Chapter 41: Su the Great Bluffer Makes His Entrance Again
Su Xiao locked eyes with the Wolf Butler. In the past, the Wolf Butler would have shown no fear toward Su Xiao, and would have been looking for any opportunity to eliminate him at any moment.
But now, the look in Su Xiao's eyes—as if he wanted to dismantle the Wolf Butler and study his structure—instilled a primal fear in the Wolf Butler. This was a fear that alchemical creatures could never shake off, no matter how powerful they were.
"Fascinating."
Su Xiao withdrew that gaze, and the Wolf Butler's tense body relaxed.
"What's the matter? Still not taking me to the treasure vault? Since you're Alice's alchemical creature, my reward this time…"
Su Xiao's meaning was clear.
"Don't worry, I won't make you my subordinate. I'll just dismantle you and use your parts to create other alchemical creatures."
These words sent a chill through the Wolf Butler's heart. To some extent, he was indeed Alice's property.
"Follow me."
The Wolf Butler turned and walked back into the wooden cabin. Su Xiao followed closely behind. His earlier words were merely a warning to the Wolf Butler. The Wolf Butler's hostile attitude had been too obvious, to the point of using loopholes in the rules to obstruct Su Xiao.
Faced with this situation, Su Xiao naturally wouldn't ignore it. He had noticed earlier that the Wolf Butler's aura was similar to that of an alchemical creature. As for whether the Wolf Butler was actually an alchemical creature, Su Xiao had only been guessing.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiao's guess was correct. The previously arrogant Wolf Butler was now much less so.
Since he couldn't establish a friendly relationship with the Wolf Butler, Su Xiao took a different approach and chose to exploit the other's weakness.
As the saying goes, "The local magistrate is more important than the emperor." Alice might be the false god of the castle, but the Wolf Butler was the game's referee and host. The Wolf Butler's hostile attitude toward Su Xiao had already affected Su Xiao's ability to receive his rewards normally.
If Su Xiao hadn't said those words, the Wolf Butler might have stood there for who knows how long. Su Xiao was the victor of the fourth game, but there was no rule specifying when the reward would be distributed. It could be right after the game ended, or it could be several hundred years later?
That had been the Wolf Butler's intention just now—to stall. When the fifth game ended, Su Xiao would leave. It wasn't that the reward hadn't been given; it was sitting right there. Su Xiao just "didn't have time" to collect it.
Both the Wolf Butler and Su Xiao entered the wooden cabin. The Wolf Butler twisted a lamp holder on the wall. The cabin trembled and began to descend slowly, like an elevator.
The cabin's descent speed increased. Su Xiao let out a long breath. The reward should be within reach now.
"You're very knowledgeable about alchemy?"
The Wolf Butler suddenly spoke. Unexpectedly, his tone was no longer as hostile as before.
"Hmm?"
Su Xiao glanced sideways at the Wolf Butler. This question from the Wolf Butler carried many implications.
"Is this place not under Alice's surveillance?"
"…"
The Wolf Butler remained silent. This was essentially a confirmation. Noticing this, a strange light flickered in Su Xiao's eyes.
"As expected, alchemical creatures shouldn't be given too much intelligence. No intelligent being is willing to remain a servant, let alone an alchemical creature, which is essentially a puppet on strings."
In Su Xiao's understanding, Bubu Wang was not a servant. Bubu Wang was a teammate, which was why he had always fought alongside Su Xiao.
"…"
The Wolf Butler still remained silent.
"Give it up. If I'm not mistaken, there are at least tens of thousands of restraining alchemical formations inside you. Gaining freedom is simply impossible."
"Is there… not even a glimmer of hope? I've already forgotten how many years I've served as the butler in this castle, receiving batch after batch of game participants. You first-timers experience this game and don't feel weary, but I… I've long grown tired of it."
The Wolf Butler pressed his hand to his chest, where his core was located.
"You want to betray Alice."
"Absolutely not. Queen Alice is my creator. I would never betray her, under any circumstances."
Su Xiao looked into the Wolf Butler's eyes. The other didn't seem to be lying. This made him think: since the Wolf Butler wasn't trying to betray Alice, nor was he simply tired of the game (his earlier behavior showed he actually enjoyed it), then if he wanted to shed his identity as an alchemical creature without betraying Alice, there was only one answer—the Wolf Butler didn't have much time left.
No matter how advanced an alchemical creature was, it had a "shelf life." For example, the alchemical ravens Su Xiao created had a lifespan of only about half a month. Once that time was up, the ravens would break down. Even if new ones were made, they would be different life entities. The previous raven would no longer exist.
The Wolf Butler's situation might be similar. Su Xiao's alchemy might not be as strong as Alice's, but no matter how powerful an alchemist was, they couldn't change one fact: they couldn't extend the existence time of an alchemical creature. This was an unbreakable rule. No matter how superb the alchemy, it was useless.
Realizing that the Wolf Butler's time was running out, a chill ran through Su Xiao's heart. He considered whether the Wolf Butler might try to take him down with him before breaking down.
Given the Wolf Butler's morbidly loyal attitude toward Alice, this wasn't just possible—it was highly likely.
Suddenly, the descending cabin was filled with killing intent. Su Xiao didn't show any nervousness. Instead, he took out a cigarette and lit it.
Blue smoke drifted. The fastidious alchemical creature, the Wolf Butler, frowned.
"The possibility of you breaking free from Alice's restraints is slim. However, there is a possibility for alchemical creatures to evolve to a higher level. To be precise, it's an extremely risky mutation—the irreversible process of an alchemical creature mutating into a living being."
"Impossible. Queen Alice has tried many times."
The Wolf Butler flatly denied it.
"What Alice can't do doesn't mean the existence behind me can't. Where do you think I come from?"
"…"
The Wolf Butler nodded thoughtfully. Noticing this, Su Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Mutation? Bullshit. Su Xiao had made that up five seconds ago. It didn't exist at all. Right now, he needed to stabilize the Wolf Butler, give this alchemical creature hope, and make him abandon the idea of a desperate fight to the death.
If Alice and the Wolf Butler actually tried it, Su Xiao would congratulate them—on exploring a field that didn't exist.
"Mutation is very rare because the risk is too high. For an alchemical creature of your level, if the mutation fails, the consequences are unknown."
"What's the specific process?"
The Wolf Butler was intrigued. Although his hostility hadn't disappeared, in his eyes, Su Xiao now had value.
"Mutation is divided into three stages: decomposition, condensation, and mutation. I don't know the specific steps. As for other information, that depends on my mood."
Su Xiao's mind raced. He was having trouble keeping up the fabrication. With Alice's knowledge, any made-up nonsense would definitely be seen through. What Su Xiao could rely on was the mystery of the Reincarnation Paradise.
Su Xiao was gambling—gambling that Alice didn't understand the Reincarnation Paradise.
As things developed, Su Xiao actually breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Fortunately, he had taken the initiative to expose the Wolf Butler's identity. If the previous state had continued, the Wolf Butler would very likely have tried to fight to the death with him before the fifth game ended, since his time was running out.