Soft and substantial. Brimming with elasticity and a yielding fullness.
This was Lu Xing's first reaction upon touching the "fat layer"—to say Lu Xing wasn't curious about something so large would be a lie, but more importantly, it was an experiment conducted for a serious purpose.
Ange froze on the spot.
This was partly due to being frightened by Lu Xing, and partly due to being frightened by Lu Xing: the former referred to his identity as a Honkai Beast, the latter to the act of groping her chest.
"Honkai energy."
Through direct contact, Lu Xing more definitively sensed the presence of Honkai energy within Ange's body.
Of course, he wouldn't do something as cruel as ruthlessly destroying a flower, but whether she could "live" or not still depended on this girl's luck—
Splurt!
He withdrew his palm, forming it into a knife-hand.
The pain from her chest made Ange's brows furrow tightly. Before she could even react to what was happening, the sound of a sharp object piercing flesh came from just outside her heart.
His sharp fingertips, like scalpels, easily pierced into Ange's body.
Blood gushed out like a stream, and in stark contrast, Honkai energy continuously seeped into her body through the wound.
Lu Xing controlled the input level of Honkai energy.
When he didn't want it to, not a single bit would overflow; and when he needed to do so, not a drop was wasted.
If the experiment with the sand scorpion failed because that species had poor Honkai energy adaptability, then experimenting on a human already afflicted with Honkai Sickness, one very likely to turn into a Deadman, should give him a more direct understanding of the [Leader] affix's effects.
The newly acquired affix granted Lu Xing the ability to control "unaffiliated Honkai Beasts of a lower level than himself (regardless of race)," and at the same time, allowed Lu Xing to create his own "Servants"—this information was provided by the system.
This "creation" wasn't ex nihilo generation, but rather a process of injecting (marking with) Honkai energy to permanently convert other unaffiliated Honkai Beasts into Servants obedient to his commands.
These types of Honkai Beasts would not be influenced by other [Leaders].
Lu Xing had encountered many Honkai Beasts on his journey and had tested this ability several times, but each attempt had left him unsatisfied.
Lu Xing looked down on weak Honkai Beasts, and couldn't control strong ones. Moreover, the intelligence of "ordinary" Honkai Beasts was limited... After trying, Lu Xing found it was more practical to just eat them directly.
Therefore.
He wanted to try using this method to convert animals or humans into his "Servants."
The results were regrettable.
Ultimately, only a few could withstand the erosion of Honkai energy.
The human female before him was probably the most suitable target at present—this was also why Lu Xing had chosen to save her.
"?"
As Honkai energy was continuously injected, Ange had long since lost consciousness, yet Lu Xing didn't feel a sense of success.
Because...
He had consumed far too much Honkai energy.
Nearly 20% of his Honkai energy reserves; this level of consumption had even surpassed the energy signature he had sensed from the Loli Demon God back then.
But for Ange, it seemed she was still far from being "filled."
This was both bad news and good news: bad because if Lu Xing wanted to continue trying, he would have to waste even more Honkai energy; good because this girl's potential to become a high-tier Deadman might be even greater than the Loli Demon God's.
Deadmen surpassing the "Summoning Demon God" species... Lu Xing could only think of the most "disgusting" types.
Unfortunately, the actual situation differed considerably from Lu Xing's expectations.
After consuming nearly one-third of his own Honkai energy.
Although Lu Xing felt the "container" wasn't yet full, he also had a premonition that "continuing to charge it would likely cause an explosion."
Up to this point.
Lu Xing had "obtained" a life form he had never seen before.
Name: Pseudo-Deadman
Level: 1
Abilities: None
Attack: 10
Speed: 10
Constitution: 10
Evaluation: Unknown Species
Ange was still human.
Lu Xing was very certain she hadn't turned into a Deadman.
But her stats were very strange.
Though she was merely a Lv.1 novice, all her attributes were a full 10 points—Lu Xing remembered very clearly what painstaking effort he had expended for his own attributes to reach double digits.
This represented extremely terrifying potential.
And this girl had indeed become his "Servant," that much was certain.
In Lu Xing's mental world, Ange had a corresponding point of light—a "Coordinate Anchor." This was identical to the other Honkai Beasts Lu Xing had controlled after obtaining the [Leader] affix.
"Wait a minute!"
Lu Xing suddenly thought of something.
"Pseudo..."
He repeated this somewhat familiar word twice.
"This girl... could she possibly become a Pseudo-Herrscher!?"
There had never been any description of what a Pseudo-Herrscher was like before they absorbed enough Honkai energy to form a "Pseudo-Core."
Lu Xing felt that this "Pseudo-Deadman" was very likely the official name for that state.
He didn't know much about Pseudo-Herrschers; the only one he truly had an impression of was Yae Sakura from fifty thousand years in the future.
Although many factors were at play.
But regardless, had Lu Xing inadvertently branded a human who could potentially become a Pseudo-Herrscher as his own?
He made a sound, a sort of drawn-out, high-pitched "Eeeeh?!" that quavered downwards in disbelief.
If he could, Lu Xing would definitely have shivered violently.
It sounded great, but in the Honkai legions where "might makes right," the possibility of the weak dominating the strong simply didn't exist.
If this girl awakened as a Pseudo-Herrscher in the future, she could probably swat countless versions of himself dead with a single slap—unless Lu Xing became even stronger than her, only then could she become a subordinate who truly obeyed him.
"What to do?"
Lu Xing could choose to kill her—it was merely a matter of slitting her throat with his blade—but if he did that, the hard-won "sample" would be wasted.
As for taking a human along...
No matter how he thought about it, it was an exceedingly troublesome affair.
After careful consideration (fifteen seconds), Lu Xing made his choice—
"You're free to go."
There was nothing to hesitate about.
Opportunity and risk coexisted.
Even if the girl truly became a Pseudo-Herrscher in the future, by then, he should also have the strength to thrash her; and even if he was the one who ended up getting thrashed, he had, after all, done her a "favor" in her growth—all that Honkai energy—she probably wouldn't hunt him down across the "internet cables" to cause trouble.
Lu Xing left Ange where she was.
A creature with a Constitution of 10, no matter how weak otherwise, wouldn't freeze to death in the desert.
This chance encounter.
Could only be considered an "idle chess piece" he had left on the board of human society.
Lu Xing had other things to do—that human who had called him "Demon," the one he had deliberately let escape, should be able to provide more intelligence.