Chapter 274: Chapter 274 Situation
A data stream, more turbulent than usual, flashed across the inverted cross pupils of the System.
It remained silent for two seconds before answering with that eternally steady, electronically synthesized voice:
"Confirmed. Individual characteristics matched: Ms. Herta, Genius Society #83, Stellaron Hunter of Intellect. Summoning coordinates: Fuyuki City, Fourth Holy Grail War, Caster’s original master summoning circle. Summoner: Jack."
Black Herta slowly raised her hand and covered her face.
"Why..."
Her voice came out muffled from between her fingers, "Why would Jack summon her?! Shouldn’t Ms. Herta be ’passionately interacting’ with Zephyro right now?! How on earth did Aha instantly pack her up from an Envoy-level bombardment and throw her into a summoning circle in Fuyuki City?! Is this reasonable?!"
System: "According to energy tracking, Ms. Herta was in a high-intensity energy entanglement with the Lord Ravager Zephyro 3.7 seconds ago. At the moment of her forced transfer, the spatial coordinates showed an extremely brief ’fault jump.’ This phenomenon is consistent with the characteristics of known high-level interference cases involving the Path of Elation."
"So this is another ’gift’ from Aha?"
Black Herta lowered her hand, staring at the screen where The Herta had an expression that clearly said ’What the hell is this place,’ feeling her maintenance progress bar throbbing in pain.
"Yes, madam."
The System confirmed, "Based on the interference characteristics and the abruptness of the event, it can be determined as ’Gift of Elation · Part Two’."
Black Herta took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
Her biggest concern surfaced: "What about her power? Ms. Herta is a genuine Stellaron Hunter of Intellect! If she were to unleash her full power in this world, let alone the Holy Grail War, whether the Earth would even continue to exist would be a question!"
The System scanned rapidly: "Analyzing Ms. Herta’s current status... Energy level scan... Path connection strength assessment... External restriction detection..."
A few seconds later, the System reported the results: "Confirmed. Ms. Herta is currently in a state of high-intensity power suppression. Her connection to the ’Erudition’ Path has been temporarily ’throttled’ by unknown rules, making it impossible to mobilize Envoy-level power. The currently observable energy level is roughly equivalent to a conventional ’top-tier Servant’ in this world, and is further limited by the mana supply from her master (Jack)."
Black Herta breathed a slight sigh of relief: "In other words, she’s at most just a more powerful Servant, and can’t flip the table?"
"Theoretically, yes."
The System added, "But her knowledge and techniques have not diminished. Even with limited power, the efficiency of her combat style and methods may far exceed the conventional understanding of this world."
"That’s a relief... At least the Holy Grail War won’t be declared over five minutes after it starts."
Black Herta rubbed her brow and looked back at the screen, "The problem now is... how is Jack going to explain this to her? Will Ms. Herta obediently act as a ’Servant’? Also, she will definitely recognize that Jack is not the genuine Xing, and with her brain, she will absolutely suspect us..."
She thought for a moment, then immediately sent a short instruction to Jack via the mental link:
[Stay calm, speak less and listen more, and act according to the situation. She is the real Ms. Herta, but her power is restricted. Do not expose us. If necessary, you can admit that you are a copy of ’Xing,’ but don’t mention me. See what she wants to do first.]
Abandoned House
Jack looked ahead, a rare, distinct trace of bewilderment appearing in her golden eyes.
(Ms. Herta?)
(I... summoned her?)
Jack’s brain worked at high speed.
She knew who Ms. Herta was—Madam Herta and the System had provided the information.
She also knew Ms. Herta’s power level—that terrifying existence capable of toying with stars and even capturing the trajectories of Aeons.
And now, such an existence was standing in front of her as a "Servant."
Jack felt a subtle unease.
Her hand gripping the baseball bat tightened unconsciously.
Just then, Madam Herta’s instructions came through.
Jack steadied herself.
