Man on the ark, forced to become king

She felt that it would be a bit too much to actually stuff all of these things in there, since they didn't even exist in the first place... Wouldn't it be even more pathetic to deceive oneself like this?

"what do you mean!"

Lani stomped her feet on the table in anger, feeling offended.

What does it mean to be realistic and pragmatic?

She...she had a great figure even when she still had a body!

And putting the chest issue aside for now, why does this doll only look about 1.6 meters tall?!

This... this is shorter than Melina when it stands up, she can't accept it!

This is blasphemy! Utter blasphemy!

“But I saw your seat below the throne in the royal city. That chair was not only placed at the very edge, but it was also much smaller than the others…”

Lin Lu whispered something to herself, but before she could finish speaking, she felt a murderous aura rushing towards her and immediately shut her mouth, not daring to say anything more.

"That chair only looks a tiny bit small compared to the standards of a demigod! I'm not that short at all!"

Lani argued her case forcefully, attempting to salvage some of the princess's dignity.

But this had no effect. Apart from Kal'tsit, who was an outsider, the other two people present knew her personality too well and were not swayed by her charms.

"Since it's just a temporary body, how about you make do for now?"

Lin Lu shrugged, indicating that he was powerless to help with this issue.

"I used the best materials to make your body. It's much better than that scarecrow you used to cobble together with hemp rope and stuff. Why didn't you wake up when you were drawing the design? The materials are already set, and there's no way to change them now."

"I think you two are doing this on purpose..."

Lani hummed and turned her head away, reaching out to touch the humanoid skeleton on the table. She nodded almost imperceptibly, seemingly quite satisfied.

"The performance of this body, designed by me professionally, will far exceed your imagination!"

Lin Lu patted her chest and assured him, her tone full of self-satisfaction.

"You'll see soon enough, it's even better than you imagine!"

"...You didn't do anything weird up there, did you?"

Lani's arm, which was touching the skeleton, stiffened slightly, and a bad premonition arose.

She didn't know the state of doll-making technology in this world, but she knew Lin Lu!

Something that excites this guy this much is probably not a good thing, especially something involving personal design... Could this guy have secretly arranged something big for her?!

If this body was truly designed entirely by Lin Lu herself, then she simply couldn't bear to imagine it.

Thinking of this, Lani tugged at the brim of her hat and looked at Melina from an angle where Lin Lu couldn't see her, hoping to get a negative answer.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Melina nodded slightly, her meaning quite clear—it was exactly what you thought.

For a moment, Lani had an urge to back down.

"Don't worry, this is the body you'll be using from now on, for at least a few months. How could I joke about something like this?"

Lin Lu suppressed her smile and spoke very seriously. If it weren't for her previous experience, Lani would have almost believed her.

But there's no way around it. The body has already been made, so we have to try it out no matter what. Even if this guy came up with some weird design, it should still be much better than this restrictive little doll. At least it can move freely, right?

'I never imagined that Golden Tree's technology had reached this level...'

The three people interacting intimately did not notice that Felin, who had deliberately kept a low profile and remained silent from beginning to end, suddenly widened his eyes and his pupils dilated when he saw the petite Lani.

Kal'tsit knew she hadn't earned enough trust yet, and in this situation, the best course of action was to do more and say less, and try not to offer any opinions. The more she said, the more mistakes she made; the less she said, the better.

So she didn't participate in the conversation at all, trying her best to be invisible, but when petite Lani appeared, she really couldn't hold back anymore.

A doll, a living doll!

Dolls, puppets, or other objects that can move freely are not uncommon in this world; there are many ways to achieve this. But this one is different.

Kal'tsit keenly noticed a transparent blue shadow connected to the little doll's profile—was that... a soul?

She had assumed that the Golden Tree's elaborate scheme to obtain information from others was intended for use on a particular member, just as she had intended to use it on Theresa. However, the reality before her eyes told her that this was definitely not the first time the Golden Tree had used such technology. They had long ago developed a way to allow souls to exist independently of their bodies, and even to freely reside in inanimate objects!

Then she suddenly remembered the riddle Lin Lu had once told her—for the Golden Tree, death is not the end of life.

This has now been fully confirmed.

The transparent shadows that were summoned to fight before, and the souls that now exist attached to the puppets, have proven that the Golden Tree does indeed have the power to interfere with souls. Therefore, death is not the end for them, and may even be the starting point in some sense.

All physical wear and tear, illness, and torment are meaningless to a soul that can freely change bodies.

Ancient Sarkaz witchcraft contains spells corresponding to the dead, and Letania also has unrecognized dark magic, both related to the soul, but neither has achieved this.

Kal'tsit was certain that the spell that allowed the soul to manifest in the material world was something that the information she had seized from the Witch King's former subordinates could not possibly accomplish.

If the Witch King possessed such technology, how could he have died?

Who can kill someone who can change bodies like changing clothes?

