After being reborn, I was turned into a slave girl by a princess.

Dr. Okali believes that the nature of the Tree of Ruins is very special and should be studied carefully, so a decision should be made after the shipment from the Clear Academy arrives.

However, researchers like Dr. Marun believe that the power of the Tree of Ruins is very special and must be analyzed as soon as possible.

Originally, both sides held their own views, and the atmosphere wasn't exactly tense... After all, they were colleagues, and it's normal for academic disputes to arise.

However, no one expected that as the Tree of Ruins gradually grew, strange things would happen one after another inside the research station.

Not only did it produce strange noises, but several researchers also seemed to have lost their minds and suddenly attacked their colleagues.

Dr. Okali was also caught off guard and injured. Under Dr. Marun's control, the defense system inside the research station also collapsed, and countless monsters appeared inside the station.

……

"At that time, I realized that Dr. Marun had been the one causing trouble at the research station all along, because he had released the energy of the transmission device in advance, preventing the white coconut from reaching its destination smoothly."

"I see... So, your escape pods were also destroyed by Dr. Marun?"

"Yes, after that, I don't know what happened."

……

Dr. Okali's testimony also confirmed the girls' previous speculations.

It seems that the mastermind behind everything, Dr. Marun, is the culprit behind all this... He is likely like General Kru of the Snow Kingdom, who was tempted by some power promised by the Demon Lord of Tricks, and thus betrayed the research station.

"So...where will Dr. Maren go? Do you have any recollection of it?"

"I think... he might go to the third outpost?"

"The third outpost?"

"Yes, that's where our exploration team discovered the seed of the Tree of Ruins."

(Thanks for your support! Here's an extra chapter, and it's free!)

Chapter 40 Ancient Cities

Following Dr. Okali's directions, the magic ship slowly sailed towards the third outpost.

While waiting here until the main force dares to arrive is a safe option, it might mean missing the best opportunity to fight.

After all, there were still three days before the main force arrived.

No one knows what Dr. Marun will do in these three days, so all we can do now is try to stop him.

With Dr. Okali added, there were now six people inside the ship. For a small boat originally designed for two people, the room was a bit crowded... Lonnies was put to rest on the bed, while Baiye was diligently cleaning the room in the bedroom.

However, Lonnie noticed that the doll looked somewhat dejected.

"Baiye, what's wrong?"

Although she knew the other party was a doll, Lonnies did treat Baiye as a human being... In fact, although Dean Cui Biya claimed to be a robot, in some ways, Lonnies felt that she was more human than humans.

"Miss Lonnies..."

"You seem a bit down."

“Reporting to Miss, I mainly can’t believe that Dr. Maren would do such a thing.”

"Does Dr. Marun usually have a good reputation?"

What does "reputation" refer to?

"Mainly interpersonal relationships and such?"

“That’s not good. Dr. Marun often goes about his own business. And it seems that many researchers are afraid of him.”

"Huh, is it the domineering CEO type who forces control?"

"The domineering CEO type...?"

Bai Ye blinked, seemingly not understanding what "domineering CEO" meant.

"Alright, let me ask you another question. Dr. Marun, do you have any particularly noticeable characteristics?"

"Yes, he is very rigorous in his academic work, and he never leaves any food uneaten during meals."

"what?"

“It’s very convenient to clean his daily life. And his clothes are very simple. Apart from his work clothes, he basically doesn’t have any other clothes.”

"In that case, it does seem quite like an ascetic practice."

"The ascetic..."

"It refers to monks who cultivate alone. It's truly hard to imagine that such people, who have no material desires, could be bewitched by a cunning demon lord..."

……

Despite saying that, Lonnie knew that anything was possible.

The brilliance of idealism exists only for a very short period in a person's life. Even those who bring about revolutionary changes to the world often fall into the lust for power in their later years.

Moreover, you can't see into someone's heart.

Most people wear a mask of hypocrisy... but it's really rare to see someone like Elusia wearing a mask of feigned evil.

(Speaking of which, Elusia is quite kind, isn't she? Perhaps she's afraid that her kindness will get hurt, which is why she's always been like this...)

……

Baiye and I chatted about other things...

After a night's voyage, the group finally arrived at the third forward station.

Here, deep within the boundless land, the surrounding earth appears even more desolate.

The ground was uneven and full of potholes, and there was a lot of trash that looked like rusty metal everywhere.

Dark clouds covered the sky, and besides the black earth, Lonnies saw something extraordinary.

"A... Elusia, what's that?"

"A city left over from the last era. Hmph, but it's long been abandoned. Now even scavengers don't go there anymore."

"!"

Lonnie gasped, because just as Elusia had said, it was indeed a city.

Familiar high-rise buildings, familiar streets, familiar utility poles, familiar pedestrian overpasses.

But everything has been abandoned.

The metal sheets of the high-rise buildings have long since weathered away, leaving only lonely concrete skeletons standing there.

The utility poles had long since rusted into scrap metal, piles of car wreckage lay in the middle of the road, and the rubber tires were nowhere to be seen.

……

This is the third outpost that Dr. Okali mentioned.

In the northeast corner of the city, there is a building that looks fairly tidy—it looks like a factory, with a two-story workshop outside and a sign that reads "No Trespassing".

"Dr. Okali, is this the place?"

"Yes, inside the third outpost, there is a tunnel leading underground, and it was in there that the explorers discovered the seeds."

"Hmph, so it's underground again, isn't it? So, Yicheng, have you discovered anything?"

“There are indeed many traces of people walking around here. Judging from the footprints, it should have happened within the last three days.”

"So we can confirm that Dr. Marun has been here. Su Ling, you and Bai Ye stay on the ship and do not open the door no matter who it is."

"Well, I see."

"Yicheng, you and Dr. Okali pack your things together. We'll leave in half an hour."

"understand!"

……

As expected of someone who was once a princess, Elusia was very organized and efficient when assigning tasks.

Venturing deep into underground ruins is no easy task; gas masks, searchlights, compasses, and magical weapons are all indispensable...

Despite Elusia's instructions, Lonnies still hadn't received her task.

"Elusia, what about me?"

"Oh, so there are cute maid girls too? I forgot about them because they're so delicate."

"Huh?!"

Elusia's nonchalant attitude made Lonnies pout.

"Well, since she's such a stupid maid, why don't you just take a piss outside?"

"Aha?"

At first, Lonnie thought she had misheard.

But it wasn't until Elusia nodded solemnly that Lonnies realized that this was indeed her mission.

"Do you want to... pee anywhere?"

"Hmm, and the amount of liquid needs to be large, okay? If it's not large, then I'll have to activate the remote control."

"How could it be this kind of mission? This is so strange!"

"Hmph, do you dare question my plan?"

"Waaah!"

Unable to deny Elusia's tyranny, Lonnie could only find a secluded corner and squat down.

Although no one was watching, Lonnie still felt extremely ashamed... because the way she used the toilet made her feel like a puppy marking its territory.

(Hmph, Elusia must be low on magic again, so she's trying to replenish it this way. Elusia is so despicable.)

After taking off her panties, her entire bottom felt cool, and the chilly breeze kept blowing against Lonnie's body, making the girl's body extremely tense.

goodong...