Chapter 568: 46. Mother Bless You
Inside the refuge of the Spirit Realm, Captain Alagina carefully examined the very special “mechanism” in front of her, illuminated by the faint glow emitted from the small David by her side and the little starlight dripping through the cracks in the ceiling.
The starlight was quite dim, possibly due to the crimson mist that Alagina had caught a glimpse of earlier, which swirled around the opening of the refuge. She dared not look in that direction again, recalling the strange mechanism’s reminder.
Unfamiliar with this unfamiliar place, Alagina certainly would not risk her life by ignoring warnings to engage in dangerous behavior.
In response to the mechanism’s inquiry, Alagina hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I am Captain Alagina.”
“Ah, Captain Alagina, what a good name.”
The red-haired youth floated slowly closer to Alagina, and although his words sounded mechanical and monotonous, a warm smile appeared on his face.
Such a smile unconsciously made Alagina lower her guard a little; she couldn’t help but glance at the small David floating beside her and asked,
“Your names are all the same.”
“Ah, that’s because the general manufacturing technology comes from my father and mother. They love me so much that even when other bodies with independent consciousness were created later, they still named them after me. But I am the first body created by my father and mother, and I’ve never seen this independent body beside you. It’s quite strange.”
David slowly turned to look at the small David, his expression showing obvious confusion, and Alagina couldn’t help but ask,
“Your father and mother are… angels?”
“No, David’s father is a Holy Spawn, and his mother is a Trans. But strictly speaking, since my father has no gender distinction and my mother is male, it sounds a bit odd. Alagina just needs to know that they are very important to David, but I haven’t seen them for a very long time. By the way, Alagina, would you like to come to my home? It’s inside the refuge.”
“What is a Trans?”
“Oh, um, it’s what the Holy Spawns call my mother, but David doesn’t know what it means.”
“…”
When mentioning “father and mother,” David’s androgynous beautiful face revealed an extremely obvious sadness, but soon he raised a sunny smile, pointed to the dark space behind him, and invited Alagina,
“By the way, Alagina, do you want to come to my home?”
Glancing at the suddenly silent small David beside her, Alagina sensed that he was also wary of this suddenly appearing “senior” or “mother body.” For a moment, she hesitated, unsure whether she should move forward with this strange mechanism.
But there was nothing around her, and she hadn’t forgotten why she came here.
“Is it just you alone here?”
“Human? Oh, if Alagina means David, then yes, there is only David here.”
“What about those Holy Spawns? Isn’t this supposed to be their refuge?”
“…I don’t quite remember what happened specifically. It seems that there was some damage to the storage module in my body. I only remember a few bits from a very long time ago. I remember that it was Youfiele the angel who was responsible for building the refuge. But I forgot why I ended up here, and I don’t know where the other Holy Spawns went. I can’t leave here to look for them; I just have to stay here on standby, waiting for them to return.”
David’s tone was innocent, but to Alagina, it seemed very pitiful, like a child who had lost their parents but forced a smile, which made her feel a twinge of sympathy.
And the originally silent small David suddenly excitedly called out upon hearing the name “Youfiele.”
“My creator, it turns out this place was built by her!”
David nodded with a smile, then turned to Alagina with a hopeful look and asked,
“So, how about it, Alagina? Do you want to see my home?”
“…Okay, you lead the way.”
“Great! David has decorated the house nicely over the years. I checked when I just woke up, and nothing should be too damaged. Please follow me!”
“Mm.”
Alagina hesitated for a moment but decided to follow the mechanism deeper into the so-called “refuge.” Having a guide was much better than wandering aimlessly by herself here.
She always felt that this place was very dangerous, perhaps not within the refuge itself, but outside the refuge?
As David cheered and turned, revealing more damaged parts covered by a white robe to Alagina, he flew into the darkness without noticing, urging her to keep up.
As Alagina followed David away, she did not notice that the starlight that had been seeping through the originally damaged ceiling suddenly dimmed, and even the terrifying crimson mist twisted and flowed outward.
