He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Chapter 99 Let me see!

Lolanda Hallownest, end of the fourth quarter.

In the far suburbs, in the gray courtyard.

Another dawn breaks.

"Thump—thump—"

Two soft knocks sounded on the door, followed by a gentle call: "Boss?"

A few seconds passed, but there was no response from the other side of the door; it was completely silent.

As if anticipating this reaction, along with a series of ripples emanating from the doorway, the gray mist covering it shed its disguise and slowly dissipated, revealing a seemingly ordinary room behind it.

【Fox Den】

A somewhat strange-looking shadow entered from the dim light of dawn, surveying its surroundings:

The clean and tidy room I saw last time has been completely transformed. According to the new owner's preferences, the furniture has been replaced with the latest modern styles, and the wallpaper has been painted a light azure blue like the sky, with glitter and shimmer as embellishments, giving it an unexpectedly girly feel.

The oak bookcase that was originally placed in the corner was moved to the side closer to the desk. The books were no longer neat as before, but were haphazardly placed in all sorts of strange corners. The desk was the worst affected area, with open books piled up like a human pyramid, and every page covered with messy notes and annotations.

"Really—" the girl complained softly in a resentful voice, then walked into the depths of the room as if no one else was there, and helped pick up the papers scattered on the floor and put them back on the table.

As for the open books, the boss resolutely refused to let anyone touch them—he swore that this was the optimal arrangement for his reading habits, and that any disruption of the order of any book would affect his learning efficiency.

So Miya had no choice but to let the fox do as it pleased.

With a slurping sound of something smooth scraping the floor, the gracefully curved snake tail slithered to the window. The little snake leaned slightly, pulled back the closed curtains, and opened the window. The clear light of dawn shone in, dispelling the gloom that had gathered after the night. The mist swirling in the gray courtyard seemed to be emitting a white noise like a cat purring in the sun, which sounded inexplicably relaxing.

"Boss, get up."

In the early morning, as the sunlight falls on the girl's tender and sweet smile, her healthy and soft cheeks look as delicious as a chiffon cake drizzled with maple syrup.

She slowly swam to the bed covered in cute little fox patterns, then poked at the bulging blanket. "Boss?"

Miya tilted her head, sensing that something was amiss.

"old----"

The next second, she carefully lifted the blanket, only to find a flattened long pillow under the sheet, with crooked and messy marks on it, which the fox had made while sleeping.

The boss has disappeared!

The little snake's vertical pupils turned into mosquito coil eyes —

—And it disappeared just as dawn broke. How could this lazy fox possibly get up so early?

Clearly a little anxious, Miya frantically tried to rush out of the room to find someone. Just then, a huge suitcase that had been piled up in the corner on the other side suddenly made a "click" sound.

Miya paused her actions and helped flip the box over so that the top side was facing up, revealing a soft mattress and a girl curled up inside, hugging her knees.

—Liuli (琉璃).

The little snake looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then recognized her as the older sister of the puppet that followed the boss around.

It was also the same fox-hand-made doll, which he seemed to treat like a daughter. It was even more taciturn than the guy named "Nie," so it never really stood out.

As for why she was sleeping in a box, Miya was already used to it: her main approach was to not understand, but respect, "Where's the boss?"

Miya put her hands on her hips and asked her, feeling that the doll must know Ai Yi's whereabouts. Liuli also sat up from the box, first stretching, her jewel-like red pupils carrying a cold, inorganic quality, staring at the figure in front of her.

The little snake felt its legs go weak under that gaze—its tail, which had been held high, drooped limply until Liuli gently spoke, "Master didn't come home to sleep yesterday—you can look for him in the basement, he's been very busy lately—"

"Got it!"

Before Liuli could finish speaking, Miya, who didn't think she was good at dealing with this kind of character, had already quickly retreated. She disappeared at the doorway in a few swift movements, and the gray mist slowly regrouped, turning back into the ordinary door, leaving little Liuli sitting alone in the box in a daze.

"gentlemen----"

She thought of Ai, who had returned here ten days ago—a being completely different from the "creator" she had before.

