Chapter 210
If the version of myself in the simulation completely collapses because of this plan and doesn't make it to 8 PM on July 1st, then it means I, Xia'er, need to optimize my ideas further.
Right now, my fate points stand at 187. There's no need for me to engage in particularly dangerous activities just to save 10 fate points.
It’s going to be tough on the version of me in the simulation.
After completely revising the plan, Xia'er placed the "Endless Manual of Forgetfulness" into the system's storage and double-checked its contents through the storage icon.
The first goal is to find a safe time window to use a calming agent and restore my mental state.
The second goal is to find a way to help Aivina advance.
The third goal is to draw out the quill without killing Lucy and Opode.
The fourth goal is to extract the uniqueness from the quill without revealing any information.
“Hmm…”
Xia'er nodded.
Finding a safe time window and helping Aivina advance have both been elevated to top priority.
If I can accomplish these two goals, it will significantly alleviate the mental pressure I’m under right now.
Come on, version of me in the simulation…
“Tomorrow.”
“No.4.”
After a flash of white light, the system screen vanished from Xia'er’s view.
She remained seated, and everything around her—the candles and the arrangement of objects—had not changed at all. She felt no presence or whispers from the "Coroner."
After a moment of silence, Xia'er opened the system's simulation interface.
The familiar system screen appeared before her. Her fate points were still at 187, but the text on the simulation interface had become completely distorted, exuding an eerie aura.
Just a click away from entering deep simulation.
She opened the system storage, where the Endless Manual displayed the goals she needed to accomplish.
So this is what it feels like to be the "version of myself in the simulation"?
What a ridiculous task for the whole family.
Damn it, the real me.
Xia'er let out a sigh that the "version of myself in the simulation" might have expressed countless times before.
…
Xia'er took out her notebook and began to write.
【Year 741, June 25, 2 AM】
【From now on, I will record the time periods without any misfortune. You can set a longer time to use the calming agent and restore your mental state.】
She closed the notebook, placing it along with a dip pen and a bottle of ink into the potion bag that Adele had given her, then secured the bag to her belt.
Since the real me has already wasted quite a bit of time and slept for seven hours, there are now less than seven days left for the version of me in the simulation.
Counting it all up, that’s about 162 hours, just a little over six and a half days.
For the first couple of days, I should avoid any actions that involve the extraordinary to prevent affecting the goal of "finding a safe time window." This is the most crucial task.
Right now, Xia'er actually hopes that the "safe time window" arrives a bit later, so she won’t have to carry out those last two dangerous actions…
Of course, that’s just wishful thinking.
The success or failure of this plan will directly impact the life and death of the real me, so I can’t afford to be careless.
The only thing I can do now, without engaging in extraordinary investigations, is to look for a corpse.
This can be directly communicated to Aivina. Even if the version of Aivina in the simulation senses something, as long as I obtain the method to acquire the corpse, the real me can bypass Aivina and go straight for it.
If I can’t find a suitable corpse, I might have to try contacting Tara. There are plenty of ordinary people among the cultists, so suitable corpses shouldn’t be hard to come by.
Having determined my goals, Xia'er began to write a letter, but it would likely be until tomorrow morning before I receive a reply.
This gives me a chance to record the time from now until morning, to see if I can accumulate eight hours of safe time. According to Adele, the calming agent she left behind lasts for six hours, plus a two-hour buffer, which should meet the need for mental restoration.
After waking the maid across the street to relay the message, Xia'er returned to her room and attempted to sleep.
There might still be many things to do later, so any bit of mental restoration is welcome.
The real me can definitely get enough rest through the "safe time" I find, and restoring my mental state will help the simulation results align more closely with the real me at full mental capacity.
After recording everything I’ve done in the notebook, Xia'er blew out the candle and continued to rest her head on the desk.
After about five hours of fitful sleep, Xia'er vaguely heard the familiar rhythmic knocking from downstairs.
Not having fully fallen asleep, she got up and walked downstairs.
Upon opening the door, she saw two maids standing at the entrance, holding Aivina's reply.
“Thank you…”
Xia'er said her thanks and was about to close the door.
But at that moment, one of the maids couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Xia'er, are you alright? You look a bit pale…”
“Me?”
Xia'er assessed her mental state, which had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, and replied, “I’m fine, thanks for your concern.”
After politely thanking the maid, Xia'er closed the wooden door and returned to her room with the envelope.
She opened the envelope and took out the letter Aivina had written to her.
As expected, Aivina mentioned last night when Adele brought medical tools to her house and inquired about her health.
Seemingly aware that Xia'er might have some unspoken troubles, Aivina didn’t suggest coming over herself but instead said she would check with Adele for more information.
Though she sometimes acted a bit childish, Aivina displayed a maturity and understanding far beyond her age, at least ensuring she wouldn’t add to Xia'er’s troubles as long as she confirmed Xia'er was safe.
At the end of the letter, Aivina introduced a tailor who makes clothes and then began discussing ways to acquire a corpse.
The ritual process for the "Coroner" was not unfamiliar to Aivina.
Upon learning that it wasn’t Xia'er who needed to digest the "Coroner" potion, Aivina revealed the method for obtaining a corpse in her letter.
In fact, Aivina’s family has collaborated with several "Coroners" because they possess the ability to "pry open the mouths of corpses," which greatly aids the "detective" in digesting.
Moreover, to prevent some individuals from creating corpses to digest the "Coroner" potion and causing more deaths, the Russell family has tacitly allowed the trade of corpses from death row inmates in certain prisons.
Unable to cut off the circulation of the "Coroner" potion and the ritual from the source, this is the only way to reduce potential homicides.
In addition to this information, Aivina also provided Xia'er with a letter of recommendation, but it was signed by an official from the Burun City Police Department, not Aivina herself.
It seems Aivina doesn’t want to get involved in the corpse trade.
However, this actually makes things easier for Xia'er; at least when she presents this letter of recommendation in reality, she won’t have to explain how she obtained it from Aivina, and Aivina likely won’t discover its existence.
Xia'er glanced at the time.
It was now 7 AM, just five hours since 2 AM.
She decided to wait another three hours and head out at 10 AM, which would give her a full eight hours of "safe time."
This is both good and bad.
The good part is that the real me can rest easy and drink the potion to sleep; the bad part is that the version of me in the simulation will have to undertake even more dangerous tasks.
After utilizing this time for a bit more rest, Xia'er opened her eyes as it approached ten o'clock.
She checked the time, then took out her notebook and wrote down the eight hours of safe time she had uncovered.
Afterward, she placed the notebook and pen into the potion bag, took Aivina's letter of recommendation, called for a carriage, and headed toward the Burun City Prison.
Thanks to the letter of recommendation, she easily gained entry into the prison, where the warden received her. Upon learning of Xia'er’s purpose, he led her to an interrogation room.
Xia'er did not enter the interrogation room but instead waited in a small adjacent compartment.
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