Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Cattle and sheep...?" Zheng Zha raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled. "As long as it's not for human sacrifice, it's fine. The ship hasn't set sail yet, I'll go to the market to buy some later."

"Wait a minute, will this affect your combat power, Sister Alice?" Xiao Honglu suddenly interjected, "We still need your strength at night, otherwise the plan will have to be revised."

“Yes.” Alice nodded gently. “My combat power will increase because while I’m making amulets for you, I can also prepare some tools for myself. As for the energy expenditure, don’t worry about it; someone who can’t stay up all night for a week straight isn’t qualified to be a witch.”

"You really are very straightforward..."

“There’s no need to hide anything, is there?” Alice tilted her head slightly. “So, is there anything else I need to do during the nighttime defense?”

"Yes, I need you, Alice, to use magic in front of those men in black as much as possible. And it needs to be the kind of magic that's immediately obvious, not just a technological effect..."

Soon, further discussions on the operation began. Qin Zhuiyu, who had finally mustered the courage to speak, was sidelined. Even Gao Hongliang, the white-collar worker who was originally close to her, quietly took a step away, unknowingly excluding her from the group.

Chapter 8: Being a witch is really troublesome

Preparing the mold, polishing the blank, engraving runes, and offering blood as a sacrifice. Crafting magical items is actually not simple. Because in Alice's worldview, magic can also be seen as a science. Magic is a systematic and structured system; given the right conditions and input parameters, a complete solution can be obtained.

Inscribing specific prayers on a gold emblem can unleash powerful attacks. Copying specific incantations onto a silver amulet can ward off evil spirits. Etching specific incantations onto a thin bronze shell can protect against bullets. Carving specific scriptures onto a crystal pendant can calm the mind.

Magic is rigorous and highly ordered. It's not some absurd story where some housewife can curse her annoying neighbor to death by singing a Mother Goose rhyme off-key. To correctly and reliably control magic that isn't considered mere entertainment tricks, based on Alice's judgment, an ordinary person would need to study the art of magic for at least ten years.

Therefore, she didn't care if the newcomers or veterans of the Zhongzhou team watched her prepare the props. They couldn't possibly understand it. Even if they could memorize every step of her operation, without theoretical support, supplementary data, or experienced guidance, trying to replicate her actions would be futile.

"I can help you. I learn very quickly, I can master it in no time!"

"I can help too!"

Qin Zhuiyu and Gao Hongliang both offered to participate in Alice's prop-making, but it turned out they could only increase the scrap rate. When a silver amulet turned into an unrecyclable mess due to Gao Hongliang's slip of the hand, Zheng Zha personally kicked the two guys out.

"Instead of wasting your time here, you should go and learn from Zhang Heng to find a bow and practice your archery." Zheng Zha said this to the two of them as he pushed them out of Alice's makeshift workshop. Because Zhang Heng was the only one who didn't come over to join the fun, the baby-faced youth had asked O'Connor to buy him a recurve bow and a large bundle of arrows, and he was now familiarizing himself with the bow on the aft deck of the cabin.

Zheng Zha liked down-to-earth people like this, so when he pushed the two out, his tone was unusually harsh. He couldn't be sure if his team members would be just missing that one silver amulet when they encountered danger in battle!

“If you want to help, do what you can. Don’t cause trouble here,” Zheng Zha said in a deep voice. “Although the rules require us to ensure that all the newcomers live, living with broken limbs is still living. The main god has not forbidden this.”

His voice was stern, and Gao Hongliang, who had caused the trouble, turned pale with fright, hanging his head and stammering without daring to utter a sound. Qin Zhuiyu, who was also being reprimanded, secretly glanced at Gao Hongliang, then leaned slightly closer to Zheng Zha and explained in a soft voice.

"Don't be angry, Captain Zheng. Xiao Gao just did it on an accident. I'll be very obedient. From now on, Captain Zheng, please feel free to give me any instructions. I'll make sure I handle everything perfectly. Don't get upset over this." She lowered her body, and when she tilted her head back, the dim light streaming in from the window illuminated her delicate face and highlighted her impressive cleavage, which she was so proud of.