In its place was a blend of deep purple and silver, a cold, water-like moonlight.
The deep corridor was intact; David, leading the way ahead, suddenly broke the silence, warming the atmosphere.
“By the way, Alagina, I forgot to ask what you came here for. After all, it feels like there hasn’t been any life here for very, very long.”
“I…”
How should Alagina say it? That she actually wanted to sneak in and take something but got discovered by him?
“She wants to see if there’s anything valuable here that she can use, and if possible, she wants to take something good back to reality.”
But the small David next to her was rather blunt, preemptively stating her intentions.
At this point, Alagina had to speak up and explain herself,
“I need some weapons for self-defense or relics that can make me stronger; it’s very important to me. Otherwise, my husband is likely to be taken away by other women.”
“Ah, I see. There are still many treasures left by the Holy Spawns and my father and mother here, which have been stored for a long time. I can take you to see them later; you can take everything.”
To Alagina’s surprise, David was remarkably accommodating. Hearing her purpose, he almost immediately turned back, smiling as he spoke.
“Ah?”
Not only Alagina was taken aback, but even the small David excitedly began to circle around.
“Mother bless you, that’s wonderful, Alagina. But I forgot to tell you before we came. My Leap has energy limitations; you can’t take too many or too large items with you, or it could cause an accident. Mother bless, little David must prioritize safety.”
In fact, they hadn’t walked for long before they reached the end of the dark corridor. In front of many doors at the end, David familiarized himself with an incompletely closed door and opened it, revealing a wide space inside.
“We’ve arrived, Alagina.”
Inside, it appeared to be a factory workshop or a research laboratory. The spacious area was filled with machinery used for manufacturing certain items, various mechanically covered chairs, some protective chambers with linked lines, and numerous blueprints.
Alagina had thought there would be a ventilated area or windows looking outside, but everything remained sealed with stone bricks, reminding her of David’s earlier words about “not looking outside.”
Yet she didn’t pursue that line of questioning. She watched David sit down on one of the chairs with a smile and then glanced around the room filled with mechanical parts. He apologetically said,
“I’m sorry, Alagina. There’s nothing here; David can’t host you for now.”
Alagina shook her head and replied,
“Mother bless, I’m very grateful that you invited me here.”
David flashed a sunny smile and, a bit awkwardly and shyly, tugged at his white robe, revealing a few cracks on his otherwise smooth thighs that looked like broken ceramics. He then said,
“Thank you, Alagina. Your words make David very happy. Can I be your friend? If my father and mother knew, they would be very happy. Of course, if you’re unwilling, that’s also fine; David won’t mind.”
While saying this, David’s expression suddenly turned tense, as if he felt that if Alagina rejected him, the part of his being that provides energy would cease to operate.
Alagina’s unsmiling face broke into a slight smile, and she couldn’t help but say,
“Of course, that’s fine, David.”
“Great! Alagina, David will treasure you as a hard-to-come-by friend and will help you get your husband back. David is quite good at this kind of thing.”
“…Good at this?”
David nodded confidently and said,
“Of course. So, let me ask, Alagina, how is your relationship with your husband?”
“I rarely see him, but our feelings are deep. We have a marital relationship. I really want to marry him, but there are always other women getting in our way.”
For some reason, Alagina stressed the words “marital relationship.”
Upon hearing this, David underwent a wave of intense analysis from his expressive face, then excitedly raised three fingers and proclaimed,
“Alagina, I’ve decided to name the action to reclaim your husband as ‘Operation Love Snatch’ and have prepared three strategies: upper, middle, and lower.”
“…What? Love snatch?”
“According to my analysis, the reasons your husband may be taken away by other women are likely threefold. Firstly, your strength and charm are simply too weak, lacking attraction for your husband; secondly, the strength and charm of other women are simply too strong, which lured your husband away; thirdly, your husband might be a scum who treats feelings casually, greedy and insatiable, wanting both.”
Alagina opened her mouth and then said,
“…Mother bless, the third option is absolutely impossible.”
