Chapter 238: Okiku Suzuri: Xue Ge, You Are My Eternal Happiness! (4K)

Chapter 238: Okiku Suzuri: Xue Ge, You Are My Eternal Happiness! (4K)



Ning Yuantai was the least surprised by Xue Jing's unscathed return.

Holding a half-eaten crab leg in his hand, he greeted Xue Jing with a wave, "Welcome back, Brother Xue. Did you come across the Molten Noble in there?"

Xue Jing rotated his wrist, massaging his hand with his left hand to ease the strain from wielding the Forgotten Giant Sword. He casually asked, "Molten Noble? What's that?"

The name sounded vaguely familiar.

He recalled seeing a book with the title 'Molten Noble' in A-Dream Youqing's hands during one of their previous meetings.

It must have been referring to the small black crystal giant he had just encountered.

"It's a special being from a unique borderland," Ning Yuantai explained.

He paused, sounding a bit uncertain, "Or perhaps it should be called a special...'person'?"

"A person?" Xue Jing furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment before asking, "Do you mean that thing is a primate? That doesn't seem likely."

Okiku Suzuri spoke softly from the side, "No, Xue Ge."

"The Molten Nobles are not primates, and they differ from us even at the most fundamental and basic level of classification... They are silicon-based life forms."

Xue Jing nodded, "I see, just like the 'Living Crystal Seeds', the raw material for the ISE."

No wonder he couldn't absorb its life force with the Dragon Sakura.

Apparently, these silicon-based life forms either don't have the concept of life force, or their 'life force' is fundamentally different from carbon-based life, making it impossible to absorb.

"The reason they are called 'people' is that in their native world, they occupy a similar ecological niche as humans in the natural world, and they possess similar cognitive abilities, even developing their own racial traditions and civilizations..."

"...So, we consider them a more advanced species than the average borderland creature and refer to them as 'Molten Nobles'," Okiku Suzuri added.

Intrigued, Okiku Suzuri asked, "Xue Ge, did you encounter a Molten Noble in there and defeat it?"

Xue Jing nodded, "Yes, it was quite a challenge. It took a lot of effort to finally kill it..."

Ning Yuantai, upon hearing this, proudly sucked on the crab leg in his hand and said, "I knew it. A mere Molten Noble is no match for you, Brother Xue."

"Hmm? Wait a moment."

He felt like he had misheard something, so he asked again, "Brother Xue, did you say you killed it?"

Xue Jing glanced at him, "What is it?"

Ning Yuantai scratched his head, "Huh? You really killed it?"

"It was quite tricky," Xue Jing acknowledged. "I had to smash it several times, but it still wouldn't die. Finally, I had to resort to a special method..."

Upon hearing this, not only Ning Yuantai but also Sophia wore expressions of surprise.

"Brother Xue, you never cease to amaze," Ning Yuantai exclaimed, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Molten Nobles have the ability to control and modify their physical bodies. They can treat all silicon-containing substances as their own parts, melting and installing them onto themselves," Sophia explained, her eyes fixed on Xue Jing.

"Each Molten Noble has different preferences for the silicon-containing substances they melt and incorporate into their bodies, resulting in significant variations in their strength."

"For example, the Molten Noble in there seemed to favor lava... That's why, despite the museum's attempts to contain it, it chose to remain here," she continued.

"These beings can continuously replenish their bodies as long as there is silicon-containing material around. Even if they are damaged, they will recover. They won't die unless they are reduced to the size of a fingernail."

"With your current strength and Martial Realm cultivation, you shouldn't have been able to kill it... So, you must possess a special offensive God-given secret art, don't you?" Sophia opened her fan and gently waved it in front of her, turning to Okiku Suzuri. With a sigh, she added, "Your intuition was spot on... This is an unexpected turn of events. If I had known, I would have just gone in and taken it for myself."

"Never mind, the main purpose was to eat crab, and we've accomplished that."

At that moment, a group of security personnel in bulky blast-proof suits, armed with various weapons and equipment, approached them from the end of the corridor.

Sophia waved her hand dismissively, "Let's go. Little Suzuri, please handle the aftermath."

Okiku Suzuri bowed slightly to her, speaking in Russian, "It's my honor, Sophia Alexandrovna."

