Chapter 1222: NO．126：By the time this point is reached, it is still considered that there is only one flaw

NO．126：By the time this point is reached, it is still considered that there is only one flaw.

Alcohol is a strange thing; it is a drink with a unique flavor, a tool for disinfection and cooling, a substitute for clean water as a storage liquid, a poison that burns rationality, a medium for transmitting fire……

Those who are fond of it each have their own reasons, but Huo'erhaiya's fondness for it lies in the multiplicity of its functions.

Convenient for arson, aiding conversation, emergency disinfection; moreover, it can demonstrate skill and please the palate through different preparation and mixing methods—this is a tool that combines practicality and fun, naturally favored by a scholar, an agent, a mercenary, and even a Feathered Serpent.

Having long been immersed in this way, she is well versed in how, with the help of alcohol, to let a target let down their guard, spill information, and even act according to her words.

As for alcohol's most common effect—fainting used to escape reality and vent stress—it has consistently been unrelated to her.

The Feathered Serpent is strong and aloof; therefore, she refuses to soak her inner emotions in alcohol.

So she rarely gets drunk.

Or more accurately, Huo'erhaiya only allows herself to get drunk alone in a safe place, and to wake up alone.

Always has been, always will be.

As for blacking out from drinking……

……

……

Clear blue sky, white clouds.

A green Feathered Serpent wanders beneath iridescent arcs, dancing with wind and thunder.

At that moment, she felt an unprecedented ease.

Relaxed and at ease, and reassured.

She merely failed to notice a blue silhouette gazing at her from the corner of the sea of clouds, its expression subtle.

……

When Huo'erhaiya awoke from the lingering dizziness and headache, what she saw was a translucent gray canopy.

... A light-sleep cabin? And moreover a common model……

Her thoughts were a bit slow; even reaching such a conclusion took an extra beat, the alcohol's hindrance of her mind evident.

The wing-like ears on her head slightly unfurled, and a faint light, similar in hue to the conduits of her exoskeleton, radiated from between her feathers, serving as a light source in the dimness, allowing her to pull the latch on the edge of the cabin, raising the whole canopy so she could rise from within.

Immediately she staggered, and instinctively grabbed the handrail of the light-sleep cabin.

She also caught sight of the staff hanging behind the handrail.

Staff…… She immediately raised her hand to pull it over, and after a brief pause, stirred up a faint airflow.

This is the Federation's Source Energy Technique, and also a substitute for the Source Stone Technique she first mastered in this world.

Its existence is very necessary, because Huo'erhaiya's exoskeleton armor behind her, even after being lightened with local materials, still weighs twenty kilograms.

This weight, plus the highly restrictive formal outer robe, would be pure burden without using source energy spells to reduce it, let alone in combat.

She herself has long been accustomed to the life of reducing burden with spells; her earlier stagger when rising was not just from a hangover, but also from being thrown off balance by the weight behind her—without applying a weight-reducing buff upon waking, she propped herself up with the exoskeleton and robe to rise; not falling counts as quick reflexes, and also as a result of her excellent physical condition.

Yes.

Although the Feathered Serpent's surgery gives the impression of a crippled child, Huo'erhaiya's seemingly chubby, plump figure holding a staff also makes it easy for people to mistake her as a long-range spellcaster, powerless when someone gets close.

But in fact, Huo'erhaiya's strength and stamina are not lacking; her long tail behind her can perfectly coordinate with the exoskeleton as a weapon, and it itself is a great killer with astonishing explosive power.

Whether strangling or directly stabbing with the tail tip, these are her usual assassination methods; the former can easily crush bones, the latter can easily pierce flesh and blood.

By comparison, the exoskeleton imitating double wings is more often used as a shield and blunt weapon, though it can also be imbued with source energy to become sharp wing blades.

But why am I wearing an exoskeleton?

She felt somewhat puzzled; in that dazed, headache-inducing hangover, the last memory she could recall was of herself, cup after cup, speaking with alternating mockery, jest, and wry smiles, recounting everything about herself.

It seems…… even the matter of the library was spoken of?

Hiss……

She instinctively drew a breath of cold air, and after a long silence she turned her head, glancing at the handrail of the light-sleep cabin gripped by her other hand.

Such a light-sleep cabin, resembling an old-fashioned game cabin and also like an old-fashioned massage chair with a sunshade, is considered standard equipment for most companies nowadays.

And this light-sleep cabin bears an unmistakable sheep-head emblem, which clearly provides her with a basis for judgment.

Kazder Military Committee?

She turned her head in all directions, realizing this was a somewhat cramped lounge; the overly small ordinary area should have felt oppressive, yet she instead felt somewhat settled as she walked toward a nearby high-legged small round table, where the bowl and spoon placed there caught her attention, and upon closer look she found a note attached:

{Hangover soup, if your condition recovers well afterwards, see you at the lab

ps: If bumped by the exoskeleton, please forgive; I think you sleep more steadily in this way】

"……" Looking at that, although it is written in Hong English, but dislikes using verbs in its writing style, Huo'erhaiya can determine this comes from the hand of a Bode person.

The final supplement also carries a sense of absurd humor.

Without a doubt, having already stayed in this world for over a year and having used all her means to investigate and understand that person, she naturally possesses this knowledge and would not fail to recognize whose hand this intertwined claw-like script comes from.

