Lin Xu looked at the goat woman and said directly:
"Since we can't continue hiding our true intentions from each other, why don't we be open and honest, reveal our identities and purposes, and have a frank exchange?"
The ram-horned woman chuckled:
"It's not that neither of us can hide our thoughts, but rather that I can only read your mind, right? But I like how cunning you are, so I'll tell you what's on my mind, just like you said."
Lin Xu ignored the flippancy and mockery in the ram-horned woman's tone and asked directly:
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
Ram's Horn Woman:
"These are two questions. May I ask you two questions as well?"
Lin Xu:
"sure."
“My name is Phantom, but you can also call me Leni. I have two names. As for my origins, I am the guide of this ruin, responsible for guiding the warriors who challenge it and distributing rewards to them.”
The woman with ram's horns opened her arms, as if welcoming the guests.
But Lin Xu's suspicions ran even deeper.
Some ruins do indeed have guides, and these guides have different abilities and functions depending on the type of ruin. Almost no two ruins have the same guide.
However, it would be too hasty to believe her identity based solely on her words.
"That's really going too far, you don't even believe me..."
Phantom clearly heard Lin Xu's thoughts and spoke up reproachfully with a tearful expression.
But Lin Xu could tell from Mei Ying's words and actions that this woman's personality was not so gentle at all; on the contrary, she unconsciously revealed a deep-rooted arrogance.
This arrogance permeated every glance and every movement of hers, and even though the woman tried her best to cover it up, she could not completely eliminate the traces.
"Who exactly is this woman? Is she really just here to guide me? But I suspect even her name might be a lie!"
Lin Xu didn't hide his thoughts and made a judgment directly in his mind.
Meiying seemed to find Lin Xu's stubbornness somewhat troublesome. She frowned slightly, then pretended nothing had happened, continuing her coquettish manner and playfully scolding him:
"You asked me two questions, so I can ask you two questions too. How do you compare in strength to your peers? What level of island world are you in? Are you a novice, a formal island lord, or a high-ranking figure?"
Lin Xu frowned.
He couldn't quite figure out why the woman was asking these questions.
However, judging from her words, this woman has limited knowledge of the outside world and seems to have been trapped in this ruin for a long time.
However, since the island world has always had a beginner's period, one cannot understand the woman's origins from this period division.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xu decided there was no need to rush into a falling out with this woman, so he replied:
"Among my peers, I should be considered to have decent skills. As for my current level, I'm in the beginner stage."
After saying these words, Lin Xu remained calm and did not offer any further thought.
The phantom's eyes were fixed on Lin Xu, as if listening to the thoughts in Lin Xu's mind and judging whether Lin Xu's words were true or false.
But after a moment, Phantom also pouted slightly, clearly failing to get Lin Xu's thoughts.
Phantom:
"Is your strength only considered 'average' among newcomers? Have humans become this strong lately?"
Lin Xu nodded, keeping his mind blank and not engaging in any further thought.
"This is the level of power that humanity possesses now."
The Phantom's pupils contracted:
"Have humans been granted some special privilege? How could they have grown to this extent!"
authority?
Lin Xu's eyes flickered for a moment, and some ideas popped into his mind.
But then he suppressed these guesses, looked at the Phantom, and made a judgment in his mind.
However, he suppressed this judgment in his subconscious and did not voice it in his mind.
This ability is part of the island master's training and is designed to counter certain mental attacks, allowing the island master to continue acting even if they lose consciousness for a short period of time.
This is a common tradition in island worlds, specifically the ability to manipulate oneself using the subconscious.
Although the course is open to the general public, it was initially offered as an elective by the school.
Only elite classes have professional professors to teach this inherited skill; commoner students learn it on their own through textbooks.
At that time, other courses were in full swing, and most ordinary students did not have the opportunity to study this subconscious course properly. Instead, they used the time allotted for this course to study general courses.
However, Lin Xu always felt that mental defense was extremely important, and he valued mental training highly. He even worked part-time to earn money and secretly trained at the training ground for a long time.
Unexpectedly, this kind of training has already come in handy since we're only in the beginner phase.
Phantom glanced at Lin Xu again, a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
The woman with the horns had discovered that Lin Xu had actually grasped a way to counter mind-reading in a short period of time, and that he could empty his mind to prevent being read.
Now she wants to hear Lin Xu's true feelings and determine whether he is lying, but she cannot do so for the time being.
"How come humans have suddenly become so troublesome, creatures that haven't seen the outside world for hundreds of years! Have these guys really undergone a generational change, with all their technology being innovated and strengthened?!"
Phantom felt a surge of anxiety.
She had been trapped for too long and knew nothing about the outside world.
If humanity has truly undergone technological innovation, then she might be destined to be a pariah forever, forced to hide her identity and wander from place to place.
No matter how things change outside, she still wants to leave this ruin.
She's had enough of this place, ever since she was trapped here two thousand years ago!
Now that we finally have a chance to find an intruder in the ruins, we must seize this opportunity and find a way to escape.
Moreover, if all the humans outside were as difficult to deal with as this human boy, she would have to carefully prepare a disguise for her body and soul to avoid being discovered and captured by powerful individuals.
As Phantom thought this, she glanced at Lin Xu with a subtle look in her eyes.
Although the human in front of her was a man, she had no better choice at the moment. Until she found a new soul host, she could only temporarily parasitize this man's body.
To achieve this, it was indeed necessary to lure the man into the trap step by step.
Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure that the man's body can withstand the multiple pressures of both soul and flesh.
Otherwise, like those intruders before her, who were clearly successfully seduced but whose spirits and souls couldn't withstand the pressure and exploded, she would be trapped here forever, never seeing the light of day again.
Lin Xu kept a close eye on Phantom's expressions and movements, feeling that this devilish woman was plotting something.
However, these were all judgments he made subconsciously, not spoken aloud in his mind.
He has now instinctively realized that while the Phantom can read minds, it seems unable to detect lies.
Because he clearly lied just now.
His strength is absolutely unmatched among his peers; it would be difficult for him to find an opponent. But he just said that his strength is acceptable.
The Phantom failed to see through the lie and instead became somewhat agitated afterward.
Therefore, this devil woman's mind-reading ability is not omnipotent. If she cannot read minds, she can only rely on her intellect to guess and deduce.
This might be one of the woman's weaknesses.
Lin Xu couldn't make any complex decisions or actions relying on his subconscious and instincts, so he stopped thinking about it and continued:
"Since Lady Phantom is my guide, she should be able to tell me how to clear this ruin next, right?"
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