Chapter 2: Black Curtain Lady

"... Huh?" She blinked, making sure she wasn't mistaken.

What the heck is this? Emperor III? Iron Tower Titan? Black Curtain Lady?

Is this panel infected with a virus, or did it open some weird fan filter?

【4> She instinctively reached out a finger and gently poked the panel that was still rolling and playing hymns.

She instinctively reached out a finger and gently poked the panel that was still rolling and playing a hymn.

"Hum—"

The panel changed in response.

The originally monotonous welcome interface disappeared, replaced by a more complex information diagram.

On the left was a lifelike three-dimensional figure, exactly her current appearance—gray-white long hair, purplish-black eyes without highlights, a delicate but expressionless face, wearing that strikingly iconic black-purple Mo Nu Mao, dressed in an off-shoulder Lolita Dress whose hem sat perfectly on her thighs, paired with gray thigh-high stockings and knee-high heeled boots.

The overall tone was dark, yet it exuded a strange beauty.

That figure, the more she looked at it, the more familiar it felt…

"Isn't this... the 'Great Black Tower' from Honkai Star Rail abbreviation? Or a Blackening version?"

She muttered to herself, shocked, a sudden inexplicable déjà vu surging in her heart: "The new version isn't even out yet, how did I become a character? Or is it an IF line of the Great Black Tomb? Wait..."

Her thoughts were jerked back to that starry sky, that incomparable silver light.

"So that silver light... couldn't it be Bolka's Surgical Knife?"

Thinking of that, she actually felt a bit relieved, even with a hint of complaining: "Come to think of it, I've become that kind of final boss, Emperor III; if Bolka didn't 'surgically' take me out on the spot, that wouldn't be her style."

She sighed, her feelings complex.

So, she had indeed just "died" once, although the death was rather inexplicable.

She turned her gaze to the data column on the right side of the panel.

Name: Unknown

Gender: Unknown

Identity: Black Tower sacrificed itself, using Iron Tomb as a vessel, transforming into Emperor III, reducing its will to destroy the universe.

Strength: Envoy (?)

"……" Wu Shi fell silent again.

The information volume is a bit large.

Her attention ultimately still got drawn to that stunningly beautiful figure on the left.

Honestly, this "Great Black Tower's skin is amazing—cold and gorgeous with a hint of mystery, though the eyes are a bit empty, like a delicate doll.

"Name…… unknown?"

Only then did she realize she seemed to have forgotten even what she was called.

"Crap, what was my original name again?"

She tried to recall, but only grasped a haze. "Could it be that I'm actually the true form of the Great Black Tower, just amnesiac?"

But that thought was quickly dismissed by herself: "No, that doesn't feel right. Besides, if I were truly the Black Tower, how would I know the plot of Honkai Star Rail abbreviation?"

After thinking for a while and still not sorting out the clues, she decided to first solve the immediate problem.

She reached out and tapped the "Name: Unknown" field.

The panel popped up a prompt:

【Name this form?】

"So I have to come up with a name myself."

She scratched her head (feeling how soft her gray-white long hair felt), "Call it Iron Tomb? No, no, too ugly, doesn't match this pretty face. Call it Black Tower? But I'm not her—it's weird to wear someone else's name."

Struck by naming difficulties, she puzzled over it for half a day, her gaze unintentionally sweeping over that whimsical praise at the very start of the panel—"Black Curtain Lady."

"...... Black Curtain?"

The corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly, "This name... though it's hard to break, it unexpectedly feels kinda cool? And it matches my dark-themed outfit? Eh, whatever, let's go with this—it's better than Wu Shi."

So, with a "broken pot, broken mindset," she input the two characters "Black Curtain."

She also wavered in the gender field, thinking her current form and the original Iron Tomb were likely genderless, but……

"Still, let's pick female—it looks pleasing."

The panel data updated:

【Name: Black Curtain】

【Gender: Female】

With basic info settled, her gaze locked again onto the conspicuous "Envoy (?)".

"No, why is there still a question mark? A castrated Envoy?" She propped up her right arm, left hand touching her chin, striking a classic thinking pose (to outsiders, a cool witch making that pose indeed has a certain cute contrast charm).

"Upon further thought, could it be that the Silent Lord's broken blade directly chopped my power to pieces?"

The more she thought, the more plausible it seemed: "No way! I still wanted to experience being an Envoy, walking around arrogantly! Turns out it might be a defective product?"

Not giving up, she poked the question mark after the Envoy with her finger.

The panel changed again, popping up options:

【Would you like to—esteemed Black Curtain Lady—activate the exclusive service system?】

"...... Black Curtain Lady exclusive service system?"

Black Curtain (now we can formally call her that) twitched the corner of her mouth again—this name sounded like some suspicious membership club service no matter how you heard it.

But driven by curiosity, she still chose 【Yes】.

"Whoosh—bang!"

The imagined fireworks sound didn't appear; instead came a strange noise like gas leaking mixed with electronic synth, and the panel before her instantly switched its theme colors to a background of deep black and dark purple, with edges decorated in the same hue, emitting a faint glow from an eerie floral pattern.

In the center of the panel, a chibi Black Tower Doll head with equally empty eyes popped out, mechanically turning twice.

Then a flat electronic tone sounded: "User confirmation detected. System activated. Praise Black Curtain Lady! Your wisdom is like that of a Star God, your visage makes the stars lose their color..."

"Stop!" Heimu snapped his fingers, the motion crisp and decisive, "Shut Up (Cocktail Technique). Praise-praise mode off."

Q-version Black Tower Head paused slightly, its electronic eyes flashing twice: "Command received. Praise-praise mode has been turned off. Awaiting mistress's orders."

The voice remained mechanical, but the flattering, bombastic tone was gone.

"That's about right." Heimu nodded satisfactorily. "Now, I ask, you answer."

"Understood."

"First question: where are we?"

Hui, this is the "System Space", independent of the normal universe, existing in the gap between worlds.

"Second question: did you make me like this?"

Negative. This system is merely a support and service unit; it cannot interfere with Hui's form of existence. Your current condition's cause is unknown, and there are no relevant records in the system database.

Heimu sighed, not too disappointed, after all, expecting a newly encountered "system" to fully understand such an bizarre matter was unrealistic.