One is the son of the greatest alchemist in history, and the other is a young scholar from a barely prestigious family. It’s clear who could create such a magnificent work.

However, Evora didn’t care why Ansel was hiding it, but continued to ask, “In your opinion, does that thing really have such great potential?”

“As a weapon of war… it’s indeed not bad, but that’s all.”

Ansel smiled. “After all, there’s no war within the empire.”

“But there will be in the future.”

Evora’s lips curled up, her eyes… seemed to reflect a cruel scene where everything in the world was burning.

“Beyond the Heavenly Road, there’s a vast land waiting for you and me to conquer, Ansel.”

“But isn’t the powerful combat power of the extraordinary beings at the crown level enough?”

“Crown?” Evora said disdainfully, “The land I want to conquer is not useless scorched earth, and the war I want to appreciate is not the destruction of the fifth stages fighting each other.”

Her face gradually lit up with a joyful and intense excitement, the woman slightly raised her head, joyfully telling Ansel, “Ansel, don’t you think it’s too boring for everything to be dominated by individuals?”

“I want the empire itself to become an irresistible force, to become the power that controls everything, to see that the extraordinary beings of the first and second stages, and even ordinary people, have the ability to push the continent on the other side of the Heavenly Road.”

“Let the extraordinary beings there be killed by beings countless times weaker than themselves, hahahahaha, it’s delightful just thinking about it! Interesting!”

In the end, it’s still just for fun.

For Evora, conquering that land is to satisfy her desire for control, and also to appreciate a game… that’s interesting enough for her.

Ansel didn’t comment, but Seraphina next to him had already furrowed her brows, wanting to pin this psychopath to the ground and beat her up.

— It’s only a matter of time, the girl thought so in her heart.

“So, will you not do anything?”

After a delightful laugh, Evora continued, “This is your masterpiece, as its creator, do you not wish to witness its birth in your hands?”

Ansel chuckled softly, his words laden with meaning as he spoke to Evora:

“Indeed, I wish to see it… born in the hands of its designer.”

“However, I shall refrain. This is merely a transaction between me and the Etheric Academy. If I were to handle the follow-up, would it not seem as though I am too easily swayed?”

“Hmm?” Evora furrowed her brow slightly, leaning against the railing of the aerial corridor, her tone rather displeased, “Then why have you summoned me here? I had assumed you intended to take matters into your own hands, which is why I made this journey. You should know that I never waste my time on meaningless endeavors.”

“Well…”

The young Hydral squinted his eyes, “Consider it my desire to hear your thoughts on the mechanical armor.”

“To hear?” Evora burst into laughter, “You cannot guess? Stop teasing me, Ansel.”

She extended her index finger, hooked Ansel’s chin, and slowly brought her face closer, exhaling a scorching breath:

“Do you, a devil who loves to toy with people’s hearts, still not understand me, who has always laid my heart bare before you?”

Miss Seraphina’s forehead bulged with two veins, and in order not to cause trouble for Ansel, she constantly reminded herself to be patient.

“However, your words make it seem as though you truly care about my opinion. Very well, I am pleased. Let me think about how to reward… hmm?”

The previously cheerful Evora’s face instantly turned ice-cold as she looked down at the massive alchemy workshop below, where an extremely tiny figure had appeared.

“How did this failure end up here… no matter.”

The Elder Princess, who made no effort to conceal her ruthless cruelty, sneered and raised her hand. A muffled groan resounded in the vast open area below, as the figure was tightly bound by blazing flames, the body mercilessly scorched.

With a slight lift of Evora’s hand, the figure was rapidly pulled up to their location in the aerial corridor, suspended in mid-air.

“I am preoccupied with numerous affairs and have no time to mete out punishment upon you.”

The woman’s voice was cold and indifferent, “Yet, you have the audacity to appear before me. If I do not do something, it would seem as though I am not honoring your sincerity—”

“Ravenna.”

Who else could it be, recklessly colliding with Evora’s line of fire, other than Ravenna?

“I recall telling you—I will not permit you to fail. And then?”

The Elder Princess scoffed disdainfully, “And then your soul was stuffed into such a trashy puppet by the people of the Etheric Academy.”

“If it were not for Ansel having already punished you in this manner, the suffering you would endure now would be at least a hundredfold greater.”

