Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 248 - 069. Mingji Pioneer

Chapter 248: 069. Mingji Pioneer

At Triangle Town, the coffee is not sweetened with sugar, but cinnamon powder is added instead. Because the water used is not distilled, the taste of the coffee has a distinct mineral quality. The initial bitterness and the smooth cinnamon powder can mask the harshness of the hard water.

Guided by the Lord of Oakland, Li Aozi entered the conference room, where the first sight to catch his eye was four or five individuals dressed in special bulletproof gear and white lab coats—bioengineers. Each of them bore clear signs of cybernetic modifications, such as eel-style bioelectricity, spider-silk gloves, and insect-like exoskeletons around their arms. They all still looked somewhat human, but Li Aozi estimated that their level of modification was not inferior to that of the Infant Eater.

These bioengineers were men and women, including faces from Red Arrow and Zhengxu People, all academic elites. They were uniformly dressed in uniforms from a research institution under Mingji Heavy Industries, resembling employees of some NGO.

In fact, given Mingji Heavy Industries’ nature, it resembled a GTB focused on biotechnology, aiming to consolidate the strength of the entire world to develop and promote the advancement of biological engineering technology.

A major feature of the Fine Artistry series is that the deeper the knowledge they master, the stronger their combat ability becomes. In turn, they can acquire new knowledge through combat, forming an extremely efficient virtuous cycle. In the later stages, Transcendents from the Fine Artistry series are often smarter and stronger than others.

Now, these talented individuals from the global community of biotechnology, crowding around a woman with an elegant figure and graceful posture, radiated the charm of a mature woman with her grey hair and green eyes.

"Good day, ’Catastrophe’ Mr. Li Aozi."

The woman casually sat on the sofa, her attire unlike the bioengineers, who wore heavy armors with five layers of bulletproof plates and white lab coats. Instead, she wore a low-cut evening gown that transitioned from purple to blue to white, as if she was wrapped in the night sky itself.

With a sheer shawl draped over her shoulders and bare feet on the woolen carpet, she wore bracelets woven from unidentified herbs on her pale wrists and ankles. The fresh, almost dripping, and hallucinogenic scent of the plant jewelry matched her delicate body without looking cheap but rather chic.

The woman looked to be in her twenties, much younger than any professor and even at first glance, appeared younger than Li Aozi, who had been ravaged by war. The fluorescent neuro-link tubes intertwined within her grey hair added a sci-fi ambiance to her beauty. Her green cat-like eyes were lively, and the fluttering of her long lashes only enhanced her aesthetic allure.

But Li Aozi knew one thing: never guess the age of a bioengineer.

The younger and more beautiful a bioengineer appears, the further they have ventured into the field of biotechnology, equipped with the confidence and power to modify themselves. Thus, their beautiful appearance becomes a direct tool to display their strength and status.

Professor from Mingji, who was over 90 years old, still maintained the beautiful appearance and youthful body of someone around 30. However, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes proved that she had reached her limit. And in front of him was the professor’s mentor.

Was she at least thirty years older than the professor? Or even forty, fifty, or perhaps a hundred years older.

For Transcendents, lifespan was meaningless; the pathway was essentially the Path to Divinity. A child of several years and an elf of several centuries could be indistinguishable at times.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. You may call me N4—though, the outside world generally refers to me as ’Pioneer.’

N4 rose lazily; her supple body looked so fragile that one might worry she’d get hurt stepping on the cold floor. She gracefully approached, her green eyes seeming to see through flesh, exchanging a few glances with Li Aozi. Seemingly understanding something, she crossed her legs, turned her face, and despite being right in front of Li Aozi, did nothing but put on an indifferent air.

Li Aozi had his arms crossed, but realizing that this gesture implied ’wariness,’ he lowered them and took off his gloves, extending his hand.

"Li Aozi."

He simply introduced himself.

The air was filled with the heavy aroma of cinnamon coffee and the burning flames of a fireplace, yet gave no sense of warmth.

N4, seeing him lower his guard, immediately revealed a half-smiling expression. She shook hands with Li Aozi, her touch cool, a stark contrast to the warmth of Alicxia that could melt the snow of winter, which made Li Aozi slightly uncomfortable.

— He did not like the woman. Engrained in his instincts, the discomfort that a Mutant felt towards bioengineers, their natural enemies, kept Li Aozi’s muscles tensed, ready for battle.

Just then, the tall woman suddenly stood on tiptoes, bringing the scent of lavender with her as she leaned on Li Aozi’s shoulder, whispering in his ear:

"Don’t be afraid, I won’t eat you."

