National destiny: Starting with a coffin, building an aircraft carrier is broadcast live globally.

He casually took the healed leg off and stepped on it.

Well, apart from my bones still being a little itchy, there are no other aftereffects.

He was satisfied with Ethan's answer.

I'm not afraid of someone being cunning; I'm afraid of someone who's blind to reality.

Ethan's decision not to abandon Seddo shows he's a fairly reliable guy; the fact that he didn't ask them for help shows he knows his limits and knows when to keep quiet.

Working with this kind of person is worry-free.

"The Naga lying in ambush to the east probably won't come tonight."

After receiving the intelligence brought back by the snake people who fled to the south, the last remaining Naga warrior will probably lead the remaining snake people back to the territory.

Perhaps only after that will the storm begin.

They cannot passively wait.

"We can't ignore the threat posed by the Naga; they won't let this go."

"Tell us what you know."

He casually shook the still-dripping octopus in his hand, cut off a slice, and fed it to Xiao Jiu first.

"Once we deal with the Naga, rescuing Sita can become a secondary objective."

Charging in is inevitable, and Ethan's intelligence is also necessary—to rescue someone, after all.

It was just a small thing!

As for whether it succeeds or not... that's none of his business.

Ethan's eyes lit up.

If the success rate of the plan is less than 30% if it is only carried out by himself and Sita alone, then with this group of people as a backup, the success rate can at least double.

Then the seemingly gentle-looking young man from the Dragon Kingdom continued:

"Of course, that's assuming... your intelligence is worth the price."

......

Just as several humans were plotting to push back and rescue the people,

Naga territory.

“Pah!”

A thick, brightly colored python tail slammed heavily onto the pool, splashing water everywhere.

The image of a handsome, serene human face reflected in the firelight deep within the dense forest, clearly visible on the clear water, was shattered into pieces.

Her people—

The blood of the Naga people, as a medium, allows her to see distant messages through the water.

"Damn it!"

She saw it.

Those elite troops, the warriors she had placed so much hope in, were utterly routed by their so-called "natural enemy"...

Morrison, that self-righteous traitor, also became a cold corpse.

Humans...

Truly cunning, not to be trusted!

"guard!"

Vanessa's beautiful face contorted as she raised her voice and shouted:

"Bring that human blacksmith here!"

quickly,

Sita's slender body was roughly shoved into the palace by two tall serpent-man guards. Her hair was disheveled, but her back was straight and her eyes showed no fear.

Vanessa looked down at her, her anger gradually subsiding, and a lazy smile appeared on her full lips.

She beckoned with her finger.

A Naga maid silently swam forward, holding a golden tray in her hands, on which lay a green bead the size of a pigeon egg.

Vanessa picked up the bead, and with a flick of her python tail, she slowly slid it toward Sita.

"you--"

Sita frowned, and Vanessa's finger was already pointing at her chest.

The bead was forced in!

Without pain or wounds, the bead instantly disappeared into the skin.

A chill spread from my chest to my limbs and bones.

The scene in front of me began to shake.

Queen Vanessa's face split before my eyes, one becoming two, and the two overlapping...

No matter how hard Sita tried, it remained unclear.

The gemstones inlaid at the top of the palace also scattered their light, becoming elongated and twisted, turning into long bands of light.

It feels like water got into my ears.

The heavy hissing of the snake-man guards, the sound of the water in the pool, and the crackling of the torches all sounded distant and distorted.

My body feels light as a feather.

My head felt like it was filled with alcohol; I was dizzy and even my thinking was slow.

Sita shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the feeling, but the scene in front of him only became more turbulent.

A mesmerizing, ethereal voice echoed in her mind.

It is very light and soft, like dew and birdsong.

"Look at you... how pathetic you are..."

"Your companion... has failed..."

"He's dead... that human named Morrison..."

"...Everyone has given up on you..."

Sita's brain processed this information sluggishly.

Morrison?

If you're dead, you're dead.

Has Ethan... given up on her too?

Perhaps...

However, he has his own difficulties.

Sita felt no anger, no sorrow, not even the slightest ripple in his heart.

The voice paused for a moment, seemingly surprised, but quickly became even gentler and more seductive.

"Give up..."

"Humans... are such selfish and cowardly creatures..."

"Give up your human identity..."

"Become my subjects..."

"Here, you will gain eternal life and unparalleled glory... You will become my most beloved daughter..."

"I will give you strength, I will give you dignity... No one will ever be able to abandon you again..."

The seductive voice continued, weaving one beautiful illusion after another.

Siddhartha could only sneer.

Her life was made up of being abandoned.

Is it painful?

...I've long since become numb to it.

Queen Vanessa wanted to break her through pain.

Sita even felt a little like laughing.

However, amidst the chaotic storm of senses, her consciousness found an unusually clear anchor point.

—If one abandons their human identity,

Does she still count as a contestant?

If... she were no longer a player...

So, does that mean she and the family that sent her away like merchandise... no longer have any connection?

"Okay." Siddhartha decisively interrupted Vanessa's incessant chatter.

"Give up...you...what did you say?"

Vanessa was momentarily stunned, and subconsciously asked for confirmation.

I said I did.

Is that how the script was written?

This silenced Vanessa. Shouldn't the normal process be that this human struggles repeatedly between pain and temptation, his will gradually worn down, until finally, in despair and utter despair, he prostrates himself on the ground, kisses the tip of her tail, and offers up his everything?

But now...

It's just not right.

If Queen Vanessa had ever shopped at the market, she would know: ask the price, then say, "Okay, I'll take a plastic bag and put it in."

However, the human in front of us should still be considered a child—

His eyes were unfocused, and he seemed about to collapse.

Perhaps he unconsciously grasped at the last straw after his mental breakdown.

Weak creatures, both pathetic and laughable.

Vanessa's lips curled back into a smile of absolute control.

She pulled Sita's right hand over, her rounded nails gently tracing Sita's wrist and then her own, pressing their wounds tightly together.

"From this day forward, your blood will be of the same origin as mine..."

"You will be reborn...for...me."

Before falling into a deep sleep, Sita had only one thought:

My existence is not for anything.

I am just myself...

I... am free.