Safety First

"..."

Linsey was speechless for a moment.

He tried to turn around.

Wala Wala then naturally released her hands, slid down from behind Linsey, and stood there with a smile, "Well? My savior, can you tell me your story?"

Linsey gave a wry smile, "How did you know I wasn't being honest?"

Wala Wala pointed to his heart, then to his brain:

"A person's mouth and thoughts can deceive themselves—but the color of their soul does not lie!"

Linsey instantly recalled the knowledge Green Fir had shared with her.

Artists of the Seven Seas Alliance are able to fuse emotions and Essence together, and those at a higher level may even exhibit soul-like qualities in their bodies.

The saying "Wala Wala" clearly originates from this.

Linsey's tone was somewhat complicated. "Not every artist in the Seven Seas Alliance has the ability to see through people's souls, right?"

Wala Wala immediately shook his head:

Only a very small number of people can do it.

"Even I couldn't see it very clearly; I could only barely sense the change."

very good.

Not every artist possesses this kind of insight into what constitutes a violation.

Linsey suddenly thought of her Face Sculpting Skill: "If someone changes their physical appearance but their inner soul remains the same, can you recognize them?"

Wala Wala explained, "That depends on how familiar I am with him."

At this point, Linsey put on a fierce and gloomy expression, as if she was about to pounce on the girl in front of her at any moment. "Wala Wala, you have to understand! Exposing someone's secret can be dangerous!"

The girl burst out laughing the next second:

"But Linsey, your soul is telling me—you're a good person~~"

"..."

Linsey felt strange, as if she had been friend-zoned.

Wala Wala was quite puzzled. "What? You're actually a little sulky after being praised as a good person?"

"Is your innate ideal to be a bad person?"

Linsey sighed, deciding not to dwell on the question, "Okay, which ones do you want to hear?"

"Let me make it clear in advance that there are some confidential parts involved, and I won't explain them even if you keep asking."

Wala Wala nodded with satisfaction. "Of course, I understand the importance of respecting other people's secrets."

"As for now—let's talk about the World Border first! I've heard there's a very powerful Seventh Stage Dragon Beast there that has completely blocked the path to the World's Edge..."

Linsey suddenly interrupted, "That Dragon Beast is dead."

Wala Wala paused for a moment. "That... oh! I remember, I remember there was a Seventh Stage organizer who was preparing to break through the Dragon Beast's blockade!"

Linsey said again:

"The organizer is also dead."

"..."

After a long silence, Wala Wala finally changed her mind and said, "Never mind, Linsey, let's talk about your own experiences instead."

When the girl said those words.

She stared intently at Linsey in front of her, her pupils flashing with intense anticipation, filled with curiosity about the unknown story and Linsey standing before her.

Linsey stared into Wala Wala's eyes.

His past experiences in two worlds flooded back, and he was inexplicably moved by a surge of emotion, naturally beginning to tell his story:

"Let me think... that was a long time ago, a really long, long time ago."

"More than four years ago, I was living in a Hidden Borderlands. Because of the Dragon Beast ' siege, the weather in the town began to deteriorate, and the situation was very bad..."

"..."

The night grew deeper.

On deck, the party for passengers and crew continued.

Below deck, Linsey recounted her story with reflections on her past experiences and fond memories of various friends and family.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Only after Linsey finished recounting her experience did he suddenly realize something.

He didn't reveal any information about Game Player or the Extinction Crown.

But aside from that, he naturally said some things he shouldn't have said, such as the death of the Dragon Beast and the self-destruction of the organizer.

This is unreasonable!

Ultimately, he and Wala Wala had known each other for no more than three days.

Even with the favor of being taught how to play an instrument, given Linsey's cautious nature, it's impossible for him to reveal his secrets to this extent; it's not in line with his usual style of behavior.

Mood!

It's an emotion! Linsey realized immediately.

When he sat with Wala Wala, he seemed to be affected by the girl's emotions.

This does not include the influence of skills, nor is there any external mental intrusion. In fact, there is no special buff of being mentally controlled on Linsey's Attribute Panel.

This feeling.

It was as if the human capacity for empathy, which we are born with, was amplified and connected in that instant.

"I'm sorry, Linsey, it seems my expectations affected you."

Wala Wala of apologies rang out from the side.

Linsey turned her head away.

The next second, his left hand was cupped in the girl's hands and held tightly to her chest:

"The sea of my heart can evoke emotional empathy in others."

Wala Wala looked nervous, like a child who had done something wrong begging for forgiveness.

"I usually try not to bother others! But today... I don't know what's wrong with me today, but when I'm paying attention to you, it's like I forget everything, and my emotions just flow out."

Linsey's feelings were complex.

He remembered a saying—that people cannot understand each other.

But at this moment, he and Wala Wala seemed to be connected in spirit, and he could feel the intense guilt in the other's voice as she apologized to him.

Linsey sighed with a wry smile:

"So, it was just an accident."

Wala Wala didn't shirk responsibility at all. "This is absolutely my fault in managing my emotions!"

"The combination of my Essence of Art and emotions is too strong, and this ability can only be completely stabilized when the color of my soul permeates my body."

"..."

Linsey did not answer immediately.

After these few days of interaction, even if he was slow-witted, he understood that the girl in front of him was no ordinary person.

"Since this was just an accident, please keep it a secret for me."

"You understand—if too many people know about my experiences, it will cause bad things."

With that, Linsey got out of bed and prepared to leave the room.

But when he tugged at his left hand, he found that Wala Wala, who was sitting on the bed, was still holding him tightly with both hands, showing no intention of letting go.

He turned his head in confusion and saw the girl's extremely serious eyes. "Linsey, you are a hero."

"You are undoubtedly the protagonist of the story, the destined one to be sung about by everyone!"

Linsey was completely bewildered. "... Huh?"

The resounding "Wala Wala" echoed loudly, as if making a momentous declaration:

"Great stories need to be celebrated."

"The epic tales of heroes should not be submerged beneath a sea of falsehood, but should hang high in the sky like the sun, illuminating the hearts of every lost soul!"

"Linsey, please allow me to write a story for you, a truly magnificent story!"

"..."

Linsey blinked; this time, he wasn't affected by the other person's feelings.

He tried to reason with Wala Wala: "Um, maybe we shouldn't do it, Safety First?"