âIâm the Panther God, the deity worshipped by the people of Wakanda!â proclaimed the girl in black. And at the same time, an inexplicable aura erupted from the girl, directly bearing down on Leo, leaving him breathless instantly.
Frankly speaking, Leo sensed a tinge of fear and panic. He had no clue in what form he currently existed in this space and his Viper and mechanical legion were all rendered useless.
The high-tech equipment that allowed him to dominate and conquer the real world seemed incapable of providing even a sliver of security now.
Moreover, after the girl unleashed her enigmatic aura, Leo suddenly discovered himself immobilized and unable to make a single move. He couldnât even muster the ability to fight back with his fists and legs.
After all, his body was even sculpted by the self-proclaimed Panther God. In someone elseâs domain, others naturally had free rein.
Thinking about this, Leo couldnât resist feeling he was extremely unlucky, perhaps even the architect of his own misfortune.
Look at someone like Bucky for instance. After entering, he immediately brawled with the Black Panthers, receiving extra life essence and returning to the real world unscathed. But Leo was different. Without a second thought, he delved into understanding the realism of othersâ virtual worlds, even using brute force and analytical skills to break through their illusions.
And now, here he was, having unintentionally drawn out the mastermind behind it all!
Nevertheless, Leo knew deep down that if given another chance, he would still choose to do the same.
It was simply in his nature, thereâs no way around it!
At most, if he knew about the mastermind, he would prepare himself thoroughly before confronting the mastermind. He wouldnât recklessly engage in battles without certainty, ending up in such a perilous situation as he was now.
As thoughts swirled in his mind, Leo wanted to quickly escape from this peculiar space and return to the real world.
However, despite his consecutive attempts to use methods like biting his tongue and breath-holding suicide, none of them proved effective. The system still could be accessed but it displayed everything as normal, providing no assistance to him.
Besides, even though his skills, âMechanical Force Analysisâ and âMechanical Force â Insightâ were seemingly in a normal state, they simply couldnât be activated again as if being suppressed by something. He couldnât even sense his Mechanical Force.
Right then, the girl in black claiming to be the Panther God approached Leo, leaning in close to him. Curiously, she asked, âAre you trying to leave this place? Well, thatâs not going to work. This is my domain. You can only enter with my permission, and similarly, you cannot leave without my permission.â
Ignoring her, Leo continued his attempts, desperately trying to escape.
The girl in black blinked her eyes a couple of times and added, âTo be honest, you donât need to be nervous. I wonât do anything bad to you. I just need your aid. In thousands of years, youâre only the second person who can see me.â
Leo chose not to answer, but in reality, it was that he was unable to answer. Under the pressure from the girl in black, he couldnât even move his mouth, let alone speak.
She frowned and pouted her lips, as her eyes filled with confusion. Then, she began to circle around the motionless Leo. Her expression and actions exuded a sense of naivety, lacking the intimidating aura one would expect from a mastermind.
Meanwhile, a glimmer of joy sparked within Leo. After all the attempts he made, he finally sensed a fan presence of his Mechanical Force. The Mechanical Force residing within his body could finally be manipulated and it meant that he was still connected to his physical body.
Maybe through this connection, he could break through the barrier between this strange world and the real world, allowing his consciousness to return to his body.
With this in mind, he hastily concentrated his mind, intensifying his connection with his Mechanical Force, striving to strengthen it.
On the other hand, the girl in black finished circling around Leo barefoot for several rounds. She suddenly slapped her forehead playfully, stuck out her tongue, and positioned herself in front of Leo.
âSorry about that. Itâs been thousands of years since Iâve seen someone I can talk with, so I got a little too excited and lost control of my spiritual power, accidentally stunning you. I truly didnât mean to do that. Iâll release you now.â As the girl finished speaking, Leo suddenly felt his body relax and regained his ability to move.
Concurrently, the speed at which Leo surged his Mechanical Force abruptly accelerated. Sensing this change, he felt a surge of joy within but he maintained a calm facade, secretly increasing the speed of him surging the Mechanical Force.
But as if unaware of Leoâs subtle action, the girl in black stood before him, looking pleased, and said, âNow that youâre free, I have something Iâd like to ask your help with. Are you willing to aid me?â
Leo didnât answer because he had accumulated enough Mechanical Force while the girl was speaking. His consciousness was able to perceive his physical body brimming with Mechanical Force. If he wanted, he could forcefully return to the real world via the established unique connection of Mechanical Force.
All of a sudden, the girl in black sensed something amiss as well. She realized that her domain had been silently punctured by Leo, creating a hole that he could forcefully leave.
The turn of events occurred so swiftly that the girl, who had been smiling just moments ago, now wore a heartbroken expression, almost on the verge of tears.
âLeo, please donât go,â she pleaded.
In truth, Leo wasnât intending of leaving for the moment, regardless of the girlâs plea since the circumstances had changed. Previously, he had been desperate to escape and was determined to do so at any cost. But now, he had broken through the barrier between this space and the real world using the power of Mechanical Force and he could return to his body at any time.
Since he was able to retreat, it meant he could launch an attack too.
Being a person who seized opportunities, he immediately thought of turning the situation to his side. He planned to gather information and see if he could benefit from the situation.
Apart from that, the girlâs naive and innocent behavior hadnât made Leo feel any hostility.
How could an enemy willingly âuntieâ you and even apologize?
As for Leoâs previous inability to move his body and the overwhelming pressure he felt⌠He faintly sensed that maybe it was as the girl in black said, she hadnât been able to control her power properly, and he suffered an unintended consequence.
However, whether or not she truly bore no ill intentions, he wasnât able to make any solid conclusion. Thus, he needed to probe further to understand the current situation.
With this in mind, he began to consider his options. Glancing at the girl on the verge of tears, he said, âIf you want me to stay, you should answer some questions honestly.â
The girl in black nodded in a naive manner as her gaze fixed on Leoâs face. Her large eyes blinked as she bobbed her head like a chick pecking grain.
Ignoring the girlâs innocence, Leo started to organize his thoughts. Right now, countless questions flooded his mind as he pondered which one to ask first and from which angle should he approach the conversation.
After a long pause, he selected what he believed to be the most suitable question and asked it aloud.