The most important thing now was how to resolve Elvi’s intention to take the Raven away.
Su Li thought about that question again.
But he added one more sentence. “When you say you want to take the Raven away, where exactly do you intend to bring him?”
“Rather than ‘take away,’ it’s more like ‘recruit,’” Elvi replied, clearly treating Su Li as an ordinary child—perhaps sowhat clever, but certainly not frighteningly intelligent.
“Naturally evolved monster beasts are different from my kind. In our world, beings like the Raven are essential for maintaining monster beast civilization.”
“As you know, humans who awaken monster beast bloodlines can be completely transford into monster beasts after their blood is replaced,” Elvi repeated the known information, then emphasized, “But this transformation has limitations.”
“If your good companion,” Elvi still didn’t know Cyril’s na, “wanted to transform into a giant dragon, that transformation would end with his generation.”
Natural monster beasts and those transford from humans differed dramatically when it ca to producing offspring.
If Elvi were to bear offspring after mating with a human, the gestation period would follow human rules—ten months of pregnancy.
This information was the source of Elvi’s mistaken belief years ago that she was still human.
But unfortunately—
This was rely the most convenient reproduction thod discovered by monster beasts after nurous experints.
No one knew what existed in human genes.
But these weak beings naturally provided the most convenient thod for monster beasts to produce offspring.
Su Li didn’t ask why, if humans awakening monster beast bloodlines could choose to shed their human lineage and transform into monster beasts, monster beasts hadn’t chosen this thod to create large numbers of new-generation monster beasts.
This question answered itself the mont it arose.
Because it couldn’t be done.
Su Li still couldn’t determine how important natural monster beasts were to monster beast civilization. But since the concept of “natural” existed as a prerequisite, it proved that humans with unnaturally awakened monster beast bloodlines weren’t qualified to transform into monster beasts.
This could also be judged from another perspective.
It was known that humans had interbred with countless monster beasts, and all current humans possessed monster beast bloodlines. This ant that within a single human body, tracing back to the source, there would inevitably be genes from multiple monster beast types.
Without natural atavism, gene chains that had been encoded into stable genes would likely completely collapse under artificial manipulation.
Su Li thought about many things, but in the end, he only said, “Recruit... you send soone as powerful as yourself to recruit?”
“When certain beings reach a particular value threshold, providing sothing appropriately matching is a sign of respect, whether in human society or monster beast society, isn’t it?” Elvi said.
Su Li’s expression was sowhat complicated. “You certainly didn’t act that way before.”
“An elephant mixed among ants can speak equally with elephants in an elephant herd, but elephants in an elephant herd wouldn’t feel the need to communicate with ants,” Elvi calmly stated the cruel reality.
Elvi even declared, “If you hadn’t pointed out certain things that I might never have understood on my own, you wouldn’t even qualify to speak with .”
“Should I feel honored then?” Su Li continued to use a communication style that made Elvi comfortable.
When this habit beca established imperceptibly, all of Su Li’s unobtrusive attempts to explore new information appeared to Elvi as rely a young person’s curiosity.
Su Li tapped his knuckles on the table. “Ignore what I just said. I want to know, if I choose to intervene, or if the Raven subjectively doesn’t want to leave human society and doesn’t wish to enter the monster beast social system, what will you do, and even if you do nothing, what will we face afterward?”
Elvi was montarily stunned when she heard these questions.
She might not have understood why a human child would suddenly ask her for such crucial information, but Elvi also didn’t seem to think this was sothing worth concealing.
Elvi said, “In monster beast society, power is divided among three major organizations: the Winged Tribe, the Water Tribe, and the Beast Tribe. The first two are exactly what they sound like—those with flying abilities are the Feathered Tribe, and those living in water are the Water Tribe.”
“The Beast Tribe refers to land beasts.”
As she spoke, Elvi’s expression turned unpleasant, evidently harboring negative feelings toward the so-called Beast Tribe.
After explaining this basic information, Elvi then said, “If you choose to prevent from taking him away, the only thing I would do is kill you.”
Everyone in the small building imdiately fixed their gaze on Elvi, with Egbert’s eyes filled with bloodshot. However, none of this drew even the slightest attention from Elvi—no matter how sharp their glares, to a powerful giant dragon, they were all inconsequential.
Not even worth the air they breathed.
But she still explained, “If you choose to prevent the Raven from coming with , killing you would be a logical approach. You don’t want him to leave, but if I kill you, he can leave.”
Elvi didn’t say it explicitly, but Su Li understood—she was telling him not to use human thinking to try to connect with monster beast ntality.
That could likely cause him to fall into a major trap.
Su Li acknowledged this advice but still quietly waited for Elvi to finish what she had to say.
“If the Raven subjectively doesn’t want to leave this place, then what I need to do is make him develop the subjective desire to leave. Threatening him with you, with humans, with his own kind—there will be ways.”
“Once he enters monster beast society, his opinions will be entirely irrelevant,” Elvi calmly spoke these cruel words.
“Of course, from my perspective, I still believe it’s necessary to maintain a good relationship with the Raven,” Elvi said sothing that seed normal to her but strangely mocking to others.
