The clamor of the wedding banquet at Blackrock Keep still echoed in his ears, and the warmth of the honeymoon had not yet faded, but the sharp light belonging to a lord and explorer had once again gathered in Lind's deep purple eyes.
Joy did not lull him into a false sense of security, especially regarding the "uninvited guest" inside the Iron Sky—Sirena.
"With just his physical body, he could break through multiple layers of reinforced decks and directly enter the recirculation chamber..."
Linde stood in the secret chamber of Blackrock Fortress, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the cold metal control panel, his mind replaying the information Alice had given after consulting the ancient texts.
"The siren, the darling of the deep-sea magic network nodes, possesses physical strength and magical affinity comparable to legendary deep-sea behemoths... Allowing such a being to 'move freely' in the battered and partially paralyzed giant ship, the Steel Sky, is tantamount to playing with fire in a powder keg."
The Steel Sky is his trump card, the key to the future, and he cannot afford to make the slightest mistake.
Sirina's accidental intrusion was unforeseen, but her destructive power is a real threat. Studying her talents is necessary, but ensuring the safety of the giant ship is of paramount importance.
"Prepare for warp."
Linde gave the order in a deep voice, which echoed in the silent chamber.
Buzz—
Inside the sealed room, the space twists and folds violently, like the surface of water tossed with pebbles.
A deep, dark blue portal opened silently, revealing a vortex of flowing energy within, emanating cold yet powerful spatial fluctuations.
This is a short-distance, precise warp jump achieved by Linde after restoring some of the functions of the Bokou Ruins, combined with Zedu technology.
Without the slightest hesitation, Linde stepped into the portal of light.
A strong sense of spatial tearing came instantly, but it was quickly calmed down under the protection of the [Activation Aura].
The next second, he found himself in the G-7 section of the Steel Sky, in the cold, damp environment of the domestic water circulation filtration chamber, which carried a faint metallic rust smell.
His appearance was silent, yet like a stone thrown into a calm pond, it instantly shattered the delicate "balance" that had been maintained in the recirculation chamber for several days.
Sirona, who was idly splashing water with her tail fin and occasionally sneaking a peek at a "Watcher" mech in the distance (this time the mech was far away), suddenly jolted awake!
That familiar, cold, profound aura, carrying an overwhelming sense of supreme will, instantly engulfed her like a tangible sea!
She practically launched herself from the center of the shallow pool to the farthest corner, her enormous indigo fish tail curled tightly in front of her, like the strongest shield.
Her long, dark blue hair clung wetly to her pale cheeks, and her beautiful, star-like eyes were now filled with utter terror and...
A hint of indescribable resentment.
She huddled in the shadow of the pipe, trembling like a frightened little deep-sea fish, barely daring to breathe.
In the past few days, although Linde's physical body hadn't come, the omnipresent mental surveillance and the occasional remotely controlled robotic arm "sampling" had left a deep psychological scar on her.
Especially those scales that were forcibly removed!
Her tail is almost bald!
Linde's gaze swept over the trembling dark blue figure in the corner, then swept around the cabin.
There were several fresh, not-too-deep impact dents on the bulkhead, clearly caused by the little siren "accidentally" flicking its tail when it was bored.
He understood perfectly well, but remained outwardly calm.
"It seems you're adapting well."
Linde's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an invisible pressure in the empty metal cabin, "You still have the strength to 'mark' my ship."
Sirina's body visibly shrank again, and the tip of her tail thrashed restlessly in the water, making a soft splashing sound.
She didn't dare to argue, but stared intently at the ground in front of Linde with her big eyes that were filled with "grievance, fear, and 'don't come any closer'".
Linde ignored her shrinking back and walked straight to the main control panel of the recirculation cabin.
He needs to personally inspect and reinforce the protective force fields of several key nodes, especially areas with dense energy pipelines, to prevent this "human (fish-shaped) battering ram" from having another "close encounter" if it's in a bad mood or half asleep.
His slender fingers slid rapidly across the cold control panel, his mental energy like a precise probe, penetrating deep into the "nerve" network of the steel sky.
Time passed in silence, with only the faint ticking of the Linde control panel and the gurgling of water.
