Chapter 43: Alice's Shadow! Don't Throw Me In to Scout the Path, I Won't Compete for the Treasure!
"Ling, I'm not lying to you. This path is very dangerous!"
"Dangerous? That's perfect! In a place like this, the more dangerous the area, the more likely it is to contain extremely valuable treasures. If you're scared, you can turn back and leave, but don't follow me."
"You... Why won't you listen to reason? Hmph!"
Catching up to Lin Tianming, Alice tried everything to persuade him to change his path, but nothing she said could sway him.
As they continued forward, the final treasure of the mechanical secret realm was about to be revealed. Her strength hadn't fully recovered, and she could only watch helplessly as Lin Tianming claimed the treasures.
Thinking of this, Alice stomped her foot in frustration.
[It seems Lin is determined to go this way. With my strength depleted, if I keep following him, not only will I fail to seize the treasures, but I might also end up like last time, killed by him. Maybe... I should leave now?]
[But... but I'm really unwilling! Even though I came to the mechanical secret realm much earlier this time, why does Lin still end up taking most of the treasures here!]
Hearing Alice's resentful thoughts, Lin Tianming felt wronged. He had never intended to monopolize all the opportunities in this secret realm.
So far, Alice had received two bottles of the divine mechanical liquid and the opportunities from the mechanical ascension pool. Lin Tianming had only bathed in the mechanical ascension pool and hadn't stopped her from seizing those opportunities.
Moreover, he had already mentioned that if they found any treasures later, they could split them evenly. It was her own mistrust that was the problem.
If it had been the original Lin Tianming, he would indeed have wanted to monopolize everything and might have even killed Alice to prevent her from competing with him.
But as a transmigrator, he wasn't the original Lin Tianming. He had his own principles.
Just like before, when it came to the gene potion critical for Ye Qingxue's soul repair, he didn't snatch it. Although he obtained other divine treasures, he didn't kill Ye Qingxue and even protected her from the whispers of the Angel of the Star Key in the secret realm.
In the end, he honored his promise, protecting Ye Qingxue and earning her genuine trust and understanding.
Alice now resembled the initial distrustful Ye Qingxue, but Lin Tianming believed that his upright actions would eventually make Alice see the difference between him and the original Lin Tianming.
Time would prove everything!
Lin Tianming didn't offer further explanations and continued along the path Alice didn't want him to take.
Soon, they arrived at the final treasure hiding place of the mechanical secret realm.
However, as soon as they arrived, Lin Tianming felt an immense invisible force pressing down on him, causing him to collapse to the ground.
"What... What is this force? Why is it crushing me?"
Shocked, Lin Tianming managed to withdraw from the area before the invisible force could crush him completely.
Gasping, he looked at Alice behind him. "Phew... Fortunately, I reacted quickly. Otherwise, I might have been crushed. Alice, do you know anything about the area ahead?"
At this moment, Alice was staring at him with a look of sheer terror, as if reliving a nightmare.
"Don't... don't throw me in to scout the path. I know nothing... I don't want any treasures. I'll leave... I'll leave right now!"
[It was here in the last life that Lin betrayed me, attacking and severely injuring me, using me as a tool to scout the path, throwing me into this area where I was tortured by the multiplied gravity!]
[I should have left earlier. What was I thinking, trying to compete with him? Now I remember the pain of being used as a pathfinder in the previous life!]
[Is it too late to leave now? I don't want to experience the torture of gravity again, nor do I want to be pushed to the center to disable the gravity device for him to take all the treasures!]
Lost in her fearful thoughts from the past life, Alice turned to flee.
Just as she turned, Lin Tianming grabbed her by the back of her collar, lifting her off the ground like a helpless chick.
No matter how much she kicked and struggled, Lin Tianming didn't let her go.
"Please... Ling, don't... don't throw me in to scout the path. I... I won't compete for the opportunities anymore. I'll leave, okay?"
[Just like in the last life, even though the details are different, I'm still being lifted and thrown in!]
Listening to Alice's fearful thoughts, Lin Tianming didn't take it to heart.
Holding the fleeing Alice, he faced the area blocked by the gravity device and pointed to the energy pillar at the center, asking her a question.
"Alice, do you think that glowing pillar is the real reason for the suppression in the area ahead?"
"Probably..."
[He... he really wants to throw me in, torture me with the multiplied gravity to disable the device for him!]
Hearing Alice's tentative response and her inner voice, Lin Tianming decided to tease her.
"Alice, go in and take a look. I think that glowing pillar is definitely problematic. See if you can turn it off!"
Upon hearing this, Alice's vision went black, nearly fainting from the traumatic memories of her past life.
Is it that serious?
Seeing Alice's pale face and her psychological shadow, Lin Tianming decided not to scare her any further.
Just when Alice thought he was going to throw her in to scout, Lin Tianming, to her surprise, released her and walked in himself.
Alice, stunned, watched Lin Tianming in disbelief. "He... he didn't throw me in?"
Mechanical Transformation!
Ignoring Alice's shocked expression, Lin Tianming transformed his body into a mechanical one.
He had already planned that if the mechanical body didn't work, he would try a spiritual transformation next.
Fortunately, once his body became mechanical, the terrifying gravity's impact was greatly reduced.
Although there was still some effect, Lin Tianming, relying on his mechanical body, quickly reached the central area.
Circling around the gravity device mentioned in Alice's thoughts, he managed to disable it.
With the gravity device deactivated, the terrifying gravity dissipated completely.
Lin Tianming collected the precisely crafted gravity device and attempted to establish a connection with it.
Successfully bonding with the gravity device and making it his own, Lin Tianming couldn't help but smile.
With this mechanical kingdom artifact capable of releasing multiplied gravity, he now had another life-saving card up his sleeve.
Securing the gravity device, Lin Tianming looked at the dumbfounded Alice still standing at the perimeter.
"Alice, why are you standing there? Come in and split the treasures here fifty-fifty!"