“As for your last question, if I don’t actively do sothing, what you’ll face next...”
Elvi forcefully pushed her chair back with a grating sound against the air, then propped her legs up on the table and said arrogantly, “Probably a fight here with another group that wants to compete for the Raven.”
Su Li suddenly stiffened.
“What do you an?”
“It ans the Winged Tribe isn’t the only one who wants natural monster beasts,” Elvi looked at Su Li with a hint of a smile. “And I just realized that you...”
“Are truly a pure human without any mixed monster beast bloodlines, aren’t you?”
What did pure an?
It ant that Su Li’s genes, once transmitted to the first generation in monster beasts, would allow that entire first generation to be forcibly transford into new monster beasts.
This was an incredibly valuable strategic resource.
After Elvi stated her assessnt, the gazes that had been fixed on her all shifted to Su Li.
Lord Su Li.....is it really that dangerous? Egbert couldn’t help but wonder.
Su Li raised his left hand, unconsciously bringing his index fingernail to his mouth as if to bite it.
He didn’t have a nail-biting habit; it was just an uncontrollable reaction as he pondered the situation Elvi described—that other monster beast factions would also co to seize the Raven.
Elvi’s aning was very clear.
The Raven should leave with her imdiately. That way, even if others fought with Elvi over him, the battlefield would be in the monster beast world.
But if he delayed following Elvi, then other powerful monster beasts competing for the Raven would only wage war in human society.
What level of destruction could Elvi cause?
To others, it might be a terrifying force equated with natural disasters.
But to a ga designer who had set boss skills—
Complete rule-based wind control ant that everyone’s movent would be instantly restricted by Elvi during action.
At that point, humans instantly controlled over a large area would die with just a thought from Elvi.
It was hard to say whether Elvi could control the mobility of monster beasts of similar strength, but monster beasts of comparable power could probably also achieve the sa level of elental rule control as her.
This was no longer a question of whether humans had the power to resist.
This was a problem where, if they weren’t careful, all of humanity might cease to exist—
Most absurdly, there were factional conflicts among monster beasts.
They could fight each other as much as they wanted. The only question was, would human society truly remain uninvolved?
“May I ask, in the absence of being killed, how long can you live?” Su Li lowered his left hand, its nails still smooth and rounded—he hadn’t actually bitten them.
Elvi looked at him strangely. “I thought you’d be more concerned with getting the Raven to leave with quickly.”
Su Li gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Elvi folded her arms and said dismissively, “Although not a natural monster beast, at my level of power, in the absence of being killed, I should be able to live for several thousand years without issue.”
Su Li asked about Elvi’s lifespan because he was wondering about the general demand among monster beasts for humans who could potentially transform into monster beasts.
Several thousand years ant extrely low replaceability.
Low replaceability also ant, conversely, that if there truly existed contemporary monster beasts so violent that they didn’t care about future monster beast succession, then human society’s extinction one day would be as natural as the sun rising in the east...
Su Li held his breath.
Elvi, seeming not to notice, asked him, “So, have you made a decision about whether the Raven should co with or not?”
“Can you take too?” Su Li said.
No one expected him to say this.
The others, who had never interrupted his conversation with the dragon lady, were also stunned.
Egbert: “Lord Su Li...”
Before his words could be fully expressed, Su Li chose to continue his own topic.
“I hate being forced to choose,” Su Li said.
“From the perspective of currently weak humans, our only option to avoid completely cutting off the future developnt of human civilization is to directly interfere in monster beast society, isn’t it?”
“Huh?” Elvi imdiately made an incomprehensible sound. “Do you understand what you’re saying?”
“Right now you’re like an ant trying to interfere in elephant warfare.”
Su Li shook his head. “No, from my perspective, this is just the best option to mitigate risk.”
“The Raven doesn’t want to leave, and I don’t want him to leave either. But he must leave, because if he doesn’t, the forces opposing you will fight in this city.”
“His leaving is equivalent to him compromising for this city, even for humanity.”
“I don’t think a monster beast needs to compromise for humans, so the Raven could completely choose not to leave, then stand in direct opposition to you here. If the ti is dragged out long enough, from the Raven’s perspective, if he truly doesn’t want to leave, drawing in other monster beast forces that oppose you, making you fight in human society, would theoretically be his best option.”
Elvi’s mouth fell open.
She angrily kicked away the table she had been resting her legs on, her face sowhat distorted as she said, “Why would a human think from a monster beast’s perspective?!”
“Because if I were him, and didn’t want to leave ho but was being forced to abandon my birthplace, I would definitely make those forcing suffer. And in your view, monster beast thinking is already different from human thinking.”
Su Li seed to place himself outside the situation, viewing the entire world from a god-like perspective.
“Dragging all humans down would be extrely cruel for humans, but for a monster beast who never wanted to leave ho, this would only be the inevitable choice after being coerced.”
“The Raven is in a difficult position too, isn’t he?”
Elvi looked at the youth, whose entire face seed to radiate holy light, with a strange expression.
“So why exactly would you completely abandon your human way of thinking and consider problems from a monster beast’s perspective?!”