Sirina's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but she still dared not move, only secretly glancing at the terrifying figure out of the corner of her eye.
His profile, focused on his work, was cold and hard, and deep within his purple eyes seemed to surge a torrent of data, making him even more unpredictable than the deepest undercurrents in the ocean.
After an unknown amount of time, Linde stopped operating the system. The main control panel emitted a low hum, and the energy shield strength in several key areas quietly increased by several levels.
He turned around and looked again at the siren in the corner.
Sirona immediately turned into a frightened quail again.
Linde walked slowly to the edge of the pool and looked down at her. Sirenna almost wanted to embed herself into the metal bulkhead.
"The analysis results for the scales are in," Linde said, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
"A very interesting structure. The resonant frequency of the 'Rainbow Scales' perfectly matches the specific magic network band, and the energy conduction efficiency of the 'Magic Network Fin Membrane' far exceeds expectations. Your race is indeed a masterpiece of nature."
His tone carried a hint of pure scientific appreciation, but to Sirenna, this appreciation was no different from a butcher praising the deliciousness of a lamb awaiting slaughter!
The remaining scales on her tail were almost bursting open.
"You...you've finished the research?"
Sirena's voice was choked with sobs, barely audible.
"Then...can I leave now?" All she wanted was to escape this terrible place and this even more terrible existence immediately, forever!
Lin De looked at her, who seemed to wish she could disappear on the spot, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in his purple eyes.
He needed the racial gifts of the sirens and the power behind them, but keeping a terrifying and incredibly destructive Sirona on the ship posed a risk far outweighing the benefits.
Letting her go, using her as a medium, might actually open an unexpected door.
"Can."
Linde's voice rang out clearly.
Sirona suddenly raised her head, her deep blue eyes flashing with disbelief, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.
"Really...really?"
"real."
Linde confirmed this, then changed the subject.
"However, not now."
The light in Sirenna's eyes dimmed instantly, and her tail sank limply into the water.
Lind didn't explain, he just extended his palm.
In the palm of his hand, space slightly distorted, and a metal disc, about the size of a palm, neither gold nor jade, shimmering with a deep, dark blue hue, appeared out of thin air.
The surface of the disk is not smooth, but is etched with extremely complex and dazzling geometric patterns and tiny zeolite runes.
These patterns are not static, but rather flow with a faint aura of energy on the deep blue base, like breathing, exuding an ancient and profound aura.
"Take it."
Linde handed the disc to Sirenna.
Sirona stared at the thing, her eyes filled with wariness and confusion, and her body instinctively shrank back.
"What...what is this?" She dared not accept anything from this monster!
“A token, or rather, a ‘gift’.”
Linde's voice carried a strange calmness, as if stating a given fact.
"When you return safely to your people, give it to your elders, or anyone you deem capable. It will tell them who helped you and who conducted the necessary 'investigation' on you."
He deliberately emphasized the word "study" to remind Sirena of the scales that had been taken away.
Sirenna's tail tip twitched slightly as if she had felt a sharp pain again.
“Tell them,”
Linde's gaze seemed to pierce through Sirona and reach the distant eye of the deep-sea storm.
"Lind Truk of Blackrock Territory harbors no ill will toward the Siren race. On the contrary, I hold great respect and interest in your talents and abilities."
This disc is a bridge for communication and an invitation to cooperation.
You can contact me through it when you're ready, or... when you need help.
Sirina looked at the pale blue disc floating in the air, then at Lind's calm yet unfathomable face.
A fierce battle raged within her between immense fear and a deep longing for freedom.
Ultimately, the thought of going home overwhelmed everything else.
She trembled as she reached out her slender, pale hand and carefully pinched the edge of the disc with her fingertips, as if it were a scalding hot iron or a deadly poison.
The disc felt cool to the touch, with a strange sensation, and the energy flow inside made her fingertips tingle slightly.
She quickly hugged the disc tightly to her chest, as if it were a lifeline.
"I...I will bring it."
Sirina's voice was still trembling, but it held a newfound resolve.
"very good."
Linde nodded, took a step back, and cleared the way to the center of the pool.
"Now you can leave. Follow the magical 'water flow' you sense and go home."
Freedom! True freedom is right before our eyes!
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