Her voice was a mixture of crushed ice and fruit juice, ostensibly blowing warm air into his ear but sending a refreshing pleasure down to his heel. Li Aozi felt a buzzing in his ears and a tingling sensation up his spine.

"Or is it that Mr. Li Aozi is enjoying this?"

[You have been subjected to a ’Charm’... assessing...]

[Specialty · [Unilateral Action] activated!]

[Assessment a great success! You have resisted the effects of this Charm and remain clear-headed.]

N4’s Charm was high, certainly not less than 60 points—but for Li Aozi, who had an actual benefit of 100.1 points of Charm, it was inadequate to beguile him.

If it had been any ordinary person, they probably would’ve been completely conquered by N4’s bare feet, smooth and pristine like pearls.

The more she told Li Aozi not to be nervous, the more focused and cautious he became.

Aside from her Charm, N4’s Intelligence was even more terrifying.

However, since N4 used her Charm to test him—Li Aozi was not going to be polite anymore.

He suddenly grabbed N4’s palm, lowered his head, and gently kissed the back of her hand. The runes shimmered within his gray eyes, displaying a magical hue that virgin to the people of Azure Star and completely different from their technology.

"Forgive me for being shy, Ms. N4. When I see a beautiful person, I just don’t know how to respond," he said.

As Li Aozi spoke, his tone was filled with undeniable aggressiveness, Charm running at full throttle, an offensive turn as he leaned slightly towards her cheek, his lips curving into a friendly smile:

"Luckily, your beauty isn’t blinding at all, it’s dismissed all my nervousness and worries. I mean, you are beautiful, like a soda fresh from the fridge—without the chill and fizz, the allure would not exist."

Ever since he had acquired the Personality Deduction from the Mingji Professor, he had found himself speaking like the Mingji Professor now and then, with an indescribable feeling.

Now, having met N4, he understood—the women of Mingji Humanity were all PUA masters!

Even though N4’s level of Intelligence was high, the transcendent Charm of Li Aozi still caught her off guard. When she withdrew her hand, a fleeting expression of ’soul loss’ crossed her face before being replaced with interest.

"I’ve heard much about Mr. Leoz and have always wanted to meet you in person. Sure enough, you’re even more handsome in person than in videos—a truly charming and well-formed young beauty," she said.

"I’m flattered, but as for you, Ms. N4, the moment I saw you, I liked you from the bottom of my heart, like a sister, like family," replied Li Aozi warmly and candidly while naturally conveying his own intentions. "If you have anything to say, just speak freely. I already consider you my sister."

"You’re the pretty one, and that would be enough, but I didn’t expect you to have such a sweet tongue," she said.

N4 chuckled softly, effortlessly concealing her thoughts. She stood with one hand on her hip, her gaze wandering to the coffee on the table. She then crouched like a young girl in front of the table, picked up the coffee cup, and took a deep inhale of its aroma, as if its warm steam had soothed her heart.

"Such a sweet flavor. Cinnamon and coffee are indeed a match made in heaven—Li Aozi, why don’t you also try this coffee?"

With her back turned to Li Aozi, she turned her head, her green eyes full of excitement:

"Come on. I want to give you my whole day today."

At this point, Li Aozi understood what exactly she was thinking.

She was just whetting his appetite, creating a sense of mystery and stimulating his curiosity. The upcoming rhetoric would be to gradually throw out tempting information to get him on board.

"Ms. N4," Li Aozi said, "we’re all in this together. Surely the professor’s death doesn’t bother you, does it?"

—Like dragging out the rhythm? Li Aozi decided to drop a bombshell!

He scanned her with the Eye of Truth, and it showed that N4’s Main Profession was a level 80 Biochemist with Intelligence at 99, Constitution at 86, and Charm at 63—impressive attributes indeed.

However, Intelligence isn’t a directly influential attribute. Li Aozi had only 7 points in Intelligence, barely enough for college on Frost Plated, but that didn’t prevent him from using his rich Experience and powerful Charm to maneuver.

In nature, Charm, Strength, and Constitution are the most core and directly effective attributes, while Intelligence manifests indirectly through language, tools, and manipulation.

Moreover, the Aura of Goodwill skill passively rendered all of Li Aozi’s words and actions as devoid of malicious intent in the eyes of others.

"Well..." N4 stretched out her voice, purring languidly like a lazy cat.

"I do consider you family. Or is it that you don’t trust me?" Li Aozi lamented, raising his hands woefully:

"Even though I know you as a Biochemist, filled with disease and toxins, someone who might even bear enmity against their students, and we can’t even be considered compatriots or countrymen—even knowing you could be dangerous, I still chose to trust you."