"The First Contract." The choice of words was brilliant.
It elevated a simple gift into an equal partnership.
Lin Qingyue no longer refused and slipped the [Contract Bracelet] onto her wrist.
A cool sensation flowed from her wrist, suffusing her entire body. Her life force surged, becoming more resilient and enduring.
"Then, as allies..."
Lin Qingyue raised her eyes, meeting Lilina's emerald cat-like pupils directly. She cut straight to the point.
"We want to know more about the 'Mother of Rebirth'."
Lilina nodded in approval, the two black tufts at the tips of her cat ears twitching slightly.
She appreciated this kind of efficient communication.
"Most of what Adela confessed is true."
The languid expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by solemnity.
"The 'Mother of Rebirth' is indeed an Evil God that feeds on chaos and corrupted souls. Its followers gain power and beauty by destroying order and spreading depravity."
"But what Adela doesn't know is that the 'Mother of Rebirth' itself is not skilled in direct combat."
Lilina's fingertip tapped lightly on the smooth black jade tabletop.
A wisp of divine light flowed out, sketching a bizarre humanoid light-and-shadow figure on the tabletop, continuously twisting and reforming.
"Its authority leans more toward 'Flesh Modification' and 'Lifeform Distortion'."
"Simply put, it's a top-tier cosmetic surgeon, or perhaps... a Flesh Alchemist."
"It can turn men into women, and ugliness into beauty. This is the fundamental way it seduces its followers."
Lilina paused, her voice tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Furthermore, it excels at mental control and creating illusions. After all, appearance alone isn't enough. One must be thoroughly corrupted in thought to become a worthy... believer."
Lin Qingyue's mind instantly pictured City Lord Punk's shattered worldview and existential despair. She silently lit a candle for him in her heart.
Good grief, an Evil God-level beauty filter, gender reassignment surgery, plus mental PUA and VR virtual idol services?
This business scope spans the medical aesthetics, entertainment, and psychological counseling industries, creating a complete industrial chain!
"If it's not good at combat, then what about the city siege in three days?"
Su Wan's azure eyes glinted as she precisely pointed out the logical contradiction.
"This is precisely the point I was about to make."
The smile vanished from Lilina's emerald eyes, leaving only a cold warning.
"The Mother of Rebirth commands a true core armed force."
"It's not composed of flesh and blood, but a cold, ruthless force driven by steel and steam..."
She enunciated each word slowly, each one landing like a heavy iron block on everyone's heart.
"The Steam Magitech Mecha Legion."
The moment her words fell, the corner of Lin Qingyue's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
She immediately thought of Marcus, who had been easily dealt with in the plaza, and the "Tyrant Model III" heavy mecha he piloted.
So, that intimidating hunk of metal was just a mass-produced model all along?
Lin Qingyue suddenly felt she had been a bit too casual when dismantling the mecha. She should have at least salvaged some parts for research.
As if reading her mind, Lilina added:
"Marcus's mecha was a mid-tier standard model. As far as I know, the Cultist Legion also has 'Executioner' models equipped with alchemical cannons, and 'Ghost' models specialized in high-speed assaults."
"These mechas are the masterpieces of the cult's fanatical engineers who refuse to undergo flesh modification."
"What they believe in is another extreme:"
"The flesh is weak, ascend through machinery."
Lin Xiyue's mouth dropped open into an "O" shape. She looked at Lilina, then at her sister, her face a mask of disbelief.
"A single cult has two factions? One doing cosmetic surgery and the other pursuing mechanical ascension? Don't they fight among themselves?"
Xia Lian also muttered under her breath, "That sounds... so weird."
Weird is an understatement. It's the ultimate Frankenstein's monster of Frankenstein's monsters.
Lin Qingyue ruthlessly critiqued in her mind.
An Evil God who has mastered both "making you beautiful" and "making you strong" core technologies, and offers both physical ascension and flesh modification paths... no wonder it has grown into such a massive force.
"The most troublesome part is," Lilina warned, "that the cult's high-ranking members who have undergone the 'Rebirth Ritual,' like that scum Tina, do become insane and foolish due to their twisted souls. This is our advantage."
"But those steam mechas are different."
"Their cores are controlled by ruthless 'Alchemical Intelligence.' They feel no fear, no hesitation, and obey orders absolutely."
"Their tactics are efficient and deadly; every shot fired, every charge, is the result of the coldest calculations."
"So, never underestimate this steel legion just because their masters are madmen."
