Chapter 125: The Listener

"Do you think he'll win?"

Cunning Rabbit gazed out at the undulating sea, her voice tinged with a need for reassurance. It had been nearly half an hour since Li Nanke lured the enemy into the ocean and the vintage car had circled back to wait by the roadside. The surface of the sea was eerily calm, betraying nothing of the turbulent currents churning beneath. After the two had submerged, Cunning Rabbit and Pinocchio could only wait on the shore, silently praying that Li Nanke would emerge victorious. Yet, given the disparity in their strength, the odds of Li Nanke surviving seemed near zero.

"Of course. I believe the Boss will definitely defeat the enemy."

Having traveled with Li Nanke all this way, Pinocchio had formed a rough estimate of his master’s capabilities. In terms of raw power, he knew his master was no match for the enemy, but they had fought side-by-side countless times. No matter how formidable the foe, his master always managed to emerge triumphant. Whether facing endless armies of puppets or gargantuan, specialized monstrosities, his master grew stronger with every battle—and his rate of growth far outpaced the enemies he faced. No matter how fierce the adversary, they eventually crumbled, serving only as stepping stones for his master’s evolution. Pinocchio’s trust in Li Nanke bordered on worship, a conviction forged in the fires of repeated combat.

Suddenly, a head broke the surface of the water. The familiar figure hauled himself up the reef and back onto the road.

"As expected, the Boss is the victor."

As Pinocchio exclaimed, Cunning Rabbit threw herself into Li Nanke’s arms in delight. He noticed that in his master’s hand, he clutched a palm-sized object; it was blue, irregularly shaped, looking as much like a crystal as it did a mass of living flesh. Pinocchio’s gaze was instantly anchored to the object, unable to pull away—it was as if the North and South poles of a magnet had met, exerting a primal, fatal attraction.

[Remnant Tissue of the God’s Arm]
[Type: Item/Material/Consumable]
[Quality: Excellent+]
[Rating: 76/100]
[Details: The only remaining fragment of the "Torn God." The flesh tissue extracted from it was implanted into "Champion Victor," guiding him toward evolution while granting him even greater power. The basic use of this item is for crafting alchemical goods (requires mastery of alchemy), but it may harbor other unknown functions.]

The car engine roared to life, heading toward the distant city of Krat. Pinocchio’s eyes, however, remained welded to the Remnant Tissue of the God’s Arm in his master’s palm. In the driver’s seat, Cunning Rabbit chirped away, asking how the Boss had defeated the enemy. Li Nanke, seemingly uninterested—as if he had just performed a trivial chore—teased her by asking if she knew what "driving a Ferrari with one hand" meant and offered to demonstrate.

Noticing Pinocchio’s stare, Li Nanke moved to the backseat. "What’s the matter? Interested in this thing?"

The Remnant Tissue was a trophy he had carved out of Champion Victor’s heart. According to the item description, it required alchemy to unlock its potential. Since he knew nothing of alchemy, he had planned to take it to the hotel and see if Philip the Yellow Dog could turn it into something useful. Seeing Pinocchio now, he looked like a starving prisoner who had finally laid eyes on a roasted chicken. The puppet boy couldn't tear his gaze away.

Pinocchio took the Remnant Tissue. Guided by some unseen instinct, he held the object with both hands, moving it toward his left chest. He paused, looking up at Li Nanke, his eyes silently asking, "Boss, may I?"

Seeing Li Nanke nod, he offered a grateful smile and pressed the Remnant Tissue against his chest. The moment the crystal-like flesh touched his metallic breastplate, it dissolved into countless blue particles that surged inward. Li Nanke watched as the puppet boy’s body erupted in a brilliant blue glow. Even through his clothing and the supernatural metal of his chest, one could see the frantic pulsation of his power heart—a heart composed of metal and flesh, surfaced with tiny pipes and gears, laced with blue tissue. Simultaneously, the puppet boy clenched his fists, his body crackling with azure particles.

