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Himeko walked up to me, looking at my pathetic state and shaking her head helplessly. She explained: "Ms. Ruan Mei contacted us through a special channel and explained everything happening here, including the background of the research. We came here partly to see you, and partly to assist with her research."
"Assist with research?" I blinked, then it clicked. Rubbing my aching, swollen face, I nodded frantically: "Yes, yes, yes! So that's how it is! Please come in, come in! It's not good to stand outside!"
I quickly ushered the three "honored guests" into the living room. Lingsha, hearing the commotion, came out as well. Seeing Himeko and the others, she offered a warm smile and greeted them politely: "Ah, the guests have arrived. Please, have a seat." She immediately began busying herself with preparing tea.
Jingliu, who had been standing not far away, likely sensed the crowd and the serious business at hand. She merely gave a faint glance before turning silently like a ghost and heading deep into the courtyard, presumably to find a spot to continue her training, having no intention of joining this "family affair."
As soon as March 7th entered the living room, her attention was snatched by Silver Wolf, who was slumped on the sofa in the corner, fingers flying across a game controller.
"Whoa! Silver Wolf, you're here too!" she ran over excitedly. "Are you playing Starry Sea Hegemony V too? This level is way too hard! I've been stuck on that Zerg final boss forever!" She sat down next to Silver Wolf without an ounce of hesitation, grabbed another controller, and enthusiastically dived into Silver Wolf's gaming world, instantly forgetting she had been mad at me.
Lingsha served the fragrant tea, and Himeko, Black Swan, and I sat on the sofa to hear the full story. March 7th was already completely immersed in her gaming duel with Silver Wolf, their shouts and the clicking of buttons drifting over from the corner.
Himeko took an elegant sip of her tea, seemingly organizing her thoughts. After setting the cup down, she spoke slowly: "It goes like this. A while ago, the Express was anchored above Planet Rusalka. Since Mr. Yang and the others were out on a survey mission, we were relatively free on the train. So, March and I followed our routine and visited Herta Space Station for a regular check-up, mostly to keep an eye on everyone's health."
She paused and continued: "As it turns out, during that check-up, Madam Herta unexpectedly discovered... abnormal fluctuations in March's biological data. After further precise testing and analysis, she reached a startling conclusion: March 7th had actually gained the ability to switch Paths!"
"To be honest," Himeko's tone carried a hint of helplessness, "we didn't realize how... special this was at the time. After all, you, Trailblazer, can already switch between different Paths, and Dan Heng... he has that special power form as the Imbibitor Lunae. Neither Mr. Welt nor I are deeply specialized in Path research, so subconsciously, we probably felt that while switching Paths is rare, it wasn't entirely impossible. Thus, back on the Xianzhou when March briefly burst with power similar to the Path of the Hunt, we were surprised but didn't look into it too deeply."
"Until later," Himeko's tone shifted, "Madam Herta and Ms. Ruan Mei contacted us via encrypted communication and shared their findings—this ability to switch Paths seems to be... it seems it is only possible for women who have had... um... intimate contact with you."
When she mentioned "intimate contact," I clearly saw a faint blush rise on Himeko's fair cheeks. Her eyes flickered away instinctively, obviously thinking about what had happened between us.
She cleared her throat softly and continued: "This shocked us greatly. But strangely... according to their theory, Black Swan and I have also had... contact with you," her cheeks grew even redder here, "yet we didn't gain this ability. As of now, it seems only March has successfully activated it."
"So, Ms. Ruan Mei hoped we could come here to your side. On one hand, to understand the situation in more detail, and on the other, she hopes we can cooperate with you for follow-up research and observation during this time," Himeko summarized. "She said her research has made significant progress. As for the specific details and the next steps, she will explain them in detail herself once she's settled in."
Speaking of which, when Ruan Mei first told me that women I contacted might gain Path-switching abilities, my first guess was my companions on the Express. After all, before coming to this villa, they were the ones I had the closest contact with. Especially March 7th; looking back, she really did complete the switch from Preservation to Hunt quite easily on the Xianzhou Luofu.
But that's strange... If March could switch Paths back then, why did Herta and Ruan Mei only discover it recently during the space station check-up and link it to me? Where did Ruan Mei's initial "special samples" and "observational analysis" come from?
It couldn't be the Stellaron Hunters, right? Kafka, Firefly, Silver Wolf... Thinking of this possibility, I immediately shook my head. Impossible. They had caused a huge scene at the space station, and their relationship with Herta was abysmal; Herta couldn't have easily obtained their biological data. Moreover, when we were together at the villa later, I had indirectly asked them about Path abilities, and they all stated they didn't have such special powers.
Then where did Ruan Mei's original research samples come from? This question was like a giant question mark weighing on my heart, leaving me utterly baffled.
Himeko seemed to see the mix of contemplation and confusion on my face. Holding her teacup, she gave me a gentle, reassuring smile, as if saying "don't overthink it, just let nature take its course."
I looked up, my gaze passing over Himeko and Black Swan, then over to March 7th who was noisily gaming with Silver Wolf. The questions in my heart were temporarily replaced by a surge of warmth. Regardless of the convoluted process or the remaining mysteries, the fact that they were here, willing to accompany me and even assist in this strange research, was a massive stroke of luck and happiness in itself.
Thinking this, I immediately threw those unsolvable questions to the back of my mind. The most important thing now was to get them settled.
I stood up quickly, a warm smile returning to my face: "That's wonderful! I'm so happy you've joined us! Come on, don't just sit there. Let me give you a tour of the villa and see which rooms you like. Don't worry, there are plenty of spare rooms here; I guarantee you'll be comfortable!"