Hybrid Elliot’s expression darkened completely. He quickly whipped his face away, desperately attempting to conceal the staggering embarrassment and profound sense of insignificance crushing his core at that agonizing moment.. How had he allowed himself to act so recklessly and foolishly, believing things would unfold with such effortless ease!
He immediately regained his composure and adjusted his soft, Androgynous form, attempting to put on an air of manufactured detachment—as though just seconds prior he hadn’t been raising his delicate palms to the sky like a magical girl summoning her legendary suit to play the dimension-crossing savior!
Gritting his small teeth, he clenched his jaw in suppressed rage, dropping his head toward the opulent floor as he pondered the technical logistics behind the failure of his spatial ability. He arrived at a conclusion he firmly believed to be the truth:
He had failed to shift across dimensions simply because the vast expanse separating realms defied all basic physical logic and couldn’t be folded by a novice magical blessing!
Suddenly, an odd scientific fact surfaced from the depths of his memory: it was said that the distance spanning between the Earth and the Sun could fit every planet in the solar system combined over 380 times! How could that compare to unimaginable cosmic distances transcending whole parallel dimensions?! These were numbers and scales far beyond the comprehension of the human mind or introductory skills to fold so naively.. Had he succeeded in warping across such expanses now, he would no longer be a mortal bound by natural laws—he would be an omnipotent god!
The notion had been irrational from the start, yet this humiliating setback didn’t mean his hopes were entirely dashed.. Who was to say that if he couldn’t traverse realms right now, he couldn’t utilize this spatial ability to break out of this luxurious mansion and cursed suite alongside Michael to put an end to this nightmare?!
They were, after all, the original creators of this world. Even if they remained uncertain whether this reality aligned perfectly with their draft or held hidden surprises, the foundation was theirs!
A look of firm resolve settled across Elliot’s face; he wouldn’t get carried away like an idiot again, nor would he grant this mocking bastard of a System another chance to scoff at his dignity and humiliate him!
Elliot forcefully channeled his focus toward the shimmering spatial energy radiating around him, calling out within the halls of his mind: (Teleport me instantly to... the domain of the Elf Empire! Near Mount Zulkar!)
That specific location was considered one of the safest and most stable havens across the entire continent according to the novel’s plot.. If they explained their plight to the wise Elven race, the Elves—assuming they didn’t treat them like abominations—would surely extend a hand of aid and justice. The Elves possessed vast magical awareness; once they verified the horrific nature of the sick sacrificial ritual forced upon them by the Alliance, they would intervene without hesitation!
Yet... several seconds ticked by without a single reaction! The room remained deathly still, no magical portal opened, and not a single speck of dust shifted from its place!
This time, the shock felt less crushing to Elliot’s psyche. Despite the surge of irritation welling up inside him, he kept his temper in check.
Ten minutes passed.
After dozens of mental attempts, intense concentration, and repeated trial and error, he finally began to grasp the true boundaries of this spatial blessing!
Lying on the plush bed, Michael stared at Elliot’s repeated failures and comical attempts with an unreadable expression, speaking dryly: "I think I get the rules now, Elliot.. It seems this direct ability can only shift you within a radius of no more than five meters around yourself!"
Elliot nodded his hybrid head in solemn agreement; he had deduced the exact same limitation, along with another far more insidious constraint: his spatial portal’s diameter couldn’t shrink below half a meter under any circumstances.. He hadn’t tested its maximum capacity yet, but he surmised it wouldn’t be particularly large either!
In other words, he was utterly incapable of summoning microscopic or concealed portals under clothing or inside lock mechanisms away from the eyes of guards and observers.. Furthermore, portals could only be cast in open spaces spacious enough to accommodate the required radius without colliding with solid objects!
Their dream of a quick, seamless escape without consequences was completely shattered.. at least for the time being, before the blessing could be further developed. Moreover, both of them remained ignorant of whatever other harsh restrictions might prevent them from spamming this blessing freely and without limit!
Michael let out a heavy sigh, pressing his palm against his forehead as he absorbed these complex logistical realities. It seemed they would be forced to spend the night in this suite and await morning to see if they would be permitted to leave this locked chamber and scout the corridors for open spaces to exploit for an escape.
Michael looked at his friend with cautious gravity, his tone devoid of any humor: "Elliot.. I completely understand that you won’t like this one bit, but you need to revert to your full female form right now.. We’ll have to tear your dress up a bit, and you’ll need to be partially exposed so it appears to everyone as though we spent a wild, passionate night together. We can’t let the guards or the Alliance suspect that we did nothing and are plotting something behind their backs! I know this will feel awful, disgusting, and utterly embarrassing for you.. but we have no other choice to ward off suspicion!"
In his current Androgynous state, Elliot represented a unique fusion of pure male rationalism and sharp female analytical intuition. This enabled him to weigh actual gains and losses with cold, objective accuracy without being swept away by emotion.
As he turned Michael’s words over in his mind and surveyed the broader picture, he entirely understood the logic. They possessed no immediate window for escape, and the best way to safeguard their bodies and lives was to buy time with the Alliance until his supreme power presented a viable physical exit.
Michael continued, wiping the dried sweat from his forehead as he sat up: "Besides, we haven’t locked in our final path according to the System’s rules yet.. I think the best approach is for each of us to try persuading the other with our logic. Whichever path proves most convincing in the end will be our finalized choice.. Agreed?"
Elliot gave a firm, responsible nod of agreement in his hybrid form.. Yet despite the cold logic of his mental calculations, he couldn’t stop a searing sensation of embarrassment and fluster from seeping into the depths of his being!
He realized they now had to flawlessly orchestrate and fake the entire scene..
They would have to craft the illusion by tearing the luxurious fabrics, scattering bodily fluids across the plush bed and pillows, and even leaving light bite marks and scratches along the neck and shoulders to pull off a dramatic staging that left zero room for doubt in the eyes of the Alliance watching them!
Acting out this scene was going to be complicated, grueling, and immensely taxing on the pride of both!