[Puppet P — Pinocchio]
[Type: Summon/Growth-capable]
[Quality: Rare → Rare+]
[Rating: 15 → 32]

Pinocchio opened his eyes, flexed his fists, and felt the powerful energy surging through him. "Boss, I absorbed that thing. I think I’ve become stronger."

Li Nanke ruffled Pinocchio’s hair, turning it into a bird’s nest. *Internally, he pondered: Simon, the leader of the Alchemists, used the flesh of the God’s Arm to evolve Champion Victor. It seems Geppetto, the Father of Puppets, also secretly obtained some of that flesh and integrated it into Pinocchio’s power heart during his creation. This allows him to absorb the flesh of the God’s Arm just as he does Ergo to significantly enhance his strength.*

*This kid still hasn't truly 'acknowledged' me as his master. Perhaps the condition for that is linked to the God’s Arm?*

If there were a favorability system in this dream world, Li Nanke was certain he ranked highest in Pinocchio’s heart, yet he had received no synchronization prompt suggesting a master-servant bond. The requirements for such a bond had been a mystery, but seeing Pinocchio absorb the God’s Arm made him suspect a connection.

That night, the trio returned to the Hotel Krat.

"What! The Stalkers have all been sacrificed?!" Sofia jumped to her feet, her face pale with disbelief.

A total of twelve Stalkers had been sent to the Cathedral area for what Li Nanke called "training," and yet only three returned—and of those three, Puppet P wasn't even counted among the original twelve. This meant ten Stalkers had perished in the purge. Aside from the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, only Blue Snake and Yellow Dog remained; the force was effectively wiped out.

"Black Rabbit, what exactly are you trying to do! You’ve exhausted our only strength for the sake of your so-called training? Tell me, what are the results of this training?"

Facing her interrogation, Li Nanke replied calmly, "Training always has casualty quotas. They were unqualified, so they were eliminated."

Sofia pointed at Li Nanke, her face flushed with anger, stuttering, "You, you, you..." unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Ms. Sofia, I have answered your questions truthfully. I hope you can stop acting now. Can’t we sit down and talk honestly and openly with each other?"

Sofia froze, her expression hardening. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. You will be held responsible for the deaths of the Stalkers!"

Sofia’s true identity was clearly not simple. Li Nanke had suspected it from the start, but after the trip to the Cathedral, he had found the key evidence. She had claimed she missed the last boat off the island because she wanted to liquidate her assets, but her behavior suggested she wasn't greedy enough to risk her life for money. The excuse didn't hold water. Through Red Fox and Black Cat, he learned that the Ergo butterfly that awakened Pinocchio had come from Sofia. During his time at the Cathedral, he encountered that butterfly again, and it had guided him to Geppetto’s notes. Therefore, Sofia was no mere wealthy aristocrat; she had another purpose for remaining in Krat.

Li Nanke looked at the butterfly ornament on Sofia’s chest. "Fine. How do you want me to be held responsible?" He stood up, the Bloody Hammer appearing in his hand, flames roaring to life along its head. The sweltering heat made Sofia’s face burn, forcing her to take a step back. He locked eyes with her, making no effort to hide his threat. Blue Snake stepped forward without a word, shielding Sofia, her hand tight on her dagger.

"Her? She couldn't even block a single blow from me." Li Nanke’s gaze shifted back to Sofia. "Ms. Sofia, although you hid many things from me, you also risked your own exposure to help me, didn't you?"

"I don't want to use force to make you submit. I suggest you think carefully."

Sofia’s hands clenched, her knuckles turning white. She remained silent for a long time before finally sighing. "Blue Snake, take Ms. Cunning Rabbit and Puppet P to their rooms to rest... Mr. Black Rabbit, please follow me. It is not convenient to speak here."

Sofia led Li Nanke to a lounge beside the lobby, personally brewing a pot of coffee and bringing out a plate of exquisite desserts.

"Speak. Who are you, and what is your true goal?"

