The Protoss Want Him

He Xi's heart skipped a beat. This is bad. What if Alarak runs into Keisha...

No, although Carl was Kiran's most outstanding student, he had always conducted research at the Merlot Super God Academy Branch and was hardly known throughout the Known Universe. How did the Protoss know Carl even existed?

He Xi shot to her feet and flew toward the Super God Academy at top speed.

Wormholes were scattered throughout the universe; the only difference was their size. Micro-wormhole technology was impossible to guard against, and if wormholes could be opened at will, it would spell disaster for any civilization. Thus, Keisha had used the Holy Knowledge Treasure to seal the wormholes on Merlot Star.

Meanwhile, Carl's Independent Laboratory was filled with a tense, drawn-sword atmosphere.

No one could take Liang Bing away from him, not even her sister!

Carl did not say those words aloud, but they were deeply etched into his heart.

Perhaps it was at that moment that Carl began to see Keisha as an enemy, eventually devising a plan to kill her. Apart from Keisha, Carl had never shown any hostility toward the Angel Civilization, and after Keisha's death, he completely ignored the angels.

The possibility that he ignored the angels simply because they had ceased to be a threat after Keisha died was slim. After all, He Xi and Yan had also upgraded to Holy Bodies. Together, they might not have been much weaker than Keisha, and as one of those principally responsible for killing Keisha, Carl could not possibly expect the Angel Civilization not to seek revenge.

No matter how one looked at it, it was strange.

The only explanation was that Carl did not care about the angels at all. He was hostile only toward Keisha, which was rather interesting. Of course, there could have been many reasons for that hostility, such as her rejecting his theories... Yet in Shen Jun's view, Liang Bing might have been the true fuse.

"Carl, my patience is limited. Liang Bing may conduct any research she wishes, but it must be done the angel way!"

Keisha said coldly, "Not under your direction!"

"But..."

"No buts, Carl. Though your scholarship has been of considerable help to the angels, the only reason I'm speaking calmly with you is out of respect for Kiran. What right do you have to bargain with me?"

Carl still wanted to make one final effort, but Keisha had no intention of giving him the chance.

"You have only two choices now. Either remove Liang Bing from your research team, or... leave Heavenly City!"

Keisha issued Carl an ultimatum.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What am I seeing here? So angels enjoy threatening others this much..."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice broke the standoff between them.

Alarak entered the laboratory with Gaius beside him. Gaius had not spoken a word from beginning to end. Outside the laboratory stood over a dozen young angels, uncertain whether they should enter after seeing Keisha inside.

"You are..."

He Xi had described the Protoss' appearance to Keisha, so although she had never met him before, Keisha knew that Alarak was a Protoss. She therefore did not attack this intruder and show him how terrifying the Angel King's judgment could be.

"Alarak, Highlord of the Tal'darim... Why does everyone like asking who others are? I do not enjoy introducing myself."

"Oh, right. Before asking someone else, shouldn't you first announce your own name?"

Before setting out, Shen Jun had shown Alarak an image of Keisha. However, Alarak had zero ability to distinguish angels other than He Xi. As for He Xi, it was only because of her distinctive hair color; after all, Alarak could still tell colors apart.

That raised a question: Shen Jun also had the appearance of a God River Body. Would Alarak mistake him for someone else?

The answer was no. Because of his genes, Shen Jun appeared to the Protoss as a Protoss, though he looked far too malnourished...

"The one before you is Queen Keisha. Do not be so presumptuous!"

Before Keisha could speak, the young angels at the door instantly erupted.

"Hm? So you are Keisha... I recall that you angels place great value on order. I have come as a representative of the Protoss. Shouldn't you be in the temple preparing to meet us?"

In Gao JianGuo's calm yet distinctive tone, Alarak said, "Yet what I see is the mighty Angel King threatening a scholar here..."

Keisha gave a soft laugh, utterly unmoved. "Alarak... Oh, I remember now. He Xi told me about you. You are a powerful warrior, and she is no match for you. And you are not even the strongest Protoss, correct?"

"Hmph. The strongest? Indeed, I am not... However, we Protoss disdain such notions as being the strongest."

"I see... I simply did not expect you to arrive in Heavenly City so quickly. That was indeed my oversight."

Keisha did not mind Alarak's presence at all. Right in front of him, she rolled her eyes... and activated the Insight Eye.

With the support of the Holy Knowledge Treasure, Keisha's Insight Eye was hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of times more effective than those of ordinary angels. It was no longer limited to reading simple data; it could even read the thoughts of others.

However...

"Interesting. Just as He Xi said, I really can't read any information at all..."

As expected, Keisha withdrew the Insight Eye.

Meanwhile, Carl was already dumbfounded. Having spent all his time shut away in the laboratory, he had no idea that a powerful force called the Protoss had emerged in the Known Universe. Alarak's towering figure and black armor made from some unknown material both left Carl stunned.

"You are Carl?"

At that moment, Gaius, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly looked at Carl.

Carl did not even react before Gaius strode over to him, bent down, and looked him over from left to right, examining him thoroughly.

The scrutiny made Carl's scalp tingle and filled him with unease.

"Queen Keisha, from what you said just now, you intend to drive Carl out of Angel City, correct?"

Gaius suddenly changed his expression, his tone becoming warm and genial.

Hmph, this old bastard is at it again... Alarak snorted inwardly. Gaius was a Tal'darim through and through, normally appearing incomparably cold-blooded, but that was merely a facade. His current kindness was also merely a facade. Gaius was shrewd and had brought the Tal'darim's innate cunning to its fullest extent.

Gaius would alter his attitude at any moment to suit the situation. His deep calculations often had people spinning in circles; being sold by him and then helping him count the money was merely basic practice.

"I greatly admire Carl. If the angels do not want him, we Protoss would not mind taking him in... As long as you are willing to come to Aiur, I can persuade the Hierarch to build a Super God Academy Branch for you and appoint you its dean. Whatever research you wish to do and whatever resources you need, you will have them all... All we ask is that you share the results of your research with us."

Gaius first expressed the Protoss' intentions to Keisha, then turned his gaze toward Carl.