FATE: Target of Grand Master

"Does your wheelchair have a built-in massage function? I noticed you haven't stood up since you sat down."

How did you know?

Augustus was very surprised.

Xia Yan was speechless for a moment.

The other person clearly didn't understand his joke. The key point is, who would put a massage function in a wheelchair?

However, this can be considered a style unique to Augustus.

Although they had only known each other for a short time, and Augustus's poor communication skills were sometimes quite frustrating, Xia Yan was now rather interested in this strange scientist.

One reason is that his inventions are very practical. Although they don't help him much, they can provide a lot of help to the others at "The Lighthouse".

On the other hand, his Servant lineup consists of skilled players, either adept at mass production of troops or skilled in medicine making and healing, making him an all-around support character.

Just now, Xia Yan probed Skadi's intentions through Morgan. If he could obtain this Lostbelt Queen, Xia Yan's Servant lineup would be further enhanced.

Unfortunately, according to the information transmitted back through Morgan's telepathy, although Skadi admired Xia Yan, she accepted Augustus's invitation first because of his previous act of risking his life to help her.

Therefore, Augustus's servants' strength was greatly enhanced.

Of course, what really earned him points in Xia Yan's eyes was his concern for Yan Sait.

Only those who have someone they want to protect are worthy of trust. If he is a cold and obsessive scientist from beginning to end, Xia Yan will not have any good feelings towards him.

"Let's not talk about that now. Um... well, it's just..."

Xia Yan looked at the hesitant Augustus with great confusion, while Jensette behind him clenched his fists and silently cheered Augustus on.

"Anyway, thank you so much for your help this time!"

Augustus, in one go, finally managed to express his gratitude.

Behind him, Jensette immediately clapped and said, "Father, you did it! You're the best!"

Seeing Yonsette trying to coax a child and Augustus blushing, Xia Yan silently smiled and accepted the thanks.

"By the way, just saying thank you verbally isn't enough."

Augustus spoke as if reciting some rusty social mantra: "I have a guess about this Master selection that will surely overturn your understanding. How about I offer it as a thank you gift?"

Xia Yan didn't really care about the gift, but Augustus's description piqued his interest, so he nodded and accepted it.

"Before entering the Master Trials, I was actually a scientist focused on research in life and mechanics. The turning point was that I had a congenital heart condition that had been tormenting me, so when I was thirty-five, I tried to replace my heart with a mechanical one. The mechanical heart has been working well ever since, which has made it easier for me to push my body to its limits for research."

"Father, let me correct you. What you're doing is extremely bad for your health. According to the guidelines for normal human sleep patterns that I found online, you must get enough sleep. If this happens again, I will use forced physical methods to help you fall asleep."

Jensette made a hand chop gesture in a very serious manner.

Although she appears to be a young girl, her power is estimated to be no less than that of an adult man.

"Okay, okay, I got it. Don't interrupt me."

Augustus couldn't understand how Jenset could develop such a self-taught language ability when he hadn't given her any.

But if that's the case, wouldn't my work be even more successful?

Putting aside his smugness, Augustus continued, "Where were we? Oh, right. Because of the implanted mechanical heart, I regularly check it to prevent it from malfunctioning, and for better visibility, I also added a display screen on my skin showing my heart rate. But just as I entered the Master Trial, I discovered that my mechanical heart wasn't working."

Hearing this, Xia Yan also sensed the unusual nature of Augustus's words.

"Are you saying that your mechanical heart malfunctioned after the Master Trial began?"

"No. It's not a malfunction, because if the mechanical heart had malfunctioned, it would have died long ago. Even now, the display showing the heart rate hasn't changed a single number."

Augustus pulled open his blouse, revealing a display screen on his left chest showing the number 191,308,072.

"Moreover, what's even more incredible is that even though the mechanical heart wasn't working, I could still feel my left chest beating."

Xia Yan thought for a moment. Logically speaking, the most scientific explanation would be that the display screen showing the numbers was broken, or that the built-in sensor or program that records heart rate was malfunctioning. But even such a simple truth was not something Augustus could not possibly be unaware of.

Seemingly sensing Xia Yan's thoughts, Augustus added, "Later, I tested the mechanical heart again, and found no problems with it, its sensors, or its display screen. The program was naturally fine as well. To check the mechanical heart's condition, I even forcibly cut open my left chest just before entering the teleportation array to return to the safe house. As a result, the mechanical heart inside didn't move at all, but I could still feel the pain and my heartbeat."

"If my father hadn't taken Mr. von Hohenheim's medicine beforehand, he probably would have really died that time."

Jensett still made sure to add more details.

Looking at this pair of people, Xia Yan was even more confused, unsure whether to call them master and servant or father and daughter.

He always felt that he was about to uncover some truth, but there was always a thin veil separating him from it.

"Let me get straight to the conclusion. Although even now I think the conclusion I've reached is somewhat absurd, it's the only possible one."

Seeing this, Augustus stopped beating around the bush.

"I feel that my current state of being alive is an illusion."

"Is the state of survival an illusion?"

Xia Yan rubbed his chin, seemingly trying to understand the deeper meaning of the sentence.

"You mean we're already dead? But I don't think BB has the authority to control the underworld."

Moreover, while it's hard to say about other Servants, Ereshkigal would definitely be able to tell if she was already dead.

"No, I'm just saying our survival is an illusion, but it doesn't mean we're dead. Or, to put it another way, we're not currently in a state where we need to rely on physical bodies to survive. Only then can I explain why I can still live without my mechanical heart working."