there a name or title you wish for me to refer to you as?"

  I gently shook my head as I held the gss up to the light. "Miss Lestir is fine..." L the gss, I quickly opened my system and checked if my glove was still there before promptly unequipping the rest of my armor, revealing my toned, but limitlessly scarred body, reting ead every injury that likely should have killed me. "If I may ask, what is this drink." Sniffing it as I walked toward the bath, it smelled somewhat fruity with a hint of sour and bitterness.

  "Uh..." But Bel seemed to stutter, with her expression showing a mix of shod . "I-It's called a mythril cocktail, infused and iced with mana."

  -Infused, huh?- It sounded like an elixir or potion. But without giving it much thought, I took a sip. -Oh...- It was sour like a lemon, with a hint of bitterness simir to oisons, and a sweetness akin to fruit. -It makes the toingle a bit...- Putting my finger oop of the single rge ice cube, I threw back the drink before swishing it around and promptly swallowing it. "That was good, but bring me a few other assorted drinks. I'd like to try some hings."

  "Y-Yes.. of course..." But instead of immediately leaving to get them, Bel hesitated, watg me climb into the bath as if the boiling water were lukewarm. "A-Are you.. okay?"

  -Hm?- Sinking my shoulders beh the water, I nontly gnced over at her, notig her expression. "Why wouldn't I be?"

  Although I thought her expression was because of how I drank the drink at the time, that wasn't actually the case. "I-I just.. have never-" *Buzz* With a crackle the light behind her eyes flickered before her demeanor shifted back to the way it was before. "I apologize. I have been rude..." Bowing again, she quickly got moving. "I will retrieve your drinks now."

  -Huh...- Her sudden ge in demeanor reminded me of a wild dog that was disciplined.

  But I wasn't given much time to think about it.

  As seds turned into minutes, I eventually learned I could ge the sery ihroom as well before pig a mountain with the air and forest ambiao apany it.

  For the first time in at least a tury, I actually mao rex, shutting off my mind without having to worry about a try-sized mohat could jump up out of the p's crust to eat me at any moment.

  For the first time since I was kidnapped by the system, it felt as if my mind was given a ce to heal. Before I k, my cautious thoughts calmed, and my curiosity was lit like a fme. -I.. could get used to this...-

  My smile widened as I pressed a thin gss against my lips and took a sip of a spicy but sweet drink, unlike anything I had ever tasted as the sound of wind blowing up a mountainside resohrough my mind. -How.. nice...-

  -----

  - Saint Michael ~

  H over the wide airfield with my hands ched behind my back, I looked down through the walls of a massive airship with a tense expression. -Just where did a monster like her e from...- Looking at her body, coated in scars se they should have sliced her in half, I felt a chill pass down my spine. Even if I hit her as hard as I could, using my divinity to slow time and pound the force of the hit as much as possible, I wasn't fident I could even leave a bruise.

  She was a monster far beyond the limit of flesh, exuding an aura equivalent to a lower-rank p, and touting a body many times strohan bck mythril. I holy had to wonder... -Just where did the system sehat forced her to grow to this extent...- I felt my chest tighten just thinking about it. -We're lucky I was able to make a deal after that dumbass tried to use his avatar to fight her...-

  Looking down at a thin puff of smoke, the remnants of an angel's scattered soul, my expression darkened.

  But just a moment ter, my system dinged. *Beep* "Request Accepted. Message received."

  It was the respoo my Data Link request to the tral Server. -It ted, but.. there's a message attached?- By the looks of things, it was from an administrator of the tral Server.

  Not sure what to expect, I ope.

  But it read: "The request has beeo them, but don't expect a traditional data link. Because I ot access their information without errors, they will be able to freely manipute their dispyed data within your server. You will be able to freely send things to them, however, be careful, if you try to access their raw server details without a request, your server will crash."

  -H..huh?- My face ed with horror as I read it. -An admin of the tral Server.. 't access her information..?-

  As my gaze shifted down to the woman below me, I felt the air arouurn cold. -I o t my lucky stars tonight...-

  In an instant, I had to resider the strength differeween us. -If I took the wrong course of a a moment ago.. Earth might have really beeroyed...- And there would have been nothing I could have doo stop her.

  Even though it was my initial assumption, the being in front of me wasn't of the same css as what we called destroyers, because she wasn't a being who destroyed societies...

  She was a being who destroyed worlds.

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