Director Yashi led Adele to Mage Victoria’s recovery room. Surprisingly, but not entirely unexpectedly, someone was already waiting inside.

It was the Headmistress of Cromwell Academy, Mage Winona, finally free on the weekend.

She had already sensed Yashi and Adele’s arrival. The former’s high heels clicking against the floor were distinct, while the latter’s steps were slightly hurried and youthful, easy to distinguish.

“He-Hello, Headmistress!”

Adele offered a rare polite greeting, using honorifics. Although she often gave the impression of being rebellious and disrespectful of authority, the girl knew in her heart that the current peace and prosperity of the Human Race couldn’t have been achieved without the support and selfless help of those like Headmistress Winona, representing the Magical World, and the Elf True Ancestor, Lislotte, representing other Foreign Races.

So, at her core, did she still consider herself a member of the Human Race? Even though her Vampire identity seemed more fitting.

“Yes, you’re here, Adele.”

Winona bypassed Yashi, only acknowledging Adele. The reason might be that she and Yashi had been meeting daily recently, making greetings each time too cumbersome. Or perhaps their relationship was familiar enough to comfortably coexist without formalities.

Adele hurried past Director Yashi and arrived at Teacher Victoria’s bedside. She crouched down, gazing with worried, cherry-colored eyes at Victoria, who lay peacefully as if asleep.

The beautiful blue-haired woman rested on the white sheets, her lips pale, her serene face seemingly indifferent to the world’s joys °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° and sorrows.

She wondered if this was a good or bad outcome for Teacher Victoria. In that instant, many thoughts crossed Adele’s mind.

Perhaps Teacher Victoria wasn’t attached to this world anymore? So, instead of waking up to face the reality of being alone, she preferred to remain in slumber. Finally ending her erroneous revival in this wrong era within a long dream.

As these thoughts continued, tears unconsciously flowed from the corners of Adele’s eyes, streaming down her cheeks. Teardrop after teardrop fell, wetting her clenched fists and the floor.

The saying that women are made of water was indeed true.

Winona and Yashi exchanged glances, choosing to let Adele vent her emotions.

A long while later, Adele accepted the tissue offered by Headmistress Winona and wiped her tears. Though her eyes were still red, she declared with a strong expression, “...I’m alright now.”

“Let Teacher Victoria continue to rest peacefully.”

“Director Yashi, take me to see the Evil God Ain.”

“I want to interrogate her myself!”

Yashi nodded. “Follow me. But I think when you see her...”

“You’ll be very surprised.”

..................

Passing through the security doors and entering the elevator descending deep underground, Adele stared intently at the surroundings, her small cherry mouth agape in astonishment.

This was her first time witnessing a secret base built by the Human Race. More fantastical than any science fiction novel, its grandeur left Adele speechless.

The elevator was transparent, revealing a hollowed-out subterranean world, similar to a honeycomb structure. Each space was interconnected, with countless pathways crisscrossing. Various high-tech robotic arms, robots, and humans in protective suits busily worked and experimented.

Strange sounds faintly permeated the elevator glass, like chanting or the whispers of ancient gods.

The elevator continued downwards; Adele and Director Yashi were heading to the special containment facility on the lowest level. Those who knew, understood – the original author had definitely based it on the SCP Foundation.

However, they could never have imagined that this world would develop to this extent on its own. Or perhaps it wasn’t self-development. Perhaps this world existed before the novel, and the novel merely depicted its stories, outlining one of its many timelines? It wasn’t impossible.

But for Adele, a “character in the book,” further contemplation was meaningless.

Finally, the elevator reached the containment facility on the lowest level. As soon as they stepped out, the place gave Adele a huge... fright, but no delight.

“Roar!”

A roar like a prehistoric beast resounded beside her like a thunderclap. Adele startled, nearly falling into Director Yashi’s arms.

However, she glanced around, realizing it wasn’t Celeste, Dorothy, Hermione, or any of the other girls she trusted beside her, so she refrained.

Adele, the epitome of self-control!

Yashi led her forward, and they saw the true face of the monster. A... miniature Godzilla?

From Adele’s perspective, inside a transparent containment cell made of an unknown material stood a small Godzilla, only half a person tall.

Noticing Adele’s gaze, the little monster, feeling provoked, unleashed an atomic breath in her direction.

“Whoa!”