Her eyes were moist, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her clear pupils seemed to reflect only Zheng Zha's image.

However, Zheng Zha pushed her away without hesitation.

"If there's a next time, you'll know the consequences yourselves," he said coldly, then closed the door.

Qin Zhuiyu, who was unconsciously clenching her fists tightly, and Gao Hongliang, who still looked timid and submissive, were left standing outside the door, exposed to the wind.

Qin Zhuiyu gritted her teeth and glared hatefully at the closed wooden door, but in the end she did nothing and pulled Gao Hongliang away.

After closing the wooden door, Zheng Zha sighed helplessly.

"You know what? Your performance just now looked like that of a minor villain in a third-rate urban web novel." Zhang Jie, who had been standing by the door, took out a cigarette and was about to light it when he withdrew his hand with a sheepish smile under Zhao Yingkong's glare. "Perhaps you should have been more decisive."

“Give them another chance. People always want to live, don’t they?” Zheng Zha said with a wry smile. “I can’t really break their arms and legs and then hide them until the horror movie ends.”

“Why not?” Zhang Jie said calmly. “You are the captain, you are responsible for the entire team, it is your duty to eliminate unstable factors, and you should also know how many wars in history have been lost because of fires in the rear.”

“But they haven’t made any major mistakes yet, have they… Okay, I understand.” Zheng Zha tried to force a smile, but ultimately failed. “If anyone does show any tendency that is detrimental to the team… I mean, tendency, I’ll handle it immediately.”

"It's good that you know." Zhang Jie patted Zheng Zha on the shoulder. "There will be many times in the future when you will need to take on important responsibilities. Don't let your teammates down."

“Yes, I understand.” Zheng Zha nodded, his gaze immediately hardening.

Just then, Alice, who was at the workbench, stretched her shoulders and tossed a rhombus-shaped bronze amulet engraved with snake patterns into Zheng Zha's hand.

“This is the sacred emblem of the Egyptian god Edjou, whose divine duty is protection. I activated this amulet with the blood of his symbol, the black serpent. The blood's effects last for five days, and during those five days, it can withstand up to fifteen… well, in mechanical terms, thirty kilojoules of kinetic energy for you,” Alice explained, turning her head slightly.

"You have studied mechanical science, so you should know that the average momentum carried by a modern rifle within its lethal range is around three thousand joules. Considering the different eras, the modified bullets of this period may be even more powerful. In other words, wearing this amulet can protect you from the kinetic energy of eight to ten shots."

"I remember the lethal kinetic energy for a human is eighty joules... but that might not apply to you non-humans. However, considering there are still ordinary people, I set the amulet to activate when it is approached by a flying object traveling at a speed of over thirty meters per second and with a kinetic energy of over fifty joules. Of course, this is just a general description; the specific judgment involves a complex balancing system, which you don't need to worry about. And then there are energy attacks like flames and electric shocks... why are you all looking at me with such strange eyes?"

"Uh..." Zhan Lan opened her mouth. She felt her throat was a little dry.

"I just feel... that witches in modern society are a little different from what I imagined..."

Saito Hajime, Zheng Zha, and Zhang Jie, who were standing to the side, nodded repeatedly.

“I don’t understand you guys.” Alice curled her lip. “I don’t know what kind of witches you know, but at least on Earth, a witch should be like me. Okay, this is a sample for testing. I still need to collect some information.” She looked at Zheng Zha, “Although it’s not very convenient to use guns right now, if it’s just about unleashing a punch with the force of ten tons to simulate a bullet, that should be no problem for you, right? Using your so-called… [Gene Lock Stage Two].”

"A punch with the force of over ten tons..." Zheng Zha's face stiffened, but he nodded nonetheless. "Ah, I should be able to do it. I'll give it my best."

Alice nodded seriously.

"That's good."

