This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 682 - 356 Cautious Nicholas

Chapter 682: Chapter 356 Cautious Nicholas

"Additionally..." Nicholas paused, "I haven’t agreed to this deal yet."

"Oh?" Robbin was surprised.

Nicholas asked, "Though ordinary people certainly don’t know Robbin is by Li Ming’s side, certain factions do know this information. How do you prove that you’re Robbin?"

"You want me to prove I’m me?" Robbin was visibly taken aback and then sneered, "Should I snap a photo of Li Ming on the spot?"

"Alright."

Robbin froze, then said coldly, "You’re trying to get me killed. Do you think he’s an idiot? How could I take a stealth shot?"

Nicholas’s gaze remained frosty: "Indeed. I’m wondering, how did you contact me? This... wouldn’t happen to be a trap, would it?"

Albert’s complex expression revealed the thought process of someone with a duke’s title—ruthless and wary.

If not for the unexpected emergence of the Hammer Divine Craftsman and Reina’s death, the Azure Dragon would indeed have a much harder time.

Robbin stayed silent, the faint sound of him grinding his teeth could be heard. "You nobles, all of you must be paranoid, huh?"

"Li Ming, that bastard, dragged me here to the Dimension World—do you think I wanted to come? Did I team up with him to frame you guys? You think I have a death wish?"

Nicholas stroked his chin, his expression betraying no hints of judgment. People like Robbin were vultures, drawn to carrion.

"Where did you take him?" Nicholas pressed further.

"...To a section of the Dimension World, but we didn’t reach the target location. Austin’s transport channel collapsed, and I got the Terrax Stone from there. By the way, that place originally belonged to the Holy Silver Civilization, but it seems you Star Abyss Empire folks later took over." Robbin said coldly.

"Hmm?" Nicholas was startled. He hadn’t heard about this; the Dimension World had always been the royal family’s private domain. A disgraceful event like this would certainly be kept under wraps.

"And you..." Nicholas attempted to ask further but was abruptly cut off by Robbin: "Screw it. If you don’t believe me, so be it. You’re freeloading off my intel—I’m done."

"Li Ming isn’t the only one you people are looking for. Go to hell."

Robbin cursed angrily and terminated the communication.

Nicholas’s face darkened briefly, then recomposed. He seemed lost in thought.

"You don’t trust him?" Albert hesitated.

"The closer to the critical moment, the more vigilant we need to be." Nicholas frowned. Though he said this, Robbin directly ending the call did take him by surprise.

"I think you should agree to his conditions. Whatever they are, he will have to show up to collect them." Albert suggested.

Nicholas nodded, "But..."

"You’re worried about being ambushed by Azure Dragon?" Albert ventured cautiously.

Nicholas’s expression darkened, but he didn’t bother to deny it. He nodded, "That’s right. Azure Dragon is too enigmatic. The group of old folks at the Empire Science Academy may sound overly alarmist, but their warnings can’t be ignored."

"Li Ming isn’t important. Where he is doesn’t really matter; what’s crucial is Azure Dragon."

"With the chaos surrounding the Hammer Divine Craftsman, surely Azure Dragon wouldn’t let Li Ming act independently."

"If it is an ambush, it might actually be a good thing." Albert speculated, "Remember, Prince Costat is also deeply concerned about this matter."

Nicholas’s heart skipped a beat; he’d almost forgotten. He’d been so entrenched in his factional mindset that he’d disregarded the royal family’s potential usefulness.

"If you’re unsure, you could have Prince Costat lead a team personally. With him there, Azure Dragon won’t be able to stir up any trouble." Albert suggested.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes slightly: "If Azure Dragon dares set up an ambush, Prince Costat might just kill him outright."

"Exactly." Albert nodded, keeping his head lowered.

Nicholas’s lips curled into a grin. He suddenly realized that, for him, there was no downside to this situation.

He was acting under Prince Costat’s orders, so in scenarios like this, he could completely turn over the responsibility to Costat.

But he quickly restrained his thoughts and issued a directive: "Still, we need to verify Robbin’s claims. Send someone to contact Austin and confirm whether the transport channel did collapse."

"I’ll go check with the royal family about the Dimension World where the Terrax Stone was stolen."

Albert nodded.

...

In the room, Robbin, having ended the communication, broke into a cold sweat and exclaimed, "Those bastards are really sharp—what a headache."

Nicholas’s repeated questioning had nearly cornered him. If not for his seasoned cunning, throwing lies without hesitation, he might not have held his ground.

"Still, I feel like he’s about to believe me. Why did you make me cut the communication so abruptly?" Robbin couldn’t help but glance at Li Ming.

"It’s not that simple." Li Ming shook his head. "Anything said now is superficial. He needs to confirm your identity and the truth of your claims before he truly believes you."

"Even if he does believe, it’s just the starting point. Nicholas holds the advantage right now, with access to extensive resources for verification."

Robbin swallowed hard at these words. Though he’d dealt with tricks and schemes before, he’d never encountered someone like Nicholas who could mobilize such comprehensive resources for scrutiny.

"Then how can we ambush him?" Robbin asked, puzzled.

"Who said I plan to ambush him?" Li Ming retorted.

"If you’re not ambushing him, why make me pretend to betray you?" Robbin asked, still confused.

Li Ming didn’t answer directly. Instead, he casually tossed a millstone-sized metal base toward Robbin, explaining, "Gravity Control Device—maximum output of 300 times. Within its field, Genetic Seed development speeds up significantly."