The villain's way to tame the protagonist

From any perspective, Pala did not want the development of the Tower of Babel to encounter any unexpected events.

but……

For Ming Furo, who inherited Erion's will, no matter what, she would never take the initiative to put the Tower of Babel into danger.

*

In the advanced alchemy workshop, countless flying black dots were reflected in Helen's dull eyes.

"The basic strength increased by 27%, the etheric fluidity increased by 35%, and the total number of units increased..."

“…Have you reached a bottleneck?”

Helen took off her glasses, reached out and gently stroked the Nidhogg cluster floating in the air, and fell into deep thought.

If you want to help Anser, you must gain strength. The arrangement of advancing to the fourth level has been put on the agenda, but the fourth level alone is far from enough.

Although she had not yet heard from Ansel what the threat was, in Helen's opinion, there was no other possibility except the emperor.

The question returned to what she had been thinking about some time ago - how to create a weapon capable of killing gods.

But now, compared to that time, Helen no longer needs to consider anything unnecessary, and she is completely free of worries and burdens. She can devote herself to it wholeheartedly.

Nidhogg has unlimited potential. If developed to its limit, it might be comparable to the impossible third-stage mechanical equipment. Even...

"..."

Helen's brows knitted inadvertently, she covered her head slightly, and murmured subconsciously: "Why... suddenly I can't think of it?"

At the moment when her thoughts began to flow, an invisible barrier instantly cut them off. She could only watch her inspiration slip away, but she couldn't figure out how she should have continued thinking.

She stared at the Nidhogg cluster in front of her for a while, then shook her head, putting the strange feeling behind her and attributing it to a sign of soul healing.

Although... this span is a bit weird, much longer than the time Myron said, but my memory is indeed gradually recovering and becoming more and more complete. I think it won't take long to fully recover.

“Knowledge is still too little.”

The alchemist who best understood how Nidhogg worked in this world murmured, "Too little."

Even as an alchemist, Helen's knowledge reserves at the extraordinary level are astonishingly huge, but even so, she still thinks that she knows too little.

Either a new design idea that can make Nidhogg stronger, or a way of supplying energy that can directly change its quality, or...

While thinking about this, Helen put Nidhogg into her bracelet and whispered: "As long as my father's problem can be solved, then-"

Her words were interrupted by a streak of blood on her face.

——If he hadn’t turned his head in advance, what would have been left behind would not have been a bloodstain.

"..."

Helen, with a transparent barrier flashing around her body, looked at the scene in front of her, her pupils slightly contracted.

Nidhogg...was not under her control.

The countless mechanical bugs that were almost invisible to the naked eye were dancing wildly in the air and did not return to the bracelet according to Helen's will. The invisible blow that was so fierce that it tried to pierce Helen's head came from Nidhogg.

Helen retreated slowly in silence. Four floating guns appeared out of nowhere behind her. The flashing light from their muzzles indicated that they were ready to unleash firepower at any time.

It is impossible for Nidhogg to go out of control - when Helen created it, she had already made arrangements for the soul binding. Nidhogg is an extension of her limbs and absolutely obeys her. Normally speaking, there is no possibility of it going out of control.

but now--

boom!

The floating cannon on the upper left side of Helen's head exploded without any warning. The bursting mechanical fragments and the blazing flames were blocked by the transparent barrier. Before Helen could react, there was a loud explosion... no, three almost overlapping explosions.

Perhaps it was just a blink of an eye, and all four floating cannons were destroyed.

"Is there no other means?"

A voice so hoarse and difficult that it could be described as unpleasant to the ear rang out in the alchemy workshop.

It's just like someone who hasn't spoken for dozens or even hundreds of days starting to speak.

Helen was not foolish enough to ask who this person who had not yet appeared was. Instead, she tried to control Nidhogg immediately. However, her intention to throw herself into the huge swarm of alchemical insects was like a stone falling on the sea.

"The correct choice should be to call your elders."

As the mysterious man's second words rang out, Helen saw the wildly dancing Nidhoggs transform into tiny but indestructible blades.

Why was he able to completely control Nidhogg, and manipulate him to such an exquisite degree, and...

"There are at least three fifth-level extraordinary people who can support you immediately, but you don't even have the thought of asking for help. Why...even if your life is threatened, you don't want to get involved with them anymore?"

The sharp blade condensed by Nidhogg easily tore apart the defensive force field activated by Helen, and the invisible barrier was useless. At the moment when the storm was about to tear Helen apart completely, a red and black iron wall suddenly appeared in front of Helen out of thin air.

“…You learn very quickly.”

Helen, who used the few Nidhoggr barriers she could control to block the attack, finally spoke, her dull purple eyes showing no emotion:

"Since you knew there was such a risk, why did you dare to kill me?"

"Risk? It's a risk only if it has the possibility of happening, and you... obviously won't do that."

Nidhogg, who was controlled by Helen, actually began to "waver". This alchemical creation connected to her soul was being plundered like an ornament on a table.

Nidhogg had appeared in that war, and many people in the Tower of Babel knew about it. It would not be surprising if this mysterious man took out something similar to Nidhogg to attack Helen.

But this mysterious killer... can completely control Nidhogg, whose soul is already bound to Helen.

In this world, only my father understands Nidhogg far better than I do. He can do this, but he has no reason to do it.

So is it... a very high level soul sorcerer?

But if his purpose was to kill himself, then what was the purpose of what he just said?

The thought was fleeting, but the opponent's offensive would not stop because of Helen's thinking. The Nidhogg, who was originally extremely docile in Helen's hands, now brutally poured out violence never shown before to their master.

"It's so ugly."

