Infect

The peculiar sound reverberated in the basement, and Kurumi opened her eyes, a hint of depth concealed in the wine-red depths.

"Red Queen, calculate the peak of spiritual power."

"Master, it decreased by zero point two percentage points compared to yesterday."

Kurumi nodded, her spiritual power refilling her body, constantly emitting an undeniable force.

A deep exhale escaped her lips, quickly dissipating into the air.

"It seems that next time, we'll have to change our location."

"Yes, Master. Many of the plants in the neighbourhood are withering, catching some people's attention."

"Kah~"

Kurumi stood up, heading for the bathroom as she opened the door. "By the way, how is the construction of the company headquarters going?"

"It's progressing at the fastest pace, but it won't be officially operational for another two months."

"Alright."

...

Kurumi sat on the bed, attending to her daily routine.

Her spiritual power extended through the void, sensing the faint spiritual imprint of the Black Cat. Unexpectedly, her spiritual power was able to reach it this time!

Her heart trembled slightly as she cautiously manipulated her spiritual power to interact with the Black Cat's spiritual imprint. Although her wine-red eyes were open, they reflected nothing, an eerie emptiness.

Time raced on, and the void felt precarious even with Kurumi's augmented spiritual power. She feared that the Black Cat's spiritual imprint might not breach the Marvel Universe.

Or worse, it might shatter upon forced entry...

She couldn't afford to be careless about this matter. The Black Cat's spiritual imprint's ethereal presence stirred a sense of dread in Kurumi.

She reassured herself, reasoning that the faint imprint resulted from the vast distance between the two universes rather than any unfortunate incident.

But... was it really so? Uncertainty plagued Kurumi's thoughts.

The sun rose and set, and Kurumi's forehead glistened with a thin sheen of sweat, a testament to the strenuousness of her work.

The Red Queen dared not disturb her, refraining from even the slightest of movements.

Finally! She guided the Black Cat's spiritual imprint into the Marvel Universe. The indistinct feeling vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented clarity.

The Black Cat's spiritual power seemed to have multiplied tenfold, yet Kurumi's complexion grew paler. She sensed a weakness akin to near-death and severe injury from the spiritual imprint.

Her wine-red eyes glowed with an essence-like intensity, the interplay of black and red radiance swift and spectacular. The Divine Spirit Equipment adorned her form.

Within her golden irises, a clock-like representation of time indicated a leisurely pace, many times slower than the outside world.

The summoning matrix was etched with spiritual power, each rune near perfection, emanating energy waves as if nurturing formidable life forms.

She simply aimed to ensure a flawless summoning. After all, summoning across universes, Kurumi's confidence was far from complete.

Though she had guided the Black Cat's spiritual imprint into the Marvel Universe, the uncertainty persisted...

The unforeseen was always a possibility, endangering not only the Black Cat but even Kurumi herself within the region, as spatial storms would shred it.

What is the consequence of being shredded? The Marvel Universe would permanently lack this spatial fragment. Though negligible... Kurumi had little certainty of escaping.

Thus, she couldn't afford to be anything but cautious.

Fortunately, the matrix's fluctuations remained stable, releasing spiritual energy into the surrounding space without attracting a spatial storm... hopefully.

With a tightened wine-red gaze, she skillfully manipulated her spiritual power through the void, guiding the imprint toward the matrix!

"Kah~"

Kurumi's expression shifted, and her spiritual power surged within her, mending the damaged corner.

"Red Queen, calculate spatial stability and the optimal amount of spiritual power required for repairs."

"...Please continue to maintain spatial fluctuations are intensifying, and there's a chance of the summoned entity's arrival."

The Red Queen's loli-like voice sounded as a tinge of paleness spread across her delicate lips.

Black fur emerged from the matrix, a glimmer of relief crossed Kurumi's mind, and she sustained her energy output, stabilising the spatial fluctuations.

Unlike before, the fur lacked lustre, clumping together due to dried blood plasma. It appeared grotesque, especially compared to its state upon Kurumi's initial summoning.

Eyes narrowing slightly, Kurumi could sense a trace of life force from the Black Cat, preventing her from mistaking it for an inanimate object.

"Master, inject fifteen units of spiritual power into the six o'clock direction."

The Red Queen's voice sounded urgent, and Kurumi refocused, channelling spiritual power from within herself into the matrix.

Crossing two universes, disregarding distance and time, half of the Black Cat remained in its original universe, while its other body arrived in the Marvel Universe.

The rules and laws of the two universes were undoubtedly distinct, and starting a fight now, triggering a spatial storm that would tear Kurumi apart, would be nothing short of catastrophic.

Of course, it was also possible that both universes harboured mutual suspicion, making summoning the Black Cat effortlessly achievable.

"Master, close the matrix quickly!"

The Red Queen's voice carried an urgency that led Kurumi to pause. "The Black Cat's half..."

The Red Queen interrupted before she could finish her sentence, "Don't worry about the half tail. If something unpleasant emerges from inside, we'll be in trouble!"

"Unpleasant things?" Kurumi squinted her eyes, controlling her energy output and preparing to erase the matrix with her spiritual power.

"Boom!——"

The matrix closed, but a... wild boar leapt out in that instant!

This wild boar was rather large.

Kurumi's eyebrow twitched, her tone peculiar, "Red Queen, is this the... unpleasant thing you mentioned?"

The projected Red Queen sheepishly scratched her little cheek.

The wild boar was sizable, comparable to a compact car, its two tusks gleaming like finely polished blades.

If Kurumi's room wasn't spacious, this boar's casual movement could have quickly shattered it!

Figuring out its build and explosive muscles, Kurumi asked, "Could this be a mutant species?"

"I can't confirm for now. Should we hand it over to Umbrella?"

Kurumi pinched her soft lower lip, "Sounds like a plan."

The boar's eyes reddened, seemingly displeased by the humans before it. However, the confined space limited its ability to unleash its proud charge.

With a loud roar, two "blades" at the sides of its mouth swiftly shot toward Kurumi!

The sound of wind breaking reached Kurumi's ears, and while it surprised her, it wasn't enough to faze her.

A flicker of sapphire and the massive boar's body collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

Yet Kurumi's spiritual power surged, her wine-red eyes occasionally flashing dangerous light.

Her spiritual power formed threads of sharp blades, rapidly extending outward!

She glanced upwards, finding nothing. The surge of spiritual energy resembled crashing waves, and her elven body tingled with the sensation of being pricked by needles.

Like being stalked by an unknown beast...

The projected Red Queen continuously scanned the surroundings. According to the cloud computing base calculations, her expression changed dramatically!

"Master, quickly bring the Black Cat and the boar into the space! They carry an unknown virus!"