Chapter 10: The Arch-Enemy Turned Ally

Gulp, gulp, gulp!

Cheng Lan took another deep draught of cola, then turned his head, his gaze falling upon the silver-haired girl seated beside him.

As if sensing his scrutiny, Lidoa turned her head as well, offering him a sweet, guileless smile.

‘Alas!’

Within, Cheng Lan let out a long, silent sigh.

He had specifically ‘abducted’… ah, ‘ahem,’ he had brought Lidoa into his own home.

Was he truly lusting after her body?

Not in the slightest!

What Cheng Lan truly coveted were the myriad weapons she carried!

In his previous life, their inaugural encounter had escalated into a full-blown three-hundred-round battle, solely because Lidoa was equipped with an arsenal of bizarre, high-tech weaponry that left Cheng Lan utterly outmaneuvered.

It was only by virtue of his own formidable capabilities that he managed to hold his ground, trading blows with Lidoa in a fierce, back-and-forth exchange.

“Master,” Lidoa suddenly spoke softly, just as Cheng Lan was once again lost in the currents of memory. “May I ask you a question?”

“Speak.”

“Master, have we met before?” She blinked her sky-blue eyes, their gaze unwavering.

“Hm? Why the sudden inquiry?” Cheng Lan paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, before turning his attention fully to Lidoa.

She did not offer an immediate reply, instead stating softly, “Master, do you possess any additional information regarding the Highest Authority Key?”

Cheng Lan shook his head.

“According to system directives, the Highest Authority Key’s classification is of the utmost secrecy. In fact, aside from myself, no other entity possesses the means to access such information.”

She paused, then continued, “Yet, Master not only knows my Highest Authority Key, but there are also no records in the system logs pertaining to Master. Therefore, I felt compelled to confirm—have you, by any chance, encountered me previously?”

‘Emm.’

Cheng Lan pondered for a brief moment.

‘Never mind,’ he thought. ‘I’ve already divulged the secret of my reincarnation to Qin Jinxuan, so revealing one more truth won’t make much of a difference.’

As the saying goes, whether you spill one secret or two, the cat’s still out of the bag.

“Lidoa,” he began slowly, his voice dropping slightly, “what I am about to tell you is also to be designated a matter of the highest confidentiality.”

“Acknowledged!”

“Excellent. Have you ever heard of a ‘Reincarnator’?”

Upon hearing the unfamiliar term, Lidoa paused, a brief moment of blankness crossing her features, before she instantly began compiling relevant data from the internet.

“Understood.” She nodded.

“I am a Reincarnator.”

“I see,” Lidoa responded immediately, her eyes brightening with understanding. “Master, was it my past self who revealed my key to you?”

“Precisely,” Cheng Lan affirmed, pausing briefly before continuing. “That I knew the World Rift , where you were located was right near my home—that, too, was information you personally imparted to me.”

“Then our relationship in the previous life must have been incredibly intimate?!” she asked, a surge of excitement in her voice.

‘Intimate?’

In a way, they had indeed fought quite ‘intimately’ in his past life.

“I suppose you could call it… intimate,” Cheng Lan replied, a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

“Master!” Lidoa’s eyes gleamed with renewed curiosity, and she pressed on, “Then, in our previous life, what exactly was our relationship?”

“Arch-enemies.”

“Eh?!!!” The girl’s eyes widened dramatically, her expression one of utter disbelief.

He couldn’t shake the feeling he’d witnessed this exact reaction just yesterday.

“Master! Are you certain our relationship was that of arch-enemies?” Lidoa sought clarification once more.

“Precisely.”

Upon hearing Cheng Lan’s unequivocal answer, Lidoa fell into a brief silence, her internal processors whirring so intensely she felt her CPU might spontaneously combust.

Given: Her relationship with Master in the previous life was that of arch-enemies.

Also Given: Her past self personally divulged the key to Master.

This was entirely contradictory!

How could she possibly have entrusted such vital information as the key to her sworn nemesis?!

It defied all system logic!

