Early the next morning, Herta was already up and working. Building a small signal station wasn't particularly difficult; the real challenge lay in bypassing Great Britain's magic barrier using scientific methods.
However, after thoroughly studying the junior and senior high school magic textbooks she had purchased, Herta had gained a solid understanding of the barrier between the Inner and Outer Worlds. She decided to subtly infuse magical elements into the signal station's construction, which would easily circumvent the problem.
Within an hour, a palm-sized, remarkably compact signal station materialized in her room.
Notably, most of the materials required for this project had been conveniently sent by White Eagle through the Chat Group.
Herta clapped her hands, placed the half-magical, half-technological device on the floor, pressed the activation button, and eagerly pulled out her phone.
"Success!" she exclaimed. "Full signal strength, and zero lag!"
-
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Defence in Great Britain, a piercing red alert suddenly blared. A soldier exclaimed in horror, "What?! Something unknown is forcibly breaching the barrier!"
"Is this an attack from another country?"
"Or a Dimensional Rift?"
"Quick! Investigate!"
The "Inner and Outer Worlds" barrier was Great Britain's most formidable magical defense. It shielded the entire nation from Dimensional Rifts and served as an impenetrable barrier, even immune to nuclear weapons. After all, the two worlds existed in separate dimensions; no amount of bombardment in the Outer World could affect the Inner World.
This powerful barrier had transformed Great Britain into a veritable utopia. Yet now, this mighty defense was being repeatedly breached by an unknown entity.
The Ministry of Defence soldiers were frantic, sweat dripping from their foreheads as they frantically cast various detection magic. Yet they found nothing, which was hardly surprising, given that they hadn't actually been attacked.
But the more they searched in vain, the more panicked they became. Some began to speculate that this wasn't an attack from another nation, but rather the work of a super Big Boss—perhaps someone like the alluring Madam Herta—who had meticulously planned this terrifying warning over a long period (or perhaps it was just a sudden whim).
Herta: It feels so good to be online.
They theorized that this mysterious Big Boss would soon contact them to demand some kind of favor.
They couldn't be sure if their theory was correct, but the group was desperate. The commanding officer ordered, "Maintain the detection magic! And... report to Her Majesty the Queen immediately!"
-
Meanwhile, back at Herta's location, she remained blissfully unaware that her casual action had thrown the entire Great Britain Defense Agency into a state of high alert. After single-handedly constructing the signal station, she resumed her research into creating the Herta Puppet.
To be fair, building a simple robot would have been a breeze. In the Marvel movies, Tony Stark could cobble together a full-fledged mecha suit from scraps in a dilapidated mountain cave—a task that would be child's play for Herta's current capabilities.
The real challenge lay in her ambition. She wasn't interested in creating a mindless automaton or one of Tony Stark's clunky iron cans. What she wanted was a Little Herta—a puppet capable of transferring consciousness, being remotely controlled, and most importantly, radiating irresistible cuteness and beauty.
Aesthetic appeal was paramount. The puppet's face had to be soft and huggable, its hair silky smooth, and its voice utterly charming.
While these features might seem impractical at first glance, Herta didn't need a reason for wanting them. Wanting itself was reason enough!
Lost in thought, Herta scratched her disheveled hair, only then realizing she had plunged straight into work upon waking, skipping brushing her teeth, washing her face, and eating breakfast. She glanced back at her room: the bed was unmade, books were scattered haphazardly across the mattress, and tools and components littered the floor.
Looking in the mirror, she saw her hair was a frizzy mess, her expression languid—the very picture of a stereotypical otaku.
"Tsk..." Herta clicked her tongue and finally began her morning routine: brushing her teeth, washing her face, fixing her hair, changing clothes, and eating breakfast. By the time she finished, it was already noon.
Remarkably, her grooming routine took longer than handcrafting a miniature Signal Station.
After sprucing herself up and making herself presentable, Herta didn't bother tidying her room. She knew that if she continued working on her projects, it would inevitably become messy again, so she decided to leave it as is.
Throughout the afternoon, Herta alternated between studying her books and practical experimentation. Finally, as evening approached, she gazed at the circular device in her hand and nodded softly. She had successfully created one of the most crucial components of the Herta Puppet: the Energy Module!
In a sense, Herta had drawn partial inspiration from a certain Tony Stark. The Energy Module bore a striking resemblance to the arc reactor in Iron Man's chest.
Similar in shape, size, and manufacturing process, Herta had even synthesized an entirely new chemical element. By reacting it with other elements, she had unleashed a stable yet potent energy source.
A single Energy Module could likely power an entire city for a month. Unless future Herta Puppets required unusually high energy consumption, one module would likely sustain a puppet for its entire lifespan, with plenty of energy to spare even when it was scrapped.
And this remarkable achievement was merely the result of Herta's afternoon of research.
"Haaah~" Just as Herta was stretching, her old British phone suddenly rang. Needless to say, Lily was the only person who knew this number.
Lily was a university student who lived on campus during the week. She only had time for other things on weekends, and today was Monday. Even if she wanted to visit Herta, she wouldn't be able to for another five days.
Still, not being able to meet in person didn't mean they couldn't talk on the phone. As soon as Herta answered, she heard Lily's dejected voice complaining about how she still didn't understand today's lectures and how intimidating her professor was.
After listening, Herta felt a little puzzled. "Shouldn't you be venting about this to your roommates or friends? Why are you telling me all this?"
Lily fell silent on the other end of the line.