Moving the alloy ball from the hover cart to the floor, Fan Yumei decided what to do next.
She didn't want to abandon such valuable alloy, but dragging it around was a hassle she'd rather avoid.
The alloy wasn't just rare—it hummed faintly with old-world energy, like a heartbeat trapped in metal. Abandoning it felt like throwing away a lifeline… or a curse.
"Sign."
Why wouldn't it go into her spaces? She didn't understand, but a nagging feeling told her to keep it close. This alloy was no ordinary find.
Seated beside the hover cart and Maxius, she pulled out the strange devices again, inspecting them carefully with her senses and soul probes. No immediate danger registered, so after a moment of hesitation, she decided to try them on. None of her usual storage spaces—the sanctuary, the space band, or her cubes—would accept them. They repelled the items like they were afraid.
She hesitated, a faint tremor crawling up her spine. Something was wrong—but curiosity won.
Shrugging off the frustration, she focused on the watch-like device. A slit on its clasp matched the weird chip's shape perfectly. She slid the chip in. When nothing happened, she slipped the watch onto her right wrist—the only free spot.
Next, she turned to the container holding what looked like contact lenses but didn't quite fit that definition. A lever on the side gave the device a sleek, flip-camera vibe. Thinking it might be some kind of toy, she brought it up to her eyes and clicked the lever.
A sudden cold shiver ran down her spine, and an automatic magical defense flickered around her aura—an instinctive reflex she barely controlled.
Then, a blinding flash of light engulfed her vision.
"Ughh! Ahhhh!"
Pain exploded through her eyes like needles stabbing deep beneath her skin. Blood leaked down her face and dripped onto her wrists. The watch sent a sharp jolt through her arm. She dropped to the floor, clutching the contacts, helpless and overwhelmed.
—
"Master?!" Maxius screeched, dropping the star herbs he'd just harvested and flying over in a panic.
His feathers ruffled, chest tight. Why didn't I train harder? Why didn't I take my soul arts seriously like Mystic or Lufei? He hovered helplessly beside her, guilt crushing him. I'm supposed to protect her, to heal her… but right now, I can barely do anything. I feel like a failure. The bitter sting of inadequacy gnawed at him, sharper than any physical pain.
"Ahhhhhh!" Fan Yumei's voice cracked, raw with agony. One hand clawed desperately at the case over her eyes, trying to rip it free. The other, slick with blood, grasped the humming alloy ball nearby. A sudden electric zap surged through her, twisting her body into a convulsion.
"Human girl?!" Old Thief's voice crackled anxiously from her wrist, sharp with panic.
Tears of blood streamed freely as she curled into a ball, her breath shallow and ragged. The pain was relentless—sharp needles rooting themselves under her skin, twisting and trying to grow.
"Master, what happened?! There's blood everywhere! What's wrong with your eyes?!" Maxius's voice trembled as he hovered at her side, unseen but desperate.
Fan Yumei tried to speak but found no words. Darkness pressed behind her eyelids.
Suddenly, the watch sprang to life with a metallic hiss, swallowing the alloy ball whole and locking it inside with a sharp, mechanical burp.
Thin, noodle-like metallic tendrils flickered out, seeking her blood. They stabbed into her spine like needles, merging with her nervous system and spine bones.
Maxius's frantic warnings filled the air, though Fan Yumei couldn't understand the bracelet's frantic voice.
"Damn rusty relic! You betray my master?!" Maxius screeched, furious and scared.
Old Thief's voice came heavy with regret. "Those were born of forbidden biotech magic—cursed relics banned long ago. Many who bonded with them lost their minds, or worse. No one knows their true power—because no one lived to tell."
Fan Yumei whispered through clenched teeth, "Forbidden magic or old tales to scare fools? Doesn't matter—this pain is all too real."
Maxius collapsed beside her, helpless tears falling. "Is Master going to die? What about Mystic and Lufei?"
"You must fight! Dominate the bond! No other choice," Old Thief urged, his tone dark but determined.
"I—I understand…" Fan Yumei gasped, every breath a dagger. Pain stabbed her spine like knives. She bit her lip, closing her eyes to summon all her soul's strength. Diving deep into her mental domain—the inner world of her spirit and consciousness—she hunted the invasive presence at its root.
Inside her soul realm, the world twisted—a storm of shadow and fire. The intruder clawed at the edges, a dark tempest threatening to swallow her core whole. Her mind screamed, flickering wildly like a candle fighting a storm.
A flicker of childhood memory flashed—alone in the rain, cold and helpless—but she shattered it with a fierce growl.
A spark of raw determination ignited deep within her, refusing to be extinguished.
She gathered shards of her fractured soul, shards sharp as glass, forging them anew with grit and ancient resolve.
"Mm, weak but not bad," a voice sneered inside her mind, then vanished, draining her strength.
"Ahhh!" She screamed as her body convulsed violently. Half her mental domain shattered.
She nearly passed out, but something deep urged her on.
"Fight, Master! Don't give up!" Maxius's voice rang in her ears, steady and urgent.
Maxius paced anxiously, feathers ruffled in desperate hope.
Drawing on every ounce of strength, Fan Yumei reshaped her soul energy into a spirit attack—using Lufei's skills to finally subdue the invasive presence. The crushing drain slowly eased.
"It seems… you are worthy of being my master," the voice admitted. "And wielder of these eyes."
Within her core, liquid-metal pulsed, gathering into a sphere before exiting her body like a ghost. It hovered and shifted shape.
Fan Yumei slumped, trembling and exhausted, struggling to steady her shaking hands.
"Master, are you alright? Is that your beast?" Maxius asked, voice thick with concern.
Her vision remained blocked by the contact case thing. She was blind but alert.
A translucent screen shimmered in her mental space lighting up the surroundings like a lightbulb.
[Hello Master Fan Yumei, I am SF-FHUB-001, your bonded soulmatic familiar. Bonding successful. I am alive—a biotech ancient magical beast in formation, here to assist you till death.]
The voice was soft, milky, almost childlike.
A voice like broken glass whispered inside her mind. "Master, I am yours—but not wholly yours. We are one, yet separate."
Fan Yumei froze. A voice inside her head? From a biotech beast?
[No worries, Master. I monitor your beasts, skills, missions, and have 6 thousands years of knowledge. I am reliable.]
She was speechless, overwhelmed.
Maxius's feathers ruffled nervously. "What is it, Master? That old rusted relic again?"
"No, not him. Just… pain. My eyes feel like roots growing inside," she whispered.
[Master, you have merged with me—an ancient biotech frowned upon by heaven. Integration nearly complete. You suffer heaven's backlash: permanent blindness as punishment for possessing the All-Seeking Seeing God Eyes. Eyes stolen from a fallen God, heaven's brother.]
[Syncing at 96.4%. Please be patient before removing eye protection.]
"Permanent blindness?!" Fan Yumei's voice cracked. "Who's talking?!"
Maxius cried out, panicked. "Master! Blind… permanently?!"
Old Thief's voice softened, serious. "Human girl, be lucky you survived the little ancestor. You've passed a test no one else has."
[Master, don't worry. Once rooted, you will 'see'—but not in the usual way. Please give me a name to complete bonding.]