Pei Guang spoke gently, "It's like this: I wanted to offer you some coffee. This is therapeutic coffee, said to help with sleep, and everyone who's tried it praises it. I just want you to test its effects, for real. Don't worry, I won't lay a hand on your physical body while you're asleep."
Ruan Mei believed Pei Guang's words. His gaze had indeed lingered on her body at first, but now it felt like he was trying to obtain something else: something far more abstract.
She was also somewhat curious about what kind of experiment Pei Guang would conduct, and what results it might bring.
What Pei Guang didn't know was that while Ruan Mei had agreed to help with his experiment, he had also walked right into her trap.
Ruan Mei cooperated fully with the experiment. As for Pei Guang? He actually got results. The second attempt yielded a purple light material, the third a blue light material, the fourth a green common material, and the fifth a white common material.
From the sixth to the tenth attempt, nothing came out. On the eleventh, Pei Guang stopped the experiment.
When Ruan Mei awoke once again, Pei Guang spoke to her: "Alright, the experiment's done. Seems like at most I can only 'harvest' five times in a short period."
Pei Guang thought back to farming drops from Sampo. It was similar: getting stuff in rapid succession would lead to diminishing returns. Still, Sampo's loot overall had been generous.
There was probably a cooldown-like mechanic in play, preventing him from continuously milking one person. But that was fine! Just meeting someone else in this universe with a trait similar to Sampo's was enough to make Pei Guang satisfied.
Especially since this time it was a gold-tier material capable of creating life. According to game logic, this kind of item could probably be used to create a powerful pet, maybe even a daughter or a wife?!
With that thought, Pei Guang's motivation ignited.
Meanwhile, hearing that the experiment was over, Ruan Mei asked, "So that was ten times in total. Is that enough data for your experiment?"
Pei Guang replied, "Yeah, it's enough! For me, a drop is a drop: if it doesn't drop, it doesn't drop. Judging by the current state, it won't drop anything rare even if I keep trying. Might as well wait a bit and try again later. Anyway, you mentioned you had a mission. Come on, tell me about it."
In no rush, Ruan Mei explained, "In a sealed section of the station, I have some experimental specimens stored. Herta used that section to receive guests from across the galaxy or members of the Genius Society. But due to the Antimatter Legion's invasion, that area has been closed off. Now, something in there has become my big headache."
Pei Guang said, "Well damn, the space station has more sectors?"
Ruan Mei nodded. "Yes, the secrets of the space station are far more than you imagine."
Pei Guang responded, "That's not necessarily surprising. I already figured this starter map had a bunch of secrets. But it's fine, this just means more hidden lore and settings got unlocked."
Whether it was the space station, Belobog, or the Xianzhou Luofu, Pei Guang had always treated these areas like maps patched together from various game settings.
According to typical game logic, it was normal for every map from beginner zones to final bosses to have secrets.
Ruan Mei said, "As long as you understand. I'll give you my command card. Give me your hand: I'll register your fingerprint on it. Darling, stay safe. If you encounter a danger you can't handle, just send me a signal. I'll step in myself, no matter the consequences.
Remember: in the center of that sector, there's a massive cultivation tank. That's where my big headache is stored."
Listening to Ruan Mei's explanation, Pei Guang didn't react much to the mission itself. It was the word "darling" that made his whole body feel weak in the knees.
Honestly, since arriving in this world, no one had ever used such a sweet tone to call him something like that.
It felt nice, sure, but Pei Guang didn't fall for it for a second. Even in a visual novel, unless you used some kind of forced event trigger or affection system, no unfamiliar female character would just casually call the protagonist "darling" during their first real conversation.
Now, here was someone he'd just met, someone he'd literally used for an experiment, and who hadn't even built up any rapport with him, suddenly calling him "darling"? No way he was falling for that.
Definitely a trap.
And considering her description of the mission, a central location and a giant cultivation tank, Pei Guang remembered some bad experiences.
The worst one? Chris's route in Resident Evil 6. Same central tank. Same huge trouble.
Thinking of this, Pei Guang suddenly asked, "Just to be clear: if that experimental subject in the tank manages to hatch, are we talking about something capable of destroying a whole planet?"
Ruan Mei nodded. "Yes. If the specimen matures into its complete form, it won't just threaten a planet: entire star systems, even multiple systems, could become its breeding grounds."
As she explained this, Ruan Mei noticed Pei Guang's eyes rolling in exasperation. His face showed both helplessness and a faint trace of pain.
Curious, she asked, "What's wrong? Worried about the danger? Don't worry, if it's really too much, you can refuse the mission. Me stepping in personally would just cause a bit more trouble."
Pei Guang replied, "No, I just remembered something unpleasant. And I finally understand why you drop such high-tier items. So it's because this is the kind of hell you're dragging me into, huh."
Game developers often torment players by creating stat monsters or mechanic monsters. While mechanic monsters can be taken down by exploiting their mechanics, stat monsters offer no sense of achievement when fought.