Sofia sat on the sofa by the coffee table, her gaze distant. Instead of answering immediately, she countered, "Mr. Black Rabbit, you have Geppetto’s notes. You must have read about the 'Listeners'?"

Geppetto’s notes contained this record: *...Simon is, after all, merely a usurper. Even if he controls the daughter of the former leader, Valentine, the last remaining Listener in this world, he cannot change his inevitable failure.*

That was the only mention of the Listeners in the notes. However, the item description for the Gold Coin Fruit contained more: *The Gold Coin Tree, transformed from a 'Listener,' bears fruit that possesses the ability to manipulate Ergo to 'grant wishes'...*

As she spoke, Sofia extended a slender, pale finger. Azure Ergo particles condensed out of thin air, forming a beautiful butterfly that landed on her finger, slowly fluttering its wings.

Li Nanke’s eyes narrowed. "You are a Listener. You are the daughter of the former Alchemist leader, Valentine."

"No, Geppetto’s notes say the former leader’s daughter was already captured by Simon, and you..."

Sofia flicked her finger, and the Ergo butterfly danced in the air before dissolving into countless specks of light.

"That is correct, Mr. Black Rabbit. My father was the Alchemist leader, Valentine, and my late mother, Isabelle, was also a Listener."

"Listeners are the descendants of ancient humans—or more accurately, descendants with the blood of angels and gods. We are born with the ability to manipulate Ergo."

"Listeners can control the Ergo that permeates the world, listen to all languages, know all secrets hidden in the shadows, and even use Ergo to perform near-miraculous feats, such as reading minds, backtracking an individual's timeline, or foreseeing the future."

"To mortals, Listeners inherited the power of the 'Stars' and 'Angels,' possessing the great ability to grant wishes."

"The truth, however, is not so. As the bloodline diluted over generations, we no longer possess that original, magnificent power." She sighed deeply. "All I can do now is use Ergo to manifest butterflies and overhear a few secrets."

"To obtain the 'God’s Arm,' Simon killed my father and usurped the leadership, driven by his desire for eternal life."

"The 'God’s Arm' is the remains of an angel, a life form of immortality. Even though the angel is dead, the remains of the 'God’s Arm' still possess potent vitality."

"But immortality is a miracle that can only be achieved through wishing. No amount of mortal wisdom can attain it."

"Seeing no progress in his research on the God’s Arm, Simon turned his attention to the Listeners—to me."

"After all, Listeners are descendants of angels and gods. Studying our diluted bloodline was perhaps easier than studying the 'God’s Arm' directly."

"He imprisoned me on the alchemy island, locked within the Primary Monastery, stripping away my flesh for his experiments. I have long since been torn asunder..."

Li Nanke blinked, frowning as he looked her over. The blue-haired woman was beautiful, her coat draped over her shoulders, her white dress revealing long, slender legs. She looked nothing like someone "torn asunder."

Sofia seemed to sense his thoughts and smiled helplessly. Suddenly, her entire body radiated blue light. Like the Ergo butterfly, she was a body formed entirely of condensed Ergo. Her form disintegrated into countless points of light before gathering and coalescing back into the beautiful woman with blue hair.

"My initial goal was to awaken Puppet P—the puppet with infinite potential—to have him grow and strengthen until he defeated the King of Puppets and reached the alchemy island..."

"I wanted him to help me kill Simon, to complete my revenge. But, Mr. Black Rabbit, your performance has changed my plans."

"I had pinned my hopes on Puppet P, but I discovered that you are far more powerful. Your strength and your potential for growth make you better suited to fulfill my revenge."

"Most importantly, I can use Ergo to listen to everyone's voices, yet I cannot hear your inner thoughts, Mr. Black Rabbit."

"You are unlike all the other Stalkers and puppets. You do not fight by manipulating Ergo; you wield a supernatural power I do not understand."

"You are like a fallen 'Star,' possessing strange powers that do not belong to this world..."

"Am I correct, Mr. Black Rabbit?"

Sofia folded her hands on her lap, her gaze fixed intently on Li Nanke.