Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 753: The Shape of Voice (Part 1)

Chapter 753: The Shape of Voice (Part 1)

Elisa glanced at the messenger from the Royal Palace, a standard Gnome in every sense of the term, who looked at her with a hint of subservience, awaiting the answer she would give.

As a daughter of a side branch of the royal family, Elisa actually didn’t have much in the way of choices. For instance, when His Majesty the King inquired about the dining scene involving Malin and the two young members of the Svenson family, she could but tell all.

That was the sorrow of being from a side branch, she thought to herself, while she involuntarily remembered Malin—a man of such incredible accomplishments. Although he didn’t really look like a man now, any one of his military records was the stuff of legendary stories that only heroes from history books could achieve.

How wonderful it would have been if he could take her away... Alas, she wasn’t born in the Purple Chamber, unlike Lulu and the two young members of the Svenson family.

Fate had been too cruel to a weak woman like herself.

"Miss Elisa, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave," said the messenger.

"Go back and tell my uncle," she replied.

After seeing off the Gnome, the somewhat disheartened princess returned to the living room. The brothers from the Svenson family were still chatting with Malin, and their conversation had reached the topic of the afternoon’s combat. Hearing them talk about the Chaos Champion they had just slain, Elisa admired Malin once more—Lord Malin was truly remarkable.

Regrettably, such an extraordinary man did not belong to her. Everyone called her Helen, the legendary woman of the past. It was a pity that aside from resembling this legend, she was completely different in every other respect.

"Come, I’ve brought you some fresh fruit from the kitchen." Lulu had entered the hall, holding the dessert tray like a proper hostess, a sign of respect from the Gaiate family to the esteemed Svenson twins.

Elisa stepped back to let Lulu pass, and in response to the puzzled look Lulu cast her way, Elisa could only smile and lower her head.

This damned world, this damned kingdom; everyone is a Noble, so why does something like the Purple Chamber even exist, granting those born there a natural superiority?

Where... exactly is it?

......

After bidding farewell to the two from the Svenson family, Malin glanced at the tiny figure seated on his shoulder. The fairy-bodied Jason tapped his head in agreement, acknowledging the Svenson twins’ words: "Everything was fine throughout. If they aren’t monsters, they must be truthful. After all, I scanned them a bit and found that these two lads are quite human."

"What do you mean ’quite human’?" asked Malin, curious, "Have we come to a point when there’s such a description as ’quite human’?"

"Of course, both these lads are first-generation Augmented," Jason’s words left Malin a bit startled. "Hold on, what exactly do you mean by first-generation Augmented?"

"The Earth Union’s Armor Assault troop modification process. To meet the demands of combat in outer space, the Earth Union has nine surgical modulation centers in Europe. There should be one in Copenhagen, but I can’t contact the surveillance AI at the center. It’s military-grade, not the same system as I am, so it doesn’t listen to me."

"So, the Nobles in Copenhagen have all undergone surgery?" Malin asked, out of curiosity.

"How could that be? The modification process for Armor Assault troops starts from a young age, and without a solid foundation, such surgery is practically murder. The natural talent of the Svenson family’s twins is visibly exceptional, so it’s normal for AI to help them through the first phase of enhancement."

"You mentioned it’s a process, so why modify only once?" Malin wondered, a mix of puzzlement and misunderstanding in his voice.

"Because phase one involves only the injection of a Strengthening Drug. From phase two onward, artificial lungs are installed, which, unlike Strengthening Drugs that can still be produced post-great destruction as long as the materials exist, are irreplaceable once used up," explained Jason with a sigh. "Lord Malin, you see, the world has degenerated to this extent."

"Don’t worry, we’ll change all of this, I swear," Malin reassured Jason.

"Thank you. Also, I’ve just re-evaluated Lulu’s condition and found that she’s a first-generation Augmented too. It seems she hasn’t enhanced her physique but rather her brain, which is why I hadn’t noticed anything amiss with her."

With Jason’s revelation, Malin realized—no wonder Lulu could keep up with him. With such modifications, not even a prodigy like Clovis could compete with her, let alone Faye Nova.

Counting on his fingers, Malin realized that the girls he liked were either elves, orcs, or Augmented beings—there didn’t seem to be a single normal human among them.

What a headache-inducing fact. As he pondered, Malin returned to the indoors, preferring the warmth of a stove-heated room over the snow outside.

"What’s the matter, over your chat already?" Lulu seemed to have adjusted her attitude these past days and approached Malin to ask.

"Nothing, just thinking about something. Speaking of which, if someone brings the bounty tomorrow, help me accept it. This money can be your pocket money," said Malin, who had just sold off a Champion’s head and was pondering whether there might be a chance to earn another one tomorrow.

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