"Marlene?!"

Seeing the girl in front of him suddenly fall, Rod was also taken aback, he hurriedly stepped forward to hug the girl's body, frowned and looked at Marlene carefully. Soon, Rhodes noticed that Marlene's face was flushed, her breathing was short, beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on her forehead, and even through her clothes, she could feel that the temperature of the girl's soft delicate body was abnormally high. Even if he didn't need to use a thermometer to measure it, Rhodes could feel that Marlene's body temperature was probably over fifty degrees at the moment, and she was heading towards the sixty mark. If it were an ordinary human, the high fever alone would be enough for her.

"Lijie, come and see."

Slowly placing Marlene on the stone pillar next to him and sitting down, Rod immediately gestured to Lijie. At the moment, Marlene's situation is obviously not normal, although it is not said that there are no injuries in this world, but the general illness is simply ignored by Rhodes and the others. And before coming here, Marlene didn't show any illness, so what's going on with such a sudden scene?

"Please show me, Mr. Rhodes!"

At this moment, Lijie also hurriedly trotted over, half-squatted beside Marlene, and stretched out her hand to put it on the girl's forehead. Soon, a burst of white light radiated from Lijie's palm, and it didn't take long for Marlene's whole body to envelop her. This is a unique technique of spiritual masters, and with the use of this spiritual technique, as long as it is not a mortal disease, then it can basically be cured. But looking at Marlene's expression right now, Rhodes was not able to put his mind at ease, in his experience, if the aborigines who are generally responsible for leading the way have problems in the exclusive dungeon, then it is probably not something that can be done casually. Although it is now the realm of reality, it is estimated that this law will not change much. Marlene suddenly had such a high fever, but there was no prelude. Just now. When Rod asked her to touch the corpse for the second time, Marlene still behaved very normally, otherwise Rod would not have felt it at all. But in the blink of an eye, things have changed 360 degrees——— for Rod, this is really a good thing or a bad thing.

Sure enough, under Lijie's performance, the healing technique quickly had an effect. I saw that the gentle white aura enveloped Marlene's whole person. Then the red tide on the girl's face seemed to subside, and the originally rapid breathing gradually became stable. But at the moment when the healing aura disappeared, the high fever that had been finally contained just now broke out again, and the cheeks that had already receded from redness were covered with red tides again, and even seemed to be even more powerful than before.

"This is not a simple illness.........

As a spirit master, Li Jie was naturally experienced in this kind of situation, and seeing that the healing technique had no effect, Li Jie immediately raised her hands. Then, as she moved, a gorgeous circular circle appeared between her hands, and then gradually descended, scanning Marlene's body up and down. But instead of relaxing, Lijie's face became more and more solemn.

"It's not a curse either......... What happened to Marlene? ”

"Not a curse?"

Hearing this, Rod raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked. He had thought that Marlene's current situation must be the result of some kind of curse. After all, in the game, there are not without cases where the descendants of an ancient family have returned to the ancient ruins of their own family, and there have been problems of one kind or another because of the curses and other things lurking in the bloodline. So for the first time, Rod thought that Marlene was likely to be like this because of some kind of curse lurking in her body, but now listen to Lijie's words. Isn't this a curse?

"No, Mr. Rhodes. It's not some kind of curse. ”

Hearing Rod's inquiry, Lijie hurriedly explained.

"I've just fully probed Marlene's body, and the Ring of Detection I use is pure soul power, so any energy fluctuations that could cause harm to the user will be revealed. However, there was no reaction on the Circle of Detection, which means that Marlene is not injured and sick. There was no curse either. ”

So what's going on right now?

Rhodes frowned, this was even more tricky than hearing that Marlene had been hit by some kind of curse or toxin, and that everything was normal but it seemed so abnormal, which was a big problem in itself. Without any anomalies, it is impossible for Marlene to suddenly fall into a coma with a high fever, but here's the problem. Now that Lijie really can't detect any anomalies, is there anything else she has overlooked, or not noticed?

