Chapter 150: Ten Motives, Yet a Refusal

Though Fina did not directly answer "yes" or "no," her smile—a deadpan meme expression—left Feng Xue with a pounding headache.

But…

"You've come to the wrong person. Your secrets may matter to other Seekers of the Land, but I have no interest in the Earth God." Feng Xue shook his head, yet Fina still smiled and said:

"I never said I knew anything about the Earth God?"

"Right, right, you don't know—so what can you offer as payment?" Feng Xue drank another cup of tea, suddenly feeling the urge to have Sara give her a few more injections; there was no help for it—this woman was harder to deal with than Gouzi.

"Didn't I already say it? We are magical beasts that have been loaded with the magical beast taming program."

Fina spoke with implication, but Feng Xue, a foreigner who had only been in this world for ten days, lacked any corresponding sensitivity and couldn't fathom why she kept emphasizing "magical beast" when it was just "magical beast."

Liu Yunxi, watching from the side, could no longer bear it and leaned over to whisper:

"She means she doesn't have a master yet—if you help her get revenge, she'll become your magical beast!"

"Huh? Is that what she meant?" Feng Xue hadn't realized it wasn't his stupidity—he simply assumed someone who, upon learning their own identity, developed a strong self-destructive impulse, would have no reason to willingly become another's tool.

Fina seemed to sense Feng Xue's surprise; she shook her head and said:

"Others certainly wouldn't do. But you're fine."

"What does that mean? Don't tell me you've fallen in love at first sight!" Feng Xue didn't believe in love at first sight at all, let alone with this woman, who had a pronounced self-destructive streak.

But considering Sara had tried to sell Fina to him as a "breeding tool" on their first meeting, he was starting to feel uncertain—was he somehow endowed with a succubus trait in this world?

As Feng Xue was lost in thought, Fina glanced at Sara, still reeling from reality, and said:

"Didn't she say it many times? Because you're not human."

"Enough already—you're not human either!" Feng Xue shot back, but Fina's smile grew even more chilling:

"Exactly—we're both not. That's why we're Tianrande Alliance."

"Simply put, humans have the right to exploit the nature of magical beasts by formatting our consciousness—yes, just like normal magical beast masters do. It's a standard procedure to prevent mental contamination. But you lack that authority. Even if you take me as a magical beast, it's merely a pure partnership, and it still allows us to unleash our strength to eliminate the official forces of the Blue Lake Archipelago—not just for revenge, but to remove a threat. And you, in turn, can gain immense power."

Though Sara still struggled to accept reality, her rationality and survival instinct quickly forced her to confront it; she gave Feng Xue a clear explanation. Feng Xue found the reasoning acceptable, yet he showed no intention of accepting—only shaking his head and saying:

"That's only true for you. I'm not without other options. Magical beasts are rare, but not entirely nonexistent—I can perfectly use real magical beasts, not you, a self-aware time bomb."

"Oh? Is that so?" Fina's eyes narrowed. Feng Xue frowned and said:

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you confiscate that person's gear? Want to try it on?" Fina pointed to the blood-stained formal suit-like exoskeleton nearby. Feng Xue thought for a moment, pulled out a Cleansing Talisman, and thoroughly wiped away all blood and grime, then casually cleaned the nearby deck as well, before saying:

"Xiao Lingdang, can you interface with this gear?"

"Please perform physical connection," Xiao Lingdang replied, projecting the interface location onto Feng Xue's vision. As the formal suit connected to the pre-civilization terminal, a stream of code flashed across the screen.

"Scan complete, Master. This is a lightweight exosuit developed from pre-civilization security standards. Encryption level is low—already cracked. It can be worn and operated normally."

Hearing this, Feng Xue cautiously pulled out a Doppelgänger Talisman and held it in his hand before slipping on the suit. Aside from feeling heavier than normal, there was no trace of high-tech functionality.

"How do I control this?" Feng Xue searched for ages but found no controller-like device. After flickering a few times, Xiao Lingdang popped up several options on his wristwatch—

"This device requires nanite units to convert brainwaves for connection. You lack nanite structure and cannot achieve normal control. However, Xiao Lingdang has programmed a one-key macro. You may select specific modes based on circumstances, and Xiao Lingdang will assist control. Calculations indicate this should achieve seventy percent of the suit's performance. With Young Lady Mo Ying's assistance, reaction speed could exceed nanite-based systems."

Xiao Lingdang's words were thoughtful, but Feng Xue understood the core issue.

"Nanite units, right?"

"Yes. The essence of magical beast assimilation is the interfacing between human nanite units and magical beast nanite units, enabling bio-assimilation technology. Enhanced mobility and activation of special protocols all depend on nanites. This gear is merely external control—you can still issue commands via that AI goddess—but magical beasts cannot be used without nanites, except for the special nanite system composing my body. Of course, if you wish to transform yourself into a humanoid magical beast, you may attempt Live Synchronization Technology."

Sara, now grasping the crux of the matter, abandoned her self-pity and immediately aligned with Fina, urging Feng Xue.

Feng Xue weighed the pros and cons. Though magical beast combat power was indeed strong, it wasn't an absolute necessity—insufficient to justify bearing the cost of opposing the entire archipelago.

But he did currently need Sara's disguise system to obtain "human status." If he abandoned the two of them, whether he'd be labeled a "humanoid magical beast" himself was uncertain.

Moreover, he could clearly sense that Sara and Fina harbored deeper secrets. What they were—he doubted they involved the Earth God; otherwise, she'd be the Earth Holy Maiden, and even if hunted by the Sea Folk, she'd have allies across the world, with no need to fear being formatted.

Yet a secret capable of triggering a genocidal decision by the archipelago's ruling body could not be trivial. Under the burden of human status, Feng Xue and Fina were inevitably bound together for now.

After much deliberation, Feng Xue decided to proceed with them for now—once he secured the longevity-enhancing Zhuqi, he'd flee. After all, he had the trump card of transmigration; perhaps someday, when he grew powerful, he could return and obliterate the Blue Lake Archipelago.

As he prepared to stall with the "I'm too weak, need to gather strength and improve combat power" excuse, Xiao Lingdang suddenly popped up:

"Master, the Seekers of the Land forum has issued an emergency summons!"

(End of Chapter)