"You're saying... the Waifu System doesn't exist?"

Nero stared at Luna like she'd just told him gravity was optional.

His brain fumbled trying to grab onto logic that kept slipping away the harder he chased it.

How could it not exist when the interface was literally floating in his vision right now?

When Aurelia, Luna, Velraeth, and everyone else were walking proof that something worked exactly as advertised?

Maybe she meant something else.

Yeah.

That had to be it.

Luna's expression shifted slightly as she caught the confusion written all over his face.

"Yes and no."

"..."

Okay, that cleared up absolutely nothing.

"I meant yes, because with the 'current state' your system is in, it's theoretically impossible for it to exist."

Luna gestured vaguely at him like that explained everything.

"And what I meant by no is that it is 'existing' because of the solid proof that you can see it and the fact that your 'waifus' were summoned."

She turned away and walked toward a nearby table cluttered with vials and containers filled with samples that looked suspiciously familiar.

Right.

Those were from him.

Blood, mana traces, probably some other stuff he didn't want to think about too hard.

"When I tested and got the samples from you, I thought that the system you have is a direct assisting tool. Something that directly converts inputs via energy into tangible items, waifu summons, or even the buffs and skills you mentioned."

Her fingers traced along the edge of one vial.

"But the more I analyzed it, the less sense it made."

She picked up a single sheet of paper from the desk and handed it over without a word.

Nero took it.

Technical jargon covered most of the page in Luna's precise handwriting.

Formulas, diagrams, notation that looked like it belonged in a research journal instead of casual conversation.

He skimmed past all that until his eyes hit the bottom section.

Then they went wide.

"This is...!"

The words came out half-strangled.

Luna nodded slowly with a complicated expression that mixed frustration and something close to awe.

"Converting energy into a physical object... such a thing isn't probable in the slightest. Even if theoretically possible, the fact that I couldn't get past the inner workings of your system made me frustrated for the first time in decades."

Her heterochromic eyes locked onto his.

"How could such an improbable system convert energy into a concrete object, much less a whole person? It didn't make sense. That's what I thought."

She paused.

"But then I remembered that we were 'summoned.' Aurelia was summoned. That Saintess was summoned. The answer was right there all along."

Nero's gaze shifted as realization crashed into him like a freight train.

His thoughts connected dots he hadn't even known existed until this exact moment.

Luna spoke the conclusion before he could.

"All the things that came from your system... all the abilities, all the summons... they're connected to a messy timeline of both past, present, and even future."

"..."

The silence stretched.

Nero felt his pulse quicken as the implications spread through his mind like cracks in ice.

"Your system operates simultaneously across different timelines. Past, present, and future all at once."

Luna's voice dropped lower.

"A paradox in itself."

The mystery behind his Waifu System just got exponentially deeper.

And whatever power supported its existence...

*Bzzt.*

Something glitched.

Just for a second.

A flicker in his HUD where the `<???>` section usually sat perfectly still.

"!!!"

Nero's breath caught as the interface stuttered like corrupted data trying to load.

***

Felt stumbled out of the laboratory with her head spinning.

The pressure of what she'd just heard pressed down on her skull like a physical weight.

Ms. Luna and Master Nero were still talking inside, their voices muffled through the sealed door.

But she couldn't stay in there anymore.

The burden of that knowledge felt too heavy to carry while pretending everything was normal.

Her boots clicked against the polished stone path as she walked without really paying attention to direction.

A concept that exists simultaneously across all timelines?

That wasn't just complicated.

That was insane.

The kind of thing that made reality look like a suggestion instead of a rule.

Of course, it went without saying that this secret would go with her to the grave.

Not that anyone would believe her if she tried explaining it anyway.

Who in their right mind would accept that Master Nero's system pulled people and items from different points in time like some kind of dimensional vending machine?

"..."

The thought made her head hurt worse.

Getting involved in things this big felt dangerous on a level she couldn't properly articulate.

Lost in thought, Felt barely registered the sound of footsteps approaching until a loud voice snapped her back to reality.

"Hey! Why are you looking so gloomy, glasses?"

Felt blinked and looked up.

Helya stood there grinning with her hands on her hips.

The white-haired tigerkin radiated energy like she'd mainlined caffeine and decided violence was the best way to burn it off.

