Chapter 38: Flesh is Weak, Ascend Mechanically! Let’s Settle This, Ming!
Chapter 38: Flesh is Weak, Ascend Mechanically! Let's Settle This, Ming!
In a small, almost forgotten town on the northern outskirts of the Kyushu Empire's capital, Alice, having successfully eluded the Kyushu watchers, arrives safely and feels a wave of joy wash over her.
[I knew I had to shake off Ming. Without his interference, this time, all the opportunities in the mechanical realm will belong to me, Alice!]
[In this life, who can stop me from achieving the perfect mechanical ascension? Even those mechanical ascension deities of the Mechanical Divine Kingdom will be beneath my feet!]
[I will make all who deceived me and the gods pay with their lives!]
What she didn't know was that every move she made was being observed by Lin Tianming. Her future musings were also perfectly overheard by him.
At this moment, Lin Tianming, in his soul form, was following closely beside her. Reborn, she was oblivious to his presence.
If she knew that Lin Tianming was merely waiting for her to lead him into the mechanical realm, she would be furious.
Thus, Alice unknowingly led Lin Tianming effortlessly into the hidden mechanical realm within this small town.
As soon as she entered the mechanical realm, thinking it was impossible for anyone else to be there, she couldn't help but smile broadly.
“Having awakened my abilities just two months ago, I'm already touching the forbidden door of mechanical ascension. In this life, I, Alice, will crush all enemies with the perfect form of a mechanical ascension deity and write my invincible legend!”
Lin Tianming stifled his laughter.
These reborn individuals, why do they all believe that once they are reborn, they will be invincible and reach the pinnacle?
He didn't shatter Alice's beautiful vision for the future and continued to follow her as she explored the mechanical realm.
Such realms are extremely dangerous, but with Alice there, Lin Tianming believed that this time would be as smooth as when he followed Ye Qingxue into the Lost Land, at least until they encountered the great opportunity.
Just as Lin Tianming expected, with the memories of her past life, Alice avoided many dangers that almost killed her here last time and eventually arrived at a grand hall filled with intricate mechanical structures.
[It's here, there are two bottles of Mechanical Divine Liquid here. This divine liquid can easily repair mechanical bodies and enhance the compatibility between an awakened one and the path of mechanical ascension!]
[Originally, it was supposed to be one bottle for Ming and one for me, but he ambushed me when I wasn't looking and took everything!]
[If I hadn't trusted his sweet lies in my last life and come here alone, I could not only use a bottle of the divine liquid myself but also give one to my mechanical doll, allowing it to evolve with me in advance.]
[That way, even with the heart demon's influence later on, with my and my mechanical doll's full compatibility, I could have defeated the deity from the Mechanical Divine Kingdom who killed me!]
[The reason I lost and died back then, whether due to the heart demon or the late evolution of my mechanical doll, was all Ming's fault!]
Returning here, Alice couldn't help but recall her past life. She used her mechanical doll master abilities to activate the mini mechanical doll attached to her waist.
With Alice's activation, the doll, modeled after her, leaped to the ground and quickly grew to the height of her knee before stopping.
Picking up the two bottles of divine liquid she missed last time, Alice excitedly gave one to herself and one to her mechanical doll.
As soon as they consumed the divine liquid, Alice and her mechanical doll emitted a faint mechanical glow.
“So this is the Mechanical Divine Liquid? Just after drinking it, I can feel the residual power of the mechanical god within me transforming! And at level fifteen, I've already resonated with my mechanical doll!”
Rejoicing in the divine liquid's wonderful effects, Alice, now resonating with her mechanical doll, felt even more confident about the future.
Lin Tianming watched the whole process without revealing himself. He was more interested in the Mechanical Ascension Pool that had given Alice the evolutionary inheritance of the mechanical ascenders.
He had ascended as a psionic ascender through the altered Psionic Ascension Pool, gaining the power of a psionic ascender. He was curious to see if he could gain the power of a mechanical ascender through the Mechanical Ascension Pool.
