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Regardless, pushing her buttons any further felt like playing with fire. It was just a gut feeling, a hunch that whispered this entire conversation might be some kind of 'reward'.
if I kept angering her, she would not be willing to act as cooperative.
Even if I never unravel her secrets, this Demon hadn't done anything outright wrong. At least, that's how I saw it—probably more because she couldn't do anything wrong.
Taking on another person's appearance and acting like she did was certainly wrong, but that didn't add to much in my book.
I was more angered by my powerlessness, rather than the fact I was fooled.
"The reason I am so satisfied with what you said is that Libert Mulling is actually..."
I laid out my line of thought, slow and steady, eventually steering toward the question that had been itching at the back of my mind.
"Since a higher being such as you would never be interested in me, may I know what did you have to accomplish in your Trial?"
Expecting another scoff or a flat-out refusal, I braced myself. Instead, she snapped her fingers, and before me, prompts materialized.
[Welcome to the 75th Trial of ---]
[Description: You have entered the [Spy x Family] World---
Additional Information: You will act as the Overseer---.... --- ... ---.
...
Tasks:
Carry out the System's--...--- in this World (0/1)
Find the First Trial Taker and ---.(1/1)
Make sure the First Trial Taker suffers---. (1/1)
Eliminate --... ---....--- (1/1)
Difficulty Rating: High++
Conditions:
Your strength will be sealed to [Extreme] Combat Prowess.
You cannot influence ---...---.
For the Duration of this Trial, you can partially use --.
Do not let --- find out about you.
Time Limit: 360 days
Tip:
You should focus on the First Trial Taker first.
To Ensure Fairness, if he finds out about you, you will have to answer his questions.
To Ensure Fairness, you will not be able to harm him using strength.
...
]
I could not read some words or even entire paragraphs, no matter how much I kept trying to read them, but from what I could tell, she accomplished what she had to do with me...
Yet, it seemed there was no obligation on her part to offer me a straightforward answer. She wanted to answer me, then.
To what end, though?
I could not understand.
A barrage of questions surged within me, eager to pry open the secrets embedded in this prompt, But no matter how I phrased my questions, the response never changed.
"Even if I told you, you would not be able to understand. You can't even read much of this, am I right?"
She glanced at me, her expression blank.
I would have liked to nod in response, but since I couldn't move, I was forced to spit out my answers.
"You're right. Then, let me ask something different. How come the Difficulty Rating is High++ when you're such a powerful entity? I can't understand this"
It was just illogical. What did she have to do in such a low level world, anyway?
"...You must have noticed by now, given your Intelligence. The System doesn't have complete influence over Worlds, Timelines...---. Entities and Concepts such as Fairness, bind it to avoid upsetting Balance. My mission for this Trial is to help---....and avoid---. Even if I try to tell you more, I can't, so give up on that"
Although I couldn't get what she said, the fog around the situation started to lift, revealing a somewhat clearer image of what was happening.
The System wants to take control of everything, but it cannot because things like Fairness are binding it down.
Its influence isn't complete, but it's there, like a shadow of its failed attempts to seize the reins directly. So now, it's resorting to Plan B—us.
"I see, so we're like livestock being raised and fattened so that we can become convenient pawns once we're strong enough?"
This damn System.
The Demon's blank expression finally wavered, surprise breaking through. Looks like I hit the mark.
"That is..."
Before she could continue, I added
"As you mentioned, Fairness is just a concept, lacking its own will. In that case, the System is hunting for loopholes, trying to exploit them. With its partial grip on Worlds, it throws us into Trials, puppeteering us to fulfill its agenda."
I continued to speculate, aiming to untangle the threads. However, she cut me off before I could delve deeper.
"I did not say you should give up on guessing more without reason, worm. If you keep probing, the System will find an excuse to penalize us both, enforcing its will on us. Stop."
Considering the potential harm to both of us, I opted to heed her advice.
"If you persist with the 'worm' business, we might end up facing penalties soon. And about this binding, any chance you could do something? I'm getting tired of being a dumb statue."
She sighed, compelled to answer due to Fairness, leaving her little choice but to comply.
"...Fine, Akira"
[The Owner of this space has allowed you to move, ignoring the difference in Combat Prowess]
[Your Skills and Talents will be released from their seal]
[You have experienced Absolute Strength]
.
.
.
[Your Growth Skill [Strength] has-]
[Your Talent [Body] has--]
.
.
.
Finally able to move, I dismissed the prompts for the moment and took a brief look around. Despite the room being simple, with just a throne, and some fancy decoration here and there, the initial repulsion I felt upon arrival had faded.
Since when...?
"By the way, what's your name? It's getting awkward to keep calling you 'Demon'"
She just stared at me, her expression unreadable
"It's Luna. Luna Azentine"
Our connection was far from friendly, and that wouldn't change. I wouldn't forget the pain she inflicted, and revenge lingered on my mind.
Yet, for now, I could tolerate her presence.
She was my fancy guinea pig spitting answers, after all.
Although she was beautiful, breathtaking even, my opinion of her would not change because of that.
"I understand, Luna. We should keep this conversation going. I've got plenty of doubts, and you'll have to answer them if you don't want both of us to be penalized."
She rolled her eyes, but she did not refuse my words.
I like cooperative people.
---
We delved into a brief conversation, and with each question, Luna's responses were either elusive, veiled behind the constraints of my limited strength, or somewhat satisfying as I gauged her reactions to my speculations.
First: Luna was not born a Demon, but a human. She somehow became one later down the line, yet she remained tight-lipped about the circumstances or reasons behind abandoning her previous race.
Second: The fact someone else was tasked with the mission to 'hurt' me during the Trials doesn't necessarily imply a perpetual presence of hidden agendas in my Trials. It could be dismissed as a mere coincidence or a way for the System to mete out punishment for how I was behaving, albeit in its limited ways.
Third: Luna's Trial might not be an isolated case. There could be Trials similar to hers, involving the identification and engagement with a Trial Taker. Furthermore, multiple individuals could exist in the same world and timeline, each with distinct objectives. I needed to stay vigilant for these possibilities.
While my quest for information hit a dead end, a sense of satisfaction lingered. The awareness of unforeseen possibilities served as a valuable warning, expanding my understanding of the potential challenges ahead.
"I think I have answered more than enough questions. Since you found me out and I accomplished what I had to with you, our paths won't cross again."
Seems fair enough.
I acknowledged her words with a nod, witnessing the spatial shift around me. I seized the opportunity to examine what seemed like magic(?) and documented it in my mental library.
Utilizing [Observe] and [Sixth Sense] for as long as possible, I soaked in the mystical scenery before being abruptly transported back to the villa.
"Time to fight Yor Forger, huh."
I muttered, considering that even though we conversed in her Demon Territory for what felt like hours, only a fleeting minute or so had elapsed in the real world. Manipulating everything within her territory, including time, wasn't a challenging feat for her.
Just how strong was she?
Well, at least this meant I wouldn't have to put up a facade every loop.
---
Author's Note:
I was terribly busy yesterday, so I could not write more, but worry not!
Today I have more time :)
Anyway! Hints for today:
Hint 7: It's not Black Clover.
Hint 8: This World's MC is...peculiar. And that's putting it in a good light!
Hint 10 will be the last Hint. I am sure you can pretty much guess the right answer by now, though.
Next chap, I have summarized loop 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th, so that we'll finally go beyond the 1st Trial.