Over time, Liuli has gradually grown accustomed to her new master—[a carefree, gentle person who inexplicably makes one feel safe and reliable]

In the past, Number Six would never have used such subjective words to describe her creator, but since that "completion," her emotions have grown like a flower breaking through a stubborn rock, growing with difficulty and persistence.

Aye was very excited about these changes.

"Yay!"

Liuli remembered that he laughed and cheered like that.

After realizing that Number Six was dependent on the box, as a gift, the fox also handcrafted a new box for her to use as a "bed". This box was much nicer and bigger than the previous "standard suitcase". Although it could not allow Liuli to lie down and sleep, it was not as cramped and small as before, as if it contained an inanimate object.

—Liuli likes it.

She carefully climbed out of the box, then meticulously cleaned the space inside, and finally solemnly closed the box and pushed it under Ai's bed.

This place is filled with the presence of the gentleman.

After rearranging the blankets that Miya had pulled back, Xiaoli left the room.

The glow behind them slowly enveloped everything.

Gray Court, the basement.

I didn't sleep all night because of the research project I was working on.

The basement doesn't need much setup; it's a place for research anyway. All the equipment is arranged according to optimal practices, and the position of each magic array is just right, perfectly matching all the experimental procedures.

The previous eerie and terrifying atmosphere had long since vanished, and now this place was the realm of radiance: just like the operating environment of the Shadowless Operating Room, omnipresent light was projected from every accessible medium, turning the entire laboratory into a dark forbidden zone.

A petite figure knelt on a long-legged round chair, a handbook covered in writing floating directly in front of him. Just a slight glance up revealed a table densely covered with open notebooks and classic texts.

Ai muttered to herself, "Deconstruct, analyze, transplant—"

On the other side was a "deep filtration complex array" bubbling with black smoke, and a "high-precision secret substance transplant dropper" held in his hand.

"Gurgle—"

The sound of swallowing was infinitely clear in the deathly silence. As the reaction in the magic circle slowly stopped and gradually came to an end, Ai carefully leaned her head closer and saw a pool of shimmering silvery-white solution.

A line of small text appeared above: "Source/Dome (Criterion): 'Dissolution Science' never creates questions; it only identifies and answers them."

Light is the conduit for questions and answers, through which all intangible things can flow—even if they once had form, we try to dissolve them first, transforming them into a form favored by the spirit: liquid.

"Even the criteria can be dissected in this way—the fluid that contains the criteria is called the source substance."

"It actually worked!"

Ai's eyes lit up, his expression somewhat incredulous—because he was simultaneously engaged in many studies, and the one he was currently working on was actually one of the lower priorities, namely, the one he had previously conceived of dissolving the "principle of things" into "intangible matter".

The source material enveloping the "Dome" in front of them was made from the Origin Bullet that had been saved up earlier. The fox originally thought that since it didn't care about the consumables being gone, it wouldn't hurt. But now that other research was generally facing bottlenecks, it was a good time to change its mindset and practice its skills.

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

But now another problem arises—

"What can I do with this thing now?"

Ai stroked his chin, somewhat bewildered. Most of his current occult knowledge originated from the Ashes' legacy, a large part of which was either the main text or derivatives of alchemy.

Alchemy is a doctrine of transformation, and it absolutely does not contain the doctrine of "creating something from nothing"—even if the power of the criterion in this Origin Bullet were extracted into Origin Matter without loss, there wouldn't be much of it.

If we had to quantify it, it wouldn't even reach the level of "Dome 1".

This quantity is too small to be used for making ritual objects; in the end, it will most likely result in a defective product.

If you were to try drinking it yourself —

Ai tilted her head slightly.

He felt the suggestion was somewhat risky, but not entirely unacceptable. After asking Xiaobai and receiving the reply, "You won't die from drinking it," he dipped his fingertip in the essence and put it in his mouth—

—Apprentices must not imitate this behavior; it is a serious violation of laboratory management regulations!

"What? I don't feel anything—"

Looking at his untouched "Dome 2" on his panel, Ai Yi scoffed and curled his lip—perhaps the amount here wasn't enough to upgrade his criterion power, or perhaps the source matter stripped from "external objects" couldn't be used to change his own tendencies.

Just like how health potions can only restore health, only permanent attribute potions can increase the maximum health bar.

