Fenrir's introduction left both Eagle Eye and Leah stunned for a moment.
Chinese? You're telling me that joining Apocalypse requires learning an extra language? This requirement was unheard of in any other faction they had encountered.
But recalling the strange and unfamiliar syllables spoken by that petite leader just now, the two of them suddenly realized that the leader was speaking Chinese.
This wasn't too difficult for them; after all, after awakening an SS-Level Talent, both their physical functions and their brain's cognitive learning abilities had seen a leap-like improvement.
Especially for talents like theirs, which were closely related to vision and perception, their memory was already far beyond that of ordinary people; mastering a new language was only a matter of time.
What they didn't expect, however, was that the leader actually spoke the language of the Dragon Kingdom.
After William provided a simultaneous translation of Lilith's inquiry, Eagle Eye and Leah quickly composed themselves, their faces showing expressions of solemnity.
They didn't show the slightest contempt because of Lilith's highly deceptive appearance.
On the contrary, that brief contact just now and the respectful attitude of William and Fenrir had brought their awe of this mysterious leader to its peak.
"If Apocalypse doesn't look down on us, we are naturally willing to join."
The two spoke almost in unison, their tone sincere.
Lilith's ruby-like eyes gazed at them calmly, lingering for a moment longer on Leah in particular.
When she heard Leah's crisp voice with its slightly lively tone, an almost imperceptible sense of familiarity flashed through Lilith's heart.
This familiarity did not stem from the voice itself, but from a deeper energy fluctuation... like a faint mark left by something with a spiritual imprint she had encountered before, one that had almost dissipated.
The corners of Lilith's mouth slowly curved upward.
That smile, appearing on her exquisite little face, should have been extremely cute.
Snowy white hair slipped from the edge of her military cap, contrasting with her jade-like skin and crimson lips.
But in those ruby eyes, there was no hint of a smile, only a cold playfulness after seeing through a secret.
And a trace of... the interest a predator feels when discovering an interesting prey.
This smile sent a chill through William and Fenrir, and it made Leah, who was facing it directly, feel an inexplicable tightening in her heart and a shiver run down her spine.
Cute? No, this smile was hair-raising; she was simply a ferocious beast in sheep's clothing!
Especially those blood-red eyes; there was always a feeling of being stared at by a top predator!
But I don't think I've ever seen her before, so why would she give me such a smile?
Leah was startled and confused, but Lilith obviously wasn't going to give her an answer.
Last time in Raccoon City, the Spiritual Spores network generated by the talent of that SSS-Level Talent Hive Lord Hunter had an influence far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
It seemed that in other previous dungeons, the opponent had already influenced quite a few people.
If she hadn't later devoured the three special mutants spawned by the Spiritual Spores and unexpectedly analyzed and fused some of the gene fragments of those Spiritual Spores...
...obtaining a weak perception of this spiritual energy, she wouldn't have been able to capture that faint, almost non-existent scent of the Hive Lord's power from Leah's body at all.
It was very faint and didn't constitute control or a threat, but it was like an invisible tag.
Unless one was very sensitive to scents and had actually encountered and analyzed it, one wouldn't be able to perceive it.
SSS-Level Talents truly each have their own abnormal aspects.
The ability of that Hive Lord Hunter leaned toward mental control, information networks, and large-scale creation; in the early stages, the role it could play and the chaos it could cause were indeed more immediate and harder to guard against than the Gene Dominator, which required continuous devouring and accumulation.
However, the weakness was also obvious; she felt only slightly stronger than an ordinary person, with no combat capability other than her powerful Spirit.
But Spirit was perfectly mitigated by the domain generated by the Blood Domain, making it unable to cause any damage; therefore, this person's abilities were all related to escaping, and her escape speed was impossible to guard against.
"Interesting..."
Lilith murmured in a voice only she could hear.
She didn't expose it; now was not the time. Besides, those who consumed the bloodline egg possessed absolute loyalty to her.
She wanted to see what that Hive Lord Hunter intended to do by going to such lengths to leave a seed.
She also wanted to see whether the opponent's Spiritual Spore parasitic erosion was more powerful, or if her own bloodline egg was.
Lilith stepped forward, her military boots making a crisp sound as she walked straight up to Leah.
Her petite height meant she had to look up slightly to meet Leah's gaze.
She reached out her small hand, her ruby eyes half-squinted, the dangerous yet cute smile on her face not yet fully faded.
"Hello,"
Lilith said softly, her voice crisp.
"Welcome to Apocalypse."
William, following behind Lilith, immediately provided a simultaneous translation.
Looking at the suddenly approaching Lilith, Leah felt that sense of unnaturalness grow stronger, but more than that, she felt overwhelmed by the favor.
She hurriedly bent down to bring her gaze level with Lilith's, reached out her own hand, and cautiously grasped Lilith's small hand.
It felt ice-cold, soft, and incredibly delicate, as if the finest silk was wrapped around warm jade.
Contrary to the sense of fragility her petite body gave off, this palm was steady and powerful.
Leah even had a ridiculous urge to keep holding this cute yet dangerous little hand.
Or... to pull this leader, who looked like an exquisite doll, into her arms and give her a good squeeze.
Of course, the moment that thought surfaced, it was ruthlessly suppressed by her strong reason and survival instinct.
"I hope that in the future..."
Lilith let her hold her hand, her ruby eyes looking directly into Leah's azure eyes, speaking word by word, which were translated by William and clearly reached Leah's ears.
"...you will always belong to Apocalypse."
The tone of this sentence was flat, but it carried a certain unquestionable depth.
Leah's heart tightened slightly, and she hurriedly nodded.
"Yes, Leader! I will definitely do my utmost for Apocalypse!"
The meeting ended in a subtle and complex atmosphere.
As the public face of the organization, William clarified the subsequent arrangements to Eagle Eye and Leah; they would temporarily stay in Apocalypse as senior consultants, enjoying corresponding treatment and authority.
"Soon, there will be a test."
William looked at the two meaningfully.
"Those factions eyeing our Apocalypse have already united and will soon be at our gates. If you two can perform excellently in the upcoming conflict and prove your value and loyalty, then..."
He paused, his voice carrying the weight of a promise.
"The Leader will not be stingy with rewards. At that time, Apocalypse will officially establish a Cabinet as the highest decision-making and executive body."
"And you will be eligible, just like Fenrir and me, to become Cabinet Elders, participating in the core affairs and decision-making of Apocalypse and sharing the dividends of its development."
Of course, William also explicitly added that the final right of decision for everything in Apocalypse would always belong to Leader Lilith.
The leader could veto any Cabinet resolution with a single vote.
Eagle Eye and Leah glanced at each other, both seeing the determination in the other's eyes.
Risks and opportunities coexisted; it was only fair. They joined Apocalypse precisely to fight for a higher starting point and future.
This upcoming great battle was the perfect stage for them to demonstrate their value and win trust.
"We understand,"
The two said in deep voices simultaneously,
"We will prove ourselves."
...