"Why do people change so quickly?"
Luo Xi stared at the familiar yet strange corpse for a long time. The blood on her own skin had long since clotted.
Thinking brought no answers, but she finally broke free from that terrifying emotion.
Though sensitive and suspicious, she wasn't someone whose emotions were easily swayed.
Now clear-headed, Luo Xi recalled everything that had happened since entering this room.
He... had pulled a trick.
Yet for some reason, she couldn't muster much anger.
A faint voice in her heart kept reminding her—the man named Sean was right in everything he said and did.
This was Paradise City. Betrayal was far easier than surviving...
She had already been fooled once at the bottom of the Great Rift, yet after seeing the true face of a traitor, she still felt a pang of pity.
It didn't matter what kind of person she became. But how could a princess burdened with too much mercy lead her people out of their shackles? How could they survive in the even crueler outside world?
He was right...
The beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes stood up, solemnly wiping the bloodstains from her body.
Glancing at the floor out of habit, she realized the dried flower she cherished so deeply was missing. Perhaps it had been trampled to pieces.
She didn't know whether to feel a sense of loss or heave a sigh of relief.
Stepping out of the dark room, she looked across the space. The man was tinkering with something at a small workbench.
Hearing her footsteps, Sean didn't turn around, entirely focused on his work.
Luo Xi walked over and saw him installing something onto a mechanical glove. It seemed to be the Ability module they had retrieved from the bottom of the pit.
Neither spoke until Sean finally finished his work.
He took off his goggles and inspected his creation with satisfaction.
The Ability module from the World Series Commemorative Baseball Bat had been implanted into this mechanical glove. It could exert its full effect without a prosthetic neural connection.
And that effect was incredibly simple and brutal—knockback.
Yes, this module brought only a single effect: knockback.
In the game's settings, the numbers they assigned were: a 60% knockback rate for Ordinary mobs, 30% for Elite monsters, and 15% for boss-level enemies, excluding a few massive bosses.
The damage it dealt was the same as a regular punch, but knockback wasn't just a lifesaver; sometimes, it allowed for extra tactical maneuvers.
For Sean, who currently lacked any combat Abilities, this item was highly valuable.
After admiring his work for a moment, he set the glove down and looked at the silent Luo Xi with a smile.
"Starting to get used to this beautiful paradise?"
Luo Xi spoke calmly. "Your Ability isn't just creating a door that can't be opened. You can also control the emotions of the prisoners inside, right?"
Sean wagged a finger. "No, it simply brings out the prisoners' truest nature."
Luo Xi nodded silently, then looked straight at him. "Were my emotions manipulated by you?"
"I didn't use my Ability to control your emotions. You aren't my prisoner," Sean smiled.
He hadn't used his Ability, but he had used other methods.
Luo Xi slightly tightened her grip on the metal sphere in her hand, but maintained her calm gaze. "Thank you for the lesson. Now, we can start talking about how to cooperate."
From her micro-expressions alone, Sean could tell that Luo Xi had undergone a psychological metamorphosis.
This was a good thing, but it wasn't enough.
He believed that from this moment on, Luo Xi was thoroughly disillusioned with this world. At the same time, whatever goodwill and innocence she had left were steadily fading away.
However, Sean hoped he could reserve a special place in her heart, rather than just being a ruthless teacher.
He turned around and took something out of a box at the corner of the desk.
It was Luo Xi's missing dried flower.
Except, it was no longer shriveled and dry. It looked vibrant and alive again, coated in a transparent film.
Under Luo Xi's complicated gaze, Sean placed the flower into her palm.
"It got stepped on when it fell, and honestly, even though you kept it safe, pressing it against your body didn't help... I did a little restoration and applied a Button coating to it. As long as you don't intentionally destroy it, this flower will stay in bloom forever."
Luo Xi stared in a slight daze. A moment later, she carefully tucked the flower into the inner pocket of her jacket.
Letting out a long breath, she stared at Sean with a trace of dissatisfaction. "Do you really want to sleep with me that badly?"
Sean made an exaggerated gesture. "Isn't it obvious?"
"But this is Paradise City—" Luo Xi narrowed her eyes slightly, suddenly exuding a hint of charm.
Sean didn't care at all. "Every woman I've ever slept with has been a resident of Paradise City."
"Even the outsiders?"
"They're different—" He flashed a grin. "You're much prettier, and much stronger."
"So that gives you a sense of conquest?"
"If you want to conquer me instead, I wouldn't mind."
Unknowingly, the distance between them had closed. However, there wasn't much romantic tension in the air; it felt more like a standoff.
Just then, a cold voice rang out. "Boss, I'm glad you're back. But seeing you so close to the murderer who killed Sheryl disappoints me. You're as immature as ever, Boss Sean."
Luo Xi's eyes turned cold. She actually hadn't sensed anyone approaching?
Her Energy Warblade instantly materialized, pointing at the suited man who had appeared in the room out of nowhere.
The man was holding a steel pipe. While scrutinizing Luo Xi, he kept his peripheral vision fixed on Sean.
Sean waved his hand. "Put that away, Moza. We're partners now."
Moza adjusted his glasses and lowered the steel pipe. He looked at Sean and shook his head with deep sorrow. "Boss, you really don't know any better."
"Piss off." Sean rolled his eyes, then gestured toward the man for Luo Xi's benefit. "Moza, my brother. Me, Sheryl, and him—we're the current Trident of the Gold Ghosts."
"But everyone says you're just the shaft of the Trident, Boss," Moza stated the fact calmly.
"Crude—damn it, Moza, your manners are really going downhill." Sean shook his head in absolute dismay.
Hearing this, Luo Xi retracted her Energy Warblade. Standing her ground, she told Moza, "I'm the one who killed Sheryl. I owe you and Sean a life, and I'll compensate you both later. If you want revenge, you can try, but I will fight back. I can only promise I won't kill you."
Moza's eyes grew colder. "My respect for the Boss is the only reason I haven't made a move, but..."
"Alright, that's enough," Sean interrupted them both. "How's Sheryl's recovery coming along?"
Moza shot Sean a look of unbelievable disappointment. "Boss, I could have used Sheryl's 'death' to hold her conscience hostage. How could you ruin it?"
"She'd find out what Sheryl's Ability is the moment she looked into it. Come on, let's get down to business," Sean said helplessly.
Sheryl wasn't dead at all. His Ability was Flesh Revival; he wouldn't die even if he were chopped into four pieces.