Before her words had even finished, the woman named Sophia had vanished from the spot.

Xue Jing had been paying close attention to her, but he still couldn't figure out how she had left so swiftly.

"Lord Xue, leave the rest to me. Could you wait for me by the museum entrance for a moment? I'd like to speak with you further."

Okiku Suzuri turned and spoke softly to Xue Jing, his tone gentle as if murmuring sweet nothings to a lover.

Although Xue Jing found this person a bit unbearable, since he could help him solve the problem of explaining the situation to the museum, he nodded in agreement to the small request of 'speaking further'.

And so, Okiku Suzuri stayed behind to 'explain' to the museum staff what had happened and handle the aftermath, while Xue Jing and Ning Yuantai left the museum and made their way to the front entrance.

"I didn't expect such an unexpected event. Who exactly is that woman, Sophia? For some reason, when she's around, I feel like I can't even speak too loudly."

Ning Yuantai expressed his wonderment.

Xue Jing thought for a moment, his expression a bit odd. "...I think she's quite connected to you."

Although he hadn't heard it directly from Sophia's mouth, judging from her close relationship with Okiku Suzuri and her bold and unrestrained behavior, she was most likely a member of the 'Pranksters'.

And according to A-Dream Youqing, 'Stop the Saber', which Ning Yuantai belonged to, seemed to have a rivalry with the 'Pranksters'.

Ning Yuantai raised an eyebrow at his words. "Really? I feel the same way. There's a strange sense of familiarity about her, like we have some kind of connection."

The two men chatted casually at the entrance, and before long, an elegant and tall figure emerged from the museum.

It was none other than Okiku Suzuri.

"Lord Xue."

As he walked out of the museum, he raised his hand in greeting to Xue Jing.

Ning Yuantai saw this and said, "Xue Ge, I'll head back to the car and wait for you."

Xue Jing nodded, and Ning Yuantai left.

"Suzuri-san, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Xue Jing asked curiously, turning to Okiku Suzuri, who had walked up beside him.

Okiku Suzuri smiled gently. "Lord Xue, you're so cold to me... Is it because my strength isn't enough to ignite your passion?"

Xue Jing moved his lips slightly. "...Actually, there's another reason."

"Another reason?" Okiku Suzuri tilted his head, puzzled.

"Never mind, the fact that I can't spark your fighting spirit is my problem."

He shook his head.

"Lord Xue, ever since I was little, my intuition has always been spot on."

Okiku Suzuri took two steps forward.

"No matter who it is, just from the first glance, I can roughly sense what kind of person they are, even their strength, potential... those unseen things."

"Lord Xue, do you know what I felt when I first saw you?"

Xue Jing wasn't really interested and casually replied, "Oh? What did you feel?"

Okiku Suzuri turned to look at him, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit. But perhaps because of his overly delicate features, he somehow looked like he was gazing at Xue Jing lovingly.

"I can't win against this person... I absolutely can't win, no matter what."

"Do you understand this feeling, Lord Xue?"

Xue Jing crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don't."

Okiku Suzuri smiled and said softly, "Then let me put it another way... Lord Xue, do you know what kind of game is the most boring?"

This time, before Xue Jing could answer, he continued, "It's the most boring kind of game when everything is prepared for you, and you can easily win without any challenge."

"As one of the heirs to the six major zaibatsu in the Far East... I'm not dissatisfied with my birth, and I'm actually quite grateful. But in this world, there's no such thing as an absolutely good or absolutely bad thing. Everything has two sides."

Okiku Suzuri spoke softly, "I had almost everything from the moment I was born... But because of that, I also lost almost everything."

"Sense of accomplishment, sense of achievement, sense of gain... My efforts were meaningless. Since I could easily get whatever I wanted, it also meant that getting anything would not bring me the corresponding happiness and fulfillment."

"Others may find this pretentious... But these are my true feelings."

"That's why, in the end, I came to love 'Old Martial Arts'... It's one of the few things that I have to rely on my own efforts to obtain."

Xue Jing nodded. "Mhm... I understand a little."

Okiku Suzuri smiled and continued, "However, as you know, even in the field of 'Old Martial Arts', where personal talent and hard work play a major role, the influence of resources is still crucial. I had the best teachers, the best martial arts, the best medicines... Soon, I surpassed everyone who started out with me.

