Chapter 230: Rinliner Ao's Plot!

Chapter 230: Rinliner Ao's Plot!

Two days had passed since Tessa began instructing the Deri-Legu group on the construction of the transportation device. Observing their precision and efficiency, she found herself reconsidering the idea of taking this group as her personal team, though she decided to keep that thought to herself for now.

The work was divided among four groups, each performing critical tasks. One group smelted the Beri metal in blazing furnaces, shaping it into gleaming cubes. Another group processed the green clay, meticulously baking it and purging impurities. The third group labored on the golden cray shaft, heating it until it became molten, then shaping it according to Tessa's intricate plans. The final group handled the metal framework of the device, carefully assembling its structure while crafting cushions to ensure a smooth ride.

The site buzzed with activity, filled with the harmonious singing of the Deri-Legu people. Their unity and enthusiasm surprised Tessa, who couldn't help but nod in approval as the device gradually took shape.

Pressed for time, Tessa was acutely aware of her deadline to reach the wormhole, yet she remained resolute. A rushed, flimsy device would only guarantee failure. To her surprise, the Zubo aboriginals had proven far more capable than she had initially expected. She had anticipated primitive organisms with no concept of advanced technology. Instead, she encountered a society driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge—even if it meant resorting to theft and plunder to obtain it. Though she disapproved of their methods, their determination impressed her.

As she stood beneath the shade of a low-hanging tree, her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a familiar group approaching—the Zubo aboriginals she had first encountered upon landing on their planet. At their forefront was their leader, Rinliner Ao. Tessa had anticipated this moment. She suspected from the start that Rinliner Ao's earlier gesture of mercy had been a calculated ploy, masking ulterior motives.

Tessa's keen instincts told her that Rinliner Ao was far more cunning than he let on. His attempts to pose as a simple, naïve leader of a backwater tribe had long since unraveled in her mind. She was even certain that he could understand her language perfectly but chose to feign ignorance for his own schemes.

With her hand resting lightly on her protruding belly, a confident smile spread across her face. The energy radiating from the child within her had already heightened her strength and awareness, ensuring she wouldn't need to endure any life-threatening struggles today.

"I had a feeling you'd show up," she said, stepping forward gracefully despite her condition.

Rinliner Ao stopped in his tracks, his face shifting into a calculated expression of confusion. "Ntok… tnek… nok… tu… tenk… tunok…" he mumbled in the Zubo dialect, pretending not to understand.

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "Just stop pretending. I know you can understand me perfectly," she said, her voice steady and laced with amusement.

Caught off guard, Rinliner Ao turned sharply to Nzak-Deri, his expression darkening with suspicion. "You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" he snarled, dropping the act. "What happened to robbing her blind and killing her? You couldn't even handle a pregnant woman without spilling everything!"

Nzak-Deri's face twisted in outrage, his voice rising with indignation. "Me? You conniving fool! I never said a word to her! All we did was cooperate with her to build the god vessel so she wouldn't kill us! But you—you've doomed us all with your big mouth!"

The aboriginals behind Rinliner Ao stood frozen, the realization dawning on them that their leader had just given away their intentions. Rinliner Ao, catching his own mistake, gaped in disbelief. "Damn… she's smart," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the rising tension.

Meanwhile, Tessa's grin widened, her hypothesis confirmed in a manner even more satisfying than she had anticipated. The charged air seemed to pulsate with a mix of fear and frustration, but she remained composed, her advantage cemented.

With deliberate slowness, Tessa began clapping, the sound echoing ominously across the open space as she stepped forward, her pregnancy bump prominent but her gait as steady as ever.

Her sharp gaze swept across the group, lingering on each face before she spoke, her tone calm but laced with authority. "I knew from the start you lot had plans to rob me blind. The way you all reacted when Rinliner Ao asked me to leave—it was all too telling. I suspected a plot within a plot, but I let it slide… until Nzak-Deri and his group attacked me. That was when I finally pieced it all together."

She paused, watching their faces darken as her words struck home.

"If my hypothesis is correct, the truth is quite simple. Your group and the Deri-Legu don't trust each other. In fact, you resent them. But you tolerate them because their advancements in technology have made your lives easier. Instead of fighting openly, you've been trying to reverse-engineer their progress, slowly imparting their knowledge into your people. However, you're still far behind."

Tessa smiled knowingly, her words cutting deeper with every sentence. "When I arrived on your planet, you saw an opportunity. A shortcut. You thought I'd be the perfect weapon to dismantle the Deri-Legu for you. If I destroyed them, you'd reap the benefits. No more Deri-Legu to challenge your dominance, and all their technology would become yours. A clever plan… except for one problem: they chose to cooperate with me, rather than fight. Your entire calculation unraveled."

She stepped even closer, her sharp gaze locking onto Rinliner Ao, who stood frozen, his fists clenched at his sides. "Am I right, Rinliner Ao?"

For a moment, there was silence, thick and suffocating. Rinliner Ao's breath hitched as a cold sensation crept through his chest—fear. It wasn't the fear of physical harm, but something far more unsettling. The way Tessa had unraveled his every thought, reading him as though he were an open book, made him wonder if she could truly read minds.

"You…" he started, his voice cracking before he could finish.

Tessa's smile widened, her confidence radiating. "I'll take that as a yes."

Nzak-Deri, watching the exchange, felt his blood boil. His role in Rinliner Ao's scheme was painfully clear now—he'd been nothing more than a pawn, a distraction, cannon fodder sent to delay Tessa while Rinliner Ao planned to swoop in and claim the spoils.

"You dirty, messed-up, scheming, disloyal, untrustworthy piece of shit…" Nzak-Deri growled, cursing Rinliner Ao's entire lineage in his mind. His anger simmered just beneath the surface, but outwardly he remained rigid, his jaw clenched and fists trembling.

Rinliner Ao, still reeling, glanced toward Nzak-Deri but found no support there—only seething fury. Behind him, the other aboriginals shuffled uneasily, their leader's clever façade now shattered.

Tessa, seeing the cracks in their unity, folded her arms, her presence commanding. "So, what's it going to be, Rinliner Ao? Another half-baked scheme, or will you finally admit you're out of your depth?"

Rinliner Ao remained silent, his mind scrambling for an escape. But deep down, he knew: Tessa wasn't someone to be underestimated, and this battle had already been lost.