Chapter 413: Forced Pause

That permission level is higher than the partial operation permissions you have unlocked through your current Repair Degree.

Therefore, the "Forced Liberation" protocol for that target cannot be enforced until its own permission either expires or is overridden by a higher permission.

You must go through a specific process or meet other conditions to complete the final liberation.

Heimu fell silent for three seconds, then slowly raised a hand and steadied his forehead.

"Hard to untie."

She spat out two words, feeling a throb at her temples, "What the heck are you talking about? A prisoner locked inside the System, and its permission is larger than mine? 38.9%… still part of the Core Permission?"

She lowered her hand, her violet‑black eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the conspicuous number on the System Panel: "What about the remaining 1%?"

【System】: Remaining 1% Core Permission status: under review.

A blue circular loading icon abruptly appeared beside the Permission Ratio number, beginning to rotate slowly clockwise.

Heimu: "..."

She stared at the spinning circle for a full ten seconds.

It kept spinning.

Continues to spin.

Patiently waiting.

Another ten seconds passed.

It is still spinning.

"Tsk."

Heimu couldn't help but click his tongue, feeling the same sense of speechlessness toward the System surge again.

"So, how long has the review been going? Since I got this System, has it been reviewing?"

【System】: Review procedure start time: initial binding moment.

Review progress: unforecastable.

Review content: involves some underlying code and legacy interaction protocols.

Tip: The final ownership of this permission segment may affect the unlocking of certain high‑level functions and the ultimate disposition rights over specific targets.

"Fine, Riddle Man System."

Heimu gave up probing the spinning circle, pulling his attention back to reality, "So, if I want to Persuade— or rather, override Bai E from the permission level, make him stop stubbornly holding on here, I must obtain a higher Permission Ratio than his, right?"

【System】: To be precise, you need to obtain Absolute Dominant Permission over the entire System, i. e., a share exceeding 75%.

At that point, you will have the right to override all sub‑permissions, including Bai E's, and forcibly execute any compliant operation.

"75%..."

Heimu glanced at his current 60.1% Repair Degree, short by nearly 15 percentage points.

"So before I reach 75%, does that mean I can't get him? I can only watch him and Kevin waste time here?"

【System】: Not entirely impossible to intervene.

When Repair Degree reaches 65%, the "Cooperative Combat Protocol" expansion module will unlock.

You may authorize any individual from the Ying Jie/Golden Descendant faction as a second participant to intervene in the current Persuasion battlefield, assisting the challenger.

"65%... Cooperative Combat..."

Heimu stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Still about five percentage points away.

Not too far, but not reachable immediately.

And the choice of intervenor...

Needs careful consideration.

You can't just pull in any random cat or dog; that would be like handing over a dish.

She turned her gaze back to the screen.

On the battlefield, the air between Kevin and Bai E began to stir again, clearly indicating the brief pause was ending and the next round of offense and defense was about to commence.

Heimu thought for a moment, brought up the Danmaku input interface, and his fingers tapped rapidly on the Virtual Keyboard.

【Anonymous Observer·███】: Tip: The current combat mode struggles to meet the conditions.

The target possesses a special resistance mechanism; conventional attack effects are limited.

It is recommended to adjust strategy, or wait for other variables to intervene.

Repeat: Conventional attack effects are poor.

This Danmaku floated across the top of the screen with a striking dark‑gold border.

【Danmaku Reaction】:

Tianhui: As expected... that feeling is not an illusion. Kevin, perhaps you need to try non‑direct contact methods.

Qianjie: Trouble! Then smash it with greater force! Until that shell can't hold!

Pink Fairy Miss?: Oh dear, sounds like a troublesome opponent~ Kevin, you need to think!

Kevin on the battlefield naturally also saw this Danmaku.

His icy‑blue eyes flickered slightly, seemingly unsurprised.

In fact, during that recent series of exchanges, he had vaguely sensed an anomaly—some of his own power, as if a mud ox sinking into the sea, yet at certain moments returning with fiercer retaliation.

This hint only made his conjecture more certain.

He glanced at the floating Bai E opposite.

The golden flame in those shattered violet eyes still burned hollowly, reflecting no emotion.

(No self‑awareness... but not entirely mechanical. That flame... like the embers of countless obsessions burned away, driving instinct.)

Kevin formed a calculation in his mind.

He no longer rushed to attack, but slowly adjusted his breathing, holding the Jiemie Great Sword horizontally before him, and the interwoven ice‑and‑Flame energy on the blade began to circulate in a more restrained manner.

He waited, also observed, searching for any flaw in the opponent's strange "rebound" mechanism.

However, before the two sides could move again—

【System】: Detected Dominant Observer Command.

The current Persuasion process is forcibly paused.

The battlefield environment is frozen.

Time across the entire simulated battlefield seemed to have hit the pause button.

The swirling dust, drifting flame embers, even Kevin's and Bai E's movements all solidified in that instant.

Kevin only felt a lightness around his body, his consciousness gently pulled away from the dim battlefield and returned to the Data Space of Past World Paradise.

He stood in the familiar corridor, slightly furrowing his brows, recalling the last sight— the Flame in Bai E's eyes that was not completely dead.

(Indeed… not a mindless puppet. What drives him, after all…)

In the simulated battlefield, Bai E's figure, as the battlefield froze, also slowly faded.

Only that sliver of golden light in his eye, like a brand, remained in the observation records.

Heimu turned off the battle screen and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

That hard‑bone Bai E will have to be dealt with after careful consideration.

The most urgent task is to raise the Repair Degree.

"65% is needed to recruit allies, 75% to force a clearance… where to get the missing 5% and 15%?"

Heimu leaned on the sofa, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the armrest.

"Data Collection on Xianzhou Luofu is still ongoing, but it needs time to ferment. Beloberg's side is basically drained… hmm, there's also a place, Grand Event Star Pinokanni. That spot is a crucial Node, with factions mingling, so we should be able to gather many High‑Quality Data Packets," Heimu mused.

But immediately after, she shook her head.

The commotion I caused in Type Moon was temporarily suppressed, but there's no guarantee other eyes didn't notice the anomaly.

Jing Yuan of Xianzhou is investigating me, and Black Tower is probably searching the entire universe for this "sister" of mine, as well as the lingering Bolka…

"The winds and waves are a bit strong; hiding for a while is safer."

She muttered to herself.

Pinokanni's data is enticing, but the risk is high.

Perhaps we can wait for Xianzhou to collect another batch, or consider other safer routes?