She didn't think the technology described in that document could accomplish such a thing.

Therefore, there is only one explanation left—the Golden Tree has a complete system of technology related to the soul!

In fact, her guess was correct; the Golden Tree really does have a lot of say on the matter of the soul.

In reality, what Lin Lu wanted to take from the troupe was just their puppet-making technology. Although the announcer did have the memory of how to transfer souls into puppets, that technology was nothing compared to what Lin Lu herself possessed—it was like comparing a large factory to a small workshop.

The borderlands have developed a sophisticated control over souls, even to the point of making souls manifest in the world in physical form. Not only the Golden Tree, but also the magic academy of Kalia has many related technologies. The most representative example is that the magicians who study the origins have placed their souls in the core of the 'Radiant Stone', which also allows them to change bodies at will.

Unlike the spells mastered by announcers, which require extensive preparation and can only be used through a sacrifice-like process, with no guarantee of success and potential side effects that could affect one's mind, these spells offer almost no advantages other than the ability to actually insert a soul into a puppet.

"I can sculpt the facial features myself. First, check if there are any flaws that need to be corrected."

A skin-like material covered the doll's surface. The skeleton, which was originally filled with various things, now looked like a plastic mannequin in a store, with nothing but a human shape. But that was enough. Lani couldn't wait to jump onto the doll's belly. Her small body instantly went limp, becoming an empty shell that no one could control.

A brilliant blue light appeared in the air, and a semi-transparent humanoid figure detached from the petite doll and entered the larger doll's body. The whole process was smooth and took only a few seconds.

"...?"

Kal'tsit, who was watching from the sidelines, was immediately dumbfounded, and even her well-informed mind went blank.

What haven't I seen? This is something I've truly never seen before.

She was still reeling from the shock that the Golden Tree might have glimpsed the secrets of the soul when, unexpectedly, the other party gave her a live performance, switching from one body to another, and it was an artificially made puppet, all in just a few seconds!

Without any ceremony or magic, the change was completed in an instant, just like putting on or taking off clothes. This is not spying; it is clearly a mastery of the ultimate level.

At this moment, nothing else matters.

Kal'tsit had only one thought in her mind—she wanted it!

She wants to get this technology!

With this, Theresa's problem is no longer a problem, and Oripathy is no longer incurable!

As a modern-day connoisseur, she knew that Columbia possessed cloning technology. If combined with soul transfer technology, all physical ailments could be cured. Judging from the current situation, this technology might not require as much sacrifice as she had anticipated, and might even... have the potential for widespread adoption...

Chapter 148 Lani Unit-01, Activate!

"how do you feel?"

Seeing the large doll lying flat wobbling as it propped itself up, Lin Lu asked nervously.

It's one thing to have no technical difficulties, but whether it works after it's made is another matter entirely.

After all, these are technologies from two different worlds. What if there are any oversights or errors?

"It feels much better than my old one."

The doll is currently in a completely blank state, with nothing on its head and no facial features.

But Lani's voice still echoed in the room.

As a divine being who has already demonstrated the law, Lani's soul has long since transcended the boundaries of mortals.

She left her laws at the border, but her own character was not diminished as a result.

Because she lacked a physical body, she had shrunk her soul inside a small doll to resist external wear and tear. Now that she was freed, the true power of her soul was fully revealed.

If we disregard the consequences, she could even remain in the material world as a soul for an extended period and directly interfere with matter; transmitting sound out of thin air is just one such insignificant detail.

Unlike the summoned spirit soldiers, the souls born from special rituals who are summoned again as warriors actually have a physical body as their foundation, but it is not a flesh-and-blood body in the conventional sense.

Lani's soul state is much purer. Unless it is an attack carrying mental will, neither physical attacks nor energy can touch her. She can directly manipulate the external nature and release magic with the power of her soul itself. In a battle, that is basically equivalent to winning more than half the battle before it even starts.

However, this approach has a fatal flaw—pure souls existing directly in the material world will suffer 'wear and tear,' especially in densely populated cities where the large influx of people brings with them countless fragments of the mind, the impact of which on pure souls is immeasurable.

So even though she was in a very uncomfortable, cramped doll-like state, and the time it took for her to wake up was getting shorter and shorter, Lani had no choice but to endure it until a usable body was made.

laugh!

Suddenly, the puppet raised its arm and tilted its palm slightly backward. With a sound of air being torn apart, a gap suddenly appeared at its wrist, from which a pale yellow light blade pierced out.

Lani: ? ? ? ? ? ?

What is this stuff? !

"A hidden lightsaber, how about that, not bad, right?"

Lin Lu stroked his chin, quite pleased with himself. This could be considered one of the most outstanding designs on this body. The lightsaber that suddenly pierced out from the palm of his hand combined concealment and power, making it highly practical in combat. Moreover, it could be completely hidden when not activated, without affecting the overall aesthetics at all.