Great! I'm surrounded by villains!-Chapter 379 - 298: Symbiotic Relationship

Although the experts really wanted to answer Duan Mingyuan’s questions, the topics they discussed were too advanced, having far surpassed the current era.

In fact, he had never seen real "black goo," so even if it truly passed by him, he probably wouldn’t recognize it.

"And in such times, one needs to seek assistance from outside."

A familiar voice leisurely floated over.

Sitting in front of them with a tray was a female scholar dressed in a tight white lab coat, her black hair long, with a pair of somewhat outdated black-framed glasses perched on her nose.

This was the fourth appearance of He Ya that Duan Mingyuan had seen.

She had bolted out of the body of a cleaning robot, turning into a serious and stern scholar.

"This is...?"

Both Fu Ling and the experts showed puzzled expressions, although this uninvited guest looked like a real scholar, she definitely wasn’t one of the invited guests.

"I am a merchant who wanders the galaxy."

He Ya said with a proper smile, "One of those who uphold love and truth, the evil kind. If you need any information, feel free to visit my little shop anytime, I can even provide information about ’black goo,’ providing you can pay the fee."

"Instead of that, I’m more curious about how you managed to get aboard the Eco-Ship?"

Fu Ling frowned.

During the summit conference, security on the Eco-Ship was much tighter than usual, so how did an inexplicable information trafficker manage to sneak aboard her ship undetected?

Are the security personnel all just getting paid for nothing?

"I have my ways... Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"

He Ya’s composure and grace vanished without a trace in the instant her lunch box was confiscated by Fu Ling. It contained her favorite fried dumplings and steamed eggs, even the dipping sauce was carefully prepared by herself.

"Sorry, but you haven’t been invited to the summit, and the food here is specifically for attendees."

"You’ve made so much, it’s a waste if it’s not eaten."

"It’s a matter of principle."

Fu Ling declared with conviction, then suddenly shifted the conversation, "However, it’s not impossible for you to get an invitation, depending on whether the information you can provide is worthy of an ’expert’s’ title."

"Don’t try to bluff me, I saw a Fox Demon in your canteen yesterday, what kind of expert is she?"

"She is an expert’s family member, are you?"

"I...!"

He Ya stiffened, swallowing back the "I can be too" that almost slipped out.

You can eat indiscriminately, but you must be careful with your words, especially when she knew all too well just how severe a Fox Demon’s "food guarding" could be.

"Things have come to this, you might as well tell us now."

As the standstill persisted, Duan Mingyuan spoke while placing the tray He Ya had brought in front of her.

From his understanding of He Ya, her sudden appearance at this time meant she was here to bring them some new clues. As for talk of a fee or trade, those were just her way of maintaining her persona as a goddess of commerce.

He Ya was definitely a true friend who usually found a way to deliver the message, even if you weren’t prepared to pay.

"Hmph, that’s more like it."

He Ya snorted coldly, picked up the spoon, and ostentatiously scooped up a piece of the steamed egg in front of Fu Ling, conveying an air of enjoyment as she put it into her mouth.

"Is this person some elementary school kid from somewhere?"

Fu Ling leaned closer to Duan Mingyuan and quietly asked in a low voice.

She looked and was shaped like a mature woman full of allure, but her show of force over a breakfast dish was quite similar to that of an elementary schooler.

"Elementary students couldn’t discuss the topic of ’black goo’," Duan Mingyuan retorted.

He Ya said leisurely, "It seems this creature causes you quite the trouble, and you even fancifully try to find them among the people? Once they’ve lived beyond their juvenile stage, unless they appear before you willingly, you’ll never be able to find them."

"Juvenile stage?"

The expert pushed his plate aside, took out his phone, and opened the memo app.

He intended to record every detail he heard next.

This was the first time he had heard someone use such a term to describe the black goo, and the mysterious woman’s tone sounded like she had witnessed the black goo first-hand.

"That’s a term I coined, to describe the process from parasitizing a host to completing their first molting," He Ya elaborated while savoring a fried dumpling. That’s the advantage of being a free trader — having been everywhere and seen all sorts of bizarre incidents. Out of curiosity, she even boarded ships infested with the black goo, witnessing the crew go berserk up close. In the end, after the self-destruct mechanism was activated, everyone on the ship was blasted to pieces, with not even remains left to be found.

"Juvenile black goo doesn’t possess the ability to think independently, so it instinctively releases its powers. It tugs at the darkest emotions in the host’s heart, magnifying them. During this process, the host experiences delusions and becomes extremely aggressive. Some of the symptoms are similar to space travel syndrome. Interestingly, the abilities they release unconsciously actually hinder their growth."

In pursuit of understanding this fascinating parasitic creature, He Ya had boarded seven spaceships.

All seven of these ships ended up as fragments in the self-destruct sequence.

"In a confined and narrow space, driving the host insane is hardly different from self-annihilation. However, in a few rare cases, they’re lucky enough to encounter some exceptional hosts."

He Ya saw the rapid typing of the expert into his memo and explained considerately, "Those who can withstand these negative emotions and not be swayed by them are the exceptional hosts, like him—"

She positioned her left arm in front of Duan Mingyuan, "If they are fortunate enough to parasite on Mr. Mingyuan and aren’t destroyed, they would gradually shift from parasitism to a symbiotic relationship, taking as short as a few months or as long as a few years. During this period, they observe the world through the host’s eyes and are influenced by the host."

"So, you’re saying ’black goo’ is like a naughty kid with antisocial personality?"

Fu Ling asked with interest.

She was genuinely curious about what sort of "baby" would be raised if Duan Mingyuan was parasitized by the black goo.

"You could put it that way. Depending on the host’s personality, their developed personalities will also vary," He Ya explained.

To make it easy to understand, He Ya gave an example, "For instance, Mr. Mingyuan would likely nurture an excellent ogre-type black goo."

Fu Ling’s sudden realization deeply stabbed Duan Mingyuan in the eyes.

He was adamant that it wasn’t a good example at all.

"Where do you learn all this from?"

After writing down the notes, the expert couldn’t help asking.

He felt he had dedicated a considerable amount of time to the research of the black goo, yet in front of He Ya, he was like a rookie who hadn’t even crossed the threshold.

"I have my ways of obtaining information," He Ya answered deliberately pausing, staring straight into Duan Mingyuan, "The only symbiotically developed black goo I know of, came from a wizard—a wizard adept in prophecy and soul rituals."

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