Minutes later, while Zhang Heng, practicing archery on the deck, was bewildered by the violent tremors of the ship beneath his feet, Alice was satisfied with the wealth of practical data regarding the gene lock. An hour or two later, the members of the Central Continent team also obtained their protective magical ornaments.

The sky had just darkened, and there was still some time before the attack.

So, there are still many things that can be done.

Chapter 9 - I'm dying from not having any comments to vent! _(:з」∠)_

The first stage of gene locking is stimulated by the great terror between life and death, unleashing wild instincts, allowing the mind to be highly focused, thereby improving reaction ability and bringing the body's various qualities to their limits.

The second stage of the gene lock builds upon the first stage by maximizing control over one's physical strength. It involves using willpower to alter parameters such as blood flow, organ function, and muscle strength, thereby allowing the acquired skills to unleash their full power.

When Alice obtained this information from Zheng Zha's test data and oral explanations, she unusually fell into a state of depression and inner turmoil.

Teetering on the brink of death, thus activating their genetic locks… If we consider Zheng Zha and his companions' recounted past experiences, then they have indeed weathered many life-or-death crises. However, Alice is certain that she has faced a hundred times more life-or-death crises in the past six hundred years than all of them combined!

And I've never unlocked any of those weird genetic locks!

There must be something wrong here—Alice was absolutely certain of it.

However, she couldn't figure it out for the time being.

Perhaps the Main God Space is a special place where it's particularly easy to unlock genetic locks.

[This idea can't be verified, so... let's risk going to the front lines and fighting. There's no reason why I'm inferior to a young man who's been an office worker for over twenty years and whose combat experience is less than two months at most!]

Alice lowered her eyes, silently making up her mind. By the time she finished crafting the magical artifact, dusk was approaching. After dinner, the Central Continent team returned to their pre-arranged posts to rest and recuperate. Alice, following Xiao Honglu's prior plan, went alone to the rear cabin and knocked on Evelyn's door.

........................

"The door is unlocked, please come in."

When Alice opened the door, she saw Evelyn staring blankly at an ancient book that was upside down.

In the afternoon, while the group from Zhongzhou was discussing strategic preparations for battle, Evelyn, with nothing to do, started to flirt with the movie's male lead, O'Connor. The two were indeed a perfect match; Evelyn was attracted to O'Connor's handsome looks and masculine charm, while O'Connor was also drawn to the beautiful and quirky Evelyn. Within just a few hours, they were deeply in love. If Xiao Honglu hadn't specifically sent Zheng Zha to chat with O'Connor after dinner and act as his bodyguard to prevent him from being accidentally killed, this newly formed couple would probably still be inseparable.

“It’s Miss Alice. What brings you here?” Evelyn put the ancient book aside. Her mind was completely occupied with O’Connor’s affairs, and she hadn’t even noticed that she had been holding the book upside down from the beginning.

Of course, Alice wouldn't care about such trivial matters.

"First of all, congratulations to you and O'Connor! I saw you two together at dinner. I wish you happiness," Alice said with a smile. "However, I did come here today for some business. Um, could you let me see the key to that scripture? I'd like to study it."

"Ah, thank you for your blessing. I also think we're a perfect match. To be honest, I was startled when you pushed the door open just now. I thought you were going to hit me..." Evelyn was smug for a moment before realizing what Alice was asking for.

Alice needs the key, the key to the scriptures. Without this key, it's impossible to open the two legendary ancient books, and likewise, Evelyn wouldn't know about the Hamunaptra.

If it were anyone else asking for the key, she would definitely refuse firmly, but if it were Alice…

She hesitated for two seconds.

In academia, there's a saying that those who excel are valued above all else. Just as a mediocre student is always inherently inferior to a high achiever, Evelyn also considered herself to be on a different level from Alice. Therefore, she found it difficult to refuse the academic requests made by Alice, her partner.