Only then did Felt realize she'd wandered pretty far from the laboratory.

She was standing near the edge of the residential district now, halfway to the training grounds.

"U-Uhm... nothing. Just lost in thoughts."

"Hahaha... is that so?"

Helya faintly laughed as she could see that the smart brains of a girl in front of her was still lost in some sort of serious thoughts.

The dark circles under her eyes didn't help either.

'Serious individuals like this tend to break the easiest at some point in time.'

Helya has seen lots of serious individuals who's too focused on the things they call goals that they lose sight of their own surroundings.

Working tirelessly until they reach their breaking point.

'Mhm! I know what to do!'

For an uptight person like her, winding down is the key for relaxation!

… At least, that's what Helya thought unaware that Felt was just pondering of the crazy things she just heard a minute ago.

"... Well glasses, you look like you need a distraction. Come on!"

Before Felt could protest, the tigerkin grabbed her arm with surprising strength and started dragging her toward the center of the settlement.

"W-Wait, I don't really—"

"Ey! Just come and relax for a bit, will ya?"

There was no arguing with that tone.

Felt found herself pulled along whether she liked it or not.

They emerged into what used to be the village center but had clearly grown significantly over the past weeks.

The buildings around them looked more established and numerous now.

Polished concrete constructions.

Refined surfaces, reinforced foundations, sleek architectural planning visible in the layout.

It's now starting to feel less like a small village and more like a developing town.

But the real spectacle was happening in the open square ahead.

A massive crowd of warriors had gathered in a loose circle, their voices raised in cheers and shouts that echoed off the surrounding structures.

At the center of it all stood Velraeth.

The hulking dragon woman was single-handedly pushing back five beastkin warriors who were known throughout the settlement for their raw physical strength.

One was a dwarf woman built like a walking boulder, her fists the size of dinner plates as he threw punches that could crack stone.

Another was a wolfkin woman with scars covering her arms, moving with predatory speed as she darted in and out looking for openings.

The third was a rhino-kin whose charges shook the ground, her horn lowered like a battering ram.

The fourth was a panther woman who attacked from blind spots with claws that glinted like polished steel.

The fifth was another tigerkin, one who coordinated the assault with real-time adaptive strategy relying on rich actual combat experience.

All five of them were giving everything they had.

And Velraeth was laughing.

Not struggling.

Not even breaking a sweat.

Just laughing with that manic grin plastered across her face as she deflected attacks with casual swipes and redirected momentum like physics was a polite suggestion.

*CRACK!*

The bear-kin's punch collided with her forearm.

The impact echoed like thunder, but Velraeth didn't budge an inch.

She grabbed his wrist mid-follow-through and threw him into the charging rhino-kin with enough force to send both tumbling across the square.

*WHOOSH!*

The wolf woman came from the side, claws aimed at exposed ribs.

Velraeth twisted and caught her by the throat before slamming her into the ground hard enough to crater stone.

"Come on! Is that all you've got?!"

Her voice boomed with genuine excitement.

"I've seen baby dragons hit harder than this!"

""WOAAAAHHHH!!!""

The crowd roared with approval.

Warriors from all over the settlement had gathered to watch, their faces lit with awe and competitive fire.

Felt stood there staring at the chaotic display of strength with her mouth slightly open.

They really were an energetic bunch.

Way too energetic for her comfort level.

While Helya was distracted cheering alongside everyone else, Felt saw her chance.

She quietly backed away from the crowd, slipping between buildings until the noise faded to a more manageable level.

Her lab awaited.

Quiet, organized, safe from dragon-induced property damage.

Much better.

She walked back toward the villa with relief settling into her chest.

Then she heard it.

"Haaahh... haaahhh..."

Faint ragged breathing came from somewhere nearby.

Felt stopped.

Her curiosity kicked in despite every logical part of her brain suggesting she should mind her own business.

She turned toward the sound and moved cautiously between two buildings.

The breathing grew clearer as she approached.

Someone was hyperventilating.

Badly.

Felt rounded the corner and froze.

A woman in white holy robes sat slumped against the wall with her head down.

Her shoulders shook with each labored breath, and her hands gripped the fabric at her chest like she was trying to hold something together.

She immediately recognized her unique figure.

"... Ms. Celis?"

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