As the memory, drenched in despair, was thrust into Lunelle's mind, everything became clear to her in an instant.
At that moment, Lunelle finally understood what her first wife, Seele, meant when she spoke of the pain they were supposed to endure together.
"What... what is all this?"
In the blink of an eye, Lunelle was assaulted by the suffering and torment Seele had experienced in the Previous Era civilization, each moment flashing before her consciousness!
Completely unprepared, Lunelle couldn't tell if it was the deliberate influence of "Blood Eyed Seele," or if she herself had unknowingly immersed too deeply into the tragic memories of her wife.
What should have been fleeting, gray images, suddenly became visceral, fragmented memories—so real that they felt like her own!
And each of those memories was a masochistic record, recounting the countless tragedies Seele had endured!
Lunelle lived through it all: how her kind-hearted wife, once full of hope for the future, was gradually crushed by the cruel and cold reality of the world.
The horrific experiences that ultimately led to her final decision to end it all, with no hope remaining.
Each of these vile memories alone would be enough to break a normal person, maybe even drive them to madness.
But Lunelle had to face them all at once, experiencing them again in vivid, firsthand detail!
It was no longer a mere tragic memory—it had become an unrelenting, inhumane mental torture.
"This is poisonous! Fine, force it into my mind, but why does it keep playing on loop?" Lunelle cried in anguish, trapped in the simulation space.
But her wails were useless.
It felt as though she truly had become Seele of the Previous-Era civilization, with no end in sight—constantly dragged through one harrowing scene after another, endlessly reliving Seele's torment.
The images were endless, and they ranged from...
"Humph! This is our territory—hand over everything you've scavenged!"
"Don't let me see you again, or I'll break your legs!"
"How dare you, a stray, dress better than me? If I see you like this again, I'll scratch your face!"
"Miss Seele, if you spend one night with me, maybe we'll consider publishing your novel."
"Ms. Seele, don't be selfish. You don't want your orphanage to go under, do you? I'll be back in three days. If you still refuse then, I'll take matters into my own hands!"
The painful memories of Seele's childhood, when she wandered the slums, bullied and harassed by the homeless, surfaced with a vengeance.
After she was adopted by an orphanage, things didn't improve. Other children, jealous of her delicate voice and beauty, made her life miserable.
Her first submission to a publisher was full of hope, but she had to face the dirty capitalistic forces, which saw her work shelved and even plagiarized. She had no power to speak up.
And of course, the cruel capital-forced marriage that shattered her was the final straw.
She had thought her hard life was finally ending, but she hadn't expected that a nobleman, enamored by her natural beauty, would turn her life upside down.
The lecherous young master, obsessed with Seele, gave her time to consider. But everyone knew what that meant: if Seele refused him, she would lose everything.
This was the harsh reality of those born at the bottom of society—struggling all their lives, only to face an inevitable, tragic end.
Even hearing it all was unimaginable. How could a girl with such a weak personality endure this hell for more than a decade?
And now, this weight of despair was thrust upon Lunelle, once an ordinary, failed writer, who had never experienced such agony.
If she wanted to carry this burden without losing her sanity, she would need to evolve beyond her current mental state.
Clearly, she wasn't ready yet.
And so, Lunelle's consciousness was abruptly shut down in the simulation by a kiss from Seele.
After all, being kissed by Seele was... truly "painful."
The rest of the script was easy to predict. After being struck down by the Fire Moth once again, the familiar settlement interface popped up.
However, Lunelle was surprised by the simulation's evaluation this time.
[Simulation Evaluation: You're on the right track, but your lack of conviction ultimately led to failure in withstanding the trial set by your target. Perhaps, once you understand the true meaning of "creation" and can carry the weight of this despair, you will be able to truly save the one you care for most.]
[Simulation Rating: F]
[Simulation Settlement: Pay the price, the host becomes an airport!]
[Guaranteed talent triggered.]
[Settlement Changes!]
[Guaranteed Settlement: The original price is canceled. The host receives a guaranteed reward: a small resistance to the Honkai.]
[Due to the F-level evaluation, the special permanent talent [A+→B] now covers the secondary talent [A→A+].]
[A+→B (Unknown Quality/Permanent): A special permanent talent granted by the guaranteed bonus (gold). The meaning of this talent remains unclear, but it seems to possess some inexplicable power that makes the host grow in unexpected ways.]
[Affected by this permanent talent: Host's Charm +2, Honkai Energy Adaptability +2.]