“It doesn’t matter even if it’s impossible; the methods are general. First, let’s hear the upper strategy. My upper strategy is to enhance your rank and strength, which can also change your appearance, making you more attractive and feminine.”
“…Will it be mightier than a phoenix and more charming than a phoenix?”
“Phoenix?” David was puzzled as to why she suddenly mentioned a phoenix, but after a brief pause, he continued, “Of course, although the upper strategy still can’t cross the mythological gate, it is definitely more than enough compared to those below the phoenix.”
“Then, what’s the specific method?”
“I intend to implant some very powerful prosthetics in you, such as your entire skeletal structure, completely replacing your arms, and installing high-powered particle weaponry in your chest. Besides that, I can also change your appearance, modify your face, and reshape your body.”
David excitedly pointed to various drills and blades laid out on the surgical bed, leaving Alagina momentarily speechless.
After a while, she hoarsely asked,
“What about the middle strategy?”
“The middle strategy? I can seek out some powerful semi-finished conscious relics for you. These relics were later refined by my father and Angel Gabriel. Although they can’t compare to true tear-drop relics, they are undoubtedly very powerful relics, remarkable products of the craftsmanship of the Holy Spawns, much stronger than the relic you’re currently wearing. With humans controlling devices, and the devices aiding humans, you’ll also become very formidable. I remember that some relics can even enhance your charm, making your husband irresistibly drawn to you.”
“…What about compared to a phoenix?”
“Well, they’re probably about even, if it’s not an exceptionally powerful phoenix. You only need to tame those conscious relics, preferably taming several, to meet your diverse needs. There’s just a small downside; if you want to use those relics, there may be a slight cost because taming them is not easy.”
“What’s the cost?”
“I’m not quite sure, but David thinks it would probably be a bit harder than fully mastering the relic you currently possess.”
“…And what about the lower strategy?”
“The lower strategy only uses mechanisms like this. The main reason is that the energy of the refuge is cut off, preventing the operation of machine tools. There are only fewer than a hundred remaining mechanisms here, and they are all very low-level. Moreover, Alagina will need to move them out gradually herself.”
Alagina opened her mouth. She didn’t want to consider the upper strategy at all; she was proud of her body and didn’t want anything implanted; she would hardly consider that option.
She originally wanted to ask David about the relics in the middle strategy, perhaps some general relics she could use for herself, but thinking about how using those could only reach the level of a phoenix, wouldn’t using others still fall short of her?
So, what about the third lower strategy?
Alagina quickly grasped the key point; perhaps the mechanisms weren’t weak; her earlier experiences in the Storm Seas and the glory of Nali reminded her how exaggerated the mechanisms really were, but it was simply because the machine tools couldn’t be activated.
“Then how do you activate this machine tool? Can the energy of the refuge be turned back on?”
David pouted, looking at the extremely dark surroundings, shook his head, and said,
“It can be turned on, but I forgot where the energy switch is. It should be somewhere in the refuge. If the machine tools could be activated, I could also repair my body. I don’t remember how my body got damaged; although it hasn’t affected the core function, it is my body created by my father and mother, and I don’t want to see it like this.”
David lifted his somewhat tattered white robe, revealing a smooth, jade-like surface with some damage, covered with cracks resembling ceramics.
But after taking off the white robe, David’s expression suddenly changed as if he remembered something, turning troubled.
“However, Alagina, even if the energy is restored, I might not be able to operate the machine tools.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it seems my external connection has been artificially cut off. I can’t construct a network, connect, enter, or operate other mechanisms, nor can I operate the machine tools to manufacture new mechanisms. Right now, I can only stay in this body created by my father and mother. While that’s fine, I can’t help you.”
The small David next to him shook his head in realization, saying,
“No wonder I sent a signal to connect here and didn’t get any response from you. It turns out your connection was severed and locked.”
Alagina looked at David and asked,
“Who turned off your connection? Is there any way to unlock it?”