Adele braced for the laser, dodging quickly. Unexpectedly, the laser hit the inner wall of the containment cell and vanished like a drop in the ocean, absorbed by the rippling, shimmering surface.

The containment cell absorbed the monster’s power. Would it become stronger or dissipate the energy?

Beyond the Godzilla, various containment cells held countless incredible monsters and Foreign Races.

A talking octopus with three eyes, a ferocious bird with flaming wings. A nine-tailed... Shiba Inu? It even smiled when it saw them.

Why wasn’t it a fox?!

There was also a dangerous werewolf, said to be a brutal general of the werewolf tribe. Upon seeing them, he instantly swelled, his muscles bulging, sharp claws extending from his fingertips like indestructible blades. However, his frenzied charge was directed at Director Yashi.

Perhaps because she was the one who apprehended him? Yashi’s later explanation to Adele confirmed this.

It turned out that the werewolf was a notorious warmongering terrorist among the werewolves, responsible for planning werewolf attacks that caused massive casualties in human cities. Yashi personally apprehended him.

He was currently being held here temporarily, pending transfer to the Foreign Races Court for sentencing.

Continuing further, they reached the deepest part of the containment facility, where the most important subjects were held. Adele finally saw the form of the Evil God Ain, the one Yashi said would shock her.

Undeniably, Adele was, as Yashi predicted, greatly surprised.

Inside a reinforced containment cell was a naked human girl with long black hair. She looked quite delicate, hugging her knees with a disgruntled expression, staring blankly ahead.

Adele observed her through the light blue curtain of electricity. The girl looked... familiar.

Suddenly, Adele’s eyes widened as she looked at Director Yashi. The latter nodded.

“She looks a lot like a young Victoria, doesn’t she?”

“That’s because she intentionally mimics her.”

“If we didn’t know her true form, we might actually mistake her for... Mage Victoria in her youth.”

Director Yashi’s tone was meaningful. Adele’s heart skipped a beat.

She understood Yashi’s implication... It was Xiao Ai. She meant that Xiao Ai, like the Evil God Ain, might be... some unknown creature from another world. She wanted Adele to be cautious.

Although it was well-intentioned, Adele’s heart felt like an overturned spice rack, filled with mixed emotions. No matter what others said or thought, she would never doubt her “daughter” Xiao Ai. She had spent the most time with Xiao Ai and knew she wasn’t a bad child!

Moreover, she had a vague feeling about Xiao Ai’s origins... She was fundamentally different from otherworldly creatures like the Evil God Ain!

But Director Yashi meant well, and she only offered this veiled warning because she considered Adele an ally. Therefore, Adele wouldn’t fault her for speculating.

“...Can she see us now?” Adele asked after a moment of silence, observing that the Evil God Ain hadn’t shown any emotional fluctuations since their arrival and remained silent, as if unable to see them.

Director Yashi nodded and walked to a nearby machine, pressing two buttons.

First, the light blue electrical grid surrounding the containment cell, like a curtain of rain, deactivated. It was designed to prevent even a mosquito from entering; any living matter would be annihilated.

Next, the one-way mirror function of the containment cell was deactivated.

The Evil God Ain was startled, realizing she was no longer facing a white wall but transparent glass revealing the outside world. She looked up.

“...”

At first, there was dead silence. Then, the Evil God Ain demonstrated what it meant to “blur in place from fright.”

The youthful features of Victoria distorted and collapsed, merging into a puddle of ink-like slime. Her long black hair transformed into countless small tentacles with suckers, flailing wildly. This transformation occurred throughout her body. Finally, she reverted to her original form, a slime-like soul.

Cowering in the corner of the containment cell, she trembled, large ink-like sweat droplets falling from her. The droplets fell, merging back into her body, then falling again... She seemed to exist in both solid and liquid states simultaneously.

Adele wondered if there was also a “gaseous” state?

So, this was the so-called... “soul” of an otherworldly Evil God. It was simply unbelievable.

Also, why did she display such “fear,” from a human perspective?

Adele tilted her head in confusion, unaware that Director Yashi was experiencing a shock no less than the Evil God Ain within the containment cell.

They had previously interrogated the Evil God Ain individually, including the Elf True Ancestor, Lislotte, but none could extract any information from the arrogant Evil God; they were even mocked and ridiculed.

But when she saw Adele... she reacted like a mouse seeing a cat.

To put it bluntly, she was “scared shitless.”

What was going on...?