A hoarse whisper echoed in the alchemy workshop: "I can't see anything valuable from your eyes."

"Just dig it out."

The dense black swarm of insects attacked violently at the instruction of the mysterious man, and almost in an instant they were about to drill into Helen's eyeballs, tearing and eating up those dull but still gorgeous purple eyes.

The defense that Helen tried her best to maintain was pierced like thin paper, or in other words... those Nidhoggs she mobilized had been controlled by the mysterious man and turned against her, and what awaited her... was only the fate of being at the mercy of others.

Even so, you don't want to have any more unnecessary contact with them.

The mysterious man's tone was cold and contemptuous when he said this, but Helen really did as she said. Even in this situation, she did not make any move to ask for help.

But Nidhogg, who was about to crush Helen's eyes, suddenly hovered in front of her eyes.

"You're in luck."

The mysterious man's hoarse and unpleasant voice sounded again: "But it won't always be this good... Be prepared at all times, puppet."

"I will destroy you, who should not exist in this world, completely. After all..."

"You also feel that you are a meaningless and redundant existence."

The next moment, all the Nidhoggs floating in front of Helen's eyes disappeared instantly. These prototypes of weapons that she had invested endless efforts in researching were easily taken away like stones on the roadside.

But what caused Helen's dull eyes to fluctuate with emotion was not the mysterious man's strange and powerful ability, but the words he left before he disappeared.

Talk nonsense...

Helen exhaled with a slightly trembling body, crushing and hiding the uncontrollable emotions in her eyes.

Miss Helen, who had regained her life, breathed slowly. She did not lose control because of the words that hit her most painful point. Instead, she calmed down as quickly as possible.

He knows a lot of things...he targets me in these areas.

Few people knew about these things, and they had no reason to anger their father, unless -

Is it Ivora, or the Emperor, or...

Or...a test from my father?

Thinking of this, Helen's breath and emotions became calmer.

For her, if this was Anser's test, if it was a test set by her father that could guide her forward and turn the goals in her fake life that she didn't know how to achieve into reality, then... there would be no problem.

It would be better to say this.

Helen, who has found her home, still doesn't know how to prove her worth and ability to the person who gave her her home. If this is Ansel's test, then... there is no reason for her to fail.

If this was a test from my father, I needed to infer what my father wanted from it. From the words and actions of the killer...why did he leave just now?

Just as Helen was thinking this, the door of the alchemy workshop was suddenly opened without her consent, and Hendrick walked in anxiously:

"Ming Fu Luo...what happened? Ether Armament, Ivora...what's going on? Do you know what you are doing?!"

"..."

Helen just looked at this man expressionlessly. He was her grandfather's most trusted student and the man who chopped off her grandfather's head with his own hands.

The information and truth in the scroll led to Ming Fuluo's death and Helen's birth. From this point of view, Helen should thank Hendrick, but... that's all.

She didn't want to have any unnecessary connection with this remnant of the past that was dragging her down.

Being stared at by Helen like this, Hendrick's pace gradually slowed down. He opened his mouth and his expression gradually changed from anxious to bitter.

"Ming...Ming Furo, I don't mean anything else, but...why did you help Ivora? Mr. Pala told me that you seemed..."

"That's none of your business."

Helen answered indifferently. She threw all the fragments of the floating cannon on the ground into the furnace, creating the illusion that she was just making tools.

And Hendrick indeed did not notice, and was a little angry because of Helen's words, but as soon as the anger rose, it turned into an inexpressible depression that was stuck in his chest.

He could only persuade helplessly: "We are working for Lord Anser. Everything we have is given by Lord Anser... How can you help His Highness Ivora! Everyone knows how big the conflict between them is! If you do this... what will happen if you anger Lord Anser!"

"The Tower of Babel... The Tower of Babel may be in greater danger than ever before!"

"……so?"

Helen stared at the fragments turning into molten iron in the furnace, her tone unchanged.

“Does the danger of the Tower of Babel have anything to do with me?”

Hendrick was stunned.

He stared blankly at the petite figure in front of the furnace, unable to speak for a long time.

When he came to his senses, regret, pain, sadness, anger, helplessness...all kinds of emotions mixed together, making his words pale:

"Ming Fuluo, how could you——"

"A weak organization that gave up on that brightest future as reasonable."

Helen turned her head slightly, her dead and dim purple eyes silently telling of her boredom, her annoyance, her...disgust.

"A workshop that was only designed to restrain and manipulate me, and piece me together into a false image."

"Hendrick..."

She, who had abandoned the past, said: "Why do you think I am attached to this place?"

If my father hadn't asked me to live my life as I did, I wouldn't even be here.

The Tower of Babel had no meaning or value from the beginning...just like me in the past.

Only my father...can lead me to the right path.

Chapter 7: Happiness and Perfection (K)

Standing on the balcony, Ansor lowered his head and stroked the Gleipnir in his hand. The dark but shiny gun reflected the sunlight, as well as his sea-blue eyes, and his rare, trance-like look.

"Anser!"

The girl's excited call came from behind Ansel. Before he turned his head, he felt a gust of wind blowing on his back, and a pair of soft and firm cotton breasts hit the back of his head right after.

The tall Miss Wolf jumped up, hugged Anser from behind, wrapped her legs around his waist, and hung her whole body on his back, saying with a smile:

"Are you leaving?"

"It depends on my father's arrangement."

Anser didn't look back. He reached back and touched Xitana's head, chuckled and said, "Are you looking forward to it?"

"Of course! That Zero Point Mystery Realm... sounds so amazing! Mr. Flamel also said that my chance to advance to the fifth level is left there, so of course I want to go and see it."