Several days later.
The undercurrents surging through North Ridge City came to a halt.
Li Yuan and Raven entered a coffee shop. Inside, an elegant and handsome middle-aged man was packing his luggage.
"Sequence 005, what are you doing?"
Hearing Li Yuan's words, Wall Breaker turned around.
"Lord Aus gave me a month-long vacation. I'm preparing for a thrilling journey."
"On this journey, I shall embark upon a romantic encounter. As luck would have it, those beautiful young maidens are also waiting for a gentleman to appear."
"Ah... the newly reborn me, in a brand-new form, shall romantically and elegantly capture the hearts of young girls!"
"Just imagine it—eighteen is precisely the age when curiosity flourishes. Their yearning for mystery, their expectations of stories from film and television... I shall satisfy them all!"
"Just thinking about it has already intoxicated me. Wonderful!"
"Romantic encounter!"
Li Yuan: "..."
Raven: "..."
This guy was seriously perverted.
"So then, what brings you two here?" Wall Breaker asked, turning his head.
"We... we came to find Lord Aus." Raven transformed into a young girl as she spoke.
Wall Breaker shook his head. "Unfortunately, you're too late. Lord Aus has already left. No one knows where He went."
"A mysterious journey on a whim—His Lordship's taste happens to align perfectly with mine. Heh heh."
He had left?
"Did Lord Aus... did He leave any instructions?"
"Instructions?"
Wall Breaker thought back. Aside from granting him leave, Chen Ye had indeed said a few other things.
In particular, he seemed to have mentioned something regarding Li Yuan and Raven.
"Lord Aus said that you're like freshly fired ceramic crafts. Though bright and beautiful, you're worthless."
"Truly perfect works of art often need the passage of time before they can sell for a sky-high price."
"So go and seek. Go and gain experience. Find your value, and achieve a breakthrough from body to soul!"
Li Yuan frowned. "Did Lord Aus really say that?"
"Of course. Your doubt is entirely unnecessary. Oh, right, Sequence 001, Lord Aus specifically instructed you to visit His room. It seems He wanted you to retrieve something."
As he spoke, Wall Breaker resumed packing his luggage.
"Enough talking. I too must go seek the value of my existence."
"People live for beautiful women!"
That flamboyant Wall Breaker finished packing and left, not forgetting to drive the two of them out before he went.
Watching Wall Breaker lock the door and swagger away, Raven and Li Yuan exchanged a glance. "If that lord truly said so, then we can only do as instructed."
"Mm. Farewell."
With that, Li Yuan waved goodbye to Raven Girl and left.
Watching his departing figure, Raven Girl's eyes suddenly shifted. "What am I supposed to retrieve from Lord Aus's room? What did Lord Aus prepare for me?"
As she spoke, Raven Girl transformed into a raven and flew directly through the window into Chen Ye's room.
Raven entered the room. Everything inside was neat and orderly, except for one absurdly large plant that stood out conspicuously.
The plant resembled a sunflower, with countless curled vines growing from its body.
"What is this?"
Raven flew closer, only to see the sunflower suddenly turn its head!
Countless eyes immediately opened within the sunflower's center!
"Yaaah!!"
Raven screamed in fright and was about to flee when the plant's curled leaves suddenly shot toward her!
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Several vines wrapped around Raven and began rapidly tightening!
"What is this?!"
Raven transformed into a young girl, but the plant did not care whether she was a bird or a human. Its vines continued to bind her body tightly!
The vines coiled around her thighs, and sharp thorns emerged, slicing through her skin!
"You stupid flower, let me go! Do you know Lord Aus raised me?!"
No matter how Raven cried out, the plant ignored her.
Just as the vines were about to squeeze Raven's body apart, an idea suddenly struck her. She immediately transformed into Chen Ye's appearance!
"Take a good look at who I am!"
Raven suddenly spoke in Chen Ye's voice. Upon hearing it, Little Flower immediately released its vines, then mischievously shook its body.
Seeing this, Raven let out a long breath, and her voice returned to normal.
"Phew... I thought I was going to die."
"But seriously, what exactly is this thing?"
"Did Lord Aus prepare this for me? No, no, definitely not."
Raven looked at the curled plant, her heart still pounding. Her master had actually grown such a dangerous plant. What if it turned on him someday?
"To prevent anything from happening to Lord Aus, maybe I should pull it out?"
Upon hearing Raven's words, the eyes on the plant instantly opened!
Raven's mouth twitched. "Uh... I-I was joking."
Forget it. Better not make trouble where there was none.
Raven circled the room and suddenly noticed a cabinet. Inside were many bottles of potions.
"What's this?"
Raven opened the cabinet. It had three rows in total, filled with numerous potions, each with a label beneath it.
Among them, Raven took out a bottle of pure black potion.
As for why she chose the black one, naturally, it was because she liked black.
Raven looked at the potion's label. "Secret Thief?"
"This couldn't be what Lord Aus prepared for me, could it? It must be. Lord Aus knew I liked black—He must have anticipated it long ago!"
Thinking this, Raven unscrewed the cap, transformed into a bird, and dipped her beak into it for a small sip.
It was sweet, a little like mint candy.
Another taste...
Raven continuously drank in the liquid. Before long, the bottle was empty.
"Hmm?"
Raven was just about to transform when her body suddenly began convulsing!
"...Aah!"
Raven let out a pained scream. The next second, all color vanished from her eyes, leaving only endless blackness.
Once the pain in her body faded, Raven instinctively transformed into human form.
She became a naked young girl kneeling on the floor. Her eyes remained entirely black, without a trace of white.
She blankly rose to her feet. The world before her suddenly became exceptionally unfamiliar.
Everything seemed as though she were seeing it for the first time.
"I hear... a voice. Who... is whispering?"
Save me...
Save me...
There was a faint voice. Someone was begging for help.
Raven blankly walked to the bedside, then transformed into an eagle and flapped her wings toward the sky.
She followed that whisper through the heavens, and the voice grew increasingly intense.
"Anyone..."
"Save me. I've already... had enough."
Before you continue