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Vol-2: 069. Abyss Pioneer

  069. Abyss Pioneer

  The coffee in Triaow e with sugar but instead has a dash of amon powder. Because the water isn’t distilled, the coffee has a noticeable mineral taste, slightly bitter upory. The smooth amon powder, with its rich aroma, masks the harshness of the hard water.

  Led by Lord Aud, Li Aozi ehe meeting room. The first thing he saw were four or five 【Bioteis】 wearing special bulletproof vests and white b coats. Each of them bore obvious signs of modificatioric eel-like high-voltage bio-wires, spider silk gloves, i-like exoskeletal arm guards. They still had some human resembnce, but Li Aozi suspected that their level of modification wasn’t any lower than the ibal.

  These 【Bioteis】 were both male and female, even some with faces from Red Arrow and Zhengxu, all types of genius schors. They uniformly wore uniforms from a researstitution under Abyss Heavy Industries, resembling employees of some NGO (Non-Goveral anization).

  Iy, based oure of Abyss Heavy Industries, it was more like a bio-engineering-orieB, aimed at pooling global forces to develop and promote advas in biological engineering teology.

  A major feature of the 【Craft】 system was that the deeper one’s knowledge, the stroheir bat power, and versely, bat power could help them gain new knowledge, f a highly effit positive feedback loop. Ier stages, 【Craft】 system superhumans often became both smarter and more powerful than others.

  Now, these bioengineering talents from all over the world were clustered around a graceful, curvaceous woman with gray hair and green eyes, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

  "Greetings, 'Catastrophe' Li Aozi."

  The woman casually sat on a sofa, dressed not in the 【Biotei】’s heavy armor and b coat with bulletproof ptes, but in a revealing gradient evening gown of purples, blues, and whites, like a starry night draped over her body.

  With a sheer shawl, barefoot on a wool carpet, and wearing bracelets of unknown herbs on her pale wrists and ahat exuded a mesmerizing st, she appeared not cheap but rather fashionable, plementing her delicate figure.

  The woman looked to be in her early twenties, much youhan the Professor and even appeared more youthful than the war-worn Li Aozi at first gnce. Her gray hair was streaked with glowing neural ectors, adding a sci-fi touch to her beauty. Her green eyes were as lively as a cat’s, with long, fluttering shes enhang her stunning appearance.

  But Li Aozi knew ohing: never guess a 【Biotei】's age.

  The younger and more beautiful a 【Biotei】 appeared, the farther they had ventured into the field of biochemical sce. Their beauty was a direct demonstration of their power and status.

  The Abyss Professor, over 90 years old, still maintaihe appearand youthful body of someone ihirties, though the wrinkles around her eyes indicated she had reached her limit. But the woman before him—she was the Professor's mentor.

  Age-wise, she was at least thirty years older than the Professor—possibly forty, fifty, or even a hundred years older.

  Lifespa little to superhumans. The path to assion was the road to godhood, where, at times, a few years made no differeween a child and a turies-old elf.

  "o meet you, you may call me N4—or, as most of the outer world calls me, 'The Pioneer.'"

  N4 zily rose to her feet, her delicate body making you worry she might be hurt by the cold floor. As she gracefully approached, her green eyes seemed to see through Li Aozi’s exterior. They exged a few gnces, and N4 seemed to uand something. She crossed her legs and tilted her head as she reached Li Aozi, exuding an air of indifference.

  Li Aozi had initially crossed his arms, but seeing N4's knowing look, he realized his posture signaled ‘guardedness.’ So, he lowered his arms, removed his gloves, aended his hand.

  "Li Aozi."

  He introduced himself simply.

  The air was thick with the rich aroma of amon coffee, and the fire from the hearth crackled, but there was no warmth to be felt.

  When N4 saw him lower his guard, a faint smile pyed on her lips. She shook Li Aozi’s hand, her touch cold, the opposite of Alexia’s warm, snow-melti. It made Li Aozi slightly unfortable.

  —He didn’t like this woman. His instinct as a 【Mutant】, coupled with the natural 【Biotei】 threat, kept his muscles tense, preparing for bat at any moment.

  Suddenly, the tall woman rose on tiptoe, bringing a waft of vender st with her as she leaoward Li Aozi’s shoulder and whispered in his ear:

  "Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to eat you."

  Her voice was like a blend of icy slush and fruit juice, warm against his ear yet sending a soothing tingle down to his toes. Li Aozi felt his ears buzz, and his spiingled with a numbness.