Bound by the flames in mid-air, Ravenna’s skin was once again damaged in patches, and even the puppet’s body showed signs of melting.

Evora gazed at the silent Ravenna, recalling Ansel’s previous affection for her, and then thought of Ansel’s recent displeasing behavior, her sadistic desires gradually intensifying.

“In my opinion… why bother staying in such a pretentious puppet?”

The flames entwining Ravenna’s puppet body grew increasingly fierce, and the destruction of the puppet was merely a matter of time and Evora’s will. The ill-tempered Elder Princess slightly raised her chin, “I have some knowledge of souls, indeed… after burning this body, I shall casually stuff you into a workshop puppet.”

Workshop puppets, ubiquitous in the alchemy workshop, are the puppets used by alchemists for menial tasks. Some are merely “dolls” in the literal sense, faceless, with only the torso of a human; some are not even humanoid, designed in whatever way is convenient for menial tasks, bizarre and varied.

Ravenna had no doubt about the inevitability of Evora doing this. This Elder Princess, who is generous in rewards but cruel to the extreme in punishment, always does what she says. She would definitely destroy this puppet, extract her own soul, and then casually stuff it into a workshop puppet.

Then she might really be doomed.

Under severe pain, Ravenna still tried to maintain her calm as much as possible. The raging flames blurred her vision, but she could still see… the devil smiling at her.

She had no time to think about why Hydral was here, but if she wanted to seize this opportunity…

“Hy…Hydral!”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Ravenna actually bypassed herself to plead with Ansel, Evora’s eyes became more dangerous, and the blood flame expanded, instantly engulfing the entire puppet.

She did not directly burn Ravenna’s puppet, but let the other party slowly feel this pain.

In the flames, Ravenna’s weak voice still came intermittently: “Repair… the circuit.”

In the burning pain, Ravenna was frantically thinking about how to get Ansel to save herself.

That person repeatedly emphasized that she had no value to him, and the ultimate goal must be to make her submit. For now, it seems that if she still acts with the idea that she has value to him, it will definitely not work.

It must be … according to the value he said before.

That value can only be—

The value of being played…

Ravenna got the answer, so Ravenna made the best choice—show this value.

Repair the circuit… well, Evora really didn’t understand what the circuit in Ravenna’s mouth was.

“Okay, stop it, Your Highness.”

After hearing that sentence, Ansel’s smile raised slightly: “I think this punishment is enough.”

“…This time.” Evora turned her head, her expression extremely cold, “You don’t have the final say.”

The flames burning the puppet’s body expanded instantly, and Ravenna’s unbearable scream proved the pain she was enduring.

“Is it?” Always prepared, always watching everything, the young Hydral smiled, “So, what if I say… I will tell you something about your little sister?”

“You—”

Evora spat out a word, then fell silent for two or three seconds.

Bang!

She casually smashed Ravenna’s puppet onto the corridor in the air, and the damaged puppet’s body was still twitching due to pain. Evora didn’t even look at her, and said expressionlessly: “Ansel, you’d better ensure that what you say has enough value.”

Ansel raised his eyebrows: “I think Ravenna’s life is not worth this price.”

“But appeasing my anger is worth it.” Evora shook her sleeves and coldly left a sentence, “We are equal, if you can’t appease my anger, then I can only do something to make you angry.”

Her figure turned into flames, burning and scattering in the air, leaving only the high temperature of the distorted space.

Seraphina was not sure if that guy really left, so she didn’t curse immediately. She turned her head to look at Ansel, and saw Ansel standing next to the severely damaged puppet, looking down at the other party.

“You are too careless, Ravenna.” Ansel sighed, “If I’m not here, your life might end like this, right?”

“Being stuffed into a workshop puppet, restricted by the extremely poor functionality, you can’t even do alchemy research, it’s no different from death for you, right?”

Ravenna didn’t speak, probably because the burning of the etheric circuit was too severe, most of the functions of this puppet had completely stopped, and she didn’t even know if she was conscious now.

Ansel squatted down, gently stroking that severely damaged, somewhat terrifying face, and said with a low laugh: “Remember, Venna, you owe me one more time.”

“Don’t worry, I will ‘fix’ you right away.”

—>