I Shall Become the Queen of Resilience!

Away from the lab, Lee's mood was completely different—the plan worked perfectly!

Not only had she successfully portrayed herself as devastated by her powerlessness, but she'd also established that the people she once protected were now forced to undergo life-threatening surgeries to become stronger…

How crushing this must be for Lee, who dreamed of being a savior, of shielding others from danger!

The former hero was now a forgotten has-been—no, worse, a burden who needed her friends to risk their lives to protect her!

And she was powerless to stop them from harming themselves…

"Power…" Lee lowered her head, as if struggling to control her emotions, her lip bitten raw. "Without power… I can't change anything…!"

Lee felt her acting had reached its peak. At the very least, she'd convinced that pesky Honkai consciousness.

'Hey there, want some power? Honkai Herrscher positions available now, apply within! With this power, you can eliminate all those pesky insects and protect everyone you care about~'

A wave of dizziness washed over Lee. She instinctively leaned against the wall, clutching her head as the mysterious voice continued its recruitment pitch.

Same as last time, though the wording was different, the message was the same.

Why is the Honkai consciousness like a persistent salesman, with personalized ads now? This recruitment pitch was much more targeted…

Should she accept the offer this time? Considering the escalating power levels of the Herrschers, becoming one now should make her stronger than the Herrscher of Flames. Going by the order, it should be… the Herrscher of Sentience? The one whose core became the Fenghuang Down.

Sentience wasn't bad. At least she'd excel at self-preservation and escape, considering Fu Hua's numerous resurrections, thanks in part to Fenghuang Down. And from her main body's perspective, a mental power like Sentience would be very useful… especially if those "old friends" from other worlds stumbled onto this planet.

So, should she accept?

The Honkai energy around her, sensing her apparent acquiescence, began to stir, almost reaching out to her. But then—

"—Get lost."

Lee gritted her teeth, using all her strength to dispel the encroaching Honkai energy.

"Power… I'll acquire it myself!" Perhaps due to her weakened state, resisting the Honkai's influence was harder this time. Though drenched in sweat, her gaze was fiercer than ever. "Damn you, Honkai…!"

The Honkai consciousness didn't respond, simply retreating, leaving Lee gasping for breath.

It's only been how long since the Seventh Herrscher, and they're already looking for the Eighth? Was it just a coincidence, or had her vulnerability accelerated the process?

Regardless, it didn't change Lee's decision.

Becoming the Eighth Herrscher sounded tempting, but who knew what strings were attached to power from the Honkai? What if it meant the death of her own consciousness, being replaced and thus considered dead before becoming a Herrscher, so the Herrscher core wouldn't belong to her? That would be a huge loss.

It was safer to wait until the Herrscher was dead and then install the core herself.

Besides, she was currently at Fire Moth HQ, surrounded by the world's top scientists, including Mei, Mobius, and Vill-V. If she transformed here, the accompanying Honkai eruption might wipe out most of humanity's hope… She'd become the Honkai's MVP.

And there was another problem. Though she'd been playing the "depressed and powerless" card, her persona was still a staunch humanist, vehemently opposed to the Honkai. An obsession with power was understandable, but joining the Honkai… Lee worried it would seem too outlandish.

_Just two years of weakness and hardship, and she snaps and becomes a Herrscher? Too fragile!_—To avoid being judged by the players, she had to become the queen of resilience before having her "breakdown".

Though the forums were still mostly focused on gameplay, not lore discussions, Lee felt she should maintain her image. Farming energy from the players was important.

"…I should go back."

Lee leaned against the wall for a while, then sighed and headed home.

…

Standing before her door, Lee hesitated.

Once she entered, she would have to face Pardofelis, tell her that Kalpas and Aponia were still imprisoned, possibly facing death, and explain that she wasn't the Big Sis Lee of old, that she was powerless to help.

But reality had to be faced, no matter how unpleasant. After a long pause, Lee opened the door.

"Big Sis Lee! What happened to Mr. Kalpas and Ms. Aponia?!"

The sharp-eared little cat rushed to Lee, her eyes filled with hope. Lee felt a pang of guilt.

"Big Sis Lee…?" Seeing Lee's silence, Pardofelis' smile faded. "Did something happen?"

"…Sorry, Pardo."

After a long pause, Lee finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

After a brief silence, Pardofelis smiled again, hugging Lee, her voice cheerful. "What are you apologizing for, Big Sis Lee? Good things take time. It's not that easy to succeed! Even when I steal from those rich guys' warehouses, I have to scout the place first. It's impossible to succeed on the first try!"

"Even I know that bigger organizations are more complicated. This base is even bigger than the Twilight Street, so things must be super complicated here. It's normal that you can't just get Mr. Kalpas and Ms. Aponia out so easily~"

Pardofelis didn't blame Lee at all, instead comforting her. Though she didn't know what had happened, she could tell Lee was upset. The request must have caused Lee trouble, and she needed comfort now.

Pardofelis' perceptiveness and kindness only deepened Lee's guilt.

Not only had she failed to help Pardo, but she was also being comforted by a child…

Lee hugged Pardofelis tightly, tears silently streaming down her face, unseen by the little girl in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Pardo… I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry, Big Sis Lee! Leave this to me!" Unaware of Lee's tears, Pardofelis patted Lee's back, still smiling.