Chapter 152: Metal Control, Forced Labor

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Metal Control, Forced Labor

"Holy crap!" Nicholas jolted in fright at the sight of Moe, nearly launching himself off the ground and pulling at his wound in a flash of pain.

Watching Nicholas act so jumpy, like a startled bird, Seraphina couldn’t help but facepalm, her mind racing with complaints:

’This guy... How on earth did someone so oblivious survive this long in the treacherous dungeons of the Doomsday Game? Is he just relying on long-distance blessings from his ancestors?’

A sharp, throbbing pain in his neck instantly brought back the memory of the fatal blow before he lost consciousness.

An invisible Wind Blade had sliced across it, and warm blood had gushed out... The cold, desperate feeling of his life rapidly draining away was still fresh in his mind.

But now, not only was he not dead, but his neck was also wrapped in what was clearly a treated bandage.

"I... was saved?"

he muttered to himself in disbelief, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar surroundings.

"What do you think!"

Seraphina shot back irritably. ’Are his reflexes a little slow?’

The sudden voice made Nicholas jump. He immediately fought through the pain, fell into a defensive stance, and warily eyed the speaker, Seraphina, and the taciturn Sean Chandler beside her.

Of course, his eyes couldn’t help but also flick over to the two "non-human" beings nearby.

Especially the Imp that had startled him earlier, and a giant, unfriendly-looking Cannibal Flower waving its vines.

At that moment, Moe was hovering in mid-air, its glittering green eyes staring at him without blinking. Flora’s enormous blossom also turned slightly toward him, its unique, serrated leaves opening and closing unconsciously, giving off the aura of a predator sizing up its prey.

If Seraphina hadn’t made it clear that this was someone she had saved, Flora and Moe’s instincts would have likely led them to treat this "delicious" or "highly punchable" guy as a snack that had delivered itself to their doorstep.

Flora’s inner monologue: ’Strange, why do I have the urge to whip this human a couple of times with my vines? Is this what they call on the internet... a "punchable face"?’

When Seraphina’s mind received this "telepathic message" from Flora, she was left momentarily speechless and exasperated.

’I really can’t let Flora keep watching all those random dramas I’ve hoarded on the farm anymore. Look at the kind of vocabulary she’s picking up...’

However, complaints aside, Seraphina also keenly sensed the unusual, almost instinctive agitation and faint hostility Flora and Moe directed at Nicholas Jensen.

She didn’t think it was as simple as Nicholas just "looking punchable."

’Perhaps... this trait of attracting "aggro" is related to some special Talent or Ability he possesses?’

This thought made Seraphina secretly revise her assessment of Nicholas’s value upward a few notches.

Nicholas clutched his still-aching neck while rapidly sizing up the woman before him.

Since Seraphina was using the Transformation Ring to alter her appearance, he naturally didn’t recognize his "former savior." He only noted that her eyes were sharp and her demeanor was calm—she was clearly no ordinary Player.

"And you are?"

"Same as you."

Simple and to the point, no wasted words.

Then, Seraphina spoke again with a hint of amusement. "Mister, I did save your life. Aren’t you going to show your appreciation?"

Alarm bells went off in Nicholas’s head.

He discreetly touched the bandage on his neck, his mind racing as he assessed the situation.

There were two of them, plus a strange-looking Imp and a ferocious Cannibal Flower.

He was freshly and severely injured, in terrible condition. A direct confrontation would surely end badly for him.

Having experienced so much treachery and betrayal in the Doomsday Game’s dungeons, Nicholas knew all too well that Players would do anything for personal gain. Murder and robbery were commonplace.

The thought of his coveted "Mobile Doll" Talent and the various strange items he carried made him even more cautious.

He had learned the painful lesson more than once of being backstabbed by "teammates" after revealing his wealth or abilities.

His eyes darted, and an earnest, almost pitiful smile immediately spread across his face. "Of course! A debt for saving my life is one I’ll never forget! I, Nicholas Jensen, am definitely not the type to fail to repay a kindness! It’s just..."

His tone shifted, his expression turning into one of perfect distress. "As you can see, I just went through a vicious battle and almost lost my life. A lot of my good stuff was destroyed in the fight. I’ll definitely give you a reward, but could you give me a moment to recover and sort through what I have left?"

Seraphina took in his every subtle shift in expression and glance, wanting to laugh inwardly.

The guy was a decent actor, but unfortunately for him, she wasn’t so easily fooled.

’I saw Nicholas’s entire fight crystal clear. He summoned and dismissed those guns from thin air; there’s no way they were "destroyed." This kid is clearly trying to play dumb and test my limits.’

Seraphina didn’t call him out on it. She just gave Nicholas a meaningful look that made his skin crawl.

She had already used her Eye of Resume on Nicholas the moment she saw him.

She already knew his current stats.

[Name: Nicholas Jensen]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills:

Talent · Mobile Doll: Can bring toys to life.

Talent · Metal Control: Can manipulate metal with spiritual power.]

[Weaknesses: Extreme Mysophobia]

Seeing his stats, a flash of surprise crossed Seraphina’s eyes.

Besides the "Mobile Doll" Talent she already knew about, he also had "Metal Control"?

’Just as I thought. Anyone who can survive this long in the brutal Doomsday Game and do well for themselves is no simple character. They all have an ace or two up their sleeve.’

Seeing Nicholas keep up his charade, Seraphina couldn’t help but feel a little mischievous herself.

She deliberately played along, putting on an "I’m very easygoing" expression:

"Hmm, alright. Seeing as you’re quite badly injured."

Seraphina’s tone softened. "In that case, why don’t you tell me what specific abilities you have? If your abilities can help me out in this dungeon, perhaps that can count as you ’repaying your debt.’"

Nicholas seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at this. He quickly demonstrated, "My Ability is Metal Control. Like this, I can manipulate metal objects."

As he spoke, he focused his mind. A piece of rusted sheet metal on the ground wobbled into the air and spun clumsily in front of him a couple of times.

Watching this clearly restrained, even perfunctory, demonstration, Seraphina laughed to herself.

’Still putting on an act for me? That’s it, just controlling a small piece of metal? The storm of metal from that volley of a dozen guns earlier wasn’t nearly this gentle. Fine, if you want to play games, I’ll play along. I’ll make you willingly become my conscripted labor, churning out weapons nonstop.’

A plan for "exploitation" was already taking shape in Seraphina’s mind.