"Huh?"

But at this moment, Anne, who was standing next to her, narrowed her eyes, and then twitched her little nose slightly.

"This taste......... It feels a lot like Anne back then, Captain. ”

"At the time?"

"It's when Anne awakens her power, and it feels like this. There was a very strong force in her body, like a fireball that wrapped Anne in it and burned it, and Anne felt like she was about to become her favorite barbecue. You can smell that kind of smell on Sister Marlene now, right? The smell of that powerful force is emanating from Sister Marlene's body, and Anne can smell it very clearly. ”

Bloodline Awakening?

Hearing Anne's words, Rhodes was slightly stunned, he didn't explore what Annie said about "taste", as long as it was related to combat and strength, Anne always had an innate intuition and keen senses that others couldn't learn, which even Rhodes sighed to himself. Since Anne said so, is there any power that Marlene has awakened right now? This is not normal, unlike a half-beast like Annie, Marlene is the heir of the Shania family, isn't the Shania family pure human? I haven't heard any strange rumors in their family.

“————！！”

At this moment, Rhodes suddenly sensed that something seemed to be wrong, he frowned, and quickly looked around, only to find that the light emitting a faint golden light was like a spider web covering the entire hall, and its center point was the gear-shaped staff that Marlene held tightly in her right hand!

Worst!

Under normal conditions, Rhodes would not ignore this strange anomaly at all. But just now, Lijie connected and used two spiritual arts, both of which belong to the kind of sound and light special effects that are very conspicuous, and this golden light is too faint, plus the entire hall is scattered everywhere with the fragments of the previous boss construction, Rod's attention is also on Marlene's body. Only then did he not notice the anomaly in the first place, and at this moment, when he noticed that the flow of magic around him began to change, it was too late. I don't know if it was a coincidence or an inevitability, just when Rod noticed that something was wrong and was about to take out the summoning card to deal with the situation in front of him, the originally faint golden light suddenly became extremely dazzling and bright. Immediately afterward, the fluctuations of space came. Rod felt nothing but emptiness beneath his feet, and then a boundless darkness enveloped everything.

I don't know how long it took for the ubiquitous weightlessness to finally disappear, and Rod's feet slowly stepped onto the flat and smooth ground, and as far as the eye could see, it was pitch black all around. The darkness that he couldn't see even his own presence was indistinguishable, but in the next moment. Bright, dazzling brilliance tore through the darkness and illuminated the scene in front of you.

"It's ..............."

Rod narrowed his eyes and looked cautiously at everything around him. Under the light of light, he could clearly see that he and the others were standing on a circular metal platform. And at the edge of the platform, countless fences carved with beautiful patterns are buckled upside down like birdcages. But the situation outside is completely unclear, no matter how much Rhodes switches his gaze. All you can see is a patch of white, nothing else. There is no sky. There is no earth, nothing else strange. At this moment, Anne and Lijie also fell beside them, looking at their appearance, it seemed that they had fallen into a deep coma. But wait............... Rod suddenly sensed a problem.

Where did Marlene go?

And at this moment, suddenly, a voice emerged from the void.

"Oh yes......... I really didn't expect it. I'm going to see you here..............."

It was a familiar but somewhat unfamiliar voice to Rhodes. Familiar because he had heard this voice more than once, but strange because of the unprecedented coercion in this voice. It was Rod who had never felt it in the owner of this voice.

"Marlene?"

Rod looked up in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened slightly.

At the top of the cage, Marlene was quietly hovering, her body completely encased in a coffin-like metal instrument, with only her head exposed. Numerous metal wires protrude from it and connect to the fence at the edge of the "birdcage". But for now, Marlene was still in a coma with her eyes closed, so it wasn't her who was speaking. But for Rhodes, the difference isn't huge. Because the one who speaks is also "Marlene".