“I don’t remember who turned it off. However, unless it’s to help Alagina, the external connection doesn’t matter. If Alagina needs it, I can study it myself, and maybe in a while, I can find a way to unlock it. In the meantime, I can look for the energy switch in the refuge and think of ways to open the locked external link switch. Alagina can take some mechanisms back; they can be manually operated without needing intelligence.”
So it turns out that manual operation is possible without intelligence? No wonder Nali and the Black Chieftain could use these mechanisms.
She nodded and followed the direction David pointed to see many well-organized, high-quality mechanisms, but she didn’t directly take them; instead, she glanced at the sunny-smiling David sitting in the chair watching her.
In her eyes, this existence didn’t seem like a cold piece of machinery but more like a living child, separated from his parents.
She opened her mouth and unconsciously asked,
“What about you, David? Do you need my help with anything? I will definitely do it; I promise.”
“Help me.”
David paused slightly, then shook his head and said,
“I don’t need anything from you, Alagina. I’m here to wait for my father and mother to come back. Besides that, I don’t want anything.”
“What about your father and mother? Where are they? Maybe I can help you find them.”
“They…”
David thought for a moment, as if he had a headache, covering the light that radiated from his red curls.
“They… I don’t quite remember where they went. It seems they’re in some place outside, just outside the refuge.”
“Outside? You mean… the Spirit Realm?”
Alagina looked around the sealed room, suddenly struck.
“Yeah, that’s right. David seems to remember they’re outside, but it’s very dangerous; it’s extremely dangerous for both me and Alagina. So, I have to wait here for them to come back. If we were to go outside to look for them, we’d need very strong power. If Alagina knows anyone strong enough, please help me ask them to go outside to look for my father and mother. I miss them very much.”
“…Okay, Mother bless, I will remember this.”
“Great! Alagina, you’ll be David’s best friend from now on. You’ll come back, right?”
“Mm.”
“Then go take some mechanisms back first. I just don’t know if these mechanisms can handle the bad person who took your husband. Hmm, if not, just come a few more times. But preferably don’t come too frequently; since you came from within the world, frequently switching crevices in a short time will definitely attract their attention.”
“Them?”
“Yeah, I don’t know who it is either; it’s what my father said. In short, just come once every few days, Alagina.”
“…Okay, I promise.”
David smiled and nodded, stood up to lead Alagina to the side where she chose some mechanisms, also explaining what those mechanisms could do.
Under the watchful eyes of the small David, she took the four fully functional mechanisms that she could carry.
Then, within David’s bright smile, Alagina decided not to stay any longer and called for the small David to send her back.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
The same sound of space tearing, the same sense of weightlessness, the same colorful subconscious ocean, until Alagina’s feet stood firmly on the ground, the air around her suddenly became fresh and full, the surrounding temperature gradually rising, and the dazzling light filled her eyes, while the few perfectly intact mechanisms she held tightly in her hands still existed and had not vanished.
All of this was not a dream, but a reality.
“We’ve arrived, Alagina. Please rate Little David’s service this time!”
“…”
The small David’s voice came from beside her, but Alagina didn’t have time to respond. She suddenly felt weak all over, crouching down on the ground, her body uncontrollably gasping for breath.
She placed the mechanisms she held onto the ground, looking at the ones from left to right, which were a flying device that could endow the wearer with rapid flight abilities and armed with hollow particle weapons, a mantis cutting tool for close combat use, a particle shield that could automatically float and follow, automatically defending, and a drill snake-like concealment device for surveillance.
These mechanisms were strong in some aspects and weak in others, but they were indeed mechanisms, such a magical thing that even Nali might not have fully mastered, and she had just met a David who owned the treasures left by all the Holy Spawns and the methods for manufacturing mechanisms.
This was just the beginning.
With an expressionless face, she looked at the several mechanisms lying on the ground, her breathing gradually calming down. Then she closed her eyes and subconsciously said reverently,
“Mother bless… Mother bless.”
The northern wind howled outside the parasol tree, the sky gradually darkening, swallowing the setting sun bit by bit—a dark and gloomy sky, along with a chillingly desolate moon.
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(End of Chapter)
