Free Web NovelMs. Etina stopped in front of a door.
This door was a bit different from the others.
It didn't look like an iron door, nor did it look like a wooden one.
Instead, it was a pure white door with a surface as smooth as a mirror.
There was no handle, no keyhole, and not even any decoration on the door.
It was just a pure white, perfect rectangle.
Ms. Etina turned around and looked at Pavela.
"Meow."
Her tone was very solemn.
Then she looked at Margaret again.
"Meow meow."
Margaret nodded.
"I understand."
She turned to Pavela.
"Dr. Lovelace wants to meet with you alone first."
Pavela glanced at Margaret.
"Me?"
"Yes."
There was a kind of... encouragement in Margaret's eyes?
Or perhaps a "you can do it"?
Pavela took a deep breath.
"Alright."
She walked toward the white door.
Ms. Etina stepped aside, making way for her.
Pavela reached out and pressed her hand against the door.
The surface of the door was warm.
It was the temperature of... something living.
She gave it a firm push.
The door opened silently.
Pavela stepped inside.
And then—
Almost in an instant.
The world changed.
Pavela felt her body falling.
As if someone had suddenly severed all her connections to the real world.
Everything around her was receding at high speed.
That white door.
Ms. Etina outside the door.
Margaret.
Those cats wearing hats.
The entire laboratory.
All the light, sound, and smells—
All were receding.
Pavela was just about to struggle.
Then she instantly realized what was happening.
A Mental Space!
Again?!
She tried to grab onto something.
But her hand caught only the void.
She wanted to scream.
But her voice was swallowed by that whiteness, without even a hint of an echo.
She could feel her mouth moving and her throat vibrating, but no sound came out.
The fall continued.
Faster and faster.
Deeper and deeper.
She could feel her consciousness.
Being pulled by some massive, irresistible force, falling toward a bottomless abyss.
Time lost its meaning.
Space lost its meaning. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
She didn't know how long she had been falling.
A second?
A minute?
An hour?
Or an eternity?
And then—
Everything stopped.
When Pavela could see her surroundings clearly again, she found she was no longer in that underground laboratory.
She was standing in a pure white space.
A pure, boundless white.
No walls, no ceiling, no floor.
Or rather, walls, ceilings, and floors were everywhere.
The white extended to the edge of her vision, without any reference points, shadows, or textures.
It was like standing on a giant, blank canvas.
Pavela looked down at her feet.
She could see her own shadow.
She looked up.
It was still all white around her.
No sound.
No air currents.
Even the sound of her breathing seemed to be swallowed by this whiteness.
Pavela's heart began to race.
She knew where this was.
A Mental Space.
She had entered a Mental Space again.
It was the exact same feeling as when she had entered the Mental Space of Path of the Tower last time.
That feeling of being pulled into the depths of one's consciousness.
That feeling where the boundary between reality and illusion begins to blur.
But this time was different.
Last time it was a black tower, a Gray Wasteland, and Wandering souls. frёeωebɳovel.com
This time it was pure white, empty, and as clean as a world that had just been created.
"How interesting."
A woman's voice came from behind her.
The voice was light, carrying a hint of curiosity and surprise.
"Your Mental Space is actually this clean."
"There are absolutely no traces of pollution."
"It's like a canvas that hasn't been painted on yet."
Pavela's body tensed instantly.
Muscle memory took over her thinking.
She turned, pushed off with her right foot, and lunged toward the source of the voice like an arrow from a bow.
She clenched her left hand into a fist and aimed straight for the other person's throat.
The one appearing in her Mental Space was likely that "Gatekeeper" again.
Or something similar.
After the last lesson, Pavela had realized one thing—
You can't listen to a single word from such things.
Every word they say is a trap.
Every suggestion they make is an inducement.
So the best way is—
Hit first, talk later!
But her fist didn't hit the target.
A hand grabbed her wrist.
The force was great, but not in a crude way.
Rather, it was a precise, perfect amount of force that was just enough to stop her attack.
Pavela's pupils contracted.
She immediately changed her move.
If her left hand was caught, she'd use her right.
She raised her right elbow, aiming straight for the other's chin.
At the same time, she swept her left leg forward, targeting the other's knee.
But the other person moved too.
The hand grabbing her wrist suddenly let go, and the person stepped back half a pace, avoiding her elbow strike.
Simultaneously, the other hand pressed down, blocking her leg sweep.
Pavela didn't stop.
Her body twisted in the air, and the moment her right foot hit the ground, she pushed off again, spinning like a top as her left leg swept toward the other's waist with the full force of her body.
The opponent raised an arm and blocked the strike.
But Pavela could feel the other person's arm trembling.
In terms of strength, she had the advantage.
She didn't give the opponent a chance to breathe.
Landing and charging forward, her right fist struck directly at the other's chest.
The opponent dodged to the side, but Pavela's left hand had already followed up, grabbing the other's cloak.
She pulled hard.
The opponent lost balance and toppled forward.
Pavela moved forward with the momentum, slamming her right shoulder into the other's chest.
Thump.
Both of them fell to the ground together.
Falling onto this pure white "ground" that lacked any sense of solidity.
Pavela pinned the other person down, her left hand pressing on the shoulder while her right fist was raised, ready to strike.
And then—
The opponent's hood fell off during the struggle.
Revealing a face.
Pavela's fist stopped in mid-air.
She was stunned.
Long golden hair spilled out, looking exceptionally dazzling against the pure white background.
Emerald green eyes, like two polished emeralds.
Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and a hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
That face—
Pavela had seen it before.
It couldn't even just be said that she'd seen it.
It was simply too familiar.
She looked almost exactly like Victoria.
The exact same golden hair.
The exact same emerald green eyes.
The exact same facial features.
Even that smile—
That smile full of curiosity, excitement, and "I've found something interesting."
It was exactly like the one Victoria had when they first met.
The few differences could be explained as simply being a bit older, with more mature contours.
Pavela's mind went blank.
Her fist was still frozen in mid-air.
Her mouth hung slightly open.
In that moment of her daze—
The other person moved.
The woman's smile became even more pronounced.
Carrying a bit of a mischievous grin.
Her legs suddenly came up, her knees pressing against Pavela's waist.
At the same time, her hands grabbed Pavela's shoulders.
With a forceful push and pull.
Pavela felt a massive force coming from below.
Her body lost balance, and she was flipped over.
Their positions were instantly reversed.
Now the woman was pinning her down.
Pavela wanted to resist.
But the other's hands were already pinning her shoulders, knees pressing into the sides of her waist, with her entire body weight bearing down.
Pavela couldn't move.
Immediately after—
The woman reached out.
She cupped Pavela's cheeks with both hands.
And began to rub.
Rubbing them hard.
Kneading them like dough.
"Kyaaaa!"
The woman let out an excited scream,
"Little Victoria was right after all!"
"She really is super cute!"
"This feel!"
"This expression!"
"This is great!"
Pavela's mind was a complete blank.
Her cheeks were being squished out of shape.
She could feel the other's fingers pressing, pulling, and kneading her face.
As if playing with a particularly interesting toy.
"Mmph—!"
Pavela tried to speak.
But her mouth was being squished so much she couldn't open it.
She could only make some muffled sounds.
"That's the reaction!"
The woman continued,
"You're just too cute!!"
"I'm going to rub them all day!!!"
