In Li Chen's room, the "hostage" being used to threaten Hexi instinctively backed into a corner at the sight of him.
"You know what you're here for," Li Chen said.
Zhixin shook her head. All she knew was that, for the Angel Civilization and Queen Keisha, she was a necessary sacrifice, just like her master.
Li Chen took two steps forward and hooked a finger under her chin, making her look at him. "To keep Hexi from playing tricks while she works for me, of course. But the bond between master and disciple isn't enough. I'm going to make you, my hostage, completely mine."
"You wouldn't want Hexi to suffer, would you?"
Zhixin looked at him without another word, but her unyielding eyes never blinked.
After a long time, she spoke.
"What do you want me to do?"
Li Chen didn't answer. He merely smiled and said cryptically, "You'll find out soon."
Before long, Tong Yao called him. "My king, the Fallen Angel genetic modification is ready."
Li Chen glanced at Zhixin, then replied, "Understood."
After ending the call, he took Zhixin to the laboratory. Only he, Tong Yao, and Zhixin, their test subject, were present.
She glanced at the genetic modification apparatus on the wall without speaking, then was pushed into the modification chamber and had her limbs secured.
Tong Yao walked over to the apparatus by the wall and pressed the activation button. The apparatus gave a low hum, and a slender probe descended from above, lining up with the back of Zhixin's neck.
"Beginning modification," Tong Yao said.
Li Chen watched intently throughout. This was his first time observing genetic modification, unlike when he had evolved everyone in the Origin civilization into Starborn.
The Starborn had been rewritten directly through a mod, just like changing a name