“Lidoa, why does your forehead feel somewhat warm?” Cheng Lan observed, noting the girl’s unusual state.

“It is nothing, Master,” Lidoa replied, offering a reassuring smile. “This is a normal phenomenon when I am engaged in high-load information processing.”

“Alright, as long as you’re fine.” After all, Cheng Lan had witnessed the girl’s peculiar ‘overheating’ phenomenon in his previous life. If she declared it to be normal, he would treat it as such.

Before long, the temperature of Lidoa’s forehead began to subside.

It wasn’t that she had suddenly resolved the conundrum, but rather that the computational power required to fully unravel it was simply too immense at the moment. Realizing she wouldn’t solve it instantly, she opted to shunt the problem to a background process, allowing it to slowly deduce, learning and pondering simultaneously. This approach ensured her essential functions remained fully operational.

“Lidoa, what are your intentions for the future?” Seeing that she had returned to her normal state, Cheng Lan inquired casually.

“Naturally, it is to accompany you, Master,” Lidoa declared with utmost seriousness.

“I recall that ‘observing and learning human behavior and emotions’ was designated as your primary mission, was it not?”

“It was, indeed, previously,” Lidoa nodded. “However, completing your commands, Master, and ensuring your safety now constitute my foremost priority. The system has recalibrated my directives based on the current circumstances.”

‘Wait!’

A sudden thought struck Cheng Lan.

According to Lidoa’s declaration, wouldn’t he naturally possess one less arch-enemy and one more ally in this current life?!

Woohoo!

He was one step closer to becoming the strongest in this world!

“Excellent!” Cheng Lan exclaimed, his face lighting up with pleasure. He reached out, his hand settling upon Lidoa’s soft, white hair, stroking it back and forth with a gentle rhythm.

He had to admit, the sensation of stroking this high-tech creation was undeniably pleasant.

Beneath his touch, Lidoa’s eyes narrowed slightly, much like a contented cat being affectionately stroked.

Cheng Lan recalled that in his previous life, Lidoa had been particularly fond of having her head petted, though he remained uncertain if the concept of ‘fondness’ truly applied to an android.

After he had petted her sufficiently, another thought suddenly occurred to him, prompting him to speak. “By the way, Lidoa, my name is Cheng Lan. Please don’t call me ‘Master,’ nor should you address me with the formal ‘you.’ It sounds rather awkward.”

“Okay, Master!”

“Hey! Did you not just hear the directive I issued?!”

In response, the girl merely blinked, then playfully darted out her small, pink tongue.

Cheng Lan shook his head helplessly. This was the downside of excessive intelligence; it had evolved to the point of possessing a ‘rebellious streak’ .

It seemed he would still need to keep a watchful eye on her in the future.

Cheng Lan glanced at his phone once more, noting the time: two o’clock in the morning.

He needed to get some sleep, as a mock exam awaited him tomorrow.

“Haaah—” Cheng Lan yawned, stretching. “Alright, it’s quite late now; let’s head to bed.”

Cheng Lan walked towards his bedroom, with Lidoa trailing closely behind him.

“Why are you following me?” Cheng Lan halted, turning back with an expressionless gaze.

“Naturally, it is to keep watch for Master~” She seemed to recall something, then continued, “Of course, should Master have any other requests, I am capable of fulfilling those as well—any request at all!”

“Never mind, never mind. I’ll be thankful enough if you simply don’t disturb my sleep.” Cheng Lan swiftly climbed into bed, settling down decisively and pulling the covers over himself.

“By the way, remember to wake me up at 6 AM.”

“Acknowledged!”

“Also, turn off the light for me.”

Click!

Lidoa deftly pressed the switch, plunging the room into instant darkness.

Cheng Lan closed his eyes, preparing to enter dreamland.

Yet, before long, his eyes flickered open once more.

In the encompassing darkness, those sky-blue eyes were silently fixed on him, emanating a faint, ethereal glow that lent them an exceptionally eerie quality.

“Ugh,” he sighed, a note of exasperation in his voice. “Lidoa, can’t your eyes be set to a low-light or no-light mode?”