The fluctuations in her golden eyes quickly subsided, returning to that calm, waveless appearance.
She looked at Ms. Herta without speaking, waiting for the other party to speak first—this was "speak less and listen more."
The most confused one, of course, was Ms. Herta herself.
A second ago, she was still in that galaxy, locking Zephyro in a spatial fold for 0.1 seconds, preparing to take a moment to analyze it.
The next second, her vision blurred, and space shifted.
When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing in a dirty, dilapidated room filled with an unpleasant odor.
Under her feet was a crudely drawn summoning circle, and standing in front of her was a girl who looked exactly like Xing.
Ms. Herta’s brow immediately furrowed, and a flash of annoyance crossed her purple eyes.
(Forced spatial transfer? Not Zephyro’s doing... Is it that guy who interfered with the jump earlier?)
She quickly scanned the environment: the dilapidated house, the unconscious man and the tied-up boy, the summoning circle on the ground, and this "Xing" in front of her.
(This is not the Astral Express, nor is it any known galactic coordinate.)
(Summoning circle? Holy Grail War?)
Almost the instant this thought arose, basic information about the "Holy Grail War" automatically surfaced in her mind—this was common knowledge granted by the mechanism when summoned as a "Servant."
Ms. Herta instantly understood her situation.
(I was forcibly turned into a summoned object for some magic ritual? A "Servant"?)
(Heh.)
She sneered inwardly.
This method, this sick sense of humor, this crude arrangement that completely ignored her own wishes...
It was exactly the same as that guy.
(Really persistent in causing me trouble.)
She turned her gaze back to the "Xing" in front of her.
This "Xing" gave her a strange feeling.
The appearance was identical, but the temperament was completely different.
Moreover, she could feel a weak but real "connection" between herself and this "Xing"—the master-Servant contract connection.
At the same time, she could clearly perceive that her vast, sea-like Path power was tightly restricted by some extremely domineering rule, as if stuffing the ocean into a small water cup; although the essence remained unchanged, the "amount of water" she could mobilize was pitifully small.
(Power restriction... also the work of that guy, right? To stop me from flipping the table?)
Ms. Herta narrowed her eyes, suppressing the urge to drag the mastermind out and tear them into atoms.
She was a "Servant" now, her power restricted, her situation unknown; better to figure out the situation first.
She looked at "Xing" and spoke.
"Where is this?"
Jack looked at her without speaking.
Ms. Herta didn’t mind and continued to ask, while pointing at her feet: "Did you draw this crude diagram?"
Jack shook her head.
"Then who are you?"
Ms. Herta’s purple eyes stared directly into Jack’s golden ones, as if trying to see the essence behind them, "You shouldn’t be that ’Xing’ from the Astral Express, right? Even though you look exactly the same."
Jack was silent for two seconds, then gave a very slight nod.
(As expected.)
Ms. Herta confirmed her guess.
A copy? A replica? Or something else?
It doesn’t matter, the point now is—
"So, I am now your ’Servant’?"
Ms. Herta’s mouth curled into a cold arc, "What an interesting arrangement. So, Miss master, you summoned me to this place—what do you want me to help you with? Cleaning? Or dealing with that unconscious pervert over there?"
Her tone carried obvious sarcasm, but Jack didn’t seem to hear it, or didn’t care if she did.
Jack thought for a moment, pointed at the summoning circle on the ground, then pointed at the command spells on the back of her hand, and finally pointed outside, speaking concisely:
"Holy Grail War. Win. Go back."
Ms. Herta raised an eyebrow.
(Win the Holy Grail War? And then go back?)
(This copy... has a very clear goal.)
She looked at Jack with great interest: "Win? How to win? By relying on that baseball bat in your hand and me, this ’Servant’ with restricted power?"
Jack looked down at her baseball bat, then looked back up at Ms. Herta, her golden eyes calm and waveless:
"You, smart. I, can fight."
After a pause, she added another sentence:
"Cooperate. Win. Fast."
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