Chapter 48: Black Bear Mask

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In the brightly lit machine shop, Serval's emotions were mixed. Under the warm-colored lighting, her already fair skin seemed to glow radiantly. It must be mentioned...

This strikingly dressed big sister had an excellent figure, tall and curvaceous.

The black and white fabric across her chest bore some resemblance to Silver Wolf's attire.

However, it was significantly larger than Silver Wolf's.

Its substantial weight even surpassed that of March 7th.

Bochang's gaze flickered; he was unaware of why she was expelled due to researching Stellaron. In fact, his knowledge about Stellaron itself was limited; he only knew it was connected to Cocolia.

As for the exact location of Stellaron, he was completely clueless.

Had he known its whereabouts earlier,

He wouldn't have needed to enter the city at all, instead, he could have directly headed towards the target. There would be no necessity for gathering information now.

It was akin to an unnecessary overcomplication—like taking off pants just to fart.

This couldn't be blamed on Bochang; after all, he had crossed over too early.

Hmm...

Crossing over too late might not have been helpful either, as much information would have been forgotten by then. Timing is crucial.

Serval didn't elaborate further.

Concerned about arousing suspicion, Bochang refrained from guiding the conversation any deeper.

As a former member of the Architects and previously a researcher for the Silvermane Guards, Serval's intelligence was undeniably high, which Bochang recognized well.

From the moment Bochang started probing for information, there was a risk of raising Serval's suspicions. Continuing down this path would only exacerbate those doubts. Since she had already stopped talking, it was best to leave it at that. Bochang nodded thoughtfully.

Both Pela and Lynx were aware of this incident involving Serval. However...

Similar to Bochang's current situation, they only knew that Serval was expelled from the Architects due to some research project. However, she had never disclosed specifics about what it entailed.

The big sister continued silently staring at Bochang. Seeing no further probing from him, after a few seconds of silence, she initiated conversation, "Aren't you curious as to why?"

"Definitely," Bochang rubbed his chin. "But since it seemed like you didn't want to talk about it, I thought it best not to pry."

"Hmm... That matter is highly confidential; I can't discuss it casually." Serval shook her head, causing her beautiful golden hair to sway gently.

Pushing up her round glasses, Pela's eyes flickered with a peculiar expression before she interjected, "Let's continue rehearsing instead."

"I agree," Lynx chimed in support.

Serval smiled warmly, "Then let's proceed."

And so...

They resumed their rehearsal, carrying on just as before without any noticeable changes.

As before, Serval continued singing and playing her instrument, with her blue skirt and alluring black-stockinged legs flashing incessantly before their eyes. Bochang could only maintain his composure by focusing solely on his bass guitar.

Time swiftly passed until it was nine o'clock in the evening.

Pela and Lynx left together first; being close friends, it was natural for them to depart as a pair. In fact, it was through Lynx that Pela managed to establish connections with the Landau family.

Notably... when Stelle and Bochang initially learned that Pela was the drummer of Serval's band, they were quite taken aback. They never expected the serious intelligence officer from the Silvermane Guards to be part of a rock band.

In hindsight, Bochang shouldn't have been surprised. But...

Who could blame him for not reading the character backgrounds while gaming?

As Bochang began tidying up, ready to leave the Perpetual Motion Machine Shop, Serval called out, "Bochang, wait a moment."

"What is it?"

The black-haired youth, who had reached the doorway, halted and turned back to look at the blonde big sister.

With eyes resembling sapphires, Serval gazed at him and said, "There's something I'd like to discuss with you. You must be curious about why I was expelled from the Architects, aren't you?"

"Boss... weren't you reluctant to talk about it just now?" Bochang blinked, sensing that he might be on the verge of uncovering a crucial plot point.

"That's because Lynx and Pela were here, so I didn't want to mention it openly. Now that you both know about that thing... keeping it secret is pointless..." Serval's slender, pale fingers gently brushed against the wooden counter, showing no intention of withholding information. "I assume you've guessed by now; it's due to my research on Stellaron—the very topic you discussed yesterday."

Bochang's pupils slightly contracted; he hadn't expected her to reveal it so directly.

Serval didn't give him a chance to respond, continuing swiftly, "Did you truly dream about Stellaron? This matter is considered highly confidential even within the Architects."

She eagerly sought the truth behind their knowledge.

Serval seemed urgently eager to know.

She took a few steps forward, standing right before Bochang and placing her hands on his shoulders.

"If you have any difficulties, feel free to tell me. As your boss, I might be able to assist."

Her rapid speech left no chance for Bochang to interject; he could only passively follow Serval's pace.

"Did we indeed raise suspicion? Tch... Well, it couldn't be helped, but... judging by Serval's demeanor, she doesn't appear malicious towards us at the moment." Bochang fell deep in thought, "That makes sense... After all, Serval was expelled from the Architects, so there's no reason for her to align with them now."

With Serval's charming face just inches away, Bochang prepared to respond...

[Dating Options activated.]

[Option 1: Given how far this conversation has gone, self-exposure seems inevitable. Please reply: "No... we didn't dream about it, rather... we were investigating Stellaron, as it is the source of calamity." - Completion Reward: Warrant for Silvermane Guards' arrest.]

[Option Two: Rather than self-destructing, it might be better to conceal this for now. Please scratch your head and say: "Of course, it was just a nightmare that Star had. I didn't realize something like Stellaron actually exists..." — Completion Reward: Obtain a random item, ranging from small as a matchstick to large as a star destroyer. Note: These items will...]

"Speaking bluntly would lead to being hunted by the Silvermane Guards..." Bochang muttered to himself, "Will Serval report me?"

He couldn't be sure, but he always felt that Serval didn't seem like someone who would inform on him. But why?

It genuinely puzzled him.

In any case...

This time, there's only one viable choice—the second option.

"It's been a while since my last gamble," Bochang rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Alright, let's see what good fortune awaits me."

"Option Two!"

Bochang scratched his head and said, "Of course, it was just a nightmare that Star had. I didn't realize something like Stellaron actually exists..."

Serval looked at him with intense curiosity, almost as if trying to decipher some hidden meaning.

It felt somewhat awkward.

[Reward distribution in progress - Congratulations! You have received a Black Bear Mask. When worn, it grants you the strength of a black bear. Note: This item has been stored in the system space and can be directly retrieved for use.]

"Black bear strength? How powerful is it?" Bochang wondered curiously, "And this mask takes effect just by wearing it, no need for blood bonding, quite convenient... Hmm... seems like it could be used by others too."

Bochang's thoughts drifted away.

Serval sighed, with a hint of disappointment flashing across her eyes.

"So that's how it is... Although dreaming about such things is slightly peculiar, given the vastness of the world, encountering these situations isn't entirely unexpected. In Dreamscape... anything is possible."

Coming back to his senses, Bochang quietly observed Serval.

This was the first time the black-haired youth had closely examined her at such proximity. Her delicate features and long eyelashes deeply imprinted themselves in his mind, while the scent emanating from the blonde big sister was intoxicating.

The atmosphere suddenly felt somewhat ambiguous.