In front of Rod's eyes, a girl who looked exactly like Marlene was sitting on a throne made entirely of metal, slowly floating downward. However, unlike Marlene, who wore a robe, the girl was wearing a costume similar to a scholar's robe, and in addition, the most eye-catching, and the biggest difference between her and Marlene, was that on both sides of the girl's long silver-white hair, there were two pitch-black, inlaid with gold-rimmed patterns, and sharp horns like bull's horns emerged from them, bending forward and stretching out. Not only that, but the girl's eyes are also unprecedented golden yellow, and the erect pupils like cat's eyes exude unparalleled coercion.

At this moment, the girl leaned back in the chair, her right hand rested on the armrest against her chin, squinted her eyes, and looked at Rhodes in front of her and Lijie and Anne who were unconscious behind him with a little weird smile.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to be able to cross the barrier and come here safely, it seems that my container is really full of feelings for you. But that's fine, I was worried that something would go wrong when I fused, and no matter how much I sacrificed myself, my instinctive desire to survive would still be an obstacle. But since she exhausted her most powerful mental power in order to protect you, then it made me feel relieved. It's just ............" said this, and the girl who looked exactly like Marlene snorted disdainfully. “……… Looking at you, it seems that you don't know anything? Is there really no problem with that? I don't think that's a good solution. ”

“………… Who are you? What do you want to do with Marlene? What is this place? ”

Rod asked in a low voice, taking two steps back without a trace, blocking the two still unconscious creatures behind him. Although I don't know what's going on in front of me, the situation in front of me is weird no matter how you look at it, and looking at the other party's appearance, it's obvious that he is not a good person to talk to. Maybe there will be a big war soon——— most importantly. Rod felt a strong sense of coercion from the other party's body. Although it is not as extraordinary as Irene's extraordinary existence, it is also a very tricky enemy for the current Rod.

However, in the face of Rod's inquiry, the girl did not answer immediately, on the contrary. She chuckled slightly.

"Didn't I think she wouldn't even tell you this? It seems that I must admit that there are times when human thinking is naïve and outlandish. Maybe she thinks it will make you less worried? But in the end, since you've come here, you're going to learn the truth eventually, aren't you? I really can't understand what my container is making such stubborn, meaningless choices about what to do. Don't you have the rational judgment and the computing power to evaluate the results? Looks like I'm going to have to worry about the future..............."

“………………………”

Listening to the self-talk of the girl in front of him, who looked like Marlene, Rhodes was still silent. But at this moment, my mind has already begun to think quickly. Listening to the words of the girl in front of her, Marlene seems to have something to hide from herself, and this matter is harmful to herself, and is inextricably linked to the girl in front of her who looks exactly like Marlene. So, what is Marlene hiding from herself............... However, before Rhodes could come to a result, the girl interrupted his thoughts.

"So, let's start with the intelligence. How much do you know about the Shania family? ”

"Listen to Marlene. The Shania clan is the first human race to obtain the magic technique of creating a fire source from the Creation Dragon Soul, and has served the Creation Dragon Soul for life. ”

"That's right. That's it. ”

Hearing Rod's answer, the girl nodded slightly, and then she raised her head and glanced at the unconscious Marlene with mocking eyes.

"But that's all you know. Then it's up to me to do what she's supposed to do......... As you say. The Shania clan obtained the craftsmanship of the Flame Source and the supreme magic skills from the Genesis Dragon Soul, and they also paid a very large price for this. The so-called equivalent exchange is not so simple. It is foolish, dangerous, and reckless to try to gain divine power as a mortal. So they made a deal. Dedicate the lives and flesh of a clan to me, and for some reason I will guard the source of this sacred flame in their place, keeping it from being consumed by chaos. But instead, they must dedicate to me the most perfect vessel. Two thousand years ago, we made a pact with this, and when the destined chosen one opens the door, it will be the time when I will end my duties and return to the flesh. And now, that moment has come. ”

Hearing this, Rod's face sank slightly, although he didn't know what deal the Shania family made with the girl in front of him two thousand years ago, but it was obvious that from the girl's words just now, he could know that this would definitely not be the development that Rhodes hoped for.