"Although I'm a bit unhappy……"

Originally she had done various hypothetical simulations, even prepared for 'not hesitating to worsen relations to drive the opponent into desperation to achieve the goal'; but upon actually meeting, she found some restraint overriding everything, rendering most of her preparations useless, yet she heard the other party propose the most harmless suggestion.

So harmless, yet it grasps all sovereignty.

Should this be called cunning? Her memory is full of her own blunders; recalling also brings the ease and desire to confide of that time, plus the other party's affinity and reassurance far exceeding what information would show……

Huo'erhaiya really can't say whether that is calculation or genuine, but looking at the note on the slip, she now has an answer in her heart.

She didn't pick up the spoon, but directly lifted the bowl.

After drinking it all in one bold gulp, the woman suddenly became graceful, picking up the nearby tissue to wipe her mouth, then smiling faintly as she picked up that slip of paper.

"But it also counts as overachieving the goal, right."

Having said that, she then slipped the note into the small box at the top of the staff.

———

Meanwhile, on the long bench in the corner of the lab.

Aomo, his index finger slowly sliding down the light screen, was still flipping through the 'Aachen Case Record' that Hololsea had first sent him.

He didn't directly go to the bottom to look at the case involving Xixi, Suzi, and Bourbon being involved in last night's vehicular chase; instead, he started from the beginning of the year, examining each item one by one, all of this stemming from him still being fixated on that missile from the venue attack.

Because it was a cross-district investigation, Bithicus said it had been handed over to the Bade District Teqiju for handling; she couldn't inquire much about the progress, only able to confirm that the case wasn't closed yet.

And Aomo himself also had no connection with the Bade District Teqiju.

In theory he should go near that rocket launch site to try his luck, but the precondition is that he wouldn't have to work.

Although the girls seem to be here on vacation while I seem to be here to investigate, don't forget the real reason we're able to be here.

It's not because of Rhodes Island's work, nor the high-speed procedures and vehicle channels they provided.

They were even willing to reimburse hotel expenses.

Even in actual work, he's still just idling while looking at cards; this treatment really gives him no reason to be absent.

But fortunately I've always had an ineffable luck.

When the investigation conditions weren't particularly ideal, a very self-conscious helper appeared.

Although this helper is the very cause that made him withdraw into a corner.

I don't even know when he'll wake up...

Just thinking about when he caught it, it was quite light; after putting on his coat and exoskeleton, holding the overturned big feathered serpent that now had weight, Aomo broke into a sweat.

With a height of 171 plus that long robe full of pieces, holding it would be extremely conspicuous.

But carrying it on his back would easily distract him, adding extra gun-pressure cost.

In the end, Aomo still chose to carry it.

Anyway, choosing to teleport, go through security, then take a taxi could also minimize conspicuousness as much as possible.

The only problem is that if he were to carry it, the other's overly long and large tail would inevitably drag on the ground, making getting into the vehicle even more troublesome... but the result was that it wasn't a problem after all, because who knows if it's a sleeping posture issue or a sleeping posture issue or a sleeping posture issue, this woman's tail directly wrapped around his waist.

It also formed a spring-like shape downward, wrapping from his left leg to his ankle, causing the security staff at the Demon Realm district entrance and the later-called ride-hailing drivers to frequently give him mocking looks.

In fact, he had been trying to pry it off from the start.

However, normal strength couldn't pull it off; after demonizing, he could shake it, but while pulling off the third coil of the tail from bottom to top, his sharp claws, in a few sparks, twisted off several scales, even causing a little bleeding...

He rarely looked anxiously at her face, only to see her brows slightly furrow, yet she didn't wake up.

If she didn't wake up, she didn't wake up; he hurriedly pulled out the medicine box from his wristband, applied medicine, then a minor healing spell, completing hemostasis and healing in one, and then matched the scale in his hand, but ultimately... it couldn't be reattached.

It's not like after a limb amputation where you hold the limb to reattach it; scales aren't that convenient either.

And he also had to abandon the brute-force approach.

From this point on, Aomo began to sweat profusely.

Simply saying her sleeping posture is bad, during the struggle a few of her scales got knocked off... I don't know if she'll believe it, but anyway, he felt throwing those few scales in the trash would be rude, so he kept them temporarily to apologize when she wakes up.

It's an apology... I feel I haven't done anything wrong, but since I hurt her, I should apologize, one thing at a time... Aomo was still wrestling with that issue then, but later he became more troubled by how to enter the Kazedel Military Committee.

One can foresee that the public opinion will be delicate, and also foresee that the news will spread to Rhodes Island, after all the internet is developed, and the military committee members also browse the Rhodes Island forum.

Or find someone who can keep it confidential to receive it, but the precondition is also that the other party can pull Hololsea's tail.

Pure brute force won't work, and I don't know what she dreamed of to make it wound so tight; if it were an ordinary person, like Bi Ze, his leg would definitely be gone.

In this situation, without using brute force, how else could I make her release her tail?

Mental control?

Wait, it seems there is someone who could possibly do mental control, and would likely be willing to keep it secret, namely someone who would make me owe them a favor again...

He looked at that person with whom he had no private acquaintance, but who could be contacted via the work chat room channel, those seven characters.

Theresa