As soon as the three of them stepped into Madam Verta’s tent, a sharp inhale filled the space, followed by a strained, almost pained groan.

"Stand back. Do not come too close to me, or I will start feeling sick."

Madam Verta ordered, waving a trembling hand in front of her as if to ward off something vile.

Her face twisted in visible discomfort, and for the first time since meeting her, Selene saw something that looked like genuine distress in the older woman’s expression.

"The aura ofdeathandapocalypseradiating from you is too much. It’s making me sick."

Selene arched a brow.

She didn’t apologize—why should she?—but she did take a step back, keeping a reasonable distance from Madam Verta to avoid any further dramatics.

However, a lot of questions popped into her mind because of this.

’Could this be happening because I died once and was revived? Or, is it because of my core absorption skill. Ugh, what a headache to figure this out.’

Nora, sensing the tension rising, sighed and decided to step in as a mediator.

"Madam Verta, let’s just get to the point. What do youwant?"

Madam Verta took a deep breath, but almost immediately, she coughed as though the very air in the tent had become unbreathable. She rubbed her temple before narrowing her eyes at Selene again.

"It’s so hard tobreathearound you. How are you evenalivewith that much death and danger wrapped around your very existence?"

Selene tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips twitching into a smirk.

"Oh, I did die once. But then I was brought back."

She said lightly.

Nora’s headsnappedtoward her so fast it was a miracle she didn’t give herself whiplash.

"Selene, don’t joke about that. This shit is not funny."

Nora’s voice was sharp, filled with disbelief.

Selene bit her lower lip, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.

For a brief moment, her mind flashed with memories—memories she had worked hard to bury deep within herself.

She didn’t want to talk about this.

Not now. Not ever.

So she let the topic die, choosing silence over explanation.

Madam Verta, meanwhile, pressed her fingers to her forehead in frustration.

"It doesn’t matterwhatyou went through. What matters iswhat comes next."

She muttered.

Selene’s gaze hardened.

"And what do you mean by that?"

Madam Verta exhaled slowly, then fixed Selene with a sharp, evaluating stare.

"One of my abilities allows me to read thefateof anyone or anything I come across. In exchange, it consumes a portion of my mana."

She paused, then let out a slow, unsettling sigh.

"But when I look at you...I see nothing."

Selene frowned.

"Nothing?"

Madam Verta nodded.

"It’s as if youdon’t exist."

Selene’s chest tightened slightly.

She had been through a lot—things most people couldn’t even begin to imagine—but to hear something likethis... It wasunnerving.

Still, she forced herself to remain composed.

"Well, I’ve heard worse for sure. Besides, there’s a lot we don’t know about the System and how our powers work. So maybe—justmaybe—you’re wrong."

She said, her voice even.

Madam Verta gave her a long, doubtful look but chose not to argue.

For now.

Selene exhaled, deciding to change the topic before the conversation became even more unpleasant.

She crossed her arms and fixed Madam Verta with a questioning stare.

"Then what about Ethan?"

Madam Verta blinked.

"What about him?"

Selene narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You called him yourChosen One. Why?"

At the mention of Ethan, Madam Verta’s entire demeanor shifted.

Her face brightened, and a nearreverentexpression took over her features.

"Oh, my systemadoreshim. It sings praises about him, about how he isspecial, how he is theonewith the power to turn the tide for humanity."

She gushed, clasping her hands together in delight.

Her voice was full of admiration, but something about it made Selene’s stomach twist.

’I don’t like how she talks about Ethan. It feels unpleasant.’

None of what Madam Verta said actually meantanything.

It was all vague, flowery nonsense and made it seem like the older female had a crush on Ethan.

Selene almost told her that she was too old for Ethan before she caught herself and decided not to speak about that. Instead, she changed the topic slightly to know what she wanted to know.

"Can you see or predict the future?"

Madam Verta’s giddy expression faltered.

For just a fraction of a second, something flickered in her eyes.

Then she schooled her features into a blank, unreadable look.

"I cannotpredictthe future. But... if I use a great amount of my powers, I can see vague glimpses of whatmighthappen."

She said carefully.

Selene held her gaze.

"And yet, you can’t see anything about me?"

Madam Verta’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"...No."

There was no mistaking the unease in her voice.

Nora, who had been silent up until now, frowned deeply.

"Then why are you treating Selene like she’s dangerous? If you can’t evenseeanything about her, what makes you think she’s a threat?"

Madam Verta hesitated before answering.

"Because a blind spot in fate isunnatural. It means you may be harboring a secret... evenyouare unaware of."

She turned her gaze back to Selene, something unreadable in her eyes.

Nora looked like she was about to snap at the older woman for saying such things, but before she could, Selene raised a hand, stopping her.

Selene smiled, though there was no warmth in it.

"That’s a smart conclusion. I understand your caution. However, have you ever thought about the system not being right or if it is trying to deceive you?"

Selene asked and Madam Verta’s brows furrowed slightly, as if she hadn’t expected Selene to agree with her. But Selene’s words caused her to pause and reconsider.

"But regardless of what you think. I want to cooperate with you."

Selene continued smoothly.

Madam Verta’s eyes widened slightly.

"Youdo?"

Selene nodded.

"Let’s talk about this again after the raid. I’ll prove myself by then."

Madam Verta studied her carefully. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"...Very well."

With that, Selene turned to leave.

She was still not sure what to think about the older female, but one thing was for sure - Madam Verta seemed sure in the system and about her predictions.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com