The mechanics were deactivated, the threats cleared; the rest was just garbage time.
Alex Morgan moved back and forth with a few leaps, clearing out all the Fluffy Furballs and maids.
The eighth wave was cleared, taking less than fifteen seconds from start to finish.
The girl stood amidst the scattered debris, feeling her emotions and magic power boiling over, breathing slightly.
Finally…
it’s over.
That wasn’t easy.
—Memorizing the patterns was actually quite simple; there were only a few variations.
Formulating a strategy against the enemy wasn’t difficult either.
After all, the opponent wasn’t an Immortal Master and didn’t possess such high adaptive intelligence; moreover, their raw strength was indeed inferior to hers in this state.
But…
What if, throughout this process, she also had to keep finding ways to delay the detonation of that bomb?
In the beginning, even without any external interference, as long as she maintained this Half-step Transformation state, she would exceed the critical point and injure herself in less than fifteen seconds.
But by modifying her emotions, movements, and lines, and through her increasingly familiar magic power trajectories and operations, Alex Morgan forcibly maintained this state for over a minute and a half.
Furthermore, as she maintained this critical point for longer, her power grew even stronger.
According to Alex Morgan’s own estimation, her physical fitness was roughly five times that of her original body!
If this were reality, it would have already far surpassed the physical limits of an ordinary person.
Scaling walls would be effortless; it was enough to be called a Little Superman!
But the price was also obvious.
At this moment, the magic power within her was nearing a boiling point, the energy coursing through Alex Morgan’s internal organs and flesh.
If she were to forcibly maintain the Half-step Transformation state any longer, she estimated she had at most 15 seconds before losing control.
She let out a long breath, exhaling a stream of scorching air, and sensed the condition within her body.
Before reaching the critical point of self-injury, her magic-enhanced body seemed to have developed a special resistance to high temperatures.
Although her body temperature was extremely high, she miraculously remained unharmed.
Now that she had cleared all the enemies in the vicinity, could she safely stop this transformation process?
Without any hesitation, her gaze shifted directly toward the deeper darkness.
Her magic-enhanced senses had detected something.
However, at that very moment, the girl’s face suddenly turned solemn.
Obviously not.
Her slender body tensed to the limit in an instant.
From deep within the darkness, an unprecedentedly powerful presence was approaching, carrying a heavy, cold, and suffocating sense of pressure.
Tap, tap, tap.
Accompanied by elegant and rhythmic footsteps, a figure slowly emerged from the black mist.
It was still a female doll, but completely different from the low-level maids in coarse cloth and with stiff movements from before.
If the previous ones were low-ranking maids, then this one was undoubtedly the Head Maid.
The blue and white skirt was layered, and the collar and cuffs were embroidered with delicate lace that looked like dark patterns formed by dried blood.
Her featureless face had no cracks or holes, appearing incredibly smooth, yet she “looked” in Alex Morgan’s direction.
She tilted her head, her silver braided twin-tails moving along with it.
In that instant, a bone-chilling sensation flared up in Alex Morgan’s heart.
“!!”
She was on a completely different Rank compared to all the previous monsters.
An Elite Monster, or perhaps a Stage Boss…
However, the opponent did not immediately lash out after locking onto Alex Morgan.
Under her gaze, she gently extended her lifelike hands, folded them in front of her, and then bowed slightly toward Alex Morgan.
Her movements were so elegant they were practically flawless, just like a real Head Maid.
The next moment.
Without any warning, a red and white figure appeared beside the seemingly polite doll almost as if teleporting.
The red and white trail in the air hadn’t faded in the slightest as her palm-strike, wreathed in flames, slashed horizontally toward the Head Maid’s neck with a sharp boom that pierced the air.
Bang!
Two equally slender and fair arms collided in the air, bouncing off each other.
The Head Maid’s featureless face eerily rotated 180 degrees, meeting Alex Morgan’s eyes perfectly.
However, at that moment, Alex Morgan’s whip kick had already been unleashed, utilizing the rotational force from mid-air.
Something strange happened again.
The opponent vanished silently from the spot, and the heavy blow kicked nothing but air.
Alex Morgan spun twice like a dancer to dissipate the force, then stood firm and looked toward the spot where the opponent had reappeared, her eyes full of vigilance.
That her strength was no less than her own was within the realm of understanding…
but she hadn’t been able to see the opponent’s movements at all?
There was no sound of wind breaking, no warning signs.
It was as if frames had been skipped; it was ridiculously fast.
Just as Alex Morgan was pondering her ability, the dignified Head Maid suddenly moved.
She elegantly lifted her skirt, revealing a cold glint beneath.
And then—
Swish swish swish swish swish—!!!
Silver flashes of cold light flew out like a peacock spreading its tail.
Those were sixteen cold, gleaming metal throwing knives, moving so fast they even exceeded the limits of Alex Morgan’s current dynamic vision.
“So fast—!”
Alex Morgan’s pupils constricted.
She couldn’t see how they were thrown at all; she could only rely on her raw instincts to forcibly twist her body and swat the knives away.
Pffft pffft pffft pffft!
The dull thuds of blades entering flesh rang out one after another.
Even though she had tried her best, eight throwing knives still sank deep into her body.
three of them even plunged deep into her organs, and intense pain accompanied a sudden surge of blood.
“…!!!”
It was at this moment that a second wave of whistling air arrived.
More silver knives!
Alex Morgan forced her battered body to roll clumsily on the ground, barely dodging most of them, but two still ended up embedded in her left arm.
She knelt on the ground, gasping for breath as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
She looked at her opponent—only to see that the other was still composed, without a speck of dust on her, quietly holding two small knives as she slowly approached Alex Morgan.
She lowered her head, looking at her body which now resembled a hedgehog’s.
The Precision Control Engine could clearly sense the condition of her body.
Her internal organs were damaged, and internal bleeding had begun.
Her magic power had also become more turbulent due to the intense pain and the passage of time.
Even in a one-on-one, even if the opponent didn’t reveal any new abilities, with her current mangled state, she could find almost no hope.
Was this a dead end?
Was she going to have to start over again?
There didn’t seem to be any resentment.
She had already made great progress this time.
Not only had she broken through the eighth wave and seen the great enemy of the ninth, but she had also gained much critical information.
Once she went back and thought it over carefully to review the session, she would surely…
No.
At this moment, amidst that pool of blood, the girl instead let out a low chuckle.
“Heh… I refuse.”
Along with her raspy laughter, the flames surging from her mouth and nose with every breath were clearly visible.
Being able to start over an infinite number of times was certainly good.
Having progress every time was indeed something anyone would dream of.
Under these circumstances, retreating or feeling weary once or twice seemed like an inconsequential matter.
But…
Alex Morgan, who treated reality as a game and took the arrival of the supernatural for granted, understood one thing deeply from beginning to end.
A true gaming master would never make excuses for themselves; instead, they would face every single game and every single attempt with the utmost seriousness.
To Alex Morgan, treating something as a game wasn’t about being negligent; it meant that no matter when or where, she had to give her all to achieve the best result.
This was Alex Morgan’s most important…
entertainment.
She wobbled to her feet, ignoring the ten throwing knives stuck in her body and the Head Maid who was elegantly approaching.
Her magic power was like a turbulent current, about to explode within her body, bringing a familiar, intense pain.
However, a strong fighting spirit and joy burned even more fiercely in her heart.
In this instant, she seemed to sense something from within Macy.
That was a premonition from the deepest depths of the [Soul Link].