Dusk began to envelop the sky, coloring the horizon with shades of orange and golden red.
The fading sunlight filtered in through the window, creating long shadows in the room.
In the living room of the headquarters of the Male Steel Group, the atmosphere was warm but still had a distinctly masculine feel. The smell of wood and iron faintly wafted through, blending with the fragrance of freshly brewed tea.
In the center of the room, a simple yet sturdy dining table took center stage. Around it, El, Xiao Yan, Xiao Li, and Xiao Ding sat, each with a different expression, some relaxed, some thoughtful.
Not far from them, Qing Lin who had changed into clean clothes, stood in a cautious manner.
Qing Lin's hand held a jug of wine, which was ready to pour drinks whenever needed.
Qing Lin's eyes occasionally glanced at El and Xiao Yan, as if to ensure that everything was going well.
Earlier, as soon as she came to her senses, Qing Lin immediately went back to her work as a waitress. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had tried to prevent her, considering that the girl had just regained consciousness.
However, Qing Lin insisted on continuing to work. In the end, the two could only relent and let her be.
After all, if Qing Lin looked lazy and used her condition as an excuse, she would only get more criticism from the other mercenary members.
Seeing Qing Lin's persistence, Xiao Yan felt curious. As he asked, Xiao Ding explained the girl's background, unusual past and her position in the Manly Steel Group.
Hearing that, Xiao Yan was silent for a moment before finally giving Qing Lin some advice. "Don't think too much about other people's views. Your life is still your own."
Qing Lin was surprised, then smiled slightly before nodding. "Thank you... I'll keep that in mind."
Feeling that the atmosphere was getting too serious, Xiao Li immediately changed the topic.
Energetically, Xiao Li patted the table, then said, "Never mind! Forget that heavy talk! Now, let's both of you tell us about your adventures!"
Xiao Yan and El took turns to tell the story of their adventures, occasionally inserting jokes in the middle of the story.
From facing the many Magic Beasts on Magic Beast Mountain, to meeting a robber who ended up being robbed by El, to being chased by a Magic Beast because they took the wrong path or accidentally took their treasure.
Although in the end, El and Xiao Yan fought, and managed to defeat them all.
In short, their adventure was full of suspense, but not at all boring to listen to.
"Hahaha!" Xiao Li laughed out loud at their story. "Yan'er, Ji Lan, your adventures are indeed marvelous!"
Xiao Yan only smiled awkwardly while scratching the back of his neck, though it was not itchy.
On the other hand, Xiao Ding sighed heavily, then looked at El meaningfully. "Ji Lan, on behalf of Yan'er, I apologize if he has been troublesome to you."
El smiled kindly. "Ji doesn't mind. At least, in that adventure, Ji gained a lot of valuable experience."
Then El turned to Qing Lin, who was standing not far away. The girl was still smiling, seemingly enjoying the adventure stories shared by Xiao Yan and El.
"Qing Lin, do you want to be Ji's disciple?" asked El in a friendly tone.
Hearing the offer, Qing Lin looked doubtful. Her eyes moved restlessly, glancing at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, as if seeking their blessing or consideration.
The girl looked at the two in turn, trying to read their opinions from their facial expressions.
Meanwhile, El remained seated calmly, without showing any pressure or coercion. The choice was entirely in Qing Lin's hands, whatever her decision was, El would respect it.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged glances. Although they were a little surprised by El's offer, they didn't immediately refuse or show any objection.
They understood how difficult Qing Lin's life had been, the girl had gone through a journey full of danger, uncertainty, and suffering from society's condemnation.
In their hearts, they realized that every decision made today could drastically change Qing Lin's future.
Unbeknownst to anyone, El had his own reasons. He saw Qing Lin as a figure that reminded her of her three adopted daughters in the Black Bullet world.
Girls who had extraordinary potential but were always on the verge of suffering.
Although El knew that, in the not too distant future, Qing Lin would probably become a target to eventually become a Holy Maiden.
With some compassion, El wanted to alleviate that suffering by offering her protection and guidance, before not seeing each other again for a long time.
In a soft yet confident voice, El said, "Qing Lin, you are free to choose. If you want to be my disciple, I will take care of you like my own daughter. But the decision is entirely in your hands."
Qing Lin was silent for a moment, her eyes glazed over. In her silence was a mixture of hope and fear, hope that there might be a better path, and fear of the fate that always haunted her every step.
Meanwhile, Xiao Li and Xiao Ding remained supportive, giving small smiles and understanding nods without interfering with her decision.
It was a defining moment in the headquarters of the Manly Steel Group, where a meaningful silence fell over the room.
They waited patiently for the decision of the little girl who carried not only a bitter past, but also a fate that would change the course of her life.
Qing Lin lowered her head, her fingers tightly grasping the edge of her clothes.
In a low voice and full of doubt, Qing Lin said, "What... doesn't matter? A disgusting creature like me... becoming your disciple, Young Master?"
El looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Qing Lin with a gentle gaze
"Disgusting?" said El softly. "Qing Lin, the world is vast, there are tons of people who were born as Hybrids like you, Qing Lin."
Qing Lin raised her face slightly, her eyes filled with confusion and hope that was almost extinguished.
"You're just a half snake-man and half human half-blood, right?" continued El in a casual tone. "Is that a problem?"
El's words were so light, as if the fact that Qing Lin was a Hybrid wasn't something to be concerned about. However, before Qing Lin could answer, something surprising happened.
El suddenly spoke in a hissing tone, a distinctive voice, flowing in a rhythm that only a snake-man or Hybrid like Qing Lin could understand.
Qing Lin was startled, her eyes widened, and her body stiffened. She understood what El was saying, something that no ordinary human could do.
On the other hand, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, and Xiao Li could only remain silent. They did not understand what had just happened, but one thing was certain, they did not expect El to be able to speak in snake-man language.
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. The silence that followed was heavier, filled with curiosity, shock, and... a big question.
"How come?"
The system in El's body had an automatic translation function, allowing her to understand and speak in various languages around the world, even ancient languages, dragon languages, or the languages of other unique species.
All languages, as long as El had witnessed the existence of a Race with a certain language, the system would automatically adjust and integrate it, making it usable very easily.
As El began to hiss, Qing Lin initially looked surprised, but soon after, her shoulders began to tremble. Then, unable to help herself, the girl laughed amusedly.
Everyone in the room looked at her in confusion.
"What's wrong, Qing Lin?" asked Xiao Li, astonished at the girl's reaction.
However, Qing Lin simply covered her mouth with her hand, trying to muffle her laughter, while her eyes glanced at El with an expression full of fun.
Actually, in that hiss, El did not say anything serious, instead, he was busy mocking Xiao Yan with various strange nicknames.
From "The Number One Trouble Maker" to "The King of Strange Events", even going as far as making up a ridiculous story about how Xiao Yan once made the Magic Beast tribe cry because of his stupidity.
Although the story was obviously fake, the narrative was so ridiculous and entertaining that Qing Lin could not help but laugh.