Still, since players might not be able to beat them head-on, there's usually some powerful item nearby designed specifically to deal with them.
Only a storm can fell a greatwood!
But then there are those developers who feel the anti-stat-monster item they've given is too strong: so the stat monster becomes a stat-mechanic hybrid.
And when these hybrid monsters show up in quests, the quest will almost always provide tools tailored to handle them.
Pei Guang figured it out: this material he received must be for completing the mission. But since this was the real world with no quest logs or hint systems, he directly asked Ruan Mei.
"Don't worry, I won't give up on the mission. Just think about what the quest reward should be. But before we head out, I have a question—do you have any materials for creating life? Preferably high-quality ones."
Ruan Mei: "Hm? Creating life? What are you planning?"
Pei Guang replied with a straight face: "What do you think? Obviously I'm going to make a lifeform to help me clear maps! How else am I supposed to beat the boss?"
Ruan Mei: "You can create life?"
Pei Guang: "What's so hard about it? As long as you've got the materials, any player can do it! Alright, stop sweating the details. Just tell me, do you have the materials or not?"
Ruan Mei paused, then looked at him: "What kind of lifeform are you aiming for?"
Seeing her reaction, Pei Guang knew he'd guessed right. An NPC giving out such an important item and issuing a dangerous-sounding quest… of course she had the materials he could use!
Pei Guang: "The type, huh?"
He thought for a moment, then said, "Simple: sugar, spice, and everything nice. With that, I can create the perfect lifeform to tackle this mission."
Ruan Mei: "Alright. Wait here for a bit."
Curious to see what Pei Guang would come up with, Ruan Mei gathered the materials he asked for.
These were things she'd used before in her own attempts to create life, and there were plenty stocked up around the space station. She brought nearly everything.
Once she returned with the materials, Pei Guang began his synthesis process. Lacking a proper container, he pulled out the second-best bucket he owned. Pouring the sugar, spice, and everything nice into it, he then added the mysterious X-substance he'd obtained.
With all ingredients in, he grabbed the bucket and shook it vigorously. In his memory, these were the perfect ingredients for creating the perfect girl!
And since the system wanted him to explore, following a recipe he remembered had to work. Even if the result wasn't a perfect girl, stuffing so many beautiful things in there had to produce something incredible!
But Pei Guang had clearly forgotten one thing: his bucket was no ordinary container. It was, in a way, a special piece of equipment. When he mixed these perfect materials and the Chemical X inside, the bucket itself reacted alongside them.
In that instant, the room filled with blinding light. Ruan Mei was stunned. She watched as Pei Guang, without using any special tools, just mixed a few things together… and they reacted?
Then actually produced life?
That alone would've been shocking, but what really caught her off guard was the pure Path energy radiating from the newly born lifeform. And the Path was... Preservation?
This was the power level of an Emanator? Pei Guang had just used her materials, a random bucket, and some unknown substance—shook them a little—and somehow created a being equivalent to a Preservation Emanator?!
Not only Ruan Mei was stunned. Herta, watching from elsewhere in the station, was completely baffled too.
Two geniuses dumbfounded—and even the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, was momentarily dazed!
Because on the Path of Preservation, a new special lifeform had suddenly appeared. This creature had stout limbs and a pink-and-white gradient body that somehow gave off a cute vibe: yet its body was unmistakably that of a Belobog trash can.
The moment it was born, its unwavering will to preserve was strong enough to earn the praise of even the Amber Lord.
Unlike the trash can from before, this one had limbs and a charming gradient hue. It used its pure consciousness to demonstrate to Qlipoth what true Preservation's will looked like.
No distractions! Only the purest of intentions!
In a brief moment of eye contact, the bucket's will was recognized by the Amber King. And thanks to the special concept of the "bucket family" brought forth by the player, the walls Qlipoth built grew stronger.
So, at the very moment this sentient bucket stepped onto the Path, Qlipoth granted it even more power.
At the moment of its birth, Qlipoth raised its mighty hammer, and across the universe, everyone felt the walls of the cosmos grow sturdier. Somewhere, somehow, a voice whispered that the entire universe had just become more secure.
Brilliant fireworks lit up countless worlds. Everyone celebrated the birth of this new lifeform.
It was… the King of Trash Cans!
At the same time, it realized one thing: it was not the strongest among the bucket clan. There was still a leader at the front of all buckets, marching onward with firm resolve.
Thus, it gave itself a mighty name: "Below One Bucket!" It would carry the pride and dignity of all buckets and trash cans.
Though names didn't matter much to it, it still picked something memorable to distinguish itself. Of course, if its creator wanted to name it, it wouldn't mind at all.
Meanwhile, Ruan Mei stood there utterly dumbfounded.
This... was the perfect lifeform? A trash can, sure: but why did a trash can get noticed by the Preservation Aeon and become an Emanator of Preservation?!
How could creating life and turning it into an Emanator be so absurdly easy, like a joke?