"Hmm... okay, just take a look, give it back right away." Evelyn grumbled reluctantly, but eventually obediently pulled the two polygonal keys containing the scriptures from her pocket. "I found these, they're mine! Don't break them!" she emphasized loudly as she slowly stretched out her hands.

"Don't worry, I'm just doing some research." Alice raised an eyebrow slightly. "And I won't take yours for nothing. Here, take this amulet. Wear it; it will bring you good luck."

She handed Evelyn a protective amulet made of brass. It was a high-end item, capable of effectively resisting bullets, energy, and even curses to a certain extent. This gift was similar to Zheng Zha's act of seeking out O'Connor for a chat; both were to prevent the protagonist in the movie from dying unexpectedly and inexplicably.

This was Xiao Honglu's idea, and she knew what it meant, so she didn't intend to ask any more questions.

Naturally, Evelyn was drawn to the intricate patterns and engravings on the amulet. She quickly and lovingly put it around her neck. Meanwhile, Alice was also intently studying the polygonal key that could unlock the scriptures.

[The shape, size, and specifications... the craftsmanship doesn't seem complicated. However, there's an unusual energy reaction inside... not magic, nor a curse. It can't be fully analyzed in a short time.]

Copying a key isn't difficult, but I suspect there are other unlocking procedures involved...

Let's put aside the idea of ​​taking the scriptures first for now.

“I really like this amulet. Is it handmade? I think I saw you carving something in the cabin this afternoon.” Evelyn wrinkled her nose. “Your Asian bodyguards are so fierce. I couldn’t even go to take a look. Why did you think of hiring them, Miss Alice?”

“Because of their exceptional abilities,” Alice replied, handing the key back to Evelyn. “The amulet was indeed made by me, and they didn’t want my creation to be interrupted. Evelyn, people in our line of work always encounter things beyond our wildest imaginations, and to deal with these, we need to find some professionals.”

"And this group of Asians is undoubtedly the most professional group."

“Okay, okay,” Evelyn raised her hands in surrender. “Professional, beyond imagination, you and O’Connor both say that. I admit there are some phenomena in this world that ordinary people can’t understand, but it’s not that exaggerated!”

“Oh, poor Evelyn.” Alice’s eyes showed sadness. “Reality will be far more bizarre than you can imagine. You have no idea what Hamunaptra means. It’s an ancient terror, an undead shadow, something you don’t want to see, never.”

“Hmph! You’re wrong, Miss Alice.” Evelyn proudly put her hands on her hips. “Undead, ghosts, mummies—I want to see them all now. Because O’Connor will protect me and blow the heads off all those weirdos with his big gun!”

She made a shooting gesture.

"I refuse to believe that anything in this world is more powerful than a gun!"

'Bang!'

Chapter 10: The Decepticons, Attack!

The ship began to rock violently, and a series of explosions and gunshots rang out from outside the cabins on both sides.

"Oh my god! What happened?!" Evelyn screamed, the sudden rocking of the boat nearly knocking her over. The sounds of gunfire and explosions turned her face pale and made her break out in a cold sweat. "Have we run into river pirates?! No! I'm still young, I'm not even married yet!"

She was in a flurry of activity.

“Didn’t you just say nothing’s more powerful than a gun? Now’s the time to prove it.” Alice stood steadily on the deck, glancing sideways at Evelyn. “Perhaps you should pray to God, because He loves you so much that He immediately granted your wish.”

“Shut up! I never meant that!” Evelyn screamed, but a loud explosion from the side startled her, causing her to recoil. She quickly grabbed a crucifix. “Oh Lord, forgive me, I didn’t mean it. Protect me…”

"You actually came."

As she was reading, Alice suddenly reached out, grabbed her collar, and pulled her aside. Then, before she could resist, Alice took a step forward...

'Boom—' The sound of flames burning.

With a dull thud as something heavy hit the ground, the stench of burnt protein wafted over.

"Oh! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Evelyn turned her head in horror and saw a corpse still on fire fall straight down from the window and land on the ground! It was a burly man with a mask on, holding a gun in one hand and a dagger in the other.