Lind's eyes were sharp as he carefully examined Leonis's unique armor, a work of art in itself.

It goes far beyond the scope of conventional protective gear; it's more like a mobile, miniature magical fortress.

The deep, matte black shell is densely etched and inlaid with countless magic circles!

His "deconstruction halo" operates silently, instantly capturing and analyzing those complex patterns flowing with shimmering light:

Flight, High-level Magic Armor, Speed ​​Up, Elemental Protection, Strength Amplification, Stabilization...

There was even more… Linde’s gaze fell on several hidden small magic circles on the inside of his wrist—Mage Hands? Probably an auxiliary function for quickly grabbing weapons or items.

"This..." Linde couldn't help but gasp, his gaze towards Alice filled with astonishment.

"Alice, just the number and coordination of these magic circles... you've practically crafted it into the prototype of a legendary piece of equipment!"

The magic circles on this are far more numerous than on any other enchanted armor I've ever seen!

It's like having a full-fledged mage directly bound to you, constantly casting spells for you.

Alice, standing to the side, had completely reverted to her usual research fanatic self, her little face beaming with pride.

She circled around Leonis, who was clad in armor, and spoke at length to Lind as if displaying her most prized creation:

"A key breakthrough has been achieved in the core technology of basic imitation!"

She spoke rapidly, her grey-blue eyes sparkling, "Thanks to the ideas you gave me before, I successfully optimized the core structure! Now the capacity of a single core has increased by nearly 30%! It can accommodate larger, higher energy-density crystal fragments! This means..."

She gestured excitedly:

"Higher output power! Longer battery life! It's possible to power so many magic arrays! And the stability is also greatly enhanced, as long as it's not pushed to the limit..."

When Alice mentioned "extreme exploitation," a sly glint flashed in her eyes, and she gestured to Leonis:

"Come, Leonis, show our lord the 'emergency mode'!"

Leonis nodded without the slightest hesitation.

She extended her right hand, encased in heavy gauntlets, and precisely located a concealed lever beneath the replica core in the center of her breastplate—a cleverly designed physical structure that required a specific angle and force to trigger.

She pulled down sharply!

Buzz—!

A muffled roar, like an engine overload, suddenly erupted from inside the armor!

The replica core in the center of the breastplate, which had been emitting a stable blue-white light, suddenly became much brighter!

A blinding platinum-gold light burst forth from it, and countless magic circle patterns that were originally just flowing with faint light now blazed as brightly as a red-hot iron.

A surge of magical energy spread outwards like a tangible wave, causing the grass to bend low and Lind's robes to flutter wildly!

Leonis seemed to be injected with a violent energy! The joints of her armor emitted a faint "creak" as if they could no longer bear the weight.

"This is 'overload mode'!"

Alice's voice remained clear amidst the roar of energy, carrying an almost fanatical excitement: "For a short time, the effectiveness of all magic arrays has increased by more than fifty percent! Strength, speed, defense, magic output... all-round explosive enhancement! Enough to deal with the most critical and desperate situations!"

However, this violent power clearly could not last.

Less than ten seconds later, the dazzling platinum-gold light began to flicker violently and waver erratically!

A burnt smell mixed with an astonishing heat wave gushed out from the gaps in the armor!

laugh--!

A sharp hiss of steam erupted! A pre-set emergency ejection port suddenly opened in the center of the breastplate, below the core!

The red-hot replica core, like an iron block just taken out of the furnace, was suddenly ejected by a burst of high-pressure gas, accompanied by scorching white smoke and a sizzling sound!

Thump!

The scalding hot core fell onto the grass not far away, instantly charring and carbonizing the emerald green blades, emitting a piercing sizzling sound, and billowing thick white smoke, filling the air with the smell of burning.

At the same time, all the bright magic circle patterns on Leonis's body dimmed instantly.

The entire suit of armor seemed to have lost its soul; although it remained thick and sturdy, the surging sense of energy and agility had vanished.

"The only downside is... overheating."

Alice shrugged, looking at the still-smoking core on the grass, a hint of regret on her face, but more so excitement for the technological challenge.

"The energy output is too violent, and the cooling system still can't keep up. Under extreme overload conditions, the core can only withstand it for a maximum of ten seconds before it is forcibly ejected and melts. Moreover..."

She turned to Leonis, her tone regaining its calm: "Thank you for your trouble, Leonis. Please take the armor back to the maintenance station in the tower. Now that it's in 'cooldown,' it's much cumbersome than a regular plate armor of the same weight."

Leonis stretched her shoulders, the joints of her armor making a heavy metallic scraping sound.

She nodded, a hint of weariness in her eyes, but still composed.

"Understood, Miss Alice."

She took a step, each step sinking heavily into the grass, walking towards the magic tower, her figure appearing somewhat clumsy.

After watching Leonis leave, Alice immediately turned her gaze back to Lind.

That look in his eyes was like that of a kitten that had finally waited for its owner to come home and could now indulge in pampering.

The researcher's fervor and composure vanished from her face in an instant, replaced by a burning intensity mixed with longing, excitement, and possessiveness.

Without any hesitation, she stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, cupped Lind's cheeks in her hands, and pressed her lips against his with undeniable force!

This was a kiss carrying the scent of fresh grass and a faint smell of magical dust.

It doesn't possess the aggressive wildness of Nazra, but rather carries Alice's unique, long-accumulated longing.

Her lips were soft and slightly cool. Her kiss was a little awkward, but unusually earnest and forceful, as if she wanted to convey all the worries and concerns she had felt during their separation to him through this kiss, and at the same time confirm that he had truly returned to her side.

Linde paused for a moment, then tightened his arms, returning the kiss—a kiss brimming with longing and passion—deeply. He could feel her body trembling slightly, sense the lingering fear and dependence behind her feigned composure.

Feeling Linde's hand naturally encircle her waist, she breathed slightly and pulled back a little, her cheeks flushed. Her bright, grey-blue eyes looked at him, his image clearly reflected in them. With a hint of satisfaction and shyness, she muttered softly:

"Welcome back... you idiot."