Li Ming was slightly surprised upon hearing the words, gazing at the young man’s face, unsure whether it was a Mimic Mask.
There wasn’t the kind of esteemed status and hidden restrained arrogance seen in Feder and Isus during their first meetings.
It seemed like he was merely narrating these words calmly.
"Truly a person from the Star Abyss Empire," Li Ming commented with admiration. "Are you a member of the Royal Family?"
Although the Star Abyss Empire was named as such, in reality, its system had become incredibly special after countless years of development.
It had morphed into a somewhat distorted form of parliamentary system, divided into an upper and lower house, with both speakers having the same rights.
Additionally, after several internal coups, the Royal Family’s status had been greatly diminished, and now, all three—the parliament, the Royal Family, and the other parties—jointly managed this vast interstellar empire.
Li Ming wanted to clarify the other party’s background to prepare for subsequent interactions.
"Whether I am or not has nothing to do with you," Gabriel replied indifferently.
"Even if you’re not a member of the Royal Family, given your almost palpable aristocratic air, you must be part of the Royal Family’s system," continued Li Ming without waiting for a response.
Neither party was addressing each other’s questions. Gabriel frowned slightly. "Do you really think someone can save you?"
Gabriel seemed to believe Li Ming was unaware of the current situation. "I can tell you, the spatial containment field on you can block all traces, including informational forms. Even if they’re close, your teacher can’t detect your presence."
"Tsk, truly worthy of the Star Abyss Empire," Li Ming remarked again.
Gabriel shook his head. "Twenty-seven days after Isus’s death, I arrived at Blue Star Civilization and thoroughly investigated the matter from beginning to end.
"I know the details of everyone present, including you, in great detail."
"Silver Grey Star, just a speck of dust in the interstellar space." Gabriel’s voice was deep, as if in reflection: "You might be the most formidable person ever born on this planet."
"You are indeed very capable, or perhaps I should say Lord Azure Dragon is quite remarkable, but your relationship with him must not be that close. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have needed to rely on Wu Yanqing’s connection."
Gabriel’s tone carried a sense of certainty: "He probably asked you to make the connection, right? Wu Yanqing is entangled with Asimara, and Asimara knows about the Ascender Relics. What a grand scheme."
Li Ming’s expression turned peculiar. Was this guy embellishing the story?
But the theory actually sounded quite convincing and could even form a logical loop.
Gabriel’s gaze returned to Li Ming: "I’ll give you a chance. Follow me. I can offer you the same things that the great Mechanic can. How about it?"
"Uh..." Li Ming’s expression turned even stranger. From threats to enticements now?
Wait a minute... Li Ming thought for a moment, "Don’t you have any Spiritual Ability Users with you? Don’t you plan to directly check my memory?"
"I appreciate you," Gabriel answered, catching Li Ming off guard.
That sounded familiar... where had he heard that before...
"As you said, I could simply have a Spiritual Ability User explore your memory. There’s no need to deceive you. Your Development Potential is not low. You are certain to become a Level A Life Form, and I can give you a bigger stage," Gabriel continued.
"I’ll give you ten minutes to think about it." Gabriel didn’t demand an immediate answer from Li Ming, glanced over the nearby battlefield, his gaze lingering on Azure Dragon before he turned and walked away, adding:
"Send a message to Asimara. Her plan has failed, and she must be quite upset."
The people behind him quickly caught up, pinning down the central figure, Li Ming, who couldn’t resist.
On the battlefield, Li Ming’s True Body made a slight move, his attention waning, as Tiago was being escorted back. For some reason, Sandro, agonizing over his decision, chose to escort him proactively.
Ulrich frowned. "Lord Azure Dragon, since the person has been taken away, can you explain why Tiago came from the Borneost Civilization to ambush you? And what was that deal he mentioned earlier with Asimara?"
"Just a moment," Li Ming said, waving his hand, his peripheral vision unintentionally drifting towards the direction where the Mimic Projection was being taken away.
The Mimic Projection had a range limit from his True Body, not exceeding five kilometers. He needed to catch up quickly.
But before that, he had something else to do.
Ulrich was displeased but remembered the recent fight and managed to suppress his annoyance, following closely to the warehouse at the port’s dock.
The warehouse’s location was a bit further from the interior of the port, so it was not affected by the aftermath of the recent battle.
To Li Ming’s relief, the location of the warehouse wasn’t far from the direction in which the group had departed.
"Lord Ulrich, Lord... Lord Azure Dragon..." The warehouse manager, also just back from the battlefield, was a boar-man, with dense black bristles on both cheeks, now pale and trembling with fright.
"I’ve come to pick up a shipment. I left something here just now," Li Ming said, giving his name and tracking number. The trembling manager checked the details, then his expression drastically changed, "Lord Azure Dragon, we didn’t know it was you. Storing your items here should definitely be free..."
"I’ll refund you the money right away."
The Ulrich behind him looked displeased. His subordinates were too spineless; why couldn’t they show some backbone?
The owner of Trading Island was present; does Azure Dragon care about such a small amount of money enough to do something drastic to you?
A bunch of incompetents!
"No need, just lead me to my item," Li Ming shook his head, emphasizing his request.
"Yes... Yes!" The manager hastily led Li Ming into the warehouse. The long, slender box was carelessly placed on the ground. Li Ming did not open it but felt the edges and nodded: "Good, make sure it gets delivered to the castle."