A Genius’s Pursuit, A Hunter’s Path

The first day without Ming Yu.

It was incredibly dull.

Little Nightingale idly teased Luna in her arms. Her gaze tracked Qing Shui Ling Yin, subtly observing the busy figure, a faint restlessness stirring within her.

Early that morning, shortly after her call with Ming-yu ended, Qing Shui Ling Yin arrived, intending to take her to a different place to stay for a few days.

Little Nightingale followed her into a hovercar. After they finished breakfast at the cafeteria, they arrived at a strangely shaped room.

Inside, a massive workbench dominated the space, laden with metal parts and various tools. Insulated coils lay scattered haphazardly throughout the room.

Beside the workbench, a stream of incomprehensible data flickered across a display screen.

Little Nightingale sat in a corner of the room, paying little attention to her surroundings.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

With that brief instruction, Qing Shui Ling Yin dismissed Little Nightingale, immersing herself in her project. She meticulously recorded the test data displayed on the screen.

Despite never spending time on her appearance, merely tying her waist-length, silky black hair into a simple high ponytail, Qing Shui Ling Yin’s demeanor still commanded attention.

Many of her fellow students, both senior and junior, sought to collaborate with her, yet all were invariably met with refusal.

Qing Shui Ling Yin was, without a doubt, a genius.

In just a few months, through optimized hardware and algorithm refinements, the artificial intelligence she designed boasted iteration speeds and operational performance dozens, even hundreds, of times greater than previous models.

Still, this was far from enough to satisfy her.

Qing Shui Ling Yin had always known that Ming Yu’s profession was a high-risk one, plagued by an extremely high mortality rate.

She firmly believed that if humanity had once conquered nature through intellect, by creating and utilizing tools, then they could certainly do so again now, and even more so in the future.

Only through scientific advancement and technological iteration could problems be fundamentally solved, and nature truly be conquered.

Only then could Ming Yu’s burdens be lightened.

Qing Shui Ling Yin dared not imagine a day when Ming Yu, like countless sea beast hunters, would embark on that fated journey of no return, leaving her forever…

Though Ming Yu had assured her this was merely a routine patrol, Qing Shui Ling Yin remained uneasy, feeling increasingly that time was of the essence.

The project was nearing its conclusion.

Qing Shui Ling Yin donned a helmet bristling with data cables, slipped a specialized black glove onto her right hand, and clenched her fist. She then spoke in a low voice to Apollo, the AI she had designed to assist her research:

“Apollo, prepare for the seventeenth test.”

“Qing Shui, all preparatory procedures are complete. Testing can commence at any time.”

Within the metal helmet, the synthesized female voice was identical to Ming Yu’s. Qing Shui Ling Yin had designed it this way intentionally. Each time she heard Ming Yu’s voice, her motivation would intensify.

On the expansive metal workbench, a colossal, silver-gray metal arm was affixed, its enormous fist tightly clenched, exuding an aura of immense power.

As a surge of electricity hummed, Qing Shui Ling Yin suppressed the slight discomfort in her head, a flicker of madness glinting in her bright eyes.

For every critical live test, she would personally take the helm.

“Initiating connection…”

Apollo’s voice resonated in her ear.

The discomfort that had coiled in her mind gradually receded, replaced by an unprecedented sensation of immense power.

Qing Shui Ling Yin stared intently at her right fist, straining to unclench it.

What normally required but a thought to accomplish was now an arduous struggle, even to move it an inch.

Tiny blood vessels began to surface across the whites of her eyes.

“Clank! Clank!”

Suddenly, a grating sound of metal friction echoed through the room.

Little Nightingale, who had been teasing Luna, was drawn by the commotion.

Lifting Luna, she raised her gaze to see a metal arm, half the size of an adult, resting on the workbench. Its basketball-sized fist slowly began to unfurl.

At last, the metallic knuckles, distinct and defined, were exposed to the air, leaving the massive metal hand in a grasping posture.

“Apollo, disconnect…”

Qing Shui Ling Yin’s voice was hoarse, her eyes now thoroughly bloodshot.

Her right arm trembled slightly, yet a triumphant curve couldn’t help but form on her lips.

The S-rank hunter, Xingtian, harbored technology that the entire Academy of Engineering Sciences coveted.

Countless researchers had sought to unravel its mysteries, but none had succeeded, still stuck at the stage of analyzing its mechanical data from incomplete blueprints.

Now, Qing Shui Ling Yin had taken the first step.

She removed the helmet, peeled off the glove, and collapsed exhaustedly into the ergonomic chair, casually pulling a few design blueprints from the table.

“The Cygnus Battle Body…”

“Though merely a replica left behind centuries ago, it still possesses a terrifying power comparable to an S-rank hunter…”

“If it could be mass-produced…”

****

Off the coast of Pharos.

Ming Yu stepped onto the stern deck, leaning against the railing. She gazed at the city’s silhouette as it gradually faded from view, a wave of melancholy washing over her.

She couldn’t recall when she had grown accustomed to Little Nightingale and Qing Shui Ling Yin’s presence, to the point where even a brief separation left her feeling wistful.

This state of mind was unacceptable.

Ming Yu gently closed her eyes, slowly calming her turbulent thoughts.

When she reopened them, the tenderness in her gaze had vanished without a trace, replaced by an unnervingly calm, almost deathly, stare.

Mental adjustments, she knew, were far more crucial than physical ones.

Just then, heavy footsteps approached from behind, growing louder with each stride.

Ming Yu subtly turned her head, casting a glance at the colossal metallic figure beside her, before returning her impassive gaze to the distant horizon where sea met sky.

Standing before Xingtian, who towered over three meters, Ming Yu’s height seemed utterly insignificant.

“Greetings.”

Xingtian spoke blandly, its voice gender-neutral, reminiscent of a synthesized human sound.

Hearing this, Ming Yu kept her eyes fixed forward, yet granted the other party a small courtesy, offering a soft “Mm-hm.” She then offered no further response.

She had never been adept at making friends.

Xingtian seemed oblivious to her distant, almost aloof, demeanor, and continued speaking without prompting:

“Chairman Seti asked me to convey a few messages to you…”

“During this operation, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will traverse the peripheral territories of Leviathan…”

“Unless you are absolutely certain of victory, do not attempt to clash with it head-on, nor provoke it carelessly…”

“For the intelligence division at the Association Headquarters has confirmed that Leviathan is not merely an S-class sea beast, but a legendary behemoth…”

“…”

Ming Yu maintained her silence, nodding once to acknowledge the message.

Seeing this, Xingtian said no more and turned to depart.

Ming Yu’s gaze gradually deepened.

High above, a pure white sea eagle flapped its weary wings, slowly gliding beneath the clouds, circling above the silver-white silhouette. After a moment of hesitation, it landed on the railing beside Ming Yu.

Meeting its piercing eagle eyes, Ming Yu paused, a never-before-seen image mysteriously surfacing in her mind.

A bright moon, a dark night, golden pupils.