"So, ............... you are"

"By the way, I don't think I have introduced myself yet."

As she spoke, the girl slowly stood up, and with her movements, the metal throne behind the girl quickly began to flip and combine, and then retreated towards the rear.

"I am the one who taught the magic technique possessed by the creation dragon soul to the human race two thousand years ago, and liberated the seal of the magic guide clan............" said this, the girl stretched out her finger against her chin, and a bright and dazzling smile full of majesty and confidence appeared. ……… Although I have learned about your memories from the container, I would still say that the first time we met, a traveler from beyond the void of Vientiane. It's an honor to meet you. ”

“…………… What are you going to do with Marlene? ”

Rod's right hand drooped, and at this moment he had completely entered the battle posture. Seeing his expression, the girl chuckled.

"As you can imagine, according to the agreement between me and the Shania family, the most perfect body has come down here. As with the agreement made thousands of years ago, the Shania family will present this vessel as a gift for my return to my seat. However, I advise you not to act rashly. After the fusion, I will have all her memories, so there is nothing to lose to you about our fusion. And, I'll be a great help to you, and judging by the container's memory, your current situation is not ideal. Mr. Rhodes——— In the heart of the container, you are a very calm person who knows how to calculate the gains and losses. Then I think you should understand that this is good for both of us. Moreover, it was not a result of my coercion, deception, or deception, but a choice made by the container itself of her own volition, and I swear to you in my honor that she knows what she ought to do and what the consequences will ultimately be. But she still decided to come here and carry my power and soul as a sacrifice for my rebirth. Are you willing to let my lovely vessel ruin all the decisions and hard work I've made? ”

The guy ............ So that's it............

Hearing the girl's words, Rod gritted his teeth. He knew that the girl in front of him was not lying, and Marlene must have made a choice of her own volition. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to ask to come with her when she entered the Land of Chaos before, I'm afraid that at that time, she would have already had such an awareness. That's why she hasn't mentioned it to herself, causing Marlene to know very well that if she tells the truth to Rod, then Rod's choice must be to knock herself out and tie her up, and not let her risk her death at all.

“…………… I do see what you mean, young lady, but I'm sorry. I have no interest in this personally, so could you please stop this and give Marlene back to me? ”

“…………… It's funny. ”

Hearing Rod's words, the girl's eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't think that's going to do you any harm, Mr. Rhodes. When I merge with the container, I will have all the memories of herself, I will not forget you, and I will always stand behind you as she wishes, and be your strongest and most advantageous backing. And always satisfy your desire to mate, and not only that, but you will be able to get great help from me. But now, you're going to give it all up? I can't understand, is this any good for you? ”

"It's not a good thing."

Hearing the girl's inquiry, Rod waved his right hand, and soon, a pitch-black long sword appeared in Rhodes' hand.

"But this young lady, you may not know. The so-called man is a kind of cautious creature who likes to be calculating and has a desire to control. For example, they can't accept that their girlfriend has another lover before them, or that women always like to make decisions without listening to their own opinions. Indeed, as you said, Marlene made a decision that was understandable. It's just that I don't like it, as my woman, I made a stupid decision without my permission, and tried to get away with it......... I'm sorry, but I'm not going to accept this kindness. And as punishment, I'm going to pull her back and give her a good spanking so that she knows who has the final say between the two of us. ”

"Interesting thought, it seems that the creature of man is indeed as you say, incomprehensible. It seems that as I thought, blind concealment will only lead to unpredictable and uncertain consequences. ”

Hearing Rod's answer, a slight smile appeared on the girl's face.

"But unfortunately, her body is already full of my strength, and my spirit and soul are about to merge with her. This process cannot be reversed, and I have no intention of stopping it. Because according to the transaction, this is the reward I deserve. ”

"In that case...............

Hearing this, Rod's face changed slightly, and the black long sword flung through the air, bringing up a series of afterimages.

"I'm sorry then, it looks like I'm going to have to figure it out myself." (To be continued......)