Douluo: I founded the mecha tribe and I am the king of mecha battles!

Chapter 257 Then I'll make her understand

"What if we assume this is the origin you separated from?"

He held the crystal up to the lamp, the silver light filtering through it and casting ripples on Gu Yue's pale face. "The core of your origin that you shed when you transformed into Na'er should have automatically fused back into your original form upon its return."

The box suddenly closed, cutting off the silvery glow in the room.

"But now it's stuck in an interesting quantum state—it belongs to you, but it's not entirely under your control."

Gu Yue felt something cold grip her heart. She could sense the pulsating power within the crystal, the essence that constituted "Na'er's" existence, and the key reason why she could never fully control even 30% of her strength.

Chen Zhou suddenly held the box up to her face: "Make a choice—"

"Take it back now, at the cost of that little fellow named Na'er disappearing like dewdrops in the sunlight;"

"or."

His fingertips tapped out a dangerous rhythm on the box lid, "Wait until six years later to watch it, along with the Golden Dragon King's tyranny, be completely devoured by Tang Wulin."

Gu Yue's fingers dug deeply into her palms, and drops of blood dripped down. At this moment, Gu Yue, still in human form, was still a fifteen-year-old girl before activating the power belonging to the Silver Dragon King within her.

She suddenly realized why Chen Zhou said she was "incomplete"—ever since separating Na'er, her power had remained at 70%. No matter how much she cultivated, that 30% gap was like a black hole, preventing her from returning to her peak.

The temperature in the laboratory seemed to plummet to freezing point along with her thoughts. The glint in Gu Yue's eyes gradually coalesced into a resolute sharpness.

Is there a third option?

She suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a metallic coldness.

This is the unique sound quality of the Silver Dragon King, like the clanging sound of countless dragon scales rubbing together.

The curve of Chen Zhou's lips subtly changed. He gently tossed the metal box into the air, allowing it to be precisely intercepted by the robotic arm before it hit the ground.

"Yes~"

So funny!

What a wonderful, soothing opera that evokes such emotions!
The hidden, joyful nature within Chen Zhou was slowly being activated.

Those indifferent eyes, unusually, held a hint of excitement.

"The third option"

"I'm giving you a chance: take your subordinates and leave my territory to continue your childish game."

"Win over every place in that boy's heart, and it will be yours, won't it?"

Chen Zhou appeared behind Gu Yue without anyone noticing, like a tempting devil, whispering in his ear: "Win the bet as a human, rightfully reclaim your clone, and then stage a heart-wrenching farewell scene."

Or perhaps!

"How about we team up with our righteous allies to defeat me, the ultimate villain?"

Gu Yue's black hair rose and fell slightly with her rapid breathing. She could feel Chen Zhou's cold breath brushing against her ear, like a viper's tongue licking its prey.

Gu Yue's pupils contracted sharply, a sharp pain spreading from the depths of her heart. Chen Zhou's words were like a sharp knife, ruthlessly dissecting the reality she had been avoiding. All those carefully constructed reasons, all those seemingly noble excuses, shattered in that instant.

"I……"

Her voice choked, as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest. From childhood to adulthood, the pride of being the Silver Dragon King had never allowed her to bow her head to anyone, but now, she suddenly found herself hesitating over a small bet.

"No, that wasn't a bet." Gu Yue took a deep breath, and as she looked up, a silver glint flashed in her eyes. It was no longer the weakness of a human, but the decisiveness of the Silver Dragon King.

“That’s my doppelganger, my power.” Her voice gradually became firm. “I don’t have time to play these pointless games.”

Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her change, yet also as if it were all expected.

"Oh? It seems you've finally made up your mind?"

Gu Yue didn't answer, but walked straight to the metal box containing the primordial crystal. Her steps were steady and firm, each one seemingly stepping on a pivotal point in destiny. As she reached out and touched the edge of the box, silver, dragon-scale-like patterns gradually appeared on her fingertips.

“I will take it back,” she said, “but not by force.”

Chen Zhou watched her quietly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Interesting. What are you planning to do?"

Gu Yue's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile completely different from usual. That smile carried an unprecedented resolve, as if bidding farewell to the past and completely liberating and enlightening herself by shouldering the heavy burden called "responsibility."

"No need for that trouble."

Her voice was soft, yet sharp as a sword, "The world of soul beasts has always been a dog-eat-dog world! I will directly set things right and take it back!"

A glimmer of light appeared in Chen Zhou's eyes. This was the Silver Dragon King he had been waiting for. A flawed product, bound by so-called emotions both mentally and physically, could not stand in this world.

"What if she doesn't want to?"

As if guiding him, every word Chen Zhou uttered stirred up deep emotions within Gu Yue.

Gu Yue paused slightly as she pondered Chen Zhou's problem.

The existence of the clone "Na'er" is not simply a subordinate personality, but rather seems to be a symbol of what she calls "humanity" in relation to this world.

During that brief silence, Na'er's voice echoed in Gu Yue's heart—a voice filled with love, pain, and conflicted emotions.

At the same time, the blurry figure became clear once again.

The special training time of Class 5 of Donghai Academy, the mutual reliance during the promotion competition, and the life-and-death entrustment in the Ascension Platform.
Tang Wulin.
The boy who originally came to protect her as a stake in a bet, has been gradually eroding her heart over this period of time.
She wasn't even sure if her special regard for Tang Wulin was due to the Golden Dragon King bloodline within him, or if it was truly like the emotional entanglement between a young girl and a boy.

"If she doesn't want to, then I'll make her understand."

Gu Yue's voice grew increasingly firm, as if layers of ice and snow were melting in the sunlight, "Na'er is my alter ego, and I have the right to control her destiny, whether she realizes it or not."

Chen Zhou clapped his hands and took a step back, and a strange magic circle appeared beneath their feet.

Enveloped in white light, when they opened their eyes again, the two were back in their offices in the Beast Merchant Guild building.

The moonlight remained the same, but unfortunately, it was unusually chilly.
At this moment, Chen Zhou's eyes regained their indifference, and he said calmly, "I look forward to your good news."

Gu Yue remained silent, and then left without saying a word.

　Bonus chapter details for tomorrow:
　　Bonus chapter for popularity (320/310)

　　No extra chapters will be added if the average subscription rate (41/45) does not meet the requirement.

　　Bonus chapter for donations (176/500) not met requirement, no bonus chapter.

　　Seventeen chapters are still owed, plus three basic chapters, for a total of twenty-one chapters.

　　Group number: 300527487
　　
　
(End of this chapter)