The night wind swept across the Star-Plucking Terrace, carrying a chill.
A perfectly rational and efficient mecha legion led by insane beauties.
The bizarre combination alone was enough to make one's skin crawl.
"Speaking of which," Lin Qingyue suddenly recalled something and asked curiously,
"That guy Marcus, I remember he claimed to be a noble enfeoffed by the Holy Court? What does the Holy Court think of the Mother of Rebirth?"
Lilina gracefully touched her forehead, a wry, helpless smile on her face.
"That was before we confirmed he was a follower of the 'Mother of Rebirth.'"
She sighed, a flicker of a weary office worker's exhaustion in her emerald cat-like eyes.
"The 'Mother of Rebirth' is already designated as an Evil God by the Holy Court. I've already activated the emergency protocol and reported it. But you know, distant water can't quench a nearby fire. By the time their reinforcements arrive, the grass on our graves might already be three feet tall. So, in the siege three days from now, we'll have to hold the line ourselves."
"Thank you for the intelligence, it's very important," Lin Qingyue said solemnly.
With this information, they at least wouldn't be caught off guard on the battlefield.
The banquet ended in a heavy atmosphere.
Lilina didn't keep them any longer; the city defense battle was imminent, and every minute, every second was incredibly precious.
The four of them left Tender Village with heavy parting gifts and even heavier intelligence.
The cool night wind blew, scattering some of the warmth from the dinner.
Lin Xiyue clenched her fists, feeling the power boost from the bracelet, then mentally reached out to touch the massive Blackstone's Protection shield in her Equipment Space.
She said in a deep voice, "Sis, no matter what mecha legion it is, however many come, I'll block them all for you!"
Su Wan's azure eyes glinted with analytical light: "Steam-powered magic runes, Alchemical Intelligence... Interesting. Perhaps we can target their energy cores."
Xia Lian was inspecting her quiver, contemplating the best shooting points to take down those tin cans.
Lin Qingyue looked at her high-spirited teammates, a faint smile on her face.
The pressure was immense, but their team was no longer what it used to be.
-
Early the next morning.
As the group was eating breakfast in the inn's ground-floor dining hall, a ghostly figure suddenly "slid" out from the shadows in the corner.
The figure moved silently, like a ghost melting into the darkness, abruptly appearing beside their table.
Lin Xiyue's reaction was faster than thought!
Her dinner knife clattered onto the plate with a clang.
The next second, an incredibly heavy, muffled thud echoed through the air!
BANG!
The massive tower shield, Blackstone's Protection, had slammed down in front of Lin Qingyue like a mountain, its runes faintly glowing as it assumed an impenetrable, absolute defense posture.
"Who's there!"
The newcomer, startled by the sudden appearance of the giant shield, instinctively took half a step back.
Her distinctively pointed elven ears twitched. Her leather armor, designed for traversing forests, was covered in dust and dew, and her breathing was somewhat ragged. It was none other than the elven ranger who should have been in the Silent Forest: Sular!
Seeing the giant shield that was almost taller than herself, Sular, still shaken, quickly pressed a finger to her lips, leaned in conspiratorially, and whispered,
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Sular didn't even have time to catch her breath. Her eyes, usually filled with the tranquility of the forest, were now ablaze with a mixture of wild joy and urgency. She lowered her voice and said urgently to Lin Qingyue,
"Excellency Qingyue! We found it! Lady Karula's calculations... they yielded results!"
Lin Qingyue paused for a moment, signaled her sister to lower the shield, and also lowered her voice, "What yielded results?"
"The rules!"
Sular's voice trembled with excitement. She glanced around warily while gesturing rapidly with her hands.
"Just yesterday morning! The rules of the entire Dungeon suddenly experienced an extremely violent fluctuation!"
"Lady Karula seized that opportunity to reverse-track the energy's trajectory!"
Yesterday morning?
Lin Qingyue blinked, quickly reviewing the timeline in her mind.
Yesterday morning, she seemed to be busy cosplaying as Jingliu, obliterating the werewolf leader Modu with a single "Transcendent Flash."
At the same time, the treant Tina was devoured by Modu.
And then, Marcus was backstabbed and killed by Adela.
So...
Lin Qingyue's expression turned somewhat strange.
So, that three-hit combo yesterday caused such a commotion that it triggered a stress response from the Dungeon Core?
This makes me even more certain that the 'Mother of Rebirth' is likely the Core of this Dungeon!