Chapter 293
I had Avina invite Opode, Lucy, Hugh, and a few other extraordinary individuals to the afternoon tea on the 3rd, under the pretense of having discovered a cult archbishop. It was an extraordinary gathering... a rehearsal for the Key Person's banquet, if you will.
If it fails, I can just leave this simulation—after all, I really did "capture" Tara, and she should be "locked" in the basement now.
Xia Er: "..."
In this simulation, I had no qualms about using Tara. I directly employed her as bait to lure those involved in the Dedun Manor incident, all of whom were at least Tier 3—this was indeed the simplest and most straightforward method.
There was still a long time before the afternoon tea, so Xia Er decided to use this time to read—after all, she didn’t plan to survive for more than 24 hours, so there was no need to torture her mind with potions.
The Tier 3 individuals were all ones Xia Er had killed in the simulation before; even if she killed them again to last the full 24 hours, the rewards from the system would be minimal. Weighing the pros and cons, preserving her mental state was the priority.
Before heading to read, Xia Er decided to visit Tara in the basement.
After changing in the dressing room, she stepped out and asked the now-awake maid for directions to the basement, then headed straight toward Tara's location.
**Chapter 167: Fear from the Upper Predator.**
Avina's manor didn’t have a true "dungeon." Aside from the wine cellar, servant passages, dormitories, and the underground kitchen, there was only an underground garden.
This space was meant for growing plants and vegetables that couldn’t be cultivated outdoors in winter. It was now of little use and was a fair distance from the servant passages and dormitories, making it a temporary "holding" area for Tara.
Guided by Avina's personal maid, Xia Er arrived at the underground garden.
It seemed to have once been a private chapel, with thick, solemn wooden doors. However, an iron grate had been added outside the wooden door, though it wasn’t locked.
After sending the maid away and waiting for her to leave the passage, Xia Er reached out, pulled open the slightly rusted iron grate, and pushed open the wooden door.
Creeeak—
A harsh sound echoed as Xia Er opened the door, and she was immediately hit by a strong smell of dust and mildew, accompanied by the clinking of chains.
Before her lay an empty space covered in soft black soil, with a few rows of ventilation holes on the far left leading to the surface, allowing some sunlight to filter in.
In the center of this black soil stood a wooden stool, where a girl with long, dark green hair was bound, wearing only a tattered, thin garment, her body covered in scars.
She was barefoot on the soft black soil, her pale feet caked in dirt. Upon hearing the noise at the door, she struggled to retreat, but the stool held her firmly in place.
"You can give up! I won’t say anything!"
The girl’s face, marked with dirt and streaked with tears, combined with her defiant gaze, suggested she had endured considerable torment.
Xia Er: "..."
Was it really necessary for the simulation version of me to be this cruel?
No, this wasn’t something I would do. Avina wouldn’t be so idle as to impose the death penalty on someone else.
"What are you doing?"
Xia Er asked, somewhat exasperated, as she looked at Tara not far away.
"Praising the Mother Goddess... I won’t say anything."
Tara maintained her resolute gaze, defiantly responding.
"Be normal."
Xia Er’s expression turned slightly serious.
At that moment, Tara seemed to realize Xia Er wasn’t joking. She shrank her shoulders a bit, glanced around, and whispered, "My Lady Xia Er... am I not acting well enough?"
You’re doing great, but don’t act next time.
Xia Er walked toward Tara and asked, "How did you get those injuries?"
At the sound of Xia Er’s question, a white figure surged up from behind Tara, holding a whip that burned with white flames.
"I did it myself, My Lady Xia Er."
Tara said proudly, with a hint of seeking approval, "Didn’t you ask me to help you put on a show? I thought this would make it more effective... By the way, didn’t you tell me to pretend I don’t know you?"
Looking at Tara before her, Xia Er couldn’t bring herself to reveal the truth.
All she needed to do was sit there and do nothing, because before bringing them to see Tara, Xia Er would have already resolved everything.
