Seeing Li Ang finished talking with the woman, Xiaomo approached him to ask how he considered the matter of the Mechanical Creation Furnace.

Although tonight's discovery was unexpected, Xiaomo's position is crucial.

He is not only an old friend of Li Ang but also an ally of the Shadow Factory, and now a member of the Fellowship of Fortunate Stars, responsible for guarding the City of the Ship's Rudder. He must also consider how to handle the subsequent matters.

Opening the "Mechanical City Core" depends on Li Ang, but the door is located on the Shadow Factory's side, and such a level of venue can be considered a Desperate Secret Realm. If any Celestial Group learns of it, they will certainly prepare forces to tackle it.

For Li Ang, if he uses Meluna, cooperates with Farina, pulls in Xiaomo, and invites the Water Dragon incarnation willing to lend a hand, if the guards he saw earlier are all the dangers within the Mechanical Creation Furnace, with a good plan they should barely manage to seize it.

However, this is not playing a game; any strategy for the Desperate Secret Realm must be thoroughly prepared to ensure nothing goes wrong. No one, including Li Ang, is willing to pay a heavy price.

Outside the City of the Ship's Rudder, the Soul Apex and Empire are up to something unknown, to rashly use their forces to tackle a Secret Realm that could delay exploration and then confront the Empire's attack without slowing down, doesn't seem right.

Therefore, this matter requires careful consideration.

Xiaomo knows this too, so he asks Li Ang how he plans to handle the secret information regarding the Mechanical Creation Furnace.

Previously, he also promised to keep Li Ang's secret, but if serious exploration of the "Mechanical City Core" is needed, it's something workers of the Shadow Factory outside can't avoid; they regularly inspect the door trying to open it.

Li Ang doesn't mind forming alliances as long as the core benefits are secured.

Just now, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Mechanical Creation Furnace and the sudden attack by the guards, he hadn't thought about how to use the facility.

From the name, is it meant for creating ultimate machinery? Or can it only forge those giant golems resembling substandard exoskeletons? Those things are formidable in the Mechanical Creation Furnace; it's uncertain if they can even operate outside.

Li Ang glanced at the system panel; the previously indicated [Island Founder's Skill Inheritance] had been pieced together while escaping the Mechanical Creation Furnace, but the system still has a synchronization time.

He plans to wait and see the inheritance to gain a deeper understanding of the Island Founder before deciding.

"Will they check the door in the short term?" Li Ang asked.

"Probably in three to five days."

"That's plenty."

Li Ang decided to wait until the skill inheritance completes, and then to go with Xiaomo to discuss this with the Great Engineer.

The matter is temporarily settled; after parting with Xiaomo, Li Ang drove Dorothy and Meluna back to their rooms and returned to his bed.

As soon as he closed his eyes, half-asleep, he smelled a whiff of alcohol again.

His consciousness slowly returned, opening his eyes with fatigue.

Impossible.

A pink-haired young girl was sitting at his bedside, leaning on it with a jug of wine clutched by white delicate fingers, bleary-eyed.

"You're still drinking?"

"The local brew packs a punch; I tried a bit more, hiccup~"

"Did you receive the information from the Water Clone?"

"What kind of dragon do you think I am? It's as if I were personally present."

That's hardly the case, Li Ang thought to himself, if the real Water Dragon came, it would be a shame if the Mechanical Creation Furnace weren't drowned completely under the Water Pillar's name.

Li Ang sat up, only for Akuya to immediately topple over and occupy his bed.

"You—"

The pink-haired young girl seemed genuinely drunk, her pink tongue lightly licking her lips, the neckline wide open, the flushed glow half-transparent against the snowy backdrop, enticingly seductive with a youthful allure. However, Li Ang, having seen various art-like bodies recently, might have become captivated otherwise.

He's now nearly immune to this degree.

Akuya extend a hand: "Bring it over."

"Which one?"

"The, the Guard's core," she said a bit unclearly.

Li Ang handed her the porous sphere once again, the true core from the Guard of the Creation Cauldron, far beyond comparable to the Island Founder's imitation.

"Ju-just now didn't have the chance to say it, this, this thing... just now didn't have the chance to say, regarding this item, it can, just a moment ago I wanted to say..."

Akuya's words kept spinning around, and then she fainted, unconscious.

Might she have chugged alcohol, sensing the Deus people's hidden matters, and sent only a Water Clone to check things out?

Could it be that the Mechanical Creation Furnace really is insignificant in the eyes of a Divine Spirit?

Forget it; Li Ang arranged her properly and then left the room to knock on Dorothy's door.

The half-elf instantly swung open the metal door, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Wow, is this the Goddess's grace rewarding my devoutness? All my wishes come true?"

"Devoted Tier Two Priest, right? First let me in."

Li Ang entered, explained the unreliable Divine Spirit's behavior, and expressed a desire to borrow a bed to sleep.

Dorothy was entirely willing, immediately loosening her clothes, even undoing some unnecessary for bedtime, ignoring Li Ang's announcement that he came simply because she was most likely not sleeping.

"Stop messing around; I'm exhausted, let's sleep quickly."

Seeing Li Ang truly weary, she snuggled up, yet did not attempt any more of her usual nonsensical antics.

After Li Ang lay down, she immediately curled up in his arms, which he did not resist.

"To be honest, apart from previously passing out, there's really never been a time of such pampering, letting you hug me to sleep."