In an extremely secretive underground chamber, Candice burst through the inner door and urgently took out a jade ring from her bosom, infusing it with energy at extraordinary speed.
Soon, an elegant, intellectual voice came from within the jade pendant.
"You've finally remembered to contact me."
"Imperial Sister! Listen to me!"
Hearing the urgency in Candice's voice, the woman on the other end tinged her voice with amusement.
"Candice? Such a discomposed tone doesn't sound like you."
Candice ignored her.
"Listen to me!"
"Alright, alright, I'm listening."
"Elasia has experienced a coup."
"Mmm, I know."
So she already knew!
Candice's tone was extremely urgent.
"Don't rush to control Elashia!"
"Why not?"
The woman's voice on the other end carried more amusement.
"She has already given me most of Elasia's authority and has promised to cooperate with our actions!"
"Hmm, that indeed sounds good, but what could be safer and more controllable than a puppet?"
"Alexandra!"
Seeming to hear that her sister was truly angry, "Alexandra" quickly stopped teasing her sister.
"Alright, alright, I understand."
"Alexandra" put away her joking tone.
"Actually, when I received the news, to avoid complications, I immediately tried to control her."
"You..."
"But I found that I can't control her anymore."
Candice was stunned.
"Why?"
"Alexandra's" voice sounded very serious.
"I don't know either."
Candice now felt both confused and delighted.
She knew her Imperial Sister's character very well. Although her usual tone seemed lazy and gentle, her inner nature was cautious and cruel. Anyone who threatened her goals, even potentially, would be subdued or killed through plots and schemes.
"Now I have several theories."
"Either she carries an item that can protect her soul, or her strength has already grown to a level I cannot control."
"Both possibilities are extremely remote."
Candice nodded.
"Indeed."
Candice had carefully observed Elashia during this period; she wore no ornaments whatsoever.
The other possibility was even more far-fetched. Not to mention that earlier Elashia had been frightened into disarray by her small fireball, her Imperial Sister was absolutely the strongest human on the Abyss Marsh continent.
There were almost no humans in this world that Alexandra couldn't control.
"There's another possibility, but the probability of this happening is zero."
"What do you mean?"
Candice asked urgently.
"Perhaps she also has the ability to control others' minds."
"I saw in the 'Forbidden Book' that 'only [Mind Controllers] can be immune to mind control.'"
"What!"
The Imperial Sister's [Soul Capture] was virtually a bug-like ability, one of the three pillars driving the Iron Empire's rapid rise.
Candice had always thought only her Imperial Sister had such a bug-like skill in the Abyss Marsh continent.
"You mean... I understand! I understand everything!"
Why all those Elasia ministers obeyed Elashia, why Elashia had to wait until Cecilia was out executing a mission before making her move.
But... there were dozens of people controlled by Elashia. And the souls of those controlled people were all intact...
Seeing Candice's expression, Alexandra seemed to understand something too, and that face full of composure finally showed a trace of surprise.
"Is that so... another [Mind Controller]... a [Mind Controller] created by me..."
"Imperial Sister, Elashia's mind control might be different from yours... she might have no control limit, and might not annihilate the souls of those she controls..."
"What!"
Alexandra's voice completely lost its previous laziness and calm.
The Iron Empire had a treasure passed down from the founding ancestor, called: "The Forbidden Book."
This book had no words, and no one knew why the Iron Empire royal family would pass it down as their most important treasure.
This puzzlement continued for thousands of years until Alexandra accidentally opened the book.
She saw words in the book, though only a few pages of them.
But when others looked at it afterward, they all said they couldn't see any words.
Moreover, every now and then, "The Forbidden Book" would update with new content.
Although Alexandra was puzzled, it didn't affect her use of the magic and information in "The Forbidden Book."
She had seen in "The Forbidden Book"—[Mind Control] abilities would become infinitely more powerful after mutation.
But "The Forbidden Book" had also stated that "the user of the mind control skill is and only is Alexandra."
"But that's impossible. 'The Forbidden Book' said only you could use [Mind Control]."
Candice truly couldn't understand.
"Haha, hahahaha—"
The Iron Empress suddenly began laughing uproariously without warning.
Candice had never seen her sister laugh so unreservedly, even in childhood.
"The 'variable' I've been waiting for has finally arrived!"
Alexandra saw what she had been desperately awaiting for countless years.
She called it the "variable."
The Future Mirror and "The Forbidden Book" were world-class magical artifacts.
In theory, world-class magical artifacts could calculate all elements in the world.
So, in theory, humanity's destruction before the Undead Calamity was an unchangeable outcome.
Therefore, the Iron Empress was betting on—the possibility that even world-class magical artifacts could miscalculate or miss something.
Now it seemed she had won!
The Empress's face revealed ecstasy Candice had never seen before. Just as Candice was about to inquire further, the Empress, having regained her composure, waved her hand.
"Oh my, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand, and even if you understood, you wouldn't believe it. No need to ask me."
"You..."
Candice was speechless with frustration.
"I only need you to remember one thing."
The Iron Empress's voice conveyed unprecedented solemnity.
Candice's expression also became grave.
"Crown Princess Candice awaits your command!"
Candice knelt down.
Since her Imperial Sister used such a solemn tone, it meant that what she was about to say would be extremely important.
"I am here!"
"You must remember—Elashia cannot die, she absolutely cannot die!"
"When necessary, I order you to protect her even at the cost of your own life!"
"I obey!"
Candice knew that matters which could make the Empress so happy yet so solemn must be related to the Undead Calamity. Since it could make the Empress so happy, it must be the key to breaking the deadlock.
"Alright, alright, We are tired, and you should rest too."
With the order issued, the Iron Empress cut off communication.
On the other end of the communication, a tall woman wearing a purple-black robe put down the jade ring in her hand and looked toward the distant east.
It was already dawn, and the sun was about to rise.
"Elashia..."
Looking at the ten dim gems on the Future Mirror, the woman murmured Elashia's name as she put the mirror back in the cabinet.
No one knew that a glimmer of light flashed in the cabinet.