After carefully storing the source material he had unintentionally produced, Ai stretched—he felt that he still had plenty of energy, and his abundant life force was maintaining his body's functions. For him now, sleep was more of an enjoyment than a necessity.

Of course, if sleep brings happiness and reduces stress, the fox has no reason to give it up. Maintaining a cheerful and stable mood is one of the best guarantees on the road to ascent.

After all, working overtime all night will reduce your maximum health.

"We can also ask Lin to help us see if we can collect more criteria materials."

With that in mind, Ai sent a message to Lin, asking her to keep a close eye on things when collecting protection money.

Now, at least he's a boss with a name and a reputation, so he certainly won't lack basic research resources.

The main problem is the lack of mysterious items.

The previous inventory has been almost completely depleted, and in this godforsaken place in the suburbs—you couldn't find any treasures even if you plowed the ground; most of them are still in the hands of those wild societies.

As for the origin of the mysterious items, since most of those countries already have owners, Ai Yi has no way of finding out. So he can only rely on the organizations under his command to maintain the status quo for a while.

"Oh dear—" The fox was dejected. He originally wanted to return to the Foundation to continue developing after resolving the Snake God's mutation, but he changed his mind at the last minute. After all, the sewage discharge was imminent, and it would be even more difficult to find time to go back to his hometown after the nuclear bomb was built.

Moreover, he felt that the alias "Ellen" could be assigned values ​​through "disappearance" and on-the-spot thoughts: Ronan and Mia, these two colleagues, were "potential materials" in his eyes. They could be put to use at any time if they were placed in the suburbs for a few days.

After careful consideration, Ai realized that she and the Foundation didn't actually have any fundamental conflict—they were both considering the future of Nest City. It was just that her approach was a bit unfair.

Whether it's being kind or not, what big deal is it for the two factions that will later control the singularity?

— Colleagues, colleagues, no matter where you work, you're still colleagues!

Thinking of this, Ai jumped off the chair, feeling it was about time to end today's occult study. Then she looked at the steps behind her and waved in that direction.

"Little snake."

He called out, watching the girl slowly swim to his side. Miya had arrived here a long time ago, but had been waiting in the corner without disturbing him, until Ai Yi spoke up and she appeared.

"Boss."

Miya said softly, her tail curled up under her body, looking obedient. She tilted her head slightly and said, "I didn't see you in the room."

"A rare all-nighter—ahhh—"

Ai yawned again, rubbing the tear stains from the corners of her eyes. "Actually, I've wanted to complain for a long time. What kind of persona did you project onto yourself, waking me up every day and cooking for me—who taught you that?"

"I can't say, I can't say."

Miya shook her head vigorously, looking both silly and adorable. "Anyway, I have nothing else to do. Right now, this is the only thing I'm good at—"

Suddenly, she looked a little nervous: "Does the boss not like me like this?"

"Stop."

Ai rolled her eyes and casually pinched the soft flesh on Mia's stomach. The little snake's waist flesh visibly softened, and the whole snake couldn't straighten up, as if its bones had been removed.

"Hmm!"

"Don't be nervous, just like the last few times, show me your belly—"

Ai touched the scales on the snake's tail; the smooth, cool touch was pleasant. He grinned mischievously, "Let the boss give you a check-up."

An unnatural flush rose to her face, and her bright vertical pupils flickered with intoxication and dazedness. Miya trembled as she lifted her clothes up to about an inch above her waist, then stood awkwardly in place.

"Is that so—?"

The girl raised her neck, closed her eyes, and her tail tip, like a rattlesnake's, was raised high and trembling violently without making a sound. Her innocent and nervous posture was as sweet as wine.

Ai quietly admired the beautiful curves of the girl before her, measuring her flawless body with her fingers and playing with her long, smooth, and gorgeous hair, which was as soft as lead.

Miya's clumsy appearance brought him a wicked pleasure—a feeling akin to, "What is she? She's just a little kid."

As for the other origins of a sense of accomplishment.

Ai tilted her head and squinted as she sensed the overwhelming temptation surging towards her—this influence was amplified to the extreme by the girl's charm, which transcended the reach of intellect; any slight movement was enough to overturn the mind of an ordinary person.

—The beauty that comes from within.

He clicked his tongue in amazement.

"As expected of me."

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