Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads

Chapter 434: Chapter-434

’Shut your mouth,’ Heena snapped internally. ’If I had been deployed to this sector before, I would have the administrative memory logs. Besides, the central database had this world flagged as a clean slate for my division before we arrived, so it’s impossible. If it’s not a corporate leftover, then the trigger has to be Seera.’

The System frowned, looking deeply skeptical. ’’”But how? Seera died completely miserable and broken in the original timeline. She wasn’t even capable of fighting back against Maya and the grooms, let alone a cosmic-tier Regressor. Why do you think she would have done something to trigger a monster like that?”’’

Heena paused. She looked at the little lion, her gaze turning unusually distant and heavy.

’System, you don’t know what crazy things a human is capable of when they are pushed to the absolute edge,’ Heena said quietly. ’You don’t understand the complexities of the human mind, and you understand women even less. No matter how physically weak or battered a woman might look on the outside, if it is for the sake of protecting their family, their children, or the people they truly love, they can tear the world apart. I don’t think Seera was nearly as weak as the official world record book claimed she was.’

She shifted her posture, her eyes narrowing as she watched the passing crowd. ’And who knows? Maybe she also got a rebound loop. Maybe she was a time-traveler too.’

The System’s jaw practically dropped. ’’”Oh, come on! Seera?! Really?! Host, what kind of nonsense are you talking about now? How can just ’everyone’ get a magical chance to rewrite time? That violates all the structural laws of the universe!”’’

’Listen to me, you rookie,’ Heena scolded sharply. ’There are countless undocumented anomalies in the lower sectors exactly like this. It is not a new phenomenon. Someone gets bounced back in time repeatedly by the world’s distorted regrets until they get tired, lose all hope, and their soul shatters. It happens. It’s a normal occupational hazard. Sometimes, a character completely breaks out of their narrative binds and becomes a real, autonomous entity. From what I’ve pieced together about Seera’s hidden emotional resonance, there is a very high chance she broke her script.’

The System trembled slightly, completely out of its depth. ’’”So... you mean the original Seera actually broke the laws of the universe and shattered the character settings before we even got here?”’’

Seeing the sheer panic in the rookie AI’s eyes, Heena suddenly felt the heavy weight of her exhaustion creeping back in. She sighed, waving her hand dismissively in her mind.

’I don’t know,’ Heena muttered, closing her eyes to rest. ’Just forget it. Speculating won’t get us our payout. Let’s just focus on getting to the ironworks area before the ghost decides to vanish again.’

The little lion didn’t dare argue further. Instead, it hurriedly brought up a bright holographic map right inside the dim carriage, the blue light reflecting sharply off Heena’s face.

’’”Host, look,”’’ the System said urgently, pointing a tiny paw at the display. ’’”First of all, the Regressor is already moving directly toward the iron convoy. He isn’t waiting.”’’

On the map, two distinct glowing beacons appeared. They were painfully far apart.

’’”This red beacon is the Regressor,”’’ the System explained, tracing a fast-moving crimson dot cutting through the northern province. ’’”And this blue one over here is us, stuck in the middle of the capital marketplace.”’’

Heena stared at the massive gap between the two indicators, her jaw tightening. ”How long will it take us to reach the intersection point?”

The System did a quick, frantic scan of their current commercial vehicle, then cross-referenced it with the map’s terrain data. ’’”At this exact speed... in this heavy commercial carriage... it will take us about two days, Host.”’’

Heena’s eyes narrowed. ”Two days. And what about ’him’? How long until the Regressor hits the convoy?”

The System paused, its digital ears drooping as it ran the final velocity calculations. ’’”With his current travel speed and enhanced martial cultivation... it will take him about one day. He will get there a full twenty-four hours before us.”’’

Heena’s mind completely exploded with furious urgency. A one-day head start?! By the time she arrived in this slow, clunky box, the iron convoy would be entirely butchered, the Marquisate’s supply lines would be ruined, and her target would have vanished back into the shadows like a ghost!

She snapped.

”STOP THE CARRIAGE!” Heena roared out loud.

The driver outside violently pulled on the reins, causing the horses to screech and the entire wooden carriage to rock violently as it ground to a sudden, jarring halt right in the middle of the crowded thoroughfare.

Samuel’s hand was on his hilt in a millisecond, his massive frame instantly shifting to shield her as the vehicle shook. ”Young Miss?! Are we under attack?!”

Heena didn’t answer. She kicked the carriage door wide open and stepped straight out into the bright, noisy chaos of the marketplace, her dark traveling cloak billowing behind her.

Inside her head, the System was practically hyperventilating. ’’”Host! Host, what happened?! Why did you jump out of the carriage?! What’s the plan?!”’’

’Just shut the heck up!’ Heena snapped internally, her eyes frantically scanning the crowded streets.

She was standing right in the high-density shopping district of the capital. Very funny. The Regressor thought he was being clever by trapping her in a traffic bottleneck, forcing her to choose between a slow-moving lady’s carriage or a conspicuous, illegal horse ride through the main gates. But he had completely underestimated the sheer, unhinged adaptability of a veteran Black Lotus.

If traveling as the fragile, high-born ”Young Miss Seera” was going to slow her down, then she would simply stop being a lady.

Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto a large, bustling shop front just a few yards away. The sign above the door read ’Fine Textiles & Garments’.

Heena stormed straight through the entrance, completely ignoring the startled noblewomen and servants browsing the silk dresses. She marched directly up to the wooden counter and slammed her palm down, staring the trembling shopkeeper dead in the eye.

”Boss,” Heena commanded, her voice dropping into a chilly, non-negotiable tone that brooked absolutely zero argument. ”I need a complete change of clothes. Right now. Dark, durable, male traveling attire—and make sure it fits perfectly for high-speed movement. Move!”

The shopkeeper stared at Heena, his mouth opening and closing like a landed fish. The sheer, commanding authority bleeding out of this cloaked young woman was entirely terrifying. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t care why a noble lady wanted to strip out of her fine silk dress and into a man’s riding gear.

”R-Right away, My Lady! Right this way!” the boss stammered, frantically pulling a heavy set of midnight-black leather and durable canvas garments from the top shelf.

Heena snatched the clothes from his hands and vanished behind the changing curtain. Inside her mind, the System was watching the ticking countdown clock, its digital paws trembling. ’’”Host, are we really doing this?! If the Grandfather or the Grand Madam finds out you sneaked out of the capital dressed as a male mercenary, they will flatten the entire city looking for you!”’’