  "Or perhaps," she whispered, "Mr. Li Aozi is enjoying this?"

  【You have been affected by a 'Charm'... Processing...】

  【Specialization ? [Unpromising] activated!】

  【Success! You have resisted the charm effect. sciousness clear.】

  N4’s 【Charisma】 was very high, at least not below 60 points—however, for Li Aozi, whose 【Charisma】 yielded actual results of 100.1 points, it wasn’t enough to sway him.

  Had it been anyone else, they might have fallen to their knees beh N4's pearl-like, fwless feet, pletely quered by her icy beauty.

  The more N4 tried to calm Li Aozi, the more he focused, staying vigint without letting his guard down.

  Aside from her 【Charisma】, N4’s 【Intelligence】 was even more terrifying.

  However, sin4 used 【Charisma】 to test him, Li Aozi didn’t hold back either.

  Suddenly, he took N4’s hand, lowered his head, aly kissed the back of her hand. His gray eyes gleamed with symbols and a magical aura far beyond the uanding of anyone on Azure Star, something pletely different from their teology.

  "Five me, I’m a bit shy, Ms. N4. When I see beauty, I don’t know how to respond."

  Li Aozi spoke with an air of undeniable assertiveness. Fully unleashing his 【Charisma】, he leaned slightly closer to her cheek, his smile kind and disarming:

  "Luckily, your beauty isn’t blinding. It’s taken away all my nervousness and worries. I must say, you’re stunning, like a chilled soda fresh from the fridge. Without the cold and the fizz, that burst of brilliance would be gone."

  Ever since he absorbed the Abyss Professor’s 【Persona Simution】, Li Aozi noticed that, at times, he spoke with a strange affectation.

  Now, meeting N4, he realized—every woman in the Abyss Humanitariawork was a master maniputor!

  Even with N4’s high level of 【Intelligence】, Li Aozi’s extraordinary 【Charisma】 caught her off guard. When she pulled her hand back, there was a brief fsh of ‘lost posure’ on her face, quickly repced by i.

  "I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Li Aozi. I’ve always wao meet you in person, and sure enough, you’re even more beautiful than in the videos. Truly, you’re a fine-looking little beauty."

  "Not at all, Ms. N4. From the moment I saw you, I felt a deep affe for you, like a sister, like family." Li Aozi smiled naturally as he id out his iions. "If you have something to say, just speak freely. I’ll think of you as my sister."

  "You little beauty," N4 chuckled, "not only are you pretty, but your words are sweet too."

  N4 ughed lightly but subtly deflected the versation. She put one hand on her hip, her gaze falling on the coffee oable. She instantly squatted down like a young girl, picked up the cup, and deeply ihe aroma as if the warmth of the steam was warming her heart.

  "Such a sweet fragrance. amon and coffee are a perfect match—Li Aozi, you should try this coffee too."

  She turned her back to Li Aozi, gng over her shoulder with excited green eyes.

  "e on. I want to spend the whole day with you."

  By now, Li Aozi uood what was on her mind.

  She was tinuously teasing him, creating mystery, sparking curiosity. Her move would be to drop entig bits of information, trying to reel him in.

  "Ms. N4," Li Aozi said, "we’re on the same side. I’m sure you don’t care about the Professor’s death, right?"

  —Trying t it out? Li Aozi was ready to drop the trump card right away!

  He used 【Eye of Truth】 to s her, revealing N4's main css as a level 80 【Biotei】, with 99 【Intelligence】, 86 【stitution】, and 63 【Charisma】—impressive stats.

  However, 【Intelligence】 wasn’t a direbat attribute. Li Aozi himself had only 7 【Intelligenot even enough to get into a uy in Frost-Pted—but that didn’t stop him from leveraging his experiend powerful 【Charisma】 to great effect.

  In nature, 【Charisma】, 【Strength】, and 【stitutiohe core attributes, the ohat had the most immediate impact. 【Intelligence】, oher hand, required nguage, tools, and as to ma ily.

  Moreover, the passive skill 【Benevolent Aura】 was stantly active, making all of Li Aozi’s words and as seem devoid of ill i.

  "Well..." N4's voice trailed off zily, like a rexed cat.

  "I see you as family. Or do you not trust me?"

  Li Aozi pitifully raised his hand:

  "I know you’re a 【Biotei】, filled with pgues and poisons, even capable of killing students—yet even though we’re not patriots, not even of the same natioe all this, when I see you, even knowing you might be dangerous, I still choose to trust you."

  FAL

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