If his wild idea was heard by those from the three vanished ascended divine kingdoms, he would be mocked for his stupidity. The three ascension pools represent three different paths of ascension. Once on one path, it’s impossible to tread the other two.
In the distant era of the divine kingdoms, there were those who, like Lin Tianming, had the wild idea of trying other ascension paths. Without exception, those who attempted to bathe in another ascension pool after taking one path died from the conflicting ascension powers.
Unaware of these ancient secrets, Lin Tianming was keen to immerse himself in the Mechanical Ascension Pool and see what would happen.
Under Lin Tianming’s watchful eye, Alice and her mechanical doll quickly absorbed the divine liquid's effects, becoming stronger.
[Next, I'll head to the Mechanical Ascension Pool. This realm is mine alone in this life. I can retrieve the other treasures Ming took from me later, after I undergo the ascension pool's baptism!]
Finally, Lin Tianming's most anticipated moment arrived, and he continued to follow Alice.
It didn’t take long for Lin Tianming to reach the Mechanical Ascension Pool by following Alice's safe route.
It was a silver-white pool with a metallic sheen, its waters boiling and emitting a silver-white mechanical glow.
Next to the pool stood a silver-white mechanical stele, also with a metallic sheen. Despite the passage of time, the inscriptions on it showed no sign of wear.
Relying on his knowledge of awakening lore, Lin Tianming recognized the ancient script on the stele.
Flesh is weak, ascend mechanically.
Muttering the inscription to himself, Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised to see such a complete stele here. It seemed that this mechanical realm, having never endured a war like the Lost Land, preserved its contents perfectly.
Lin Tianming noticed that Alice and her mechanical doll had already jumped into the pool to undergo the ascension baptism. Seizing the opportunity of a pristine ascension pool, Lin Tianming intended to soak in it too.
However, unlike the ungrateful original host, Lin Tianming patiently waited aside, not attacking Alice during her critical and dangerous baptism in the pool. He had decided to wait until Alice left to find other treasures before sneaking into the pool himself, avoiding a confrontation that could lead her to recall the past life's betrayal and seek vengeance.
Lin Tianming's plan was sound, but he underestimated the power boost Alice received from the Mechanical Ascension Pool.
As soon as Alice and her mechanical doll completed the baptism, her newly enhanced senses immediately detected Lin Tianming's presence.
“It’s you? Get out here!”
With a shout infused with mechanical resonance, Lin Tianming’s previously invisible soul form materialized.
Alice, along with her mechanical doll, stepped out of the pool, exuding a divine aura.
Caught off guard by his sudden exposure, Lin Tianming squinted his eyes. “Miss, if I said I don’t know how I got here, would you believe me?”
Alice didn’t respond verbally. She advanced towards Lin Tianming, each step exuding anger and murderous intent from being followed by him.
[I originally didn’t want to confront you so soon, planning to defeat you honorably in the global advanced awakener academy tournament. But since you’re so insistent, don’t blame me!]
[You obstructed my chances in the mechanical realm in our last life. This life, even though I tried to avoid you, destiny still brings you to hinder me. Perhaps it's our inescapable fate, destined for a battle between us!]
[This time, having preemptively resonated with my mechanical doll and with its advanced powers, let’s see how you can take what’s rightfully mine!]
Alice's fury was palpable, and Lin Tianming realized that a fight was inevitable.
In his increasingly serious gaze, Alice and her mechanical doll's eyes glowed with terrifying red light. Her doll, under her command, quickly reassembled its right arm into a massive silver-white mechanical blade.
Lin Tianming was stunned. This small, delicate doll contained such a huge weapon?
“Ming, let’s settle this!”
Alice and her mechanical doll spoke in unison, their voices a mix of human and mechanical tones, making it hard to tell who was speaking.
Immediately, the doll, identical to Alice, charged at Lin Tianming with the giant mechanical blade.