"The sense of satisfaction that comes with victory can only be attained by defeating a formidable opponent. No one would feel proud of squashing an ant."

"From my childhood until now, everyone I've encountered has fallen into one of two categories: 'Those I can beat' or 'Those I will eventually beat'."

"But you, Lord Xue, are the exception."

Okiku Suzuri clenched his hand into a fist, a slight tremble in his voice.

"In the instant I laid eyes on you, my instinct conceded defeat even before my thoughts could catch up. I can't win, I absolutely can't, not now or ever."

Xue Jing: "..."

"But that's precisely what makes it so exciting!"

Okiku Suzuri's voice quivered with enthusiasm.

"A challenge that is absolutely impossible to overcome is something I've never encountered in my life!"

"If I could somehow surpass this, if I could achieve what should be unattainable, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction I would feel... that would be the greatest happiness!"

"Lord Xue, you are my eternal happiness!"

"..." Hearing the tender confession from Okiku Suzuri, whose voice was softer than a woman's, Xue Jing shuddered.

"This..."

He hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Although he understood Okiku Suzuri's intentions, the way he phrased it was... a bit too bold.

Xue Jing cleared his throat. "Suzuri-san, I have a question for you as well."

Okiku Suzuri looked at him gently. "Please ask."

"Hmm... Are you heterosexual?" Xue Jing asked bluntly.

Okiku Suzuri paused for a moment, then smiled. "I'm attracted to the opposite sex."

Xue Jing breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good... "

But before he could fully relax, Okiku Suzuri's next words sent a shiver down his spine.

"However... if it's you, Lord Xue, I could become a 'dual-wielder'..." Okiku Suzuri said with a smile that sent a chill down Xue Jing's spine.

Xue Jing's jaw dropped, and he took a few steps back. "No... that's not necessary. Please, just stick to using one 'blade'."

Seeing the usually calm and collected Xue Jing flustered by his words, Okiku Suzuri burst into a cheerful laugh, his voice as crisp and pleasant as bells.

"Hehehehe... So, this is Lord Xue's weakness. I'll have to make use of this in the future."

Xue Jing sighed. "You've got me there. I admit defeat. Please don't play with me like that."

Once Okiku Suzuri's laughter subsided, Xue Jing asked, "By the way, who was that woman from the Arctic Federation?"

"Are you interested in her, Lord Xue?" Okiku Suzuri asked. "She's one of us 'Pranksters'..."

Xue Jing replied casually, "Not particularly... I'm just curious about how she left just now. I couldn't even tell how she disappeared."

Okiku Suzuri smiled in realization. "I see... Indeed, her method was quite unusual, and it's understandable that you would be curious."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Actually, she didn't really 'leave'. She 'disappeared'."

Xue Jing furrowed his brows. "Oh?"

"Sophia Alexandrovna Yevna... She is the only remaining female grand duchess of the Second Arctic Federation and the sole 'noble' with a title." Okiku Suzuri smiled.

"The one we met earlier... to be precise, was not her physical self but more like an 'avatar'."

"She simply made that 'avatar' disappear..."

Xue Jing nodded in understanding. "I see..."

...

Xue Jing didn't linger long with Okiku Suzuri and soon bid him farewell.

Now that he understood the source of Okiku Suzuri's peculiar enthusiasm towards him, he felt relieved... but not entirely.

The statement about becoming a 'dual-wielder' still lingered in Xue Jing's mind, leaving a cloud over his thoughts and making him reluctant to spend time alone with Okiku Suzuri.

"This guy's 'intuition' is too overpowered."

"It's almost like having the ability to 'predict the future'."

Xue Jing shook his head as he thought about Okiku Suzuri's description of his intuition.

This was bordering on the realm of superpowers.

He would have to be cautious of this aspect when facing Okiku Suzuri on the stage.

After boosting his Divinity at the museum, Xue Jing lost interest in continuing to shop. He asked Ning Yuantai to drive him back to the Zhiguo base.

Upon returning to the villa, Xue Jing opened his skill panel and gazed at the displayed value of 3,802 Divinity, lost in thought.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end