"…Are you hungry?"
After a few seconds of hesitation, Xia Er finally managed to say this.
Tara was, after all, thinking of herself, and there was no need for Xia Er to say anything more.
"I’m not hungry, My Lady Xia Er!"
Tara puffed out her chest slightly, as if to show that she was completely fine, assuring Xia Er not to worry.
"Wait here."
After closing the door again, Xia Er found the maid stationed at the entrance of the underground passage and asked her to fetch two breakfasts.
The breakfast was already being prepared, and within five minutes, the maid returned with a square basket containing two covered trays.
Xia Er took the trays back to the basement, unfastened the chains binding Tara, and shared breakfast with her.
This was Xia Er’s small way of making amends to Tara; after all, breakfast was breakfast, so she might as well enjoy it with Tara down there.
However, this gesture seemed to deeply move Tara, who finished her breakfast with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by the reward from the "Mother Goddess."
This exaggerated display fit Xia Er’s stereotype of Tara perfectly, but the fervent emotion of risking one’s life for a mere bone tossed by the "Mother Goddess" was something Xia Er felt she could never understand.
After reminding Tara not to engage in any self-harm, Xia Er closed the door to the underground garden again, allowing Tara to continue her prayers below. After all, Tara’s abilities weren’t sealed; if she felt unwell, she would come out on her own.
With nearly eight or nine hours left before Lucy and the others were invited to visit, Xia Er didn’t need to do anything more with the plan already set.
For the remaining time, Xia Er decided to immerse herself in the study.
Although dying midway through the simulation meant she couldn’t take anything with her, knowledge remained unaffected; what she learned was still hers.
Upon entering the study, Xia Er found the reading materials she had prepared in advance to "pass the time"—books on extraordinary pharmacology borrowed from Adele, along with a compendium of extraordinary materials for potion-making.
Her studies were interrupted once by Avina, who woke up around ten o'clock, came to check on Xia Er, and then went to arrange for the butler to continue setting up for the banquet.
The guests this time were few, but all were extraordinary individuals of considerable rank, so Avina had to ensure proper etiquette.
Moreover, Avina viewed this as Xia Er’s first request to meet with other extraordinary beings, and given the importance of the occasion, she wouldn’t slack off. She canceled all her other appointments for the day and meticulously checked every detail of the arrangements.
Lost in her books, time flew by, and by the time Avina knocked on the door again, it was nearly time for the extraordinary tea party—Lucy from the Dedun Group had already arrived early.
"If they mention wanting to see that Saint Archbishop, just refuse, right?"
Avina stood behind Xia Er, confirming once more, "Once everyone is gathered, you’ll call for me?"
"Yes."
Xia Er nodded.
"Good... but why keep Nia away?"
Avina looked slightly worried as she asked, "Isn’t it safer for her to stay?"
In the basement now, there was a Saint Archbishop of the Church of the Holy Arrival, and all the guests were extraordinary individuals of considerable rank. Avina didn’t understand why Xia Er wanted Nia to stay away.
"Once I go out, the Tier 3 individuals present might be a bit dangerous."
Xia Er thought for a moment, unsure how to explain better, and could only say, "You can keep your distance with Nia."
The Tier 3 individuals would be in danger...
If someone else had said this, Avina might have thought they were crazy.
The Archbishop of the Church of the Savior, Hugh; the Senior Commissioner of Dedun Manor, Lucy; the Knight Commander of the Queen’s Sword, Opode; and Professor Ashford from the Redemption Society, along with several other Tier 2 extraordinary beings.
Adding Nia to this lineup, they could withstand, fight, and flee; with Professor Ashford for healing and Hugh to resist mental attacks, Avina couldn’t fathom who would dare to cause trouble in such a formidable assembly.
Even a rumored Tier 4 powerhouse would have to weigh whether it was worth provoking the forces behind these individuals.
But since it was Xia Er who said it, no matter how absurd it sounded, Avina chose to believe at least half of it.
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