Su Li smiled and told Elvi, “Because only this way will I understand that your claim that if the Raven doesn’t follow you, you and others will fight here, is just your one-sided statent.”
This wasn’t the truth.
Elvi suddenly cald down. She folded her arms and coldly looked at Su Li, saying, “I’ll ask one last ti—tell , why do you think this way?”
Su Li no longer appeared anxious or tense. He even asked Roy for a glass of iced milk.
Under the puzzled gaze of the two-star rcenary, Su Li drank milk so cold it made his stomach cramp, despite the lingering winter chill in this early spring season.
Then, he took complete control of the conversation between humans and monster beasts.
“You, or rather the faction you belong to, favors human existence.”
“Perhaps when emotions erupt unavoidably and war inevitably spreads to human areas, you would similarly cause chaos here, but that would only be a forced choice.”
Su Li told Elvi, “Your claim about fighting other monster beasts of similar strength in human society represents only the worst possibility. This is definitely not sothing that would easily happen—you’re misleading .”
Su Li stared steadily at Elvi.
As she involuntarily narrowed her eyes, Su Li continued, “You want to take the Raven away from here without expending any troops or effort.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t use the phrase ‘troops and effort,’ because to take the Raven away, only you ca.”
“I don’t understand, and couldn’t possibly understand, the social rules and power divisions under monster beast civilization. All my information sources are limited to you, and you don’t need to obscure all information or provide false information. You only need to slightly blur parts that benefit you to mislead soone like who has no other information sources.”
After twisting his thinking to match monster beast ntality and considering things from the Raven’s perspective, Su Li arrived at an answer that was sufficiently real and absolutely certain.
“You cannot possibly fight other monster beasts in human society. I’m not sure if this information is within the ‘rules’ you inadvertently revealed during emotional outbursts, but through your concern for natural monster beasts—that is, for the Raven—I’ve also confird another piece of information.”
“The purpose of monster beasts breeding humans is to use humans to provide new monster beasts, because monster beast reproduction absolutely cannot keep pace with monster beast society during warti. And for monster beasts that live for thousands of years, your wars have likely lasted for at least tens of thousands of years.”
“Question: ‘Why would monster beasts need humans to transform into monster beasts?’” Su Li’s voice was very soft, as light as a youth walking along a vibrant school street, telling companions about the taste of cotton candy at an amusent park.
No matter how difficult reproduction might be, it didn’t an it was completely impossible.
Take Crystal Winged Dragons as an example.
Even if it took 200 years for offspring to truly be born, would that really be an inconceivably long ti for creatures that routinely lived for thousands of years?
Probably not.
Regarding the above question, Su Li directly provided Elvi with an answer.
Su Li’s green eyes forcibly opened beneath the silk, though white blurred his vision.
He made the effort to open his eyes only because he knew that even through a layer of fabric, Elvi could “see” that he had opened them.
Never underestimate the suggestions conveyed through body language.
“Because in monster beast society, natural monster beasts no longer exist, or at least are extrely rare.”
Humans wouldn’t be easily exterminated. Su Li was relieved about this, but he also confird that humans were rely a group of fard resources to monster beasts.
Even the human rule system of survival of the fittest hadn’t been restricted, likely to allow the bloodlines of human powers to propagate until certain individuals who awakened monster beast bloodlines beca qualified for higher-level transformation.
Completely eliminating a portion of humanity was equivalent to completely eliminating certain genes. Beings with dismantled genes would inevitably have an unimaginably high mortality rate.
But if successful, the future of transford monster beasts would be Elvi’s present.
—How incredibly powerful!
But then...
Elvi suddenly laughed.
Not like when she sat in the carriage, expressionless, laughing chanically as if just speaking.
But truly laughing, almost to the point of tears.
“That’s hilarious,” she said.
“I thought you had already inscribed in your heart the premise that I was still the sa species as you.”
The story of a youthful female dragon deceived by human emotions was an extrely useful suggestive weapon.
Anyone would dismiss the owner of such a story.
Elvi felt no pressure about utilizing her past.
Indeed, as Su Li said, monster beasts couldn’t possibly engage in large-scale combat in human society.
Because no one knew whether human civilization could survive under monster beast warfare.
Human civilization ant nothing to monster beasts. But if humans died to a certain extent, making large-scale reproduction difficult, how could they provide qualified subjects for transformation into monster beasts?
The mortality rate during monster beast transformation could only be reduced through human talent—that is, elental affinity.
Even with 100% elental affinity, there was only a 50% survival rate.
Elvi had been quietly digging pitfalls for Su Li all along.
Initially, she truly hadn’t noticed this youth imperceptibly digging pitfalls for her.
But Su Li had sohow managed to reveal the truth about her view of Na’an.
She had disclosed too little information at that ti.
Yet this youth discovered that she genuinely considered Na’an a friend.
And after she actively revealed the “rules,” Su Li took control of the entire conversation.
This was abnormal.
This was the only abnormality amid this youth’s apparent normality. But once this singularity was confird as abnormal, Elvi understood that all of Su Li’s normality was actually abnormal.
She could exploit this point as well.
Especially when Su Li said, “Can you take too?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)